RACE REPORT: RU2 Exceeds Expectations

Each year, experienced runners and newbies alike are anticipating the Run United Trilogy. Last June 1, Unilab Active Health held the second leg and surprised everyone with lots of exciting changes to the race. As we runners exceeded ourselves, the organizers exceeded our expectations as well.

Listening to the clamor brought about by the registration issues from leg 1, the organizers simplified leg 2's registration, removing the race kit claiming event, and returning the option for online registration and race kit delivery, much to runners' delight. I was one of the early bird registrants, doing it online, and recommending that option to all my fellow runner friends as well. I got my race kit delivered to my doorstep, hassle-free.

Another surprise announcement (and a welcome one at that) was the release of the race maps for leg 2. First time the race start will be at Kilometer Zero at Luneta! Gone is the point A to point B race from the past years (starting at BGC and ending at SM Mall of Asia). Now, the race starts at KM0 and ends at KM0, with a route traversing Roxas Boulevard to Coastal Road all the way to Cavitex! Now that's one straight route with just one turn at the Cavitex entrance and one U-turn at Cavitex. It was such a fresh and exciting route!

The Run United 2 2014 32k Race Map

In order to relax and prevent the stress of looking for a parking space at Luneta on race day, I booked a hotel room at the nearby H2O Hotel at Ocean Park, walking distance away from KM0. I loved the view from my hotel room!

Great view from my H2O Hotel room

Race day came, and our meet-up area is near the Tamaraw statue at KM0. Gun start is at 3am so we were there an hour before.

From L-R: Cholo, Wyatt, me, JP, Ryan, Rolly

Some of my Team Banana teammates were late, so we failed to have a group photo donning our Nike tops. When the announcement was made that we could go to the assembly area, we went ahead as we didn't want to be placed too far back from the starting line.

The usual pre-race program commenced, which started with the national anthem, an opening prayer, a warm-up led by Chris Everingham, and the visuals for the race route and countdown. We had the entire four lanes of Roxas Boulevard the first few kilometers, which is a great strategy for runners to spread out and lessen runner congestion.

At the start of Coastal Road, I met Becky Runner, Ikasam and Kyle who were pacing each other. I mentioned my strategy of doing a constant 6 minute per kilometer pace, with a sub-3:20 target. They joined me for a few kilometers but then I lost them at one of the hydration stations as I was practicing doing quick stops only - pick a water cup, sip, walk a few seconds, then run again. As I ran and looked back, I couldn't see them following me, so I was back alone on my steady pace.

I was able to sustain my target pace, and on my way back, I had to walk it out on the two flyovers to reserve my energy. My strategy on being patient all throughout the course worked, as I had enough energy left to run even on the final kilometers (but I had a cramps attack at KM31 haha!). I finished with a chip time of 3 hours, 18 minutes and 49 seconds. Target achieved! (By the way, my time from 2013 RU2 32k is a miserable 4:16 so almost an hour improvement was a welcome one.)

Thanks to Lem of Pinoyfitness for this shot! Almost at the finish line!

Some race notes:
- Run United races never fail at hydration. As usual overflowing ice-cold water and Gatorade at evenly-spaced hydration stations.
- Lots of marshals and medics and visible ambulances along the route.
- I love the 32k race route and hope something similar will be in store for us this coming RUPM
- Medal quality consistency is way better than 2013's trilogy medals
- The finisher shirt rocks!
- I couldn't help but laugh when some runners blame the organizers for smoke belching vehicles or the foul stench at Coastal Road. I hope people understand that there are things beyond the organizer's control.

Of course, no RU2 race will be complete without the photo ops at the finish line area, as we waited for friends who are about to finish the race.

From L-R: Cholo, JP, Wyatt, me, JC

From L-R: Goldi, Becky, Bernie, Lurvin, me, Wyatt, Reyman, Archie, sleeping Sy and JP. Ikasam sitting down. 

From L-R: Paul, Jireh, Hazielle, me, Sy and Rolly

With officemate and triathlete Jhino and his girlfriend Giselle

From L-R: Syril, me, Ryan, Loyce, Rolly

Another plus? As soon as the race results were officially released two days after the race, it was in two batches - one according to gun time, and another according to chip time! Yay! It's one of the items I was looking for in RU1 and they have it now in RU2. Great job!

Top 7.7% - 217th out of 2794 32k finishers. Nice.

One more leg to cap-off this year's trilogy. I'm excited for RUPM! Thanks Unilab, Runrio and Unilab Active Health!

Back to UP Diliman for an LSD

3AM and parked already at the Bahay ng Alumni

Last September 15, I and my running buddies Ryan, Rom and Marte went to UP Diliman for an LSD. It's probably the LSD which made us survive RUPM last Sunday.

It's been a long time since I've been to my alma mater; I think it was way back 2010 when I joined a race there. After three long years, surprisingly nothing much has changed. UP Diliman is still the same old campus worth spending one's college years on. I'll be forever proud to have been a UPD graduate!

Our LSD plan is a minimum 32km to a maximum of 35km. To the acad oval's 2.2km distance, that's about 14 to 16 loops. Insane right? But we're after distance and not speed. So we'd meet our target even how long it'd take. And what I stressed to my running mates is that this is more of mental training, as succeeding running in multiple loops would mean greater chance of success in a point-to-point race.

32km LSD Survivors, with Oble at the background

After a "taho" break, a return to the car for hydration, a "mais" break, and 15 loops around the acad oval, we survived! 32 kilometers in almost 5 hours! Hahaha!

Rodic's FTW!

And our biggest post-LSD reward? Nothing else but a big breakfast at Rodic's!

UP Diliman, we'll be back soon!

Afroman Distance Pacer Duties at RU2

Pacing one runner is a difficult task. Imagine pacing four. This is my Run United 2 race experience - tiring yet fulfilling and fun.

Initially, I had wild plans of beating my 32k PR at RU2. Those plans went down the drain with a number of factors:
- Crazy work schedule making me miss my maintenance runs
- Zero mileage for two weeks before the race (previous run was at Slimmerun)
- Hot, hot weather during race day

I could add more but they are just lame excuses (haha!). So when I and my running buddies (Ryan, Rom, Marte, Joshua) met at the assembly area, I decided to take it slow and be an instant pacer. All but Ryan are 32k first-timers so whatever happens, it will be a PR for them. So no pressure whatsoever - no target time, just a decent finish.

The Afroman Distance race route

We started at a 6:30 per kilometer average pace. Everyone was happy with the "easy" pace I was setting but I knew at the back of my head that sooner or later someone from our pace group will not be able to sustain the pace with the difficult weather conditions (and road conditions too!). We were having fun chats and there was even a time when were jokingly running side by side, forming a line and almost occupying one lane of Macapagal road.

By KM14 along Roxas Boulevard on route to Luneta, we merged with the 21k runners. The road became more crowded as the volume of average-paced runners ran together. As KM17 passed, Marte and Joshua slowed down and so there were just Ryan and Rom left to pace.

Our performance from KM20 onwards was just abysmal. As time progressed and as it became hotter and hotter, we had longer walk breaks and longer stops at hydration stations to cool down. We were gulping water and Gatorade beyond our normal race consumption, making us feel heavier (and lazier). We even stopped at KM20 to eat taho when we passed by a taho vendor at the CCP area.

During the last five kilometers of the race, Rom kept telling me and Ryan to go ahead and leave him on his own. I insisted we finish together as a group. When he needed to walk, I would stop and walk. When he's ready to run, I would run. We ran and walked UNITED. Haha!

We crossed the finish line together after 4 hours and 16 minutes. It may have been my slowest 32k time (even slower than my first Afroman run), but I had a blast nonetheless.

Happily crossing the finish line!

Group shot at the finish line c/o Lem of Pinoyfitness

Some race notes:
- I still prefer the BGC to Mall of Asia race route of 2012's Run United. This year's race route is more mentally challenging than physically challenging as it just goes along the roads of Macapagal and Roxas Boulevard. Macapagal seriously needs some road works. I pity barefoot runners running along those dilapidated pavements.
- Great hydration. Runrio has really mastered the hydration of a big race. Cold water and Gatorade never ran out amidst the volume of runners. I just saw a few runners taking a sip and returning their used cups on the tables instead of throwing them at the trash bins. Yuck, right?
- The medal is definitely better this leg than the previous leg. Very obvious they had different suppliers. I would have preferred to see consistency on the medal quality across the three legs.
- The finisher shirt rocks! And I love the loot! I'm such a fan of Enervon HP (and Enervon Activ!).

With runners from Team Titans (from L-R: Fritz, Flip, Jake, Rom, me, Ryan, Noel H., Wins)

My pace group - Congratulations to all of you!

Officemates - afroman distance virgins no more!

Congratulations again to Runrio and Unilab Active Health for staging another successful Run United race event! You've brought more people again to living a healthy lifestyle through running and expanded the community.

One more piece to go!

Rank 1163, 1164 and 1165

Super Positive Split! Haha!

RUPM is on October 6! No more excuses! Training commences.

Of Cats and Dogs and an Afroman Distance

Not even the heavy outpour could stop the Run United 3 participants from running in the third leg of the Runrio trilogy. Amid the crazy weather, the event was still a big success, and I could now say I'm a convert of running in the rain.

Gun start of 32k runners was early at 3am. Unlike what I did last RU2 wherein I parked my car at Mall of Asia then took the shuttle to the BGC starting line, this time I did the opposite - I parked at BGC and made use of the baggage bus to bring my stuff to Mall of Asia. There were about 2800 registered runners in the Afroman distance, and everyone's excitement to complete the medal pie is just contagious.

I will be pacing my friend Ryan again, with a steady pace target of 6 mins per kilometer, or about 3 hours and 12 minutes of continuous running (my PR is 3:06 for 32k by the way). The race will maximize the roads of BGC before finally crossing Buendia flyover and head to Roxas Boulevard.

It was the wettest of all races I've ever participated in, and there were even times the strong winds were pushing us and slowing us down. We were basically on target until KM24, but the dreaded wall hit us KM25, and so we dropped to an average 7-pace on succeeding kilometers.

The Afroman Map

We clocked in at 3 hours and 25 minutes, shaving off around 40 minutes from Ryan's previous 32k PR. We were far from our original target, but that's still quite a feat!

Different categories merging at the final stretch

Almost at the finish!

Some race observations:

+ The addition of large labelled trash bins was a very welcome change to the race. It was now easier for runners to dispose of their cups after passing through hydration stations

+ Of course, hydration is overflowing (and with the help of the rain, some cups are being filled to the brim, hehe!) 

+ Claiming of finisher kits was organized (however, there were some runners who weren't able to get the finisher shirts of their choice, but will be provided to them at a later date)

+ Baggage counters were organized as well. I got my bag without the hassle of a long queue.

- One area of improvement is the placement of timing mats along the race route - it seems that there are a lot of areas where runners could cheat and do a shortcut. This could have been planned better.

After changing to dry clothes, I stayed for a while to hang out with some Team Titan friends, and of course some photo ops.

With Seph, Rolly and Ryan

With Seph and Arvin

And no race review will be complete without me plotting my race performance. Well, the red region says it all. LOL!

RU3 Performance Graph

To my friends' surprise, after the 32k race, I headed back to Manila Peninsula for the wedding preparations of my sister. Haha! Here's a happy family picture:

Congratulations, ate! You are now Mrs. Eileen Camarillo-Go!

Rizal Day Run 32km OVERHEAT!

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.

New 32k PR at Unilab Run 2011

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.

Time to Blog Again: Unilab Run 2 2010

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!