My Past Two Weeks in Review – 2011 Edition

I just realized that there is a cycle to my running – highs, lows, peaks, injuries, etc.  All these seem to come at certain parts of the year that it’s almost predictable.  In 2010, I hit my peak in February when I set a 10k PR at the Century Tuna Run.   This year, I hit top form in March just as I was training for the Globe Run, before injury stopped me in my tracks, that is.  (Note to self: schedule races in the first four months of the year)   

Speaking of injuries,  that’s another “regular” in my running cycle.  In March to May 2010, I took a leave from running as I got hit by a spate of injuries – deltoid ligament problems, knee pain and shin splints.  It was only in June of that year that I resumed my training.  After several months of hard work, I thought that I would finally be rewarded with a sub-1:45 finish in the 21k of the Globe R4H scheduled on March 27, 2011.  But it was not to be.  Almost one year to the day I suffered my first running injury, I got hit by a bad case of ITBS.  I had to do a DNS at Globe R4H and was relegated to photographer duty.  I had to take another prolonged break from running.  While I have been doing some light running of late, I know it would be foolhardy of me to jump into a training program straightaway.  Aside from the fact that I am nowhere near my fitness level back in March, I need to make sure that my ITB is well on its way to recovery.

In the last 15 days, I was only able to run thrice.  My inability to come up with a string of runs is not due solely to injury.  My running was limited by a combination of work, fun and play – just like what happened a year ago as intimated in My Past Two Weeks in Review.  This uncanny cyle prompted me to write this post and to share with you, in images, what kept me preoccupied in the last couple of weeks.

May 2-6: Family Vacay

First stop: Paris

Who would have thought that this is a mall? Magnifique!

 

Checking out some paintings at the Louvre.

 

Versailles

  Of course, I had to squeeze in a run around Gare De Lyon:

May 6-13:  Firm Trip to Spain (Madrid, Avila, Segovia, Zaragoza, Barcelona, Montserrat, La Costa Brava)

Group shot overlooking the quaint town of Toledo

 Visit to the Royal Palace:

Palacio Royal in Madrid

The aqueducts of Avila, simply amazing.

The aqueducts of Avila

 

More churches and castles:

La Sagrada Familia in Barcelona

One of them castles.  After a while, they all look alike. 

Alcazar castle in Segovia

Of course, a visit to the Olympic Stadium was in order.  Was so tempted to go down to the track.  Hehe.

At the Olympic Stadium in Barcelona beside a photo of Carl Lewis.

We were fortunate enough to be in Barcelona the night Barca clinched the La Liga title.  The Catalans just went crazy:

Celebrations went on all night

 I think all the walking that we did those 12 odd days could match my mileage during training.  Seriously.  Nonetheless, I was compelled to do some serious running in Barcelona to make sure that my fitness does not go down the drain altogether.  I ran a brisk 4.71km around La Rambla at 5:18 mpk.   

All in all, not a bad two weeks.  Now back to reality and, hopefully, some serious running.

Advertisement