Of Single Speed Bikes

Upon learning of the jarring effects of long distance running on one’s knees, I decided to really get into cycling. I say “really”  because I’ve been the weekend mountain bike warrior like everybody else, and if you’ve seen some of the MTBers with their potbellies you could deduce that cycling during the weekends is just not enough. Also, as most running articles point out, cross training into low impact sports such as cycling will give one’s knees a much needed break while strengthening other parts of the legs, and giving you more bang for your cardio workouts.

Now I am lucky enough to live right along Roxas Boulevard in Malate, which is why my regular running route goes all the way to SM Mall of Asia from my starting point in CCP. This long stretch of wide open space pulsates of vibrant energy in the mornings. You’ll see dragon boat paddlers doing their pre-paddle warm-up, patches of aerobic exercisers catching up to their instructor’s moves, runners headed in various directions, and cyclists spinning through the yet to be congested streets. It’s just the perfect scene- gentle morning sun, trees dancing from the sea breeze coming from Manila Bay, and the contagious fitness vibe of the morning people pursuing their endorphin fix.

If you get to the Mall of Asia grounds you’ll realize that cyclists have turned the roads into their spinning track. Cars are allowed to park along the roads until 9AM, you could tell that some of them drove all the way there just so get on their bikes. This got me thinking if I should get a roadie for myself too, but what’s keeping me is the lack of storage space since I live in a condo, plus the fact that I am so terrified of being strapped on one via cleats running at top speed with those oh-so-narrow tires. And did I mention that those things are ridiculously expensive?

But eventually an idea came along, and this idea was introduced by my brother. Enter the el cheapo Single Speed bikes. It’s genius, really. Very practical, set-up is a no-brainer, very cheap, yet so much fun to build you’d get attached to the bike. So how did we do it?

We started off by purchasing a generic Taiwan made mountain bike for 1,900 PHP. Then we get rid of everything except the chromoly frame, fork, and the wheel set. We shop around for better standard sized parts like a stem adapter, head parts, handle bar, handle grips, brake sets, seat post, saddle, and most importantly a single speed crankset with the appropriate free wheel sprocket and more durable chain. What you get is a sweet looking ride for only 4,500 PHP. You could drive the costs down, depending on which part you will keep or replace.

I decided on a 16T cog to go with my 42T crank. I started out with a 20T cog but it was too light I was spinning like a hamster on long stretches of roads. The gear ratio is just about right for urban commuting and those early mornings that call for the need for speed. The bike is incredibly light anyway, since it has been stripped of the heavy parts.

Soon the bike started to look good, thanks to a really good white paint job that made it look so immaculately clean. It was also very nimble on the road too. It was then that I christened it The White Ninja. Not that I’m taking this seriously. It’s just too hard to resist not naming it.

And so I have rediscovered the joys of biking once again, alternating days of running with urban cycling. I would set out early in the morning, transport the bike through the service elevator, and I’m off.

On weekends my brother and I would plan riding out in different parts of the city to do some exploring. Check out these photos of our ride inside The Walled City of Intramuros, Manila. Photos taken using a Nokia E72 Phone’s 5MP camera.

Happy riding.

Adidas King of the Road 2010

So there we were at the corral for the 21k runners at 5:20AM waiting for the gun start. It’s always comforting to see my fraternity batchmates at the starting line, with Rico always joking around and GT updating us on the latest news about the batch. It just gets rid of pre-race jitters. Gilbert’89 shows up and asks me to move up to the 6km/min pace with him but I figured it’ll just be a gruntfest during the race and I already brought my iPod so no thanks. Patrick Ty’04 also arrives and shakes our hands. In a few minutes, the gun starts for the Adidas King of the Road 2010.

We were running for a good 5 minutes when Rico suggests that I break away from the group so I can pursue my PR goal. Not a bad idea, considering that I have been chatting with them incessantly, and I was becoming a distraction. So off I went with a broken heart (kidding), trying to look around the crowd for familiar faces. I’d spot a few friends here and there, but I’m not the type to impose myself on others lest I break their rhythm. After being warmed up, my anxiety was gone and I just moved forward, following the crowd. This is usually the part when I feel my strongest- just warmed up, morning stiffness gone along with anxiety, running rhythm established and well-hydrated. Then again, a part of my brain would remind me that there are more kilometers to cover but what the hell, better to enjoy this feeling while it lasts.

Back to the race. It rained the past two days so the road was pretty much wet as all the runners were trying to negotiate the puddles and muddy parts. That sucked, but I think that’s better than the race being cancelled totally by stormy weather. There’s this part, however, when the road bottle-necked so badly that everyone started to walk. It’s when the 21K runners merged with the 10K runners. It would have been okay, except that the 10K runners were hogging the road. Also, the other side of the road where the 21K runners were were riddled with mud and puddles so we had to line up for the puddle/mud-free route. It’s a disaster brought about by bad roads and poor runner’s etiquette.

Later the 21K crowd was running behind the St. Luke’s Hospital en route to the dreaded EDSA flyover. This was when all the negative energy came crashing on me. Suddenly I felt tired, and it has only been 3 kilometers in the race. My thoughts went to the past week that I, along with the rest of the family, got really sick with the flu that I missed out on my scheduled runs for an entire week. I was starting to lose confidence when I saw this sign of encouragement. “Banish all negative thoughts and trust your training,” it said. Well, it’s not like I had a choice. Soon I was running up the flyover. I remember trying to figure out what was worse: actually climbing that flover, or dreading having to climb it back up again later on my way back when exhaustion has really set in.

By the time I was on Buendia that Kenyan who won was already on his way back. I wanted to break his legs but he’s just too fast for me. Not far behind was Rio dela Cruz. These guys aren’t running. It’s more like they’re flying. It’s really incredible to watch. I think they sold their souls to the devil.

Buendia was littered with pebbles so it took some effort too to watch where we were going. You could really get a nasty spill if you step on a big one. These must have come from those trucks carrying gravel to construction areas. Buendia was also filled with irate motorists who weren’t aware of the road closures and are now caught in a snarl.

So far so good. Everything changes when you get to the U-turn point to head back to the Fort. Never mind that the flyover looms ahead, but the U-turn where the train tracks are signifies that a major part of the race is over. Approaching the U-turn also gives you an idea of who’s faster than you, or who’s behind you if you get past it. Now that I think about it, I don’t really recall savoring the music from my iPod. I think I spent most of my time ogling at at other runners. Haha.

This is the part of the race that I got into my rhythm again. I was all good vibes, especially after I went past the 11km mark and realized that it’s been an hour and a few minutes only. I just might make it to my PR. I was in good shape, I told myself, recalling my recent medical check-up and my 43 beats per minute resting heart rate. Later, all this positivity will come crashing down though.

You see, I’ve been telling people that I just wanted to beat my 2:14 PR from last year, but in reality of course I was hoping for a sub 2hour PR. It’s a race against oneself, after all.

Time to refuel. I fished out my Sport Jelly Beans from my pocket and learned that I should have cut it properly. It took me 5 minutes of frustration to get the damn beans out and that frustration can really wear you out. I also fished out a small bar of Cloud 9 for some extra fuel and sugar. Good thing I froze it the night before. It was the perfect nourishment, with its nougat and nuts and gooey chocolate. I felt the sugar rush working.

Finally we were back in the Fort. It felt like it was almost over but this time the exhaustion has started to manifest itself. I was aware that there was still a good 6 kilometers worth of distance to cover, but I wasn’t prepared for the rising and falling slopes. That was when it started to turn into hell. It was also at this point that the sun cast out its scorching rays. As if these weren’t enough, the water stations were suddenly out of water. There was water in the barrels alright, but it was melted ice so it’s not really for drinking. Most people scooped a cup and poured it on them, but I’m sure as hell there were some who actually drank from it.

And so the last remaining 3 kilometers was ran with a parched throat and the creeping signs of dehydration. Later I learn that Gene Tiongco got really pissed and let out a slew of expletives to the run organizers.

As I was approaching the finish line I was disappointed that I didn’t make it to my goal, and tried to justify it from the flyover times two, the heat, the lack of water, and missing out on training due to a nasty flu. Not to mention the kids getting sick too and losing sleep from minding them. It’s really convenient to blame it on something, but sometimes you can’t really kid yourself. That is just how it is.

In the end, I figured that I did pretty okay. Never mind that I got chicked out a lot (being outran by women). Live to fight another day. This setting of goals is good for keeping one on the tip of their toes. So be it. A sub2 hour PR will be in the works soon.

2:08:59 Net Time

Back in the Saddle again

New heart rate zones for July 12, 2010:

Zone 1: 128-136
Zone 2: 136-150
Zone 3: 150-160

It’s been almost a year since my last entry. After running my first 21k in August 2009 I had my first real taste of runner’s blues. Unbelievable. I lost all interest in running and gained back all the weight I lost. Must have been due to that injury after the half-marathon. It took too long for it to recover that I had to miss out on my morning runs. Eventually I lost the stamina for it and my routine just faded. But I had the full marathon to prepare for 4 months after that half-marathon and it got nasty. I was still heavy when I ran my first marathon, and wasn’t really too confident about it. My official time was 5 hours and 6 minutes.

I found myself immersed further into those runner’s blues and became inactive. This was compounded by our moving back to the Philippines from Singapore, what with all the preparations (and farewell parties). It didn’t help that after having moved to Manila on March 2010, we headed to the US for a month-long vacation. By the time we got back I was genuinely overweight, my neck gone. All this, however, was expected.

In the same way that I expected to finally get back in shape as soon as I got back. Once again I found myself starting with a clean slate, running and walking a mere 3 kilometers the first day and gradually building up every week. I would run from Ocean Tower all the way to Sofitel hotel and head back. Now I run all the way past Mall of Asia. Twice a week I would hit the gym for an hour’s worth of spin class and free weights, and on weekends I would hit the trails with my fraternity brothers and bike 36 kilometers (that was just last Saturday with Leo’90 in Nuvali). It feels good to be out there again.

And so once again the passion for running has returned. I am now back to where I started, and will be joining a 16km race on August 22 for Miles for Smiles. I am wondering how long I can keep this up.

Finally popped that 21k cherry

2:14

So that’s what it’s like to run a half-marathon. I may have run that distance before in one of my long runs when I went a little crazy during training, but having that bib on and running with thousands of other people is an entirely different experience. It was both a motivating and degrading adventure: motivating when you outrun anybody who weighs less than you, and degrading when somebody who packs more pounds than you overtakes and disappears. But if there’s one thing that really hit me, it would be that the road seems to just keep going on with no end in sight. Suddenly, the thought of running that distance twice has become very daunting. Then again, so was running my first 10k. In the end, one can only bank on the training and mental preparation. Or maybe just that’s me trying to reassure myself, because Lord knows I am starting to dread it.

In the meantime, I’ll have to say that the race was pretty well-organized. This is after reading bad reviews about it online, bearing in mind that there are signs of improvement from year to year. From the race kit collection a week ago, to the baggage deposit counters this morning, the process was quick and efficient thanks to all those Army personnel. There’s just so many of them to assist you. The route was pretty laid out as well, with ample hydration stations, Salonpas-sponsored pain/cramp relief spray stations, as well as generous servings of bananas to replenish glycogen reserves. The number of army personnel was also key to the fast and orderly collection of medals and, again, checked-in baggage. It is also worth mentioning that the staggered gun times for the other distances really helped in keeping the routes from bottle-necks and overcrowding.

My only gripe is the unstrategic placement of porta-loos (portable toilets). There’s a good number of them actually, however they were placed in the same area, which happens to be in Padang, a good 600 meters away from the Starting Point along Esplanade Bridge. If there’s one thing that these people have to be aware of, it’s that a lot of participants (myself, most especially) manifest their pre-race jitters by having the need to take a leak about a dozen times before the race, what with all those hydrating ceremonies they do from the time they get up in the morning along with those jumpy nerves. Also, it would have been a world of difference for women, if there were at least a pair of porta-loos in every hydration station. It’s easy for men (being the dogs that we are) to just search for the nearest tree, and do their business (this happened a lot earlier during the race by the way). I remember seeing a long queue of women in one of the public toilets in the East Coast Park and I can’t help feeling sorry for them. But all things considered, I won’t mind running that race again next year, assuming that I’ll still be here in Singapore.

Meanwhile, I could still recall how difficult it was to cover those 21 kilometers. Problem spots, as predicted, were those steep fly-overs and exits as we ran through a major highway. Every inch of me was begging to slow down to a crawl (not even walk), but seeing less fit individuals roughing it was enough motivation for me to keep up. By the 18th kilometer mark my legs started to feel weird- no, they weren’t cramping, but they seemed to be made of stone, and putting them in front of the other has become an unthinking and robotic motion, having no chances of speeding them up, but all the dangerous potential of suddenly stopping if I don’t will them to move. I say this because I assumed (being the ass that I am) I still had some strength left in me, since I thought I have adhered to the thinking that I should start with a slow pace and blast off towards the finish line. The only thing I blasted was that area in my upper thighs, right near where the sun doesn’t shine as it started to announce that it was chafing from my underpants (note to self: must apply something there to keep it from chafing). And so I finally got to the finish line at an oh-lord-when-will-this-end pace, with absolutely nothing left in me.

Now normally, I am the type to look back at it and say that I should have pushed it a little more. But the truth is, as the memory is still fresh, I’ll have to say that I gave it all I’ve got.

Still, it would do me well to focus on my accomplishment today. Sure, it was 4 minutes short of my goal, but I’m certain that frustrating over it will only affect how I’ll approach my next race, or even my training for the full marathon. I have to keep in my mind that I am still a running newbie, having started running seriously last May of this year. For now I will dwell on this glow of satisfaction over my medal and the distance covered, and aim for a better goal next time now that I have experienced this. After all, I still have to plot out a full marathon happening in a few months. Groan.

You may view my below-average results by clicking here. Bib number is 5280.

The day before the race

Ran for 25 minutes today to loosen up. Did stride-outs to refresh the muscle memory for the race tomorrow. At least I have that big bowl of pasta to look forward to later in the evening. Wish me luck.

“But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; they shall walk, and not faint.“ -Isaiah 40:31

Finding the groove

I guess today marks the end of my training runs in preparation for the 21k race this coming Sunday. There will be one more run a day before the race, most likely for 2 or 3 kilometers, but that would be for the purposes of loosening up. I just hope that my body will be able to recall the conditioning it has been through, and be able to brace itself for any possible injuries that may come with that long journey. It’ll be my first 21k after all, and one can only debut once.

Today’s run:

Distance: 8k
Time: 52:16
Zone 1: 24 secs
Zone 2: 6:34
Zone 3: 16:04
Zone 4: 28:46
Calories burned: 697

The final week

I can’t believe I’m having pre-race jitters on a full week before the 21k. I have been having a hard time sleeping, worrying over things like pre-race nutrition, commuting to the event, will my clothes chafe, will my nipples burn, and of course-  have I trained enough. Because frankly, my groove was gone.

The last run I did before this morning seems to be a long time ago, not to mention that it was a disaster what with all those injuries and getting sick. I postponed my Friday long run as I recovered from my injuries, and when Monday came and I was raring to go it rained in torrents. At long last I was able to run this morning, but those 13 kilometers felt like an ordeal. I started slowing down after the 8th kilometer and my right knee was starting to complain. It felt like my body has forgotten how it is to run. So this is how it is to start from scratch.

Still, the show must go on, and I don’t have much of a choice but to just bite the bullet, roll with the punches and do the appropriate preparations and conditioning as the half-marathon event approaches. I will just have to look forward on that boost of energy when I have that racing bib on my shirt along with the resonant crack of the starting pistol. After all, there’s just nowhere else to go but forward.

Distance: 13k
Time: 1:22
Zone 1: 41 secs
Zone 2: 13:22
Zone 3: 30:50
Zone 4: 36:47
Calories burned: 1,076