Athlete Eric Panique might not be a familiar name to everyone, but he's making waves in the country's distance running scene, and his next goal is to join the national team. He started running when he was 16 in Himamaylan, Negros Occidental, but he had to put his budding career on hold after a few years to take care of his family.Nevertheless, he went back to racing as a way of earning money for his loved ones. A coach from his hometown saw his potential and referred him to Olympian long distance runner Roy Vence. After three years under Coach Roy's tutelage, 28-year-old Eric has won and placed in numerous competitions, and he's even cut five seconds from his running time, a great feat for a runner.
Who better to ask for running advice than this champion athlete? Read on for tips from Eric Panique from the October 2011 issue of Runner's World.
1. EXERCISE RESTRAINT.
While long distance running is growing in popularity, don’t jump on the bandwagon if you’re not properly prepared, warns Panique. “'Wag magpasobra kahit maraming mga race ngayon. Diyan nagsisimula ang injuries (Don't overdo it, even though there are a lot of races nowadays. That's how injuries start),” he says. “May nararamdaman ka tapos parati ka pa ring sumasali? Masama yan. Ingatan mo lagi ang katawan mo. Dapat may control sa sarili. (You feel like something's wrong, but you still keep joining? That's bad. Always take care of your body. You have to have self-control.)”
2. START FAST, THEN PACE YOURSELF.
“Speed up ka para makalabas ng konti (Speed up so that you can get to the outside a bit),” Panique recommends. “Bantayan mo rin kung may sumasabay. Kung wala, pacing na. Pag merong humahabol, speed up ulit. Ganun ang sinasabi ni Coach Roy, utak ang gamitin. 'Wag padalos-dalos. May mga nagsasabing gamitan mo ng lakas, pero utak dapat. (Be mindful if anyone's keeping up with you. If no one is, start pacing. If someone's trying to catch up, just speed up. That's what Coach Roy tells me--be smart. Don't be rash. There are some people who say you should use strength, but it should be your brain that's working.)”
3. TRAIN HARD, RACE EASY.
The training Eric gets isn't recommended for the faint of heart. You wake up at 4:00 AM each day, run two hours in the morning, another hour in the afternoon. On some days, you squeeze a plyometrics session in between. And Sundays are made special by 45K runs. This kind of training is especially difficult for one reason. “Lahat ng hirap kayanin mo sa training para pagdating sa laban madali na lang (You need to get to the limits of your endurance so, come race time, it'll actually be easier for you),” Panique says. “Pag malakas ang ensayo mo, parang naglalaro ka na lang sa daan. (If you practice hard, it will be like you're just playing when you hit the road.)”
To read the rest of Eric Panique's story and get more tips, grab a copy of Runner's World's October 2011 issue, out on stands now!Also in this issue:
- Trail Running 101
- All In the Family: Motivate Your Kids to Run
- 5 Yoga Moves to Prevent Injury
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Want to read more Runner's World excerpts? Check these out:
- 5 Race Day Rules from Runner Monica Torres
- Tips on Running from Piolo Pascual
- 5 Ways to Become a Winning Runner from Runner's World Cover Girl Michelle Estuar
- Runner's World Editor Marie Calica Shares Tips for First Time Runners
- Top Running Tips from Coach Rio dela Cruz
(Photo by Jay Tablante)
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