New 25km PR at the New Balance Power Run 2013

The last 25km race I joined in was the New Balance Power Run 2011, where I got a decent 2:36 finish time. Since the 25km distance would seem an annual thing only, I was really eyeing for a new PR. Days before the race, I was psyching myself up. I really wanted a new PR just before the year ends (on whatever category I could manage), and this looked like the perfect opportunity on doing so.

Recent events brought about by typhoon Yolanda threatened this year's race. It even affected the race kit claiming a few days prior. I remember running in strong rains on NB Power Run's 2011 edition, making me wonder what's with this event and the outpour.

We were fortunate the race pushed through. The gun start's back to the normal time - 4:30am for the 25km category, which is just right and not too early in my opinion. Starting line is at 30th Street corner 9th avenue, a new location to start a race. I parked at the back of Seda Hotel which is strategically near the assembly area. I had to wait for a few friends who asked to leave their belongings at my car - Ryan, Rom, Joshua, Jake and Rhon. Just in time, the light rain stopped when we were off to the assembly area.

No pacer duties this time for me. It's run-your-own-pace day so mindset's I'm running alone. I was feeling good so it's a good sign that I'll enjoy the race and be able to meet my target, which is a sub-2:30.

Photo courtesy of Art Mendoza - quick stop at a hydration station

However, a few kilometers into the race, I came across Team Alpha1 teammate Joric (Redcapguy) so I called him up to greet him. Surprisingly, he told me he's not on race mode and that this is his first 25km race anyway so I had instant company (and an instant pacer too!). The only problem is that his relaxed mode (also known as chika pace) is sort of my race mode already. Haha! So when he was talking, and I was talking back, he didn't know I was already beginning to go out of breath and every reply already was an effort for me.

Photo courtesy of Lestsky - great snap making us look like Gatorade endorsers! Haha!

I quite struggled on the latter half of the race, requesting for more frequent walk breaks and longer stops at the hydration stations. Joric didn't mind the breaks but I still tried to push whenever I can. It didn't help either that lower race categories were merging with the 25k runners - the 10k and 16k runners were just a tad too many. Then again, I realized how Joric's unofficial pacing helped me continue to run, whereas if I had been alone, I would have just walked and gave up on my PR target.

Photo courtesy of KB Photography - that lens! Awesomely cool shot!

And so as we turned the final turn to the finish line, I was ecstatic to see the timer displaying 2 hours and 25 minutes! It was a new personal best, slashing off about 9 minutes from my previous time. Woot!

Of course, it was now time to meet runner friends at the activity area. So I took the camera from my car after we got our loot, and went to the race village to take some snaps.

Team Alpha1 teammates Joric and Marvin (who did a 1:52 25km! Wow!) I did not wear my alpha singlet because I knew these two were running and I am slow. Haha!

With Ally Lim of Runrio

With Barefoot Runner Loyce and Cheetah Rhon

With runner friend Dwight - Good luck on your Macau Marathon!

Photo courtesy of JP - From L to R: Mary Ann, Loyce, me, Rhon, Jake, Ryan and JP

With Rom, Joshua and Ryan

I was famished and craving for some IHOP goodness. IHOP was just a few steps away from the race area so it was expected a long queue would meet us. We were 20th on queue, but patience has its rewards - I really enjoyed my hash brown stack with mushroom, spinach and egg. Yummm!

At IHOP with Rom and Ryan

After breakfast, on our way back to the car, we met Coach Rio and congratulated him on staging another EXCELLENT race... 

...and of course we did not miss the photo op with him!

Until next year!

Slimmerun 2013: What? No Water?!

It's normal for runners to complain if race events only offer water and not energy drinks. This time it's different. Slimmerun 2013 did not have any water on the hydration stations. Vitwater (that pink variant) was offered instead (take note: warm Vitwater). On a particularly hot summer day wherein runners are used to pouring cold water on their heads to lower their body temperature, it was tough for me to adjust to new hydration and water-less stations. To add insult to injury, when I asked one of the marshals manning the hydration station if there's any water available, I got the response "Tubig din po yan." I just continued running since I might regret what comes out next on my mouth. Haha!

Flashback a bit, I registered for Slimmerun since it's one of the only few races this May that offered 21k. RU2 is just around the corner and I needed mileage badly. I was hesitant because there's not much hype on this event, with very poor marketing and a very late publication of the race route. If you read comments on blogs and social media sites requesting for race information, zero response was received from the organizers.

Desperate for mileage, Slimmerun is a go. Plan is to complete 25k - pre-race of 4k and race 21k. I brought my hydration bottle with me just to be sure.

Met Sir Patrick Concepcion (a.k.a Runningshield) early at the parking area. He thought it was an early gun start.

Another confusing part of the race is its 21k route. Instead of the usual routes covering 21k straightforward, the Slimmerun has a section wherein you need to do a loop. It was weird, and mentally challenging - as you near the finish area, you need to take a u-turn and go back to Bonifacio High Street, then re-trace the path you took going to the finish line. Saw a lot of confused runners due to this and there might have been runners who made a shortcut accidentally if they missed the crucial turns.

The weird 21k race route

Some other race observations and feedback:
- Hydration station between the 14km-15km mark ran out of Vitwater at the early part of the race. It was a busy section of the route as all categories are passing by so Vitwater supply at that area should have been planned better. At this part, I just gave up on my attempt to even get a decent time on the race as I was afraid of getting dehydrated. I slowed down and alternated walks until the next hydration station which was another kilometer or two.
- Since there were really no announcements made by the organizers if there will be finisher medals, shirts or loot bags in store for runners, it was bit of a surprise when 21k runners were greeted at the finish line with a medal and a loot bag. I guess it's a plus (shrugs).
- From a runner I follow in Twitter: @jpnavarrete Slimmers is all biceps, and no brains. Worst run ever!
- From a runner friend Mark Labit: He posted a picture in Facebook with the following caption: "Expired freebie in a recently concluded fun run." A box of C-Lium Fiber in the loot bag had an expiration date of January 2012. Wow!

Almost at the finish!

Still managed to smile at the finish line.

With Ms Mars of Pinoyfitness

With barefoot runner Loyce

Well, I'm still thankful I was able to log 25 kilometers today. A pre-race 4km (28:24) and a disappointing 21km (2:09:02), totaling 25 kilometers (2:37:26).

Slimmer's World International and Slimmerun, you better shape up next year or else you're gonna lose more runners! (As if today's race had lots, hehe!)

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

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.

25k LSD with takbo.ph

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.