For the 10-miler distance, the fee was just P500 and this comes with a finisher shirt, a bottle of yakult and a bottle of Pocari Sweat.
The starting line was at CCP, next to Star City, with gun start at 5:30AM. We got there with 15 miniutes to spare to do some last minute toilet break, warm up jog and some static stretching.
Parking was easy and going to the starting line was quick too. Route was pretty straightforward: running along Roxas Blvd. for both sides. This would be a general flat route except for the two flyovers, which we had to do twice.
I was hoping to beat my PR pace from Fed Run two weeks ago by going faster than that week's race pace of 6:25 minutes per kilometer. I also hoped to do the last 5km at below 6 minute pace, as it serves as training for the sub-60 PF 10km race in two weeks time.
I planned to start at 6:45 pace and keep it that way, and bring it down eventually. But today was an especially hot day and that made it harder to accomplish what I wanted for this race.
I was able to do the 6:45 pace for first 11km but as for the 5:59 pace for the last 5km, it wasn't easy. Effort wise, I was having a hard time here vs Fed Run 16km two weeks ago. I don't know whether that is a good or bad thing. On one hand, I was going faster overall as pace was faster but on the last part, pace couldn't hit the sub-6 minute target that I wanted for it.
It was a hot day too and that could be another factor to me having a hard time here.
With 2-3 km to go, I took a quick look at my average pace and saw that it was at 6:25- 6:26 average pace. I wanted it to be at worst 6:24 pace so I kept going faster. But was having a horrible experience with this target. Pretty soon, I hit 6:24 (thank GOD) and just had to keep the pace through the end.
When I crossed the finish line, I was wheezing and panting so much that it seemed that this was my first exercise for the year!!
But by God's grace, I made it to the end and beat my pace from before (which at that time seemed impossible to beat).
Wow, a 6:22 average pace for a 16 kilometer race. Praise God!
After I had recovered and gotten finisher shirt, Alvin and I went back to the car and I noticed how every piece of clothing that I wore for the race were drenched with sweat. From the shoes and socks to the shorts and shirt. More bad news was when I got home and took a hot shower as realized I had chaffed all over my thighs! It is safe to say that summer is here! And a painful one at that!
I enjoyed the race and the route and I was quite happy with my time and pace. I hope that I can get stronger and that this will be easier for me in the future.
Pre- run food: one cup of black coffee and one Taiwan pineapple cake
GU gels: one piece taken at 10km mark
Pocari sweat: drank at multiple parts of the race. Even more than water!
Pace: 1km: 6:27, 2km: 6:44, 3km: 6:44, 4km: 6:40, 5km: 6:39, 6km: 6:50, 7km: 6:41, 8km: 6:25, 9km: 6:33, 10km: 6:08, 11km: 6:24, 12km: 5:58, 13km: 5:59, 14km: 6:05, 15km: 6:04, 16km: 5:26
Two more weeks to go for the PF sub-60 10km race!
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