Falling Short

We all fail. It's bound to happen at one point, and when it does, what matters most is how it affects us, and our outlook.

It has happened to me quite a lot of times, and in the past few months, there have been races where I felt very disappointed with my performance. In the past, I dare not voice it out for the fear of coming across as impudent and snooty. But what the heck. I'm sure its happened to you too.

During the XRC Criterium last December 2008
Photo courtesy of Vince Corpus

I keep a log of races I join. Post-race, I jot down several things, like what went well, what went wrong, and possible points of improvement. More important than what went well, is actually what went wrong. There's just so much to learn from shortcomings and failures.

Last Sunday's Condura Half-Marathon was a clear example. I set quite a hefty yet somewhat achievable goal for the race, and fell flat. I bonked with more than 5km left. No excuses. I truly lived up to my URL - Positive Split.

However, inspite of it all, I was extremely happy that by running, I was not only able to contribute to saving the whale sharks, but also support the iamninoy movement.

The shirt says it all...
Photo courtesy of Rapa Lopa

Leo Babauta, author of the Zen Habits blog, beautifully narrates in this article how we should celebrate our mistakes. Disappointment can be a great motivation. For me, it's a huge kick in the arse. Looking on the brighter side, perhaps falling short is a gift.

With Hannah, who, for all intents and purposes - made her target
Photo courtesy of Mark Parco

'The winner takes it all
The loser has to fall
Its simple and its plain
Why should I complain?'
-ABBA


P.S. - For those interested in joining the iamninoy runners, register here.

What's Your Powersong?

"What's your power song?" is a question you hear quite often nowadays. Running has gotten so popular, that it can even serve as a pickup line. Props to Nike+ for making the buzz phrase 'Power Song'.

As for me, I have none.

I prefer to run without music. Don't get me wrong, I am a BIG fan of music, but when it comes to working out, I prefer to do without. When people ask me "So, what music do you listen to when you run?" they are not expecting "Nothing" as my reply. More often than not, the follow up questions are "Why Not? What keeps you going? Don't you get bored?".

For me, working out (be it a swim, a bike ride or a run) is alone time. My mind is not at all quiet tho. Depending on the type and intensity of the workout, there can be a ton of things up in my head.

Long rides are easy - its just about enjoying the wind, the sun, and the scenery - even in the rain. Most often, I'll be chatting it up with my riding partner. Towards the end of the ride, conversations usually start shifting towards food, or about where and when the next long ride would be.

View near the top of Bugarin

Running is much more punishing. I don't think most people, towards the end of a long run, would be thinking about how much they are looking forward to their next. Probably, they are counting down the miles, hoping it will be over soon.

During runs, my mind is filled with alot of things. Most often, I am playing numbers games. I like computing pace, and finishing times. It keeps me busy. Sometimes I do multiplication tables. I haven't quite yet reached the point where I have tried to recite the periodic table of elements. Recently, I ran with my Garmin and got so bored. The damn thing did all the computation for me! I was left with nothing to do. Next time, I'm leaving the Garmin at home.


During hard runs and races, I mostly find myself thinking about technique. While struggling to keep pace, and watching my breathing, I constantly remind myself of certain things, hoping it will help me run better - 'Run in a straight line', 'Light feet', 'Keep your head up', 'Don't slouch', 'Maximize the stride', 'Pump the arms' among others.

Silence is my Power Song...what's yours?