aNR Session 11: All Wet for a Core Training

June 5, 2012

It has been raining almost the entire day, then it stopped. Just before the scheduled 7:00pm regular Tuesday session of the Ayala Triads' adiNation, it started to drizzle again. But the rain did not stop the session from pushing through.

What's in-store for us tonight? Core training.

Group 1: Beginners
3 loops (3.6K) an easy pace, galloway 2-1
Group 2: CORE TRAINING + RUN
1. Glute Bridge (4 counts) then 1.2K Run
2. Abdominal Crunches (10-10-20-10-100, then 1.2K Run
3. Glute Bridge with Marching( 4 counts), then 1.2K Run
4. Sideways Crunches (5 counts), then 1.2K Run
5. Bodyweight Hight Bridge (20 counts), then 1.2K Run

Looks easy but promise it is not when properly done and when one is on a race pace on each running interval. The big team is divided into groups of 10, and I am on a group that sees the training as a good way to develop the speed. It's best to have a faster pace on training, then come race day, it will be a relax yet still a fast pace.

I like the idea, and I strive to cope the pace of the fast runners on my team. I am glad I did it though at the later set of the exercise I am on the last most part of the pack. We have to run as one group on the same pace.

Because the drizzle now turns to a rain that continue it's slow down pour,  all of us are drenched on the rain and the sweat as we continue each set of exercises. I go back to the office really wet but I am glad and satisfied on last night's session, it was a productive one. Til the next one Ayala Triads. Thank you Zaldy and Gia for another productive night.  Cheers

aNR Session 8 - Endurance Run

"Speed training for tonight", that's what I hear from our team leader Zaldy.  

But much as I wanted to take the speed training on today's session, I have an ultra run this Saturday, I do not want to exert so much effort on my speed at this close to the race,  as I am now on my tapering. So I beg off doing the speed training and proceed to endurance run instead. But alas, it's 10 rounds of the 1.2kilometer  outer part of the triangle. A distance of 12 kilometers of the 10 lapses on the park, how is that, I need my patience to be around. I haven't done this before, I'd rather do a long distance run on a long stretch of distance than doing it several lapses on one place. Only one of my running friend is around, all my kikay friends did not show up tonight.  I miss them on this session.

 Of course, I did it, and I did it seriously. Maintaining my pace, not a fast one though but faster than my normal one. I noticed few male runners ahead of me doing the same ten rounds but after my 5th round, they are out of my sight already. I know there are several runners behind me doing the same route too, but I did not notice them even up to my last round. Probably they run ahead of me on the few rounds without me noticing it. And I wonder what could be those runners of the speed training doing. I love to do that as well, it's one of my goal joining this clinique, but I do not see myself doing it on the next three weeks due to my three ultra runs coming.

 I was running pretty ok. I just have to be extra careful on the uneven parts of the paved sidewalk that served as our running route, running on the grass on the side when having the chance. Ayala Triangle is pretty crowded even after office hours. Commuters and runners alike share the same walk way, and even on the inner lane of the park. I just have to look ahead in order not to bump people approaching or other runners may bump me. 

With my desire to finish earlier, I did not stop to hydrate. I just continue with my run, good thing it was not that hot, I was not sweating so much. Though towards the last few rounds it was very tempting to go get my hydration bottle. I was among the last few runners who finish last on this session. But I am happy I did it at a longer distance at the  middle of the central business district. I haven't done such distance for a long time now. Good work out after all. And there was bread offered to me at the end, having a bread at one hand while doing my cool down exercise. Nice. Thank you Ayala Triads.

Nice read about the basics of running: Running 101: How Often Do You Run?

All pictures courtesy of Ayala Triads 

Time Trial - adiNation Session 7

It's the second session for the month of May, the 7th since it started. What's in store for us?  Time trail and fartlek runs for now. Sounds  interesting. I really want to work on my speed and I hope I can on the sessions to come. 

I belong to the last few sub-groups of the team, so we waited for the several dispatches. Observing the runners dispatched earlier,  others really run fast while others just more or less on my pace. I just hope I can perform well on my turn. One round on the oval with a distance of 1.2 kilometers. I did it 6:28. I'd like to think I ran faster than my normal pace, usually I ran 7 minutes per kilometer. 

As mentioned so many times, I am not a fast runner, I just work on my goal of not walking at all even on my full 42K ran, and I achieve that goal. And I was able to maintain that, even on ultra running, I just continue running with very minimal rest. Now I hope to work on my speed. 

After our time trial is a fartlek run, though we only did two rounds instead of 4. I haven't been to any running clinique but I like the way Ayala Triads handle this weekly session. It's activities are structured in such a way that it develops not just our running technique but also develops the core. Thanks Zaldy, Gia and the rest of the team.

Ice Cream Treat after a Hard Work Out - adNation Session 6

It's the first running session for the month of May, what used to be a Tuesday run,  was moved to Thursday for it was a holiday last Tuesday, May 1, it's  Labor Day. Been looking forward to this session, I am excited to go through what is instore for us tonight. Besides, after my long trail run, I really haven't been back to a real serious run, I made a five kilometer run last Sunday, a long walk last Wednesday, but that's just it. So I am really looking forward to this session, besides there will be KOTR singlets to be raffled, that always excites me. I did not qualifythough for a monthly Adidas raffle, but it is ok.

I arrive earlier at Ayala Triangle, just my usual self,  I just stay at one corner, wait for some friends to arrive or wait until everybody will be called to start the stretching. It's metafit exercise this time with interval of 700 meter run. I really do not have any idea what metafit is. My usual motto, just go with the flow.

After the stretching is a run, I just take it my own precious pace, and sometimes wait for my friend and chatting along the way. Interval with the run is a series of exercises from an easy manageable forms to challenging one that focuses on the core. I even lost count of how many 700 meter intervals we have made. I just do the run and exercise religiously,  my body sweating to the highest. I love it, I am back to my training mode again.

Despite the drizzle, the group culminates the night with a raffle, unfortunately I did not bring home any prize. I drop by the office before I head home and decided to get a cone of ice cream. I feel I deserve a cool sweet dessert. What a good way to end my night after a great work out. Looking forward on next week's session. Thank you Ayala triads.

adiNation: Session 3 - Ultra Core Training

I am beginning to look forward on the coming session each week. This time it is going to be a pylometrics + run for advance runners. We need to use thera bands. What ever that is, I really do not have any idea at all. As my motto on this weekly activity, I will just go with the flow, no questions ask, just do whatever is asked for us to do. 

After a warm up of 1 round on the oval, we are asked to bring out the thera bands, I do not have one, I got curious what it is. It's an elastic band with wide width. It comes on different colors. There are different exercises,  mostly on the floor, that we are going to use it. But since not all of us have, we need to divide the group into two, the first half will do the exercises with the band while the second half will do the exercises without which I belong. We just wait for the other group to finish. It's a long set of several exercises before we are allowed to run one round in the oval. Three sets of it.

While the other half of the group do the run, we will proceed with the pylometric. It's challenging than I thought it will be. Looking at how others did it, it's not easy and true enough when it was my turn, it was not really easy. Having to work on the core on most of the exercises, it also uses the elbows most of the time to support the form. Really interesting. I hang on to it. Determined to do what is asked of us to do, I just focus on how to do it correctly. After doing all the set of exercises, we will alternate it with running one round in the oval. 

I end the session really happy. More than the core muscles and  inner joints being awakened and stretched, I can feel both my elbows really sore. That is probably how heavy I am that a direct contact to a concrete floor really hurts. 

The pain that I felt do not matter at all. I have fun doing all the exercises and I know I bring home another technique that will strengthen my goal on running. I thank our session leader for sharing her knowledge to us and patiently teaching us the right form. Really looking forward on the next sessions.

adiNation Session Two - April 3, 2012

Core Training. That's what we have for this Tuesday, the second session of this clinique and I love it. It's a combination of a one loop 1.2 km run around the cemented park and six sets of  core stretching exercises. I barely know anybody tonight, there are familiar faces from last weekes session but all of my running buddies are just not around. But despite that, I just go on with the drills despite my being alone and started to make few acquiantances. Kharene was there but was on a different group, Kat and Angie followed which joined in our group too.

I haven't been doing the stretching exercises especially that of the core stretching like crunches and pull ups for a long time now. This is something that I love doing before so I just have to keep myself familiar with it again. After each set of exercises, the group of 10 runners will run around the park of 1.2 km  loop as a group. I have fun catching up with my team, most of them are ahead and I am almost always at the back, the last among the group.

Admittedly, it was in the last loop that I love the most. Forming one line on a slow forward jogging pace, the last person of the line will sprint to the front catching up the first person. That was so much fun for me, a speed training exercise which I need to improve on my running endeavor.

I end up my running session tonight with a smile in my face for I know I learn something new, gain my much needed mileage for the week and gain new friends as well. I will not be in Manila next session though but I hope to catch up on another venue, Bonifacio High Street, and I am looking forward to it.

Honestly, I am beginning to love this training and will look forward to the coming  sessions and drills. Something to look forward to as the week will come. Yahoo......

Note: All pictures are taken from the album of Ayala Triads FB site.

adiNation of Runners 2012 - join now

Note: A repost from takbo.ph

The adination for Runners (aNR) is back this 2012. Be part of one of six running areas around Metro Manila.  Meet new running buddies to train with for any events.  Members start from short 3Ks and 5Ks and are now certified marathoners and even ultramarathoners.  You can be one of them too.

The aNR is a sort of a running club organized by adidas and Takbo.ph which were already launched in other countries like Japan, Singapore and Malaysia.  There are six areas in Metro Manila with weekly group runs.

Be part of aNR and attend regularly the weekly session to get a chance to win in the monthly raffle.

One pair of adidas Men’s shoes and one pair of adidas Women’s shoes will be raffled off every month.

Check out the schedule of adidas adiNation of Runners below.

GROUP	DAY	TIME	LOCATION	GROUP LEADERS
Ayala	Tues	7:00 pm	Inside Ayala Makati Gardens	Zaldy and Jaime
BHS	Thurs	7:30 pm	Terra 28th Park at BGC	Racs and Ronnel
Ortigas	Thurs	7:30 pm	ULTRA or Tiendesitas	Earl and Drew
Alabang	Tues	7:00 pm	Madrigal Business Park at the back of Ayala-FGU Bldg	Raymund and Deng
UP Diliman	Tues	6:30 pm	In front of UP Theater	Rene and Rain
SM MOA	Wed	7:30 pm	Seaside Avenue corner Bayshore Ave	Paolo and Cindy

You may wish to contact the team leaders if you wish to join.

How to join?
It’s Simple.  Sign up by going to the adidas adination for Runners group of your choice.  You fill up the waiver form and get the ID number/passport.  That’s it.  You’re part of the adiNation of Runners.  Registration is FREE.

FAQs
Can I join even if I don’t wear adidas shoes or apparel?
Yes, you can still join even if you don’t have an adidas shoe or apparel.

I am just a beginner.  Can I join the aNR group runs?
Yes.  The group runs is open to all.  This is for beginners and seasoned runners alike.

What to expect in the group runs
The groups runs are not formal running clinics.  We are not trained coaches but we can share our expriences together to benefit the whole group.  Run along and have fun with us.

Are there water provided?
Currently, none.  Please bring your own hydration.

Are there baggage areas?
There are no baggage areas.

Why are there no group runs in my area?
Takbo.ph could only handle six areas and schedules for now.   adidas Philippines is working to have aNR groups in other locations.

Will there be singlets or uniforms provided?
None.  But each area have their own singlets made and they are so cool.  :D

So what are you waiting for.  Visit your nearest area and join the adiNation of Runners.