Baguio is considered as the Summer Capital of the Philippines and for April 21 - 23, 2012, we will be going there with some relatives. The last time Per and I were in Baguio was way back in 2010, when we attended a couple's retreat program. My, how time flies!
Some of the things we did back then were:
1) Took pictures at the famous Lion head (see above) at Kennon Road
2) Boat riding at Burnham Park
3) Ate at the popular Cafe by the Ruins
(NO Runners or Marathoners yet on their menu! - Maybe next time?)4) Visited the very nice SM Baguio mall and bought a Starbucks Baguio Coffee Mug as souvenir
5) Visited Mines View Park and got some souvenir photos in native clothes..
6) Visited Good Shepherd for their yummy Ube Jam
This time, we will be going to Baguio City with our daughter (her first visit here) to do some of these things again.
But the main reason for our visit here is for me to do (and hopefully complete this):
Yes, I have signed up for the 22km some months back and this will be my very first North Face race and very first run in Baguio City.
My goals for this race are as follows (from best to worst):
1) Finish the race in less than 4 hours, 30 minutes. This is the official cut-off time for the race and should I get to the finish line before this happened, then I will receive a finisher's certificate. (Too bad there aren't any finisher medals here).
This requires an average pace of 12:15 per kilometer, which is very attainable in a normal road race. But that obviously is not the case here!
2) Beat Alvin by finishing in 5:25 or less. Alvin will run the Nat Geo 21km road race the same day I will be running this race. We have an outstanding bet that should I finish my race within 3x his Nat Geo finish time, then he would treat me to dinner. If I exceeded the 3x Nat Geo finish time of Alvin, then I have to treat him.
So if Alvin finishes his Nat Geo 21km in 2 hours, then I have to finish my TNF 22km in under 6 hours to win my bet. Of course, if Alvin runs his race faster, then my time leeway gets shortened too.
The prize: One Guliver's full bone steak in Makati Avenue!
3) If neither number 1 or 2 seem feasible, then the final goal is just to finish this race and get to the finish line in one piece!
Some hindrances to achieving my goals:
1) Right Plantar Fasciitis! It was there when I did the 5km Trail Run last weekend and I'm sure it will be there again this Sunday for the 22km race
2) Thin Air! Baguio is located North of Metro Manila and air is thinner in that area, making it more difficult to breathe and run fast.
3) Mountain Run! Hills are hard enough for me. What more for a mountain run? Yikes!
4) Heavy Trail Shoes! I had a hard time in these shoes in a regular road run so there might be some difficulty in this race too.
5) Bring Your Own Hydration = added weight! Not used to running with a bottle too so there would be some adjustments on my part. Not sure if there are re-filling stations here too!
6) Tired? We would be leaving for Baguio Saturday morning for a 5 hour drive. The race starts on Sunday morning so just wondering if I have enough time to rest and relax before my race starts.
Whatever happens to me on Sunday morning, I am sure this would be a memorable experience for this RUNNING FATBOY!
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