REVIEW: ISM Adamo Road Saddle

If you're a cyclist, I'm sure you have encountered, at one point in your cycling career, the feeling of numbness on your private parts ( the part where the body meets the saddle ) after an extended period of riding. I personally have felt it in my earlier cycling days, but, not as bad as when I completed the inaugural Philippine Ironman 70.3.

After crossing the finish line, I proceeded to the shower area to wash up a bit and change clothes. While taking a shower, I felt the need to pee and instinctively held my "junior". I felt nothing. It was as if there was nothing hanging there!

The numbness I felt lasted for several days, in fact, more than a week. I was so worried about it that from time to time, I would try to feel it and check if some sort of sensitivity was back.

I've asked friends around and felt some relief that most of them experienced it before, telling me it would come back in no time. For as long as I was out of the saddle and let the circulation of the blood in my perineum area flowing, I was on my way to recovery.

I never wanted to experience the same again!

I've heard of Adamo Saddles, or saddles that has a revolutionary design that was getting popular among my triathlete-friends. It had no nose and claimed to have solved the "numbness" issue with cyclists. The saddle was beyond my budget though. So instead of buying one, I tweaked my bike's configuration to allow for a more relaxed seating position: pointing up, pointing down, leveled, lower seatpost, higher seatpost, saddle set back, saddle set forward, etc. I never thought there were more than one saddle position in a bike!

My knee ached. The relaxed seating position's trade off was shorter leg pedaling length which meant prolonged curled knee and more pressure on the forefoot causing numbness.

I ordered an Adamo saddle from Ebay right away!

There are two models of multi-sport Adamo saddles in the ISM line-up: The Adamo Racing and the Adamo Road. The Adamo RACING is lighter but more expensive and is tri-specific. The Adamo ROAD is heavier but with more gel and has a wider base for road position. I ordered the ROAD.

Adamo saddles are odd-looking and does not conform to traditional saddle designs. It has no nose and has a cut-away from where the nose should have been, up to the middle of the saddle body. Its rails also are higher than traditional saddles. These differences are actually what makes the Adamo better saddles than the others.

It being without a nose and with a cut away makes it gentler on the perineum area. By letting blood flow through the perineum, numbness is drastically minimized.

Its wider tip, though, warrants some getting used to. After riding the saddle for 20kms for the first time, I felt some soreness on my sit bones. Using the saddle regularly enables the sit bone muscles, which is very seldom used, memorize being on the Adamo thereby minimizing or eliminating the soreness. I rode with the Adamo yesterday for more than 100kms and have no sit bones soreness as I write this. Felt like magic!

The Adamo is easy to install. It follows the same installation procedure as other traditional saddles. However, in order to get the full benefit of the product, you need to tweak the position a bit so you'd feel its claimed "therapeutic" effect immediately. If ever you purchase one, try to visit their site www.ismseat.com and view the installation video. Since it has no nose and has a cut-away, configuring it on your bike takes a bit of trial and error.

There are two ways to ride the Adamo: either by seating on a forward position and let the rear-most part of your butt touch the saddle, or, you may want to sit via the sitbones and leave a small distance between the saddles and your "nuts". I prefer the latter.

The Adamo Road also enabled me to bike faster as I'm in the aero position more. Before, I would go aero for a kilometer then use the hoods after. I needed to stand up on the bike to avoid "numbing up". This has been taken cared of by the Adamo. There isn't any worry now that I'd be numb in the private area no matter how long the ride distance is. Now, if that's not enough reason to buy one, I don't know any reason anymore.

Thank you Steve Toll for coming out with this excellent saddle!

In summary:

Pros:

- eliminates numbness in the private area during and after bike rides

- gel-padded and seems really durable

- easy to install

- transition hook on the rear enables easier racking up at transition area

- enables you to stay on the aero position longer

Cons:

- not easily configure-"able", requires some tweaking before maximum benefit is achieved

- soreness on the sit bones during initial use

- heavier than some saddles

If I have been using 5 stars to rate a product, Adamo Road saddle would get 4.5 from me. Great product!

Deo P.

REVIEW: Profile Design RM1 Aqua Rack

My tri-bike is fitted with only one bottle cage. Not because I don't want to put another, but, because there's no more space in the triangle of the frame to put another one into. This posed a problem with my long rides before, and I've resorted to using a hydration backpack to address it. However, riding on a tribike with a hydration pack is not a good sight to see. Other rider friends would smile, or even laugh, at me at the start of the ride. I was in racing gear except for the hydration pack normally used in MTB rides. Yeah, funny.

I have seen rear aqua racks in races before, but when I inquired about it from the owner of the bikes I've seen it on, I would be disappointed to learn that these were seatpost mounted. My Kinesis KT610 TT bike has an aero seatpost which makes it, well, aero and not rounded like the traditional seatposts.

But then, I found the Profile Design RM1 saddle mounted bottle holder.

This bottle holder mounts to the rail of the saddle and can be installed on all saddles, whether road, MTB or even the cruiser type. For as long as the saddle has rails, the RM1 can stick on it.

Getting the RM1 a day before a century ride was perfect timing. I would get to test the rack in real life and in real conditions where it was needed.

The RM1 comes in a plastic package which probably has become Profile Design's trademark by now. The package included the RM1 frame, two lightweight Profile Design Kages and CO2 mounting brackets.

Installation was quite easy. I just screwed the clamps on the rails using Allen wrench, then adjusted the angle of the rack to my taste. Once adjusted , I tightened the bolt of the rack to make sure it didn't loosen up during my ride.

In testing the fit of my water bottles with the Kages, I filled up two of my bottles and inserted it in the rack. The Kages were tight, and I had to twist each of the bottle just to get it inside. Eack Kage was wrapped in a rubber band to ensure a tight grip on the bottle. A loose grip will launch the bottle out of the Kage when or if I hit a bump.

During the actual ride, the rack proved to be very useful. I had enough hydration to last me three-quarters of a century ride, replenishing only on km 80.

The bottles were easy to reach even on aero position, much more when riding on the hoods of the basebar.

Putting the bottles back in the rack needed some learning curve. In my case, I had to feel the mouth of the Kages first then try to insert the bottles once I found it. In twisting the bottles, I was able to put these back easily. However, the pressure from pushing and twisting the bottles down took its toll on the frame of the aqua rack, it loosened.

I had to remove one of the Kages first before I was able to tighten the bolt back on the rack's frame, it wasn't as easy as 1-2-3.

At the end of the ride, the RM1 held up quite nicely. It performed its duties with flying colors and in great aesthetics too. No wonder even the pros in Kona for the World Ironman Championships use these wonderful piece of accesory. Liquid at the front and at the back, what else do you need?

In summary:

Pros:

- Light and durable

- Easy to install

- Does not come into contact with the body even if its installed close

- Well thought of design

- Includes CO2 mounts in the package

- Cheap

- Does not launch the bottles even if you hit some bumps

Cons:

- Supplied Kages too tight for water bottles

- Rack frame loosens due to pressure when inserting the bottles back in

Verdict:

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. A necessity for long rides.

Condura 42K: A Survivor's Story

" Pure confidence will not take you to the finish line..."

When the schedule of Condura Run 2010 was announced late last year, I told myself this was one race I wouldn't miss. I only had good memories of the 2009 edition and this is one race which offers other organized races don't : run on the Skyway. The 2010 edition, though, is 21K different from the 2009 offering. Yes, it now has a full marathon included in its distances.

Before I even trained for it, I registered for the full marathon last December. With or without training, I was going to be at the starting line and would finish the race no matter what. It was going to be my first full marathon and a DNF would leave a bad taste in the mouth, wouldn't it?

I started training for this race in Jan. 2, 2010, after the holiday binging in December, 2009. I planned a short 10K run to start, then followed it with a 20K run the following day. It was then an unforgiving enemy revealed itself to me.

On the 18th kilometer of my planned 20K run, I felt a stabbing pain on the outside of my left knee cap. I stopped and shook my left calf, then ran again, only to stop again a few meters after. The pain started to become worse and I had to put a stop to my run. Another day, I thought, another day.

Throughout the first week of the new year, I ran for 10-12kms during weekdays and would attempt a long run over the weekend but would stop just before I complete my training run due to severe left knee pains. I wasn't sure of what was happening to me. I thought my running shoes needed to retire and as a solution, I bought a new pair.

My new shoes made me run faster, but not longer. Still, the left knee pain persisted around the 20K mark of my runs.

After some research, and later to be confirmed by my doctor, I was suffering from ITBS, or Iliotibial Band Syndrome, an injury most runners encounter at some point in their running lives. The treatment involved not running for weeks, something I couldn't do with Condura Run just two weeks away.

I asked my doctor if he could just prescribe me a medicine that would take the pain away while I was running. He prescribed Feldene Flash tablets which I would put under my tongue for immediate effect. With this prescription, I was confident I would finish the race in one piece. I now have new shoes and a medication to go with it to last the horrendous distance.

But it wasn't going to be like how I thought it was going to be...

A day before the race, I went to Bonifacio High Street to claim my race pack, then dropped by All Terra to buy several GU energy gels which I would take during the duration of the run to avoid "bonking". I had my race strategy repeated in my mind so I wouldn't forget.

Also, Feb. 6 was mother-in-law's birthday celebration and my wife threw a party for her. I told my wife beforehand that I would have to excuse myself by 8 p.m. to get some sleep as I needed to wake up at 2 a.m. for the race. It was okay with her.

I hit the sack at exactly 8 p.m. but couldn't get some sleep. The party downstairs was keeping me awake. I tossed and turned in the bed but at 1:00 a.m. of race day, I had "zero" sleep. I decided then not to sleep at all. I had a 15-minute nap in the afternoon of Feb. 6 and slept divinely on the evening of Feb. 5. I thought I had enough sleep as I went into the race.

Geared and ready for the race

I was at the parking lot of BHS by 3:15 a.m. There were a lot of runners already when I donned my shoes and put on my knee bandage and knee support. I saw the takbo.ph bunch and stayed with them for a while. Ian was early as well. Retzel was in compression tights which made him look thinner, or more aerodynamic, than usual. Shook hands with my "teammate" Joni Lopez of team Timex who was also running her first full marathon. Saw Noel Padrigon at the parking area and we went to the check in area together.

Javy Olives was there too though he was running the 21K. His wife, Hannah, was doing the 42K.

Saw my BelieveStrong teammates, Hans, Jason, and Philip Roxas. Pastor Ernie and Col. Dennis were there too but I didn't see them.

The check-in area was abuzz with people, newbies and veteran runners alike. It was that few minutes of handshakes and chatting that calmed most of the runners before the big bang.

At 4:00 a.m., the start gun was fired.

It was hard to get a run line at the start. Runners were almost at the same pace, not too slow and not too fast. Everybody was afraid to blow and the best way to avoid it was to maintain a comfortable pace. I settled at a 6:30 pace and intended to do so for the duration of the run. At 6:30, I would have finished the 42K in about 4hours and 30minutes.

I was very comfortable with my pace that even after 8 kms, I wasn't breathing heavily nor was I tired and needed to slow down. I completed the 1st 10kms in 1:05, a minute faster than the 1:06 I planned. I felt stronger as I entered my 11th km. I increased my pace a bit and completed the first 14kms in 1:30, slightly ahead of my target.

And then, disaster struck...

As I was halfway through the 14th km, above the skyway, my worst fear started. An invisible hand hammered my left knee, leaving it with a stabbing pain so bad that I suddenly stopped and yelled out a snarl. My worst enemy, ITBS, had attacked so soon. I slumped forward and felt my knee, then tried shaking it off. I slowly started running again but needed to stop after a few steps. I was hurting really bad I was thinking riding inside the ambulance was a better idea than finishing the race. I had to convince myself that I could finish with the pain.

I walked and jogged the next few meters going into the 15th km. The pain was getting worse and worse at every step.

At the 15K mark, I stopped and chewed on a Choco Mucho chocolate bar. I needed something to fill my stomach before I take in a tablet of Feldene Flash. Finally, a few meters just after the 15th km, I put the Feldene Flash under my tongue. It instantly melted.

I walked for around 500 meters until I felt some relief from the medication. I didn't feel any. If it had an effect, it was minimal, enabling me to just walk and not even jog. I changed my running style from midfoot to forefoot to see if the pain would be minimized. It was. From then on, it was running and walking on forefoot on my left and midfoot on my right, making me limp as I went along.

After the first 15K, I was at 1:39 of the race. Still not as bad as I thought I was running already. If I could run/walk the final 27K in 3 hours, I would still finish in 4:39. I thought it was realistic even under the condition I was in.

I ran the 16th to the 26th km in 1hour, 26minutes. I was already experiencing pain at its purest form. I winced, grimaced and cursed shamelessly as I was trying to run/ walk the distance. I was already at 3:05 of the race with 16K to go. In healthier days, I could run 16K in less than 1hr, 30mins. During this race, I was hoping I could do it in 2 hours.

The Skyway is a long stretch of lonely roads if you're running with an injury. Runners passed me left and right. Even runners I see barely able to meet cut-off times in races went past me. I was alarmed. I was in a lot of pain but needed to go faster.

Friends would ask how I was, and I'd say I was fine and would just ask them to go ahead. For as much as I was hurting, I wouldn't want anyone to slow down because of me. A runner whom I've not seen or met before offered to pace me. But even his jog pace was too fast for me. I thanked him for the gesture and asked him to go ahead.

Noel would shout "easy bro! easy lang!" as he saw me grimacing on his way back to the finish line. Erick ( of takbo.ph ) passed me and asked how I was, as well as the other takbo.ph guys running as a bunch.

I was in unfamiliar territory. I pitied myself which has never happened to me before. Slowly, the ambulances, again, were tempting me to ride it and stop the horrendous ordeal I was in. I did not give in.

There were sponges given out just a little after the 42K turnaround point. I took two and put one inside my knee support. It was quite a relief. Unfortunately, there was only one aid station giving it out.

A man was slumped on the sideways at around the 28K point. Another man was massaging his back with a wet sponge. I stopped to ask what happened to him. He felt dizzy while running. I pulled out the sponge from my knee support and massaged the man's head with it. He needed the sponge more than I did.

It was again, very lonely after that. I was running alone, on the Skyway, with the sun giving runners a feel of what El Nino is. I was in survival mode already, and about to hit the red line in my running gauge.

I was at 3:52 of the race after 30kms.

I was doing mostly walks now instead of jogging. The pain on my left knee has magnified to include my left hip. I couldn't bend my kneecaps as much as I wanted to at this point. I was about to break.

Suddenly, two female runners caught me. One was a very familiar runner I raced with during my first duathlon. She was obviously overweight but has trimmed down substantially since I first saw her. The two were jogging at around 7:30 pace. They invited me along. I mustered enough courage to run with them, even with all the pain that has now almost immobilized my whole left leg. I jogged with them for about 300 meters and told them to go ahead.

I limped again after.

What made the race course lonelier if you're at the tailend is the sight of the marching bands, who were supposed to cheer you up and encourage you, lazily beating down the drums which was the only instrument they were playing. The rest of the band just sat down and watched us, and probably were heckling us in hushed voices. Couldn't blame them though. With the heat slowly rising up, anyone would be melted to a mashed potato.

I caught up with Timmy Sebastian's ( takbo.ph) group at around the 31st K. We just walked until almost at the Skyway ramp going down Buendia, where Quennie joined us. They then jogged and I was left alone again.

The vehicles were now allowed to ply one half of Buendia, and the traffic enforcers wouldn't stop the vehicles for me to cross the street on to the runner's lane. I breathed in and in a few big leaps, bit my lip to cross in a hurry. It was very, very painful! I held on to the center island to relax a bit and regain my composure. Tears almost welled my eyes due to the severe pain.

I was at 4:23 of the race with 9K to go.

I reached the takbo.ph aid station where Mccoy spread some liniment on my left knee. I got temporary relief from the pain. I was also handed a banana and ate it, then took my second and last Feldene Flash.

I was doing 10min/km at that point. With 9K to go, I would finish in 5:53, hanging by a hairline to beat the cut-off. But the Buendia flyover was already near, and it would definitely slow me down. I needed to do better than a 10min/km pace.

As a last ditch effort to save my race, I increased my pace. The last 9K of the Condura Run 42K would be the most painful 9K of my life. I was moaning and groaning left and right as my left leg hit the asphalt. EVERY STEP WAS PAIN now, literally. The sun was scorching hot already. It was already past 8:00 a.m.

I would run and walk every 100 meters and walked going up the Buendia flyover. Ran the flat part and then walked the descent.

Last 4K of the run and I was at 5:06.

I played "patintero" with the vehicles upon descending the Buendia flyover towards the final 3.5K. No more marshalls to guide the runners, no more traffic enforcers to stop traffic. I, and the other runners were left to fend for ourselves, guess which way to the finish line ourselves and encourage the other runners ourselves.

Saw Javy Olives near the Market Market left turn. "Last 2.5K bro! Konti na lang!" he shouted.

That was the longest 2.5K I ever ran, or walked.

I caught Joni Lopez on the final 2K. She was walking already and joking with her teammates who were there to support her. I was brisk walking.

I tried to muster a run just after the last 2K but felt dizzy. I was going to bonk if I forced it. I would just walk, and walk fast to finish.

I was at 5:36 of the race on my last kilometer. The finish line seemed so far even with just 1K to go.

There was just a handful of people at the finish line, an indication that I was among the last runners to cross it at 5:49 of the race. It felt bittersweet. I was happy to make it, sad that I clocked in more than an hour of my target.

The takbo.ph guys made a banner with my name on it. Thanks guys!

I slumped on a gutter just after the finish line. I wasn't exhausted, I wasn't even tired. I was just disappointed. My left knee had forsaken me. I didn't feel like crying, I felt angry.

Why in the world did this happen to me?

I found the answer when I looked back more than 2 months ago.

I was confident I'd finish the race in sub-4:45. I didn't train properly for the race. I did shortcuts on my training program resulting to the ITBS which hounded me 3 quarters of the race. I didn't pay my dues, so why did I expect too much?

Sometimes, a single achievement changes a person. In my case, it catapulted my confidence to a much higher level, a level which is only attributed to athletes in champion forms. However, thanks to that over-confidence as it brought me back to where I'm supposed to be, an athlete in need of proper training.

Condura 42K was both a victory and loss for me. It made me realize that sheer determination was needed in times of desparation. When my ITBS attacked at the 14th km, the determination to finish the race more than compensated for my physical inability. I lost my (over) confidence, in turn making me realize that indeed, humility is a virtue I needed to practice and have. Being passed by runners who normally wouldn't even see my shadow humiliated me, but humbled me far more. And with it, I am thankful.

I prayed to God to give me the endurance and strength to finish the race within my target time, instead, he left me with an 11-minute allowance before the cut-off. Did God turn a deaf ear on me? No, He instead turned a loving understanding. He let in the ITBS early in the race to let me realize that there's no shortcuts to a marathon. He let me get passed by slower runners to teach me humility. He let me felt dizzy when I tried to run in the last 2k of the race so I can learn to call on him when there's nothing I could do anymore. He left me with 11 minutes to spare to cut-off to let me know that He has not forsaken me.

After Condura 42K, I would like to believe I'm a better athlete...and God-fearing individual.

Deo P.

Review: New Balance 738 Cushioning Shoes

When I started feeling some pains on my left knee, I always suspected the shoes I was using as the culprit. Since the day I started running back in 2008, I have always worn the same pair of shoes, a New Balance 846. I bought this shoes not knowing what overpronation, underpronation and neutral shoes were. When the sales staff who assisted me showed me the shoes, I tried it out and liked its highly cushioned soles, then bought it.

My NB 846 had logged more than 1,000kms since. It was on my feet in all of my marathons, duathlons and triathlon in late 2008 to the whole year 2009. No wonder it got so overused that during my first run in 2010, it started complaining and bashing my left knee. I should have noticed it, but didn't, my 846 was already arched upward when not in use which meant it was already up for retirement. The spendthrift in me just didn't want to shell out precious moolahs for a new pair, until my left knee started knocking on my pockets.

Early this month, I did what I was supposed to have done many months back: visit SecondWind running store and have my gait analysis and take home a new pair of running shoes.

It came as a no-surprise that I am an underpronator. I always messed the outer soles of my shoes, whether for work or run, first. My feet weren't rolling in, or pronating properly, everytime I run resulting to an uneven wearing out of the soles of my shoes.

What came as a surprise was the design of the NB846 I used for more than a year. I thought, and like what the sales staff who sold it to me told me, it was a "neutral" pair of shoes, which should have been okay for underpronators like me as it was cushioned very well. IT WASN'T! The NB846 is designed for moderate overpronation and stability, the exact opposite of what I was! No wonder it almost blasted my kneecaps away!

Neville, Secondwind's manager, suggested I try out cushioning shoes for my feet. It made sense when he told me that underpronators should use well cushioned shoes, especially on the outer soles, to support my weight properly when I run. He had me gone through gait analysis and confirmed my undepronation.

There were several "cushioning" shoes to select from, but I was on a budget. Knowing New Balance makes great, affordable shoes, I bought an NB 738. I got my new pair of shoes on a Wednesday, and couldn't wait to test it the following morning.

Thursday, Jan.14, 5:00 a.m.: I ran with my the NB738 around our village for 8kms. The shoes felt great. The cushion was a relief to my feet and it held my left knee intact during the whole run. It must have worked, though I was skeptical because it was just a short run.

Saturday, Jan. 16 @ 6:a.m.: I had a planned 20K run in preparation for the Condura 42K marathon. The first time I ran more than 15K this month was in January 2, and thats when I thought my knee shattered at the 18K mark. If I survive after the 18K, then the shoes probably work.

My plan pace was 6:30, but completed the first 10K in 55mins for a 5:30 pace. I slowed down a bit to make sure I wasn't over-exerting and ran at 6:15 throughout the remainder of the run.

Reaching the 18K mark, I wasn't a bit sore on my left knee. I was running a lot faster than when I ran last Jan. 2 but wasn't feeling any pain at all.

My ghost haunted me on the 19K mark though. There was already a bit of soreness on my left knee but it was tolerable. At 20K, I decided to stop and not push further. Though I completed my run, running more than 20K that day was at the back of my mind.

I completed my 20K training run in 1:58, averaging 5:45/km.

At home, my left knee was sore but I could walk up and down the stairs without problems. By noontime, I was pain free without taking analgesics or any pain medication.

I was happy with my new shoes.

New Balance 738 specs:

ABZORB®: Cushioning provides exceptional forefoot and heel shock absorption.

ABZORB FL®: An added layer of Abzorb that runs from heel to toe.
ACTEVA™ Lite: Lower density of cellular foam structure increases resistance to compression set.
Blown Rubber Outsole: Provides a lightweight cushioned ride.
Synthetic/Mesh Upper: provides light weight comfort and support.
Stability Web™: Provides midfoot support and torsional stability while reducing weight.
Dual Density Collar: uses both a softer density foam against the foot for cushioning, and a firmer density foam for support.
Lighting Dry™ Liner: keeps your feet dry and comfortable as you train.
Non Marking Sole: All New Balance have non-marking soles.
Sure Lace™: secure shoe laces provide added midfoot support and keep the shoe snug around the foot.
360° Reflectivity: for added safety.
Shoe Weight: 295 grams (10.4 oz)

New Balance 738 may not be the best cushioning shoes out there, but it is definitely one of the most affordable. The price, though, comes only second to what it offers, this model ROCKS!

The 738 is very stable. Not once during my runs did I feel losing my feet's balance, and I could feel the cushioning working as the cement road I was running felt more like asphalts. The "shock" on my heel and forefoot was negligible.

Better cushioning is a bonus to my knees, and the 738 proves this. Though there were some soreness on my left knee after my run, these were not as painful as the pains I felt using my old running shoes and were gone after a few hours.

The Lighting Dry Liner works! My feet felt dry after running close to two hours. The 738 also does not lack in visibility. When I first used it around the village, a running mate commented he saw me from more than a hundred meters away even if it was pitch dark, the reflectors on my shoes were like stars on the road!

Over-all, I am very happy with the NB 738. I can probably be happier with higher priced models but spending more is not happening in the near future.

Thanks, Neville, for the great suggestion!

Deo P.

ITBS: The downside of training

I was running last Jan. 2 when I felt a stinging pain on my left knee. I was scheduled to run 22K in preparation for Condura 42K on Feb. 7 but had to stop at 18.5K due to severe left knee pains.

I tried walking it off but after just a few seconds of relief, it would come back again once I started running. Seeing a futile effort to finish the 22K and resting to fight another day, I thought it was best to stop and make sure I won't do my knees more harm.

Going up the stairs at home was a struggle, more difficult was going down. I wore my knee support to alleviate the pain a bit but it was still there. I walked limping throughout the whole day and just looked forward to my bike ride the following day.

Early morning of Jan. 3, upon waking up, I noticed the pain wasn't there anymore. Funny, I thought, but I was expecting even a bit of the pain to still be there the following day. I prepared for my bike ride and completed a 45K spin at my favorite lap route, Club Manila East in Taytay, Rizal.

I researched when I got home. What was that pain?

Everything I read pointed to one culprit, ITBS or iliotibial band syndrome. Wikipedia describes ITBS as follows:

"The iliotibial tract (iliotibial band) is a superficial thickening of tissue on the outside of the thigh, extending from the outside of thepelvis, over the hip and knee, and inserting just below the knee. The band is crucial to stabilizing the knee during running, moving from behind the femur to the front while walking. The continual rubbing of the band over the lateral femoral epicondyle, combined with the repeated flexion and extension of the knee during running may cause the area to become inflamed."

There are several reasons pointed out by the internet on the causes of ITBS, but the most probable reasons for me suffering from it are:

1. Running on pavements;

2. Inadequate warm-up or cool down;

3. Under pronation or bowleggedness.

I have always ran on cemented roads or pavements and it took its toll on my knees. I also do minimal warm ups and cool downs before and after my runs. I guess I'm just too stubborn to do such activities prior to my runs.

I also have been using neutral shoes when in fact, I need under pronation specific shoes. I invested too much on my bike that I thought it wouldn't hurt if I scrimp a little on my running accessories, I was wrong.

But the most glaring reason which I believe contributed to this injury is the weight I gained over the holidays, which is more or less 8 lbs. I had quite a number of long runs already, and these long runs happen when I just feel like running longer than what I normally do. I would run 20Kms on a weekend with no prior runs two weeks earlier, and not suffer from ITBS. I guess my training regimen must be tweaked a bit after this.

I hope and pray that this injury gets out of the way before Condura Marathon on Feb. 7, otherwise I'll be running with knee support. No, DNS is not an option. :-)

Run safe everyone!

Deo P.

New Year, New Goals...

2009 was a banner year for me in terms of being a multi-sport athlete. I have seen and actually felt my endurance getting better and better the longer and more frequent I trained and joined races, whether these were marathons, duathlons and triathlons. My resting heart rate dropped from around 70 to 56, proof of my better physical condition. Though I have yet to go sub-2 hours in a half marathon, I have now consistently averaged 5:45 min/km in runs longer than 5K, and have improved my 5K average from 32mins to 26mins, a shade over my 25 mins, 5:00 min/km target.

A lot of friends and running and cycling buddies have congratulated me for my Camsur 70.3 finish last August 23, 2009. Though I was really happy with that achievement, I believe I could have done better. Looking back, I could have slashed more than 10 minutes off my time in the swim portion of that event. With the scrapping of the swim cut-off time, I thought it was okay to just survive the swim portion and completed it in 1hour, 14mins. My average 2K swim during trainings in pools is 52mins.

I could have done better as well in the run portion. After seeing a teammate cramping up on the last 11K of the run, I decided to stick with him and egg him on, when I still had enough in the tank to run the 21K in 2hours, 30 minutes. Though I am proud of having crossed the finish line with him, I now believe that just making sure he'd finish would have been enough.

2009 was all about joining and finishing. I was new to multi-sports and never gave myself a chance to compete. All I wanted was to finish every race I joined.

2010 will be different.

As evidenced in my last Duathlon back in September 20, 2009, in order for me to compete, I have to get out of my comfort zone. I was always cautious about cramping or "bonking" in a race that I always checked on my pace, my heartrate and over-all physical condition. I was always afraid of not finishing that whenever I feel something going wrong, I would slow down and take it easy just to make sure I'd finish. This will not be the case in 2010.

In 2010, I will compete.

After watching my Ironman videos again, I realized what competing means. Competing separates the "athletes" from the recreational sports people. Competitors give it all, participants are just in there for the heck of it. I now understand why people DNF or bonk in a race, it is the "competition" that drives them to exert effort more than what their bodies could handle. These are the athletes, those who finish with fresh looks are the participants.

With whom am I going to compete?

Myself.

Then, the others.

My competition will be my previous PRs. I will train for races with the end goal of having a better finish than my previous races. In doing this, I hope to move up my age-group's ranking and the over-all rankings as well. I have seen my finishes bring me to the upper half of the finisher's list. Now, it's a matter of breaking into the top 40%.

I will now choose my races more wisely, starting off the year with the Condura Run 42K to have a base time for a full marathon. Then an aquathlon for another base time establishment.

This year will be the first time I'm competing in a race abroad, the Singapore Sprint Series, doing the Sprint Duathlon, a 3K-run, 15K-bike, 3K-run race which may be really short but I'm sure will be really fast. I thank my brother, Russel, for registering me in such event.

The other races I have lined up this year are repeats of what I did last year, with the exception of Subic Int'l Triathlon and the White Rock Triathlon. In all these races, I hope I don't bonk or DNF en route to a better PR finish.

My first multi-sport race wouldn't happen until March 14 this year. But to be in better condition, I started doing the legwork as early as the last week of December 2009. I hope that with my "uplifted" interest in competing, I race all my races in personal record times.

Everything went well in 2009, and I hope everything goes better and faster this year.

Happy new year everyone!

Deo P.

Christmas Jam!

No, this is not about running, swimming or biking, nor this is a blog entry about gears, an upcoming event or a race report. Yes, I have been swimming, biking and running during the holidays, but writing about those would be a bore, as you'd find them in bucketfuls all around the internet.

Many blogs have been written about Christmas and what it's all about, and I decided to join the bandwagon. Before, my family and I would celebrate Christmas eve at my parent's house. This year, we decided to spend it at home, with only the whole family together. The kids opened their gifts excitedly, while Carol cooked whatever was in the fridge. It was simple, but meaningful. The best Christmas gift I got, the gift of family bonding characterized by this video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_x1skVKqh8

Dani just got her new guitar, and I have not been playing for the past 7 years. What could be a better way to play than have a guitar newbie and a non-practicing guitar veteran perform together, right?

The result was not perfect, but the spirit of Christmas was.

Merry Christmas guys! And an injury-free year ahead!

Deo P.