How Running Affects our Christmas 2008

HO! HO! HO! is now HUFF! HUFF! HUFF!

It seems running has taken a new form for me and Per. It isn't just a form of exercise that you do to burn off some of the calories you've collected from drinking and eating different kind of non-healthy food.

Running is more than that. It has become a fun and competitive sport. Fun in that it is always great to discuss and share your running experiences with friends and family who had the same experiences. Fun in that you meet new friends who have different jobs but you all share the same interests in running. Competitive in that you go against yourself in beating your old records in terms of faster finish time and longer distance ran.

Now, running in all its pain and glory has spread to our Christmas but not in the way you think. No, there are no Christmas Fun Runs this year nor are there any New Year's Day Fun Runs. At least, not this year! :) No, we aren't going to do any long runs, drills, tempo runs, etc. this holiday season.

So how does Running affect our Christmas?

Through the gifts of course!

So far, I've gotten a Garmin case to put in my Garmin Watch and Charger from my sister Carolyn. Perfect for out of town trips when I feel the need to run there!

From Per's older sister, I have received a Runner's Diary 2009 so I can log in my runs here, put in the number of km done for the day and total for the week and has a lot of tips and stories about running that I can relate to. Definitely handy!

For Per's gift to herself, she bought her very own Garmin Watch. Just in time for PSE Bull Run in January, her first race in 2009! Cool !!!!

For my gift to myself, I bought a copy of "SPIRIT OF MARATHON" DVD so we can watch it together to get the motivation we need for our Singapore Race in May 2008.

And as part of my Christmas gift to Per, I have ordered online via PHOTOVENDO.PH some photos from our UP Race as it was our final race for 2008. Her two photos I will just insert in her Christmas Card. Very efficient services by the way and the photos are really really nice !!!!
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Since this is our first year of running, this is also the first time some of the gifts we've given and received is related to our love of running.

What about you? What are some of the running related things you've given / received this Holiday Season? And what are the other ways Running affects your Christmas for 2008?

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

Adidas Sundown Marathon 2009 (Singapore)

Just typing down 42k for the labels of this entry brought fear and goosebumps to me. Why oh why am I doing this? Why am I not satisfied to finishing a 25km and just stick to 10km races? I still don't know the answer but I guess it's the challenge of completing a full marathon and seeing if you can do it and not (fingers crossed) getting disqualified for not finishing it. It is every runner's dream after all...

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So for my first ever 42km, I have chosen this event to do it. I want it to be outside Philippines so I can get the full effect of the sceneries of a foreign land as will be running for 5-7 hours so want everything that I see to be new. Hong Kong in February 2009 is too near and Singapore in December 2009 is too far so this one in May 2009 will be just right!

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Some good things of joining this race:

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1. The very long cut-off time of 11 hours! One way or another, I think this will be achievable. Since this will be my first marathon, finish time isn't important. Only that I finish it! Of course, will still put a goal which for me is at a very conservative 6 to 6.5 hours.

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2. It will be starting at midnight! No waking up early at 2AM! No blistering heat from the sun till about 7 hours later when it is already morning! But it will still be humid as this is Singapore after all and not sure yet how I can sleep during the day to be refreshed when the gun is fired.

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3. This race is on its 2nd year. I am always hesitant on doing a long race on its pioneer year of organizing one as there can still be some mistakes and things forgotten due to lack of experience. Still 2nd year is a short track record but I'm sure there will still be some improvements from the race last year (not that there was anything wrong from last year's race!).

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4. Goodies Bag! Included with the race kit is an Adidas Event singlet and all Finishers will receive an Adidas Sundown Marathon Finisher Visor and a Finisher's medal.

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5. On personal note, I won't be doing this alone. Well, so far I am alone in the full marathon (hu hu) but I have two friends who registered for the 10k race, which is open to female runners only (wonder why that race isn't open to male runners?). So it will still be a fun trip among running friends for this. Not sure though if I can shop after race given how tired I will be.

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I have registered for this so no turning back anymore. Now, I need to log in more miles with training starting January 2009!

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This will be my biggest challenge yet! As the ad says, DO THE IMPOSSIBLE! But can this Running FatBaoy do it???????? And for those of you who have done a full marathon and doesn't see the challenge anymore, well, they also have an ULTRA-MARATHON run with diance of 84km !

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For more details including registration (right now, it's early bird promo of SG$80 for Ultra, SG$60 for full and SG$40 for 10km until January 31), go to: http://www.sundownmarathon.com/

The Route Map for 42km. 84km is two loops here!

Singlet sample for Men's 42km raceSinglet sample for Women's 10km race

DO THE IMPOSSIBLE! And do it with me! hehe.. :)

UP ICTUS 2008 - Our Year-Ender Run

As our final race for 2008, Per and I have decided to make this blog special by having a HE SAID/ SHE SAID portion. My race experience shall be in BLUE while Per, doing her first Blog entry, will be in RED.

HE SAID:

BAD START, WORST FINISH!

Okay, maybe my ego was getting to me. After getting a very good P.R. in previous week's run at Yakult 10miler, a good back-to-back run and breaking a couple P.R. with Per, I was quite confident that I will breeze easily through this run. Not so!

It may have been the high level of alcohol still in my blood from two consecutive nights of getting drunk (ahem...) on various mixed hard drinks, beer and red & white wine (and not in that order). It may have been the restless sleep I had the night before this race where I finally fell asleep at 2AM, only to be woken up by the alarm two hours later. Or it could have been the very heavy dinner we had at Galleria before watching the movie. Or it's neither of these things at all...

On Sunday morning, we were early for this race, arriving at the venue at 5:40AM. With me is my sister Natalie and my fiancee Per, all going for the 10km race and all having personal goals in this race. Rio was announcing the last few minutes till race start so after I did a two minute warm up run, I went to the starting line to stretch and felt a little pain on my left leg. Race started at 6:00AM with the 5km race starting a few minutes after us.

I sped right off as have target time of 5:30/km to finish at 55 minutes if attainable. Almost immediately, there were some confusion among runners as a few ran straight when in fact we had to turn right for the U-Turn area. Still running according to plan and almost immediately there was already a water station in front of me. Then something happened...

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At 1KM mark, my left ankle was in really bad pain. I cannot believe it! I had to slow down my pace but it was still painful. With no choice, I had to walk slowly. I ran again but pain was still there. Man, this was very disappointing. I had to run- walk this early in the race, which I haven't done for quite some time now. Nothing to do though. I just kept thinking to myself that I do not want to quit! So my goal of getting a new PR went away the more walk breaks I had. Pretty soon, even the 1 hour goal went away too. It really took an effect with me as wasn't really tired but my legs were just in pain (at this point, even my right calf had its own problems). My walks became limp and there was one point I stopped in the middle of the road to stretch my ankle. Looking at my Garmin, I saw that it was just 3.5km. Oh man! Time really moved slow for me but I was determined to finish this race no matter what and so I started jogging again but still stopped at every water station to drink as figured it could be dehydration and might be getting cramps on my legs.

By 5km, the pain subsided so sped a little to catch up the big time I've lost. By this time, it was already 34 minutes in the course, my slowest so far. My goal was reduced to finishing the race and good thing the pain was gone for the next 3km so I was able to run a little bit more. But after 8km, the pain was back and I had to walk again. This was incredibly frustrating! In the end, I saw the final stretch and ran to the finish line to cross it at a time of 1:08:36. At least I beat my easy goal of under 1:12 and more importantly, I was able to finish the race no matter how hard it took me. This was a humbling experience and one that I can learn from: that I have to train smart by eating the right food, getting enough rest and not training too hard. For this week, I will not do a single exercise so will give my body enough recovery time.

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It's kinda ironic that my first run this year in UP (January 2008) got me my worst finish time of 1 hour, 12 minutes. After one year of running, my final race for 2008, also at UP, got me my 2nd worst finish time for a 10km! Oh well, at least the journey was fun!

On the race itself: it was nice that it started on time and there was no sun when race started. Lots and lots of water although no sports drink this time around (which I really needed). The km markers were something new as featured the Krispy Kreme donuts on it and some witty sayings on that product but since we had to do multiple loops, the km markers became confusing with 3km and 7km near each other, a blue sign and green sign which represents 5km and 10km runners. Moreover, near start of course, there were some confusion as to which way to go due to signs pointing to two different directions. Good thing there were some marshals to help us but even they weren't able to stop some runners going straight on the road instead of taking the longer route that we all did. The course was more than 10km, ending at 10.43km. Results came out quickly at www.runrio.com and got a donut at finish line plus Rush Drink as well.

Here's to a great 2008 and here's to a more exciting, more challenging 2009!

SHE SAID:

GOOD TIMES, BAD TIME

It was 4:30 in the morning and my phone was ringing…it’s my wake up call, Dennis, making sure that I am awake, getting ready for my last run of the year! Good thing he called since I was still in R.E.M. :)

Getting to U.P. was quick, so we got there 30 minutes before the race starts. Dennis decided to do a warm up run, I decided to conserve my energy and just stretch while waiting for him.

Three, two, one… bang! The race starts.

Everyone was running their hearts out. I got excited and ran my heart out as well. My goal was to get to 5k at 30 minutes for me to reach a personal best of at least 1:13 on the 10k mark.

First kilometer…. I felt good and motivated. Second kilometer…5k in 30 minutes? NOT impossible. Another kilometer…(this is where the story changes!) 5k in 30 minutes? IMPOSSIBLE! My knee started to hurt like hell. There’s this sharp pain every step I take. I see signs -- arrows-- left for 5k runners, right for 10k runners. Turning left was very tempting. Having to endure the pain in my knee for another 6 kilometers was out of the question. Suddenly, it hit me! Last run for the year and I sure am not going to quit this one. So I walked, I ran, and walked some more. Then I saw THE Krispy Kreme sign… “ 9k …. Can you smell it? ” Yes, I can smell the finish line. I looked at my watched and the time is 1hr 16 minutes. I felt disappointed. 3 minutes over my goal and I still have another kilometer left. But then a familiar face catches my eye… It’s Natalie (Dennis’ Sister) cheering for me…”Go Per! You can finish under 1 hr and 22 minutes!” She decided to run with me for the last 30 seconds until I reached the finish line… and I did it. I finished at 1 hr and 21 minutes.

As I am writing my first ever blog I realize – finishing this run with my bad time of 1 hr and 21 minutes and my bad left knee is a bad ending to my first running year. But then again, looking back at the year that was for me… I never would’ve imagined that me, the Per that I used to be, could even finish a 10 kilometer run.(ask my high school friends :) ) So here’s to another year of having a love/hate relationship with running. (I love the new balance).

Special Note: Photo credits to marathoner Vener, who was there to support his wife Christy for her 10km race. She got a new personal Record! Congrats!

Final Race for 2008! - UP ICTUS Centennial Run

Yesterday at Yakult 10 miler, Per and I saw booth for above race and thought about joining it. Details are as follows:

A 5km and 10km marathon for the benefit of the UP ICTUS scholars and apostolates. A part of the year-ender celebration of the UP Centennial Anniversary

Date: December 14, 2008. Sunday.
Venue: UP Academic Oval
Race Start: 6:00AM
On-site Reg Fee: P500 / P250 (Early Reg Fee)
Registration can be done at the following:UP ICTUS Tambayan in the Parish of the HOly Sacrifice Compoundor at R.O.X. Bonifacio High Street, Taguig
Website: http://www.runrio.com

Hmmm, so tempting!!! With Per's on-off knee injuries and me wanting to wake up on a Sunday at a time that is NOT 4AM, we had to think twice about it but in the end, we decided to do this as a final race for 2008.

Since this race will be done by Coach Rio, there won't be any worries on delay with race results, lack of water, etc. so that's one more reason to join this race.

Upon checking my records, I've noticed that the very first race I did this year which was waaaaayyy back in January 18 was the UP Century Run with a finish time of 1 hour 12 minutes. How cool will it be to start 2008 with UP Century Run and end 2008 with UP Centennial Run???? A full circle in terms of racing venues! Awesome!

My goals for this race is as follows (arranged from easiest to most difficult):

1. Beat my UP Century Run finish time of 1 hour 12 minutes - to see how much I've improved since then
2. Finish Race in less than 1 hour.
3. Beat Personal Best Time by going under 58 minutes.

The 10km course will be just two 5km loops and both of us will be going for the longer race.

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And for those who are also having 2nd thoughts on joining this race, I only have this to say:

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"Don't think, just ______ !" (Answer on picture above)

Yakult 10-miler Race

This was my 3rd consecutive race in Roxas Blvd. after doing the Animo Run (Nov 23) and Milo Finals 10k (Nov 30) and I have grown to like running here for its relative flat course.

Per and I got here around 5:30AM (can't miss the huge Yakult bottle) and we parked right next to my sister's car who arrived the same time as we did! We looked for a registration area for Per but didn't find any. Rather than running bandit for 5KM, Per opted instead to stay on the sideline today and be the photographer for this race. Since it will be a 10 miler (16KM) race, I told Per to just wait in the car and come out after 1 hour 30 minutes since I don't expect to finish after at least 1 hour 36 minutes. Good enough for her to catch some ZZZ's as we got home late last night. She did join me for some 5-minute warm up jog around the area to which I did some stretching and proceeded to the starting line.

My target for this race is to run at a pace of 5:45 to 6:00 minutes per KM and I plan to keep looking at my Garmin to assess my speed. If I am going too fast, I will slow down to reach target level. If I go too slow, which would definitely happen often, I will pick up my steps and try to run faster. My goal for this race was to get a Personal Best. Having done only one 16km race so far at the La Salle Race in Fort Bonifacio and finishing at 1 hour 38 minutes 10 seconds, I hope to beat this record... hopefully. Of course, the longer distance will determine if I have the endurance to maintain this pace or not.

Entering the starting line, the gun was fired and we were off. While running, I heard somebody call out my name and turning around, I saw it was Christy. Bro J was right behind me too and Jinoe was right next to us! Pretty awesome having all the running bloggers start together and not even know about it. Vener, having just finished his marathon last week, came running ahead of us to stop... and take our photo !!! Haha. That was hilarious and a good fun start to this race.
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Pretty soon we each went off to our own individual pace and I got back to checking my Garmin. Seems I'm going a little too fast from my target so slowed down a little bit as didn't want to burn out so early in the race. We reached the first flyover soon, went over it and kept on running to a second flyover. I also spotted Ige Lopez running fast, then stopping somewhere and just wait around so I'm guessing he is running with somebody.

The water stations were ample and I stopped at every single one of them to have a quick drink before running off again. I was quite happy in that I didn't walk going up the flyovers and wasn't that tired yet. The nice weather helped a lot as no sun came out while we were running.
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Pretty soon it was the turning point where we got a straw from the marshals and came running back to the two flyovers, past the CCP area (where we started from) and past Luneta Park for the 2nd turn around point (and 2nd straw). By this point, I was feeling the fatigue and craved for water at the stations. But after getting big gulps from the plastic cup, it was enough to keep me running all the way to the finish line where Per was waiting for me. Naks! Hehe.

My final time according to my Garmin was at 1:36:23 ! A new Personal Best! Yahoo! My pace was at 6:01 min/ km so I was right on target pace. Not only that but upon checking all three 15km races I've done this year, this 16km even beat them all (my fastest 15km race was 1:36:46) !!! Double Yahoo! That was a very nice surprise for me! So so so happy for it. Hehe :)
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For me, this was a very organized race with results coming out a day after. Aside from singlet that comes with race pack, we were also given a Yakult bottle and a shirt at the finish line. Distance according to my Garmin was at 16.02 KM which was very very accurate for this race.
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Aside from the runners I met at start of race, I also met some more at the finish of the race: Gigi, Rico, Patrick, Wilbert, Que. My sisters and bro-in-laws and some friends also took part in the 10-miler race so there were a lot of familar faces here.

What oh what can make this Sunday better? Well, there's......


MANNY PACQUIAO winning against OSCAR DELA HOYA!

WE BELIEVE !!!


And then there's also...


La Salle Green Archers JV Casio getting the ball and scoring 2pts 6.6 seconds before the final buzzer giving La Salle a 1-point win over San Beda for the Philippine Collegiate Championships Finals vs Ateneo. Very exciting game that was.... Too bad I didn't watch the Finals where La Salle won over Ateneo :)

At the starting line.

Philippine's version of Cloverfield in the form of a huge Yakult monster! GRRRRR!!!!

Race photo taken by RunUnlimited

Carolyn with friend nearing finish line

RFB at last leg of race

Edwin & Stella nearing finish line

Gigay still in a good mood

Dave in his first 16km race! Congrats!

A very well organized race. It deserves THREE THUMBS UP! Haha!

me, Christy & Vener

Dave, Nat, me, Stella

Photo care of RunningShield. Que, Jinoe, Me, Patrick

Siblings

SIGURADO KA TIYAAAAANNNNN!!!! And a very FAT tummy from Running FAT BOY

Meeting Ms China (town) ?? HAHA!

22 hours all over Metro Manila..

What a busy Sunday (November 30th) for me. My schedule that day were as follows:

3:50AM - Alarm of cell phone goes off. Time to wake up! But very hard. Sluggish!

4:00AM - Call Per and wake her up too.

4:45AM - Picked up Per in Pasig City. Drive to Luneta Park for Milo 10k Race. Pass through Pasay City instead of Buendia to get there as last time we went through Buendia for Milo race, they closed off most of the road and had us going in different detours, which made us arrive late for the run.

5:30AM - Arrived in Luneta Park with no problems getting here. Only problem is the parking. Lots and lots of runners already lining up at the starting line.

5:40AM - Found our secret parking spot only to be shooed away by security guard. Ended up parking elsewhere. Walked to starting line where it had started to drizzle a bit.

5:50AM - Went to 10k starting point and had ourselves checked in. Very tight area and hoping race starts already!

6:00AM - Mayor Alfredo Lim fires off the gun, signaling start of race. Per and I run together in our 2nd 10k race together. Our target is personal couple best with ultimate target of 1:10. We only stopped at the water stations which caught me by surprise as expected Per to do some walk breaks in-between. She wasn't tired yet so we just kept on running at a comfortable pace. There were times when I was doing the walking myself while she was still running and I just caught up with her again. Pain in my shin but kept it to myself as really wanted Per to keep on running and won't let myself be reason for her to walk. There were some bands here which gave us some entertainment. Race route is just along Roxas Blvd. Lots of water stations. Heading back, there was a siren of police bikes and cars as series of 42km runners were coming back already! Wow, pretty cool seeing them there!

7:20AM - We finished race at a time of 1 hour, 16 minutes and 21 seconds. We didn't reach our ultimate goal although it was still our Couple Best and also Per's Personal Best, which was a pretty good finale for her final race for 2008! Will try again next year to improve on our time by increasing pace. Our average pace was 07:31 minutes/ km but total distance according to my garmin was at 10.16 km. Per's knees were in pain so rest of the year will be rest and recovery for her muscles. Headed immediately to Milo stands for chocolate drinks after which I went back to my car to fetch my camera.

8:00AM - Left Luneta to eat breakfast. Since Roxas Blvd was still closed for marathon finishers, we went to Ongpin instead to look for chinese restaurants but with no parking, we left place again and headed to Taft Avenue to head out of Manila area.

8:30AM - Arrived in Magallanes and ate at Pancake House. Saw three guys eating there with two of them wearing their Milo Shirts. Was wearing mine as well. Haha. Had heavy but oh so yummy breakfast of pancakes with bacon and egg.

9:30AM - Dropped off Per at her house, and head on home for quick shower. Brother and mom went with me to Megamall for Sunday service. Lunch at Megamall with family.

2:00PM - Picked up Per again. Brought mom and brother home and Per and I went to Commonwealth, Quezon City for Christening of Godson

2:30 - 3:20PM - Super heavy traffic along EDSA. Cars not moving! Refusing to accept it but nothing to do. Found out that a car accident was causing the traffic. Finally got out of jam and drove fast to make it just in time for the ceremony. PHEW!

4:30PM - drive to QC Sports Club for birthday party of Friend's daughter. Ate a lot: Kare-kare, lechon, chicken, etc. Met some college buddies there.

6:00PM - went to Shakey's, a 10 minute drive from QC Sports Club for another birthday party. Ate again! Pizza, chicken, mojos, spaghetti !!! Dizzy from eating already! But can't resist the food smell. Yum!

8:30PM - 10:00PM - hang out in Per's house.

10:30PM - 12:30AM- Watched Twilight with friends at Shangri-La Mall. Theatre packed!

1:00AM - 2:00AM - drank beer at JJ's near Metrowalk. The rest ordered food there. Couldn't eat anymore today.

2:30AM - Home Sweet home! So glad no work the next day... so so tired.... ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!!!!

Very cool 0 Km marker. I wonder how may km I drove today? Good thing gas prices got low again!!

Per got a new PR for her 10k! Woo hoo!

Played some games using my camera. For example: here's me, trying to imitate the runner in the photo...

And here's Per playing game of Where's Waldo?

Where In the World is Per?

My version from our first Milo run was a little bit harder. Click on this link: WHERE'S RFB

Mizuno's Sunset Run - Dec 13, 2008

Got info on this race via a text message from my sister last night...

SUNSET RUN

Run with us on December 13, 2008 as we celebrate The 10TH ANNIVERSARY SUNSET RUN organized by Club Punta Fuego Inc. in cooperation with Mizuno.

DATE & TIME 13 December 2008, Saturday Assembly: 4:30pm Start of Race: 5:30pm Awarding Dinner: est. 7pm

VENUE Start/ Finish Area Main Rotonda, Peninsula de Punta Fuego, Nasugbu, Batangas

CATEGORIES 3K/ 5K/ 10K

ENTRY FEE P500/ Pre-Registered Member P650/ On-Site Registered Member P650/ Invited Guest Non-refundable.

Includes: Race Kit, Giveaways, Awarding Dinner & Use of Facilities for Guests

ADD P2,500 FOR A PAIR OF MIZUNO RUNNING SHOES! (Precision 8, Precision 9, Rider 10, Nirvana 2, Elixir 3, Inspire 4, Aero 5)

REGISTRATION
1) For Club Punta Fuego members/guests, registration and payment must be made or before 08 December 08 (Mon). For more information call 751-4027.

2) For Mizuno invited guests, registration and payment can be made or before 08 December 08 (Mon) at Mizuno stores in: a) BMG Center, San Antonio St., Paseo de Magallanes, Makati City b) Bonifacio High Street
For more information call 757-3160 loc. 515

COLLECTION OF RACE KITS & GIVEAWAYS Participants may claim their Race Kits containing the Official Race Number, Safety Pins and Route Map upon registration.
Certificates and giveaways may be claimed upon completion of race course.

PARKING Free parking is available on a first come first serve basis.

BAGGAGE AREA Baggage deposit is available at the Customer Service Station at the Main Reception as indicated in map.

DRINK & FIRST AID STATIONS Drinks will be provided at the finish line and at every 2.5k in the race course.
Medical aid and ambulance will be on standby throughout the event.

PRIZES PER CATEGORY First placers will receive: Medals and Mizuno Shoes plus Shoe Bag for 10k Winner
Second Placers will receive: Medals and Mizuno Team Bag
Third Placers will receive: Medals and Mizuno T-Shirt

To all participants, present race number and avail of 20% discount on Mizuno running shoes (2008 Models) in all Mizuno shops (Club650-Libis, Festival Mall-Alabang, Bonifacio High Street, BMG Centre)

RULES & REGULATIONS
1) Participants below 18 years old must have their entry form signed by a guardian.
2) Race bib numbers must be worn at all times during the race.
3) The Organizer’s decision is final.


This is probably the last race for the year. Best of all is that you don't have to wake up early for this one! And includes dinner as well! A perfect ending to a year of running don't you think?

For more info (including resort and race map) , go to www.mizuno.ph

RFB's November Records (and other news)

November 2008 is a busy month for me and will go down in my books as The Month ...

1. I've ran the farthest in a single race via the NEW BALANCE 25KM POWER RACE. I can finally say I ran more than a Half- Marathon.... by 4KMs! Haha!

2. I've done my first Back-to-Back 10k race. Two 10k races in two consecutive days is a big accomplishment for this Running FATBOY ! And at a good time for me as well. :)

3. With the above three races for total of 45KM plus the VSO Bahaginan Race at start of month with distance of 15KM, this is also the month I've had the most/farthest races with Total Race distance at 60KM!!!

A pretty good start for my 2nd year of running but that's not all...

Upon testing my girlfriend if she wants to do a race after her New Balance 10k, she immediately said yes to it and so here I am for my final run for the month of November:

It's back to Ground Zero (KM Marker that is) for us as we head on to Luneta Park on Roxas Blvd. for the Milo Finals on Nov. 30th. Nope, we won't do the Full Marathon but just the 10km. Still, if I finish the race, that would extend my month's race distance to a total of 70 KM, a number I don't think I can beat..... EVER !!!

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Since this will be Per's final race for 2008, I have agreed to accompany her all throughout the 10k course. This will be only be our second time running together (PMI Proudly 60 Run was the first) so our Goal is to beat our Couple P.R. Time of 1 hour 18 minutes with an ultimate goal of 1 hour 10 minutes.

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For the Milo Race, there are 3k, 5k and 10k categories but think they may cap it to a maximum of 2,000 participants so better hurry if you want to join this race!

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Registration for the Milo Race is now on-going in Vasquez Madrigal Plaza Bldg., 51 Annapolis St. in Greenhills, San Juan. Incidentally, they also have registrations there for the Yakult 10-miler race on Dec 7 to which I have also joined for.

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Other NEWS:

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1. New Balance has extended its promo to all NB Power Race runners in Clark two weeks ago. If you bring your bib to New Balance stores and select Planet Sports branches, you will get 20% off all regular item (new and old). So you can buy singlets, shorts, bag, socks, shoes, arm bands, etc. The downside: they will take your souvenir bib! Awwwwww! This promo is only up to November 30th and we were informed by the staffs of NB Store in Glorietta when we went there last Saturday.

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2. Nike Sportsband: gave up on this product already but Nike was kind enough to have us exchange it for items in their store. So it's like free shopping for Per and me. WOO HOO!!!

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3. Nike Training with Coach Rio: Wow, this is sooooo hard for me but as the saying goes "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger". Haha! Harder than the race itself which is a good thing ...I think. Hehe. They were kind enough to even bring two boxes of bottled water for the runners who need it. Good turn out when we went there last night and session yesterday had lots of speed drills, stretches and core work. A very successful training program. Thanks Nike! Thanks Rio and to the other coaches! Hope there will be more like this come 2009!

RFB's New Running Challenge Conquered!

Can I run two 10km races in two days and still maintain a good finish time for both of them ?

That was my self imposed challenge last week as I joined for both Race for Life at Fort Bonifacio and Animo Run in Mall of Asia grounds. Here's my account on both races:

NOV 22, 2008 - RACE FOR LIFE, FORT BONIFACIO

The race starts at 6:00AM but figured I was quite early as got to Fort Bonifacio area around 5:35AM so there was enough time for a little warm-up and stretching. Unfortunately, I thought that this race will be held near NBC Tent as most Fort Bonifacio races were. Good thing I had the race map with me and by the time I found the starting point, it was just 5:40AM so there was still time..

BUT... there was no parking space in sight! Unlike races held at NBC Tent, Serendra or even McKinley Hill where there were ample parking spaces, here it was the complete opposite. Cars were parked on one side of the street and that was already filled up by the time I got there. I made a long drive to look for an empty spot and even ended up outside British International school. Still no space available! In the end, I ended up at the carpark of Market Market and had to jog a little bit to reach the starting point.

By the time I got to Starting Line, the race had already started so I had no choice but to just keep on running. So unready in that my Garmin was still tracking the satellite and my IPOD was playing a sloooow song. No stretching and no warm ups either. What a bad day! Really disappointed that organizers didn't foresee a need for car parks and with 1,000 runners, they should have at least thought about it. Street parking is never enough for this magnitude of runners.

The course itself was mostly flat to downhill so figured a lot of runners got their Personal Best time here. Due to my Garmin not starting on time I don't really know what my finish time is but based on my calculations (Garmin recorded 9.25km distance at 55 minutes), it should be around 58 minutes to 1 hour 1 minute. Arrgh! What a waste!

The road was closed on one lane only so it was very tight as there were a lot of runners. I had hoped they would close at least two lanes but that wasn't the case here. We even went to a construction zone where we had to weave around the workers standing outside it (there were about 6-9 of them)! Some (but thank goodness not all) marshals let cars go FIRST before the runners so some people had to stop running and wait for 3-4 cars to pass by them before they can cross the street. First time that happened to me which kinda ruined the momentum I already had.

On a good side, the water stations were all in the right places and in the end, I looked at the bigger picture: that this race is for charity and therefore, for a good cause. But there is some room for improvement here in terms of race organization and hope they do so in their future races. Maybe get Coach Rio to run it???

GOAL: To finish under one hour and get Personal Best. Maybe I went under an hour. Maybe I didn't. I don't really know! At least I finished strong in that except for the three water breaks and that one time I couldn't cross the street, I ran all the way and didn't feel tired after the race. I just did my stretching after the race. No pictures from my camera as my car was parked far from the finish line and too lazy to get it and go back here.

NOV 22, 2008 - ANIMO RUN, MALL OF ASIA

I didn't want to be disappointed again so I made sure to be really really early today! Easy to find parking spot and went to the starting line. This time, I made sure to do all the things I missed yesterday: warm-up jog (first time I did this as usually saving all my energy for the race) and stetchings afterwards.
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The 10K race started at 6:00AM via a gun shot into the air, but some marshals were waving their hands in the air trying to stop it. I think it had to do with a lot of runners not checking in yet for the race. But it was too late as the shot was fired and the runners were off! Determined to finish fast today and with yesterday's frustrations, I ran hard here. No pain in the legs so that was a good thing. And didn't feel any fatigue yet given I ran the day before. I pushed myself to run all the way in this race except for the few seconds at the water stations. I was quite happy in that the weather was nice and the course was flat most of the way.

dfd

GOAL: To beat last year's Animo Run finish time of 1 hour 7 minutes. YES, I BEAT THAT!

YESTERDAY'S RUN GOAL: To finish under one hour: I didn't know if I was able to do so in that run but today it's a confirmation! I finished at 59 minutes 10 seconds!!!

YESTERDAY'S ULTIMATE GOAL: To try get Personal Best time of under 58 minutes. Based on my Garmin, the distance for this race was at 10.29 KM. Upon reaching the 10.00KM distance, I checked my time to be at 57:35 minutes. My average pace for entire race was at 5 minutes 45 seconds, which was my target pace for yesterday's run. So, in a way, I also fulfilled this goal in that my 10km was under 58 minutes and got my target pace as well.

L-A-S-A-L-L-E .... LA SALLE RAH!

Met blogger High Altitude

10km Finishers: Jeanne, Janine+, me, Gigay

Running Bloggers Unite: Jinoe and Que of Takbo.Ph, Tech Spec, RunUnlimited, Nora the Golden Girl, High Altitude, Meek Runner

Janine with her brother in his first 10k run. With most siblings running already, how soon before mom and dad will join the running band wagon ?

Gym buddies and good friends Gigay and Meynard

Onward to new runs and to new challenges !!!!

In Running, Have You Ever....

1. Ran Bandit? That is running in a race but without registering for it?

2. Ran using some one else's race number?

3. Quit a race?

4. Thought of quitting running altogether?

5. Missed a race due to alarm not going off?

6. Dreamt missing a race due to alarm not going off but in reality, you still woke up too early?

7. Crawled to the Finish Line? Or worse, fainted/ collapsed upon reaching finish line?

8. Felt good after a race, went home to take a shower and shouted at all the cuts you suddenly had all over your body? (Chafing)

9. Cheated on a race course by cutting short at turning point instead of running further ahead?

10. Panicked in a race looking for the nearest portalet? And possibly getting goosebumps all over your body

11. Hit a fellow runner in a race by stretching your arms?

12. Hit the "Wall"? Suffering during a race and thinking over and over as to why you joined it in the first place

13. Sang loudly as you listened to your IPOD or grunted loudly that runners in front of you turned to look where the sound was coming from?

14. Raced barefooted?

15. Worn wrong pair of shorts and it just keeps falling off when you run?

16. Registered for the 5km race but come race day, ran the 10km instead or vice-versa?

17. Cut in front of somebody else at the water station?

18. Threw out your paper cup/ water bottle and it hit another runner?

19. Went outside your house on race day to find out that it is raining really hard but still decided to go to the race no matter what? (Don't forget to bring your swim goggles)

20. Ran with your pet?

Some I've done, some my friends and family have done and some I have seen being done or heard about. Just some of the stories that come with running.

New Balance Power Race RESULTS!

Wow, in just a few days, results are up already. Its arranged by bib number instead of finish time and still unofficial but it's already there for your viewing pleasure/ displeasure!

Check out http://www.extribe.com.ph/

Congrats to everyone who joined this race.

Keep on Running!

RFB's New Challenge!

After surviving the 25km New Balance Power Race, Running FatBoy has a new challenge to himself:

Can he run two 10km races in two days and still maintain a good finish time for both of them????

This will be another running weekend for me as I will be joining two races in the Metro Manila area.

First is the RACE FOR LIFE 10km event happening on November 22, 2008 at Fort Bonifacio (6:00AM). This will be my first ever race on a Saturday (so even without the 2nd race, I will still be doing something new). I have registered for this online just last week and went to Nike Store in Podium today to claim my race kit. Online registrations have been closed but I think forms are still available in selected Nike Stores. Entry fee is at Php 250.

My goal in this race is to finish race at most at an hour with ultimate goal of trying to go under the very elusive 58 minutes. But with my body still recovering from NB Power Race, I doubt this will be achieved. Still, I like a challenge no matter how hard it may be.

The second race will be held the following day for the DLSU ANIMO RUN. Having done this race last year with fellow running friends Janine and Jeanne, I aim to beat my previous record of 1 hour 7 minutes. This race will be done in MOA at 6:00AM. Challenge here is whether I can still run fast given I just ran hard 24 hours ago.

Both 10km races will do two loops in their respective 5km courses.

Whether I attain my goals or not, I know I will still be having a good time in both these races.

Animo Run 2007:

I remember last year having a really hard time finishing this race after doing Menshealth Urbanathon just a week ago and telling Janine that we should never do a back-to- back weekend race as it's just too difficult. Look who's eating his words now! ME!

Race For Life race kit includes DVD, map, race number and baller ID. Unfortunately, the baller ID is a little too tight for this FAT BOY'S fat wrist but it's for a good cause so all is forgiven. :)

More details on each race on their websites. Just click links above.

New Balance Power Race - Day 2

The 25KM New Balance Power Race will be the farthest I have ever run. So there is a fear on whether I can finish this at a good time or suffer in the race like I did at my first half marathon experience in Borneo a month ago. Joining me in this journey will be Janine+ in her first 25KM run too. In the 10Km category will be Per and Jeanne.

We got here about 5:15AM and had enough time for the 25KM race which had a minor delay and started around 5:45AM. 10KM runners started their race about 10 minutes after the 25KM race.

It was raining a little bit when we got to the starting point so there were some questions on whether we should wear our IPODS and Nike+ Sportsband for this race given their non- water proof qualities. We decided to still wear them and good thing too as rain was light enough and didn't last that long. The weather was quite good and cool all the way so that helped a lot for the first timers (read: me) doing a run here.

Every 2KM or so, there is a water station and bottles are handed out to each runner. No fear of dehydration whatsoever. The KM markers are put in correctly with pretty cool slogans from New Balance such as: XOXO Running, Running is your Best Friend with Benefits, Love/Hate Running, Running Misses you, etc. so that was a welcome distraction from torture of running. Hehe.

The landscape at Clark was pretty awesome too as we went through a lot of green fields (with carabaos), outside Fontana Resort and our course was covered with trees for the shade we crave. There were some uphill climbs as well but manageable as not too inclined.

For my own run, I started really slow. I was at the end of the pack when the race began but didn't really care because of the chip timer and didn't want to tire myself out at the first half. As I headed to the 12.5km marker, I saw a lot of runners heading back already. Vener was there and gave me a thumbs up, Runner Jun who was saying not to run too fast as there will be uphill climbs going back, Rio who gave me a high five, Baldrunner and Bullrunner with their running groups and Jinoe of Takbo.ph who seems to be having a good time as he was smiling when I saw him.

It was a slow jog up to the halfway mark to which I started running faster a little bit. I was quite happy in that the only times I stopped to walk were at the water stations. This being my first 25km run, it automatically becomes a Personal Record so I didn't focus on the fast race mode and just concentrated on finishing this race.

My target time was at 3 hour 15 minutes so I was happy that I finished at 3:03:26 (according to my Garmin) with distance of 25.13 km. What really made my day was that I did not feel tired at all so I was smiling once I neared the finish line. It was also the first time I took a Powergel at mid-point (courtesy of my sister) so that must have helped as well.

No blisters and chafing for me post-race but my shoulders were in pain after surpassing the 12.5km. Problem could have been my running form and I hope to get more information on this in the Nike Training programs to which I registered for.

Janine, Per, Gigay and Jeanne all did well in their respective runs. Unfortunately, Kervin who registered for the 10km race couldn't join due to a small ankle sprain. But he was still game to wake up early and join us as our unofficial photographer and his pictures (see below) are FANTASTIC! Big Thanks Kerv! Our best running photos yet!!!