I will go to training hell for deviating from my training plan. Training for the last five days didn’t go as planned but I was still able to put in some great workouts.

• Thursday: Interval repeats of 200 meter hills at 5k race pace. I was actually able to suit up for this. I was good and ready to go last week for this but as soon as I started my warm up, my shins started acting up. My shin splints were back. At the risk of getting injured, I called it a night and rested up.
• Friday: It was another night of interval repeats of 200 meter hills at 5k race pace. I really actually planned to do this. After I dressed up, I realized that I left my hydration belt at home. I wouldn’t have a place to keep my phone and my keys in while I run. The big tamaditis virus hit me because running with stuff in my hands were a big problem for me. It was a good thing I was still able to bike. I was able to do 40 kilometers of spinning that night and I really focused on uniform high speed cadence. I also got glimpses of Bryan and Noelle at high street too but I wasn’t able to say hello for fear of falling flat on my face from my bike.
• Saturday: It was a rest day for me as planned and rest I did but I sneaked in some swim time to practice for the aquathlon the next day. It wasn’t much though because the pool at the condominium was mighty small.
• Sunday: A 17 kilometer long run at 6 minute pace was up in the plan. I wasn’t really able to do this because it was race day at the Ateneo Aquathlon. It was a great race. I would definitely do more of those things. I just need to improve my swimming form more.
• Monday: Another planned rest but instead of resting, I made up for the planned training I missed the day before. I ran 17 kilometers at 6 minute pace.

Running the 17 kilometers at 6 minute pace was not easy but it was doable. I’ve found that most of what’s in the plan is very very hard and taxing on myself but they are very doable.

17k route

It wasn’t a really long long run and I didn’t really need to run it at a very fast pace but it was hard. But it was doable. I felt really sluggish going down Mckinley Hill. It must have been because of all the smoke and pollution I sniffed up along Lawton. I wasn’t really able to track my speed and pace. I was stupid to not remeber any key points in my map to that I could check my time against the distance that I’ve already ran. Good thing that I was able to remember that kilometer 12 was at Bonifacio High Street. If I ran at a 6 minute pace, that would mean that I would need to be in BHS at around 72 minutes. I just kept on running. I remember looking at my stopwatch when I was around the Mckinley intersection and the time was around 55-60 minutes. Not only did I just run a sub60 10k but I was also within my target. Making it to BHS in 72 minutes was in the horizon.

I got to BHS at 64:57 minutes. I was surprised to be able to make it there with much time to spare. I wanted to take it easy because that meant I had over 30 minutes to complete the last 5 kilometers. I was jogging at an easy pace around BHS and I wanted to keep it at an easy pace but there was this other runner that was racing with me. Part of me didn’t want to be left behind and part of me just wanted to keep and run my own pace. I ended up running along side him for four more rounds around BHS. I was a fast last 5 kilometers because I finished the whole 17 kilometers at 1 hour 33 minutes. It was a good training run last night. If I ran that same pace at my 21k race in Globe, I’m sure I’d be able to break the 2 hour limit. I just need to muster up enough endurance and I just need to really really want it. I was feeling sluggish and tired in my last loop around BHS. I were to run another 4 kilometers after that, I sure would have slowed down a bit.

I may still need to deviate from my plan today. I need to rest up. My body is really hating me right now. Some spinning for me tonight if I don’t get too lazy! The sub2 21k at Globe Run for Home 2010 isn’t looking to far off from my run last night.