There were two good races that happened just over the weekend:
1) Medirun 10km, and
2) Ensure to Endure 15km
Both places took place at BGC area and both went up and down Kalayaan Bridge as part of their race routes.
I was registered for both races while Per was registered for the Medirun only. (She would definitely kill me if I registered her for two races).
I was late at both races and had to chase the rest of the runners. For the first race, Per and I were late for 10 minutes but at least we had each other for company. For the second race, I was about 5 minutes late but it took me up to 3 kilometers before I was able to reach the 15km runners, so during that time, it was just me and the lonely, lonely road (with the slight panic that I would be the last to finish this race)! Was everyone running so fast already or was I just this out of shape?
Both races were good in terms of organization. There were plenty of hydration areas and the route distances were quite accurate (or close) to their promised distance. The loots were nice too for both these races. For the Medirun, we got the coveted 4 GB USB plus some bottled water and Powerade drinks and even some toothpastes and vitamins. For the Ensure run, I got a box of Ensure at the finish line, which I gave to my parents.
The fees for both these races were affordable too: Medirun 10km was at a reasonable P450 and the Ensure run was free, as long as you buy their products and show receipts for the bib and singlet. Since my dad drinks this product, I essentially got to run this race for FREE!
I also liked the fact that both races weren't that crowded with runners. Medirun capped its race at 2,000 runners, while Ensure had about the same number of runners in it.
What I liked about Medirun more than Ensure was the very supportive marshals and volunteers. There were a lot of cheering and encouragements made by these people and no matter how tired we were, it boosted our energies and kept us going.
The weather for both these races was a big contrast: whereas Medirun's Saturday race had a very hot humid weather condition, Ensure's Sunday race was cooler and a lot better than the previous day.
Unfortunately, I didn't perform well in both races. On Saturday's run, I had difficulty running in my Brooks Cascadia 7 as I wasn't used to running in these heavy trail shoes for some time. I felt pain in my right PFs for the first few kilometers before the pain disappeared. On Sunday's run, I thought I could race it (even optimistically hoping for a new PR). But that was not to be. I couldn't go fast. I couldn't get to the pace I wanted. My legs were tight and I had to stop to walk in every kilometer of this race. It was when I reached the 10 kilometer mark that I felt my legs become looser but for some reason, I still couldn't go fast. So I downgraded my PR goal to just one to finish.
Another BAD back to back weekend race! I have to get used to this kind of torture... I mean TRAINING!
On a good point, at least I was able to get good mileage during the weekend, which was a lot better than last weekend's disaster. :)
Medirun's 10km race with Per
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