The Road Ahead

Its been a while since my last post. In between that and today, I've rode my first road bike, got a surprise adductor muscle strain injury temporarily sidelining me to just take photos in Cebu Marathon last January and got back into shape after that. Although the injury still recurs from time to time, I have been more careful about it and constant rest and massage has improve the conditions quite well.

For the bike, its been awesome and I haven't even tested its full limits yet nor my body against the punishing climbs. It would come. I'm looking forward to riding more with it within the few months.

Its just four days before the Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon. I would be leaving tonight with my wife in tow for the needed break in Macau as well as a business trip to get new stuffs for her maiden business. For this marathon, I'm doing the Galloway's run-walk-run method. I have been using it for the last two long runs and it had done wonders to keeping the fatigue at bay. Last Sunday's SM2SM run, I used it again and it felt good. That run was one of the few highlights on this year's running. It was well organized with lots of free stuff after but what made it explosive was my running group, TTB (Team TytsBogdo) wearing our new singlets and finishing together with a banner. It totally rocks!

Team TytsBogdo (TTB Cebu) in SM2SM Half Marathon

Everybody knows that this marathon is one of the toughest in Asia. Looking at the elevation, it certainly is with five bridge crossings as twice as long as our bridges in Mactan and two tunnel runs beneath sea level. Further there's the dreaded cut off times where they literally place a net to keep you going. It would also be the first time to run in aircon weather (13-16ºc).

Standard Chartered HK Marathon Course Elevation

Although its really not dreaded as it seems to be, It's something you just cannot underestimate as like running the marathon distance. I really don't feel the demons in my head as much as my previous two marathons. Maybe because I'm just treating it as a training run for the ultra marathon in May.

Yes, I'm running the ultra this May 1 and I am runner no. 8. Its a daunting 64k of solid and punishing uphill and downhill run across Cebu's mountain route they dubbed as "only the strong". I guess I want to experience that. I'm really psyche up for this one and may the good Lord shower me with the strength to finish this one. It would be another few months of intense training for me again. Sometimes I ask myself when I would ever have the time to chill. That may have to wait after May 1.