As I mentioned in my previous posts, I’ve been reading the book, “Getting To The Point: In A Dozen Pairs of Shoes” by Brian Stark who did his 5,000-mile solo trail run for 238 days from March to November 2008 along the newly designed American Discovery Trail from Cape Henlopen, Delaware to Point Reyes, California.
Since the activity was a solo run, he did not have any support crew or pacer during the run. He just carried with him a 10-pound pack which included his water hydration system, making sure to run along the trails across America.
What I admire with this guy was that he really prepared for the said run. It took him one year to coordinate with the organizations that maintain the American Discovery Trail; compile at least 500 maps; arranged for logistics drop-off point in selected Post Offices of towns & cities along the way; created his personal website for the event; and saved $ 10,000 cash to finance his trip. He even arranged for his shoe sponsor making sure that a brand-new shoes as replacement would be picked-up in a pre-designated Post Office along the way. Even media outlets (newspapers, radio and TV) were coordinated and informed about his running event.
Brian Stark, in his daily runs along the trails, would be able to finish at least 30-40 miles and then look for a decent place to stay if a trail is located near a town or city at the end of the day. Sometimes, he would sleep in parks, Fire Stations, churches, schools, and in the homes of strangers who are willing to offer dinner & breakfast, bed and shower.
To update his website and reply to messages in his e-mail address, he would go to Public Libraries along the way to use their computer. The following excerpts was taken from a post from the Internet describing the feats of Brian Stark:
After driving back from the Boston Marathon, where his dad had run, Brian Stark, then 7, got out to use the bathroom during a stop for gas somewhere in Pennsylvania. No one took note, not even when Stark ran up and banged on the family van as it pulled away. “When my parents stopped for breakfast 300 miles away, they noticed I was missing,” he says. These days, Stark could have just kept running until he caught up with them. In 1998, he ran 4,800 miles across the country on the American Discovery Trail, which runs along America’s trails and back roads. It began in a sleet storm in Delaware and ended 238 days later at the Golden Gate Bridge — followed by a drive to L.A. and an appearance on “The Price Is Right.” “I won eight stuffed teddy bears and two trips, one to Hawaii, one to Canada,” says Stark, 36, who frequently pulls experiences from his trek while teaching gifted language arts at Corona Foothills Middle School in the Vail School District. And yes, he sometimes jogs to school, all 35 miles. “I have to get up at 1:30 a.m.,” says Stark, who is married and a father to two little girls, ages 2 and 3. He kept a journal while on his run and afterward wrote a book about the experience, “Getting to the Point: In a Dozen Pairs of Shoes.” “I picked out 12 pairs of running shoes and mailed them to 12 post offices 400 miles apart,” says Stark. When he arrived at each post office — each about three weeks apart — a new pair of shoes would be there to replace his worn-out ones. Along the way, local newspapers and TV stations chronicled his trek through their towns and CBS “Sunday Morning” broadcast a brief telephone interview. Sometimes he slept in motels. Other times he slept under bridges, in barns, even in outhouses. More than once, he’d just knock on a door. More often than not, he’d be invited in for a meal, and maybe a bed. Not once, he says, did anyone slam a door in his face. “No one ever threw anything at me, or tried to run me off the road.” Eight policemen, however, did inquire as to what he was doing, the first in Kansas. “I was sitting on a guardrail looking at a map and he pulled up in his squad car. He asked me what I was doing in the middle of Kansas without a car. I said, ‘I’m running to California.’ ” Even though he handed the cop a card explaining his circumstances, “He still checked me out.” Born in Indiana, Stark ran cross-country in middle school, continuing through high school and then at Hanover College in southern Indiana. After graduating in 1995, he rewarded himself with a five-month, 2,000-mile hike from Maine to Georgia along the Appalachian Trail. In Massachusetts, he met a man who hiked nude every Tuesday. Naturally, it was a Tuesday. Even so, Stark continued on. For the next three years, he lived as a caretaker in a primitive cabin in southern Indiana. “There was no running water and the only heat came from a fireplace,” he says. “After that, I thought I needed a break.” The “break,” of course, would be running across the country. “I’d never been west,” he says. A brother dropped him off at the edge of the Atlantic Ocean on the morning of March 8, 1998. It was 43 degrees and sleeting. Stark was carrying a 10-pound backpack filled with a sleeping bag, jacket, water bottle, cheese crackers, credit card, maps and “one Band-Aid, just in case.” As his brother rolled away, he cracked the window and told him to call if he wanted to quit. Stark never did, aiming to get to the Rocky Mountains after most of the snow had melted. He mostly ran and sometimes walked about 10 hours a day, trying to space it about 25 to 35 miles between towns. That proved impossible in Nevada, where the towns were more than 100 miles apart and he had 37 mountain ranges to cross.
In 2001, Stark did the Arizona Trail between Mexico and Utah in 39 days. In 2004, he ran across Iowa.
While reading this book, the following thoughts came to my mind:
1) Did Cesar Guarin of BOTAK come up with a book or a written account of his Run Across America in the 80s? I knew that he is one of the consultants of Joy Rojas and Mat Macabe during their planning preparation for the Takbong Pangarap Run Across America. A running experience as big as Running the Continental USA is worth to be printed in a book.
2) I thought of Joy Rojas and I tried to find out from the Internet if there is any word about the progress of her Takbong Pangarap. Since I could not see any information after she started her run in Eagle Rock, California almost 60 days ago, I posted the question in my Twitter as to where she is right now. Ben Gaetos had the initiative to answer my question by sending an e-mail to Joy Rojas and it led to Mat Macabe’s call to him.
3) Why did Joy Rojas thought of not creating a blog or website on her own instead of relying to the website of www.thepoc.net? After leaving Eagle Rock, California, POC had never updated her running activities. Being a news editor and news writer, she would have known the importance of the Internet in order to “journalize” her daily runs and let her readers know where she is and her daily experiences. In the book, Brian Stark would update his running journal in his website at the end of the day if he had an access to the Internet, if not, he would write his journal in a notebook and later wrote his updates whenever he had an access to the Internet. As compared now and the time when Brian Stark did his run across America’s trails, every town or city has its own public library with a computer, if not, there are so many Internet Cafes in every commercial establishment, even Motels now have Wi-Fi connections in every room with a very minimal additional cost. Access to the Internet right now is very common, cheap, and accessible. I am sure that every house in every big town or city has an Internet connection. Even cellphones nowadays have access to the Internet to include social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter.
4) One of my readers made a comment in my post about Joy Rojas and he/she has doubts about her running adventure to the point that she is suspected to be riding and running along the way. There goes the another “controversy” again! The following is the comment from cutierunner about Joy Rojas’ run from Las Vegas, Nevada to Denver, Colorado:
i too wondered where she was after she reached las vegas on may 23 and then silence until she pops out in denver for the western union shindig on june 23/ is she running or riding part of the way? google maps say that from las vegas to denver is a good 844 miles / from reports she says she takes a break every six days that leaves her with only 25 running days going from the desert to the state with the highest mean elevation in my country/ that’s uphill all the way to Colorado (during a season when flash thunderstorms occur), at 30 miles a day which is more than a marathon a day, she would still be short by 94 miles, so she must do something like 20% more to be statistically in denver by the date/ To set records, it would have been better if she wore one of these tracker gps items available here so that we do not have to rely on the word of her trainer who i hear is her boyfriend anyway and guess whether she is actually running or riding part of the way – also strange is having a crew of one
(Note: In my previous post on the pictures of Joy Rojas, I did not notice if she is wearing a Garmin watch, have you?)
I strongly believe that Joy Rojas could also do ala-Brian Stark running adventure across America if she has the necessary preparations, contacts along the way, and updated information about her daily activities.
5) In one of the Ultrarunning Magazines that Rick Gaston gave me, I read about Dean Karnazes plan to run across America using the American Discovery Trail from San Francisco to the East Coast and it is presently on the “drawing boards”. I guess, this will be fully supported by sponsors, marketing stuffs, and good PR support. What I like about Brian Stark is that he did it on his own without any “gimmicks” or marketing stuffs and even without any crew or support and pacer along the way, most especially while he was running the winding roads and trails of Colorado’s Rocky Mountains reaching an altitude of 12,000 feet above sea level.
6) Brian Stark did not set a deadline for him to finish his run and he did not pressure himself to reach a designated place. He had to take a lot of rest for his body to recover during the early part of his run and as the days and weeks have passed, he became stronger. He would find time to visit museums, tourist attractions, historical places and even enjoy the food distinct to every place he stayed while recovering from his rigorous runs. This a good example of a running adventure where you have enough time to explore the places you are passing through by visiting their tourist attractions, museums, and other historical places. Hence, he was able to write a book with all the pictures and clippings of newspaper accounts on his run.
If you have plans of running a multi-stage/multi-day running adventure, Brian Stark and his book is a good inspiration and source of experiences and a guide to a successful running adventure. I am highly recommending every runner to read this book.
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Monday, December 21, 2009
CamelBak (Hands-Free Hydration System)
The first time I saw a CamelBak Water Hydration System was in an advertisement in one of the pages of Bicycle Magazine in the mid-90s. It was featured in a one-page picture of a mountain biker where the said pack was worn on the back of the cyclist. When I went to the United States to visit my family in 1996, Colonel Alan Cabalquinto (later became a 3-star general), then my immediate “boss” requested me to buy him a Camelbak which he intended to use in his running workouts. At that time, Camelbak was only popular to mountain bikers and some road cyclists. Of all the sports stores in Los Angeles area, the only store that had Camelbak was a Cyclist Store in Beverly Hills. I bought one piece which costs me $ 85.00 + tax.
According to its history, the contraption was invented by a cyclist, Michael Edison, who participated in a bike race in Texas during summer and he was bothered with the constant pulling and putting back the water jug on its rack which is screwed to the bike frame and drinking water from his jug with use of his hands. He wanted to be hydrated while riding on his bike without using his hands. So, he got an I.V. bag and its tube and placed the bag in a bike socks and had it stitched at the back of an old t-shirt, wore it and later came up with a nozzle that controls the flow of water from the I.V. bag thru the tube as he placed the nozzle in his mouth. And the rest is history. By August of this year, CamelBak will be 15 years in the business of hands-free hydration system.
In the later part of 2000, I was part of a delegation of the AFP to attend a bilateral talks with the US Armed Forces in Hawaii as preparation for our future training exercises with them. In their PX Commissary, I found out some CamelBak 2.1-Liter Hydrobak Classic with the color-green cloth casing and I bought 20 pieces at a price of $ 35.00 each without any tax. Out of the twenty pieces, I kept one piece for myself; gave one to my brother; and the rest of the 18 pieces were given to the members of the Philippine Army’s Shooting Team to compete in Brunei for the ASEAN Armies Rifle & Pistol Meet in November 2000. I was then the Team Manager of the said Shooting Team. The members of the Shooting Team were happy and surprised to receive such hydration pack from me as I was the one who first introduced such to them instead of using the old World War II vintage-aluminum water canteen which was the issued water container equipment to our soldiers up to the present. This Camelbak hydrobak was very useful to my shooters that they become the envy of other delegations from the other countries as they were the only ones sporting such hydration system during the 2000 Brunei Shooting Competition. Unfortunately, the CamelBak I issued to the shootes became their personal property and some were “traded” as souvenirs from their counterparts from other countries. Such initiative to buy another set of CamelBak Hydration System for the succeeding team members in the next year’s events was not done by the succeeding Shooting Team Managers up to the present.
Two years ago (I was already a two-star general), I had heated argument with a more ranking/senior general at the Headquarters Philippine Army with my suggestion/recommendation to entirely start changing the hydration system of the basic soldier from the WWII vintage aluminum water canteen to CamelBak Hydration System to be at par with the US, UK, and other ASEAN Armed Forces which had been using the CamelBak 5-6 years ago. The ranking general did not buy my idea, instead, he decided to “improve” the water canteen from an aluminum to a stainless steel one but still the same size, carrying almost one-half liter of water/liquid. It is sad to note that until I retired from the military service, I haven’t seen that “improved stainless steel” WWII vintage water canteen being issued/used by the soldiers in the combat areas/battlefield. Presently, the soldiers are still stucked to the “bottled water”/”mineral water” hydration system ( in plastic bottles).
At present, I have two sets of Camelbak Hydration System–the one that I bought in Hawaii and a newer version of the hydrobak classic which I bought at The Travel Club Store in SM Megamall 5 years ago which I haven’t used. It was the one which I bought in Hawaii that I’ve been using in my biking, hiking with 35-lb backpack, and other military exercises/activities. The difference between the old and the new Camelbak are the following:
1) The old one ( the one I bought in Hawaii) has no pockets in its Cordura cloth casing while the new one has zippered pockets and stretchable straps/strings where additional sports accessories could be strapped or carried.
2) In the old one, the nozzle/water tube is positioned on the left side with the left shoulder straps while the nozzle/water tube in the newer ones is located on the right with the right shoulder straps.
3) The old one has no cross-straps that connect the two shoulder straps on the breast area. The newer models has a cross-straps which make the Camelbak more hugged and stable with the body.
4) The old one has a bite nozzle that goes or connected directly with the water tube. The new one has its bite nozzle 90 degrees angled with the water tube.
Lately, when I was packing my things to Laoag City, I was able to find my new Camelbak Hydrobak Classic Hydration System which has a pocket enough for two powerbars or 3 packs of Skyflakes and I brought it here in Laoag City for my future long runs on roads, hill/mountain trails, and beach/sand dunes.
This is the “Rule of Thumb” in Hydration to the human body when involved in running and other endurance sports—drink one liter of water/fluids for every one hour of activity. Which means that my Camelbak is enough for a 2-hour running as my Camelbak can store only 2.1 liters of water/fluids. The military version and other later models have 3-liter capacity.
At present, more outdoor sports brands had copied the Camelbak’s concept of Hydration System. But I still prefer the original one. We will see how my CamelBak will help me in my next long run. I hope to do 33-35K non-stop long run next time.
“CamelBak: Hydrate or Die”
According to its history, the contraption was invented by a cyclist, Michael Edison, who participated in a bike race in Texas during summer and he was bothered with the constant pulling and putting back the water jug on its rack which is screwed to the bike frame and drinking water from his jug with use of his hands. He wanted to be hydrated while riding on his bike without using his hands. So, he got an I.V. bag and its tube and placed the bag in a bike socks and had it stitched at the back of an old t-shirt, wore it and later came up with a nozzle that controls the flow of water from the I.V. bag thru the tube as he placed the nozzle in his mouth. And the rest is history. By August of this year, CamelBak will be 15 years in the business of hands-free hydration system.
In the later part of 2000, I was part of a delegation of the AFP to attend a bilateral talks with the US Armed Forces in Hawaii as preparation for our future training exercises with them. In their PX Commissary, I found out some CamelBak 2.1-Liter Hydrobak Classic with the color-green cloth casing and I bought 20 pieces at a price of $ 35.00 each without any tax. Out of the twenty pieces, I kept one piece for myself; gave one to my brother; and the rest of the 18 pieces were given to the members of the Philippine Army’s Shooting Team to compete in Brunei for the ASEAN Armies Rifle & Pistol Meet in November 2000. I was then the Team Manager of the said Shooting Team. The members of the Shooting Team were happy and surprised to receive such hydration pack from me as I was the one who first introduced such to them instead of using the old World War II vintage-aluminum water canteen which was the issued water container equipment to our soldiers up to the present. This Camelbak hydrobak was very useful to my shooters that they become the envy of other delegations from the other countries as they were the only ones sporting such hydration system during the 2000 Brunei Shooting Competition. Unfortunately, the CamelBak I issued to the shootes became their personal property and some were “traded” as souvenirs from their counterparts from other countries. Such initiative to buy another set of CamelBak Hydration System for the succeeding team members in the next year’s events was not done by the succeeding Shooting Team Managers up to the present.
Two years ago (I was already a two-star general), I had heated argument with a more ranking/senior general at the Headquarters Philippine Army with my suggestion/recommendation to entirely start changing the hydration system of the basic soldier from the WWII vintage aluminum water canteen to CamelBak Hydration System to be at par with the US, UK, and other ASEAN Armed Forces which had been using the CamelBak 5-6 years ago. The ranking general did not buy my idea, instead, he decided to “improve” the water canteen from an aluminum to a stainless steel one but still the same size, carrying almost one-half liter of water/liquid. It is sad to note that until I retired from the military service, I haven’t seen that “improved stainless steel” WWII vintage water canteen being issued/used by the soldiers in the combat areas/battlefield. Presently, the soldiers are still stucked to the “bottled water”/”mineral water” hydration system ( in plastic bottles).
At present, I have two sets of Camelbak Hydration System–the one that I bought in Hawaii and a newer version of the hydrobak classic which I bought at The Travel Club Store in SM Megamall 5 years ago which I haven’t used. It was the one which I bought in Hawaii that I’ve been using in my biking, hiking with 35-lb backpack, and other military exercises/activities. The difference between the old and the new Camelbak are the following:
1) The old one ( the one I bought in Hawaii) has no pockets in its Cordura cloth casing while the new one has zippered pockets and stretchable straps/strings where additional sports accessories could be strapped or carried.
2) In the old one, the nozzle/water tube is positioned on the left side with the left shoulder straps while the nozzle/water tube in the newer ones is located on the right with the right shoulder straps.
3) The old one has no cross-straps that connect the two shoulder straps on the breast area. The newer models has a cross-straps which make the Camelbak more hugged and stable with the body.
4) The old one has a bite nozzle that goes or connected directly with the water tube. The new one has its bite nozzle 90 degrees angled with the water tube.
Lately, when I was packing my things to Laoag City, I was able to find my new Camelbak Hydrobak Classic Hydration System which has a pocket enough for two powerbars or 3 packs of Skyflakes and I brought it here in Laoag City for my future long runs on roads, hill/mountain trails, and beach/sand dunes.
This is the “Rule of Thumb” in Hydration to the human body when involved in running and other endurance sports—drink one liter of water/fluids for every one hour of activity. Which means that my Camelbak is enough for a 2-hour running as my Camelbak can store only 2.1 liters of water/fluids. The military version and other later models have 3-liter capacity.
At present, more outdoor sports brands had copied the Camelbak’s concept of Hydration System. But I still prefer the original one. We will see how my CamelBak will help me in my next long run. I hope to do 33-35K non-stop long run next time.
“CamelBak: Hydrate or Die”
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Book Review: Extreme Running
“Extreme Running” is a book written by Kym McConnell and Dave Horsley. Both of the authors are well-respected ultramarathoners and had been going from one continent to another to participate to these extreme running events, all for their passion to test their body limits and challenge the environment. This book was published in London, UK last year, 2007.
I found and bought this book at PowerBooks (Glorietta) two months ago after failing to locate or buy the book, “The Ultramarathon Man” by Dean Karnasez.
This book takes the reader on a world tour of ultramarathon races. The book is divided into seven chapters looking at each continent’s ultra foot races. Each ultra race has its own history, pecularities, preparations, challenges, strategies, experiences/adventures and the characters/personalities involved in each race. Pictures, maps, race course routes, and other informative notes were included in each page of the book.
To mention some of the extreme running events, the following is the list of some ultramarathon races in every continent in the world:
Europe:
1) The North Face Ultra-Trail Du Tour DU MONT-BLANC (UTMB)—101-mile race (163 Km) in Mount Blanc trails that passes through France, Italy & Switzerland held in the later part of August. Cut-off time: 46 hours. Limited to 2,000 runners.
2) Spartathlon—Athens to Sparta Road Race which has a distance of 152 miles (245.3 Kms). This is the original ultramarathon from Athens to Sparta which the Greek messenger, Pheidippides, took in 490 BC to deliver Athen’s request for reinforcements to resist the Persian invaders. Cut-off time—36 hours. Regular number of participants—300 runners. It is being conducted during the month of September.
Africa:
1) Marathon Des Sables—In Sahara Dessert, East Morocco during the month of March or April. It is a 6-stage course which has a total distance of 220-240 Kms (135-150 miles). Number of participants—700 runners.
2) Comrades Marathon—It is a single stage race in South Africa, covering a distance of 56 miles or 90 kms being held in June. Number of Participants—11,000 runners.
3) Trans 333—It is a single stage race in a desert location which is being held in a different host country each year. It has a distance of 333 Kms (206 miles). This is considered as the “World’s Longest Single Stage Desert Race”. Number of Regular Participants—20 runners. Maximum Time Permitted to complete the race—108 hours
North America:
1) Badwater Ultramarathon—It’s a single stage race from Badwater, Death Valley to Mt Whitney in California covering a distance of 135 miles (217 Kms) which is done in mid/late July. Number of Participants is limited to 90 runners (by invitation only). Time Lite to Finish the race is 60 hours.
2) Wasatch Front 100 Miler—Single stage race in Kaysville, Utah, USA which is done in the month of September. Number of Regular Participants—225. Time Limit to Finish—36 hours.
3) Yukon Arctic Ultra—In Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada which is held in February. Distances are: 42K, 160K, 480K & 736K (26.2, 100, 300 & 460 miles).
South America:
1) Jungle Marathon—In The Amazon Jungle in Brazil. It is a 6-stage, 200-Km (125 miles) road race in October and participated by 80 participants.
2) Atacama Crossing—In Atacama Desert in Chile. It is a 6-stage, 250-Km (150 miles) road race which is participated by by 150-200 runners which is conducted in March/August (alternate by year).
Asia:
1) Everest Marathon
—In Nepal; 42.2 km, single stage with approximately 75 participants with 10 Nepalese runners. It is conducted during the month of November.
2) Gobi March—In Xinjang Province, China. The course is 6-stage foot race with a distance of 250 kms (150 miles). It is now on-going this week. Check out at www.thenorthface.com with Dean Karnazes participating in the said race. Number of participants—200 runners.
3) Lake Baikal International Marathon—In Lake Baikal, Listvyanka, Russia. 42.2 kms, single stage with approximately 30 participants during the month of March.
Oceania:
1) Kepler Challenge—In Te Anau, South Island, New Zealand. It is a single stage 60-km run (37 miles) done in December with limited participants of 400 runners.
2) Te Houtaewa Challenge—In 90 Mile Beach in Kaitaia, New Zealand. It is running along the beach with a distance of 60 kms (38 miles), single stage held during the month of March. Approximate number of participants—30 runners.
3) Bogong To Hotham Trail Run—In Mount Bogong, Victoria, Australia. It is a single stage run with a distance of 64 kms (40 miles) held in the month of January. The race is limited to 60 runners.
Polar:
1) Antarctica Marathon—In King George Island, Antarctica. It is a single stage 42.2-km run held in February. It has a limited number of participants to 180 runners.
2) Antarctic Ice Marathon (South Pole Marathon)—In the foothils of Ellsworth Mountains, Antarctica. It is a single stage race with distances of 42.2 kms and 100 kms. It is held in December with a limited number of participants to 25 runners.
3) North Pole Marathon—It is located in 89N-90N, Arctic Ice Cap. It is a singlke stage race with a distance of 42.2 kms held in April. The number of participants is limited to 24 runners.
I found and bought this book at PowerBooks (Glorietta) two months ago after failing to locate or buy the book, “The Ultramarathon Man” by Dean Karnasez.
This book takes the reader on a world tour of ultramarathon races. The book is divided into seven chapters looking at each continent’s ultra foot races. Each ultra race has its own history, pecularities, preparations, challenges, strategies, experiences/adventures and the characters/personalities involved in each race. Pictures, maps, race course routes, and other informative notes were included in each page of the book.
To mention some of the extreme running events, the following is the list of some ultramarathon races in every continent in the world:
Europe:
1) The North Face Ultra-Trail Du Tour DU MONT-BLANC (UTMB)—101-mile race (163 Km) in Mount Blanc trails that passes through France, Italy & Switzerland held in the later part of August. Cut-off time: 46 hours. Limited to 2,000 runners.
2) Spartathlon—Athens to Sparta Road Race which has a distance of 152 miles (245.3 Kms). This is the original ultramarathon from Athens to Sparta which the Greek messenger, Pheidippides, took in 490 BC to deliver Athen’s request for reinforcements to resist the Persian invaders. Cut-off time—36 hours. Regular number of participants—300 runners. It is being conducted during the month of September.
Africa:
1) Marathon Des Sables—In Sahara Dessert, East Morocco during the month of March or April. It is a 6-stage course which has a total distance of 220-240 Kms (135-150 miles). Number of participants—700 runners.
2) Comrades Marathon—It is a single stage race in South Africa, covering a distance of 56 miles or 90 kms being held in June. Number of Participants—11,000 runners.
3) Trans 333—It is a single stage race in a desert location which is being held in a different host country each year. It has a distance of 333 Kms (206 miles). This is considered as the “World’s Longest Single Stage Desert Race”. Number of Regular Participants—20 runners. Maximum Time Permitted to complete the race—108 hours
North America:
1) Badwater Ultramarathon—It’s a single stage race from Badwater, Death Valley to Mt Whitney in California covering a distance of 135 miles (217 Kms) which is done in mid/late July. Number of Participants is limited to 90 runners (by invitation only). Time Lite to Finish the race is 60 hours.
2) Wasatch Front 100 Miler—Single stage race in Kaysville, Utah, USA which is done in the month of September. Number of Regular Participants—225. Time Limit to Finish—36 hours.
3) Yukon Arctic Ultra—In Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada which is held in February. Distances are: 42K, 160K, 480K & 736K (26.2, 100, 300 & 460 miles).
South America:
1) Jungle Marathon—In The Amazon Jungle in Brazil. It is a 6-stage, 200-Km (125 miles) road race in October and participated by 80 participants.
2) Atacama Crossing—In Atacama Desert in Chile. It is a 6-stage, 250-Km (150 miles) road race which is participated by by 150-200 runners which is conducted in March/August (alternate by year).
Asia:
1) Everest Marathon
—In Nepal; 42.2 km, single stage with approximately 75 participants with 10 Nepalese runners. It is conducted during the month of November.2) Gobi March—In Xinjang Province, China. The course is 6-stage foot race with a distance of 250 kms (150 miles). It is now on-going this week. Check out at www.thenorthface.com with Dean Karnazes participating in the said race. Number of participants—200 runners.
3) Lake Baikal International Marathon—In Lake Baikal, Listvyanka, Russia. 42.2 kms, single stage with approximately 30 participants during the month of March.
Oceania:
1) Kepler Challenge—In Te Anau, South Island, New Zealand. It is a single stage 60-km run (37 miles) done in December with limited participants of 400 runners.
2) Te Houtaewa Challenge—In 90 Mile Beach in Kaitaia, New Zealand. It is running along the beach with a distance of 60 kms (38 miles), single stage held during the month of March. Approximate number of participants—30 runners.
3) Bogong To Hotham Trail Run—In Mount Bogong, Victoria, Australia. It is a single stage run with a distance of 64 kms (40 miles) held in the month of January. The race is limited to 60 runners.
Polar:
1) Antarctica Marathon—In King George Island, Antarctica. It is a single stage 42.2-km run held in February. It has a limited number of participants to 180 runners.
2) Antarctic Ice Marathon (South Pole Marathon)—In the foothils of Ellsworth Mountains, Antarctica. It is a single stage race with distances of 42.2 kms and 100 kms. It is held in December with a limited number of participants to 25 runners.
3) North Pole Marathon—It is located in 89N-90N, Arctic Ice Cap. It is a singlke stage race with a distance of 42.2 kms held in April. The number of participants is limited to 24 runners.
The North Face Customer Service
It is amazing to be wearing the best and the latest trail shoes from The North Face for FREE! The following is my story.
I bought a TNF Arnuva 50 BOA running shoes last August 2008 in Beverly Hills, California. I used it during my training runs and on the day of the competition for the Bulldog 50K Ultra Trail Run. I also used it during my two trail running workouts at Mt Wilson with my kids and other “runabouts” at Griffith Park and Los Angeles. It is a versatile running shoes as it could be used as trail shoes and a road running shoes. Aside from being durable and light, it has a BOA Lacing System which is dependable for quick tightening of its shoe laces or quick removal from one’s feet. It takes few seconds to wear or unwear it due to the presence of a screw knob at the rear heel portion of the shoes.
Last November 2008, I joined the members of the Pinoy Ultra Runners with Jonel aka Bugobugo, George aka The Talkative Runner, Nickko & Maj Ferdie Espejo for an ultra run from Brgy Sta Juliana, Capas to Mount Pinatubo and back. Since I expected that the run would be on trails along the lahar areas, I used the TNF Arnuva 50 BOA. At first, it was very fast and comfortable removing it before crossing a river and then wearing it as soon we are on a dry land. But later during the run, I opted not to remove my shoes whenever we crossed rivers along the way. I was happy then that the shoes would easily dry up, after having it wet on those dozens of river crossings, while running on the dry lahar area.
We finished the 55-Km ultra run and I did not encounter any blisters with my feet and I was satisfied with the performance of the shoes. After washing it and having it dried, I observed that the left shoe’s screw knob could not tighten the shoe laces and it was very hard to turn it. I immediately brought to the attention of the sales staff in one of the TNF Stores in Metro Manila and they requested me to have it repaired/brought to their store. So, sometime in December, I gave my Arnuva Shoes to one of the TNF Stores in Manila.
After a few weeks, I received an update about the situation of my shoes through SMS and they need to replace the BOA Laces. Later, they told me that they were able to acquire or find replacement laces for my shoes which I thought would cost me for $ 10.00 a pair. Last February, TNF told me that there is something wrong with the tube where the laces would pass through but they were trying to fix the problem. After few exchanges of SMS with TNF, the service/sales staff of TNF finally informed me that my shoes has no chances of being repaired and there is no way that it would be given back to me! But, they told me to proceed to any of their TNF Stores and choose any of the available shoes on their display/stock for a FREE replacement of my Arnuva 50 BOA shoes! Very nice!
And so, I got the lastest and the best trail shoes of TNF with the BOA Lace System…The TNF Hedgehog GTX XCR BOA!!! I can safely call it the ”HUMMER/HUMVEE” among my trail shoes. It is WATER-PROOF as it is made of GORE-TEX/XCR breathable membrane and its upper/outer materials are abrasion-resistant.
Outers are Abrasion-Proof unlike The Rocky Chucky whose TNF Logo was erased after weeks of trail running.
The BOA Screw Knob: Push & Turn to Tighten & Pull to Loosen
If you want the best customer service in your running shoes, get the best, The North Face!
Note: I am not an official product endorser of The North Face. Even if TNF did not support or sponsor the Bataan 102, I still believe in the quality of their products and its superb/outstanding customer service.
I bought a TNF Arnuva 50 BOA running shoes last August 2008 in Beverly Hills, California. I used it during my training runs and on the day of the competition for the Bulldog 50K Ultra Trail Run. I also used it during my two trail running workouts at Mt Wilson with my kids and other “runabouts” at Griffith Park and Los Angeles. It is a versatile running shoes as it could be used as trail shoes and a road running shoes. Aside from being durable and light, it has a BOA Lacing System which is dependable for quick tightening of its shoe laces or quick removal from one’s feet. It takes few seconds to wear or unwear it due to the presence of a screw knob at the rear heel portion of the shoes.
Last November 2008, I joined the members of the Pinoy Ultra Runners with Jonel aka Bugobugo, George aka The Talkative Runner, Nickko & Maj Ferdie Espejo for an ultra run from Brgy Sta Juliana, Capas to Mount Pinatubo and back. Since I expected that the run would be on trails along the lahar areas, I used the TNF Arnuva 50 BOA. At first, it was very fast and comfortable removing it before crossing a river and then wearing it as soon we are on a dry land. But later during the run, I opted not to remove my shoes whenever we crossed rivers along the way. I was happy then that the shoes would easily dry up, after having it wet on those dozens of river crossings, while running on the dry lahar area.
We finished the 55-Km ultra run and I did not encounter any blisters with my feet and I was satisfied with the performance of the shoes. After washing it and having it dried, I observed that the left shoe’s screw knob could not tighten the shoe laces and it was very hard to turn it. I immediately brought to the attention of the sales staff in one of the TNF Stores in Metro Manila and they requested me to have it repaired/brought to their store. So, sometime in December, I gave my Arnuva Shoes to one of the TNF Stores in Manila.
After a few weeks, I received an update about the situation of my shoes through SMS and they need to replace the BOA Laces. Later, they told me that they were able to acquire or find replacement laces for my shoes which I thought would cost me for $ 10.00 a pair. Last February, TNF told me that there is something wrong with the tube where the laces would pass through but they were trying to fix the problem. After few exchanges of SMS with TNF, the service/sales staff of TNF finally informed me that my shoes has no chances of being repaired and there is no way that it would be given back to me! But, they told me to proceed to any of their TNF Stores and choose any of the available shoes on their display/stock for a FREE replacement of my Arnuva 50 BOA shoes! Very nice!
And so, I got the lastest and the best trail shoes of TNF with the BOA Lace System…The TNF Hedgehog GTX XCR BOA!!! I can safely call it the ”HUMMER/HUMVEE” among my trail shoes. It is WATER-PROOF as it is made of GORE-TEX/XCR breathable membrane and its upper/outer materials are abrasion-resistant.
Outers are Abrasion-Proof unlike The Rocky Chucky whose TNF Logo was erased after weeks of trail running.
The BOA Screw Knob: Push & Turn to Tighten & Pull to Loosen
If you want the best customer service in your running shoes, get the best, The North Face!
Note: I am not an official product endorser of The North Face. Even if TNF did not support or sponsor the Bataan 102, I still believe in the quality of their products and its superb/outstanding customer service.
Joy Rojas' Newspaper Feature On Takbong Pangarap
Ode to Joy’s 10 million steps
By Francis T.J. Ochoa
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 02:39:00 12/20/2009
MANILA, Philippines—On May 11, 2009, Joy Rojas celebrated her birthday in California with freshly picked oranges and cool water drawn from a backyard well courtesy of a stranger she remembers only as Tim.
“It’s my birthday today,” she told Tim. She had asked the stranger for directions earlier that day and they bumped into each other inside a gasoline convenience store.
“Well, happy birthday,” he told her.
And then she was off. Running.
Typical. Joy Rojas, a 44-year-old wisp of a woman with a sun-cooked complexion, always had to be somewhere else. You could tell by the restlessness that would seep into her body once she sat down for even a minute. She would shift almost uncontrollably—a bundle of boundless energy that refuses to be contained.
That’s why even if there were sumptuous birthday celebrations surrounded by family and friends, No. 44 won’t be forgotten for quite a while. On that day, she embarked on a transcontinental run across the United States.
Called “Takbong Pangarap” Rojas planned to run 5,000 kilometers or roughly 50 km every day for 100 days with only 20 days for rest.
Out of the several hundreds who have run across America, only 11 are women. Among them is another Filipino, running gear maker Cesar Guarin, who crossed the continent from New York to Los Angeles in 1985, completing the run on June 12, Independence Day.
Moving in place
“People keep asking me why I even thought of doing it,” Rojas said. “I just tell them I’m a stubborn runner.”
Stubborn, as she refuses to believe there are distances she cannot span with her two legs. She had previously, after all, covered Davao City in Mindanao to Pagudpud in Ilocos Norte. What’s another 5,000 kilometers to add to her body odometer?
“There were other choices, actually, like Australia. But we figured, why not go for the United States,” she said.
After starting off from Eagle Rock Plaza in Glendale, California, in May, Rojas finished her transcontinental run, reaching Central Park in New York in November, although a few weeks off schedule.
She arrived in the country on Dec. 11 and was feted at a luncheon last Thursday, hosted by Western Union at the Hotel Intercontinental in Makati City—a celebration of the indomitable spirit of a woman who, quite simply, refuses to stay in one place.
At the luncheon, she moved from table to table, saying thanks to the people who supported her—bringing them to tears with each show of gratitude. She posed for a photograph—head always slightly bowed and cocked to the right—and then she’d be gone, off to another group for yet another photograph.
A writer starts running
Rojas is a writer by profession. Freelancing for several publishing companies—the Philippine Daily Inquirer
, included—she has written sketches about several personalities, confining herself to a cramped seat in front of a desk figuring out the right words to tell other people’s stories.
Now, it is her story being told.
It began almost 10 years ago, when Rojas finally decided to bust the hell out of sitting still.
“I started running only because all I did was sit down and write and I got tired of sitting down and writing,” she said.
Right attitude
It was that attitude that allowed her to conquer 16 states and 5,000 km of sometimes inhospitable and lonely terrain until she finally reached Central Park in New York. Psychoanalysts may sometimes infer meaning from a person’s passion for running, searching for a trigger in childhood that led to all that footrace.
While Rojas draws metaphors from her running, hers is not as complicated as people may think.
“My version of a runner’s high is really simple—it’s bringing myself from one point to … somewhere else,” she said.
And boy, did she end up somewhere else. What she accomplished wasn’t easy. Never mind the distance. The fact that two-thirds into her trip she felt something pop in her hip, which a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) test revealed to be a stress fracture, amped up the degree of difficulty.
“I think I was in Kansas at that time. I suddenly felt a pain in my hip. And you know, typical us, we self-diagnose. So I was just popping ibuprofen like they were M&Ms and I was telling my team, let’s continue,” Rojas related.
Fracture, torn muscle
Danny Titus, a professional photographer she described as a “guardian angel in disguise,” suggested she undergo an MRI and that’s when her stress fracture was discovered. Further probing revealed she had a torn muscle, too. And she had been running with both conditions for about two weeks.
“Even when they told me that, I wanted to continue,” she said. “I kept asking, ‘can I run slowly? Can I walk?’”
“I told them I wasn’t quitting. I may not be the fastest runner or the most graceful, but I am the most stubborn runner.”
It wasn’t that she was thinking of her beneficiaries. Western Union pledged $5,000 to the Social Services Division of the Philippine Heart Center and to the Anti-Tuberculosis program of the Inner Wheel Club in Quezon City—practically a dollar for every kilometer she ran. It wasn’t just the commitments to every pit stop along the way.
Although she admitted that “it would’ve been a great disservice to the people who supported me if I quit because I felt a little pain,” Rojas wanted to go on quite simply because she had to be somewhere else.
Six weeks of rest
Only when doctors told her she needed six weeks of rest and a steady diet of Vitamin D and calcium pills lest she completely break her hip bone did she finally agree to stay still. Only then.
“I guess I realized that when you have an injury, you have to slow down,” Rojas said.
The rest period set back her timetable but nobody really cared. Not even those who were financing her trip. Western Union’s Mike Morelos told her not to worry about anything. “There is no doubt in my mind that you will finish the run,” Morelos told her.
Besides, measuring Rojas’ feat against time would diminish her accomplishment. She was, after all, measuring herself against the limits of human endurance.
Finish line
Finally, on a cool sunny Sunday on Nov. 22, she reached Central Park in New York City.
She hauled with her tons of memories to the finish line. “Too many,” she said, “that you will need three notebooks to write them all down.”
She also kept mementos of the long trip. The piece of paper where the stranger named Tim “squiggled” a map to set her off on her long journey. Snapshots of the places her sturdy legs took her. And pens. Lots of pens “from all the inns and motels I stayed in during my pit stops.”
But more than that, she brought with her inspiration.
As an ultra-marathon (anything past the marathon or 42 km) runner, Rojas said economy of movement was very important. “You have to achieve a certain pace to cover really long distances.”
0-M steps
Judging by her running stride, she averaged about half-a-meter per step. That means she made roughly 10 million steps on her coast-to-coast journey.
But judging by the tears that fell from the eyes of the people she thanked and the openness of strangers who supported and encouraged her throughout the run, that number is nothing compared to the lives Rojas will have touched every time her story is told.
By Francis T.J. Ochoa
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 02:39:00 12/20/2009
MANILA, Philippines—On May 11, 2009, Joy Rojas celebrated her birthday in California with freshly picked oranges and cool water drawn from a backyard well courtesy of a stranger she remembers only as Tim.
“It’s my birthday today,” she told Tim. She had asked the stranger for directions earlier that day and they bumped into each other inside a gasoline convenience store.
“Well, happy birthday,” he told her.
And then she was off. Running.
Typical. Joy Rojas, a 44-year-old wisp of a woman with a sun-cooked complexion, always had to be somewhere else. You could tell by the restlessness that would seep into her body once she sat down for even a minute. She would shift almost uncontrollably—a bundle of boundless energy that refuses to be contained.
That’s why even if there were sumptuous birthday celebrations surrounded by family and friends, No. 44 won’t be forgotten for quite a while. On that day, she embarked on a transcontinental run across the United States.
Called “Takbong Pangarap” Rojas planned to run 5,000 kilometers or roughly 50 km every day for 100 days with only 20 days for rest.
Out of the several hundreds who have run across America, only 11 are women. Among them is another Filipino, running gear maker Cesar Guarin, who crossed the continent from New York to Los Angeles in 1985, completing the run on June 12, Independence Day.
Moving in place
“People keep asking me why I even thought of doing it,” Rojas said. “I just tell them I’m a stubborn runner.”
Stubborn, as she refuses to believe there are distances she cannot span with her two legs. She had previously, after all, covered Davao City in Mindanao to Pagudpud in Ilocos Norte. What’s another 5,000 kilometers to add to her body odometer?
“There were other choices, actually, like Australia. But we figured, why not go for the United States,” she said.
After starting off from Eagle Rock Plaza in Glendale, California, in May, Rojas finished her transcontinental run, reaching Central Park in New York in November, although a few weeks off schedule.
She arrived in the country on Dec. 11 and was feted at a luncheon last Thursday, hosted by Western Union at the Hotel Intercontinental in Makati City—a celebration of the indomitable spirit of a woman who, quite simply, refuses to stay in one place.
At the luncheon, she moved from table to table, saying thanks to the people who supported her—bringing them to tears with each show of gratitude. She posed for a photograph—head always slightly bowed and cocked to the right—and then she’d be gone, off to another group for yet another photograph.
A writer starts running
Rojas is a writer by profession. Freelancing for several publishing companies—the Philippine Daily Inquirer
, included—she has written sketches about several personalities, confining herself to a cramped seat in front of a desk figuring out the right words to tell other people’s stories.Now, it is her story being told.
It began almost 10 years ago, when Rojas finally decided to bust the hell out of sitting still.
“I started running only because all I did was sit down and write and I got tired of sitting down and writing,” she said.
Right attitude
It was that attitude that allowed her to conquer 16 states and 5,000 km of sometimes inhospitable and lonely terrain until she finally reached Central Park in New York. Psychoanalysts may sometimes infer meaning from a person’s passion for running, searching for a trigger in childhood that led to all that footrace.
While Rojas draws metaphors from her running, hers is not as complicated as people may think.
“My version of a runner’s high is really simple—it’s bringing myself from one point to … somewhere else,” she said.
And boy, did she end up somewhere else. What she accomplished wasn’t easy. Never mind the distance. The fact that two-thirds into her trip she felt something pop in her hip, which a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) test revealed to be a stress fracture, amped up the degree of difficulty.
“I think I was in Kansas at that time. I suddenly felt a pain in my hip. And you know, typical us, we self-diagnose. So I was just popping ibuprofen like they were M&Ms and I was telling my team, let’s continue,” Rojas related.
Fracture, torn muscle
Danny Titus, a professional photographer she described as a “guardian angel in disguise,” suggested she undergo an MRI and that’s when her stress fracture was discovered. Further probing revealed she had a torn muscle, too. And she had been running with both conditions for about two weeks.
“Even when they told me that, I wanted to continue,” she said. “I kept asking, ‘can I run slowly? Can I walk?’”
“I told them I wasn’t quitting. I may not be the fastest runner or the most graceful, but I am the most stubborn runner.”
It wasn’t that she was thinking of her beneficiaries. Western Union pledged $5,000 to the Social Services Division of the Philippine Heart Center and to the Anti-Tuberculosis program of the Inner Wheel Club in Quezon City—practically a dollar for every kilometer she ran. It wasn’t just the commitments to every pit stop along the way.
Although she admitted that “it would’ve been a great disservice to the people who supported me if I quit because I felt a little pain,” Rojas wanted to go on quite simply because she had to be somewhere else.
Six weeks of rest
Only when doctors told her she needed six weeks of rest and a steady diet of Vitamin D and calcium pills lest she completely break her hip bone did she finally agree to stay still. Only then.
“I guess I realized that when you have an injury, you have to slow down,” Rojas said.
The rest period set back her timetable but nobody really cared. Not even those who were financing her trip. Western Union’s Mike Morelos told her not to worry about anything. “There is no doubt in my mind that you will finish the run,” Morelos told her.
Besides, measuring Rojas’ feat against time would diminish her accomplishment. She was, after all, measuring herself against the limits of human endurance.
Finish line
Finally, on a cool sunny Sunday on Nov. 22, she reached Central Park in New York City.
She hauled with her tons of memories to the finish line. “Too many,” she said, “that you will need three notebooks to write them all down.”
She also kept mementos of the long trip. The piece of paper where the stranger named Tim “squiggled” a map to set her off on her long journey. Snapshots of the places her sturdy legs took her. And pens. Lots of pens “from all the inns and motels I stayed in during my pit stops.”
But more than that, she brought with her inspiration.
As an ultra-marathon (anything past the marathon or 42 km) runner, Rojas said economy of movement was very important. “You have to achieve a certain pace to cover really long distances.”
0-M steps
Judging by her running stride, she averaged about half-a-meter per step. That means she made roughly 10 million steps on her coast-to-coast journey.
But judging by the tears that fell from the eyes of the people she thanked and the openness of strangers who supported and encouraged her throughout the run, that number is nothing compared to the lives Rojas will have touched every time her story is told.
Saturday, December 19, 2009
NIKE Lunaracer: Running Shoe Review
I bought this new pair of NIKE Lunaracer at the NIKE Store at The Grove in Los Angeles last 10 September 2008, few days before I returned to Manila. The sales guy at the NIKE Store, who happens to be a black guy in his 30s, lectured to me the difference between the NIKE Lunarlite Trainer and this shoes. He suggested that I should try to wear both shoes and actually feel the difference between the two. As soon as I tried the shoes one at a time, I told him immediately what I felt. The NIKE Lunarlite Trainer has a wide forefoot area and I could feel that my foot and toes do not feel the tight snug I want for a running shoes. As for the NIKE Lunaracer, the shoes’ forefoot area is very narrow and I could feel a nice and tight fit for my feet in the said running shoes.
Aside from being the lightest racing shoes in the market, the Lunarlite cushion/sole is made of “high-tech” material which is very comfortable to the feet, and the lightweight remaining materials of the shoes is made from NIKE’s latest “Flywire” technology. Lastly, the color (yellow-green) is pleasing to the eyes and sends a message for the shoes to be “environment-friendly”. The shoestrings are very light, too! Most of the 2008 Olympic track athletes in Beijing sponsored by NIKE were using this kind of shoes.
I immediately decided to get the NIKE Lunaracer as my racing shoes because of its nice “snug” fit to my feet and for being light as compared to other racing shoes that I’ve tried. The sales guy warned me not to use this racing shoes for road races longer than 10K runs. I just smiled and told him that I’ve been running for quite sometime and I know how to choose what shoes to wear for a particular distance whether it is a marathon or ultramarathon race or lesser distance race. Then, he asked my age and I told him that I am 56 years old. He was surprised and called the attention of the other sales ladies of the NIKE Store by telling them that I am a runner who just finished the San Francisco Marathon and the Bulldog 50K Ultra Trail Run at the age of 56 years old. He told me that he was planning to run also a 10K race and later experience running a marathon. I paid $108.25 inclusive of sales tax for the said shoes. While I was about to leave the store, I told him to visit this blog and for him to know my experiences and training in running. I hope the NIKE Store sales guy is presently one of my visitors in this blog.
The first time I used this shoes was during the Hope In Motion 3 Run at Ayala Alabang Village which I ran for the 10K race and another 10K for an easy long run with other runner-bloggers. In that run and initial “baptism” of this shoes, I felt I was running faster than my usual pace and the shoes was very light and comfortable.
I admit I perspire a lot during my runs, most especially running beyond the 10K race, and my socks are the ones that absorb my sweat but I observe that the shoes itself don’t get wet. I could feel that the shoes is still light even if my socks are wet but there is a “loud” pounding sound of the shoes every time my feet hit the ground. Although this is just a minor observation but such sound gives me “beat” or signal whether my legs’ turn-over/stride frequency is getting slower during the race.
The second time I used this shoes was during the Adidas KOTR 21K Race and I did not follow the advise of the NIKE Store sales guy. I ran a faster pace again for my half-marathon using this NIKE racer shoes and got my best PR time for the said distance based from the official results of the race.
While using this shoes during my tempo and interval runs at the ULTRA Oval Track, I was surprised that I was getting a better time for the whole running workout. Although I only used this shoes twice at the oval track, I know it can deliver as good as the “spiked” racing track shoes.
Lately, I used this racing shoes during the 4th October Run Festival 10K Run held last Sunday at The Fort. Well, what can I say? I improved my finish time again using this shoes. Whether it was the shoes or my “speed runs” at the ULTRA Oval Track that contributed to my faster finish times, the fact is…the shoes is very light and comfortable to my feet.
Officially, I am reserving the use of this shoes for my future weekend road races and I am even thinking of using it for the Milo Marathon Finals on 30 November 2008.
This morning, while I was doing my usual running workout at the ULTRA Oval Track, I saw a regular and daily “brisk walker” at the Oval Track sporting this kind of shoes and I could sense that he was enjoying his “walkathon” workout for the day. I guess, we belong to the same age bracket.
If you can find one of this NIKE Lunaracer Shoes in the NIKE Stores in Metro Manila right now, don’t hesitate and don’t think twice.
“Just Buy It!”
Aside from being the lightest racing shoes in the market, the Lunarlite cushion/sole is made of “high-tech” material which is very comfortable to the feet, and the lightweight remaining materials of the shoes is made from NIKE’s latest “Flywire” technology. Lastly, the color (yellow-green) is pleasing to the eyes and sends a message for the shoes to be “environment-friendly”. The shoestrings are very light, too! Most of the 2008 Olympic track athletes in Beijing sponsored by NIKE were using this kind of shoes.
I immediately decided to get the NIKE Lunaracer as my racing shoes because of its nice “snug” fit to my feet and for being light as compared to other racing shoes that I’ve tried. The sales guy warned me not to use this racing shoes for road races longer than 10K runs. I just smiled and told him that I’ve been running for quite sometime and I know how to choose what shoes to wear for a particular distance whether it is a marathon or ultramarathon race or lesser distance race. Then, he asked my age and I told him that I am 56 years old. He was surprised and called the attention of the other sales ladies of the NIKE Store by telling them that I am a runner who just finished the San Francisco Marathon and the Bulldog 50K Ultra Trail Run at the age of 56 years old. He told me that he was planning to run also a 10K race and later experience running a marathon. I paid $108.25 inclusive of sales tax for the said shoes. While I was about to leave the store, I told him to visit this blog and for him to know my experiences and training in running. I hope the NIKE Store sales guy is presently one of my visitors in this blog.
The first time I used this shoes was during the Hope In Motion 3 Run at Ayala Alabang Village which I ran for the 10K race and another 10K for an easy long run with other runner-bloggers. In that run and initial “baptism” of this shoes, I felt I was running faster than my usual pace and the shoes was very light and comfortable.
I admit I perspire a lot during my runs, most especially running beyond the 10K race, and my socks are the ones that absorb my sweat but I observe that the shoes itself don’t get wet. I could feel that the shoes is still light even if my socks are wet but there is a “loud” pounding sound of the shoes every time my feet hit the ground. Although this is just a minor observation but such sound gives me “beat” or signal whether my legs’ turn-over/stride frequency is getting slower during the race.
The second time I used this shoes was during the Adidas KOTR 21K Race and I did not follow the advise of the NIKE Store sales guy. I ran a faster pace again for my half-marathon using this NIKE racer shoes and got my best PR time for the said distance based from the official results of the race.
While using this shoes during my tempo and interval runs at the ULTRA Oval Track, I was surprised that I was getting a better time for the whole running workout. Although I only used this shoes twice at the oval track, I know it can deliver as good as the “spiked” racing track shoes.
Lately, I used this racing shoes during the 4th October Run Festival 10K Run held last Sunday at The Fort. Well, what can I say? I improved my finish time again using this shoes. Whether it was the shoes or my “speed runs” at the ULTRA Oval Track that contributed to my faster finish times, the fact is…the shoes is very light and comfortable to my feet.
Officially, I am reserving the use of this shoes for my future weekend road races and I am even thinking of using it for the Milo Marathon Finals on 30 November 2008.
This morning, while I was doing my usual running workout at the ULTRA Oval Track, I saw a regular and daily “brisk walker” at the Oval Track sporting this kind of shoes and I could sense that he was enjoying his “walkathon” workout for the day. I guess, we belong to the same age bracket.
If you can find one of this NIKE Lunaracer Shoes in the NIKE Stores in Metro Manila right now, don’t hesitate and don’t think twice.
“Just Buy It!”
ASICS Kinsei-2: Running Shoes Review
I bought an ASICS Gel-Kinsei 2
running shoes on the first week of March (last month) after looking for some cure to the pain on the rear end of my right foot. I bought it at Athlete’s Foot Store Glorietta. This is the “top of the line” among the ASICS Running Shoes and it is supposed to be the best among the best.
After using it for my running workouts while in Metro Manila, the pain on the rear end of my right foot slowly disappeared and it became adapted to me feet. I used it in my first competition during the 6th Philippine Army Physical Fitness Test Challenge where I was awarded as Champion in the Executive Category (50 years old +). Although I did not feel any pains on my right foot, I started to notice some “differences” with my ASICS Gel-Cumulus 8 and had a better evaluation on this shoes after the “On Your Mark” 10K Run.
Let me mention the “bad news” first with this shoes. First, this is the “heaviest” running shoes of ASICS and it advisable to use this only on your running workouts and not for road races. Second, this is the most expensive running shoes of ASICS and with its price, you can buy two (2) pairs of an average-priced ASICS shoes or NIKEs. Third, when I used it during the “On Your Mark” 10K Run, the sound that the shoes create when I step on the ground was very noisy and it was competing with the music I was hearing while my MP3 was playing! Even if I was exaggerately making my feet touch the ground lightly, it was really creating a lot of sound with the ground. Fourth, the individual gels on the heel portion of the shoes are exposed and I suspect that the glue that attaches the gels to the hard rubber sole are not sturdy. Fifth, there are four small loops where the shoe lace passes through instead of the usual shoe lace “holes”. These loops are located at the 3rd & 4th holes (from the front edge of the shoes) and they have the tendency to “snap” after a period of time. I had experienced this in one of my ASICS shoes which I donated to one of the “Boni Aides” in the camp. Sixth and last, there is some kind of “chemical” smell or odor from the blue stripes of the shoe ASICS logo which can fill up the smell inside my bedroom.
The “good news” about this shoes is that my heels are properly snugged with the heel counter resulting to a more stable running and it cured the pain on the rear end of my right foot. When using a thicker running socks, my long runs are very easy with the comfort given by this shoes. Lastly, wearing this kind of running shoes sends a “fashion statement” and creates “a piece of conversation” to other runners. Wearing this ASICS Gel-Kinsei 2 will make you look like you are from another more advanced planet in the universe!
Bottomline? I don’t recommend this running shoes to the runners, moreso, to those who want to use this in their gym workouts. The one beside you on the treadmill or elliptical machine might complain or leave you because of the odor/smell of your shoes. I guess, this kind of running shoes was made for the “old, retiring, passionate, sophisticated and loner-type” runner like the Bald Runner!..Ha! Ha! Ha!
running shoes on the first week of March (last month) after looking for some cure to the pain on the rear end of my right foot. I bought it at Athlete’s Foot Store Glorietta. This is the “top of the line” among the ASICS Running Shoes and it is supposed to be the best among the best.After using it for my running workouts while in Metro Manila, the pain on the rear end of my right foot slowly disappeared and it became adapted to me feet. I used it in my first competition during the 6th Philippine Army Physical Fitness Test Challenge where I was awarded as Champion in the Executive Category (50 years old +). Although I did not feel any pains on my right foot, I started to notice some “differences” with my ASICS Gel-Cumulus 8 and had a better evaluation on this shoes after the “On Your Mark” 10K Run.
Let me mention the “bad news” first with this shoes. First, this is the “heaviest” running shoes of ASICS and it advisable to use this only on your running workouts and not for road races. Second, this is the most expensive running shoes of ASICS and with its price, you can buy two (2) pairs of an average-priced ASICS shoes or NIKEs. Third, when I used it during the “On Your Mark” 10K Run, the sound that the shoes create when I step on the ground was very noisy and it was competing with the music I was hearing while my MP3 was playing! Even if I was exaggerately making my feet touch the ground lightly, it was really creating a lot of sound with the ground. Fourth, the individual gels on the heel portion of the shoes are exposed and I suspect that the glue that attaches the gels to the hard rubber sole are not sturdy. Fifth, there are four small loops where the shoe lace passes through instead of the usual shoe lace “holes”. These loops are located at the 3rd & 4th holes (from the front edge of the shoes) and they have the tendency to “snap” after a period of time. I had experienced this in one of my ASICS shoes which I donated to one of the “Boni Aides” in the camp. Sixth and last, there is some kind of “chemical” smell or odor from the blue stripes of the shoe ASICS logo which can fill up the smell inside my bedroom.
The “good news” about this shoes is that my heels are properly snugged with the heel counter resulting to a more stable running and it cured the pain on the rear end of my right foot. When using a thicker running socks, my long runs are very easy with the comfort given by this shoes. Lastly, wearing this kind of running shoes sends a “fashion statement” and creates “a piece of conversation” to other runners. Wearing this ASICS Gel-Kinsei 2 will make you look like you are from another more advanced planet in the universe!
Bottomline? I don’t recommend this running shoes to the runners, moreso, to those who want to use this in their gym workouts. The one beside you on the treadmill or elliptical machine might complain or leave you because of the odor/smell of your shoes. I guess, this kind of running shoes was made for the “old, retiring, passionate, sophisticated and loner-type” runner like the Bald Runner!..Ha! Ha! Ha!
Finally, I am Back!
1. Exactly one month after the PIM Pasig River Marathon, I was back running at the ULTRA Oval Track yesterday afternoon. I did 1-Kilometer slow run at the soccer field, another 5K at the oval track, and finished my workout with another 1K at the soccer field and 1K at the oval track. My average pace of 7:30+minutes per kilometer was enough to bring myself back to (competitive) running. An 8K run at the oval track was “heaven”!
2. Actually, I had my first attempt to run/jog last Thursday when I took pictures of the future site of the Ultra Trail Run that I am planning to implement. I was able to run/walk/jog a distance of 8.5 kilometers but I was still in pain but after this run and a deliberate and very long session of “deep-tissue” massage, all the pain was gone!
3. I had another 6K Run at the Rizal High School Oval Track last Saturday afternoon and it was a workout where I was able to run continously without any walking breaks. Even if my average pace was 8:30-9:30 minutes per km, I was happy that I could run again.
4. From the book of Tim Noakes’ “Lore of Running
”, I found out that my injury is called “Chronic Muscle Tear”. “He concludes that this kind of muscle injury occurs in various muscles at specific sites that, for reasons unknown, develop eccentric muscle weakness. This weakness is exposed during faster running. When the eccentric loading exceeds the muscle’s eccentric strength, a small section of the muscle is strained and develops an inflammatory response. This initial tear is too small to cause discomfort. However, once the initial tear has occurred, a cycle of repair and reinjury and reinflammation develops that leads ultimately to the large tender knot.”
5. For the specific treatment, Tim Noakesstated “The only treatment that works is a physiotherapeutic manuever known as cross-frictions. A better term would be “crucifixions” because this is the most painful treatment a runner would experience. In simple terms, this is what I call “deep-tissue massage” or “hilot”. Ask Coach Titus Salazar of Team Bald Runner how this procedure is properly done!
6. You will see me more at the ULTRA Oval Track during the Team Bald Runner’s “Speed” Training on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday afternoon from 5:30 PM to 9:00 PM.
2. Actually, I had my first attempt to run/jog last Thursday when I took pictures of the future site of the Ultra Trail Run that I am planning to implement. I was able to run/walk/jog a distance of 8.5 kilometers but I was still in pain but after this run and a deliberate and very long session of “deep-tissue” massage, all the pain was gone!
3. I had another 6K Run at the Rizal High School Oval Track last Saturday afternoon and it was a workout where I was able to run continously without any walking breaks. Even if my average pace was 8:30-9:30 minutes per km, I was happy that I could run again.
4. From the book of Tim Noakes’ “Lore of Running
”, I found out that my injury is called “Chronic Muscle Tear”. “He concludes that this kind of muscle injury occurs in various muscles at specific sites that, for reasons unknown, develop eccentric muscle weakness. This weakness is exposed during faster running. When the eccentric loading exceeds the muscle’s eccentric strength, a small section of the muscle is strained and develops an inflammatory response. This initial tear is too small to cause discomfort. However, once the initial tear has occurred, a cycle of repair and reinjury and reinflammation develops that leads ultimately to the large tender knot.”5. For the specific treatment, Tim Noakes
stated “The only treatment that works is a physiotherapeutic manuever known as cross-frictions. A better term would be “crucifixions” because this is the most painful treatment a runner would experience. In simple terms, this is what I call “deep-tissue massage” or “hilot”. Ask Coach Titus Salazar of Team Bald Runner how this procedure is properly done!6. You will see me more at the ULTRA Oval Track during the Team Bald Runner’s “Speed” Training on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday afternoon from 5:30 PM to 9:00 PM.
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