Race Review: Yakult 10-miler 2016

As one of the country's oldest running races (superceded by Milo Marathon), this is a race that all runners should do at least once in their lifetime.  Not only will you be giving importance to historical races that are still in existence until this day, but it has a very affordable registration fee vs other Metro Manila races.

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!

Race Review: Fed Run 16k 2016

This is the second year that I will do the Fed Run race.  As my daughter's school is part of the group of schools associated with this race, I had myself and Alvin registered for the 16km category.

Venue was at Mall of Asia with a super early time of 4:30AM!  As we left the house around 3:50AM, it felt like we were going to the province for a beach or mountain trip instead of just in Mall of Asia for a running race.

Parking was easy at the venue and there were ample portalets as well. But for the water, I had to go around the area before I finally found it near the stage, covered in plastic and unmanned.  I quickly got a small bottle of water and walked to the starting line.

My target for this race was two fold:

First was to get a fast time not only for this year but also by beating my 16km time in 2014.  To achieve that, I need to have an average pace of 6:49 or below.

Second, was that this will be a training of sorts to get a sub-60 10km run next week.  To do this I have to run below 6 minute pace for the last 5km so that I can  be comfortable in this pace.

To make the first goal easier, I try to start race with a below 7-minute pace and keep that throughout the run until the last 5km, wherein I would then accelerate for the second goal that I wanted to do.  Hopefully I had energy to do both tasks.

My weapons for this event were two GU gels and prayers for strength.

As the race started, I felt like I went out too fast.  And I was right!  I was going at 6:35 average pace per km and knew that I had to hold myself back or be burned at the latter part.  So I kept holding back but made sure all my km pace were below 7 minutes.

At 10km, I took my first GU gel, and didn't want to hold back anymore!  My pace quickened but not so much that it went below 6 minutes.  

At 11km, I knew that was the time to go for it.  I had one more GU gel for emergency in case I got drained but it was now or never.  I was able to run at 5:45 pace and kept it.  That was good enough for me.

At 14km, Alvin, having finished his run earlier, joined me for my last 2km.  I was able to lower my pace some more.  But I was a little out of breathe and one cup of cold water later, I was back to running at a fast pace.

I also had a third and secret goal for this race.  To not only cross the finish line with a 6:49 average pace or better (and therefore beating record from 2014) but to cross the finish line with at best a 6:30 average pace.  

I had no idea what my pace was.  I was just sure I had beaten my first target of below 6:50 pace.  I also completed my second goal of below 6 minute pace for the last leg.  But to the final time and average pace? I didn't know until I finally crossed the finish line, stopped my Garmin watch, got the finisher loot bag and finisher  medal before I finally took a look at my performance.

Praise God!  Only He can give me strength for this race!  Glory is to You Lord!

Thank You!

After which Alvin and I had a good breakfast at Aristocrat (it's opened 24/7 !) and we passed by a Starbucks store in Manila so I can get a tumbler (race reward?).

As an added bonus, I got back home and looked at the races I did in the past to find out when the last 16km race was when I went faster than today's finish time and average pace.

Eventually I found said race.  It was for Yakult 10-miler wherein I finished at a time of 1:36:23 (pace of 6:01!).  Wow, that was fast!

But then I looked at the date and saw that it happened some time now... in 2008 to be exact!  Wow!  Praise God for making me stronger and quicker that I was able to shatter 16km race records all the way back to 2008... a time where I was probably 30 lbs lighter, no kids and single!

Now that is doing the Meb!

Thank You again Lord!

Pace per km (negative split):
1km:  6:44,   2km:  6:30,  3km:  6:52,  4km:  6:46,  5km:  6:48,  6km:  6:59,  7km:  6:53,  8km:  7:06,  9km:  6:43,  10km:  6:12,  11km:  6:15,  12km:  5:57,  13km:  6:02,  14km:  5:54,  15km:  5:41,  16km:  5:36,  0.16km:  5:07
 

Used: one GU gel.  Morning had one cup of black coffee and one pineapple cake.  Throughout the race, drank cold water (there were no sports drinks offered in the race).

Route:  Took the roads around SM Mall of Asia and behind Roxas Blvd.  A little easier vs other races held here as we didn't go through Roxas Blvd.  So no Roxas Blvd, no flyovers.

Weather:  nice and cold.  As early in the morning, sun didn't come up till after the race is over.

What the moment:  Overtook Actors Dingdong Dantes and Tim Yap at last 1.5km and were way ahead of them.  But 700 meters from the finish line, they were suddenly 200-300m in front of me!!!  They never overtook me at any portion of the last 1.5km!  Even Alvin, who was running beside me for last 2km was surprised by it.  So they probably made an early U Turn (I hope accidentally and not intentionally).

All in all a good race.  Thanks be to God!

Race: Yakult Run 10-miler 2014 Edition

Yakult Run is an almost annual event (there was a year where they didn't hold the race) and has been here for quite some time.  In fact, last Sunday was its 25th edition.  I had hoped that there would be a special finisher medal to commemorate this event but sadly that wasn't the case.

But the registration fee for 10-miler (16km) was affordable at Php 500, and with that fee, we got a good race, a red singlet, a cotton finisher shirt and a small bottle of Yakult at the finish line.

It was still a good race as course took us to both directions of Roxas Blvd., before the final turn to where the finish line was located.  Too bad it was short 600 meters! 

The kilometer markers were also put at the wrong locations (the first few were 300-400 meters more than where the actual km markers should have been and the latter were short 400 meters to where the km markers should have been - verified by my and my sister's Garmin separately). 

There were ample water here but no sports drinks offered, which was fine as race wasn't that long.  I also had one emergency GU gel with me, to which I consumed at the last 5km, where I would try and go faster than my average pace.

My goal for this race was to get a 6:50 average time, so that I could beat last year's pace of 6:54.  To do that, I have to maintain a 7:00 minute average pace at the first part of the race and go down further at the last 5km.

I had to choose wisely where I will drink my water because there were some stations that lines were long and would mean losing seconds or minutes in this race.  There were also some stations where the crew were still busy filling up the plastic cups so that was something I had to skip as well.

I was able to maintain my pace and when the time came where I had to go faster, I ate the GU gel I had with me and went out at a faster speed.  This worked for me until I felt pain in my right shoulder and lower back.  But I resisted the pain or the temptation to slow down because of the pain and kept going at the pace that I wanted.

I crossed the finish line at 1:45:19, with an average pace of 6:50.

GOAL ACHIEVED!

THANK YOU LORD!

Happy finishers

Race (and Singlet) Review: Adidas KOTR 16.8km 2013

On Singlet:

The Adidas King of the Road is one of the most anticipated road races in the Philippines as people like the great quality, fit and look of the singlets given out to race participants (up to now, I am still using the 2011 and 2012 Adidas KOTR singlets for training and for road races).

As this is the main highlight for registering for this race (I would think the finisher medal, regardless of how nice it is, would just be a bonus for running this event) and reason for the high registration fee (Php 1,300 for a 10-miler race IS expensive), this is something I should pay attention to.

There are good points and bad points to this year's King of the Road Singlets and this is based solely on my point of view and on my first hand experiences.

In terms of good points, there are separate Men and Women singlet sizes.  This was done in previous KOTR editions too and it is nice that they kept up with this trend as body sizes of men and women are obviously different from each other.

There is also a variety in singlet colors (three different kinds for men and three different kinds for women) and that is good too vs the KOTR of four to five years ago when it is just one color for all runners (they released a yellow singlet, then a black singlet the year after).  So choosing your singlet is now based on individual tastes and preferences.

The quality is up to par with Adidas singlets so that is a good thing too.  Like in previous editions, my singlet is wearable and fits me well...

But....

 It took me FIVE tries to get the proper singlet size and color that I wanted!  And that is a lot of effort for me (luckily, I often pass by BGC area).

The first time I got my race kit was when I read an announcement that they would have an early bird race kit claiming at BGC area.  I went there on a Saturday morning but seeing the long (and unmoving) line, I decided to come back for it another time.  Attempt No. 1 - FAIL!

Attempt No. 2 is the following day (Sunday) when I decided to run by myself and put the claiming stub in my pocket.  There were no lines this time and I got the race kit that I wanted.  For the singlet, I got the color (Blue) and size (XL) that I wished for.  I even asked for XXL size but XL was the biggest they had for this year.  They assured me that it was big enough for me even though I wasn't 100% confident on that as my two previous Adidas Singlets were XXL.  So I was done with it....

Until I got home and tried it on!  It was crazy huge!!!  Per said it was unwearable and a waste if I didn't change it to a smaller size!

I agreed with her and I went back again for Attempt No. 3!  This time the race kit claiming was moved to Adidas store in BGC and the single line was long!!  There were a lot of unhappy people standing outside the store just waiting to go in (it was noon when I got there so you can imagine the heat!).  Since I was just changing my shirt size, I showed the store guard my singlet and went right in.  Unfortunately the blue singlet's biggest size was Medium (apparently a lot of guys dig this color) so I had no choice but to get the Salmon color and Large size.

I went back home again and tried the Large size and it fits me perfectly, which was good!  But I really wanted the blue color (I already have the salmon one from 2011).

That afternoon I read in Facebook that the race organizers decided to move the race kit claiming area to one location only and to close the four areas for claiming race kits (including the Adidas store in BGC) as there were a lot of complaints with regards to lack of colors and sizes!

So I was hopeful that I would get the large blue singlet that I wanted.  Alvin and I ran in BGC one afternoon and I asked if we could go to Adidas so I can reserve the blue singlet.  We went there at the end of our run but there were no large Blue singlets to be found.  Attempt No. 4 - FAIL!

I figured that was it but at least I had a wearable singlet!

One day before the actual race, I was in BGC area once again and just thought of passing by the race kit claiming area.  Surprise, surprise there are a LOT of Large Blue Singlets!  I had no idea where these new stocks came from as they weren't there when I tried to change my singlet (attempts no. 3 and 4).  Were they shipped late?  Did they misplace these things only to find it on the last day?  In any case, I was happy in getting this "lost treasure" and excited for the race the following day.

I think there there were problems in singlet distributions (out of stock for the longest time and then AVAILABLE on last day of race kit claiming!!!) and also on singlet sizes (are these made for giants?).  There were problems on logistics in claiming of race kits too (moving from different areas, long lines, etc). so these are definitely areas that need improvements!

On race day, I saw a lot of runners wearing the official Adidas singlet but have another shirt underneath it.  These are people who paid P1,300 for their singlets but ended up getting bigger sizes and rather than throw these away, decided to wear them but with a shirt inside!  There were runners who opted not to wear Adidas singlet anymore too (probably because of the same reason).  I was lucky enough to get the correct size for myself but I hope the organizers understood this situation and allow runners to change their singlets (whether used or unused) to the correct size and if possible the color they wanted too even after the race.  (I think this is a good solution especially since I saw there were a lot of stocks left last Saturday).

example of guy wearing shirt and singlet behind me!

On Race:

As bad as the race kit and singlet claiming was, the race was perfect, and compensated a lot of angry runners by giving us a good race.  There were a lot of marshals for this event to guide the 8,000 plus runners properly.  The distance was pretty much accurate (my Garmin registered 16.95 km) and the water stations were plenty and were long enough that we it was easy to get a cup or two of water.

I like that there were a lot of cheerers in this race and it made the race more festive!  It also made you run faster (unless you stopped to take pictures with them) as they would encourage you to run faster.  There were mascots too in different places, from Elmo to Jollibee!

I enjoyed the route of this race and hope one day that they would return the half marathon distance!  There was also a banana station at the U Turn area along Buendia Avenue.

It was good that the race started on time too so it allowed most of us to finish before it gets too hot (I was able to add 4km more after the race due to good weather).

At the finish line, we got our very nice medals and loot bags and there were various sponsors giving out free food, drinks and photos too.  The lines were long but the ice-cream was the one that interested me the most and one that refreshed me.  Race results came out quickly too and ranking based on chip time (which is best measurement for me).

There were a lot of photographers at different parts of the race too so you might get a nice photo of yourself.

One small complaint on the race was in terms of parking management.  It was traffic everywhere, lines were long and a series of parking spaces weren't open to cars as they were used as the finisher area of Adidas.  I ended up parking at Market Market and just jogged to the starting line (good thing I was early).

16.8k finishers - she's a lot faster than me :)

near finish line

fave picture!

  
  Congrats to all the runners who joined this event and for organizers for a nice race (although I'm still hoping for some sort of remedy for wrong singlet size claiming of runners).

Springboard 16km - EPIC FAIL!

What is it with me and out of town races?

From what I considered as the WORST RACE last April 2012 via TNF Baguio 22km, comes this road race from new Race organizers PURE CONCEPT, and which I now considered as the WORST ROAD RACE for 2012!

Congratulations guys! I do hope you keep your record and other race organizers do not follow your very bad example!

At the start, it looks interesting enough: a new race in Sucat so it was a new route for me and Per as we never ran here before, it also offered finisher shirts and finisher medals to 16km finishers.

But then on the registration date when we paid for our entry fees at Chris Sports Glorietta, they gave us a flimsy bib no., a singlet and a small piece of paper that showed the race map.

By the way, the race map for both the 5km and 16km races were EXACTLY the same! How is that even possible? But no worries, as race organizers changed the race course at the last minute (more on this later). There were no brown envelopes to put these things in or a flyer to show the race details (venue, gun start, etc.) and I had to search online again the night before the race to get the relevant information. At the back of my mind, I already had a bad feeling about this but nothing to do but to continue for this event as it was paid for. Mistake #1!

Per and I got to the race venue with ample time to spare but it took a long time before the 16km was released from the starting line. I think there was a 15-minute delay from the Gun Start time! A big no-no too for a road race! Mistake #2!

I took my time slowly as I was supposed to do a long run that morning but with the sun coming out quickly, it's becoming harder to run here. I skipped a few water stations as I didn't feel thirsty yet.

Come 5km I was ready to stop by at the water station and lo and behold, they had ran out of plastic cups! Wow! That quickly already!!! Mistake #3!

I heard a runner complain about it and the guy manning the water station said he had called it in and they would deliver some new plastic cups. So I continued running with the optimistic view that the next water station would have the needed plastic cups. It never happened! I passed two to three more water stations and all were out of cups too! IT WAS CRAZY! I can accept one water station running out of supplies but ALL water stations?? This was unheard of! Mistake # 4, 5, 6 !!!

I didn't want to die from dehydration so I drank from lids and from "tabo" instead and just kept going. Nothing else to do. A lot of people quit the race and just went to the finish line. I kept going.

As mentioned earlier, the race organizers changed the route and these smart guys did it by making it Two loops - when there were no cups on the first loop alone! Mistake # 7, 8, 9, 10! More drinking from "tabo" for me. Some runners just did the first loop and quit this race, saying it wasn't worth it anymore. A lot of runners ran with a water bottle in hand. God, I envied them!!

The marshals left their stations too, I guess thinking they had nothing to do as there were no plastic cups left. No marshals were there to guide 16km runners to keep running straight instead of making the final turnaround so a lot of runners who wanted to finish the race ended with just 10km or less due to lack of directions. Mistake # 11.

No km markers as well, which I didn't expect anyway. The final distance for 16km, going through all the proper turns, loops, etc. was a measly 14.21km! Mistake # 12!

As for the 5km race, the final distance for them was a huge 5.77km! Mistake # 13!

Finisher shirts were out of sizes too, mostly L and XXL only. Luckily, I got my right size and I got the medal too. The only two good things from this race.

Pure Concepts - please run an actual race before organizing the next one! I'm afraid what you will do next! You need to prove yourselves to the running community!

With 13 big mistakes (your favorite lucky number?), I take back what I said earlier and now give you the crown for the WORST RACE (road or trail) for 2012! Give yourselves a big slap on the face for me. You deserved it... ;P

News: Regent Anniversary Run

Regent Foods 24^th Anniversary Run on August 12

Official Press Release

Calling all health buffs, athletes, families, and running enthusiasts—it’s the running season once more! Regent Foods Corporation is inviting everyone, from kids to adults, to join its 24^th anniversary run on August 12 at the Fort Global City, Taguig.

Regent Foods’ 24^th Anniversary Run features running category divisions for all ages: 100m for toddlers and kids until 12 years old, 3K, 5K, 10k and 16K races. Entry fees are P450 (100m and 3K), P550 (5K and 10K) and P700 (16K). The fees are inclusive of special edition Fun Run Saver’s treat canister with 13 Regent products, to be given upon registration. 5K, 10K and 16K runners also get a finisher’s medal and 16k finisher will get a finisher’s shirt.

As a bonus, Regent Foods is also putting Regent Foods Gift packs up for grabs at the end of the run. Participants also get the chance to win raffle prizes including a roundtrip ticket to Thailand via Thai Airways, overnight accommodation at the Dusit Thani Hotel and many more.

Interested parties can register at selected Robinson’s Supermarket including Robinsons Galleria, Pioneer, Ermita, Timog, and BF Homes, and Runnr at the Fort Bonifacio, Taguig. Registration will start this June 22, 2012 until August 05, 2012.

“More Filipinos are now into having an active lifestyle and maintaining an even healthier habit, and we believe that celebrating Regent Foods’ 24^th anniversary with an air of running camaraderie is one of the best ways to support this cause,” said Mr. Ricky See, President and CEO.

In further pursuit of healthier lives and lifestyles, Regent Foods will also donate to the Philippine Red Cross as part of their 24^th anniversary.

So get your running shoes out and get ready to run towards a healthier lifestyle with Regent Foods’ 24^th Anniversary Run.

The Regent Foods’ 24^th Anniversary Run is sponsored by Dusit Thani, Thai Airways, Prudential Guarantee and El Real Healthy Spaghetti by Universal Robina Corporation, and supported by Fiber Fruit Juice by Oishi, Nestle Yogurt, Loft Details, Flexible Packaging, International Krav Maga Federation Philippines and D’ Amburger with media partners by Business World and Front Runner Magazine.

For more details, check out Regent Foods’ official website at www.regentfoods.com.ph, www.facebook.com/regentfoodscorp, or inquire at 641-5688.

To Summarize - Regent's Anniversary Run with a Good Cause (Red Cross), Runner's Singlets, Finisher Medals, Finisher Shirts, Nice Gift Bags at finish line AND at the registration areas and affordable price! It's good to Go for me and Per! See you guys at the race!

News: Race Against Raze (March 18, 2012)

Philippine Institute of Quezon City Alumni Association and Pep Squad Events and Marketing Services, Inc. are organizing a fun run entitled “Race Against Raze” on March 18, 2012 at the Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City.

The event aims to promote fitness and wellness among participants, as well as to increase the awareness of fire safety and prevention. Part of the proceeds of the event will go to the following beneficiaries:

Philippines Children Medical Center PIQCAA Scholarship Fund

“Child NeuroScience Center”

Because of the popularity of running events, we are expecting 3000-5000 runners to participate in 3K, 5K, 10K, and 16K races. The event will be attended by the school’s alumni, faculty, distinguished guests, and running enthusiasts.

Registration Areas are as follows:

On Site Registrations (Feb 13, 2012 - March 11, 2012)

ROX - Bonifacio High Street
Royal Sporting House - Glorietta 4/ Ali Mall
A Runner's Circle - Roxas Blvd
Reebok - Festival Mall/ Megamall/ Trinoma
Pep Squad Office

On Line Registrations (Feb 06, 2012 - March 11, 2012)
www.pepsquadevents.com



Singlet Design


Sample Singlet


Aside from the singlets, there will be finisher medals for all 16km finishers and for first 100 finishers for 3km, 5km and 10km categories. Certificates will be given out to all finishers regardless of race category.

Run Rizal 16km - Sept 18, 2011

These were the only photos I spotted of myself via Facebook. Oh well, I guess it's (a LITTLE) better than nothing.

I haven’t been joining races for a month now and that’s saying a lot as I usually join on a weekly basis. But with the slow time I had in Run United 2 last August 21^st, it was time to take things down a notch and focus on real “training” care of Ultramarathoner friend Alvin.

Being out of commission so to speak made me excited to join for a race again. Unlike my other road races wherein I always start my race late, this time around, I was there a few minutes before gun start and was able to do some warm up walk and stretching as well. How’s that for improvements?

The course for this 10-miler race starts from Luneta Park (where the Rizal Monument is located) and heads out to Buendia Avenue via Roxas Blvd. but instead of going up the flyover, we turned right and ran on Diosdado Macapagal Avenue for the U Turn near Coastal Mall and retraced our steps back to where the starting line was. I pretty much liked the route given that there were a few turns made, no flyovers to climb on, and gave me the motivation that I needed for the last few kilometers (kept imagining the finish line to be right in front of us).

There were ample water stations and a few Pocari Sweat drinks were given out along the route as well. At the start till the end of this race, I was having pains from all over my body. From the calves and shins to just the calves and once that disappeared, pain went to my left knee and right shoulder. It was strange but I was able to deal with it and kept on going. Breathing was important for me (more so for the last 4 kilometers when I was exhausted and just wanted the race to be over) and wearing my barefoot shoes for this distance took more effort as well (no cushioned heel landing when I’m tired). At this stage, I was running for a few seconds at a time with my eyes closed (and missing my comfortable bed)! But I kept going (hard to stop especially with the hard stares I’m getting from Alvin) and even skipped the last few water stations to try and finish this race as quickly as possible.

And finish it I did at a pace wherein I was out of breathe, dizzy and about to vomit (but didn’t) and at a good time too. I was able to beat my 15km PR for 2011 with a 26 second faster pace (6:57). So this is what racing feels like!

After crossing the finish line, I received my 19^th finisher medal for 2011 and a loot basket composed of vitamins and supplements samples. The loot basket was taken by my wife but the unique Rizal medal will be mine to cherish!

Thanks to Alvin for pushing me for the near 2-hours time on the road. Now it's time to vomit!

Finish time here (according to my Garmin): 1:50:57

A very unique medal! Won't happen again in any of our lifetime!

Exciting Stuffs from FINISHLINE Inc. !

Finishline Inc. seems to be making a lot of plans for 2011 and giving us a preview of it.

First of all they will be having an end of the year race at Nuvali, Sta. Rosa.

Simply called ROAD X TRAIL, you have your choice of either running on December 18th, biking on December 11th or doing a Duathlon on December 19th (or for you hard core people, doing all three events!).

For the running event, it ranges from 3km to that of 16km with your choice of either running it on the road or doing the trail running. I am not yet sure how this will be done but I am thinking two different starting/ finishing areas for these races? Or just different waves from same starting line with different routes?

Personally, I have never ran in Nuvali yet and this will be an exciting experience for me. It will most likely be my year ender race for 2010. More good news was that registration forms mention FINISHER MEDAL!

Those people who do have a bike, I would recommend doing the biking or the duathlon event.

It seems the good people of Finishline Inc. aren't just focusing on running but on multi-sport events. As mentioned above, they already have running and biking in their line up. Come 2011, there are also a lot of swimming events and triathlon events.

At the registration forms, they have even plotted out all the events for 2011 so you can choose which date you want to race and prepare your training timetable to meet it. They will also include training programs for these kind of events.

Another new feature for the company is introducing the MYCHIP. Quite similar to the chip timers or D-tags that we used in various road races with one or two differences:

1. These things aren't disposable. You can use, re-use, and just keep re-using it all over again. This is also the chip timer technology used in various international road races. After your race, you can plug it in or input your serial number or password in the website and can see your time results almost immediately.

2. It is a Multi-sport Chip Timer. It is waterproof so it can be used for running (most obvious way), biking (by either strapping it on your shoes or on your bike) or even for swimming.

But just to clarify, MyChip isn't part of your race kit. It is sold separately but I am assuming at the same places where the race registrations are. Those who opt not to buy it can still join the Finishline races by getting the disposable chip timers, which are included in your race kit. The advantage of owning MyChip is the discount you would get from joining the different multi-sport races as there is no more need for you to buy the disposable chip timers.

For more information, please visit www.finishline.ph

RUNew Alabang 16k Race

It was a wonderful day at Alabang for Per and me as we decided to make it a field trip seeing as there's no work the following day. We brought some extra clothes and took a shower at Gold's Gym Alabang (felt like a country club here), went to church at CCF and even watched the sequel to Iron Man at Alabang Town Center.

We were in Alabang for a total 12 hours starting from 5:00AM as we easily found a parking spot and walked to the starting line, where I saw my siblings already there and Finishline.ph's main man Vince doing some last minute check ups for this race.

I got to say that this race was near perfect for me for the following reasons:

1. It started on time
2. Lots and lots of water stations
3. Accurate distance
4. Chip timer and Race analysis
5. The wonderful wonderful pictures from Photovendo
6. Awesome Alabang route as it went inside Ayala Alabang Village, passed by Ayala Alabang Country Club entrance and went to University Avenue to pass by De La Salle - Zobel (Hail! Hail!) and exited out of the village again and towards the finish line.

The only problem here for me was the hot Summer Heat, as evidenced by some of the pictures below. That and lack of training for this Running Fatboy. But it was still a memorable event.


Looking forward to RUNew 2011 !

Year ender 2009

For 2009, I did 32 road races broken down into the following:

2 Full Marathons, 11 Half Marathons, 8 15k/16k Races, 10 10k races and 1 5k race.

There were 15 races held in Fort Bonifacio, 1 race held on the Rock, 3 International races, 4 races in MOA/ Roxas, 3 held in UP and a few held in different parts of Metro Manila (QC, Greenfield, Timberland Heights, Sta. Elena among other places).

Got individual PR for Half Marathon, Marathon (twice), 10k PR (twice), and 15k PR (twice). Got couple PR for Half Marathon (twice), 16k, 15k and 10k. A good year not just for me but for Per as well.

A total of 1,650 km for 2009. NOT BAD!

And finally, I found use for the finisher medals....






God is indeed Great for blessing us with lungs to survive tempo runs, legs to cross the finish line, hands to grab water and sports drink from marshals, strong hearts and the will to finish a hard race.


See you guys next year! Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year everyone!

OctobeRUN 16km (Oct 4, '09) - Post Race

It has been a while since I last joined a race where I targeted a specific pace or time to finish the race. The last was in the Milo Half Marathon last July but I got burned out and walked at the last part. Since that event, races I've done were mostly to enjoy the scenery, to run with Per or to be a part of the weekend's long run.



But then Alvin decided that I should finish this race with a time target of 6:20 min/km and then run 5km more at same pace to complete the 21km distance. I was supposed to do a 32km long run so this was a welcome escape from doing the extra mileage but I didn't know how hard this was going to be for me as well.



I hoped for no rain coming from the terrible attack of the Typhoon a week ago. Good thing the Super typhoon did not hit Metro Manila as was expected and the race was still a GO! Per and I got to the venue by 5:15AM. This was the race where a lot of us merged into one category. The 10km runners had no choice but to do the 16km distance. Same thing with the 21km runners. It was the first time that Nat, Dave, Neil, Per, Stella and myself all started at the same time for the same race distance but all with different goals.



The crowd wasn't as huge as expected but that was just fine with me. Race started on time and I followed the pace of my sister, thinking it is attainable. It's not. After a few km, I slowed down and got left behind. Still, I was able to maintain my target pace and have allowance in case I get tired.

It was a Positive Split (and that's not a good thing) and I had to take a GU at halfway point as getting tired and hungry. That kept me going. Luckily, weather was nice that morning with no rain and sun coming out at a later time. There were ample water stations and I made sure to stop at each one (sometimes even getting two cups).

I crossed the finish line at a time of 1:36:16 with an average pace of 6:20min/km. Unfortunately, distance was short by 800meters with total course at 15.2km. But I was happy I achieved my target pace.

Ran additional 6km with Jason at below 7 min/km pace. It's really hard to run again once you've crossed the finish line but it's something that needs to be done. So now it's back to running long and running fast for this Running FATBOY!

Race pacers for 5 min, 6 min, 7 min and 8 min per km

Copying the balloon

Won the raffle prize. First time for this Running Fat boy. Woohoo!!!

Market Market 10- miler (May 17, 2009) - Post race

SUCCESS!!

We crossed the finish line at a time of 2:03 hours. This was Per's second farthest run after the 15km RUNew race a few months ago so she was a bit apprehensive about this race. All throughout the week she was afraid on whether she can finish it or not. In my heart I know she can finish it. What I don't know is whether she will finish the race strong or struggle with it.

My goal was not only to get a new Couple PR in this race but to finish it strong so as to build Per's confidence that "yes, I can run this far without actually hating it!" In the RUNew race, my strategy was to do the 10km as quickly as possible (like an ordinary 10km race), then run - walk the remaining 5km to the finish line. She was fast at her first 10km but I can see her burning out on the 3rd part of the race as she was walking more than she was running and having a really hard time during that day. It was then that she vowed never to run longer than 10km again. And although we finished the race, she didn't like the experience.

I changed my strategy this time around. There will be more walk breaks even at first part of race and we will walk at some of the uphill portions. Each water station we would stop at and do about a minute of walking before resuming the race again.

PRE-RACE WEEK

With not enough preparations, we basically crammed for today's race by doing a 10km easy run at Ultra last Tuesday, and another 8km easy run at Fort Bonifacio last Friday. Both done at comfortable pace. Prior to that week, she was able to run only 7km.

Saturday afternoon, we both bought new New Balance shoes for use in today's race. I wore mine immediately to break it in. Per couldn't wear hers because of her get up.

That same night, we drove to Mall of Asia to watch the David Archuleta/ David Cook concert and ended up getting home around 12 midnight. Wake up call for me the following day at 3:30AM and for Per at 4:00AM. Definitely not enough sleep!

With the "cramming", lack of sleep and not "breaking in" the new shoe purchases, I have doubts on how well we are going to do in the Market Market race. We seemed to defy all the right rules that come with proper race training !!

RACE DAY

We got to Fort Bonifacio around 4:45AM, to which I did a 3.2km jog around Serendra area to test my shoes and look for the starting area. At about 5:20AM, we walked to the Starting Line, which was located on the road in between High Street and Market Market. There weren't that many runners for today's event but we did see a lot of familiar faces here.

Christy doing her 10-miler with her husband Vener as her photographer/ supporter for today. He was kind enough to take pictures of us as well. Most of the pictures here would come from his camera. Thanks RunUnlimited!

5 minutes before the race start!

Getting ready! It was 5:30AM but looks like the sun is coming out already.

The race started on time and we were off! Per wanted to chase the runners. Good thing I looked at our pace and saw that we were going out too fast. So I told her to slow down and just ignore the fast runners. It was hard to do, not only for her, but for me as well, as we both had the feeling of being left behind. But we had to stick to our strategy of finishing strong for this race! I kept asking if she had a finish time and she always reply, "None. I just want to finish." That meant we didn't have to run hard as there was no time constraint for us. So less pressure. :)

Being Per's "shadow" for the entire race, I decided to bring my camera with me and snap some pictures of her in the running mode. I would run ahead of her and stop a few meters away to take some pictures. It wasn't easy as it seemed as camera was still focusing by the time she reached and went past me. I had to do this a couple more times before I got the hang of it. See below for running shots:

There were enough water stations for this hot day and that was a nice thing. Route was simple although I fear there were some runners who went inside Heritage Park and ran in it. I wasn't sure if they were part of today's race or just joggers but at that point, Per wanted to go in too.

Lesson #1 - always look at race map before the race to get some familiarity on where you are running and avoid any confusion.

Good thing I was prepared by doing Lesson #1 so we kept running on the road for the turning point back to Fort Bonifacio area.

We were still running at a good pace of 7:30 - 8:30 minutes/km and taking walk breaks at each water station. Slowly, we were overtaking other runners and remained focus at our race pace. After the halfway mark, we weren't slowing down even with the scorching sun above us.

At 12km mark, Per was walking at some point but still smiling and at a good mood. I told her that if she wanted to walk, she should do so at shaded areas so she won't feel the heat. I was counting down slowly the last few kilometers as we head into and out of British School.

At the final turning point, we saw the finish line and I told Per to speed it up so we can finish below 2:03. She did so and our Garmin registered at 2:02:59 with a distance of 15.45km. Our average race pace was at 7:58 min/ km.

For comparison sake, in the RUNew race we did a couple of months ago, our finish time was at 2:03:04 with distance of 15.35km and average pace of 8:01 min/km.

This garnered a new PR! And the important thing was that Per finished strong! She was confident enough during the entire race. She didn't complain and now sees a half marathon as a doable race.

Now, she doesn't mind joining long races. So I guess our strategy worked! PHEW!

In terms of this race, I had hoped it would be closer to the 16km distance so we could appreciate our achievement more...

We did it! YAAAAYYY!

So what's next for the Runner named Per? Only time will tell....

Not to be outdone, good friend Neil also finished his first 10-miler yesterday. Great job! His wife Mylene had her first 5-miler as well. They can be spotted after having some post-race carbo replenishments at Old Spaghetti House in Market Market.

POST-RACE

There were booths for upcoming Botak and Auto Review races. We got a copy of Menshealth (Obama cover) and announcement of another Menshealth race in June. We got some sports drinks, vitamins and even conditioners.

2 miles and 5 miles results were posted on race site! That was a surprise as the organizers were quick in coming out with it. Neil was able to get a finisher certificate as well.

All in all, even with the very hot day, we had an awesome time in this race! :)