This week saw me going back to DLSU-D for my regular runs. As I’ve already mentioned from previous post that my car was busted and still undergoing maintenance, I have to jog from my house all the way to DLSU-D oval track. Thats about 3km which is actually good as my warm-up run. Before, I used to go to the school using my car but it looks like the 3km warm-up run is something I’ll keep up even if I get back my car.
So I was running along Congressional road here in Dasma and I was surprised that there were runners/joggers already running as early as 5am. As I was doing my easy run (6:30ish), I saw this guy on the other side of the road looking at me and obviously using me as his pace mate. I would try to increase my pace and so he would do the same. At one point near the front of De La Salle Health Science Campus , he would look at me as if “challenging” me and just sped of. I don’t know what hit me that day, but I didn’t turn down the challenge and so I followed his pace for about 3 minutes (we were already running 5:30ish) and then I did look at him and left his ass by speeding all the way. He stopped as I reached gate 1 of DLSU-D. And looking at him from about 500 meters from me, he couldn’t stare back at me. I hope he learns his lesson.
As I reached oval track, two obese guys (obviously student, not sure if they’re into bromance) were walking in the first lap of the track. As it was my part of my training plan that day to do 1600m,1200m,800m and 400m speed run to speed up my fitness level, I have to devise a way how to tell them to continue their “walk” outside lane 1. Suplado ako pag umaga eh, I have no time/no chance to talk when I do my speed training so I thought I would just run in between of them since there’s a half meter gap. And so I ran between them once and when I reached them again for the second time, as if they’ve already planned it for some time, they started running and obviously following me. I was already doing the 400m run which require me to run all out and after figuring out they’re out to embarrass me, I gave them what they were looking for and run as fast as I could. Alas one of them shouted “Grabe ayoko na!”. They left as I was about to approach them the 3rd time around.
Lesson learned: its not really a good idea to do these “challenge” game during runs, it can be exciting but can also be frustrating especially if you’ve challenge the wrong guy.
Confession: I actually did this several times when I was a newbie runner participating on almost all road races, I ended up flat on my ass most of the time.
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ling
on Sep 25th, 2010
@ 2:06 am:
Hey Sam! I like this entry! We’ve got something in common, I am also on my comeback trail and I’ve been using our track oval here in Cebu.
I usually run in the early evening for now, and like you masungit ako…pero sa gabi. I have a handlful of experience against these “newbies” who are challenging “runners”.
I have to admit I am not the fastest runners around, but I have let’s just say I have an average pace. When this newby runners try to out pace me in the oval, I’ll just run at my own pace, ’cause I know they’ll be huffing and puffing in a little while. Na pansin ko lang, yung thread ng paa nila, it’s too heavy. It’s quite disturbing. I don’t run with an MP3 kasi I prefer the sound of my feet. Pero sometimes, na irrita ako. Opinion ko lang to ha.
Good luck on your comeback! Cheers!