Initially appeared on vox.com 6/2/2009.
In the past year i've become quite fond of running. I like the challenge of trying to beat my PR, the time alone to collect my thoughts, and - every once in a while - the endorphin rush of the "runner's high." I was actually looking forward to increasing my mileage in the Philippines and possibly even racing one or two 5Ks during our three week vacation.
But then reality came up, slapped me in the face, gave me a suplex and kicked me while i was down.
Upon awakening at 6 in the morning on that fateful first day, i checked the weather: eighty-seven degrees fahrenheit with 60% humidity. The run started out as planned (i.e. joints and muscles in good working order), but within five minutes i was sweating bullets. Although i didn't need to walk at any point, it felt like i dragged myself for the entire TWO MILES that i ran.
And the hills! I don't think there was ever a stretch of flat ground where we lived. It's something i've never noticed before which becomes painfully obvious after a little while. I guess that's why the place is named "Hillsborough." Serves me right for training mostly on flat ground.
I suspect my problem was mostly the weather. In the past six months i've acclimated to running in the cold, West Michigan climate. Even with temperatures routinely below fifty fahrenheit in the week prior to our departure, i was regularly finishing easy four-milers with just one layer of clothing. In fact i was running in shorts and a t-shirt at mid-fifties (to those who know me well, this is in fact a HUGE deal for me, as once the ambient temperature hits fifty degrees i already go out in longjohns). Being a person who prefers warm weather, i thought it would be a simple matter to just transplant my routine to the Philippines. Big mistake.
Subsequent runs were not much better. At least after a few days i found that i could still complete a sub-30-minute 5K (albeit with much difficulty) and finish a 4-miler. But my dreams of running a 5K in the short time i was there went down in flames.
From a techincal standpoint i wonder what i should have done better. For one, i realized that i need to incorporate more hill training into my runs. For another, i guess i need to adjust my fluid intake based on ambient conditions. I know should be obvious from the get-go to any random fool... but of course i am an exceptional fool.
At least GPS tracking works. Here's the run that i did for my 4-miler:
This was in Muntinlupa City, which is just south of Manila. For a better view:
Since we're zooming out, it's interesting to see how far that is from where i usually run:
By the end of the three weeks, i had only racked up a grand total of 13.01 miles run. I suppose i could have done much more, but i purposely did not run during our week in Pilar because of a fear of stray dogs. It would be bad form to get stricken with rabies during vacation. I did try to supplement with some gym activities (i.e. elliptical and stationary bike), but it wasn't the same. The total caloric expenditure from all the workouts? 3,037 calories, roughly the amount that i would eat in one day. Meh.
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