Adidas KOTR 2011 - race supporter

It's rare that I am at a race venue and NOT run it. Why do so when you can just stay in bed and wake up late?

Well, this was a special moment as it marked Per's return to the road races right after giving birth to our daughter. The last race she joined was KOTR 2010 and she did the 10km event back then (not knowing yet that she was pregnant). It just felt right that her comeback race would be KOTR 2011 as well. Exactly a year later!

With a big smile plastered on her face as she crossed the finish line, it looked like Per had a fantastic KOTR experience!

Congrats Per! Her next race will be at New Balance Power Run! This time BOTH of us (God willing) would run that race.

See you guys there!



... As for me, not only did I NOT RUN that day but I ALSO INDULGED ON DONUTS AND COFFEE at Krispy Kreme, BGC. (Of course, being a race supporter, I also bought a donut for Per when she finished her race).

Thanks for the picture broj !

News: 2nd Camp Run

Camp Run is having its second series this coming November.

I joined the first Camp Run back in August 2011 and that served as the first leg for my back to back weekend races. That didn't turn out as well as I had expected but I had a great time in that race.

For my experience here, click this link



The unique starting/ finish line



finisher dog ID and souvenir shirt

1,000 Kilometers!

Last October 15th, during the Nike We Run Manila 10km event (more on this later), I reached the 1,000 kilometer total running distance for 2011. That translates to an average of 3.47 kilometers per day for 2011. Not bad!!

To achieve this goal, I was able to participate a total of 32 road races broken down into:

1 3.2km race,
12 10km races,
1 12km race,
3 15km races,
1 16km race,
14 21km races,

And got a total of 18 Finisher Medals plus 1 Finisher Dog Tag (perfect for our Christmas Tree!)

In between these races, I would put in easy runs, tempos, and speed run. I tried running barefoot (and loved it). I ran with a plantar fasciitis injury on my left foot. I ran with knee and shoulder pains. I ran using shoes from two different school of thoughts - from the top of the line stability (read: heavy) shoes to the shoes that offer no cushioning in it (barefoot shoes).

Running 1,000 kilometers was never my goal but it serves as a bonus for joining all these races. And I'm not stopping yet. The big and long races are coming up soon with Adidas KOTR 21km, New Balance 25km and Run United 3 32km.


I can't wait to put on my running shoes and hit the road again!






As for the Nike We Run Manila race, it was a sea of red as 8,000 people flocked to BGC to run (or walk) the 10km distance. My goal was to try and achieve 1 hour finish time but due to a lot of reasons (or excuses) such as 1) difficulty in weaving among runners, 2) heavy legs, 3) not yet 100% from my sickness, 4) lack of light in some areas so can't run fast, 5) etc, etc, blah blah blah, I did not reach my goal but it was still my second fastest 10km for the year.

The total distance according to my Garmin was at 10.25km and I clocked in at about 1:04:32 (pace of 6:18).

I got to say the Nike shirt was really nice and something you can wear going to the mall (and not just for running). At the finish line, I got a bottle of water and a bottle of Powerade sports drink, a mini poster and a letter from RunRio.Inc saying that another finisher item will be sent to my mailing address. I didn't stay any more for the 3 Pinoy bands performing after the race.

I also loved the fact that the race was held on a Saturday afternoon so didn't have to wake up on a Saturday or Sunday morning which I usually do for a race event.

Note: As of today (October 19, 2011), Nike results are out and can be found in this link. Based on that official result, my chip time was at 1:04:30 and I ranked 556 for Men aged 25 and above.

Too bad that there wasn't a total number for that category so that I could determine my percentile here.

Trick of Treat! (Runner's style)

For the past two days, I was like a little kid again as I go from one place to another, collecting my goodie bags.

Only this time, the goodie bags aren't filled with chocolates or candies but all sort of wonderful, wonderful things for a running enthusiast like myself.

It so happened that race kits collections were available for three big race events for the fourth Quarter of 2011 and most were in BGC area. Let me break them down individually:

1. NIKE WE RUN MANILA 10K


This event was held in its own tent right in front of NIKE Store, Boni High Street. It was easy to get our race kits here given the number of counters opened for the runners lining up. There were some Nike shoes and shirts for sale too.


Contents of Race Kit: Nike water bottle, Nike 10km event guide, Nike official dri-fit running shirt (with race number on it), Nike big environment bag


2. ADIDAS KING OF THE ROAD 2011



The best race kit collection venue by far as it was placed inside the very large and very spacious NBC Tent, BGC. There were a lot of booths inside promoting their products with some games (and prizes) from each booth. There were also games held by Adidas at the main stage.

They were also selling some Adidas shoes (and you can also check your foot type). You can also buy a second Adidas KOTR singlet for just Php 500.

We were able to join some of the games there and got things like Multivitamins, note pads, pens, souvenir photo and even a Rubber Duckie!

Contents of Race Kit: 1 canned good (tuna or meatloaf), personalized bib number with chip timer, Adidas official KOTR singlet (color given out to registrant was random), some brochures.



3. RUN UNITED 3


This was a normal registration booth (in-store) but since it was up already, why wait till the last minute to register? For the BHS area, registration was at RUNNR Store but when I got there, the 32km slots had ran out so Per and I drove to Planet Sports, Glorietta to get our race kits there.

Note: according to RunRio staff manning the registration booth, they would replenish the 32k race kits after 1-2 days but I was too impatient to wait for it.


Contents of Race Kit: various multi vitamins samples, bib number (with B-Tag attached to it), small pouch, running singlet.


Overall, I loved the Nike Race kits best given the very nice running shirt that comes with it. Adidas KOTR comes to a close second with Run United 3 being last.

In terms of races, I'm most excited with Run United 3 as it will be my first 32km race and my longest distanced race for 2011!

See you on the roads!

2:22:25 !

That was my finish time for the OctobeRUN 21km race held in BGC last October 9^th 2011. The distance for this race was at 20.80km, short by 300 meters for the 21.1km distance. Right after crossing the finish line (and letting the marshals get something from my bib to record my race number), Alvin and I ran the last 300 meters, which ended up where Kabisera Restaurant was for an additional 1 minute 44 seconds.

In reality, my 21.1km time should be 2:24:09 for a pace of 6:50.

But instead it was 2:22:25 with a pace of 6:51. Either one is fine by me. As both are below the time of 2:30, which I did not think was remotely possible in achieving so soon! (Besides which, I usually base my performance on the average pace of my Garmin watch.)

To note, the last time I had a sub-2:30 half marathon was way back in March 2010. That was exactly 18 months ago! And not because I haven’t been running this distance since that time. On the contrary, it was this race distance that I mostly joined due to the enticement of a finisher medal (on my count, there were 15 Half Marathon races that I have joined solely and not including those that I ran with my wife).

But here’s the main difference between this race versus the other ones: I got stronger by training properly.

All this time, I thought it was fine to build mileages by just running the distance and not thinking about the time it would take to finish it. So I would run on a Tuesday night and do another short run on a Thursday night, followed by a Half Marathon Race on Sunday morning. My paces for all three weekly runs were about the same. There was no speed involved. It was just a casual jog as I aim to reach my target distance and burn the calories. It worked in that I didn’t get any cramps from my 21km races and still able to finish them. But I walked in those races. I walked going up the flyovers (or basically any inclined roads). I would take my time at the water stations and stop at EVERY one of them (for fear of getting dehydrated). I would drink so much water/ sports drinks that I would feel bloated and gassy. But I always figured that that way was better than being dehydrated. At least I can still claim to be a finisher. Not a quitter or cheater. And with no cut off time involved, there was NO PRESSURE on my part as a finisher.

But there is a race I’m aiming for that has a cut off time and with what I am doing back then, I will not make it! So I got help from the guy who is used to running so much that it has become a part of his daily routine. And together we would run at BGC, at Ultra Track and at different race venues. And slowly, I got faster and stronger and slowly, he began to change my perceptions about training and running a race. What’s good about his training is that I would still run on a Tuesday, a Thursday and a Sunday. Just three times a week and the same schedule as what I did before.

OCTOBERUN 2011

This race was a big test for me as I usually fizzle out at 15km mark. And I usually get quite frustrated with my performance (there was even one time that I wanted to quit running altogether). My main weakness was really endurance as legs become heavier and more tired and different body pains (shoulders, knees, etc) come out during the long runs. So there is always a fear that it would strike me again.

This race started on time and I took off at an easy pace. I made sure that I was comfortable with my speed and that I wouldn’t burn out too quickly. Inhale… Exhale… Inhale… Exhale…

Alvin came along at 3km mark as he caught up with me in the race.

The first challenge came up in the form of Kalayaan Bridge. It was an uphill climb but I can usually run it especially if it came out early in the race. So that was done and conquered. Then, it was the long stretch of Buendia Avenue with an unexpected turn into Malugay Street, where it started to rain. That was a challenge too but luckily the rain did not worsen and stopped after 15-20 minutes.

The second challenge was returning to Kalayaan Bridge from Buendia Avenue, and that made me especially fearful of it because I had never ran the entire thing. It was just too steep and too hard to do. But that was one thing I aimed to do. Even if I didn’t get a good finish time, this would be my achievement for the day. My mountain to conquer, so to speak!

So I slowed down my pace but still made sure that I was running and not walking it. To make it (a little) easier on myself, I would look at the ground so that I wouldn’t see the steep incline or the other runners, who were mostly walking up the bridge too. I was able to complete the first incline but had to keep on going. There was a second incline before the bridge goes down to BGC, and on this incline, I would always stop to walk on it. But this time was different as I forced myself to keep on running.

Inhale…Exhale…Inhale…Exhale…

Kalayaan Bridge Conquered! Yes! If I fail in anything else, I have this one single thing to be proud of!

We kept on going. I took a GU at 12km mark. The weather was nice as gloomy but not raining again. The water stations were sufficient for me. The Pocari Sweats, bananas and chocolates were a bonus (I just took the drinks and skipped the rest).

As we went near the International Schools, I remembered this route as part of our Tuesday trainings and knew that I had it easier now given I was more than a minute slower. And that gave me the motivation to keep on going at a steady if not faster pace. It was at this time too that I know I would conquer this distance.

The final challenge would come at the 19^th KM mark as that was the new road that just opened near St. Luke’s Hospital and featured two hilly climbs. This was hard to do as well especially since my left foot was giving me some grievances. But I didn’t want to stop when I have already exerted a lot of effort for more than 2 hours. I had to keep on going.

Inhale…Exhale…Inhale…Exhale…

Finally, there was a loud sound right in front of me, like a strong thunder, as something fell and hit the ground hard.

And what was it?

Well, that was the sound of me kicking 21.1km’s ass!

“You have been weighed. You have been measured. And you have been found wanting.” - A Knight’s Tale

In the end, I got a nice finisher shirt, a finisher certificate, a loot bag, and a nice finisher medal and realized one thing. Although a medal is significant in itself, it would hold more meaning if it was achieved by giving your all and getting the best time possible for that particular race.

As a comparison, my last 21km race prior to this was Run United 2 21km with a time of 2:58:01, more than 30 minutes slower than what I was able to do this day! Proper training really works!!

2011 PR for 21km!

News: HK Marathon 2012

Thank you for your support to the Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon 2012. Due to the overwhelming public response, the application quotas for ALL race categories are now full. Both online and mail-in entries are no longer being accepted.

The Marathon Secretariat is now checking ALL applications received and will be making an announcement in due course of any places that may be available for a second round of online registration.

Should there be a second round of online registration, advance notice will be made on the marathon website and in the media.
Please check the marathon website www.hkmarathon.com for further announcements.

News: Men's Health Urbanathon 2011

Official Press Release

Register now for the Men’s Health Urbanathlon & Festival 2011

Do you have what it takes to be an Urbanathlete? Get ready as Men’s Health Philippines brings you its most awaited race event ― the Men’s Health Urbanathlon & Festival 2011. As Men’s Health magazine’s international signature event, the Urbanathlon features urban obstacles like hurdles, a scaffolding maze and an 8-foot wall among others along the race course, making it a race unlike any other.

Now on its fifth year, the Men’s Health Urbanathlon & Festival 2011 is happening on November 13, Sunday at Bonifacio Global City. The race promises to test not just one’s speed and endurance, but also one’s strength, balance, agility and flexibility.

Register for the 5K, 10K, and 15K categories and get a three-month subscription to Men’s Health magazine. All finishers will get finishers medals with the 2011 Urbanathlon ID lanyard. Registration is until October 16 only. For registration details, grab a copy of the October issue of Men’s Health or visit Facebook.com/menshealthphilippines.

The Men’s Health Urbanathlon & Festival 2011 is made possible by official food sponsor Century Tuna, official sports drink, Gatorade, major sponsors: Bo’ Athletics, Cherifer Premium, and Suunto, with the participation of Cataflam. Special thanks to the official venue Bonifacio Global City, official gym partner Crossfit MNL, and registration partners 360 Fitness Club, Fitness First and Bike King.

The October issue of Men’s Health featuring Derek Ramsay on the cover is available in newsstands, bookstores, and supermarkets nationwide. For more updates on the Men’s Health Urbanathlon, visit www.menshealth.com.ph, become a fan on Facebook via Facebook.com/menshealthphilippines and follow them on Twitter at Twitter.com/menshealthph.

And here's what we can find in their October issue of Men's Health:

Men’s Health Philippines is your Guide to Style this October

Amidst the many styles and brands of clothing available in the market, there are pieces that should be considered indispensable in every man’s wardrobe. This October, Men’s Health comes up with its annual Guide to Style and zeroes in on the 17 wardrobe essentials every man will ever need.

When it comes to tailored suits, the fit is everything. Lifestyle editor Amador Madamba points out, “An expensive suit will look cheap if it doesn’t fit well.” Men’s Health gives a manual for suiting up, featuring tips on how a suit should fit you perfectly. The Guide to Style also helps you select the right dress shirt to go with that suit.

Men’s Health shows you how to dress up your casual days with slim-fit khaki pants, polos, basic t-shirts, and more. It also gives you tips on the art of mix and match that can take your wardrobe to an entirely different level. Finish the look with the right accessories, as Men’s Health gives you timeless pieces that you should invest in.

Cover guy Derek Ramsay not only shares his fitness secrets this month, but also reveals his own style rules. Model Hevelyn Almeida, who also graces the flip cover of Men’s Health this October, lets you in on what women want you to wear.

The October issue of Men’s Health also helps you gear up for the upcoming Men’s Health Urbanathlon with a workout that’s guaranteed to make you race-ready. The Men’s Health Urbanathlon happens on November 13, 2011 at Bonifacio Global City.

Grab a copy of the October issue of Men’s Health, available in newsstands, bookstores, and supermarkets nationwide. For more of Men’s Health online, visit www.menshealth.com.ph, become a fan on Facebook via Facebook.com/menshealthphilippines and follow them on Twitter at Twitter.com/menshealthph.

News: Nike Run Manila 10k Updates

The Nike Run Manila 10km is happening in a few days! Are you excited yet?

Claiming of race kits will begin this week but for those people who can't wait, here are some more updates with regards to the upcoming race:

1) A total of 8,000 participants are expected to grace this event. Demand was so high that they had to close registration early and did not add any more slots for safety reasons.

2) Race map is ready for viewing:
Run will start at 5pm (October 15, 2011). Start and end points will both be at 34th Street, BGC.


3) There will be NO BIB Numbers. Rather, each runner's shirt will have their own unique number which will be your race number. Below are what the shirts would look like (for men and for women)




4) Post Race - there will be a live concert featuring some of our country's top performers: Parokya ni Edgar, Chicosci and Sandwich


Are you ready for WE RUN MANILA 2011? We Are!

Livestrong Day Run - October 2, 2011 (Post Run)

There was only one reason that I wanted to join this race and it was this: I wanted the very cool yellow singlet that comes with the Php 700 registration fee. That’s it. No time goals but only to finish the 10km run as quickly or as slowly as possible. I didn’t care. I just wanted that singlet and was even willing to incorporate this into my long run for that weekend.

Alvin even made my day brighter by saying, “we won’t do any long runs that day.” Yes! This was better than what I expected! I can finish quickly and go back home to sleep. No tiring 16km or 21km run! No long runs! Just one short and easy 10km run for that Sunday morning (big smile plastered on my face).

But then, Alvin continued by saying “we will race that day”. What?! And he finished by saying, “we will target an hour or less than that”. No way is that possible!

And here are some (very valid) reasons why this isn’t happening:

1. I’m slow! And fatter than I was 1-2 years ago.
2. I can’t even remember the last time I was sub-60! That seemed like a dream when it happened and something you just reflect upon that you were able to do when you were younger but now cannot.
3. My 2011 10km PR was at 1:03:58 and although that was just 4 minutes more from Alvin’s “target time”, I suspect that race could have been short by few meters from 10km and was on a very flat course.
4. My average (and even most recent) 10km performance ranged from 1:10 to 1:15, a far cry from sub-60!
5. Not helping with this was the difficult 10km route where it passes Lawton Avenue and Bayani Road before making the turn back to BGC. The hills are steep on this route and I always walked here as it was too hard to run on it.

Five good reasons but all fell to deaf ears as Alvin ignored them one by one and kept saying that I’m just being negative. Two weeks before this event, I was stressed by it. Man, I shouldn’t have joined this race for the singlet!

RACE DAY!

The run started at 4:30am, probably the earliest in all of the 10km races I’ve joined in my entire lifetime! The reason for this was that it would be followed by two bike races. With my top five reasons above comes my 6^th reason as to why it would be impossible to reach that goal:

6. The race would have a mass start for 3km, 5km and 10km runners. More people = slower finish time.

But I didn’t want to disappoint Alvin so I would try my best with my own secret goal of beating my time of 1:03:58. Not an easy feat too but at least I tried. It would be a good consolation too from the sub-60 goal. Hehe!

During the race, I would stop at one or two water stations to get a gulp or two of water. I would practice my breathing and run steadily at a normal pace, making sure that I wasn’t going out too fast. At Lawton and Bayani area, there were no lights and I had to run in the darkness. Good thing Coach was boy- scouts prepared and had a mini flashlight with him and lead the way out of that area. As I got out of it, I realized one thing and that was that I actually ran the entire thing! That alone was a huge achievement on my part and I didn’t know how that happened!

My average pace was around 6:10 – 6:15 minutes/ km so I knew I wouldn’t reach the goal of sub-60 but at least I was on target of beating my 2011 PR time. But at the last 2kms, something happened. I just kept thinking about the finish line and that I wanted it to be over as quickly as possible. It was downhill too and that made it easier for me to go faster. And run faster I did. Pretty soon I was gasping for air and wheezing loudly but I saw the finish line and the bright red time clock on top of it. I focused on that and kept on pushing myself. I couldn’t even hear the words that Alvin was saying to me. I was just so tired. I crossed the finish line and immediately looked at my watch. It said 58 minutes ++ (or was it 59 minutes++). Yes, I did it. Sub-60!

But it wasn’t over.

I had to run 200-300 meters more to reach the 10.0km target as race was short by that distance. Argh! This was the most difficult part here as I had given everything just to cross the finish line only to hear that I had to run some more. It was crazy! But I continued on even though it was really, really hard with my jelly-like legs!

I must have looked silly to the casual joggers when I finished my 10km run, far away from the finish line but making loud vomiting sounds and grunting the whole time. Time was at 1:00:12 (pace at 6:01). If you think about it, I did finish my official 10km race at sub-60 (unfortunately, up to now, there are no official results so didn’t know at what point I crossed the finish line).

Even at 1:00:12, it was a very surreal moment for me. How did this happen? How did I run the entire course, including the very hilly parts of it? How did I go faster in the last 2km when I was exhausted at that point? How did I achieve the 10km 1 hour goal?

I don’t have all the answers but I hope this trend would continue…

As for the event itself, well, the singlet was really nice (it even had two side and zippered pockets for your things) and quite wearable. There was a small loot bag at the finish line. But there were places that were dangerous to the runners (the dark areas of Bayani Road and lack of marshals) and not much water stations here as well. I don’t think it was well advertised as well as just a low turn out of runners (and didn’t see any familiar faces, which almost never happened). And no official results yet as of this writing.

Big thanks of course to Alvin for the push and the flashlight! Hehe!

News: Run United 3 Update

From RunRio.Inc :

Dear Runners,

Due to the unfavorable conditions that the recent Typhoon Pedring brought to the country, the scheduled delivery and receipt of the official RunRio Trilogy Leg 3: Run United 3 2011 singlets were not met. Due to this delay, RunRio decided to move the In-Store Registration to October 7, Friday to ensure that runners will be able to bring with them a complete race kit upon registration.

Online Registration on the other hand, will still open as scheduled on Monday, October 3, 2011.

Thank you very much for your kind understanding. We look forward to your participation in the upcoming Run United 3 2011.

Warm Regards,

The Runrio Team