MONDAY, 22 NOVEMBER 2010 | CEBU DAILY NEWS

Part 1With four to five races sched-

uled every weekend, therunning bug has definitely

invaded Cebu.Cebuanos run for various reasons.

Others do it to keep a healthylifestyle. Others are in it to supportan advocacy. There are also thosewho run for money. But most jointhe runs for the sheer fun of over-coming a challenge.

According to race organizer Joel Bar-ing, the running boom in Cebu actuallystarted five years ago. But back then,badminton was the top sport of choicefor most health-conscious locals. Thetrend gradually picked up over to be-come what it is today – a certifiedf a d.

This three-part special report aimsat understanding the intricacies ofthis very interesting sport as well asto explain why Cebuanos are

MILLETTE 38

by Mars G. AlisonC O R R E S P O N D E N T

Millette Chiongbianand her Boston

obsession

MILLETE Chiongbian makes it a habit to do somestretching exercises before starting any strenuous ac-t i v i t y. TONEE DESPOJO

Millette runs with her coach Elberto Banzon at the oval of the Sacred Heart Scho olin barangay Canduman, Mandaue City. TONEE DESPOJO)

The annual Boston Marathon isone of the five world marathonmajors. It is one event that

most runners around the world lookforward to every April.

But in its 115th edition next year,Cebu will have a representative for thefirst time.

Millette Chiongbian, 41, is one of thefive Filipinos who qualified to take onthe tough hilly course of the Bostonrace, the oldest marathon in the world.

But she is the only Filipino who is

residing in the Philippines. The otherfour are based in the United States.

She qualified for the Boston Marathonwhen she completed the Los AngelesMarathon last March 21 with a stunningtime of three hours and 43 minutes.

Millette said that when she first start-

ed running, the Boston Marathon hadalways been in her mind.

HER TICKET TO BOSTONSince 1897, the annual marathon is

held every Patriot's Day in the thirdweek of April. It is an exclusive event

hook ed.The stories will

i n c l u d e a n e c-d o te s o n r u n-n i n g e n t h u s i-asts, expert's ad-vice on how to pre-

vent injuries and how to prepare for amarathon especially with the upcoming Ul-tra Marathon this weekend and the CebuMarathon in January next year.

There are also stories about people whorun for a living (or m a m u g a s ay as what

Cebuanos would call them) as well asthe cost of running.

The three-part supplement, whichstarts today, Monday and ends on

Wednesday, will also guide thereaders on the different run-

ning venues dependingon the need: hill repeats,

speedwork, recoveryruns and the LSD(long, slow distance).

Of course, there willbe trivias about run-ning, proper nutrition

guide for runners, tips onh o w t o o r g a n i z e a

marathon and a storyabout the evolution of run-

ning chips, among others.So lace up, and let the Ru n n i n g

Feve r be your guide and companionas you seize the road! /SPORTS EDITOR RICK GABUYA

RUNNING FEVER 37MONDAY, 22 NOVEMBER 2010 | CEBU DAILY NEWS

Running inspirations

Late bloomer is apassionate runner

ABBY PONCE

“I'm just theaver age,

recreat ionalmiddle of the

pack runnergyud, really

the ordinaryp eople.”

by Mars AlisonC O R R E S P O N D E N T

ABBY Ponce does her practice run using the Vibram FiveFingers shoes, which she said allowed herto break her personal record during the Camsur Marathon in September. CDN PHOTO/TONEE DESPOJO

ABBY Ponce stretches her legs after doing her daily run.

ABBY does one of her cool-down exercises.CDN PHOTO/TONEE DESPOJO

COMPILED BY DALE ROSAL

FILMThe 2007 film “Spirit of the Marathon” may be the best

marathon/running-based movie so far.Directed by Jon Dunham and produced by marathoner

Gwendolen Twist, the film chronicles the journey of sixmarathon runners while training and competing in the2005 Chicago Marathon.

It was screened at the Chicago International Film Festi-val on Oct. 5, 2007 and received a limited release in theUnited States on Jan. 24, 2008.

BOOKSThe book “Marathon: Ultimate Training Guide” is one of

the best selling books related to running.Very popular in the U.S., author Hal Higdon wrote the

book to guide a starting runner to become a competitiverunner. The book gives essential details from the basics ofrunning to the most advanced training, which includespacing, mileage etc.

The author provides details of his personal marathon ex-periences as well as those of other top Americanmarathoners such as Bill Rodgers, Don Kardang, and DickBuerk le.

Also one the most inspirational books about running isthe “Runners Book of Daily Inspirations: A year of motiva-tion, revelation and instruction.”

Author Kevin Nelson wrote the book to help runnerscope with the different challenges that await them.

She is the epitome of“it's never too late tostar t.”

Abby Ponce started run-ning about three years agowhen she turned 40. Now,she has three full marathonsunder her belt.

Next year, she plans to joinat least two marathons in thePhilippines. But her goal is tostart participating in interna-tional marathons –starting inAsia, which will be her step-ping stone in achieving herultimate target – the New

York City marathon.But Abby, 42, was never

a t h l e t i c w h e n s h e w a syounger although lookingback now, she wished shecould have started earlier.

She got into running dueto three things: to get fit, toquit smoking and it's relative-ly cheap.

For her, it's like tradingone addiction for another.Before running, she also triedother sports such as bad-minton and golf. She hiredtrainers for both sports butshe never got as hooked.

Then she got into running.Since then, she never wentback to smoking.

But why running?Abby said that when she

first started, it was not expen-sive: the road is free; there isno membership fee and cos-tume is not required. A part-ner is not also needed anddoes not require an expen-sive field like in golf for in-s t a n ce.

“You just go out and run,”she quipped.

“I started walking then Igrew bored. Then I startedrunning and then I startedjoining races. The longer youwent, the higher the distancethat you want. That's when Igot addicted,” Abby said.

How does it feel when shecrosses the finish line? “Ful-filled, complete and happybecause imagine you've beenr u n n i n g f o r f o u r o r f i v ehours,” Abby said.

Unlike other runners, Ab-by said she has no plans oftopping a race because shedoes not consider herselfspecially gifted or talented.

“ I ' m j u s t t h e ave ra g e,recreational middle of thepack runner gyu d , really theordinary people. If you meetrunners, they don't usually gokanang maka-place si la. It'sjust for the love of the sport,”Abby quipped.

Still, she once placed thirdin one of the monthly racesspearheaded by another run-ning buff, Dr. Potenciano“Yong” Larrazabal III. She alsotook the seventh spot in theMilo 10K in Bohol, where shewas cheered on as “GMA,GMA,” in reference to formerpresident Gloria Macapagal-Ar royo.

With her petite figure, Ab-by could actually pass off asArroyo's doppleganger al-though younger and betterlook ing.

Abby's first full marathonrace was in Subic last yearwhere she clocked in at fivehours and 24 minutes. It wasmost memorable for hersince it was her first.

This year, she joined twomarathons—the Cebu CityMarathon on Januar y 10w h e re s h e c l o c k e d i n at5:45 and in Camarines Sur,at 5:25. She didn't only im-prove her personal recordbut it was in the Camsurrace where she didn't stopto walk at all.

She was already gearingup for the f irst 50K UltraMarathon in Cebu this week-end. But she suffered a hip in-

jury and was advised by herdoctor to pull out of the raceor risk not running for therest of her life.

So she decided to preparefor the Cebu City Marathon inJanuary next year.

W h e n s h et r a i n s f o r am a r a t h o n ,Abby goes in-to a six-weekregimen: shea d d s o n el o n g r u n o f13 kilometersto 32K ever yweek on topo f h e r d a i l ye i g h t t o 1 0k ilometers.

S h e , h o w-ever, has no di-et restrictions.

“ I can eat anything al-t h o u g h I re a l l y l i m i t mysweets and my soda and docarbo-loading before a race,”she said.

When she is not prepar-ing for a race, she runs dailyin the morning or sometimesat night after work to de-s t re s s.

“It brings a sense of bal-ance in my life. It's also verymeditative for me. Imaginerunning for one hour, youhave to love yourself kay yo uhave to think to be just withyourself,” she said.

“I plan to continue run-ning for as long as my body isstill willing. I'm in it for life. I'mnot in it to win. I just really

love running,” she added.Abby said it is good that

many people are into run-n i n g t o h a v e a h e a l t h yl i f e s t y l e . B u t s h e j u s twished that it ’s not a fadthat will go away quickly.

B u t f o rnewbie run-n e r s , A b b yh a s t h i s a d-vice: you can-n o t j u s t g o,l a c e u p a n dj o i n am a r a t h o nwithout prop-er training.

“They haveto train for itand they real-ly have to lovethe sport be-

cause when you really lovethe sport, you would get intoall the distances that youwould like.”

Abby's coach is MiscelleGilbuena, now trying out for

the RP team who teaches herthe proper way of running.

As for her chances in theCebu City marathon, Abbylooked at her Vibram FiveFin-gers and said: “Let's see withthese shoes.” The shoes areusually used by hard-coremarathoners because wear-ing these feels like runningon barefoot. Vigram FiveFin-gers look like a pair of feetwith hard soles for protec-tion.

Abby is the only womanwho finished a marathon us-ing the Vibram FiveFingers.She credited the shoes to im-proving her time in Camsurand not stopping to walk inthe course of the race.

The shoes may matter incompleting the 42-K race. But apair of shoes is useless if the run-ner doesn't have determination.

And Abby is not only de-termined. She is also passion-ate. That's why she is such agreat runner.

TONEE DESPOJO

38 CEBU DAILY NEWS | MONDAY, 22 NOVEMBER 2010 RUNNING FEVER

Common running jargons and their meanings

Millette... from p36

THERE is always a common jargonfor everything —from work to play.

The wide use of jargons some-times results in confusion. The per-sons involved become objects ofridicule and blooper.

Imagine how embarrassing ifsomeone unfamiliar with the run-ning lingo say that the meaning of“PR” is post remark or press re-l e a s e.

To help bridge the language gapbetween running a fi c i o na d o s andthe ordinary Juan dela Cruz, hereare some running lingos with theircorresponding meaning and brief

ex p l a n at i o n s.Bonk or "hitting the wall" — A

state of exhaustion when glycogenstored in the muscles becomes de-pleted and a feeling of fatigue en-gulfs the runner.

Carb oloading — The dietarypractice of eating a high carbohy-drate diet (approximately 60-70 per-cent of the total calories) for threedays leading up to a race to maxi-mally fill the glycogen stores.

CR — course recordCo ol-down — A slow running or

jogging done after a workout orcompetition to loosen muscles and

rid the body of lactic acid.DNF — Did not finishDNS — Did not startDOMS — Delayed onset muscle

soreness. DOMS, also called “musclefever” is the pain, stiffness and sore-ness caused by microscopic tear asa result of doing strenuous workmore than the muscle can handle. Itstarts from eight to 24 hours afterextended running or exercise andpeaks at 24 to 72 hours. Long dis-tance runners usually suffer fromDOMS within the 20-mile mark.

E ndorphins — Chemicals in thebrain which create a feeling of eu-

phoria. It is said to be the cause of“runner's high.”

K ick — A finishing sprint at theend of a race

PR/PB —Personal record/per-sonal best

Fartlek — A Swedish word forspeed play. In marathon, it's a pac-ing technique which includes slow,moderate and fast running thataims to develop speed. It is closelysimilar to interval training but hasno predetermined schedule to fol-low. Instead, the runner sets his owninterval lengths and pace in re-sponse to his own feeling of the

work load.Inter vals — A type of workout

where a predetermined distance isrun repeatedly with a recovery jog.For example, a runner sprints sixtimes in 400 meters and then jogs inthe next 400m for recovery.

Runner's high — A feeling of eu-phoria some runners experience af-ter a long and strenuous run.

Negative splits — Running thesecond half of a race faster than thefirst half.

LSD — An abbreviation for "long,slow distance". / R E P O R T E R K E LV I NC A Ñ I Z A R E S

Cost of runningONCE you decide to take up running, be ready to part with some of yourhard-earned moolah. While the road may be free, you still have to spend forthe gear needed to protect yourself from injury as well as to feel comfortablewhile running.

Below are the considered as the “must haves” before hitting the road andtheir corresponding price range. / C O R R E S P O N D E N T D A L E R O S A L

for runners, who have to qualify in any ofthe listed sanctioned races. The qualifyingtime for Millette's age category, which is 40to 45, is 3:50.

When she crossed the finish line in LA,Millette was euphoric. She finally had herticket to her ultimate goal.

“Wow, it was just like a blur. I said to my-self I'm in. Descending p a towards the fin-ish, I was already having a blast. This wasdescending and I was feeling good so I knewI had it already.”

Millette, a mother of three children, hasalways been athletic since high school.

“I started out with tennis and moved tothe lighter racket—badminton—then Imoved to bowling then gym includingweight training then back to badminton forseven years where I met my husbandFredrick,” she said.

Millette got into running because oftr iathlon.

She had trained as a triathlete withFredrick and a few others between 2007 and2008 before she quit due to a traumatic ex-perience. She nearly drowned while racingin Catmon town, northern Cebu.

Later, she got on a treadmill and decidedto see how far she could go with it.

She started with the 10K before joiningshorter races. When she was secure enough tofinish a half marathon, she went out to race.

“After doing my half marathon, I said letme try the 42K here on the treadmill. So Igot on a program and then I said, ‘Oh Icould do it.’ So I said let me try it on theroad then,” Millette said.

When she decided to go on the road, shegot herself a coach— Elberto Banzon whohas been a running coach for more than 20ye a rs .

Millette said she stuck to running be-cause “it's progression and time-based.”The runner would always want to bef a s ter.

“It is a self-imposed challenge but veryunpredictable, you think you're up for it to-day but sometimes it is not, it humbles me alot, it renews me every run,” she said.

I N J U RYBut what makes Millette a remarkable

marathoner is the fact that she runs despitean injury.

She is due for a total hip replacement be-cause she has a stage 3 vascular necrosis inthe femur head of her hip bone. She ac-quired the injury when she was injectedwith steroids to correct a complicationwhen she was six months pregnant with herthird baby.

The complication challenged her im-mune system and didn't allow food into herplacenta. The baby ended up losing weightwhile inside her uterus.

The doctor had decided totake the baby out but doing sowould mean she might end updeaf or blind. They decided tobuy sometime and to speed upthe baby's development, Millettewas injected with steroids. Thatcaused damage to her hip bone.

“It was in my head to topraces but I don't think thisnecrosis would allow me to goto that level. It is depressing be-cause I have a limitation but Iinspire myself by beating mytime every time I run,” shesaid

But, the injury has also mo-tivated her to continue run-ning .

“I would never know the daythat I'd stop. It could be tomor-row. I would never know ac-cording to my orthopedic. I willrun as long as I can.”

TUESDAY, 23 NOVEMBER 2010 | CEBU DAILY NEWS

by Jonas PanerioC O R R E S P O N D E N T

The journey of a4 2 K m a r a t h o nstarts with the first

s tep.But the proper prepara-

tion and training make theentire running experiencemore meaningful andst ress-free.

The preparation beginswith an assessment ofone’s health, according torenowned physician andsports rehabilitation ex-pert, Dr. Rhoel Dejano.

“Preparation is very im-portant not just to preventinjuries but also to achieveyour desired goal,” saidDe jano.

“Starting off, t an - awo nsa jud na ang fitness level isup to par. Check your med-ical background and get acomplete assessment ofyour body before you startrunning because you neverknow, you might have car-dio-pulmonary diseasesthat might not allow you toperform well or even run atall,” Dejano said.

Musculoskeletal issuesare also risks that shouldbe checked first beforerunning as foot deformi-ties and leg-length dis-crepancies are just some ofthe many factors thatmight make a pleasantmorning run into a tor-

Common running injuriesand how to prevent them

COMMON 30

Part II

LIKE most sports, running also has its share ofrisks and injuries.

Injuries in running range from the rest-and-come-right-back variety to the more se-rious ones.

The most common ones are musculoskele-tal injuries or the ones that affect the bones,tendons, joints, muscles and ligaments of theb o dy.

In general, running will affect the lower ex-tremities and these come in the form of kneeproblems, ankle sprains, plantar fasciitis,stress fractures and perhaps the most com-mon, leg cramps.

Plantar fasciitis is a painful conditioncaused by overuse of the plantar fascia or archt e n d o n o f t h e fo o t , a c c o r d i n g t o t h ewww.spor tsinjur yclinic.com.

The more serious are concomitant illnessessuch as heart and lung problems.

Dr. Rhoel Dejano, a sports physician, saysthat “any stress to the heart may cause strokesor heart attacks. It may also trigger acute pul-monary problems. Any combination of thesemay lead to something worse.”

Should injuries occur, runners often make

turous activity.Once a thorough fitness

check has been done andpassed, it's time to trainfor the run. But it doesn'tmean that one has to runimme diate ly.

It is a must to conductproper stretching andwarm-up exercises beforerunning .

“Magdagan gud ka f orlong stretches so the entire

body is strained, not justthe lower extremities .Kailangan jud ka mag- pre -pare not just physicallybut mentally as well,” De-jano said.

Neophyte runners of-tentimes cut corners to getto the big-time races. Butdoing so would only bringin injuries to the runners.

If you're ready to giveracing a try, choose an event

that's long enough to chal-lenge you but short enoughto allow you to finish in rea-sonable comfort.

Save the longer races, es-pecially the prized fullmarathon, 42K run, untilyou have had plenty of short-er races under your belt.

While reading and re-searching on t ra iningmanuals and runninghandbooks may be help-

ful, the best way to goabout training is to listento your body.

“Don't start runningright away. Try to feel yourbody and walk short dis-tances and gradually in-crease your speed and dis-tance as you get morecomfortable,” said Dejano.

“Remember that booksare just suggestions andare based on the authors'

experiences. These are notspecific guidelines. Eachindividual is unique andthere are different factorsas to how long and howwell a person can run,”De jano.

But there is one prati-cal advice that every run-ner should heed to: “Lis-ten to your body a n ddon’t base your perfor-mance on others.”

STRETCHING. Before doing any strenuous activity, experts suggest that you stretch those muscles first to loosen them and protect you from injuries. CDN FILE PHOTO

RUNNING FEVER 29TUESDAY, 23 NOVEMBER 2010 | CEBU DAILY NEWS

slightly vary among run-ners hours before the race,most of them favor easilydigested food.

While on the go, hydra-tion and refueling are veryimportant to survive the

fish, chicken,dair y foods,n u t s a n dmeat.

Fish, oliveoil, vegetableoil and low fatskim milk arethe preferredf a t s t h a tshould be in-c l u d e d i n arunner's dietsince they areunsatur ated.

How much?Owen Anderson, who au-

thored three books aboutrunning, wrote of a recentstudy on elite Kenyan run-ners from the Kalenjin tribe.It revealed that their daily di-et contains about 76.5 per-cent carbohydrates, 10.1percent protein and 13.4percent fat.

Deena Kastor, thefirst American womanto clock in two hoursand 20 minutes whenshe won the 2006 Lon-don Marathon, recom-mends to count calorieintake on the morning ofthe race. She eats anddrinks carbohydrate-richfoods: bagel, banana andsports drinks to give her atleast 400 to 500 calories.

Although eating habits

Choosing the correcttraining program for you

by Haide AcuñaC O R R E S P O N D E N T

Proper nutritionfor runners

PROPER nutrition can affect the performance of a run-ner, especially during a marathon.

But there is no specificnutritional regimen forr unners.

Even experts continue todebate among themselvesabout a foolproof dietaryprog ram.

They agree on one thingthough — a balanced diet,composed of car bohy-drates, proteins and fats —is the key to achieving one’sfull athletic potential.

Common carbohydratesare bread, rice and pasta.But nutritionists favor ath-letes to eat complex carbo-hydrates like vegetables,potatoes, cereals since theycan be digested slowly, arelow in fat and contain sim-ple sugar.

Protein maintains leanmuscles and expedites re-cover y a f ter dr udg ingwork. Major sources are

PASTA. A runner’s best source of carbohydrates.REHYDRATE to replace lostelectrolytes .

by Kelvin CanizaresR E P O R T E R

For the self-taught runner,the Internet is a treasuretrove of information on how

to train for a 10K, 21K, 42K andeven an ultramarathon. There areso many marathon training pro-grams available on line that choos-ing which one works best can getconfusing for newbies and even forintermediate level runners.

The following are importantpointers when choosing a programthat’s best for you.

1. Training LevelsChoose a program that suits

your current fitness level – begin-ner or novice, intermediate, ad-vanced or hardcore. A novice run-ner with a training program that istoo ambitious is sure to suffer fromover-training, fatigue and worsedevelop injuries because of toomuch running, too soon.

2. Training Program LengthIn order for a runner to attain

the peak of his fitness level on raceday, the training schedule shouldneither be too long nor too short.Marathon training programs lastfrom 14 weeks to 18 weeks. Butfirst time marathoners may needmore. Ideally, a good base can beattained by running regularly atleast a year before training andgunning for the full marathon.

3. The Hard - Easy MethodA g o o d t r a i n i n g p ro g r a m

should also allow for easy days af-ter speedwork or long runs. Lookout for programs that include restand cross training. And rememberthe 10 percent rule — the weeklymileage should not increase morethan 10 percent per week.

4. Easy, Tempo, Speed, Hills,MPW LSD’s

As you start to seriously trainfor an important race, you learnthat there is more than one typeof training run. Easy runs are runat a comfortable pace, temporuns requires a pace that is 70percent to 80 percent of your

maximum ability. Long runs arefrom 10 minutes to 15 minutess l o w e r t h a n y o u r t a r g e tmarathon pace. Speedwork in-volves repeats in a 400- metertrack or oval run at a pace fasterthan race pace with controlledrecovery. MPWs or marathonpace workouts require the runnerto run his target marathon racepa ce.

5. Long RunsLong runs are indispensable to

marathon training. It is the back-bone of all marathon trainingprograms as it is designed to helpthe runner develop the ability tocomplete the full marathon dis-tance. However, there is no needto run the full marathon distanceduring long runs. Three 32-KMlong runs are usually enough for anew marathoner before tapering.

6. Log Your RunsKeep a training log and be sure

to keep the entries honest in orderto keep track of your weeklymileage and improvement.

body hydrated.For refueling, energy gel

is a quick source of glyco-gen. Runners can take gelshot 40 minutes before therace and then follow it upevery hour.

It's imperative to con-tinue re-hydration and

refueling after reachingthe finish line by sip-ping liquid and takinglight snacks within 30minutes and then tak-ing a balance mealfrom two hours to fourh o u rs .

As it appears, there isno uniform set of nutri-

tional regimen for every-one. With essential knowl-

edge on proper nutrition,runners can pick a dietaryprogram that suit theirneeds. It’s like mingling artand science.

p o w e r - z a p p i n g r a c e .Drinking sports drink orwater (one cup or half) forevery 20 or 30 minutesfrom the onset keeps the

BANANAS. Rich source of complexcarbohydrates and potassium

POULTRY PRODUCTS. Excellent sources of protein.

COMPLEX ca rbohydratesmay also be found in pota-toes .

3O CEBU DAILY NEWS | TUESDAY, 23 NOVEMBER 2010 RUNNING FEVER

Common...from p28

Knee InjuriesPatellofermal Syndrome

Dislocating Kneecap

Plica Syndrome

Leg InjuriesShin Splints

Stress Fractures

Ankle InjuriesAnkle Sprain

Achilles Tendonitis

Foot InjuriesPlantar Fasciitis

Pro n at i o n

B listers

by Dale G. RosalC O R R E S P O N D E N T

Running injuries defined

the mistake of just walking orrunning it out. This is not ad-visable as it may worsen theinitial injury.

“If there is pain, stop sincethere must be somethingwrong,” said Dejano.

He explained that themusculoskeletal system islike a car — one injury to acertain part will weaken thepart next to it and subse-quently, starts to break downthe entire machinery.

Runners should rest, icethe injured part and elevateit.

Going to the doctor tohave it checked out is also amust.

And when you do comeback from the injury, runslowly and get yourself intoshape first before resumingyour training regimen.

Fortunately, most runninginjuries are short-term. Aftera few days or a few weeks ofrest, runners can return totheir regular routine already.

HOW TO AVOIDINJURIES

Still, it is better to avoid in-juries. One way is to run onstraight and even path. Thebest surfaces for running arefirm but not too hard, rela-tively flat and smooth.

Runners should also dosome warm up and cooldown exercises before and af-ter running.

According to the basic lawof physics, muscles work moreefficiently when they are notstiff since they can exert moreforce with less effort.

So it is important to warmup before a run — whetherby pedaling on a stationary

bike or just doing stretchingexercises for about 10 min-utes — before hitting theroad. Some serious runnerseven run for five kilometersto “warm up” for a 21-K run.

Cooling down can also helpprevent injury.

An easy jog after a race ortraining can speed up recov-ery since this helps removeany lactic acid that may haveaccumulated in the muscles.It also brings the musclesback to a resting state.

It is also important to notwear down the body. Run-ners need to recover after atough workout or run to givethe muscles a chance tomend and stock up on glyco-gen for the next hard effort.Glycogen functions as thesecondary long-term energys to ra g e.

Some say that there aremany reasons to run asthere are races to com-

pete in.Some run simply to have

fun. Others run for healthre a s o n s.

But there are people whorun because it is their meansof livelihood.

They are what race or-ganizers call as the“p am u g a say .” Theyare also found at the

admits he already lost countof the money he has earnedby pounding the streets. Hismost recent triumphs in-clude the Energizer Night

Race 10k where he pock-eted P10,000 and

last September'sMilo Marathon-Ce-bu Leg where healso won P10,000.Throw in countlessof runner-up finish-es, it’s easy to seewhy some peopletake up the sport.

“Dako-dako na judko ug nadaogan an-ing pag apil nako ugdagan,” said Singson,who finished second

in last Oct. 31's Citi-gym Halloween Run.

C e b u ' s a c k n o w l-e d g e d R o a dQ u e e n , M a r yGrace delos San-

t o s w o u l d n o t b eashamed to admit that

running is her source ofincome now.

She said she had to leaveZamboanga where her par-

ents are farmers, to try herluck here.

After initial setbacks, De-los Santos is now touted asone of the best long dis-tance runners of the coun-try especially after she fin-ished second in the 21Kevent of the Standard Char-t e r e d M a r a t h o n i nM alaysia.

“Di na jud nako maihap pi-la akoang nadaogan ngarace,” Delos Santos said.“Nagpasalamat jud ko sa run-ning kay tungod ani na supor-tahan naku akong kaugalin-gon ug akong pamilya.”

starting lineevery week-end, taking ad-v a n t a g e o f C e b u ’sloaded running calen-d a r.

The p a m u g a s ay c are-fully chose the racesand the categories thatthey would compete in. Todo this, they need to scruti-nize the lineup of each race.Who are the big-name run-ners competing and in whatcategory? This strategy hasonly one main goal – to en-sure that the runner has ahigher-than-average chanceof winning the top prize un-til the next starting gunf i re s.

This strategy though, ac-cording to a race organizerwho requested not to beidentified, is not illegal.

“Of course they (p am u-g a s ay ) have the right to do ev-erything legal to ensure a vic-tory to sustain them until thenext running event,” he said.

And since joining a racemeans shelling out hard-earned dough for the registra-tion fee, the p a m u g a s ay c annotbe totally faulted for adoptingsuch a strategy.

Incidentally, some of Ce-bu’s top runners readily ad-mit that they join races forthe cash prizes.

Adonis Singson sells ba lutand ch i ch aro n at night. Butduring the day, he is an eliteru n n e r.

“Pagsugod nako ug t rai n-ing a to n g 2004, sugod puddayon ko ug dagan-dagan(When I started training in2004, it was also the timewhen I started running),”Singson said. Six years later,Cebu’s multi-titled runner

Runners’ Knee (I liot ib-ial band syndrome)

The IT band is a thick,f ibrous band of fasciawhich runs down the out-side of the thigh and in-serts just below the knee.If this band becomes tight,it can rub against the out-side of the knee causingpain and inflammation.

Shin SplintsShin splints is a com-

mon name for pain at thefront of the lower leg, usu-ally to the inside of the

protruding Tibia (shinb one).

A n t e r i o r C o m p a r t-ment Syndrome

Pain and swelling dur-ing exercise on the front ofthe lower leg, on the out-side of the shin bone.

Achilles TendonitisThe Achilles tendon at-

taches the calf musclesGastrocnemius and Soleusto the heel. This can be-come inflamed throughoveruse and biomechani-cal problems.

Plantar FasciitisThe plantar fascia runs

from the heel, under thesoles of the foot and actsto support the arch of thefoot . PF is a commonoveruse injury in runnersand walkers.

Patellofemoral PainSy n d rom e

Patellofemoral pain isnon-descript knee painwhich gradually appears.It is often worse whenrunning or walking down-hill or downstairs.

Stress FracturesStress fractures are com-

mon among runners, inthe femur (thigh), Tibia(shin) and feet. They aredue to the repetitive im-pact and contraction of themuscles attached to them.

Snapping HipSnapping hip is charac-

terized by a snapping orpopping feeling on theoutside or front of the hipwhile running which isnot normally painful. / I N-T E R N E T

PA M U G A S AY

RUNNING injuries can be prevented by listening to your body andby not basing your performance on others.

WEDNESDAY, 24 NOVEMBER 2010 | CEBU DAILY NEWS

by Haide AcuñaC O R R E S P O N D E N T

RUNNERS, who want to enjoy an overlooking view of Cebu City and gauge their legs’ full potential,can try the hilly slopes of the Transcentral Highway. CDN FILE PHOTO

W here do you run?Runners can practically runanywhere where there’s a road

or trail.This is one of the best reasons why so

many have taken up this sport. But as youprogress in your training, you will soonlearn that different kinds of runs requiredifferent kinds of surfaces and trainingvenu e .

The following is a list of ideal and safeplaces to run when you need to do hill re-peats, speedwork, tempo runs, easy/re-covery runs and for those training for theCebu City Marathon, the ever so impor-tant LSD’s or long slow distance.

Camp Lapu-LapuHeadquarters of the Armed Forces

Central Command, Camp Lapu-Lapu inbarangay Apas, Cebu City provides a safeand relatively pollution free venue fortraining runs.

Because this is a military camp, no oneviolates the 30 kilometers per hour speedlimit. The greens are well maintainedwith nary a single trash. The asphalt roadthat surrounds the camp’s driving rangeand parade grounds measures 1.1 kilo-

meters. If you plan on doing long runsinside the camp, you may bring your ownice box for hydration stops at the paradeground bleachers, but be sure to take outyour own trash.

The only requirement is for runners topresent an identification card upon en-tering and to sign the logbook for civil-ians. However, the camp is off limits torunners when the camp is on red alertunless of course you are a soldier or havean Armed Forces of the Philippines de-pendent’s identification card.

Beverly HillsWoolbright Drive, which starts from

the Sudlon gate and ends at the BoysScout Camp gate of this posh gated com-munity, is a one kilometer-stretch of in-clined asphalt road — just perfect for hillrepeats and hill sprints.

Although Woolbright Drive serves asthe subdivision’s main road, there’s hard-ly any vehicle. If there’s any, speed bumpsevery 50 meters prevent drivers fromspeeding up, which makes it the safestroad to run on even for hill workouts.

Beverly Hills also has one of bestpanoramic views of Metro Cebu. The vil-lage guards do not require IDs from run-n ers .

The only downside is that there is no

sari-sari or convenience store inside thevillage for water stops. So just be sure tobring your own hydration.

MCWD Family ParkLocated at Nasipit, Talamban, Cebu

City, the Family Park offers a respite fromrunning on concrete and asphalt roadswith its football field-sized grass surface.

Grass is the best natural surface forrunning because it is soft and easy on theknees even as it makes the legs workharder making them stronger. Grass is al-

so best for those recovering from a run-ning injury.

For those who don’t like running ongrass, this 20-hectare facility also hasconcrete and dirt roads and short trails.Open Mondays to Sundays, from 5 a.m.to 9 p.m., the park’s entrance fee is at P15for adults and P10 for children.

WITH its standard 400-meter distance, the rubberized oval inside the Cebu City Sports Center is perfect for speedwork and time trials. CDN FILE PHOTO

Best 34

Part III

RUNNING FEVER 33WEDNESDAY, 24 NOVEMBER 2010 | CEBU DAILY NEWS

EXAMPLES of disposable timing chips. FROM THE INTERNET

A RUNNER tries to cool himself by pouring some water on hishead after passing through a water station during the MiloMarathon last September. Water stations are key factors in or-ganizing a race. CDN PHOTO/JAY LABRA

RUNNERS leave the starting line of the St. Peter Life Run last October. CDN PHOTO/TONEE DESPOJO

Tips for a successfulmarathon event

by Kelvin CanizaresR E P O R T E R

The Evolutionof Race Timing

Chips

Organizing a fullmarathon is nowalk in the park.

It is a daunting task thatrequires extraordinaryteamwork and completededication of the work-force .

John Pages, one of theorganizers of last January’sCebu Cit y Mar a thon,shares some tips in host-ing a successful race.

Be organized — A co-hesive organization is im-portant since it may makeor break a race. Since afull marathon draws hugecrowds and participants,having enough and expe-rienced crew to man thedifferent areas of respon-sibility makes the individ-ual task easy and system-at ic.

L G U ’ s p a r t i c i p a-t ion—The local govern-ment unit (LGU) wherethe race is held must be in-volved. As much as possi-ble, ask the LGU to be theco-organizer. LGUs pro-vide policemen and trafficpersonnel to ensure thesafety of the route and hy-

dration stations. WithLGU’s support, organizerswon't have a difficult timein having necessary re-quests approved.

Plenty of hydrationstations —Make sure thatthere is adequate water orsports drink for the run-ners in every stop. Set up ahydration station in every1.5 kilometer of the entirero ute .

Av a i l a b l e m e d i c a lunits —There should beconstant roving ambu-lances along the route.There should also be sev-eral medical stations withfull staff ready to respondto any emergency.

Watch out for cheaters—Runners may cheat bycutting corners and skip-ping parts of the route tofinish faster. One solutionto offset this, which willalso be used in next year’sCebu City Marathon, is tou s e R a d i o Fr e q u e n c yIdentification (RFI) tim-ing chips. Though thismay not guarantee a 100-percent cheat-proof race,the system will definitelygive would-be cheaters ahard time to consummatetheir devious plan.

Include scenic/touristspots —Since some par-ticipants may come fromdi f ferent par t s o f thecountry, choose routesthat will pass through thehost city’s tourist and his-

torical sites.Love the sport —In or-

ganizing a marathon, itwould be an advantage ifthe people involved do itpurely for the love of run-ning .

TIMING chips originated from the Radio-frequencyidentification (RFID) invented by Leon Theremin in1945. RFID is the use of an object (typically referredto as an RFID tag) applied to or incorporated into aproduct, animal or person for the purpose of iden-tification and tracking using radio waves.

Race timing chips was first used 10 years ago. Butit has rapidly replaced the traditional race timingtechniques in races all across the world.

The Boston Marathon was the first major roadrace to use timing chips, starting with the centennialrace in 1996.

How does it work?During the race, the runners wear passive or ac-

tive tags that are read by antennae placed alongsidethe track or on mats across the track. The UHF (Ul-tra High Frequency) based tags provide a more ac-curate readings with specially designed antennascompared to the low or high frequency last-gener-ation tags.

Rush error, lap count errors and accidents at starttime are avoided since anyone can start and finishany time without being in a Batch Mode (runnersreleased in groups at the starting line according totheir category).

Used for runners, bikers, tri-athletes, and evenskiers, chip timing is both extremely precise and ca-pable of addressing several weaknesses that are in-herent to traditional timing methods.

Chip timing systems require that athletes wear asmall, lightweight chip that uniquely identifies themas they cross strategically placed, electronic mats.

Adv antagesMore advanced chip timing set-ups can protect

against cheating, record accurate split times, provideinstantaneous race updates, and compensate forslow starts caused by crowded starting areas.

Chip timing eliminates the problems inherent tomanual timing. As such, there will be no mistakes inthe results caused by confusing, multiple-chute finish-ing areas, “bandits” (runners who have not registered)confusing timers, runners wearing the wrong number,or runners who get out of order in the chutes.

So far, the latest technology in store right now isthe four-way antennae and lightweight reusable anddisposable chips.

In Asia, particularly in the Philippines, the SprintRace Timers, a Cebu-based timing system group,serves as the pioneers in terms of the advanced tim-ing system technology. / C O R R E S P O N D E N T D A L E G . R O S A L

34 CEBU DAILY NEWS | WEDNESDAY, 24 NOVEMBER 2010 RUNNING FEVER

by Mars G. AlisonC O R R E S P O N D E N T

Best... from p32

W ith the running boom inCebu comes a high de-mand for a good running

co a c h .And having a coach is important espe-

cially in increasing the runner’s pace aswell as to prevent injuries.

“When one trains on their own, theymight get hurt, or get injured and theywould never know if they are over-trainedor under-trained. But, if they have a goodcoach, they will be properly trained,” saidElberto Banzon, a running coach for 24ye a r s.

He said a good coach would implement“periodization” – where training is catego-rized into off-season, pre-competition andcompetition. Coaches would know whento give a hard training or when to havelazy days.

“If they are on their own, they wouldnot know this. They would not know thatthere is a danger on their part, that theymight get injured, that they would haveless chances of improvement, and theirtraining would be less effective. So, it isbetter to have a coach in running especial-ly in a marathon,” Banzon said.

Banzon was a runner before he startedcoaching in 1986.

He tried out the sport when he was stilla second year high school student at theAbellana National School (ANS). The nextyear, he discovered he had the talent for itso he cultivated it.

“This is the skills wherein I finished my de-gree,” said Banzon, who got a degree inBachelor of Science in Physical Education anda Master's degree in Physical Education.

ACHIE VEMENTSBefore he studied to become a PE

teacher, Banzon also got the degree of Ma-rine Engineering as an athletic scholar ofthe University of Cebu (UC) then CebuCentral Colleges or CCC.

His younger brother Eldy and sister Fefollowed his footsteps. Eldy is one of theathletics coaches of UC while Fe, who isnow in Florida, used to be one of Cebu'sbemedalled runners.

Among his achievements as a runner,he considers the Manila InternationalMarathon in 1982 as his best because hefinished first among Filipinos and fourthoverall including foreigners.

He also placed 6th in the Third WorldCountries Marathon by clocking two hoursand 31 minutes.

With his achievements, he was recruit-

ELBERTO BANZON

ed by the Philippine Marathon Teamwhere he competed in the Seoul Interna-tional Marathon where he only clocked inat 2:42 due to the cold; then in Honolulu,Hawaii where he placed 7th in his categorywith a time of 2:35.

Although he now runs to keep himselffit, 48-year-Banzon will try to qualify forthe Boston Marathon in 2012 by compet-ing in the Singapore Marathon on Dec. 5.

Millette Chiongbian, one of the athletesbeing handled by Banzon, will sponsor hisplane ticket. Chiongbian is the firstCebuana to qualify for the BostonMarathon next year.

“I know I won't be able to getmy best time before consideringthat I'm nearing 50 but my targetis to get 3:30 which is the quali-fying time for my age category,”he said.

Banzon is the first winnerof the Mano Amon race. Hewent on to rule the race forfour more years.

According to Banzon, hewent into coaching aftermany athletes and busi-nessmen hired him. Sincethen, he participated inmany seminars and evenattended a running clinicin Hawaii.

P AYBack then, Banzon

would receive P100 persession. Now per ses-s i o n co s t s b e t we e nP250 and P300. Somecoaches also charge perh o u r o r a r e p a i d o n amonthly basis.

Aside from Chiongbian, Banzon men-tored Danao City Mayor Ramon Nito Dura-no and Councilor Oscar “Boying” Ro-driguez when they ran in the LA Marathon,Honolulu Marathon and the New YorkMarathon in the 1980s.

According to Banzon, a good coach doesnot only look at the outcome of a race butalso at the attitude of the athlete “becausewhat is important here is discipline.”

LETTING GOBanzon said it is okay if a runner stops

getting a coach as long as he had learnedthe basics of running, components oftraining and the principles of training froma coach.

He said that should a runner opt to letgo of his coach, “he must read and re-search on the Internet.”

Reading and surfing the Internet are alsoBanzon's ways of keeping his edge as a

coach. “I have to be updated always to be more compet-itive, so my athlete could also be more competitive.”

As for injuries, he advises that a runner should restwhen he has a severe injury.

“The moment you feel pain during training, especiallyfor those who are involved in ultra marathon, don't pushyourself beyond your limit. You stop, heal that pain be-fore running again. If not, you are putting yourself in dan-ger or you might be advised to rest the whole year.”

For those who want to train for a marathon, he sug-gests that they must be mentally tough because the42K is a mental game.

“While training for a marathon, you must keep beingmotivated. If you're bored with the scenery, then find anew place to run. If you're tired then stop and refreshyourself, anyway two or three days of stopping will notlower your fitness. Stopping five or six days will do that,anything that motivates you, do it.”

COACH BANZON believes a good coach must be able to looknot only at an athlete’s potential but more importantly athis attitude towards his chosen sport. CDN FILE PHOTO

Transcentral HighwayThis 45-kilometer concrete

highway connects Cebu City tot h e p r o v i n c e ’s We s t e r nseaboard. With elevation risingto at least 2,800 feet (based onGarmin connect readings) Tran-scentral Highway is not for theweak-kneed or the faint heart-ed. But runners can enjoy thebreathtaking view of the moun-tain barangays of Cebu City andBalamban town and can havethe rare opportunity to com-mune with nature while doingLSDs. It is adviceable to leave

the MP3 players to be able toenjoy calming sound of nature.

Runners will have to bringtheir own hydration packs al-though sari-sari stores alsoabound in the area.

Runners can commutefrom Cebu City to Transcen-tral by taking the GT Expressfrom Ayala Center Cebu for afare of P100 or the motorcy-cle for hire at JY Square. Theride back to the city costs P60from Ayala Heights or P40from the Doce Pares Zipline.

Tri-Bridges Run

The triple bridges — the firstMandaue Mactan Bridge, theMarcelo Fernan Bridge and theCansaga Bay Bridge — are per-fect for long runs that combineboth flat and inclined surfaces.

If you’re running the CebuCity Marathon in January orHong Kong in February, bes u r e t o t r a i n o n t h e s ebridges. The inclines willmake your legs stronger, butthe grade and elevation arenot as punishing as the hillsin the Transcentral Highway.

There are two disadvan-

tages in running on the threebridges: the concrete surface ishard on the knees and there isno protection from the blister-ing heat of the sun especiallyafter 7 a.m. Just start headingfor the bridges at 4 a.m.

Cebu City Sports CenterBecause of it’s standard

400-meter distance, the rub-berized oval at the CCSC isperfect for speedwork, timetrials, among others.

The rubber provides a rea-sonably forgiving surface,but running around the oval

for more than 10,000 meterscan be very tedious.

Built in 1994, the CCSC is ar-guably, the most overused andabused rubberized oval in thecountry. Averaging 1,000 per-sons daily, it serves not only run-ners and walkers from Cebu City,but also those coming from thecities of Mandaue, Lapu-Lapuand Talisay, which do not havetheir own public sports facilitythat includes a track and anOlympic-size swimming pool. Italso charges the cheapest en-trance fee at P10 in the morning

and P15 in the evening.Records from the CCSC of-

fice shows that Tuesdays andThursdays are the busiest daysof the week at the track oval.

The CCSC will be out ofcommission for two monthsafter the Sinulog 2011 GrandParade to make way for along-overdue repair of itsrubberized track.

A l te r n a t i ve ve n u e fo rspeedwork will be the Ate-neo de Cebu rubberized ovali n b a ra n g ay Ca n d u m a n ,Mandaue City.