Running Without Music

98 Degrees

Posted by Marvin Tabangay under training

Week 12 Sunday Run:
It was HOT. Very HOT. Probably not 98 degrees but it felt like it! According to the forecasts, the highs were in the mid-90’s. People even said that it was the hottest in Santa Monica in YEARS. Why? Why during one of our longest runs of the season??

Our Santa Monica/Palicades/Brentwood 17 Mile Route started on Ocean at the entrance of the Santa Monica Pier, worked our way North through the Palicades, down San Vicente, then back up San Vicente up to the Brentwood Area then ran all the way back down to where we started, and then some. There was a steady incline in the beginning of the course, but 6 miles of it was just too much for me, even with hill training earlier this week! I ran out of energy quick!

This is my third season with the Team, and it was definitely one of the hardest training days of my life. I believe some of the 20 milers in the past were easier because of the flatness of the course, and the weather. I was a bit frustrated at my run because I prepared very well for this run - I did not go out, I had a pasta dinner, I did not drink alcohol, I had a good night’s rest. During the run, I struggled to keep up with my pace group. We did our usual 7 minute run / 1 minute walk intervals, but towards the end I’ve never stopped so much for walk breaks. I’ve never cramped up so badly during a run. I’ve never ran out of breath so quickly. I’ve never been so hungry at mid-training. Luckily, I ran with Erin, who we kept each other company during the run, because it was just one of those bad days for us.

The weather affected me in so many ways than one. The pavement reflected the scorching heat of the sun, making it terribly difficult to stay cool. The air was too hot to even breathe in. Every opportunity I could get to a shade, I took it. At the water stops, I would pour water on my head and to the back of neck to cool down. I tried so many ways to regulate my breathing and temperature - every little bit helped. In the end, I enjoyed a simulated ice bath in the freezing beach water of Santa Monica. It helped out a lot because I’m not as sore today than I usually would.

Even though I felt this was my worst training run ever, I’m happy I finished 17 miles with a higher pace group than usual, and again, I’m not here to win any medals. This was definitely a Personal Record (PR) for me, not for time, but the challenge. I felt beat up, but not lost. It’s just one more step towards the goal, coming up in a few weeks!

Starting Line

Posted by Marvin Tabangay under events, videos

Last year, I ran my first marathon in San Diego. The other day, I found the starting line video from that event. You can see the magnitude of this event, and see how many TNT participants are involved.

The Running Man

Posted by Marvin Tabangay under videos

I’m a man who runs, but do you know how to do the running man? har har har.

Hills Finale

Posted by Marvin Tabangay under training

Tonight was the final scheduled session of our hill training. Unfortunately, this was only my third of five total sessions. After an initial warm up run down the street, we ran up the hill for a total of 6 times (7 to be exact because we did 2 half runs), and looped around the block for 3 times.

Ok, after 3 seasons of hill training you’d think I’d perfect this by now, right? NO. That hill is STILL hard. That hill had a gradual incline up until that horrid 40 degree incline 3/4 of the way up! Just like last time, my heart was beating sooo fast, and my breathing was so deep. During the run, there was only one word on my mind. “WHY?”.

I didn’t really know until after the run, because actually, I felt great. I felt great for accomplishing and not giving up on that hill that continues to conquer most of us. I felt great for being able to say no to whatever party or bar I may have hit up tonight, and actually deciding to train. I feel stronger every time, and I’m loving it. The San Diego Marathon is a month and days away, and you know what? I already feel I’m ready.

What’s That Gooey Stuff?

Posted by Marvin Tabangay under Diet

Prior to joining TNT last year I had no idea what was a carb gel. Two of the more popular carb gels are the Powerbar Gel or the GU Energy Gel. What I mentioned in my last post was that the GU saved my run. Reason being is that we burn so much carbs and electrolytes while running that we need to replenish very quickly, especially during endurance training. According to the GU website, these are the instructions:

Follow these three simple steps to maximize your athletic performance:
1. Top off your energy stores by taking one packet of GU 15 minutes before exercise, preferably on an empty stomach for fastest absorption.

2. For sustained energy consume one packet of GU every 35-45 minutes during exercise, washing it down with a few mouthfuls of water or GU2O hydration drink to speed absorption.

3. Speed recovery and reduce post-exercise fatigue by eating one packet of GU within 30 minutes of finishing your workout. This takes advantage of the post-exercise time window when your body replenishes lost glycogen most efficiently.

So, for a long run, or a marathon, I would be consuming maybe 5 or 6 packs a run. It’s very important to try these out BEFORE your marathon if you plan on running one because some people on my team get stomach aches or feel too heavy after taking one. Sometimes, the favors are just plain nasty. My favorite is the caramel flavored Powerbar Gel, mainly because it’s consistent to what it should feel like, and taste like. I’ve tried many fruit flavors, and no, it’s not what you would expect! There are a few alternatives, I’ll gather some information and will post later.

Palos Verdes

Posted by Marvin Tabangay under training

Week 11 Sunday Run: The Palos Verdes Route - We started off at the shopping center at Malaga Cove, ran to Hawethorne Blvd, passing 2 water stops, back to the starting point, then run to the first water stop, then back. Weather was perfect, beautiful views of the ocean, passing some really amazing houses. We even saw a glass house. Yes, I was able to see straight through it, overlooking the ocean.

We formed a pace group 3 “b”, because half of us wanted a 6 minute run : 1 minute walk interval instead of a 7:1 considering the hills on this course. Oh, there are hills all right, especially the first one being within the first mile of running. It wasn’t TOO bad because the amount of uphills evened out with the amount of downhills. Today I ran with Mega, Shauna, Jennifer, and Gretchen… talking about various topics from favorite vacations, to running teams who drink, to cool hotspots in LA/Hollywood. Great talks make the run go by so quickly. Other factors in making this a great course: We had no idea how the course was so we didn’t really know the mile marks were. “Oh, we’re almost done!”, and the power of the GU.

The Heat

Posted by Marvin Tabangay under training

Week 10 Sunday Run: Ok I know I’m on the “Summer” team, but it’s not summer yet! It felt like summer today, running 10 miles in 80 something degree weather. They even ran out of water at the 2nd water stop, and my water belt went empty early on. The sun was beating so hard that we scrounged for shade while we ran.

I continued to run with pace group 3. Surprisingly, I kept up again, even with this hot weather! Glad for that. I met some new people on the team, and also ran with a participant from the Winter Season, Lindsey. She’s always good company. We did our usual run from Shutters, down to Venice, then back up on San Vicente & 7th, then back to the parking lot. Usually, our team would be on the grass doing post-run stretches, but we were all appreciating the cool concrete under the parking lot shade.

Movin On Up

Posted by Marvin Tabangay under training

Week 9 Sunday Run: After finishing strong last week with no problems, my teammate Phillipa decided we should try out pace group 3 this week. I agreed, and guess what? This is the week where the team happens to extend our intervals by one minute to a 7:1 interval. Mind you, this pace is faster, AND we’re running longer (14 miles).

The beginning of my runs are usually the worst, where I have the most pains, but I actually kept up with the pace group! The front end of the group are ex-group 2, so their actual pace was much much faster. It was about a 9:30/mile pace for a while, then we eventually split into our own groups. I had a hard time breathing because this is NOT my usual pace. Last week’s pace was probably a consistent 10:30/mile.

This pace group is a little more challenging as well because we actually ran up the pier, which is one huge incline, and after each water stop, we reset our watches to new intervals. Towards the end though, Philippa’s knee was bothering her, so we took it easy… can’t risk any more injuries. All in all, I’m glad that I was able to keep up with this pace group. I can feel myself pushing my limits, but after we enjoyed a lovely brunch at Rutt’s Cafe in Culver City with teammates, Warren, Byong, John, and Samantha.