Lance Armstrong Not Allowed In Chicago Marathon

So he got banned in entering the Chicago Marathon for their October 7, 2012 race and that also includes ANY event which falls under the World Anti-Doping Code. No Running, cycling, swimming or other sport competitions for him… ever!

Picture via People.com

Ruling states that if an athlete is banned by one sport, the ban must be recognized by the other federations which have signed the code.

“The agreement, signed by USADA and U.S. Olympic sports governing bodies, includes a “mutual recognition” principle. Under the rules, if an athlete is banned from competition under the World Anti-Doping Agency Code, this includes any event or competition that is sanctioned by a sport governing body which is a signatory to the Code, irrespective of the athlete’s level or expected results,” said USADA spokesperson Erin Hannan.

Now, for a person who was been raising millions to help cancer patients through his foundation who has never proven nor failed on any drug test he has supposedly tested in, banning him on any sport he wants to join in is i think too harsh.

This is a good opportunity for others marathons not binded by this code to invite him run their races… and join the cause to further fight cancer.

Here is the full report at Runner’s World:

http://news.runnersworld.com/2012/09/07/lance-armstrong-denied-entry-to-chicago-marathon/#comments

My Trail Run Pic at ‘Run The Edge’

“Be present in your runs. Let your mind wander, but appreciate each stride as a gift. It is the culmination of every stride that came before it, and a promise of every stride yet to come.“–Run The Edge

Last night when i returned home from our usual Tuesday Adidas Adination of Runners session at U.P., i was pleasantly surprised to see that my trail run picture at Daraitan in Tanay was picked to grace the Facebook page of “Run The Edge”, an inspirational and  motivational site that caters to runners, how they could apply running’s philosophies into their actual lives and enhance their quality of living.

Its mission is to have fun, to build a healthy and positive community of runners while tapping into lessons learned from running and apply them directly to our other life stories to find greater success.

Run The Edge was created by Tim Catalano, a well-known American Coach and top runner in his heydays and Adam Goucher, also a top runner and now better known as husband to US Olympian and marathoner, Kara Goucher.

The two have collaborated on a book called “Running The Edge: Discovering The Secrets to Better Running and A Better Life“, a motivational book that inspires runners to achieve excellence not only through running but through the other aspects of our lives which we sometimes take for granted.

I have always loved their motivational quotes written on run posters  (like mine above) and have always shared them on my Facebook page for their wit, inspiration and sometimes, humor. You can find their FB page here—>https://www.facebook.com/RunTheEdge.

Like the page if you’re into running. Their inspirational quotes are something to ponder on your long runs! And oh, you can visit their their website at http://www.runtheedge.com/.

TNF100k Baguio Champ Iker Karrera: His Views On Running

It was a privileged to see in the flesh, world famous Spanish ultra-trail running icon, Iker Karrera visit our shores and give lectures on trail running, running gears and to run the gruelling North Face 100Km Trail Run in Baguio City which he eventually won in a little over 12 hours. He and Edu Martinell , another top Spanish Trail Runner & International Social Media Manager arrived in Manila on Monday, April 16.

Trail running great, Iker Karrera

These two trail running greats kicked off their Philippine visit with an early morning trip to Tagaytay Highlands on Tuesday, April 17. Iker and Edu ran part of the very arduous trails of Tagaytay Highlands together with a good number of friends from Salomon Philippines and some media. In the evening, the  two guests spent time with some members of Manila’s running community via a meet and greet session at the Bonifacio High Street Activity Grounds, just across the R.O.X. Store.

Iker with Salomon Philippines Brand Manager Janice Tanada. Emcee Boy Ramos (extreme left)

The following morning, Wednesday, April 18, I was able to attend an exclusive by-invitation only Salomon XR-Mission Shoe Launch and Press Conference also held at the ROX Store in Bonifacio High Street. Together with media and runner bloggers, we were privileged to see the latest road-to-trail running shoe from Salomon, the Salomon XR-Mission. In addition, it was great to listen from these two trail running superstars how Salomon has equipped them to become the top trail runners in the world.

With Edu Martinell (L) and Iker (R)

Here’s a portion of the media interview with Iker Karerra:

Dream Trail Run or Race:

There are many, more than I could ever run (within the duration) of my life. The world is full of beautiful mountains and I would like to run at all!

How can you describe your ordinary training week?

It depends on the season of the year. In Winter, I run less.

I do other activities like nordic skiing and biking. More or less I try to train 6 days a week. Sometimes, I have active rest days–not too many hours a day.During weekends, I run or ski from 8 to 10 hours.

Spring and Summer seasons have better weather. There is no snow in the Pyrenees! This marks the start of the racing season. The workouts are much longer, more intense. Active rest days are still present. On weekends, training volume increases. But this depends on my work, after i have organized my week.

What are your goals for 2012?

To run better and have less physical injuries (Not that i have many injuries but,….). Also to enjoy running more. The results come if I’m training well and if i am enjoying the mountains.

For hard mountain races like UTMB, what are your tactics?

Train very hard and prepare all the details of the race as much as posible. Anticipate the weather condition, your necessary food, clothing, etc. Try to read the race ahead. Be mentally flexible in making decisions. Have someone you can trust to follow during the race, who will give you support throughout the event.

For us living in the lowland, it is quite hard to achieve good mountain running techniques. It is possible to get strong for the uphills but  the downhill part is hard. When reading about this topic you can see that there are two different approaches; either you do some long and hard quad burning downhills now and then to let the legs get used to it or you can develop a smooth technique with a fast turn over and short strides.

What is your opinion on this?

It depends on theslope, the type of terrain– if they are grass, loose stones, rocks, tree roots, if the way is straight or curvy, wet or dry. There isn´t ONE technique- one that fits all. Also depends on your technique, your physique– if you are big or small, heavy or light…. Always looks for maximum energy efficiency with minimal physical effort.

How do you train for good uphill/downhill technique?

I have been running in the mountains, uphill and downhill, since I was a child. I haven´t worked too much on the specific technique. It comes naturally.

What can you improve?

Everything can be improved.

2011 was the year of your big breakthrough, how did this come about?

I want to think of it as the consecuence of years of hard work& training in the mountains. Also because things went well with good results during the Major Races.

During UTMB last year, Kilian Jornet increased the speed on the last section and took the first place 8 minutes ahead of you. Was it a team order to let Kilian win or was he just too strong?

Kilian won because he was the stronger athlete. He was stronger during the whole race.

Is it your turn to win UTMB this year?

At the moment, I´m not thinking about that yet. I will just train well, try to make good races before the UTMB, and to be at the begining of the UTMB in the best physical condition as possible.

They call you here a Legend. Do you consider yourself as one?

Me, una leyenda? No, no, no..! (laughs)

Salomon XR-Mission (Women's)

Salomon XR-Mission (Men's)