Deemen Runner

Globe Run For Home 2012 Goes to the Queen City of the South!

2012-02-09T11:02:00.008+08:00

Yes, you read it right. This 2012, Globe Run For Home (R4H) will be held at Cebu City!

What: Globe Run For Home 2012
When: March 25, 2012 (Sunday)
Where: Cebu International Convention Center
Categories: 3k, 5k, 10k, 15k and 21k

Registration Period: February 1 to March 16, 2012
Online Registration can be done via this link. Kits will be delivered to your doorsteps on or before March 23, 2012.
Race Kit Inclusions: Singlet (size subject to availability), timing chip, race bib, finisher's medal for 21k participants ONLY

Registration Fees, Assembly and Gun Start Times

Cebu Registration Center: 1st level, Paseo Ciudad, Ayala Center, Cebu (from 10am to 8pm)

Registration Center at Ayala Center Cebu

Race Map for all categories

RACE FEATURE: THE FACEBOOK TRACKER

With the Run for Home Facebook Tracker, you can keep everyone on your Facebook posted with everything that’s happening at the Cebu International Convention Center on March 25. Newsfeed updates and race results will be sent to your profile through the Timing Chip as you run past race route milestones.

Activate the Facebook Tracker in two steps:

When you sign up online, indicate your Facebook ID and email address in your registration form.
Install the Facebook Run for Home Live Update application by clicking the Install App button.

Race beneficiaries:

Gawad Kalinga
Habitat for Humanity Philippines
Cebu Biodiversity Conservation Foundation
Philippine Tarsier Foundation

Skechers GO RUN: Go Midfoot, Go Minimal, Go Lightweight

2012-02-09T02:47:00.006+08:00

I've been lucky enough to be invited on the launch of a new line of running shoes by one of the leading footwear brands - Skechers. I owned a few pairs of Skechers before and they were all for "porma" purposes. Good thing the brand is now expanding into the running market.

There are five things worth mentioning that define the Skechers GO Run model:

Mid-foot Strike. It's a good transition shoe from heel-strikers to mid-foot strikers. When you put the shoe on an even surface, you'll notice that the middle of the shoe base is arched at the center. This way, you'll be sort of forced to land mid-foot while running.
Minimalist. If you want the sensation of barefoot running, donning a pair of GO run might just give you the feeling of natural running.
Lightweight. 4.9 oz for women's size 6 and 6.9 oz for men's size 9.
Good value for money. SRP is 3995php for women's and 4095php for men's.
Color varieties. There are a lot of colors to choose from! Even if you're not running, it's great to wear as your everyday casual shoes.

Some of the colors available (men's on top, women's on bottom part of the pic)

Here's a short clip showing how cool you'll look running in a pair of Skechers GO Run:

For more information on Skechers GO Run, visit their official website at this link. You may also like Skechers on Facebook via this link.

Thanks to Ma'am Vimz Mendoza and Michelle Obligacion for the invite!

Runrio's RUNew Updates: Finisher's Freebies and Free Shuttle Service

2012-02-01T02:21:00.006+08:00

Here are some additional information for the RUNew event.

21k finishers will receive a medal and a shirt.
10k finishers will receive a shirt.

Finisher's shirt

FREE SHUTTLE SERVICE

Registered runners can avail of a free bus ride (Limited slots only).

Runners can register at Riovana BHS or by sending PM at Runrio Facebook account starting Thursday, February 2. Runners need to present complete name and bib/bib number to qualify.

Pick up point on race day will be at Riovana BHS.

Assembly time is 3:00.
The bus will leave at exactly 3:30am.
Bus leaves Alabang 8:30 am.

Race for the Orphans on February 12, 2012

2012-01-28T18:40:00.004+08:00

WHAT: Race for the Orphans
WHEN: February 12, 2012 (Sunday)
WHERE: Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City

REGISTRATION PERIOD: January 7, 2012 to February 11, 2012 (12nn to 8pm)
RACE CATEGORIES AND REGISTRATION FEES:
- P600 for 10k
- P400 for 5k
RACE KIT INCLUDES: Race bib with timing tag and singlet
REGISTRATION VENUES:
- Secondwind Running Store: Quezon City and Ortigas Branches
- A Runners Circle (ARC): Roxas Blvd. corner Quirino Avenue
- ROX: Bonifacio High Street, BGC, Taguig
RACE BONUS: All registered runners have a chance to win a free trip for 2 to Boracay!

Singlet Design

RACE WRITE-UP:

A race for the orphans, a race for your hearts! A very special race for the month of the heart—The Race For The Orphans will stir the Camp Aguinaldo Grounds in the still misty morning of February 12, 2011 each not only to experience running the peaceful grounds of the military camp but to take part in answering the orphans cry for love and compassion.

It is with this aim that Rundezvous Events Inc., will stage this event that will provide scholarship grants through “I-Hope”, a trust fund that will support the educational needs of these orphans of soldiers killed in action in Mindanao and for future grantees of the AFP Educational Benefit System (AFPEBS).

Each runner pays a modest registration fee of P600.00 for the 10k run and P400.00 for the 5k run. Inclusive with this fee is a nice running singlet available in various sizes, a Timing tag, race bib number and a goodie bag from our sponsors.

Our registration Centers will be at the Secondwind Running Stores in Ortigas and Quezon City; ROX at Bonifacio High Street and at A Running Circle (ARC) along Quirino Avenue corner Roxas Blvd., Manila.

“We shall leave no soldiers’ orphan behind”. This is the AFP Educational Benefit System Office’s (AFPEBSO) tagline, an organization which deeply recognizes the heroism in each Filipino soldier. It is one of the morale and welfare outfits of the Armed Forces of the Philippines that grant educational benefits both to the military personnel and their dependents with the aim of helping them secure a brighter future. As it recognizes our soldiers' heroism, especially of those who lay down their lives in protecting peace, AFPEBSO gives priority to the orphans of Filipino soldiers who were killed in action.

We’ll see you at Camp Aguinaldo on February 12, 2012!

For inquiries, please call or text:
Abet: 09158030224 or Zarina: 09165217400
Or call Phone: 6(32) 3829659 c/o of Salie Guarin.

Subic International Marathon: 21k in 21 Photos

2012-01-24T23:53:00.030+08:00

It was another fun-filled out-of-town trip for the Team Alpha1 boys last January 21-22, 2012. I and six of my running teammates went to Subic, Olongapo for lots of eating. And oh yes, I forgot. Running too!

Now here are 21 photos from our Subic adventure:

1
We went in two separate cars - mine and Daves'. We met at a Caltex station near the San Fernando exit at NLEX. We went on a convoy after the meet-up.

2
Upon arriving at Subic, we were famished! We came across Texas Joe's. And oh boy the food was heavenly.

3
I ordered spare ribs. Yuuuummmmm! And I did something I haven't done for a long time - order extra rice! Haha!

4
Texas Joe's is just a few meters away from where we will be staying - Subic Park Hotel. We made it just in time for the 2pm check-in.

5
Our Deluxe rooms were spacious! My roommates were Bryan "FFS" and Martin "Coyote". I was supposed to take a nap, having been tired from the long drive but I opened my laptop instead and checked work emails. Loser!

6
Around 5pm, we went out and searched for a "meryenda" place. A friend of Daves recommended a place called Xtremely Xpresso. The place was just a walking distance from our hotel.

7
Found the place! Xtremely Xpresso Cafe!

8
Pizza and Pasta - perfect carbo-loading! I had a Bailey's-flavored Gelato ice cream for dessert.

9
On our way back to the hotel, we stopped by at the nearby church to have our photo taken. It was also a time for me to say a quick prayer for a safe and injury-free run the next day.

10
After a few hours of sleep, we were up again to do our pre-race rituals. We asked the hotel attendant to take our picture. He wished us good luck and off we went for our warm-up run!

11
I had Eugene's camera with me so I was playing around, trying to imitate Spongebob Runner, who always had his camera with him during runs and taking pictures just like the one you see above. Everyone was game and having fun every time I attempt to take pictures.

12
The gun start for the 21k runners was moved from 5am to 5:15am so we had lots of time to relax and mingle with other runners.

13
This being my first official race for this year (having just recovered from my knee injury), I planned to take it slower than my normal competitive pace. This is also Rocky's first 21k for the year so we decided to just pace each other.

14
The race route was mostly uphill for the first half. But what goes up, must come down. Mostly downhill after the half-way point U-turn. At kilometer 16, Rocky told me to go ahead as his right knee was acting up. Now alone, I did my usual strategy of targeting one runner at a time and overtaking them. I was targeting members of the Army since they have been very fast during the start of the race and were now tired. Hehe!

15
There were a lot of food vendors in the race village. Hungry, I bought an egg sandwich and a bottle of soda. Rocky ate one order of spaghetti and one order of pancit palabok. Haha! We waited for Byron to cross the finish line and then walked back to our hotel.

16
After everyone had a quick shower (including our full marathon finishers), we made it just in time for the 12nn check-out time. Here's us in the hotel lobby while settling our payables.

17
One more shot with the Subic Park Hotel logo at the background before leaving. Plan is to have lunch at Meat Plus Cafe, a must-visit restaurant in Subic!

18
My lunch - baby back ribs and carrot cake for dessert! I'd come back for that melt-in-your-mouth baby back ribs! Perfect 10!

19
Group pic in front of Meat Plus Cafe. We went to the nearby duty-free shop after. I bought lots of junk food - 60 dollars worth!

20
Martin, Bryan and Byron were all asleep in my car during the drive at SCTEX. I was fighting the urge to sleep while driving since I had no one to talk to. Good thing we had a stop-over at an NLEX gasoline station. I had my caffeine fix by ordering the strongest coffee available at Gloria Jean's. That helped me survive the remaining two hours of drive to Paranaque.

21
I love the dog tag given to the 21k finishers! Official time: 2 hours, 4 minutes, 47 seconds. Thank you Subic International Marathon! It was a great event!

RUNew 2012: Experience Runner's High in Filinvest Alabang

2012-01-24T03:29:00.017+08:00

RUNew is back! I was able to do my birthday run at RUNew 2010 at Filinvest, Alabang and it was one of those intimate race events I enjoyed. This year, Asian Hospital and Medical Center is partnering up again with RUNRIO for RUNew 2012: Run for a Better YOU!

Event Poster

RACE EVENT SPECIFICS:

WHAT: RUNew 2012
WHEN: February 26, 2012 (Sunday) 4:30am to 9am
WHERE: Filinvest, Alabang
TARGET # OF PARTICIPANTS: 3000 runners across all categories
REGISTRATION PERIOD: January 16 to February 19, 2012
REGISTRATION CENTERS:
Asian Hospital & Medical Center, MOB Lobby
2205 Civic Drive, Alabang, Muntinlupa City
Riovana Store BGC
28th St. cor. 9th Ave., Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City
Riovana Store Katipunan
3rd floor Regis Bldg. Katipunan, Quezon City
Tobys Sports
SM Mall of Asia Branch
The Athletes Foot
Robinson's Galleria Branch

Event Registration Fees

* Finisher's medal and shirt will be given to all 21k finishers.

For ONLINE REGISTRATION, click on this link.

Singlet Design

RACE MAPS:

Race beneficiary is Asian Hospital Charities Inc. Help patients who have nowhere to go because their community hospitals cannot handle their medical needs.

Register now! Run for your health. Run to help.

DNF and DNS: My Most Hated Acronyms

2012-01-24T02:04:00.007+08:00

I never wanted 2012 to start this way for me, getting injured and all. But they say there's always a first in everything, and I'll just take this as another learning experience.

HK marathon is just around the corner; and at the time I should be at my training peak, I wasn't able to run. Two consecutive running events I have been anticipating have been missed - PSE Bull Run 21k last January 8, where I was one of the first 500 lucky registrants, and Go Natural Run 21k last January 15, which I heavily promoted here in my blog site.

DNF (Did Not Finish) at PSE Bull Run 21k
I was hesitant running this event since I still haven't recovered fully from Rizal Day Run 32k. The stubborn Taurean in me made me go to BGC and meet-up with FFS and Kathy, who'll be doing 10k. I managed to do a 5:45 min/km pace at the 1st kilometer, then a slower 6:10 min/km pace at the next 2 kilometers. After that, my legs felt like lead. My shins were burning like crazy and my knees were giving up. I knew right there and then that I needed to stop. I did not want to risk my HK marathon dream by pushing myself to run a 21k I knew I could not finish. At kilometer 3, I removed my bib and made a U-turn and walked back to the starting line. My first DNF.

Kathy and Me - Pre-race (My only pic from PSE Bull Run)

DNS (Did Not Start) at Go Natural Run 21k
I knew after PSE Bull Run that I needed more time to recover. I told my Team Alpha1 teammates that I wouldn't be able to run at this event. I may have missed bonding time with my teammates, but there will be more opportunities for bonding on future events anyway.

Let me leave you with one good moving-on quote by Byrd Baggett: "Look at life through the windshield, not the rear-view mirror." I came to realize these are just two missed running events. I will recover and be back on the road again soon.

Runrio Go Natural Run Registration EXTENDED!

2012-01-09T21:23:00.003+08:00

Updates from Runrio site:

"Registration for RunRio’s very first race for 2012, the GO NATURAL RUN 2012 is extended until January 11 in all store registration sites except for the RIOVANA Store wherein registration will be available until Friday, January 13.
Special prizes and raffle items await lucky runners on race day, January 15 at the BGC! Register now and help contribute in the efforts to promote Early Childhood Diabetes Education."

Rizal Day Run 32km OVERHEAT!

2012-01-02T05:41:00.013+08:00

I'm blogging this late as I'm still undergoing the different stages of grief. It has been more than 2 weeks already since the Rizal Day 32km run. This has been my last run for 2011. Unfortunately, also my last run to date.

With a few weeks left before the HK Marathon big day, I was trying to increase mileage the last week of December. I did a 32km run on a treadmill December 26 (Monday), recovered for a few days, and then joined the December 30 (Friday) Rizal Day 32km Run. That's 64 kilometers in a week, the highest I've reached in my 10-week training thus far! That crazy move is now bugging me as a big mistake.

It was my first time joining a Bald Runner event, and first time running in Camp Aguinaldo as well. I did not know what to expect, but my Team Alpha1 running teammates were positive I'm in for a treat. The race route is simple, 4 and 3/4 times a 7 kilometer loop, roughly 32 kilometers. I got feedback though that this would exceed the target distance a bit.

Only Eugenator from TA1 was present in the event and I was expecting to be a lone runner (as his pace is impossible to follow). Upon gun start, Eug sped off and I was taking it slow, with the not-so-well-lit race path ahead. I decided to pick up pace once a little bit of sun appears. With only about 200 runners in attendance, the race was intimate, and in a few minutes I already felt the lead pack was far ahead from me and runners behind me were way back.

I got surprised when a familiar runner was already running beside me - Kampuger of Team Powerpuff Boys. I now have company! And he said he'd pace me as well. Him being a fan of BR events, this was his 3rd consecutive Rizal Day Run, so he's very familiar with the route. Any fear I had of getting lost inside the camp was gone. He was quick to notice changes in the hydration stations - he knew where they should be but got a bit disappointed when the stations changed as he has already plans on his hydration. There I was, a runner who never plans on my hydration, realizing I'm still a runner newbie. In the 7k loop, there were only 2 hydration stations, 3.5km apart. Kampuger kept mentioning we should take it slow given this hydration situation.

Ronnel aka Kampuger - my great RDR pacer

Running with the TPPB Mamaws - Ronnel and Mark

Kampuger was generous on giving training tips while running, so the repetitive loops did not bother me much. I was doing a good performance, with a 1:54 21km; I was ecstatic I could repeat sub-2 21ks! However by kilometer 25, I was already feeling tired. The sun was up and I am not used to heat trainings. Ronnel kept motivating me to continue running, and giving me some walk breaks at certain points so that I could rest a bit. The big race bonus is, when our Soleus GPS watches hit 32km, it displayed 2:58! Doing a sub-3 32km is so much an achievement, but since we're expecting the race to exceed 32km, we still had an unfinished business.

At the final stretch, with the finish line in sight, I told Ronnel to go on. He still has the energy to sprint the final part of the race; I didn't. Slow jogging, I arrived at the finish line in 3:06:52. My GPS watch registered 33.16km.

I found out I placed 20th overall (Eug was 2nd place, woah!). I should be celebrating but I was feeling something wrong. I felt a bit light-headed so I sat and closed my eyes at the covered area in the camp. Eug noticed something was wrong too, as he kept asking me if I was OK. I was already feeling numbness on my arms, making me panic more. The moment Eug suggested for me to drink more water, I ran to the nearest water station at the finish line area, splashed cups of water on my head (I think I wasted 5-6 cups) and drank 5 cups of water. The realization I was dehydrated and experiencing overheat came to me just in time. I don't want to think what could have happened if I ignored Eug's advice. I returned to the camp stage feeling better. Good thing there were also free doughnuts which were quite a life-saver.

20th place (out of 200) WOOT!

Official race results - 3:06:52

Race performance - what a slow final 4 kilometers!

I got 3 dead toenails, an injured left knee, and an almost loss-of-consciousness during this race. Will I do this race again? Definitely! Hopefully, I could recover quickly and be back on the road training.

Holiday Running Rewards

2012-01-02T00:34:00.004+08:00

I've rewarded myself two items for my December running feats: a Soleus 1.0 GPS watch for finishing my first ever sub-2 21k race at QCIM, and a new pair of running shoes, New Balance 1090, for achieving a back-to-back 21k PR at the Milo Marathon finals. Yay, i love awarding myself with something for my achievements!

Soleus 1.0 GPS Watch - I've used this a couple of times and I love it!

New Balance 1090, lightweight stability. Still for break-in.

Thank You God for a great 2011 - for giving me the strength, endurance and patience in my running training. 2012 will only get better. Happy New Year, everyone!

First Blogcon: Runrio's Go Natural Run

2012-01-01T16:07:00.010+08:00

I'll start 2012 by blogging about my first blog-con experience. You've probably read about the details of Runrio's Go Natural Run from my previous promotional blog post here.

Last December 12, I got surprised by an email I received in my Yahoo inbox. It's an email from Ma'am Vimz (Kulitrunner), inviting me to a running event launch. I was excited by the invite and immediately sent her an SMS confirmation. The launch is to be held the next day, dinner time, at Resort's World. I had work that time but since RW is just near my place, I decided I could still attend the event; work can wait. This is an opportunity I wouldn't want to miss.

Ma'am Vimz' email invite

I then asked a fellow blogger and Team Alpha1 teammate Daves if he was going to attend the event. I was a bit hesitant going if I did not have any known company with me. Luckily he was attending too. Another TA1 teammate, Jayson, is also in attendance.

I've been to Resort's World a couple of times but have not yet been to Maxim's Hotel. Passion Restaurant is located there - an authentic Chinese resto.

I was "starstruck" by the number of bloggers I saw at the event. Some faces I could already match with their blogging/running monickers since I like visiting different running sites during my spare time. Daves was whispering people's names (and their corresponding blog sites) to me but honestly, I could not remember them all. All of these bloggers seem bonded already through the number of launches they've been to, but they seem like a jolly bunch of people to be with. As usual, Ma'am Vimz is very accommodating, and I didn't even feel like a blogger newbie the way she treated me.

Event banner at the launch venue

Yummy Chinese food!

After dinner, the actual program commenced. Details about the event were shared to everyone. I had to take note of some of the information shared so that I'd not forget to include them when I blog about Go Natural Run. Bloggers were also given an opportunity to ask questions and raise concerns about the event.

Sample 21k finisher's shirt

Group shot - Coach Rio, organizers, sponsors, bloggers

Me, Pandesalrunner, Barefootdaves - showing-off our free 21k race kits

Again, thanks Ma'am Vimz for the blog-con invite!

35th Milo Marathon: Day for Back-to-back 21k PRs!

2011-12-18T18:24:00.017+08:00

Fresh from my QCIM sub-2 ecstasy, never did I expect out-performing the PR that I have set there, not a week after. But I did! And until now, it surprises me so.

I've joined the 34th Milo Marathon last year, participating in the 10k category. This year, on the event's 35th anniversary, I wanted to get my hands on the 21k finisher's medal, so I registered early to secure a slot. A cut-off time of 2 hours and 30 minutes will be imposed for runners wishing to get a medal, an additional motivation to do well on the race.

Bryan FFS that my legs should now be accustomed to the sub-2 pace, so he's pressuring me to do another sub-2. I'm not sure if I could pull it off but since running in Mall of Asia and Roxas Boulevard is running mostly on flat terrain, I told myself I'd give it a shot.

By the early morning of December 11, I did my pre-race routine: wake up at 1am, have peanut butter sandwich, banana and coffee breakfast, have a quick shower, and don my running gear. I wore the Milo-provided green singlet since I thought it was a requirement to wear it during the race, but I still brought my lucky red Nike Team Alpha1 singlet, just in case. When I found out that my teammates were all wearing their TA1 tops, I ditched the Milo singlet and changed to Alpha-mode.

My game plan is to follow FFS' pace and see until what point I could survive doing his pace. During the start of the race, we were also pacing with Beeps and Kampuger of Team Power Puff Boys. Unlike my QCIM race start wherein I could not even talk, this time I noticed I'm much more relaxed and I could converse with FFS while doing a 5:10 min/km pace! I also tried forefoot strike and FFS noticed an improvement on my running form.

Well, that was until about kilometer 14. That time, FFS told me I'm losing my form. I was already tired and I could already feel the pain of blisters on my feet. I can also feel my calves were giving up, even though I was wearing compression socks. I had no choice but to go back to heel strike.

At kilometer 16, FFS told me to go ahead and run at my own pace. Below picture was taken by Ms Mars of Pinoyfitness after I passed the final flyover on my way back to MoA.

Photo courtesy of Ms Mars of PF

At the kilometer-19 hydration station, I stopped to take a sip of water. During this break, i walked and told myself I don't want to run anymore. I think it was more mental exhaustion than physical. Then I heard someone shouting behind my back. "Go, go, go!!!" It was FFS, urging me to run. It was as if I had an invisible arm pushing me to move forward. So I ran and did not stop for the final 3 kilometers.

Almost at the finish line!

I clocked in at 1 hour, 51 minutes and 19 seconds. Another new personal best. 5 seconds later, FFS arrived in the finish line and congratulated me. Coach Bry, you're the best!

With medals and loot bags at hand

After the race, my legs were so sore. My calves were literally screaming because of pain; I can't even walk right! I knew it would take some time for me to recover. But nothing, nothing could ever dampen my (running) spirit.

We had a quick change then went back to the finish line area to wait for our TA1 marathon qualifiers (and my idols) - Jayson, Jualyn, Chad and Eugene. How I wish someday I could qualify just like they did.

Chad, Deemen, FFS, Pandesalrunner, Armbanded, Eugenator, Sprintingswine

It was my first time to use my recently purchased Soleus GPS watch on a running event. I plotted my per kilometer performance. I did my fastest pace on two kilometers: kilometer 4 and (surprise, surprise!) kilometer 21!

Excel geek

Three days later the official results were released. I placed 71st out of 1480 21k runners. That's top 4.8% of the population. And this being the Milo Marathon event is quite something.

Success!!!

Indeed, "great things start from small beginnings." Thanks Milo and Runrio for one of 2011's best running events.

Go Natural Run: Runrio's Year-starter Running Event

2011-12-14T11:56:00.016+08:00

Let's all start the year right by joining Runrio's year-starter running event - GO NATURAL RUN 2012: A Run for Early Child Diabetes Education. The race will be held on January 15, 2012 at Bonifacio Global City (BGC).

The race features 4 race categories: 3k, 5k, 10k and 21k. The 5k race is a special category sponsored by Resorts World, so expect a bit more freebies when you join here (hint, hint...).

Registration fees and race kit inclusions are as below:
NOTE: No finisher's medal for 21k.

Online registration can be done on this link and will be available until January 8, 2012.

In-store registration is until January 8, 2012 (8pm) as well, and can be done on the following venues:

RIOVANA

•9th Ave corner 28th Street, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig

Tobys/RUNNR

•Level 1 Shangri-La Plaza Mall, Edsa cor. Shaw Blvd., Ortigas Center

•G/F Entertainment Mall, SM Mall of Asia, Pasay City

Planet Sports

•2/F Trinoma Mall, North Ave., cor. Pagasa, Quezon City

•2F Glorietta 3, Makati City

The Athelete’s Foot

•3/F Robinson’s Galleria, EDSA Cor. Ortigas Ave., Quezon City

•2/F Twin Cinema Arcade, Alabang Town Center, Alabang

You may get to choose from 4 different singlet colors (subject to color and size availability of course): BLUE, GREEN, ORANGE and RED:
As mentioned there will be no finisher's medal for the 21k participants but in my opinion the nice, high-quality shirt more than makes up for it.
Now for the more generous race registrants who'd want to donate more for the advocacy, a donation of an additional 150 pesos will get you the shirt below, to be given on the race day.
Here's a quick teaser clip of the race event:

Proceeds of the event will go to ABS-CBN's Ako ang Simula.
Join now! Live healthy. Go natural.

QCIM Sub-2 Half-Marathon Euphoria

2011-12-09T23:32:00.016+08:00

After eight 21-km runs this year, I finally managed to shatter my previous personal record of 2 hours 6 minutes and 55 seconds last Condura Skyway Marathon 2010 --- IN A SUB-2 FINISH!

It all happened the morning of Sunday, December 4, at the QCIM running event.

The week before, the anxiety and pressure was a bit overwhelming. I was still hesitant to attempt running a sub-2 half-marathon, with my fastest performance this year only at 2:12:14 (back in CamSur). It didn't help either that I had Saturday work scheduled, with my normal race-mode weekend sleeping pattern altered. I was already at the McKinley office 7pm Saturday, and worked the entire night until 3am in the morning. I brought a pillow with me, in high hopes I could at least insert an hour or two of sleep. I had zero.

Good thing it was an almost-perfect execution of work activities, which i only presume was a precursor of (positive) things to come. So with high hopes, I geared-up, left the office, and drove to Quezon City.

FFS, Rocknrolly, Ms Mars of PF, Me, Rocky, Armbanded

It was Bryan (FFS) who planted the idea of the sub-2 21k attempt to the Team Alpha1 members who haven't done a sub-2 yet. Since we had back-to-back 21k races (QCIM and Milo) this December, we still have another shot at Milo if ever we miss doing it in QCIM. A good plan. But it's the executing part that worries me.

Bryan and Rolly were kind enough to offer sub-2 pacer duties to TA1. I know that I perform better on races when someone else is giving me the push. This time, with no sleep at all, I will be relying on another thing to give me a different kind of kick - GU Roctane energy gels. This is the first time I'll try these. Desperate times call for desperate measures. Haha!

During the first few kilometers, I had difficulty with my breathing. I could barely talk. When FFS talks to me, I reply with a simple nod. After 5-6 kilometers of warm-up, I was able to pick-up the pace though. I think it was Roctane doing its job by that time. I was becoming hyper. FFS would occasionally remind me to reserve energy for the last 5 kilometers. Thanks to him, I was able to control my energy reserves for later.

By kilometer 16, FFS told me we were a bit off-track, and that he needs to slow down due to cramps (tsk, tsk, alcohol intake). He let me go, with a final advice that I should maintain the pace. And with that, I was alone.

The rolling hills of Commonwealth Avenue were now taking its toll on my body. I then did what was the only logical thing to do at that time: PRAY. I sought strength, I sought endurance. I had no GPS watch so I had no idea what my pace was. I just kept going, and gave it my all. Upon sight of the Quezon Memorial, it dawned to me that the finish line is drawing near. As I entered the memorial circle curve on that final stretch, I kept asking myself "Did I make it?"

Eugene made me sprint!

YES I DID! The time I looked at the digital timer, it read 1:59:04. Everything went like a blur after. Eugene was at the finish line and congratulated me, but I still could not believe it. When Bry arrived, I gave him the thumbs up and he understood. I saw how proud he was with my achievement, but I was more proud to share this achievement with my entire team.

Cloud 9 moment captured!

QCIM not only marks my first sub-2, but also the first full marathon of our teammate Marvin (Martian). Jesy (Sprintingswine) was his pacer.

Waiting in the rain for our marathon finishers!

Congratulations Martian! Virgin (marathoner) no more!

Post-race breakfast at Max's

The results were released 2 days after. My official time is 1 hour, 58 minutes and 51 seconds. I ran my fastest pace at the final kilometers of the race.

Race Results

Thanks to QCIM! This definitely will be one of my most memorable race. But according to Coach Bry, I should not stop here and continue to strive for improvement. Time to focus now on my running form. On to the next challenge!

Running 21k... On a Treadmill!

2011-12-05T05:13:00.006+08:00

A typical Sunday for me would involve an early morning long distance race event. November 27 was an exception, as there were 7 race events that day, but none offering 21k (maximum 10k category only).

Since I do not want to miss any Sunday long runs, I decided to try long distance running on a treadmill. My teammate from Team Alpha1 Rolly told me it's a good mental training. Our teammate and idol Eugene did a full marathon (42k) and ultramarathon (50k) on a treadmill as part of his BDM training.

With 1 week to go before I attempt a sub-2 21k run, I sort of wanted to simulate how my quick my legs should move to meet the target time, and to assess if it's even plausible for me to do a sub-2 already.

The Gold's gym treadmills have a 99-minute maximum run time (approximately running 15 to 17 kilometers), so I had to split my training run into two. I decided to run the first 15 kilometers at a constant 6 min/km pace, then finish strong with the final 6 kilometers at 5:42 min/km pace. The latter pace is the pace I needed to maintain to make it to the sub-2 goal. I did not want to push myself too much by doing the entire 21k on this pace.

I finished with a total time of 2 hours, 3 minutes and 56 seconds. A glimmer of hope for my sub-2 dream. :)

Call me crazy but a treadmill is my training best friend

Happy

2011-12-04T18:14:00.003+08:00

Just a short note for the day. December 4 is just too perfect. Flawless execution of an activity for our client at work, an unexpected PR at a 21k race, and great bonding with the best running team in the world.

Thank you Lord!

Full Marathon Training Plan - 6 Weeks Done!

2011-11-30T20:16:00.007+08:00

I'm currently following a 16-week training plan for my upcoming HongKong Marathon on Feb 2012. The training plan is for a sub-4 marathon, which I'm not really targeting. I'll faint if I even finish in sub-4:30. Haha! However, I just like to follow a training program, to the best of my ability, given a number of factors which would make me miss some training days - work, illness, or just simple laziness.

I track my progress in a simple MS Excel worksheet. So far I've logged an approximate 225km in 6 weeks, versus the 290km recommended by the program. Sigh. That's just 77.6% of the needed mileage.

The next 10 weeks will only get tougher.

Running Tagaytay Highlands: EPIC!

2011-11-28T02:27:00.023+08:00

Nathan Ridge Run's tagline: We'll REDEFINE road races. They didn't disappoint.

Last November 20, I and a few (suicidal) Team Alpha1 members joined what could be our most memorable race for the year - Nathan Ridge Run, at Tagaytay Highlands. As the day's designated driver (LOL!), I picked-up Coyote, FFS and Rocky at Speedygiant's Paranaque residence, where they stayed for the night. We left for the long drive around 3am in the morning.

We were greeted by race marshals at the Highlands gate, with our race bibs as entrance passes to this exclusive destination.

"Welcome Runners" banner

One of the marshals handed us a map to the location of the starting line. My navigators ensured we were on the right path by following closely the directions on the map.

The controversial map.

We arrived at Midlands, quite surprised that we were the first one to arrive. Not a single soul was in sight (shudders...). I parked my car at this very dark and creepy parking lot. Martin was even joking of a man sitting at a far bench, looking at us. Someone got scared, but I won't divulge who.

A security guard on a motorcycle arrived (whew!) and told us we were on the wrong location. The starting line of the race is at the Highlands, not Midlands. We showed him our map and he pointed us to the correct location. It turned out that the map is one directing to a church for the Del Rosario-Tan wedding which happened October 22! We were laughing our asses off upon realizing what a big booboo we had.

On top of this series of comedic events, the race kits of Eugene and Maddy were in my car, and they should be presenting their race bibs at the gate to be able to enter, so we had to drive all the way back to the gate. It was already 4:20am and we lost all the free time we should have had been enjoying before the race start.

Finally we have arrived at Highlands! The buses carrying most of the runners were now arriving. I parked my car at the designated area, and we had to walk an uphill path going to the clubhouse, where the start arc is located.

FFS, Coyote, Maddy, Eugenator, Rocky, Deemen - the suicidal bunch

Team pic with the very pink Sweet Life Runner

We had a few minutes to prepare (and for some photo ops). The 21k runners were asked to assemble at the starting line, with some words of warning from the race director that what we joined in is no ordinary race. And with that, we were off!

I thought that Martin, Rocky and I could run the race together. I was wrong! The start of the race was already an uphill (or uphell, as they say), and it was so difficult to pace with another runner given we have different running styles in this type of terrain. We got separated very early in the race.

Enough of the rants. I now present to you a set of pictures highlighting my Nathan Ridge Run experience:

The crazy fog during an uphill (running) battle

I love their kilometer markers but I only had the chance to take a pic of the 7km marker.
It's an additional effort to stop and take a picture with my trembling hands. :p

Look at the background downhill path!

Guys, this is no camera trick!

Met Aldrin, who was running the same pace as I am. We ran-walked-talked until the finish line.
Merry Christmas colors!

Even walking was a struggle at the final kilometer of the race! I can't even force a smile!

After 2 hours and 43 minutes, it was all over. The grueling race was worth it - I managed to finish it injury-free!

My hardest-to-earn 21k medal (so far)

Team Picture!

21k finishers and proud!

What else comes after the hardships of a long run? A well-deserved post-race breakfast of course! We went to Leslie's Tagaytay for bulalo, sisig and crispy pata! Calories lost, calories gained. Haha!

Hungry boars.

The big question is, with the Nathan Ridge Run becoming an annual event, will I give it another try next year? Right now, the answer is no, even though it's one of my favorite races for the year. What I'm feeling right now is that it's sort of a once-in-a-lifetime race experience. It's fun yet traumatic. But we'll see. It would be a good target to set a new PR on this race, kinda lets you assess if you're getting stronger on hills.

Hard-earned medal.

Runner 0318 helped redefine a road race.

New 32k PR at Unilab Run 2011

2011-11-25T03:30:00.009+08:00

I promised myself I'll be having a new PR at the 32k Afroman distance the next race opportunity. Last 2010 at the Unilab Run United 2, I finished in 4 hours, 2 minutes and 19 seconds. This year in Unilab Run United 3, I slashed 35 minutes off that time and clocked in at a strong 3 hours, 26 minutes and 50 seconds!

Thanks to the weekend long runs and weekly trainings at McKinley hill, I've managed to increase my endurance on long distance running. The 25k run the previous week at the NB Power Run event worked to my advantage, as I have a gauge already of how I need to conserve energy at the latter part of the race.

I paced with two Team Alpha1 teammates - Martin (Coyote) and our new member Byron (Achilles). We were targeting for a sub 3:30 finish, with a need to sustain a 6:15 to 6:20 minutes per kilometer pace. The plan was also to do a steady start, pick-up speed at the middle and finish strong.

By kilometer 22, Coyote declared a "walk break" which I did not want to entertain. I knew that if I walked with 10 kilometers to go, fatigue will set-in. I decided to go ahead; I wanted to keep my legs moving. At around 7:30am, I started to feel the heat. It was not particularly helpful that we were running in Roxas boulevard area where there's very little shade. Hunger also started to kick-in, with no banana stations and no Powerade drinks in hydration stations. I just managed to be content on small sips of water at every hydration station I pass through.

At the final curve with the finish line in sight, I was elated to see 3:26 on the digital timer display. With a bit of a sprint, I crossed the 32km arc in 3:26:50. I did it! I performed above target!

Deemen, FFS, Rocknrolly, Achilles, Bandit

A few more meters to the finish line!

Post-race breakfast at Dennis the Grill Boy, Mall of Asia (Welcome, TA1 Byron!);
Watched the Pacquiao-Marquez controversial match after

"You passed 134 runners!" Oh yeah!

Next year, I'd probably eye for a sub 3:10 finish. Well it doesn't hurt to dream anyway.

Run, Rain and Pain: 25k at the New Balance Power Run

2011-11-23T00:36:00.011+08:00

I'm not a fan of the rain. I miss gym workout sessions when it rains. I miss my running training program when it rains. I'd rather stay home and keep dry.

All that changed on a rainy, Sunday morning of November 6, when I forced myself to go out of bed, and attend the NB Power Run event. I didn't want my money to go to waste; I paid 1000 bucks as registration fee for this! Hehe!

Good thing I'm all geared-up for the downpour. I had my running jacket on as well as a cap to protect my eyes from the rain. My pair of shoes helps keep out water as well. Puddles of water were everywhere, and there was a particular area in the race route were flood waters were about an ankle high. Runners had no choice but to submerge their running feet. Wet shoes... Wet socks... Blisters!

Luckily, I had running company with me, my teammates from Team Alpha1 Coyote and FFS. FFS graciously offered to pace me and Martin. No pressure for me though, as this is my first 25k event, with a sure PR as long as I finish. I appreciated how FFS controlled our pace at the first few kilometers - making us slow down on road bends, advising us to keep steady on uphills, and on top of that, running ahead of us when we're approaching hydration stations and handing us cups of water as soon as we reach the water station. Now that's good pacer service!

We picked up pace at the final 10 kilometers, and by this time, we were overtaking a lot of runners who weren't able to manage to balance their energy reserves well. FFS' strategy worked! We managed to finish in 2 hours, 36 minutes and 59 seconds. Given the weather condition, that's a great time.

Almost at the finish line!

Team Alpha1 25k Finishers

Post-race breakfast at Pancake House

Runpix Analysis - Notice the negative split at the final 11k!

Now the only problem I had with this race is why the heck the finisher's medallion given during registration? If there's any rationale to that, I'd like to know.

Online Raffle Winner! Woot!

2011-11-07T14:54:00.006+08:00

(Gift voucher photo courtesy of Kulitrunner's site)

I love reading other runners' blogs. One site I frequently visit is Kulitrunner's site since she's almost always first in announcing details of Runrio races. Last October 30, she posted a blog entry, letting 5 lucky readers win a complimentary race kit in Run United 3. I seldom join raffles since I feel luck is not on my side, but when I read this particular contest, I really felt good so I gave it a try.

3 days later, the winners were announced. Snippet of the blog entry on the image below:
Thank you Ma'am Vimz for this great running gift! I have registered already in RU3 32k (did not want to rely on chance alone) but Ma'am Vimz told me the voucher is transferable (but should never be sold) so my Team Alpha1 teammate Speedygiant will be using it for the 15k category.

Time to join more online running contests! Haha!

Signed-up for my 2nd Full Marathon!

2011-11-01T01:18:00.004+08:00

Hongkong, baby!

Flight - Check!
Hotel Booking - Check!
Full marathon training - Started last October 17!

I'm soooo excited since this is the first out of the country trip of Team Alpha 1. This will be my 3rd visit to HK. I love this city!

Hopefully my HK full marathon time significantly improves compared to my epic fail Singapore Marathon last year. Train, Noel, train!!!

Adobo Run - My First Official Night Race

2011-11-01T00:05:00.011+08:00

Last October 29, Saturday, I officially ran my first night race at the Adobo Run After Dark race event. I did not consider Nike We Run Manila as a night race because a.) the gunstart was at 5pm and b.) I finished 10k even before sunset. (Can you just feel I'm such a Nike Run hater? :p)

I thought Team Alpha 1 would be well-represented in this race but it turned out that only myself and Bryan FFS ran the 15k category. Barefoot Daves participated in the 5k category but he had to continue on his 25-kilometer LSD so I wasn't able to see him post-race.

We met KB and Mish - they did a competitive 5k run with Mish having a 6-minute head start. (Mish eventually won.)
The gunstart was crazy - it was announced in posters and Facebook posts earlier that 3k gunstart was at 8:10pm, 5k gunstart at 8:20pm and 15k gunstart at 8:30pm. Well guess what happened on race night? It was completely reversed and on different times! 3k costume runners were surprised to have been given the go signal to run 7:50pm. 5k runners were released around 8:20pm and 15k runners were the last to start at around 8:50pm. None of the original gunstart times were followed. I wonder what caused this but it definitely pissed-off a number of runners. I saw a lot of confused runners' faces.

Still, I enjoyed the race. The route was nice even though 15k runners had to bear doing 3 loops. The route was vehicle-free, much to runners' delight, hydration was ample, and lighting was satisfactory. I still haven't recovered fully from sickness, but after recovering from the initial feeling of heaviness of my legs, I began enjoying the cool breeze and increased my running pace. While running, all I'm thinking about is making it to the first 500 finishers since I really wanted to receive one of the limited finishers' medals.

During the last loop, I felt I passed a lot of 15k runners and I was excited that I'm going to have a strong race finish. Here's a pic take just before I reached the finish line. Triumphant!
I got the medal! Yay! (Photo courtesy of Adobo Run After Dark Official FB Page)
Surprisingly, I placed 50th among 400+ 15k runners when the results were released:
BUT (there's always a but) - here's the catch: Race Director Edward Kho released an official statement:

To all adobo Run participants. All the 3 race categories were indeed short as there was a considerable distance that were truncated in favor of the safety of all runners and consideration of motorists (the run was originally supposed to go out to Macapagal, pass along EDSA and cross the intersections of Coral and Bradco). All of that were scrapped in view of a major traffic flow because of the long weekend rush. I will own up to that shortcoming. It was a decision I had to make. Runners' safety (which includes provision for hydration and marshaling) and enjoyment of running and consideration of other road users are my utmost concerns in putting executing a race. If anybody felt cheated I am conveying my apologies to them.

So in effect, I just ran 13.5 kilometers. I'm still happy though because with my time, I managed to maintain an average of 5:30 pace which is the fastest I've ran this year. I'm gradually building up speed again. Yeah!

(Nike) We Run as (Adidas) Kings of the Road

2011-10-31T00:29:00.013+08:00

The eternal rivalry between big brands Nike and Adidas - even in race events they're both trying to outdo each other. Nike We Run Manila was scheduled October 15, 2011 - a late afternoon Saturday race; Adidas King of the Road follows one week after, October 23, 2011 as a normal early Sunday morning race. Both are international events, with legs in other Asian cities. Both also have (outrageous) race kit claiming events. The most peculiar commonality though is that both races have the same organizer - Runrio.

RACE KIT CLAIMING EVENTS:

Both WE Run and KOTR had 3-day race claiming events in BGC area, with two days overlapping. Imagine the surge of people queuing up on the claiming locations after work hours.

First stop: KOTR at the NBC Tent, October 10, 2011. I and two TA1 teammates Daves and Rolly met-up and had a sumptuous dinner at Itallianis (and yogurt at Hobbes) before getting our hands on our KOTR race kits.

Cibo delizioso! Pre-birthday celebration of Rolly:Normal hair, afro hair, long hair, no hair (LOL!) - with Coach Rio:
Next stop: Nike We Run Manila race kit claiming in front of Nike Park BGC, October 13, 2011. Met up with Daves and claimed our (better-looking) race kits/bags.
With Pinoyfitness folks Ms. Mars and Jeff:
Compare: Nike and Adidas race tops. I posted this in Facebook and Nike was the clear winner.
RACE DAY:

October 15, 2011 - Nike We Run Manila. 8000 runners queued up at the starting line. Imagine that. No waves whatsoever. At 5pm gunstart, everyone started the long walk and attempted to squeeze through other runners (and walkers). It took me more than two minutes before reaching the start arc! That's how congested the area was.
Me and Earl - the only picture I have for this event - taken minutes before gunstart.
The race for me, was a disaster. 8000 runners for a single race category was simply too much to handle in BGC. I still managed to clock in at 1 hour 2 minutes, but I know I could have done better given better running space (and if race participants knew about running etiquette).

The fun part: post-race! TA1's got talent! Videoke at Red Box with the team is pure bliss! Haha! Best song of the night: Martin and Rocky's rendition of Careless Whisper. Such a classic!
October 23, 2011 - Adidas King of the Road. With different race categories offered - 10k, 16k and 21k, this one's obviously better-managed. I was really looking forward to this 21k event, but unfortunately, I caught a bad case of flu days before. Friends advised me not to run anymore, but I just couldn't resist to get my hands on that three-striped medal.

Strategy: Take 1000 mg of Alaxan 1 hour before the race to make my body numb. It worked! I still managed to finish in 2 hours and 13 minutes, though I really hated parts of the race when I had to deal with runny nose, my breathing definitely was affected.

Here's me running in my takbo.ph singlet! Got thinner after just a few days of being sick. :(
I wore my KOTR singlet after the race. Here's me and the rest of the TA1 KOTR runners after a hearty breakfast meal at Kabisera.
AND THE WINNER IS: Adidas KOTR! Sorry Nike, but there are a lot of improvement areas you need to focus on next year. KOTR has learned a lot from the previous years, and the KOTR medal this year is one of the best in my medal collection, so I am quite biased. :p

Octoberun Festival 2011

2011-10-30T23:56:00.006+08:00

A hybrid team - Team Alpha 1 Max, composed of 25 well-oiled machines (or runners), joined the 21k team event. I joined the run to support my halimaw teammates, and to pace my TA1 teammate Rocky in this event.

Here's Rocky and I on the last few kilometers - Rocky smiling, and me forcing one. Haha!
Post-race, while waiting for the 25-runner team category results (Martin and Gian not wearing their TA1 singlets):
Rocky, Armbanded, Sprintingswine, FFS, Eugenator, Martian, Deemen, Chad:
TA1 Max did not place due to some race technicalities, but an average time of 1 hour and 40 minutes for its 25 runners is a feat worthy of a win.

Camsur Marathon: I am Ferdinand (What?!)

2011-10-30T16:47:00.019+08:00

What a weird blog title. Haha! Let me explain.

Since my running comeback, I've been regularly attending Team Alpha 1's weekly race events. A surprising text message from Bryan (FFS) arrived early week of September telling me one of the supposed participants has backed-out of the trip, and I could use his plane ticket. Free airfare to Camsur? I didn't need much convincing.

The dilemma? I need to pose as this person during the flight so I had to present a fake identification in the airport. My god, am I really blogging about this? Haha! And you guessed that right, his name's Ferdinand.

With the help of a 'master' forger, I was able to get my hands on a very convincing fake identification card (let's just leave this person's identity secret; he might get apprehended). Haha!

Let's fast-forward to our arrival at Naga. Runners were greeted at the airport with much hospitality. I really felt the government's effort in making CamSur one of the premier race destinations in the country. The welcome party didn't disappoint and is just a precursor of things to come.

Here's the team upon arrival at the CWC reception:
We had a lot of food trips (or carbo-loading to lessen the guilt). Here's us after dinner and sound trip (!!!) at Triboo Grill.
Race day finally came. Numerous shuttles brought runners to their respective starting points. The wait time was long, but the atmosphere was festive. Fireworks lit the sky before gunstart (a little too close for comfort I'd say), the countdown commenced, and off we go!

I was pacing with Philip (BBR) at the start of the race. I think by kilometer 7 he told me to go ahead so I was mostly on my own after that. There were no U-turns, the route was basically one big loop, so there was no opportunity to get to see the other TA1 members.

It was an all-terrain race - I ran on cement, asphalt, wood (bridge), metal (bridge) and soil and mud. The scenery was tops and the air so fresh (with occasional smell of cow poo, lol!). A lot of locals were on the side streets cheering racers on, and I particularly like the kids giving runners high-fives along the way.

The last few kilometers, I paced with Daves. There were still some crazy hills before we reached the finish line. Here are our finish line photos taken by Kathy:
Team pic (BBR still missing) - all wearing our "sili" 21k medals:
Our post-race breakfast with a killer wait time! We just cheered full marathon runners on while waiting.
Dinner at Bob Marlin - best food award! Haha! Ms. Mars of Pinoyfitness graced the occasion (parang celebrity lang, hehe!).
The following morning was a different story! Typhoon Pedring arrived, signal number 3 was declared and all flights were cancelled. It's as if Sunday's great running weather was a thing of the past, and the winds were howling crazy as we were scrambling on deciding what to do next. But the odds were still in our favor - our van driver's wife works in bus dispatching, so we were able to buy first class bus tickets going back to Manila that night. It'll be a long 8-hour trip, but we took the risk instead of waiting for the typhoon to leave (which might take days).

Presenting the Team Alpha 1 bus:
Everyone arrived safe and sound early Tuesday morning. This out-of-town trip with TA1 was a blast and will be fondly remembered. And I have to thank Ferdinand for it.

The Jump of a Lifetime

2011-10-25T15:48:00.003+08:00

Last September 21, 2011, I finally crossed one of the items from my bucket list - do a bungee jump! I did this on the highest commercial bungee jump in the world - Macau Tower, with a drop of 233 meters. I've been to Macau 5 years ago for a quick side-trip from Hongkong, and this is when I started the dream of doing that crazy jump someday.

So here it is, in all its video glory! The day I braved to jump the jump of a lifetime! Given the chance, I'd do this again in a heart beat.

AXN Run: An Almost-Perfect Race Event

2011-09-19T03:11:00.004+08:00

I have been waiting for the day wherein another race organizer would match or even top Runrio-organized races. That day has come. Race organizer Finishline, in my opinion, has given us a race today that could give Runrio a run for his money - AXN Runs Philippines, the first ever race sponsored by AXN.

Race Likes:

New Ortigas race venue with a very challenging route specially for the 21k category - passing 4 flyovers and 1 tunnel along E. Rodriguez and Katipunan Avenue.
Hydration was well thought-off - Water stations are located 1 kilometer apart along the race route wherein merging of different race categories occur. This way, wait time and congestion in water stations are much controlled. You also have a choice of water or 100 plus isotonic sports drink in all hydration stations. Water cups are small as well so there's not much waste. Hydration stations are clean and cups on the road are collected at once by race volunteers.
Digital timers at select water stations - this is a great idea from the organizers, specially for runners who don't have their own timing devices. The only issue I had with those timers is that it seems like the time is not synched with the start/finish area; the time is advanced by 2 minutes.
Portalets along the race route. Most race events force male runners to just do their thing at the side of the road. AXN Run put a bit more privacy for those who need to pee. :p
Dole Cavendish banana served in halves - race volunteers cutting those enormous Dole bananas in half so that nothing goes to waste. Smart thinking there.
Lots of post-race activities - music bands performing, lots of booths to visit.
Race village is located wherein you have a lot of choices for that hearty post-race breakfast.
And of course, a nice finisher shirt and medal (picture below).

Congratulations to Finishline to this very organized race! You've definitely raised the bar!

Team Alpha 1 21k runners - Me, Bry, Jesy and Rocky

21k Finisher shirt and Finisher Medal

First Back-to-Back 21k Races: Run United 2 and Earth Run

2011-09-04T23:14:00.026+08:00

Unilab Run United 2 - August 21, 2011 (5th Half-Marathon)

This is my 2nd time to do a pacer duty (first one's from BGC run - blog can be read at this link). Chrissie and her sister Lyn have 3-hour PRs for 21k and we set a goal of 2:30. I know 30 minutes is quite a big slash from their previous PR but it's worth a try.

I arrived early at BGC and met up with Team Alpha 1. Told them I would have to pace some friends and we'd just meet after the race for some post-race breakfast. I then went to the 21k assembly area to meet the Lim sisters.

Target is to do a 7-min per kilometer pace, which equates to 2 hours and 27 minutes for 21 kilometers. The extra 3 minutes would serve as buffer for quick water breaks.

We were doing well the first few kilometers but I could feel the high humidity and I was sweating profusely. Between kilometer 6 and 7, Chrissie told us to go ahead. She seems out of breath, and it looks like she's having an asthma attack. I asked Lyn if we should go ahead; she said we could because she knew her sister will be alright and will just finish the race with her own pace.

And so there were two. I'd regularly check on Lyn if she's ok with my pace and we'd slow down at times when she feels she needs to catch her breath or hydrate. As usual the Buendia flyover's a killer, specially on the way back to BGC. Numerous times I'd be much ahead of Lyn, and I just do quick back glances if she's still visible. I needed to do that to motivate her to keep running, because if I run beside her, I feel as if she's the one pacing me and not the other way around.

The sight of the finish line gave us a quick burst of energy as we ran the final stretch, finishing with a time of 2 hours, 41 minutes and 32 seconds, 11 minutes shy from the goal but still a big improvement from her record time. What a great feeling to make someone else set a new PR!

Camera-ready Lyn and Me - finish line in sight!

Post-race breakfast with Team Alpha 1 - Langhap sarap!

Earth Run - August 28, 2011 (6th Half-Marathon)

Peer pressure: refers to the influence exerted by a peer group in encouraging a person to change his or her attitudes, values, or behavior in order to conform to group norms. That's according to Wikipedia. :p That's what made me make a last-minute decision to change a supposed 10k run to a 21k. Bry was such bully (lol), he convinced me to run another 21k a week after Run United 2. I didn't know if I'd survive a back-to-back 21k race, now that I've just come back to running.

I usually psyche myself days before a race depending on what distance I'm about to run. A week before race day I was psyching myself to do a sub-55 minute 10k run. With only a few minutes left before gun start, I had difficulty changing my mindset.

With Team Alpha 1 - first time to don my red TA1 singlet

The entire race was a disaster - it seemed like all types of negative thoughts came to me - I'd not finish the race, I will be injured, I need to find an ambulance immediately. In fact, I was getting ankle and knee pains which I believe were just caused by these bad vibes. I needed to clear my mind and just enjoy the run. At kilometer 12, I started to feel better and I was just ignoring the race boo-boos (no water at water stations, water stations where runners share the container lid just to get a sip of water) and went on. By this time I knew I can finish this and get my hands on that finisher medal.

And as I cross the finish line after 2 hours, 22 minutes and 14 seconds later, injury-free, still feeling good and holding my finisher medal, I knew I just underestimated myself. Never again. :)

Post-race: Serenitea addicts (except Marvin, haha!)

Team Alpha1 Introductions at Rexona Run 2011

2011-09-04T16:37:00.009+08:00

Blogging definitely has grown my running friends' network. I love reading other people's blogs and how running impacted their lives. In fact, I also get inspiration from what I read in these blogs. It was also on one of the blogs that I met Bryan (FFS). Early this year, he told me he was planning to come up with a running group, and asked me if I was interested to join. I was, but the timing was not right for me to commit yet because of what is to come with work and travel. So I had to delay joining.

And so Team Alpha1 was born. And while I was on a long business travel, I just had Facebook to see how the team members bonded every single race they've joined in. It looked like it was a very fun group to be with.

When I got back, Bryan was still as most welcoming for me on joining the team. Almost everyone from TA1 has registered in Runrio's Rexona Run 2011 on the 21k category, and so this was the perfect opportunity for me to get to meet them.

TA1 members were on pacer duties on this run, with one group doing a sub-2:00 pace, with another doing a sub-2:30 pace. I started to be introduced to each member, but they didn't know I already could match the names with the faces as I did my homework by memorizing names from the team's FB account (Haha!). I kept fairly quiet though as I'm still adjusting.

I tried to follow the sub-2 pacers (Eugene, Bry, Rolly, Daves and Marvin), but this being my first 21k this year, I had difficulty catching up and had to slow down by kilometer-10. I was on my own and following my steady pace until the finish line where I clocked in at 2 hours, 15 minutes and 9 seconds, just between the time the two pacer groups finished. Haha! I should have had my own pacer bib with 2:15 written on it.

Red singlet required :p

It was Kathy's birthday so it's a post-race breakfast treat c/o Bry and Kathy! Talk about good timing! Got to meet 10 members of the team (out of 14). Cool (and funny) people to hang out with!

From L-R: Jesy, Billy, Martin, Kathy, Daves, Rolly, Bry, Rocky, Jayson, Eug, Me, Marvs

about to devour Kathy's favorite Black Forest Cake

Post-Race:

Runpix - top 25%, not bad!

Nice medal addition to my collection :)

2011 Comeback Run: Yamaha Run for the Heroes

2011-09-04T15:40:00.008+08:00

After three months overseas and not being able to run, and about half a year that passed being out of shape, I craved going back to running. I wanted a well-organized race so I registered for the nearest Runrio event - Yamaha Run for the Heroes scheduled July 3, 2011 (7 months after my last race event SCMS 2010). I'd take it slow and just registered for 10k.

I had a few weeks to go back to the gym and prepare for the race. I got really worried when I easily got tired running 5k's on a treadmill. The farthest I've run prior to the race is a 7k (and on a treadmill as well).

Come race day, I just wished the little training I did would suffice to endure the 10k distance. I was still hoping to do a sub-1. Glad to have been with HP officemates Joel and Eleni who were both running 10k too.

Finishline photo

10k finishers' photo wall

I finished with a time of 1 hour 1 minute and 16 seconds. A bit far from the goal I've set, but hell yeah it feels good to back on the road

Runpix

SCMS 2010: Virgin Marathoner No More

2011-08-30T04:17:00.015+08:00

I have waited a long time to blog about my first full marathon. I don't know why the inspiration of writing never came to me after that big Singapore event. Maybe I was too preoccupied with my Europe business travel that time. Maybe I was dreading the running hiatus that I knew would come because of work. Or maybe I was just too damn disappointed of the race result that I didn't want to share the experience anymore. But frustrations need to be set aside. Now that I'm back to running, I realized I've got nothing to be ashamed of. Finishing a full marathon is an achievement, with only a percent of the world's population being able to successfully accomplish. So now with a fresh outlook, I'd like to share my first full marathon experience, and attempt to recount those days of December 2010 when I finally became a marathoner.

PRE-RACE

The race kit collection for international registrants was one of the most organized I've seen. The buildup of excitement was tremendous as I first held my race singlet and personalized race bib.

Eugene and I at the race kit collection entrance - look at those excited faces!

Race bibs at hand!

Race bib and that gorgeous Asics singlet

RACE DAY

After two days of enjoying the city, the big day has finally come - December 5, 2010, race day! I've had very little sleep, what with the anxiety and the excitement and all other thoughts running through my head. Am I really prepared for this?

Full marathon map - seeing entire Singapore City on foot!

Eugene and I arrived at the Orchard, the starting point for the full marathon, 2 hours before gun start. Everything seems to be well-set, and as runners filled-up the road, the anticipation grew until that much-awaited countdown to race start.

Early birds at the starting arch

Festive, well-lit Orchard

I ran. I was intimidated by this massive number of runners from all over the world who traveled all the way to Singapore to join in this race, but I tried to keep up. I told Eugene to go ahead at the early part of the race because I could not keep up with his pace. I felt alone but still determined to do what I can to finish strong.

From one kilometer marker to the next, I felt like its going to take ages before I could get to the finish line. Race marshals and volunteers cheer runners on, which helped a bit in boosting up my energy. I was running like I ran my first half-marathon at the Condura Run - the adrenaline rush kept me on. By kilometer 21, I even beat my personal best by a couple of minutes.

But by kilometer 22, the unexpected happened - I hit the wall. 10 kilometers early than the normal. I was anticipating that dreaded wall to come in at least by kilometer 32, but it struck way earlier and it struck hard. My legs felt like lead. I started walking and I felt defeated as race marshals shouted "Keep on running!" I realized the lack of sleep has come to get me, and there were even times when I had my eyes closed while walking, psyching myself that those are power naps that would give me some quick energy boosts. But I knew I was just fooling myself. Runners were overtaking left and right, and I was left in the company of walkers.

Every now and then I'd attempt to run a few meters, looking at my watch and seeing how far I am now deviating from my original 4-hour goal (which was supposed to be still achievable at kilometer 21). There were a lot of muscle rub stations along the way, and I'd cover my legs with the ointment, making it numb from pain and buying me a few minutes of running until the ointment's effects wear-off. There were Gu energy gel and banana stations too, and I'd consume them to help me move on. It was becoming a tough mental game, and as the Singapore heat made its presence felt by kilometer 30, I just knew finishing this race will just become more difficult.

Runners on the sidewalk stopping because of cramps, runners limping, runners who fainted and on stretchers who won't be making it to the finish line - I witnessed all of these. Those images were definitely downers, but I continued. As kilometer 35 arrived, I knew I can finish this race, not with the results I was hoping for but finishing nonetheless.

During the last 2 kilometers I was just numb, but I realized in a few minutes the finish line will be in sight. And as I finally crossed it, came the sweet, sweet victory of conquering my longest race so far. It was over. I am a marathoner.

Esplanade background

I don't know how that guy beside me could still smile. I couldn't.

Finally crossing the finish line!

RESULTS

I clocked in at 5 hours, 47 minutes and 57 seconds. I was disappointed with the results at first, but when the Runpix analysis was released, I realized I didn't do bad at all.

As you can see from the Runpix performance graph below, I was at my best pace during the first 20 kilometers, doing a 10 kph pace. The big drop occurred post-20k, going down 40% of the original pace because I mostly did a walk-run at the latter half.

I'm on the top 35% of all marathon runners. The hot weather that day really kept everyone slow.

If there's something I learned from this experience, it's that I need to train harder next time. Running 42.195 kilometers is no joke, and it's definitely not your normal 21-kilometer race time multiplied by two.

Run BGC: My 3rd 21k Run

2011-07-10T01:20:00.009+08:00

November 28, 2010 - One week before the BIG Marathon Singapore day - one more long distance run. This time, I've decided to pace someone else doing 21k - my good friend Rap. Target is for him to get a new PR. We'll do a Galloway, alternating 7 minute runs and 1 minute rest. Hopefully, we'll have a better time than the 2:47 time Rap got during his previous 21k event (that was in Adidas KOTR).

The start/finish arch

Me and Rap before gunstart

It was my responsibility as pacer to keep pushing Rap to his limits, and after a lot of bullying (LOL!), we finally finished the race at a time of 2 hours, 40 minutes and 28 seconds, beating Rap's previous PR by 7 minutes! Woohoo! That's quite a feat!

Ivo, Ying, Rap, Me, Char-char, Tita Celeth, Geoff - after the race

21k Finishers - Proud Medalists :p

Superposition - Junar, Rap, Me, Geoff, Ying

Time to Blog Again: Unilab Run 2 2010

2011-07-09T23:14:00.015+08:00

Yes, you read that right. Unilab Run 2 2010. Yes, that's how delayed this blog post is. It's July 2011, the event was last November 2010. Haha!

A lot has happened with my career the last few months, making me decide to give running a temporary rest and prioritize work. Of course, blogging had to stop as well. T_T

Joining the 32k category of the Unilab Run 2 last November 21, 2010 was supposedly part of my full marathon training. This will be my longest run before the big Singapore event, and it'll let me gauge if my body can withstand the long distance before reaching the dreaded marathon "wall."

Earl and Me - 32k, baby!

The early parts of the race I was pacing Earl (no pun intended) and taking it slowly. I keep reminding myself not to push myself as I have a full marathon in a couple of weeks - getting injured is not an option. Earl let me go ahead at the latter part, where I tried to keep a steady pace til the finish line.

Almost at the finish line!

Tey's Girl Friends, Me and Eugene

Proudly wearing our 32k finisher's medal

The 32k Finishers

Group shot

I SURVIVED 32KM

Runner #501 finished in 4 hours, 2 minutes and 19 seconds, placing 865th out of 1301 32k runners. To a new PR next time!

25k LSD with takbo.ph

2010-11-01T00:44:00.007+08:00

Wow, it's been like two months since my last blog post! A lot of things have been happening lately at work which have kept me busy. Unfortunately, it affected not only my blogging, but my workouts and runs as well.

My last long distance run was the 25k LSD at MoA with the takbo.ph folks, last September 19. This run was supposedly aligned with my marathon program for Singapore. I just read about the run at the takbo.net forum and found out that my friend Jinoe (Mr. Takbo.ph) was joining, so I decided to participate as well. We did 4 loops of a simple 6.25k route.

Here's me and Jinoe at the early part of the run:

Good thing we had pit-stops at the 711 convenience store during every loop.

And of course, we wouldn't miss the group pictures after the run.

I had an "instant celebrity" moment when Jinoe mentioned me when he wrote about this 25k LSD on takbo.ph. You may read that article here.

Fort Strider's Run: My First 16k

2010-09-12T22:33:00.010+08:00

It was a last minute decision to run this race - I didn't even invite my usual running companions to join. The only reason I registered for this event was that it matches the 16k requirement on my marathon training program for September 12. Of course I tagged Eugene along.

Race Pros:

Registration center at Paranaque - After my practice run at Manila Memorial Park, had a 5-minute drive to Nelson Auto Repair Shop in front of Paranaque Medical Center to register. Yes, you read that right - an auto repair shop that accepts race registration.
Cheap Registration Fee - 300 pesos only with a free singlet! I didn't like the fit though, so I didn't wear it on the race day.
Manual barcode timing system but guess what? The results were released at the same day! Big wow!
Ample water stations (and Pocari Sweat stations too).
Hyper race marshalls cheering racers on. I love hyper race marshalls!

Now on to the cons:

Race Route map was released 2 days before the actual race day. When we arrived at the venue, we found out that they scrapped the initial released route and just used the usual Runrio map, modified a bit for 16k.
Late gunstart with no warm-up. Everyone was surprised when the gun fired to signal the race start without any heads-up whatsover.
The event name is FS marathon - why the hell are they using the word "marathon" for an event with only 16k as the farthest category?

My legs felt very heavy at the start but after a few kilometers, I felt the leg muscles loosening up. I was really grateful Eugene paced with me until the finish line. We did a steady pace of around 6 minutes per kilometer - just the right pace we're aiming for our upcoming SG marathon. We finished in 1 hour, 34 minutes and 46 seconds.

And since we didn't have our usual running photographers with us, we had to settle on only a few shots from my celphone camera. Here's a pic of the start/finish line before the 16k gunstart:

And here's a post-race picture of me and Eugene from the race village stage:

12 weeks to go before the BIG day. I need more training!

UP ERG's Activate! Run and Pump it UP!

2010-09-07T02:31:00.016+08:00

The University of the Philippines Engineering Radio Guild (UP ERG), my college organization, is celebrating its 75th anniversary. One of their activities is "Activate! Run and Pump it UP!", a race event held last August 29th at the UP campus. I was one of the first to register on this event, which was my 2nd race event in UP. Again, I opted to join the 10k category (plus 2 rounds at the academic oval for a total of 14.4k as part of my marathon training).

I would have to say, in the most unbiased way (hehe!), that the race singlet is one of the best as far as material quality and design are concerned. I remember being one of the first few people who saw the design, and gave the thumbs up for the black instead of the white version. The design was released a month before the actual event, and I doubted they'll be able to release the singlets on time due to their complicated side cut design. There was a slight delay on the delivery, but participants were able to claim their singlets a few days before race day. Whew!

One of the race freebies is the UP-ERG baller id. The color's orange, since it was sponsored by Enervon. Here's a pic (this is not my arm though):

Another race plus for me is we had new company, and hopefully, future regular running buddies. On pic below (from L-R): the "oldies" - me, BA, Dada, Nic and the "newbies" - Jing, Egay and Mike.

Here are the 10k runners wearing white (and yes, recycled) bibs...

... and the 5k runners, wearing their red (printed on paper and covered with plastic) bibs:

Maco is my orgmate from UP ERG. This is his first 10k run (and first running event too!).

Jing's, Egay's and Mike's first superposition shot! Weeee!

Aside from the recycled (and improvised) bibs, there are still a few more improvement areas for the race, in case UP ERG decides to do this again next year. Being an electronics organization, people were expecting them to make use of the RFID timing system, used during the Engineering Student Council's Eng'gfinity Run. I was quite alarmed at how the race marshalls (org members) were manually recording the racers' times; they were panicking! Another is that they should have double-checked the accuracy of the race route distance - the 10k was actually 10.7k! It was a challenging route nevertheless, and I enjoyed it a lot!

The race results are still not released as I write this, but I timed myself during the run so I have no problem. I clocked in at 1 hour, 4 minutes and 24 seconds, failing my sub-1 hour goal, but this was a 10.7km race anyway so I'd take it.

I normally don't write about the post-race happenings, but since we had our breakfast at Chocolate Kiss, I need to post some pics! I had the best tapsilog ever, with bottomless iced tea! And carrot cake for dessert too! Bottomline, I gained back the lost calories. LOL!

Here's a picture of us enjoying our breakfast while listening to "good" music:

We heard mass at the UP chapel afterwards, thankful again for another injury-free run.

I'm Running My First Full Marathon on December...

2010-08-31T02:56:00.009+08:00

... and its in Singapore!

I and three running buddies - Eugene, Chrissie and Mils, have all signed-up for the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon which will happen on December 5, 2010. Eugene and I will be doing the full marathon; the ladies will be doing a half-mary.

The decision was quite impulsive - I always had this dream of doing a full marathon somewhere else, somewhere special. I was very fortunate my running friends were game to the sudden idea; of course I wanted to have people to share the experience with.

May 20 - SCMS opened the registration for all race categories (42k/21k/10k)
June 2 - I was browsing the web and the idea of joining a full marathon came to mind (Inception level). I told my friends about it and we decided to register the next day.
June 3 - Eugene and I registered for 42.195km; Chrissie and Mils registered for 21.097km. We were ecstatic!
June 4 - Registration for the full marathon closed.
June 7 - Registration for the half marathon closed.
June 8 - Registration for the 10k category closed.

That's how lucky we were. Everything seemed meant to be. We also got last-minute flight promo fares from Philippine Airlines. Sweet.

Here's the proof (I advertently omitted some of the fields):

I'm now on the 3rd week of Runners World's 16-week marathon training program. Thanks to The Bull Runner for the training tip!

Booboo Alert! Run to Read No Show

2010-08-28T06:22:00.015+08:00

I've heavily promoted the Run to Read race event. I've registered early for the 15k category, excited to get my hands on that cute, purple singlet. The race was scheduled for the 15th of August. All the while, I was highly anticipating running on this event. What's wrong then?

Schedule conflict! Me and some officemates booked a very cheap flight to Jakarta, Indonesia way, way before (I think it was last year). Our vacation date: August 11 to 19! Can you believe I seriously considered cancelling my vacation just to run on Run to Read? Talk about running addiction. Haha!

But since I share the same passion for both running and travelling, the trip did push through. Besides, I miss my travelmates (they're the same people I've been with in my Beijing trip last year).

Instead of posting the usual running pics, superposition and all, let me deviate from that for once and post some travel pictures here.

Borobudur
perfecting the art of a jumpshot

nice solo shot

Borobudur is a UNESCO heritage site

Prambanan

Brahma statue inside one of the Prambanan temples

I definitely had a blast! Next time, I'm going to combine running with travel. :) Find out how on my future posts!

Lazy-blogging the Rexona Run

2010-08-28T04:14:00.019+08:00

I've been too lazy to blog lately; I've noticed a lot of running blogsites I'm following have no updates too. Must be the weather or something.

Almost a month has passed since the highly-anticipated Rexona Run. This was Coach Rio's first attempt to organize a race at the Mall of Asia grounds. New innovations were introduced: paperless registration - using iPad on registration centers, Runrio cards which can be used on future Runrio race registrations and D-tags replacing the plastic timing chips racers normally wear on their shoes.

I fought the urge to register for the 21k category on this event. I knew it was still too early for me to declare full recovery from my previous ankle injury so I just settled for 10k.

I enjoyed the race with only one complaint: There were a lot of walkers. I'm fine with people just walking on the race route, but if they're all lined-up and blocking the path of runners, it gets quite unnerving. I hope these people observe proper running etiquette and just stay at the right side of the road. And please, stop the cam-whoring sessions at the middle of the road; there's plenty of photo opportunities at the race village area anyway.

Oh well, that's too much ranting already. Since I'm lazy blogging, I'll just post a lot of pics. Haha!

Me and Rap at the 10k starting line (taken from my celphone camera - shaky hand i got)

Me and my sister (she did 3k again)
Me and William (he's also from HP and I think this was his first race) With the band

Superposition (missing Early and Tey)

TGIBFFMKTBZ

Bumped into Char-char and her friend Kristine

Oh and by the way, I finished in 55 minutes and 15 seconds - top 4.4% of all 10k runners. Great, eh?

A Race Event for the Runners by the Runners: Takbo.ph Runfest

2010-07-31T18:54:00.019+08:00

Me and my running friends were part of the early birds who registered for the takbo.ph Runfest last April. It was announced at an earlier date that only 3000 slots were available and lucky registrants would have their own personalized takbo.ph singlets, delivered right at their doorsteps! I opted to join the 5k race category (5k and 10k were the only two options).

My race kit arrived two weeks before the actual race day. I tried the singlet on and I was not that satisfied with its length (I got used to the perfect fit of Runrio singlets), that I ran to the nearest Alter Station and had the length adjusted. I also had the big "Universidad" logo removed from the lower left part of the singlet. After the alterations, I wore the singlet again, highly-contented.

July 25, 2010 - Early birds we were in registering, and early birds we were again during the race day. We arrived before 5am, but there were already a lot of runners at the area. I regularly visit the takbo.ph forum and post comments there every now and then. I was excited to see a number of forum members in the vicinity, but didn't actually have the guts to approach anyone. The introvert Noel got the best of me. >.<

I was able to get a quick chat with the man who started it all, Jinoe Gavan, as busy as he was with the race preps. Jinoe was my batchmate way back from my Intel employment days, and I'm still in awe at how big his influence became on the Philippine running community, with a simple idea of introducing a catchy website - takbo.ph. I didn't miss the opportunity of having our picture taken with the soon-to-be parents. Congratulations to ManokanRunner and ChicksNiManok!

The race program started 530am. What made the event even more special is the participation of online running celebrities. The program kicked-off with the national anthem performed by the Running Diva. The warm-up stretch was then led by none other than Kikayrunner herself, Noelle De Guzman.

10k runners were first to head-off at 6am and 5k runners, fifteen minutes after. It was cloudy and it looked like it was gonna rain anytime, but there's nothing a prayer from thousands of runners couldn't do; it became another rain-free event.

I ran on my normal pace now, and back to my old, competitive self. I've now put my recent injury behind me, and just wanted to run a good race. I can never say anything bad about the race route, with a lot of marshalls along the way cheering runners on, good traffic control, and overflowing water and Powerade at the hydration stations. Purrr-fect!

During the final kilometer stretch, there's this grandpa runner who ran beside me, and told me he wanted to pace with me. It turned out I was the one who followed his fast pace! He was one talkative lolo and his statements didn't help my ego either: "Ang bagal ko ngayon, nakainom ako kagabi," and "Usually tinatapos ko ang 5k route ng 22 minutes." Nevertheless, I was glad to pace with him, and it helped me realize I still have a lot of training to do to bring out my full running potential. I found out that lolo was just a bandit runner when he said he wouldn't run with me to the finish line.

I knew I had a good race time when I stepped on the finish line mat; there were still only a few runners at the race village. I noticed someone was at the first-aid station and was surprised to see a medic putting on a bandage on Noelle's wounded knee. I asked her what happened and she told me she fell during the race, but it's nothing serious. I then asked her what her 5k time was. "24 minutes," she replied. Talk about getting an injury and still finishing that strong. Woah!

We had our group pic taken after everyone finished. We were surprised to see our officemate Chaniel; he was the only one who ran 10k.

We had two of the most memorable superposition shots here. Patrick "Runningshield" Concepcion already expressed his interest before of having the superposition shot with us, and it materialized during this race. A big bonus, however, is when Coach Rio agreed to do the superposition too. And he did it perfectly!

The icing on the cake? With manual timing done, the race results were released the following day! Can you believe that? (ACE Hardware, can you read this?) My time was 26 minutes and 42 seconds (A personal best!). I placed 46th out of 1092 5k runners, which translates to me being on the top 5%. I'm on the first page of the race results! Yay!

I'm definitely looking forward to next year's anniversary run. Congratulations to the race organizers! Two thumbs up!

Race Marshalls Ruin an Almost-Perfect Eng'gfinity Engineering Centennial Run

2010-07-23T03:31:00.012+08:00

The University of the Philippines Engineering Student Council (ESC), in celebration of 100 years of the College of Engineering existence, organized a running event entitled Eng'gfinity: The Engineering Centennial Run. Me and my HP running mates (and fellow UP graduates) immediately signed-up. We were all excited since this is the first running event we've participated in to be held at the UP campus.

July 18, 2010 - Race day. I woke up early since I knew it was gonna be a long drive from Paranaque to Quezon City. I picked up Mils and Dada from their condo unit in Mandaluyong around 430am. We arrived at UP Diliman 5am, just in time for us to get our race kits and put on our Eng'gfinity singlets. Here's our running group showing-off our bright orange tops:

Another thing that made us excited to join this race is that it boasts of being the first in the country to use the RFID tag (that's Radio-frequency Identification for techies and geeks, hehe!). Runrio will just be introducing the D-tag, a similar timing technology, on the upcoming Rexona Run this August. I heard the RFID reader program to be used for this race was developed by some fellow UP students. I bet in a few months' time they'll be rich.

Here's how the RFID tag looks like when worn. It's just a strip of paper with an embedded chip - a lot more environment-friendly than the usual plastic timing chip.

Gun-start was supposed to happen at 530am, but since there were still a lot of people claiming their race kits, it was delayed by 30 minutes. It didn't matter though because the weather was perfect. Me, together with the other 10k runners, were first off (accompanied by a light drizzle). I was targetting a sub-55 this time.

The race route was simple - from the starting line in front of the Engineering building, we move counter-clockwise around the acad oval, until the Biology Pavilion intersection where we turn right and run along the back of Palma Hall all the way to the College of Architecture. Runners would then head to the Oblation area and race a short stretch of the University Avenue, then make a U-turn back to the oval. Upon reaching the starting line, that marks 5km. 10k runners just need to do another loop to complete the course.

Now here's where the race got ruined for a lot of runners (and me, almost): during the first loop, instead of leading 10k runners to go straight ahead and head back to the starting line, the race marshalls directed runners to turn right at once at the Biology Pavilion intersection. That means missing 2.2km of the course! Runners who did not time themselves were misled that they had new personal bests. A fellow HP runner, Ronnel Go, placed third but honestly admitted to the race committee that he missed that 2.2km as well. As for me, I was also misled by the race marshalls. During my second loop however, realizing my time was too fast and that the route was somewhat short, instead of stepping on the finish line mat, i still did another loop at the acad oval, completing my 10k.

Another race gimmick is a real-time reporting of all runners' actual race time. You just have to be in close proximity to the RFID reader near the finish line computer terminal and voila, your race bib number, name and chip time appear in an instant. Mine was 54 minutes and 29 seconds. Target met!

After the race, we took the opportunity to do a cam-whore session near the UP Oblation.

Of course, the superposition shot:

And the jump shot!

Congratulations to ESC for this well-organized, successful event. To Eng'gfinity, and beyond!

A Race from a Different Perspective: AMG Fun Run and PGH Outreach

2010-07-23T02:53:00.021+08:00

HP AMG, or Application Management Group, holds an annual fun run which started last year. All proceeds from the event go to a charitable institution. It's one of our company's ways to give back to the community; we're an IT company with a heart.

This blog is a two-part entry - the running event and the charity event.

PART 1: The Race Day
June 6, 2010 - Piazza Mall, McKinley Hills

The AMG Fun Run had three race categories - 3k, 6k and 9k. The route is fairly simple: from Piazza Mall, which is the starting point, runners head to the C-5 road intersection and do their first U-turn there. They then return back to Piazza Mall and continue on the opposite direction, this time heading to the U-turn slot at Lawton Avenue intersection. Once they get back to the Piazza, that completes the 3k route. The 6k and 9k participants just had to do 2 and 3 loops to complete their respective categories.

Surprisingly, as addicted as I am to running, I've decided not to run in this event. I wanted to experience the race on a different perspective, that is, the race marshall's point-of-view.

We arrived 3:30am at the venue to do the race preparations - set-up the race organizer's table and the sound system, prepare the drinks and granola bar giveaways, set-up the water stations as well as the race markers. Delegation of people on who would man particular areas was done. JM and I were assigned at the Lawton Avenue U-turn, with the task of handing out the race necklaces runners would wear, as proof they finished the lap.

Here's a photo of me with runners Dada, Rap and Mils, before we went to our designated spot. Yay to my first race marshall ID!

I brought my digicam with me and I decided to make my own version of Photovendo, taking pictures of runners as they make their U-turn. JM took my picture before participants began to arrive.

During the race, JM and I particularly enjoyed mocking participants who were walking the uphill path. It was a very challenging terrain. You could see the difficulty on the runner's faces on the photographs I took. Lucky me, I didn't run!

Everyone was praying for a rain-free event and thank God He heard our prayers. The race ended, the rewarding ceremony finished, we were able to pack-up, and most of the participants have already gone home before the heavy downpour at McKinley that day.

The event was a big success! Overall, we raised P85,000 which would surely go a mile for our planned charity event. Congratulations to the race organizers!

Part 2: The Charity Event
July 10, 2010 - Philippine General Hospital Pediatric Wards 9 and 11

All proceeds from the AMG Fun Run will go to our chosen institution which is the PGH Pediatric Wards 9 and 11.

During our work shift, we were preparing our giveaways for the kids - boxes containing toiletries and some toys. Here are a few of the volunteers during our packing session:

Most of us are working North America shift, so after our Friday work, with little or no sleep, we proceeded to PGH. We were briefed on how the program would go - visit Ward 9 first then mingle with the kids and their guardians. Hosts from Jollibee would then hold some games, then the Jollibee mascot would make his appearance while we are handing out food to everyone. Finally, we would donate the boxes of medical supplies to the hospital management (most are boxes of syringes which are a big hospital need). We'd do the same things all over again in Ward 11.

It was heart-breaking to see all those kids there in pain. One of the guardians cried when we approached her, telling the story of how she was the only one taking care of her niece, Angelica who had a liver problem. "May mga tao pa palang gusto lang tumulong, tulad nyo," she told us ("There are still people who are willing to help, like you"). Here are some pictures captured with two of the ward patients:

“Life is a gift, and it offers us the privilege, opportunity, and responsibility to give something back by becoming more.” The experience left me a heavy heart, but it also gave me such a fulfillment. Thank you AMG, for giving everyone the opportunity to give, even in our own little ways.

Great Things Start from Small Beginnings: The 34th Milo National Marathon

2010-07-12T13:53:00.018+08:00

I'm a Milo kid, i have to admit it. I was that kid who would go to the kitchen and prop open a can of Milo and eat the contents in its powdered form. Little did I know that my favorite drink and new hobby had something in common.

The Milo Marathon started way back May 26, 1974, with only 767 runners competing. As years progressed and as the sport sparked interest among the Filipino community, the participants grew exponentially. And as this year's 34th Milo Marathon kicked-off in Manila, everyone was not surprised to see a whopping 28,331 participants, all sporting the Milo green singlets at KM0, Luneta.

July 4, 2010 - Race day. I was with Kits and Mia Falcis (they are new running companions, both regular runners). I knew parking was gonna be a problem since Roxas boulevard would be closed for the race, so I told them we need to be at the venue early. While driving, we already saw 42km runners along Roxas, and I was wondering how my friend Eugene was fairing (it was his first full marathon!). I then parked my car at Kalaw Street, near Manila Doctor's Hospital, and it was a good, long walk to the starting line (and a nice warm up too!).

We were just in time as 10k, 5k and 3k runners were asked to assemble at the starting line. The gun start of each category will only be minutes apart. 10k runners were to be in front, 3k runners in the middle, and 5k runners at the back. Majority of the runners (mostly students - were they forced by their PE teachers?) are in the 5k category, and you'd be stunned that Milo had approximately 20,000 5k registered participants.

Just before gunstart, Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim gave a quick speech on Milo's great cause to give out shoes to unfortunate children who cannot afford to buy their own pair. The recipients of the new shoes were then called to go up the stage to show-off their new green and white shoes. It was such a great feeling I was able to contribute on Milo's advocacy.

The 10k race route was pretty much straightforward - from KM0, run along Roxas Boulevard, pass one flyover, then make a U-turn at Le Pavilion and use the same path on the way to the Quirino Grandstand finish line. Here's a great shot from Photovendo which made it look like I was leading the pack. Haha!

Of course the run wouldn't be complete if we didn't have our post-race photos taken. Here's a photo of me with siblings Mia and Kits.

Mils was still battling her way to retrieve her bag from the baggage counter (it was a disaster!) so she missed doing the superposition with me, Tey and Earl. Eugene finished his full marathon at a later time so he failed to join us in the photo-op as well (but I'd like to take this opportunity to congratulate him on a strong finish for his first 42k).

And of course, the classic Luneta background shot, while proudly holding my Finisher's Certificate.

Runner 18718's official finish time was 1 hour, 5 minutes and 18 seconds. I was in the top 22% of 10k finishers. At this point, I can already say I am back on my pre-injury running form.

"Great things start from small beginnings" - the famous Milo commercial tagline. I may have just ran 10k this year but I'm planning something big for the next. If everything goes well, I'm up for the full marathon on Milo's 35th anniversary run.

SIDE-NOTE:

The running community was devastated to hear the news of a death of a runner during the 34th Milo Marathon. His name was Remus Fuentes. I do not know him personally but he also worked for Intel and Hewlett-Packard (my previous and current employers), and a fellow running enthusiast.

My condolences and prayers go to his family. He has finished his race of life and is already in God's good hands.

Run to Read - Run for a Cause on August 15

2010-07-10T05:09:00.000+08:00

It's my first time to promote an upcoming race event!

RUN TO READ is a race event aimed to help build and restore libraries for school children. Such a good advocacy!

EVENT DETAILS:
August 15, 2010
Fort Bonifacio Global City
3k | 5k | 10k | 15k | 500m for kids

Registration Fee:
PHP 500 for 500m for kids (tandem with 1 parent)
PHP 300 for 3k
PHP 350 for 5k
PHP 400 for 10k
PHP 450 for 15k

Registration fee is inclusive of singlet, race number and certificate

Regular Registration is from July 1 – August 8, 2010

Registration Areas:
BrandWorX Inc Head Office Penthouse, Eurovilla Bldg. 2, VA Rufino St., Legaspi Village, Makati City

Runnr Store Bldg. B3 Bonifacio High Street, Taguig City, Philippines

Second Wind Running Store Maginhawa St., Teacher’s Village | Ortigas Home Depot

All Terra Cyclery Club 650 Libis, Quezon City

Reebok Trinoma | Megamall | Festival Mall

Royal Sporting House Glorietta 4 | Robinson’s Place Manila

For more information about this event email: read@run4change.com or visit http://www.run4change.com/runtoread

The race singlet with different kiddie colors is such a great concept! Here are the colors to choose from:

ACE Hardware Eco-Friendly Run aka Epic-Fail Run

2010-07-08T08:27:00.001+08:00

One key learning that I had from joining the ACE Hardware Eco-Friendly Run is never participate in a running event for the wrong reasons (registering just to get a great-looking singlet and a lot of promised freebies). I feel bad for influencing my officemates to join this event too. The advertising was promising, with big brand names as sponsors, and JC Tiuseco and Reema Chanco as the event endorsers. To the organizers, what did go wrong?

June 27, 2010 - Race day. This is my second running event with my sister, and we both registered again for the 3k category. This time however, I decided not be her pacer. I wanted to attempt doing a faster pace, given this was just a short distance and I felt I already had enough recovery time from my previous injury. Here's me and my sister sporting the red, white and blue singlet.

The 3k runners were last to have their gun start. There were a number of 3k runners but we were fortunate enough to squeeze our way in front. The starting line arch was the narrowest of all race arches I've seen! There was an LED timer at the side, and the race marshall shouted we'd start once it hits 00:20:00. We heard the gun start signal when it hit 00:15:00! What the hell! I did not even have time to set my watch timer. Everyone was surprised and just started running.

During the first kilometer I knew I was in better shape now than my previous races. I was on my way to a new 3k PR! But there was something wrong with the race route which could potentially affect my time and others gunning for their PRs as well: poor traffic control! Runners were running beside moving vehicles. Where are the race marshalls? Talk about race safety.

There weren't ample water stations too! With only three short race categories - 3k, 5k and 10k (which is just a double loop of the 5k route), the organizers should have planned on putting more water stations. It was humid and runners would have wanted to rehydrate more often on that condition.

On my way to the finish line, I was confident I had a pretty fast time. I noticed the 5k finishers were already starting to queue up in handing out their barcode strips to the finish line race marshall (too bad for us, there are no timing chips and only manual recording of time will be done). The 3k area didn't have a queue yet; lucky me.

I met Mils a few minutes later and after collecting our loot bags, we walked around the village and were fortunate enough to have our pictures taken with JC and Reema.

We went back to the finish line arch and was shocked to see long queues on all race categories, specially the 5k. I could have sworn there were more than fifty people in line just to hand out their barcodes. I also heard one of the race marshalls dropped the barcode strips, picked them up and just arranged them in whatever order possible. How would the runners even get a bit of accuracy on their results?

But that doesn't end there. The real disaster was on the baggage counter, where there were literally mounds of bags placed on top of each other, and runners trying to claim their belongings, with no queue system whatsoever. It was just plain havoc.

We still managed to do the superposition though, amidst these race horrors. Here's Rap, Mils, Dada, Me, Nic, BA and Sharra. Most of them are new running companions.

We found out later in the takbo.net race forums that the actual race distances of each category was nowhere near their supposed distance - the 10k route was just 8.4k and the 5k route was just 4.2k. The icing on the cake however, is that the 3k route was 3.9k in actuality. I estimate my time to be around 19 minutes, so that would mean I ran the course in a pace of less than 5 minutes per kilometer. Woohoo!

A week and four days have already passed as I write this blog entry. The race results are still not released. I am not expecting the organizers to release them anymore. My only plea is for ACE never to attempt organizing a running event ever again. Majority of the running community has the same sentiment.

Runrio Trilogy Leg 2: Nature Valley Run

2010-06-26T23:44:00.000+08:00

One Runner = One Tree. This is the tagline of the Nature Valley Run, Leg 2 of the Runrio Trilogy. I already blogged about my planned progression on the course of the trilogy - 10k, 21k then 32k for the final leg. However, getting injured in between the legs was never part of the plan. I registered for the 21k race category, long before I got injured in NatGeo. Back then, I was targetting to beat my 21k PR last Condura Run, but that would never solidify at this event, not with this ankle condition, no. That would have to wait.

Good thing my personal therapy sessions at Makati Med two weeks before the Nature Valley Run were already taking effect - I was able to remove the limping and can already walk at a faster pace. (Thanks to my therapists Daisy and Brian, if by chance you read this.) The problem is, I didn't get to do any practice runs, and had to cut my gym visits at a minimum.

May 30, 2010 - Race day. Four of us will be running 21k - Mils, Eugene, Earl and myself, wearing the orange race bibs. All of them are virgin half-marathoners.

I decided to run with Mils throughout the race course, sort of acting as a pacer for her as well. The plan was to do a 6-1 Galloway method (that would be alternating 6-minute run, 1-minute walk). But the plan did not even materialize, as Mils was not in a good running condition that day. She easily went out of breath within the first 5 kilometers. We would run a couple of minutes, and walk for a longer time. I did not complain though, and I was just enjoying our chats while walking, and I was also able to appreciate the views along the race route. Besides, walking with Mils prevented me from pushing myself again to the capabilities of my legs, which is a good thing.

It took us a long 3 hours, 34 minutes and 53 seconds to reach the finish line. As we were greeted by the race marshalls, putting on our 21k medals, I forgot how tired I was and I was just thankful to God that I survived my 2nd half-mary. There'll be plenty more opportunities to run a better 21k anyway.

We all made it - Earl, Mils, Eugene and myself. Aside from the medals and the finisher shirts given to 21k finishers, we also received a pint of Haagen Dazs ice cream each. I devoured my ice cream in record time.

Leg 3 will take place on November. 32k, or the Afroman challenge, will be the race category highlight of that event. There's nothing more I'm praying for right now but to be injury-free for the rest of the year and be able to be in tip-top shape come November.

Julio and Julia "Chased the Sun" at the Neutrogena Run

2010-06-26T23:00:00.001+08:00

After having successfully organized the Skyathon run at Boracay, my sister wanted to join the bandwagon and experience running herself. I was surprised when she told me she wanted to register at the Neutrogena Run, but just on the shortest distance category possible. We registered for 3k, and I was excited because it's my first time running that distance, and with my sister too!

May 16, 2010 - Race day. I was in a company of a different set of people this time (Pic below from L-R: Armin, my sister Enchie, Jen, Me).

I knew this race is gonna be quick. On my uninjured state, I would normally run 5 minutes per kilometer, so that would just be 15 minutes on a 3k race. However, I have not yet fully recovered from my ankle injury, so I was just planning to take it easy again. I told my sister I'm going to be her pacer (again a first for me), and we ran all the way to the finish line together (Photovendo pic below). Of course there were a couple of moments when my sister wanted to give up and just walk, but part of a pacer's job is to push whoever the person is he's pacing to continue running. So that's what I did, and we finished with a solid 22 minutes and 5 seconds. Great time for my sister's first run! I'm a proud pacer!

We collected our loot bags early, and while everyone else was resting, I decided to walk around the race village to see some familiar faces. I brought a camera with me, just in case. Guess who I've spotted with my eagle eyes - Jaymie Pizarro aka The Bull Runner. She's the official Neutrogena Run model and endorser. She has such a happy aura around her.

Hopefully, this is just a start of more running events with my sister. To family and good health!

Asian Hospital's RUNew: My Birthday Run!

2010-06-26T19:33:00.000+08:00

Runners celebrate different occasions by joining running events, which they deem special and memorable - may it be their birthday, running anniversary or even when they just reach a particular mileage. In my case, I'm lucky enough that a Rio-organized event was scheduled just a day before my birthday, Asian Hospital's RUNew, which was held at Filinvest Alabang. A race in the south, what more can a runner from Paranaque wish for?

Most of my running friends reside in the Northern part of Metro Manila. Good thing, two of my original running buddies, Ying and Geoff, are both from the south, and agreed to register with me. Ying came from an injury as well (but has completely recovered), so we all chose to register for the 5k category only. I, on the other hand, was supposed to be recovering and resting my injured ankle.

May 2, 2010 - Pre-birthday race day. I was still limping but I was stubborn. I wanted to run. I drove to Filinvest wearing my favorite singlet from Skyathon.

After gun start, I let Ying and Geoff go ahead and not wait for me; I planned to run slow. A bit faster though, than my pace last Skyathon. I targetted a sub-1 finish this time. My Photovendo pic shows how serious I am (and feeling a bit of pain too).

I was happy to finish in the official time of 43 minutes and 11 seconds, way above my expected finish goal.

RUNew was a small running event compared to the others I've joined so far. I would estimate around 3000 participants ran. With this small number, I knew it was easy to spot Coach Rio and have a picture taken with him. Here's me and my running idol, fresh from the Boston Marathon. "It's not a RACE, it's a STATE OF MIND." Nice shirt, Coach!

We also spotted Patrick Concepcion (Runningshield in the running blog community), after his strong 16k finish. We had a good chat with him on his plans for the upcoming Condura Run 2011. He hinted a possible Alabang starting line, should the Skyway construction finish within the year. Woohoo!

It was a refreshing experience! I just wish more race events would happen in the south.

Skyathon Boracay Beach and Surf Run (or Walk?)

2010-06-26T18:01:00.000+08:00

Now who would pass on a great running opportunity like this? Running along the beach of Boracay during summer? And to top it all, a race event organized by my sister! Show the love!

Unfortunately, if you have read about my NatGeo injury, it'll leave you with a feeling of pity. The NatGeo run happened on the 18th of April. The Skyathon beach run happened 6 days after that. Everything was set months ahead - flight schedule and hotel booking. There was no way I would back-out just because of my injury. I waited in eager anticipation for this Boracay vacation.

April 24, 2010 - Race Day. We arrived 6am at the assembly area, just in front of Guilly's island. The event didn't start on time, but who cares? It was cloudy, just perfect for an early morning run. Here's a pic of me and my busy sister:

Me and my running friends opted not to wear rubber shoes and just run barefoot. For me, I decided to just walk the entire 5k route. I know it'll take a while, but a real runner never quits a race. Mils, as well as some Sky Cable friends, accompanied me on that long 5k walk. Here's a pic of me taking the walk of shame, LOL! Notice I still had my ankle bandage-wrapped.

It took me a long time to get to the finish line (1 hour, 8 minutes and 43 seconds to be exact), but still proud to have finished. I noticed some runners clapping their hands; they knew I was injured but still had the courage (or probably stupidity, as the TRAP host said) to finish 5k.

What's Bora without celebrity sightings? And with it, cam-whoring!

Here's me with Cherie Gil. I heard this was her first time to join a running event. She's one hot momma!

Eugene and I had a picture taken with Noelle De Guzman (known as the famous Kikayrunner in the running community). She placed first in 5k women's category, finishing in 24 minutes and 20 seconds. That's my time when I run on pavements; she had the same time running on difficult sand!

During the beach clean-up activity, we saw Sam Oh helping out on the clean-up. She did not run though. If she ran on those two-piece suit it would have been an epic wardrobe malfunction.

JC Cuadrado hosted the event. Cool dude.

Finally went back to our hotel at the Pearl of the Pacific. We had breakfast again (there was already a free breakfast at Guilly's after the run). Here are my Bora buddies:

We're really looking forward to next year's Skyathon. Hopefully I could be able to redeem myself already and finish strong.

My Worst Nightmare: Injury during the NatGeo Earth Day Run

2010-06-26T03:08:00.000+08:00

It's every runner's nightmare to get injured during a race. I never imagined it happening to me, having been doing a lot of practice runs and gym workouts. But it did. And it hit me bigtime.

There are a number of factors that I consider before joining a particular race event. There's no doubt Runrio-organized ones are the best, so I usually join those. The advocacy behind the event would be another point I'd look at (a good sample of this is running to save the dolphins last Condura Run). And of course, the price of the registration fee. This is probably a wrong conclusion, but I usually equate high fees with high quality races - caused a lot of debate among runners (if you read various blog sites and forums), but it's something I believe in. That's the reason why I joined the National Geographic Earth Day Run, held at the Mall of Asia, over another Earth Day Run which was held at the Fort. Without timing chips or any race freebies, the reg fee was at P700 for the 10k category. This is the most expensive 10k race I've joined in to date. Well, it's National Geographic anyway, and they're giving away "technical shirts", for whatever reason they're called that way I don't want to know.

April 18, 2010 - Race Day. I headed to MoA, sporting my new, green Nike singlet and Mizuno running cap. I didn't wear the race shirt since I'm not comfortable running on sleeved tops. As you can see on the picture below, we have two additions on our running group - Chaniel (leftmost) and Rappiboy (rightmost).

Now familiar with the MoA route, having just joined The Green Miles Run, I upped my race pace. By the 5k halfway-point, I was elated to beat my 5k personal record - 24 minutes, translating to a pace of 4 minutes and 48 seconds per kilometer! I was on my way to a new 10k PR (hint: Sub-Piolo). The photo below was taken by Tey, just before I hit the 5k mark.

The excitement didn't last long though. During the 7k mark, I felt there was something wrong with my left ankle. "This could not be happening to me", I keep telling myself. I slowed down, hoping the pain would subside. I then tried to increase my pace again, but I was not just imagining things. I had no choice but to say goodbye to my new PR dream. I did a 7 minute per kilometer pace on the final few kilometers, with runners overtaking me left and right.

After crossing the finish line, I continued to walk, assessing the feeling on my left ankle. It was still painful and I was already complaining about it to my running companions. But the drama needs to be forgotten for a while, photo opportunities await!

Rap and I saw Gladys while walking around the finish line area. Notice how Gladys covered her race bib on this photo. She didn't want anyone to know she only ran 3k. Oops!

I also met my elementary and high school classmate as well as college roommate Winsley (that's him on the right) and his friend Noel (yes, another Noel). These two are very strong runners.

Finally, we wouldn't miss doing the "superposition". I just couldn't help but laugh whenever I see Chaniel's chicken dance and Rap's armpit scratching. Maybe the superposition takes a lot of practice to perfect.

Mils, Rap, Chrissie, Paolo and I then had a yummy breakfast at Cafe Breton. During that time, I had to do some first-aid, so I was putting on ice to my injured ankle. By 9am, Mils, Rap and I attended Sunday mass at the nearby church. I was just leaning on the church wall throughout the mass, and by communion time, when I attempted to move from my position, I knew I can no longer walk on my own. The pain was already excruciating. I decided it was now time to go to the hospital. Rap had to go home already so only Mils was left to accompany me to Makati Med (Thank you Budeh!).

It was my first wheelchair experience. The nurse asked me my pain level on a scale of 1 to 10; I answered a definite 8! I was given a quick acting pain reliever, my ankle was bandage-wrapped and applied an ice pack. The hospital attendants also did an x-ray on the affected area to make sure I had no bone fractures. Thank God it was only a muscle sprain. I was advised to continue applying ice to my ankle, keep it wrapped in bandage, elevate it during rest, and take the prescribed pain reliever.

With this injury, I was devastated since I had a number of future race events I've already registered in. You'll definitely read more on the developments of this injury on my succeeding blogs.

Oh and by the way, I finished the race in 55 minutes and 49 seconds, still a sub-1, but a shattered new PR goal attempt.

The Green Miles Run

2010-06-25T03:56:00.000+08:00

I had three previous consecutive runs organized by the best race organizers in the country. I knew it was only a matter of time before I feel the disappointment of a sub-par race event.

Me and my running friends received an invite from Chrissie to join The Green Miles Run, the event having been organized by a batch from her alma mater UST. The Green Miles Run boasts of Piolo Pascual as an endorser, with his Hebreo Foundation as the recipient of the proceeds of the event.

Running addicts would know that Piolo set a record during 2009's Timex Run, introducing the term "sub-Piolo" - meaning you're better than Piolo if you beat his 10k time of 47 minutes and 54 seconds. On this event, he'll run 15k. It would be an ego boost for anyone who could beat him to the finish line. I wanted to earn that bragging right.

March 21, 2010 - Race Day. First 15k, first time to run at the Mall of Asia grounds. I heard a lot of feedback that experienced runners did not favor the flat route of MoA, with long distances just doing numerous loops around the mall area. Good thing the 15k route stretches out of Roxas boulevard until the U-turn at the US embassy.

Here's a pre-race photo of me and my running friends:

During the 15k assembly time, we decided to go in front of the starting line; we figured Piolo will be there right in front for publicity shots. When he arrived, the excitement of beating him started to kick-in. As you can see on the shot below, that's me and Earl just behind Papa P.

I followed Eugene's pace initially and it didn't take long before we overtook Piolo (if I remember correctly, this was when we passed the mall center's gigantic globe). Keeping up with Eugene's pace was difficult. I knew there will come a point when I had to slow down and let him go on his own. Between the 6k and 7k mark, I was on my own.

I continued with my own pace, enjoying the route which I consider as a breath of fresh air. I was confident that I was still doing a sub-Piolo. I didn't see him overtaking me but I was quite puzzled that I didn't see him when I was on my way back along Roxas Boulevard. When I got to the finish line, Eugene was already there, as well as my non-15k friends. Guess what? I received bad news that Piolo already crossed the finish line, ahead of me by 5 minutes. T_T

Later, I overheard from some runners that Piolo had his own 15k route. Most probably he just went around the MoA area, and for security purposes he did not take the Roxas Boulevard route. Unfair if you ask me, but if you're a celebrity you really get special treatment. This is sour-graping at its best.

The official race results were released a week later, with very poor accuracy. According to the results, my time was 1 hour, 15 minutes and 25 seconds. I believe this was around 3 to 5 minutes advanced from my actual time. That's what you get from manual barcodes. Piolo's time never got announced.

Bottomline, it was a wrong race choice. If I had learned about the Globe Ayala Run earlier, I would have joined that event. Oh the eternal battle between Globe and Smart! Did I mention Smart was Green Miles' major sponsor? Go figure.

Unilab Run United for Wellness

2010-06-21T01:06:00.000+08:00

Now a certified Rio fan, I vowed to join every running event he'll organize. Every race event is as perfect as it can possibly be - from registration to the actual day itself (and for this event, even the post-race has had its perks).

My only regret is that I registered late, hence no singlet. They cut off a hundred bucks from the registration fee, but I still wish I could have laid my hands on that nice Unilab singlet. Frustrated, I just bought myself a new, red NB singlet, wishing those damn Photovendo photographers get to notice me better in a sea of runners wearing white. The singlet did not disappoint.

March 7, 2010 - Race Day. Our running team is growing! (From L-R: Earl, Carlo, Mils, Paolo, Chrissie, Me, Eugene) Told yah my singlet's catchy. I should have worn a pair of shorts just like Earl's.

Again, this is another 10k event so I won't delve on the boring details. The most I could remember from the race is the sprint I did towards the finish line. My Photovendo pic captured the moment so well. Notice the facial growl. And I was hovering.

The official race result: 50 minutes, 5 seconds (ranked 54th out of 1850 10k runners). I was gunning for a sub-50 but I'd take it. This is my personal best as of writing.

We had our post-race meal at McDo and since we missed doing the superposition at the race village, guess where we did it?

Runrio Trilogy Leg 1: Century Tuna Superbods Run

2010-06-20T23:15:00.000+08:00

The famous Runrio Trilogy - Even running newbies dream of completing the three legs of this Rio-organized event. The first leg is sponsored by Century Tuna slated for February; second would be Nature Valley for May and the third and final leg would be Timex for November. The Timex Run boasts of the 32k category, wherein dream marathoners would be able to gauge their preparedness in running a full marathon. My plan is to run the trilogy in such a progression (10k, 21k then 32k), that by the end of the year, I can already say i am physically (and mentally) ready to do a 42k.

I have a series of firsts for Century Tuna Run: This is my first 10k running event. This is the first Rio-organized run I've joined in. This is also the first time I've tried to register online. It's very convenient since race packets are delivered to your doorsteps. The only problem is with sky-high registration fees nowadays, adding another hundred bucks for delivery fee is no longer practical. Store registration is still the best way to go.

February 21, 2010 - Race Day. I was excited to wear one of the best race singlets I've received so far (Each race category had a different singlet color by the way). Below's a group shot (from L-R: Cams, Earl, Mils, Chrissie, Charles, Me).

I have built enough confidence from my previous 21k run that I knew this 10k will just be a breeze. And as I'm writing this long-overdue blog, I just realized the race itself was really not that memorable. Well, I'm sure that's expected if you've just ran the Skyway previously. The Fort route is, well, the Fort route. I guess it's worth mentioning here that around 12,000 runners participated in this run. I wonder what percentage of that just joined to get a glimpse of Derek Ramsay though.

Another race first will be my Photovendo shot. There are a lot of photographers stationed throughout the race route, taking pictures of all the runners. Here's my favorite shot:

Cool right? Proves in this picture that I've already caught up with the 5k runners. I was that fast. Sorry, runners 5611 and 5208. :p

I clocked in 55 minutes and 12 seconds. A sub-1 hour on my first 10k attempt. Not bad, eh?

Condura Skyway Run for the Dolphins: My First 21k

2010-06-05T18:28:00.000+08:00

Fresh from my first 5k run, an impulse-based, crazy idea came to mind: join my experienced running friends who signed up for their first 21k. I found out they joined one of the country's premier running events, the Condura Run 2010. I was a running newbie back then but at the back of my mind I was thinking, Condura plus Skyway would equate to something big.

A week after Takbo Para Kay Gibo, I found myself lining-up at the New Balance ATC registration booth. A few people ahead of me on queue had their registration forms ready. Curious at what they were signing-up for, I took quick glances at their forms: 5k, 10k, 5k, 5k. And then it was my turn and I handed out a registration form with the 21k checkbox marked. What the hell was I signing-up for?

I was now committed. I had to do some serious training and I had to do it fast. I only had less than 3 weeks left before the event. Good thing my running friends Geoff and Ying were not taking 21k lightly either. They planned regular running practices at the Fort, and I needed to go with them on every single practice. We were trying to build up mileage. And by the first week of February, a few days before the actual race, we were able to run 14k. That's 7k away from 21k, right? I had to convince myself I had the confidence to survive my first half-mary.

February 7, 2010 - Race day. I had trouble sleeping the night before, out of excitement and nervous anticipation perhaps. During the ride to the Fort, we already saw some 42k runners being paced by a guy with balloons on his back. I would have laughed looking at the scene on a regular day, but there was nothing particularly funny when you had the nerves to fight.

Arriving at the Fort, it was already assembly time for the 21k runners. Of course we had to capture our pre-race looks first.

The starting line feeling was intense. Adrenalin rush was starting to kick-in. Upon gun-start, coupled with fireworks and bands playing at the side, the race started. There was a lot of energy in me that I had to leave my running companions behind and run fast. I had my own pace and I was beginning to overtake a lot of runners along the way. Arriving at Buendia flyover, it was a test on who can endure the long, gradual incline better. A number of participants were just walking it out, but not me. I love running inclines; it makes me feel stronger conquering every hard step.

The next part I could remember is the part when we were already about to traverse the path to Skyway. At the base of flyover, race bandits were not being allowed to enter (Sorry guys, but you have to pay to experience this; that's just fair). Again it was a gradual and painful incline. The next thing I know, I was already running the Skyway path and it was worth it. The elite runners were already on their way back to the Fort, and I can only feel adoration for the passion these runners put on the sport. I also saw Coach Rio on his way back. He was alone but the runners beside me were shouting "Go Coach!". I had to shout too.

The U-turn was located at the Skyway toll gate. It was a great feeling to receive the race U-turn necklace. I wore it proudly around my neck and I knew it was now time to go back to the Fort. The sun was already up but the temperature's still perfect for running. I was very happy of my race position by this time. I knew I was kinda ahead; a lot of runners were still running the opposite direction when I was heading back and I even saw my race companions passing by.

By Buendia flyover, I was beginning to feel tired. For the first time during the race, I walked going up the flyover. I just knew that if I try to run during this point, I might not have enough energy to make it to the finish line. There were still a few kilometers to go. After the flyover, I kept a slow and steady pace until I saw what I was long anticipating to see: the final kilometer mark. By this point I ran fast again until the finish line arch. There, finishers were being greeted by race marshalls and being given their medals. The last medal I wore was back in high school, so receiving a medal at that moment was a bit nostalgic. The 21k medal was well-earned.

Later that day, the race results were released. I clocked in at 2 hours, 6 minutes and 55 seconds, placing 241st out of 1500 21k runners. This is an achievement that I will always treasure.

How I Started to Fall in Love With Running

2010-05-09T08:58:00.000+08:00

From L-R: JM, Geoff, Junar, Raf, Goco, Ying, Earl and Me

Inspired by Early Runs, I'd like to start writing about running.

I remember getting a number of free invites last year from Ying on different running events. I keep turning them down, thinking I'm going to the gym regularly anyway, so what's the use of another physical activity? When HP AMG organized a run, I didn't attend as well. I didn't want to wake up 3am on a weekend just to tire myself out. Besides, that's the only time I get ample sleep.

However, last January, Ying invited me and other officemates to another running event - the "Takbo Para Kay Gibo" run. Was it peer pressure that made me go to a Nike shop to register? Nah, I don't think so. It was the start of a new year and I really wanted to do something new, so I gave it a try.

January 16, 2010 - After working Friday night shift, me and some officemates (Earl, JM and Raf) went straight to the Fort (Ying, Geoff, Junar and Goco came from a drinking session, haha!). I was excited and scared at the same time. I am not a fan of gym treadmills and 3km runs on them already tire me out. So I was expecting my body to fail an actual 5km race.

Surprisingly, I was able to keep up with Ying's pace, and able to finish within 30 minutes (the official race results were never released, confirming the event was just a campaign cover-up :p). I loved the feeling of running with around 3000 other people that time - the energy and adrenalin was just too great, that I wanted to do it again.

I wanted to push my limits further, that I signed-up for a 21km run next. That's the Condura Skyway Run for the Dolphins, one of the most anticipated runs of the year. That'll be the topic of my next blog, once I feel the writing mood again.

The Superposition