Of Hopia LSDs and Liempo Runs

Sheerwill (SW): In many training runs I have done, a few group LSDs stand-out. Shining brightly among them is the pre-Condura LSD initiated by takbo.ph where I joined as co-organizer and participant. In that LSD, 66 runners came to collectively test if they got what it takes to run a half-marathon to the Skyway.

A fraction of the magic 66!

Condura LSD photos courtesy of Ian Clemeno

Dinaan Sa Pilit (DSP): Ah oo, naaalala ko ito. Alam ko masakit ang paa ko noon, pero itong si Sheerwill, mapilit. Dinaan ako sa pilit. Kaya ayan, naturingan co-organizer daw siya non, pero ayun at nahuhuli lagi. Buti na lang madami akong dalang pagkain noon. Nang maabutan ko na sila sa 7-11 sa McKinley Hills, nakipag-chickahan ako sa mga newbies habang kumakain ng hopia at saging. Alam ko naka-lime green dri-fit shirt ako noon - murang-mura - Php250 lang sa isang sports store sa SM Bicutan.

Ayan sumakit lalo paa...sabi nang mag-rest eh...

Ano ba ang meron sa Skyway na yan!? Lilipad ba siya papuntang Skyway?

SW: Last Sunday I had another memorable LSD at Daang Hari. Uncannily, I was wearing the same lime green shirt. That Sunday I was supposed to do 40kms, my longest ever training run, my last LSD before I venture into shorter but faster tempo runs. It's crazy the kind of sacrifice I had to do for a marathon. Just last week, I did a cumulative 35K same-day run (a 20K with the takbo.ph gang, and a bittersweet, sun-kissed/rain-soaked 15K on my own). For my landmark 40km LSD, I wanted to do it again with friends. So I joined the Daang Hari LSD initiated by Rod.

About one-third into the LSD somewhere in Madrigal Avenue

DSP: Huh, 40Kms daw oh. Paano ka naman makaka-kwarenta niyan kung nagpatalo ka sa lamig at ulan, at late kang dumating. Ayan tuloy, yung mga Monsters Inc na nagbabalak mag30K up ay lumisan na, at ikaw ay naiwan sa piling ng mga charming Ewoks na less than 21K ang hanap.

Rico with the Ewoks. Hmmmm, maganda nga yang nabili mong Nathan race vest from Ronald.

Reflectorized - perfect para sa Sunset Marathon sa Subic, at enough storage space for 2 packs of diced hopia

SW: What makes the Daang Hari LSD remind me of the Condura LSD is how we used this LSD to test and prepare ourselves for an upcoming major race that is the Smart Subic International Marathon (Smart SIM). RJ and Marga diligently ran the 21K first leg of the LSD in preparation for their half-marathon debut in Subic. While running I couldn't help but admire the determination of these two. Many times during the LSD they would actually be running in front of me, at even constant pace. One sees the effort as well as the sense of purpose. Ah, sense of purpose, a rare quality nowadays. I am drawn to people with a sense of purpose.

From my run vantage point I would also observe Jet, Doc Topher and James. All three are having their marathon debut soon. Jet aims for Subic, while Doc T and James are still toying with the idea of doing back-to-back marathons in QCIM and SIM. Pretty tough task, if you ask me, but doable if one puts his mind, body and time into it. For Jet, the Daang Hari LSD was about Pushing the Wall. For Doc T and James, I suppose it was a merry mix of adventurism and craziness. Doc T in fact already had an unofficial 56K ultramarathon to Tagaytay under his hydration belt. Doc T has come a long way from that Condura LSD. For James, I suppose it was about pushing his limits. This guy is a bundle of gung-ho optimism. I was pacing with him for most part of the LSD, each of us reassuring one another that the rainy first leg and the furnace-hot jog from Madrigal Avenue to SM Molino is our partial ticket to 2010 Camsur 70.3 Ironman. It was amazing how we remained cheerful and optimistic all-throughout, chatting about the marathons, aquathlons and triathlons we aim to do enroute to Camsur. That is the power of dreams. To run with a sense of purpose is to run with a cheerful heart.

DSP: Oo na, tama na yang power of dreams and sense of purpose. Ang masasabi ko lang eh, kung si shutterspeed Migs ang Star Rookie ng Condura LSD, si biker-chick Nao ang Halimaw Rookie ng Daang Hari. We are naming Daang Reyna in honor of her, and fellow Monster Carly, both of whom braved rain, heat, dust, talahib and stupid truck drivers with us Daang Hari boys.

Siyempre pa, every pitstop tingin ako sa store kung meron hopia on sale. (Sa Shell Select wala, pero sa Petron meron. Yung 7-11 and Mini-Stop normally meron. Pero all-time favorite ko yung hopia with sesame seeds na tinda ng 7-11. Panalo! Yun ang dadalhin ko sa Subic!

Pitstop at Shell Select

Actually, tagal ko nang kinumbinse si EO na kumain ng hopia during the run. Pero elite runner ang dating ni EO kaya meron siyang baong Hammergel. Pero sa sobrang lakas at bilis ni EO nakalimutan rin niyang kainin yung gel. Naramdaman na lang niya ang epekto nito sa 32km niya. Bilib talaga ako dito kay EO. Ako kasi kailangan yatang kumain every 15K. Nasorpresa rin ako na di pala lahat kumakain during the run. Si Neil at Doc Ronnie daw prefer not to eat during runs to avoid unnecessary bowel movement. Ayan, sa doktor na yan galing. Pero ako kasi, I do my thing before the run so I can eat during the run. Once on a training run I even ran with a suman on hand. Part of the marathon fun is eating! Marathon is a picnic, a 5-6 hour field trip where time flies while having fun!

SW: About a third of the whole group ended the LSD at SM Molino, with mileage ranging from 28K (mine because I was late!) to 37/38K for Ultramarathoner Pat and Milo marathon finalist Chris (superhatdog). We traded tales and laughter inside a jeepney enroute to Chow King Alabang, hoping for that Php199 buffet Neil had been craving, but settled for Beef Bowls and Siopao when told the promo was gone. Inside the jeepney we got news that several of our takbo.ph friends got their PRs in Eco Dash. Slendid morning of PR times and mileages.

Regretting that I did not reach 40K at Daang Hari, I laced my running shoes again early evening same day and headed for BHS to claim the last 12K. I started slowly, but on my second run I was already feeling lighter on my feet. Faster than my earlier LSD but not quite as fast as my last marathon pace. Feeling great, I did my last round with the fastest lap time. Surprisingly I did not feel dead legs nor any pain on my right midfoot. I guess my right foot was also getting stronger.

With LSDs of 25K, 35K and 40K already done, I am ready for tempo runs now. This time I remember with fondness the very first tempo run I did for my Milo Marathon. Desperate to get into the Milo cut-off pace of 7:10min/km, I boldly asked speed freak Gingerbreadman Luis if he could indulge us by running with us. Easy run for him, tempo run for Milo marathon aspirants Bong Yu and I. I remember Bong Yu then with his Excel spreadsheet documenting how he will run-walk his marathon. Ironic that Bong Yu was unconsciously channeling Jeff Galloway when I was the one actually reading his book. A trio of runners seemed not rowdy enough so we invited the takbo.ph public to join us. Wonder of wonders someone did respond and came: a certain Pio we met just that night.

It baffles me sometimes how an unlikely quartet of runners managed to meet their run objective and have genuine fun at the same time. A tempo run capped by a liempo blow-out. (DSP: Yan ang Alamat ng Liempo Run) Pace leader Luis had such a wonderful account of it in his blog. His account of our tempo run was a breakthrough in itself, written in a fresh, amusing way worthy of a single best blog entry nomination from the 2009 Philippine Blog Awards. Our humble liempo run account being selected as best among the Gingerbreadman Reports, how cool is that!

Liempo Runners Luis, Bong, Rico and Pio

This Thursday the four of us (Luis, Bong Yu, Pio and myself) will run the roads of Ortigas to relive our Liempo Run. We start Bong and I's second marathon tempo training season, celebrate Luis' blog nomination, and repay Pio's rookie generosity by treating him this time. This time we invited more people to partake of the liempo and the good vibes. Let the good times roll! See you at the Liempo Run :-)

Good times begin at 6:30pm McDo and end at Chiggy's, both in Pearl Drive, Ortigas