Related: Fox International Channels (FIC) Run
Related: Fox International Channels (FIC) Run
An invite to those who are running either the QCIM, SIM, Milo, Adidas or any other long distance race. It’s a long slow distance or LSD run on Sunday, Oct. 4. Distance to cover is 25-35KM passing along the QCIM route.
Assembly time and area
UP Oblation
4:00–4:20AM : Meet up infront of the UP Oblation.
You can park your vehicles in front of Abelardo hall or Plaridel Hall
4:30 AM start time
Route
Starts from the Oblation on our way out to University Avenue, then turn right to Commonwealth Avenue. From Commonwealth, turn right to Batasan Road and make a U-turn when reaching the back of Batasan Pambansa on the way back to Commonwealth. From Commonwealth, turn right on the road that leads to the La Mesa Eco Park.
Please note that access to the route inside the Park is still yet to be checked, otherwise, runners have to run the peripheral roads outside of the exact route. Exit again at Commonwealth and turn right to Regalado Avenue on the way to SM Fairview then turn right to Quirino Highway and make a U-turn after 2 KMs on the way back.
Runners who only wish to run the 21K route can do so by going back to Commonwealth Avenue after the turn around at the back of Batasang Pampansa and towards North Avenue. For those who will not be able to run the whole 25-35KM stretch, there are always public transportation that will take you back to Philcoa and UP.
Runners should bring their own fuel, hydration belts, belt bag-pouch, hand held water bottle, camel backpack, bars, gels. Grocery and other convenience stores are available along the route.
No two individuals are alike. Not even twins. Same goes with runners. One is fast, the other is slow. Others are serious. Some not so serious. And the list goes on.
Are you one of those runners who enjoy talking while racing? Well, good for you. I can’t. As simple as that. That doesn’t mean I didn’t want to talk. I do! But not during race time. I believe some runners are quiet, others chatty. I am more of the former.
Whoah, hold on! Before you say something about this, let me first tell you something. As a runner, I want to hear the sounds around me. I want to be aware of my surrounding. I want to listen, to be more focused of what’s ahead of me. (Photo by Photovendo)
If I get to see familiar faces on their way back, I try to do a high five, say a few words like, “Go, go, go!” and sometimes, l shout. But I can never engage myself in a conversation while running. Well, except when doing a long run. I did try, once. But no, I can’t. I need to concentrate. If I can’t concentrate I don’t think I can finish. In the zone … as they say.
As a runner, there are thoughts going on in my mind. Some are good. Some are dilemmas. At times, a way to meditate.
One Sunday, while doing a long slow distance (LSD), I was engaged in a conversation with Maui, a fellow Happy Feet. Guess what? All I could say was, “Yeah,” “Uhms,” “Ah.” After the LSD, if only Maui asked me to recap the whole conversation? Honestly, I couldn’t since l was not listening! Remember, this was during a long run. How much more if during a race?
I didn’t intend to be a snob. Okay, one time, in the recently held Milo Marathon race, I had to say to a fellow runner, a friend of mine, rather bluntly, “don’t talk to me.” Well, that was bad. (Laughs) My apologies my friend (you know who you are). But please don’t take it against me. I’m no talker when racing.
I once read from a leading running magazine that if you still have that energy to talk while racing, it means you are not doing much effort with your running. Now, if you are eavesdropping to what runners, either ahead of you or behind you, are talking, you are not racing my dear.
I do appreciate though you calling my name and saying words of encouragement while the race is in progress. I really do! So if we get to see each other, do chat with me over a postrun drink. What do you think? 🙂
Now, I am throwing the ball at you. Is talking during a race rude? Is engaging a fellow runner in a conversation during a race rude?
It was an invite by takbo.ph administrator which compelled me to go for LSD.
LSD, not the hallucinogen, stands for Long Slow Distance, the practice of running longer distances at an easy pace rather than shorter ones to exhaustion (Runner’s World). The slower pace allows one to gain more fitness.
It was a timely invitation since I didn’t register for Takbo Para Sa Kalikasan Fun Run so running with this group would be a good change. I really planned to go for LSD at the Fort with a pace of 7 or 8 minutes/km only.
When I arrived at the Fort, I was so surprised to see more than 50 runners. To me, it was like, “Whoa, there must be another race here.” I scanned the crowd looking for some familiar faces. I spotted i2runner. Then, there was the fast Master Totoy. And, Kinderdorf. And, Jazzrunner. Then, that of Que and Jinoe. Later, I learned that there were 70 of us who joined in this long run. Wow, that was a minus 70 from the crowd for Takbo Para Sa Kalikasan Fun Run!
The run started with a briefing on the route to take. I didn’t listen much of it and instead, went for a short warm up run. When I came back, the pack of runners started already. I reached the tail end and paced with fellow Happy Feet Jinoe and Que. This was the third group and considered the “fast” group. (Based from Jazzrunner’s account on his blog, he classified the group as fast, faster, fastest.)
The route was more or like the ones we had during the VSO Kabahagi Fun Run, UNICEF Run, RUNew, and Happy Run sans the inside of Heritage Park. After we’re through with the first turn around point along Lawton Avenue, the 10k distance runners decided to head back to Bonifacio High Street to wait for us. And, we, runners who were addicted to LSD, continued to run Bayani Road and back to BHS. After resting for a few minutes, the same group headed back to McKinley Hill for another hill training. All in all we did a 20.5km LSD.
The LSD ended with a speech from Jinoe who later asked each runner to introduce self. A group photo, courtesy of those runners who brought their cameras, made the day complete.
Water station along Bayani Road
Formal Pose with R.O.X. as background
Addiction was not limited to LSD but to photo shoots as well!
It was, indeed, another memorable moment of my running experience!
Thanks to you guys!