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By Deo, August 24, 2010 3:01 pm

PROLOGUE

There’s a time in our lives when we want to go back to a part of our personal history and wish that something better have happened. It isn’t regret, but rather, an answer to a “what if”, a question we only ask ourselves after going through a memorable ordeal.

In last year’s edition of the Philippine Ironman 70.3, I asked myself a lot of “what if” questions a few days after I crossed the finish line. What if I was better prepared for the swim? What if I gave it all in the run? What if I pushed too hard on the bike? What if…? These were questions I wanted to answer in this year’s offering of the event.

I focused my training on my swimming skills this year. I have done more mileage in the pool compared to last year, and only competed in SuBit 2010 and Tri-King triathlons to boost my open water swimming confidence. Last year, Lago Del Rey of CWC intimidated me, to the point of almost not starting the race. This year, I have overcome that open water fear and came into Camsur 70.3 a better swimmer.

I have also solicited the help of some friends who were willing to help me improve my time. Programs and drills were sent thru emails and like a good student, I followed this to a “T”. I’ve done the work. I was ready.

RACE PROPER: The SWIM

I woke up at 3:30 a.m. on race day. I had a good sleep, enough for me to not feel woozy upon leaving the bed to do my pre-race routines. Breakfast was served at 4:00 a.m. I had a sumptuous breakfast, which unfortunately, worked against me during the race. More of that later.

This year’s race started earlier and in waves. The 18-39 age groups were to start in a different wave than the 40 and up age groupers, the ladies were not bunched up with the guys as well. The pros and elites were started off at 6:30 a.m., followed by the 18-39 age group 2 minutes later. We, the 40 and up male athletes, would start 5 minutes after.

At 6:37 a.m. our start gun went off. More than 200 of us ran to the lake. As usual, I was at the back of the pack but not as far back as last year. With the murky water of Lago Del Rey, all I could see in front of me were the feet of the swimmers ahead. I followed a difficult line and was constantly looking up to check if there were clearer lines near me. I was about 2.5 meters away from the buoy line which I thought was a better place than being really close to it.

100 meters into the swim and I saw a clearing very near the buoy line. Great! I swam towards it but in the process banged bodies with someone to my right. I kicked frantically to avoid being swam over…then, suddenly, a sharp pain hit my right calf, cramps!

My right calf had a motion induced cramp, brought about by sudden muscle contraction. I held on to the ropes and stretched my right leg to let the cramp fade. Swam back into the race and around 200 meters into the swim, it happened again. This time, I held on to the platform the lifeguards were standing on.

“Are you okay sir?”

“Yes! Just cramping a bit.”

“Are you okay sir?” He repeated

“Yes!” I answered again

“Do you want to be pulled out?”

I lost my temper at that question. Though I know they were just looking after my safety, I was annoyed with the series of questioning. There was no way I’d DNF. I’d finish even if I had to crawl my way to the finish line.

“NO!” I said then swam back into the race.

The ladies’ race already started at that point. I could see pink caps splashing through the lake. I was swimming slowly and was feeling my right calf. I didn’t want to cramp again. I placed myself about 2 meters away from the buoy and gave enough space for the ladies to pass should they swim past me.

At about 300 meters into the swim, I got kicked on the arm. Nice! I thought, a breast stroker. When I looked under the water to my right, I realized that the breaststroking swimmer only had one leg. It was Rudy Fernandez, the one leg athlete who joined this year. He was missing a leg, but man, he could breaststroke!

We were at about the same pace for 5 minutes. I was nursing a cramp, he was swimming with one leg.

Making it to the turn around 675 meters from the starting point without cramping anymore, I swam my usual pace and completed the first part of the 1.9K swim in 44 minutes, 4 minutes faster than my time last year. My throat was dry and I was feeling some stabbing pains in the stomach when I ran towards the smaller lake to complete the 1.9K swim. A day earlier, it only took me 18 minutes to swim the outer perimeter of the smaller lake swim course, this time, I was going to swim the inner perimeter which would be around 50 meters less than doing the outer. I expected to complete the whole swim course in less than one hour when I got out of the water. Upon checking my watch, I was already at 1:05, it took me 21 minutes on the small lake!

I wasn’t feeling good running towards the transition area to start the bike. My stomach was rumbling and I was on the verge of throwing up. I was trying to control it though. I needed whatever food was inside me to get me through the rest of the day. By then I realized I had taken too much food during breakfast.

THE BIKE

I mounted my bike at 1:10 of the race already. I needed to do a 2:50 bike split to be at transition 2 in four hours of the race. I thought it wasn’t a problem.

I didn’t drink nor eat anything on the first 15K of the bike. I was racing nicely and was able to catch around 20-25 athletes on the way to the first water station. I was doing 33-35kph and was able to hold that pace comfortably.

Upon reaching the first water station, I asked for a bottle of Gatorade. I needed to replenish so as not to dehydrate. However, upon sipping from the bottle, I felt my stomach churning and all the liquid I gulped came out as fast as I took it in. Oh no! I couldn’t take in anything. Houston, we have a problem!

I relaxed on the bike, maintaining an average speed of 30kph. I took an energy gel at the 27k mark slowly and was able to get it inside me. Got a water bottle at the 30K water station to wash the gel off my mouth and take in some hydration. I only took a sip for fear of throwing up and poured the rest of the bottle’s contents on my head to cool me down. The heat was getting oppressive at that point.

I reached the 45K turn around in less than 1:30, around 2:38 of the race. I asked for another water bottle. I still had energy gels on the bike so I was pretty well covered in nutrition.

At around the 50K mark, I opened another gel and suck the contents in. Took a big sip of Gatorade after.

Around the 55K, I threw up again. That time, I knew I was in trouble.

The bike course of Camsur 70.3 was harder on the last 45K. I saw my speed go down drastically. From an average of 32kph, I went down to 29kph in a span of 3kms. I was slowing down big time. My legs weren’t strong anymore and my head started feeling light. I needed to hydrate and eat fast!

Between km60-65, I was doing around a pathetic 23-25kph. It was all I could muster because of the slightly elevated roads and with dehydration setting in. I took advantage of the short descents to speed up a bit and not drag down my average speed further.

At around the 67th km, I tried taking in a gel and succeeded. I took a sip of Gatorade and didn’t throw up. I slowly fed myself until I emptied two energy gels and a bottle of Gatorade. I then started feeling better, and some of my strength came back. On the 70th km, I tried drinking another half bottle of Gatorade, it stayed in.

From km 75 to 85, I got back 2 kms on my average speed. I was already down to 28kph average on the first 75kms of the bike course, and was back to 30.5kph after the 85th. I maintained an average of 30kph on the last 5kms enroute to transition 2. I wanted good legs for the run.

Reached T2 after 2 hours 58 minutes on the bike. Faster by 8 minutes compared to my time last year. Was at 4:08 of the race. Donned my running wear and was out on the run course at 4:14 of the race. I was still on track in going sub-7 hours provided I run the half marathon in less than 2 hours and 46 minutes.

THE RUN: Hell on earth

If there’s anything I would remember this race by, it was the scorching heat and humidity of the run course. God, it was terrible! I expected it to be hot like the last time but this year it was worse. I was a constant customer in all water stations, getting Gatorades, banana, cola and whatever they may have.

My run started out slowly on the first 500 meters. Completed the first kilometer with an average of 7mins/km, then slower and slower until I completed the first 10.5km loop in 1 hour 15 minutes. I said to myself that if I could run the 2nd half of the run course with the same time, I would be done with the complete course in 6 hours 44 minutes.

I tried not to walk, but after 12kms, I had to. I was out of gas. I shuffled, running for one minute and walking for 30 seconds. It somehow worked.

I caught several runners on the course, most of them melted on the heat already. I didn’t want to melt and not beat my target time, I really wanted to go sub-7 hours this year. Whenever I pass a water station, I would get two cups of Gatorade and two water bottles, one to pour on myself and the other for hydration until I reached the next station. I pulled out a pain killer tucked under my shorts and took it in, I was hurting already.

At 6:30 of the race, I was at km 17 of the run, with 4 kms left. I wasn’t sure if I was going to make it. I needed to average 7:30mins/km to be at exactly 7 hours crossing the finish line. By then I was doing a pace of 8mins/km. I had to speed up and somehow, was able to.

I was already at 6:44 of the race on the last 2kms. It was the part when I needed to make a crucial decision: speed up and run the risk of cramping OR run steady and hope that 16 minutes were enough for me to beat 7 hours. I chose the former.

I increased my pace to around 6:30mins/km. I felt the wind blowing stronger on my face, proof that I was running faster. At 1.5kms, my right calf cramped up again. I slowed down but did not stop. I passed a water station but didn’t get water nor Gatorade anymore, I didn’t want to stop. I shut my brain down from any pain.

Last kilometer and I had 8 minutes left. It was a “now or never” situation. I gritted my teeth for probably the most painful one kilometer of my sporting life. When I passed the 20K marker, the real painfest started.

800 meters to go and my left calf also cramped up. Now I have two legs in peril. I still ran.

600 meters to go and the cramping worsened but not yet at the point of my legs locking up. I could still lift both and could still kick. I was praying to God to give me one last push. “Please Lord, don’t let my legs lock up!”

400 meters to go and I could feel the finish line, the cramps started going up my hamstrings. I continued running. No matter how I shut my brain to the pain of the cramps, it hurt like hell!

200 meters and I turned left to see the finishing chute. “Man up Deo, this is it!”.

100 meters and my quads started cramping up as well. “God, please, not now. I’m almost there.” Tears welled at the corners of my eyes.

50 meters to go and I heard the announcer say ” Go for it Ironman! Way to go! ”

20 meters and my left leg, both quads and calf cramped up totally. All I could feel was pain, I hardly felt my leg. “Aaaahhhhhh, SHIIIIITTTTTTT!!!!” were all I could say.

Pumping my fist as I crossed the finish line. Legs locking up big time. Photo courtesy of Doc Marvin Opulencia.

I pumped my fist when I broke the tape. It was over.

When I stopped, I fell down, I couldn’t stand. Both my legs were stiff as a wood due to cramps. Two volunteers carried me to the medical tent where ice and cold water were poured on it.

I fell down at the finish line and couldn't stand due to severe cramping. Volunteers needed to carry me to the medical tent to fix me up. Photo courtesy of Doc Marvin Opulencia.

My time: 6:58:27

I am an IRONMAN.

As I’m writing this, I cannot help but wonder how many Ironman 70.3s are still left in me. I embraced the sport two years ago and have enjoyed the ride, sometimes so much that I put it above everything else. The two 70.3s under my belt are a proof that a person can change his life overnight. I turned from a couch potato to an Ironman in a year, and have tanned considerably in the last 24 months of my life. I am turning 42 this year, I hope I still have enough skin to burn under the sun during trainings and races.

Ironman is not only a race. It is more of a lifestyle. Its the discipline you instill in yourself once you’ve made up your mind to register for the race.

Its hard work, that’s why the rewards are cherished.

Its pain, that’s why there is anger when you suffer.

Its JOY, that’s why there are tears at the finish line.

Thank you to all who gave their utmost support. There are too many of you to mention and I’m afraid I might offend some of you should I list everyone’s name down and miss a few. You know who you are, because you were there during my training and during the race itself.

I need to mention my wife and family though, as they were the ones who were there when everyone else were gone.

Thanks to God whom I kept calling in the last few kilometers of the race. The Lord is my shepherd, He always will be.

See you guys in races!

Deo P.

Comments (3)

By Deo, August 13, 2010 1:06 pm

Triathlon is a very demanding sport. It requires an athlete to spend countless hours of training specially if he is aiming for a competitive finish time, or win his age-group. With an 8 to 5 job and a family to look after, how does one get to train and balance family, work and triathlon time?

It has been said that to be able to finish a half-ironman, one must train at least 10 hours a week at least 18 weeks prior to the race. These 10 hours is a mix of run, bike and swim trainings so you cannot just bunch a 5-hour training session in one day and the other 5 hours in another day just to complete the 10 hours in two days. These need to be evened out in a week.

Modesty aside, I was able to do this but not without sacrifices. You want to know how? Read on.

What are the things you need to source out before starting your training?

First and foremost, you need to find a public pool which opens and closes during your free times. And by free times, I’m talking about either early mornings ( before you go to work ) or evenings ( after office until around 8 p.m. ). Keep in mind that your family requires you to earn money from 8am to 5pm.

Next, try to look for a safe bike route which is easily accessible from where you live. A place which will only take you 10-15 minutes to travel by car.

Lastly, and probably the easiest to find, look for a run route with minimal dogs ( yes, dogs are a big problem especially in the mornings ).

Once you find these places, you should be well on your way to start training.

Study the sleeping and studying habits of your wife and kids.

Do not steal quality time from home if you’re training for a race. If your kids leave for school by 6 a.m., try your best to finish your training around that time to wave them off. If they get home around five and do their homework until 9 p.m., make sure you check on them before they go to sleep. You don’t want them missing you or growing up without you noticing it.

Leave some energy for your spouse especially at nights before going to sleep. Women wants to know what happened to their spouses’ day and they will feel important and not neglected if we have a good conversation with them before going to dreamland.

Train to wake up early to train. This is the only way your wife and kids won’t be affected with your triathlon training. Though in some days, you may need to leave the house very early to go to the public pool, doing this only a couple of days in a week won’t dent your relationship with them too much. Doing this more than twice a week though, will be disastrous. Keep this in mind: You want them to be supporting you on your sport so best to keep them feeling first priority, not a hindrance to your sporting goals.

Now, the hard part.

Waking up very early is hard. You need to command your body to be at training mode at 4 a.m. when everyone else are still glued to their beds and won’t be opening their eyes in at least 1.5 hours. Unfair? Dude, its supposed to be unfair, its triathlon! Its a sport where having a good bike split doesn’t guarantee a podium finish, or where the slowest of swimmers runs past the whole pack enroute to an age-group win. Live with it.

The training program.

You got your training grounds covered, your family’s body clocks dialed in, and your waking and sleeping hours locked. So what do you do?

I have a training schedule which fits my work hours and family hours nicely. You may find this a good fit to your schedule as well.

Monday – REST

Tuesday – Swim. Wake up at 4:30 a.m. for a quick breakfast, leave the house at 5:30 a.m. to be at the pool at 6 a.m. Swim for 1 to 1.5 hours then head to the office.

Wednesday – Wake up at 4:30 a.m. Mount my bike trainer at 4:45 a.m. and spin until 5:50 a.m. Wave the kids off to their school bus and mount the trainer again at 6 a.m. until 6:30 a.m.

Thursday – Swim ( same as Tuesdays )

Friday – Wake up at 4:00 a.m., mount my bike trainer at 4:15 a.m. until 5:15 am, then run immediately from 5:20 to 5:55 a.m. around the village. Get home and wave the kids off to their bus.

Saturday – Wake up at 5:00 a.m. Drive off to Camp Aguinaldo and start running at 6:00 a.m. Finish at 7:30 a.m. then a quick dip in the pool. Home by around 8:30 a.m. just when the kids are waking up. Join them at breakfast…OR…wake up at 5:00 a.m. and bike to Sierra Madre. Home around 11:00 a.m. for lunch with the family.

Sunday – Wake up at 5:00 a.m. and start biking at Aguinaldo at 6:00 a.m. to 8:30 a.m., then run until 10:00 a.m. Home around 11:00 a.m. for lunch…OR…wake up at 5:30 a.m. and start running at Camp Aguinaldo around 6:30 a.m. until 8:30 a.m.

Notice that two of my weekdays are near or in the house trainings. This is to make sure that I’m at home before the kids leave for school and have a good breakfast with my wife.

On weekends, the kids don’t wake up early so I have more time to train in the mornings. I make sure I get home by lunch though, except for days when I’m doing century rides somewhere in the mountains of Sierra Madre. But on those days, I make sure my wife knows and understand.

With the aforementioned sked, I am able to do 10 hours of training a week, sometimes even more. I make sure also that when I promise to my family that we will go out on a particular weekend, I fulfill my promise no matter how tired or exhausted I may be from my training. I don’t even let them feel that I’m tired!

All the sleep debts I incur during each morning I try to pay back at noontime in the office. Fortunately, the lights are turned off from 12:00 noon to 1:00 p.m. in my office enabling me to take 30-45mins naps.

Triathlon is an addicting sport for people like us who have the “I can do it” attitude. But triathlon addiction isn’t a good excuse to make your family feel left out or neglected. Once you retire from the sport, its your family you’re going back to and not your teammates or sponsors. It just makes sense keeping them in the thick of all the things you do.

In races held in good locations, bring your family. You may not bring all of them but at least be accompanied by your wife. Make sure she is or they are the ones you will be looking for after you crossed the finish line.

When people tell me how I can afford to train given my busy sked, I just tell them “If you really want it, nothing’s stopping you.” Having a family and an 8-5 job is one of the lamest excuses I hear people saying when they say they want to do triathlons but don’t have the time to train. Its all in the attitude, and how much you want to be in an exclusive group called the “Ironmen”.

Comments (0)

By Deo, August 2, 2010 3:02 pm

Most of the base mileage have been swam, rode on and ran, but the final 3 weeks leading to this year’s Philippine Ironman 70.3 will be the toughest and longest training weeks for me.

My schedule for the next two weeks:

Monday: Rest
Tuesday: Swim ( at least 2.5K )
Wednesday: Brick ( 30K+Bike – 5K+ Run )
Thursday: Endurance Run ( 16K+)
Friday: Brick ( 20K Bike – 5K run )
Saturday: Swim 2K – Bike 70K
Sunday: Brick ( Bike 75K – Run 15K )

Then a taper week on the week of the event.

Should be fun!

Comments (10)

By Deo, July 28, 2010 10:21 am

A good 4 weeks to go before Camsur 70.3, the owners of Bike King decided to put up a “tweener” distance triathlon ( longer than olympic but shorter than HIM distances ) at Matabungkay Beach Resort. The schedule fit perfectly with my training program. I was on active recovery that week and a race on that week’s Sunday would be perfect…so I thought.

The distances were not peanuts. The swim was 2K, bike was 60K and the run was 15K. It was earlier advertised or rumored that the bike and run courses were flat, and the swim course was a 3-loop, clockwise route. I was comfortable with everything I heard and was confident I’d finish in sub-4:45.

My teammates and I arrived at the venue a day earlier and immediately tried out the swim course. I completed a loop in a little over 12 minutes and thought that the 50-mins swim split I was targeting was highly achievable.

During the race briefing late that same day, we were informed that the swim course would be a 4-loop, counterclockwise route. I believe I wasn’t the only one that got surprised with this change. I’m a right side breather and having the buoys on the left will be very uncomfortable for me. I am a poor navigator in open waters and have the tendency to stray away from the swim course if I don’t “sight” often. Sighting often would definitely slow me down.

RACE DAY: The Swim

Woke up at 3:00 a.m. with a bad sore throat and a bit feverish. I felt heavy but somehow was able to instruct my brain to keep my body in race mode. Had a good breakfast with my teammates and at 5:00 a.m., went to the transition area to fix my things up. At 5:40 a.m., we were at the swim start located more than 1 kilometer from transition, more than the announced distance of 500 meters.

The sea was a bit rough ( at least for me ). Did a short warm-up then waited for the horn start.

At 6:00 a.m., the horn was sounded and we were off. We stayed at the back of the pack slightly away from the buoy. However, a lot of swimmers did the same thing. Tried inching my way forward but the group slightly ahead of me wouldn’t budge or give an inch. I squeezed myself between two swimmers and the 3 of us exchanged elbows. The two proved to be stronger swimmers so I slowed down and let them go.

About 150meters into the swim and I found a peaceful line. Looking up, I saw myself about 5 meters off the swim course. Got back on line but 50 meters forward and my left arm got caught at the buoy line. I was zig-zagging the course!

I sighted every 6 strokes just to make sure I wasn’t straying away. It was more exhausting and slower but I thought it was better than spending my energy zigzagging all throughout the swim.

Finished the first loop in 15+minutes which was really bad. The saltwater in my mouth didn’t help as well in easing up my sore throat, it was worse.

I was lapped by the strong swimmers on the first 100meters of my 3rd loop, they were on their last. These guys were really fast based on my standards and each one shook me like a nut in a jar as they passed. Got hit on both shoulders, thighs, head and back as they made their way through me. Approaching the last few meters of my 3rd, a female swimmer literally “swam over” me. She was trying to pass near the buoy where I was, I wouldn’t budge so she pushed my butt down and stroked over my back and passed. Instead of getting offended, I was at awe with her skills. Amazing!

Finished the swim in 1:01++. 10 minutes down on my target. Ran to T1 which took almost forever and I was mounted on my bike in 1:10++ of the race.

The Bike

I went out gingerly on the bike course. The first few hundred meters out of T1 were on rough roads. I didn’t want to flat my tyres so I was very cautious going out on the bike course proper. Once I made it through, it was pedal to the metal.

The flat course that was published wasn’t very flat at all. Yes, there were flat parts but it was mostly gently rolling roads. I was keeping an average speed of about 33-35kph until I reached the foot of the almost 2km ascent to the 2nd turn around. I intended to spin using the big ring all the way but decided to use the small chainring negotiating the climb.

I gained some time on those who were ahead of me in the swim. I must have passed about 25 or 30 bikers and wasn’t passed by any one at all except for this guy who over took me going down from the turn-around point. Caught him again about a minute after. The strong cyclists were way ahead of me. If they weren’t, I could have been lapped again.

I slowed down in the last 2kms of the bike. I had an average of 32kph on the first 58kms but wanted to have good legs on the run. I relaxed, a 30kph average would be enough for me. There were 4 of us heading to T2 and there were a lot of runners already as we made our way to transition. The whole bike course was slightly longer than 60km. My average was a bit over 30kph, and was very happy with my effort.

The RUN

I ran out of transition at 3:15 of the race. I could run a 15K easily in 1:30, but that’s if I just ran and didn’t swim or bike prior. I needed to do a 1:45 run to be at a par-5 hours finish time. I thought I could do it with a few minutes to spare. I was wrong.

I finished the first of four run laps in 26 mins, then 27, then 29. I faded as I tried finishing the race. Walking was the order of the day for me. Javy Olives would tell me not to walk, and jog slowly to recover. I couldn’t.

I was at 4:40 of the race at the start of my 4th and final run loop. On a normal day, I could run 3.5kms comfortably in 18minutes. During the race, I was hoping to run it in 20 just to be at exactly 5 hours at the finish line. I ran out of energy gels and my body was screaming for calories. My stomach was empty except for the mineral water handed out in aid stations.

Hungry and almost cramping up, I forced myself to run for 2 minutes then walk for 30 seconds. Somehow, it worked. I felt my running legs getting back but it was too late. I was less than a kilometer to the finish and ran it all the way. Finished my last loop in 28++minutes.

Finished the whole race in 5:08:47, 122nd out of 162 who finished, with 9 racers going the DNF route.

TriKing was a very organized race. It was a good tune up for Camsur 70.3 and I believe a lot of Camsur 70.3 participants gained a lot of confidence in finishing the HIM distance come August 22nd. I realized the areas I still need to work on and hopefully, I will be able to address these before the gun start at Camsur.

Thanks to my Endure teammates James Dulalia, Erick Guieb, Ronald Declarador and Col. Bong Patrimonio for doing this race with me. To Javy Olives who pushed me along the run course and to Almighty God, who I kept calling in the last 5K of the race, for blessing me with the determination and strength to finish the race.

See you guys in Camsur!

Comments (1)

By Deo, July 22, 2010 12:16 pm

The July 18 edition of the Powerade National Duathlon Open was a training race for me which meant there wasn’t any pressure for me to perform better than the previous edition. Since my brick workout fell on the same day, I thought of joining this race before I go on my active recovery week. This was also the launching race of Team Endure, my new team.

My legs felt heavy from the very moment I woke up due to my swim-bike brick the day before. I was just going to “cruise” throughout this race so it was okay.

I arrived at the venue around 5:30 a.m. Got marked and proceeded to rack my bike. This also was my new frame’s baptism of fire so I was excited in a way.

Getting marked

After making sure that I had all my equipment in its proper places, I proceeded to the starting line with my team. As expected, the start gun went off suddenly, catching most by surprise. ( I guess this has become Powerade Duathlon’s trademark )

I paced myself comfortably, harboring between 5:30 and 5:45. I felt strong in the run but controlled myself from speeding up. I wanted to experiment and do a negative split and for the first time, I succeeded. I’m a natural positive splitter and no matter how hard I tried to do a negative split in the past, I always failed. When I finished the first run last Sunday in 34+/- minutes, my first 3K was slower than my second…yes!

Finishing the first run with more than enough to do the bike

After Rick Reyes checked on my helmet’s strap, I proceeded to mount my bike and start on the bike leg. It felt good being mounted. The bike leg was another experiment though. That time around, I wanted to pedal using the big chainring throughout the whole bike leg and see what happens.

After the first half of the bike, I realized being on the big chainring has both its advantages and disadvantages. I was faster on the flats but slower on the climbs. However, since the climbs were short, I decided not to change chainrings anymore.

I was faster on the flats but slower on the climbs.

After about 56+/- minutes ( with a 30.5kph average on the bike ), I was at T2. Once again, I made the booboo of going the wrong way enroute to transition, costing me about 30 seconds. Not good!

I cramped about 200 meters into the 2nd run and had to stop for about a minute, after which I ran slowly just to shake off the stiffness on my lower calves. After about a kilometer, the cramps were completely gone. I was back running at a comfortable pace.

After about 22 minutes, I crossed the finish line. My time: 1:57:10, more than 2 minutes faster than the previous edition. I was surprised to go sub-2. I was expecting my time to be between 2:00 to 2:05. Thank God!

After the race with Julius, Ronald, MJ and Raff

Proud of my new steed!

Team Endure

The 2nd leg of the Powerade Duathlon series is a race of experiments and realizations for me. First, this was the first race I joined coming from a heavy workout the previous day, and for whatever reason, I performed better.

Second, I experimented on taking it easy on the first run and comfortably hard on the bike and this resulted to a better finish time.

Third, I learned the power of the big chainring in races. It made me accelerate faster on flats but slower on climbs. I guess for longer climbs, the small chainring would fare much better.

Lastly, it made me realize that my new team, Team Endure, is composed of members who will live up to the team’s name. Two of my female co-members crashed on the bike and still continued to finish the race. You guys are awesome.

Now, its a week of active recovery before the TriKing Matabungkay Tri. Am I ready? You bet!

Comments (0)

By Deo, July 8, 2010 11:34 am

There was a time when shaving my legs never even entered my mind. I think of it as a sign of feminity, something my masochistic ego wouldn’t even consider.

I was once asked by a rider in a peloton why I still had hairs on my legs. I replied “Why not?” and took offense. The rider just smiled and told me a hairless leg was beneficial if I was to ride my bike more. I didn’t speak to him anymore that day.

A few days later, I figured in a nasty crash leaving me with bruises on both knees. I cleaned up the bruises and applied bandages and surgical tapes. Several hours later, I thought of changing the bandages and tried taking off the ones stuck.

It was hell!

The hairs clung on the adhesives tightly, and each time a hair is pulled, the stabbing pain would make me grimace.

Now, I know why that rider asked me.

Shaving legs, in our culture, is a feminine practice. As men, we take notice of how smooth a woman’s legs are especially if we don’t see any hair on it. But what about men?

There are fitness forums where shaved legs have been discussed, and there were some, who haven’t got the slightest clue on why legs are shaved, who’d try to be smart-asses and say its more aerodynamic. What??? It probably would be if you’re hitting more than 100kph on the bike or run, or probably doing 10-second 100 meter laps in pools. But more aerodynamic? You must be kidding.

Shaved legs are better for cyclists, and probably runners, as we are prone to crashes, which may result to bruising and open wounds, as simple as that.

A friend of mine quizzed me one time and asked if I could point out the “hardcore” or veteran triathletes in races. I said, “easy, just look for the darkest persons in the pack…”. NOT! The ones deep into triathlons are those who have hairless legs. Ooowwww, now I know!

Two weeks ago, I was chatting with a cyclist in a bike shop I brought my bike to. He noticed that hairs were already growing on my legs and pointed it out…”Sir, mukhang kailangan na ulit mag-ahit…”…I said ” Oo nga eh..”. He then told me a story of how he was referred to as “jologs” within the peloton he was riding in because he had hairs on his legs.

Do you want to be called jologs?

No way!

Comments (2)

By Deo, June 27, 2010 5:01 pm

June 20 marked the day when my loyalty to a shoe brand would end and a love affair with another would start. It wasn’t just Father’s Day, but my K-Swiss Tubes Run 100 discovery day as well.

A gift from my ever-loving family turned out to be everything I needed for my runs. Pegged at Php 3,990.00, K-Swiss Tubes is one head turner not lacking in substance.

I could have written this review the first time I used the Tubes but I wanted to be sure that the comfort and flexibility I felt weren’t just placebo effect.

The Tubes incorporates K-Swiss’ proprietary Tubes soles technology that provides regionalized cushioning system that works with the forces applied by individual body types. K-Swiss claims that the engineered cylinder mirrors the natural gait of every wearer.

After running for a total of 35 kilometers with the Tubes, I will have to agree with K-Swiss’ engineers.

My first run out with the Tubes didn’t feel like it was the first time my feet were pounding the asphalts with cotton-like sensation on my heels. It felt bouncy, with little or no impact at all. The first two kilometers felt like I was running with an old pair of shoes hugging my feet to perfection.

The Tubes’ flexibility catered well to my underpronating gait. Never was there any feeling of imbalance all throughout my runs. My feet landed firmly on the ground, thanks to the gradual reduction of the Tubes’ cylinders as I moved forward.

Though a bit heavier than my NB 738, the weight difference becomes negligible after around 3 or more kilometers into the run. For some reason, the Tubes becomes lighter the more you run with. I am normally a heel striker especially after around 10kms. But with Tubes, I am able to land mid-foot at longer distances as I was still able to lift my knees.

One of the things I notice with several running shoes is the heat it encloses the feet with on long runs. Runners and multi-sport athletes include heat trainings in their preparation for long races and it is very important that they feel comfortable running, otherwise, their target times will be in peril.

In Camsur 70.3 last year, there were several instances I poured water on my feet as it felt burning already. The Tubes’ minimizes these “overheating” problems by putting mesh outer layers on the shoes, making it breathe and keep the feet as cool as possible. This is one feature that I’m sure distance runners and multi-sport athletes will benefit from.

A real head turner, the Tubes’ aesthetics is at par, if not better than most running shoes. The color combination in basically all its models are well-thought about and artistically put together. Now, if you have a pair of shoes that attracts attention and performs as well, that’s a winner.

Conclusion

There are shoes that push innovation to its best, and K-Swiss’ Tubes Run 100 is one of it. As a former avid basketball player, I would liken the Tubes to the Nike Air series of basketball shoes. What Nike Air did to basketball shoes, K-Swiss now tries to duplicate with running footwear, and based on my feet’s experience with it, it is bound to succeed.

K-Swiss, as a company, is not known in a sport dominated by Adidas and Nike, but with their recent offerings, they’ll be on top of our sport for sure. They just crossed the finish line first, with the Tubes.

The Sweat Addicts K-Swiss Tubes Run 100 Scorecard:

Price 4
Cushioning 5
Flexibility 5
Stability 5
Weight 4

Total Rating: 4.6 Highly Recommended

Comments (4)

By Deo, June 19, 2010 5:37 pm

My friend and I were on our way home from UP Oval one weekend morning when we decided not to take the Katipunan flyover and take Aurora Blvd. instead, to reach Pasig. We needed to make a U-turn at a very busy Aurora Blvd. and Katipunan intersection which proved very, very hazardous.

My friend crossed Aurora Blvd. and was waiting for me at the other side when accident struck. While slowly swerving to the left to make a quick U-turn, a passenger jeepney cut me to the left. I tried avoiding him by swerving back to the right only to find out that another jeepney was close. My right handlebar hit the jeepney to my right, and I bounced back to my left thereby hitting the other jeepney. My handlebar got caught at the rear of the left jeepney and I came sliding down the road, making a couple of tumblings then Superman’d along Aurora Blvd., face down. A third jeepney almost ran over me, stopping only when my calves were already under its engine. Close call.

Riding on Philippine roads is probably one of the most dangerous cycling adventures in the world. No matter how careful you are, the risk of getting into a painful situation always lurks with manholes, road craters, debris, parked vehicles, electric posts, unloading public vehicles, etc. littering the small road space in front of you. I have ridden the roads of Metro Manila in the morning, noontime and evenings and the only thing constant in those times of the day is this: DANGER. Let me share with you how I have survived the Metro Manila jungle so far:

1. Keep your eyes on the road

I cannot emphasize this so much, but, when you’re on the road, don’t let your eyes wander. Focus on what’s ahead. Philippine roads aren’t the smoothest. In fact, our engineers have mastered copying the surface of the moon to a “T”. Ask any cyclist, who have crashed already, about the reason why he crashed, and chances are he will say he didn’t notice this or that in front of him. Bird-watch while dismounted guys.

2. Asphalts are slippery when wet

Until now, the condition I fear most is wet aphalt roads on a descent. Too many things can happen as you are riding on glass-like surface. Pressing the brakes only will stop your wheels from spinning, it won’t stop sliding down.

Even on flats, the presence of water poses a peloton of risks: open manholes not visible on flood waters; splashes of water from vehicles beside you, hitting your eyes and temporarily blinding you; nails and other sharp objects ready to puncture your tyres; all of these will contribute to a nasty and humiliating crash if rode on.

What I do when roads are wet on descents is brake early on. I don’t wait until I reach a speed which is unmanageable for me. If the rain is hard, its better to just dismount and wait til it subsides. Its always better to be on the safe side in these occasions. On flats, walk your bike. Don’t try to be macho and ride the flood or strong rains, its stupidity at its finest.

3. Stay on the rightmost part of the road

Some cyclists will tell you not to stay on the rightmost part of the road and mark your territory. Do this and get the ire of motorists who will try to sideswipe you or at least threaten you by cutting you off the road. They go faster than you do and you are just a roadblock to them.

Stay on the rightmost if you can. Always remember that the slower vehicles, by courtesy, stay on the rightmost part of the road and give way to faster vehicles on the left. You are not exempted from this.

4. Uncleat seconds before you fully stop

Always the cause of the majority of road crashes, uncleating from the pedals on a full stop. Presence of mind is key. Disengage from the cleats seconds before you fully stop. If you will hold on to a vehicle beside you, make sure you let go a few seconds after it starts moving and you can balance on the bike already.

5. Watch out for uneven roads

Have you noticed how uneven roads are when its newly repaired?

I had the unfortunate experience of riding on these uneven roads. Result: I saw my bike below me as I was in the air for a split second and needed weeks of therapy after.

Uneven roads cannot just be ridden straight, you should bunnyhop to be able to go over it especially with a roadbike.

6. Ride like you’re driving your car

Respect the traffic signs. Lance Armstrong once was bumped by a car when he was trying to beat red lights. He succeeded in beating a few, but ran out of luck nevertheless, resulting to stitches on his head and legs.

7. Wear blinkers at night

Riding at night would probably be the most dangerous as you are not as visible to motorists as during daytime.

Wear blinkers, at least be seen a bit more.

8. Be a defensive cyclist

…and always look over your shoulder. Check out what the vehicle behind you is doing. Some student drivers panic at the sight of a bicycle in front of them. Some drunk drivers might treat you as a target. Stay away from these guys. Stop or dismount if needed.

9. Don’t outran a vehicle

…because you are not as strong as their engines.

Some drivers hate it when a cyclist tries to be a smart-ass and pedal faster than their vehicles. They will try not to let you overtake, instead, they will try to squeeze off the road.

10. Always be in full battle gear

Helmet, shoes, socks, gloves, shades, shoes. Wear these for protection and never leave home without it. Bring your healthcard and ID as well, these may come in handy.

Lastly, always start your ride with a prayer. It works.

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By Deo, June 16, 2010 8:12 pm

Michellie Jones, the 2006 Ford Ironman World Champion, and Cameron Brown, record holder for the most wins in an annual Ironman ( IM New Zealand 9x Champion ), join the roster of professionals toeing the start line in this year’s edition of the Philippine Ironman 70.3 in Camsur.

Brown, who placed 3rd in last year’s edition, will try to wrestle the title away from Terenzo Bozzone, who outran 2007 World IM Champion Chris “Macca” Mccormack, to capture the crown last year.

Expect a lot of fireworks guys! This will be one hell of a race.

You may view the other professionals competing in this annual race here:

http://www.ironman703phil.com/athlete/index.php

See you there!

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By Deo, June 15, 2010 8:08 pm

Team Endure, a newly formed group of athletes venturing into endurance multi-sports, has partnered with the two leading vitamin supplements of the country, Potencee and Immuvit.

Potencee helps strengthen and protect your immune system so you can train whenever you want without fear of suffering from overtraining symptoms. It also has anti oxidants that help reduce damage to the body caused by toxic chemicals and pollutants. If you’re a smoker, alcohol drinker or workaholic then this should be your best friend.

Immuvit has Korean and Siberian ginseng extracts that provide enough energy, a powerful antioxidant coenzyme Q10, Vitamins E and C, Beta-Carotene and Selenium. With these beneficial contents, one is well protected from chronic illnesses brought by stress and anxieties.

Team Endure is proud to have been chosen as these products’ health and lifestyle partners!