Two Races in One Day's Time!

near finish line

In my previous blog entry, I started off with statements such as:

"This could be my final race for the year.";

"But as of now, my race schedule is FREE!  Not a single race registered or booked for the future!  It's off season for this RFB!"

And yet here I am writing again (and eating my words) about doing two races in one day's time, something which I have never done before in my life!  So how did these races came to be?  Read on...

RACE NO. 1 - RESCUE RUN 

When Alvin and I ran together Friday morning, I told him that this was a race we could do as it is for a worthy cause and that cause was to help the people in Visayas Region affected by Typhoon Yolanda.

Bullrunner also had a similar run in BGC for Saturday morning but I preferred to do this because of the race bib (making race more official).  My siblings chose Bullrunner's run as they needed to do a long run that day.  Both races look good to do as proceeds from both runs will go to charity.

I invited Alvin and Janine for this.  Both confirmed for it the night before but only one showed up (the other overslept... guess who!).

The race had a gun start of 5:45am but we started 5 minutes later, which was okay for all of us.  We registered on the site and did some stretches and warm ups before the 10km race.  I was still tired from previous day's 10km run so wasn't in race mode here.  I was thinking of just doing it at a slow 8-minute pace and be done with it.

The route was from the starting line to Kalyaan Bridge and back again.  Repeat and rinse!  Haha.

So this was my first time to run on Kalayaan Bridge twice for a 10km race!  That was UP HELL for me but I kinda enjoyed it and got into the zone.

I took water breaks and walk breaks on Kalayaan Bridge and would run off again.

The picture above was me near the finish line (Thank God!).  I grabbed a cup of water and bag of chips (and not letting that go!) from the last water station before I sped to the last 300 meters to the finish line.

It was a great run and I had a great time.  Congrats Greentennial Run!

amount contributed for Yolanda! Congrats guys!

I finished at a time of 1:11:30 with a distance of 10.48km (Garmin based distance) and pace of 6:49.  Woo hoo!  Happy with my time considering I set a much lower standard for my performance here :)


RACE NO. 2 - OUTBREAK MISSIONS!

Then, there's the second race.  Another run which I hadn't signed up for.  Luckily, Janine won 10 free slots via an online contest and I got to be part of her team PAWS.

I couldn't decide though whether I had time to do it and only confirmed early evening that I was okay for it.  It was held in Filinvest, Alabang and we were part of Wave 2.

Our wave schedule was supposed to be at 11:00pm but due to some delays made, we started at 11:30pm.

This is different from regular Outbreak Races in that although there are still zombies involved here, there is also a task that you need to accomplish, which in essence was trying to find a cure for the zombie infestation.

Our group of 10 became 9 as we literally lost a team member and couldn't find her in the first zombie attack.  Janine lost all three of her lives in that zombie attack.  Another team member fell with four other people and got some deep cuts on her hands.  Another team member fell in the bushes but otherwise came out unscathed.  I lost one of my lives here too.  It was quick, brutal and a lot got injured in that darkened road as zombies started running from your front and rear at the same time!  We heard stories about a girl fainting while another guy fell and landed on his ribs.  Man, this was hardcore.

Thankfully it wasn't like this most of the way as we slowly walked to Filinvest Mall and tried to complete the three tasks inside.  There were zombies in the stairs, zombies in the mall, and a lot of "scientists" and "soldiers" giving clues to our mission.

It was a long race but quite a fun experience for a lot of us.  We finished in 1 hour and 30 minutes.  I had two lives intact and got a souvenir dogtag. Our team ended up being "infected" as we chose poorly on one of the key moments in this race involving a crazy guy in orange jumpsuit.

Our missing team member was waiting for us at the finish line (she got sprained when she fell in the first wave of Zombie attack) but was still happy for her loot bag (nice shirt and bag).

Congrats Outbreak Manila for one cool race!  You guys rock!

In my official Zombie race shirt

 

Team PAWS!

That was one heck of a Saturday!

Finally, here are some scary pictures to haunt you in your dreams (you can imagine our fears that night when we had to face them in reality!)

2013 New Balance Power Run 25km

This could be my final race for the year.  Could be but there is still a chance I might do one or two more as there are a lot of interesting races to come:

Greenfield 21km
Rizal Run 50km
Nike Run 10km

But as of now, my race schedule is FREE!  Not a single race registered or booked for the future!  It's off season for this RFB!  (Alvin would contradict me and say I have been off season since July! Haha!)

The truth is, I have been a bit bored with running lately.  No motivation to run faster.  Just a to-finish goal and that has been happening ever since I started doing Ultra Marathons this year.  It's a double edge sword that beast!  Haha!

I registered for the New Balance 25km some weeks back and didn't do much on training.  Just doing a required long run on weekends and one or two slow 10km during the week.  It served as my LSD (LSD with no race that is!) with simple goal of crossing finish line and getting the (VERY SHARP!) finisher medal.

I was soooo bored that I wanted to run with my MP3 Player (something which I haven't done in years) but due to the rain, I decided otherwise and left it in my car.   Alvin and I went together to the race venue and parking line was pretty long.  Good thing we discovered a secret parking area where there were no lines and lots of available spaces! 

We also discovered a secret toilet too in that area.  If there were good things coming out of this race, it was these two discoveries! Haha!

We were at the starting line with 8 minutes to spare.  I did a few stretches and waited for the race to commence.

The race started on time (at 4:30am) but with the big crowd, it took me more than two minutes before I crossed the starting line.  I turned on the Garmin and started slow.  My strategy was simple:  break this race into three legs and start slow on first leg, go a bit faster on second leg and faster on third leg.  It was a strategy that worked in Rexona Run two weeks ago.  That was about it.  No race pace.  No race goal! Definitely off season! Haha!

I was armed with two GU Gels. That should be enough.

The route was a maze around BGC area.  But I was still glad as we didn't go to Bayani Road and Lawton Avenue!  I saw a lot of familiar faces (a lot from the Ultras Alvin and I did before) and a lot of angry faces (party goers who couldn't move their cars because of us!).  But marshals managed them and us beautifully. (There was one or two angry girls though in two separate occasions who left their cars to scold the marshals!  Trying to make it to curfew time? Haha!)
 

Other than those two girls, everything went well for us:  route was nice, cold drinks, and sponges and bananas along Buendia Avenue.

Route then took us to Kalayaan Bridge and along Buendia Avenue all the way to near Taft Avenue for the U turn back.

My strategy for slow, faster, fastest didn't turn out the way I wanted to and became slow, stagnant and slower! Haha!  Oh well.

As we headed back to Kalayaan Bridge from Buendia, the sun was fully up and pouring its heat onto us.  4km to go!

Not in a good mood anymore, obviously.  Haha!

Alvin waited for me at last 2km (must have waited forever!) and we ran/ walked together to the finish line.

Got my weapon/ finisher medal and loot bag which had nothing inside except for some dental gift coupons.  Oh-kay!!

Went around the finisher area and saw a good deal via Kinesio tapes being sold by Intercare.  We went back to the car and I got some cash there and bought two tapes (P200 discount from retail price)!

As I headed back to the car, I heard some disgruntled finishers complaining that not only did they not receive any loot bags but neither did they get any medals as all had ran out (pun not intended)!  That was surprising as organizers should have known how many runners joined the 25km category and allocated the right amount.  Hopefully there weren't any cheaters or thieves who availed of the medals the wrong way and deprived the finishers of their medals!  :(

2,371 calories burned!

Yahoo!

 1 weapon/ finisher medal.

Yahoo!


25km done!

Yahoo!

Donate NOW!

We were spared from the typhoon last Friday (and even got to run New Balance race) but not all our fellow countrymen were as lucky.  Let's share the blessings that we have and start helping our fellow brothers and sisters in Tacloban, Samar and other places in the country that were hit by Super Typhoon Haiyan/ Yolanda.

From UNICEF:

Super Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) ravaged the central part of the Philippines on November 8, 2013. It left a storm of destruction in its wake, triggering 12 to 15 feet high storm surges, flooding and landslides and affecting an estimated 4 million people.

 

Early news reports indicate massive damage to life and property as Yolanda inundated even evacuation centers where hundreds of families took shelter during the storm. Telecommunication lines and electricity are down. Air and sea ports are closed. Media reports have identified food, safe water, medical assistance, and shelter as priority needs.

UNICEF, with humanitarian partners, has deployed assessment teams to support and assist the government in response to this latest disaster.

 

We are ready with prepositioned supplies to quickly respond to children’s needs in terms of nutrition, water, sanitation & hygiene, education and protection.

 

Our resources are severely stretched from responding to three emergencies in a row within two months: the armed conflict in Zamboanga on September 9, the 7.2 magnitude earthquake in Bohol on October 15, and now Super Typhoon Yolanda.

 

Again, we urgently appeal for your help so that we can respond to those affected by this latest calamity.

Help children affected by Typhoon Yolanda TODAY.

 

 

A one-time donation of P 1,500 can help provide 7 families with a month's supply of safe drinking water.

 

A one-time donation of P 3,300 can help provide 15 people with essential hygiene items such as soap, towels and water pails

 

A one-time donation of P 5,000 can help provide a child-friendly space for 3 children in an evacuation center

 

 

Donate via this link:  UNICEF

 

 

 

From RED CROSS:

Red Cross conducts assessment, sends aid after supertyphoon battered Visayas
After super typhoon Yolanda (international name Haiyan) battered Visayas, the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) has deployed assessment, rescue and relief teams to evaluate the damage and to support rescue efforts.
Staff and volunteers from local chapters are now deployed in different affected areas. Three teams from the National Headquarters will be deployed in Samar, Leyte and Capiz together with the Water Search and Rescue Teams of Olongapo Chapter.

PRC Operation Center reported that as of this morning communication lines in Leyte were still down, flood waters were approximately 10 feet high brought by the storm surge in Tacloban City and Palo City.
Power supplies in Eastern Samar, Oriental Mindoro, Masbate, Sorsogon, Leyte, Negros, Capiz, Romblon and Busuanga have not been restored since 9 am this morning.

The PRC chapter in Masbate will be conducting assessment in Balud, one of the hardest hit areas, were no reports were gathered as of today.

In Leyte, PRC packed relief goods for immediate distribution to evacuation centers. Hot meals were provided to 450 evacuees in Our Lady of Lourdes Parish and Eastern Visayas State University.

Even before the typhoon Yolanda entered Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR), food and non-food items were already prepositioned in PRC Cebu Regional Warehouse consisting of 2,000 tins of ready to eat food, 4,000 blankets, 4,000 plastic mats, 2,000 hygiene kits, 2,000 jerry cans, 10 units of health emergency tents and 5,000 of food and non-food items with support from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

Welfare Desks including restoring family links and tracing services were established in the affected areas to assist affected individuals with tracing inquiries.

Hot meals were also provided to 3,365 affected individuals in Masbate, San Pablo and Capiz.

As of 9am, a total of 19,677 families (993,585 persons) were temporarily sheltered in 353 evacuation centers.

More than 340 barangays from 46 municipalities and cities were reported affected.

 

 

Donate via this link:  RED CROSS