PSE BULL RUN 2018

This race is starting to turn into an annual thing! 

Usually the first race of the year, it can be used to measure your fitness level at that point in time and since it's the first race, you are garnered the best time record for the new year, as long as you finish the race within the cut off time.

Having Runrio be its organizer adds credit to the race in that you know you will be taken care of here in terms of marshals, sufficient water stations and other logistics with regards to the race.

As with the race of 2017, the route is the same, which is to say it is not easy.  There are a lot of hills here from the start all the way to the finish line.  From Kalayaan Bridge, which you have to do two times as the route makes a U Turn on Buendia Avenue, you proceed to the next hilly part which is the Lawton Avenue and Bayani Road segment of the race.  To make this part even more difficult, you pass by the short but steep McKinley West.    Second and final U Turn made on Bayani Road for another hilly climb back to Bonifacio Global City.  And even here there were some inclines as well. 

Hilly route

So it's not really a fast race but our group was able to achieve all their goals here.  Lots of PRs made and everyone finished their 21km with a big smile on their faces!

21km runners before gun start

The loot bag is pretty awesome this year.  We even got a popcorn pillow from it.  For a fee of Php 950 for a half marathon and having it in BGC is just a good and affordable race for me.

My goal for this race is try to go sub 2:30.  That's it.  More of how I feel during the race as did only one work out for the week which was an easy 6km the day before at they gym so I wasn't that confident joining this race.  Hopefully on a worst case basis, I could still make it for the 3 hour race cut off time for the Half Marathon.

But God was there with me, and I happily crossed the finish time at a time of 2:23:00.  Praise be to GOD!

One final race before I fly out to Hong Kong on Thursday for the Marathon (my third time to run this course).  To God be all the glory!

2018 First Quarter Races

There are a lot of races I signed up for first Quarter 2018.

First of course would be the PSE BULL RUN 2018.  This will be held this Sunday at BGC, which is a place that seldom have race events so when they do have one, I try to grab the chance and join it.  I have been running PSE Bull Run for some years now and enjoyed it as first race of the year.  Route is usually the same as it goes up Kalayaan Bridge and heads out to Bayani Road and Lawton Avenue.  Obviously not a flat race but gives indication on ones fitness levels especially on the hills.

They would also have a 25km Race category but because of the bigger price difference for it vs the half marathon, it just doesn't justify me joining it so it is back to the 21km race for me.  This should be a well managed race as organizer is RunRio Inc.

My Second race for the year would be one of the hardest for this year as it is a full marathon.  Held in Hong Kong (on January 21st) as will be there at the same time event is to be held.  I wasn't lucky enough to get in via the lottery process but with Alvin's help (and his aunt), I got in via the charity category.  I shall be running the full marathon after just doing it in 2017.  Quite excited for it because the weather and the view had always been nice here.  Only difference now for me is that I will be staying near the Finish Line instead of the Starting Line so that's something I had to prepare for early in the morning.

Hopefully weather will be as nice as the one we had in 2017 for it.

Then there is the 7-11 Race (Feb 04, 2018):

Another hilly race!  This time on the SKYWAY!  I also did this in 2017 as the last race before HK Marathon.  With the moving of the HK Marathon to an earlier date for 2018, this race becomes the race AFTER HK marathon and my third race for the year. 

As legs should still be tired from running (and hopefully finishing) HK Marathon, this will be more of a relaxed and enjoy the scenery kind of race.  But as it is two weeks after HK Marathon, maybe legs will be strong by that time as well.  Let's see!

Fourth race registered is the New Balance Power Run 25km on Feb 11th. 

This one I just registered for yesterday at New Balance Glorietta.  The shirt is really nice and reminded me of the shirts in one of the earlier editions of Nike Run Manila.  Unfortunately, it won't be an easy race again and will once again be hilly as venue will be held at McKinley West, Taguig.

No information yet on the route of this race but thinking it goes to BGC and Bayani Avenue.

In between all these hard (as all hilly and at least 21km distanced ones) is this LITTLE (Pony) one:

This was postponed last year as it rained the night before and it became dangerous to push through as mostly kids joining it.  I shall be doing this with my two daughters for a distance of 1km.  It should be a fun race for them!

So a total of five races for just the first two months of 2018 and all at different venues (BGC, Hong Kong, Alabang Skyway, McKinley West, Mall of Asia).  Hopefully I can join more races this year and be injury free.

Thank YOU LORD for all these opportunities.

2017 Good Evening Taipei Race 21.3km

When we booked our Christmas trip to Taipei, I didn't think to look for any road races held in the city and figured I would just do multiple loops around Da'an Park or just run on my own in the city.  Just my luck that I visited the blog of fellow runner Roelle (www.daytripped-running.blogspot.com) and read that he is registered for a race in Taipei!  What?  There is a race?  I quickly looked into it as race date would be while we were still in Taiwan!  PERFECT!

Unfortunately, everything in that website was in Chinese!  I had to google translate everything just to be able to understand it.  And somehow got through the registration process for the 21.3km distanced category.  No idea why it was 100 meters longer than the standard half marathon but at least my long run in Taiwan was solved.

This was my first race in Taipei and it was one of the few night races that I have done in my lifetime (Singapore Sundown Marathon, Kenny Rogers Night Run, Outbreak 5km, and Energizer Night Race were some of the others).  There is a certain appeal to running at night or late afternoon.  You won't be hungry as you had breakfast and lunch.  You will be well rested as you don't have to wake up early for it.  Sometimes it is also cooler in the late afternoon than it is in the early mornings.  And the city lights add to the attraction to it.

Once I got in, I tried to register Per for the 8km as well but unfortunately it was sold out.  She did agree to accompany me to the race and wait for me to finish.  She had her IPAD and earphones ready with her so she can catch up on some of her TV shows.  The whole time we were assuming there would be coffee shops or restaurants near the area.  When we finally got to the race site (via a subway ride and then a bus ride from the organizers), place was devoid of any establishments or shelter!  Worst of all were the strong winds that day and Per had difficulty because of the cold.  I lent her my  bubble jacket as an added layer to help keep her warmer.

I hadn't ran fast for some time so figured I could do a 2:45 for this race at best but Per pleaded for me to finish below 2:30 as she was having a hard time with the wind and low air temperature.  Haha! So it was time for me to race this and see how well (or poorly) I do.

Our race started on time at 4:30pm and saw Roelle (or more correctly, he saw me) five minutes before gun start.  It was nice to see a familiar face in this race!

The race route was one big loop along the riverside.  I initially wanted to pace myself and run at 7 minute pace but the Taiwan runners were fast.  No one was slowing down and all were running at a constant pace.  I followed their pace and at the same time, remembered Per for me to finish this race as quickly as possible.

race map based on my Garmin

Only worry I had were my tight legs from all that walking in Taipei (as visited Taipei zoo with kids and did a lot of other touristy stuff here).  But tight legs loosened so I was able to maintain a below 7 minute pace.  Cold weather had me looking for a portalet and luckily found an unoccupied one under a bridge.  Cold weather helped too as didn't feel tired and kept me going at a good pace.

Had 3 Gu gels with me but ended up taking one only at halfway mark along with half a banana.  They also had sports drink at the water stations.

At 13km I decided to go faster a notch.  Yup I know, kinda too early for that!  Haha!  It should be at last 5km.  But figured it was time to go big or go home.  So I ran faster but cautiously anticipating hitting the wall at some point.  Then it was 3km to go.  No wall arrived thank GOD!  Then the finish line!  Praise God!

My garmin time was at 2:23:05 with pace at 6:38 for this race.  Quite happy with it as didn't expect it and wasn't as winded as I expected to be.  Spotted Per at the finish line and she assisted me on what to do next - get the loot bag, return the chip timer for NT 100 refund, and even get the certificate which they printed on the spot!  How's that for efficiency?!

loot at finish line.  Loved the medal and certificate!

Saw Roelle again and had a quick chat before Per and I headed back to the bus area all the while eating the two jumbo siopao given to me as part of the loot bag!

Pinoy pride!  21.3km (or 21.6km) conquered!

Thank YOU God for the year-ender race and for keeping me safe and injury free.  Thank YOU for this good race.  Thanks Roelle, if not for your blog, I wouldn't know about this event and thanks Per for waiting for me in the cold cold weather!  At least I made it sub 2:30 because of you! Haha!

Post note:  Before heading back to Manila, I did one super slow 10km in Taipei on New Year's Day that lead me to Taipei 101.  Pace at 7:55 per km with lots of stops and sitting down, a far cry from my pace in this race. Haha!

HAPPY NEW YEAR everyone and here's to a healthier 2018!

Race Review: Pinoy Fitness Sub 230 21km Race

It is that time of the year again wherein I once again registered for the Pinoy Fitness 21km challenge and as in the previous year, I wanted it to be easier by doing the Sub 3 Wave instead of the Sub 2:30.  And just like last year, I went back to the Sub 2:30 wave.  It is a challenge after all.  Not just a Half Marathon race. 

Given this standard requirement, runners who joined are faster and more serious runners.  Not much for fun but more for determination to conquer the distance at a given time.

My fitness level has slowed down this year, doing a few 8km runs on my own and sometimes a longer 16km over the weekend at a slower pace.  The last half marathon I did was Yakult Run last March 2017, six months ago!  In order to get back into shape for this race, I increased mileage to one or two 10km runs on weekdays and 20km on the weekend.  For the weekend long run, I had to make the pace faster too to that of 7:30 pace.

Hopefully all these things would be enough to sustain a maximum 7 minute average pace for this race (with enough leeway for below 2:30 which is equivalent to 7:09 average pace). 

The route map was almost the same as last year making up of two loops around Manila Bay area.  For each loop there are five U Turns in it (as opposed to last year's 4 U Turns).  No Roxas Blvd but also no flyover bridges as well.  I started at below 7 minute pace with intention of going faster at second half.  By having two loops I should be able to remember where the hard parts were on the first loop.

I couldn't go faster though so just maintained pace at slightly below 7 minutes all throughout the race.  I took two GU (at 12km and 17km), drank lots of water and Pocari Sweat drinks and even had one quick toilet break.  It was hard, but it made it more rewarding once they put the medal around my neck.

Thank YOU JESUS for sustaining me all throughout this race.  Thank YOU for giving me Strength.

Final time - 2:23:21 with pace of 6:53.

Need to train more as it was hard.  But glad I made it.  Alvin, who joined me for this race, got a gold medal as top 300 for sub 2:30 with finish time of 1:58ish.

Good news as well was that I was faster this year vs last year's time of 2:26:13, almost 3 minutes!

Race: Run United Sub 230 21km

There is always an added pressure when a certain race distance have a qualifying time to attain the finisher medal.  Be it a sub-1 10km, sub 2:30 21km or sub 5 or 6 hours full marathon.  In these instances, you are required to finish the race not only by its required distance but also by its speed or pace.

Such is the case for this race wherein you have to finish within 2 hours and 30 minutes in order to get a medal.  I had anxiety attack the day before as wasn't sure whether I had the speed to do it given that I haven't been running fast for the past month.

My goal was to try and keep a sub-7 minute pace for each kilometer and hopefully to keep that pace throughout the pace.  Best case scenario was to go faster on second half for a negative split.

The thing that affected me in this race was its later than usual gun start of 5am.  I am hoping it won't be too hot for the second half of the race.

Alvin and I met at my house and I drove us to the parking area near the starting area.  We had about five minutes left when we reached the starting line and

met fellow runner Paolo there.

With so many runners the race organizers put two waves for this half marathon (it was the only race category for this event).  We got in the second wave which was released five minutes after the first wave release at 5am.

Two advantages for second wave:

1) lesser number of runners so roads less crowded

2) later time offers more time for last minute toilet breaks and/ or stretching/ warm ups

The route was two loops around BGC.  Initially I was happy with it as that meant no Kalayaan Avenue or Bayani Road which are the steepest roads in BGC area.

But I was mistaken to think that it was a flat route (it wasn't) and to do it twice made it particularly challenging!

Praise God that the weather cooperated and I was able to maintain pace that I wanted all throughout the race.  Yes there were some kilometers wherein pace

for that was above 7 minute pace but at least my average pace was well below 7 minute pace.

At one point during the run I realized that my Garmin was making an error as kilometer markers on the road were 1km shorter than what was reflected in my Garmin's total kilometers.  So I ignored the pace and distance of my Garmin and followed instead the one on the road.

Instead of having 5km to go based on my Garmin, it became 6km.  And so on and so forth.  I didn't feel particularly strong for this race but I didn't feel weak either (except for first part where legs

were tight).

My goal was simply sub 2:30 but I finished better at 2:19!  Praise God!

My final time at finish line was at 2:19 but it shows 22.3km.  If I based it on 21.1km, that will be an equivalent 6:35 pace.  Either way, it was good for me and I was happy.

I ended up using two GU gels for this race as was having a hard time.  The second GU I even used at 18km, just 3km from the finish line!  But I was exhausted and hungry and knew that this was the only way for me to finish strong.  And that I did!  Praise God!

Alvin finished more than 20 minutes ahead of me and accompanied me as I ran another 500 meters before calling it a day and having breakfast at McDonalds.

The finisher medal is one of the nicest I have seen in the Philippines (similar to international races) so it was well worth running this race and finishing below 2:30.

The only thing I didn't like from this race was the white gatorade they offered in it. Only one flavor and one I hated the most.  But even with that, it helped me the finish line at target time that I wanted.

Praise God for this race, the final race before my big race exactly a week from now. God is definitely good!! All the time!

It is all YOU LORD all YOU! 

Yakult 21km 2017

In all the annual races of Yakult that I joined in the past few years (it is the country's second oldest road race after Milo), the 10-miler (16km) had always been its longest distanced category!

Not anymore for 2017 as for the first time ever, it now has a 21km category!  There are also finisher medals given for various race categories and something unique as well:  a Yakult pillow awaits as part of the finisher loot!

Of course with all these new things comes a re- adjustment of race registration fees.  I still remember days of old when it was just at P250 or P300 for a 16km race.  When Alvin and I joined last year, the fee had gone up to P500 (but still a lot cheaper vs other races in the city).  Now for the 21km category, the fee had gone up to P850.  Still cheaper than other half marathons as rate right now is at a minimum P950 and can go as high as P1,500.

Races aren't as affordable as they were in the past years and runners are more choosy as to which race they want to spend their money on.

In my case, joining Yakult was a last minute decision.  I needed to do 29km that weekend and figured that doing an LSD might be more beneficial to me (no pressure, no need to drive car or wake up that early for a race).  But I was drawn to Yakult (and more specifically, its pillow)!  I wanted that pillow!  Badly! Haha!

So after co-ordinating with the organizers (ProActive Management) via facebook (they respond quickly!  Another plus), I signed up online, printed out confirmation slip and set out to prepare for race day!

The race start is at CCP where parking was easy but not a lot of good clean toilets available.  Good thing I arrived quite early so once I got my race gear, I set out to do some running to add to my mileage for the day.

1km into the warm up jog, I found the toilet I was looking for: via a five star hotel near the race venue! Yahoo! 

15 minutes and another 1km later, I was at the starting line, just in time for the 4:30am gun start!  

The race will go through Roxas Blvd and make various turns at the back part (which I later realized was where Mall of Asia was).  So we had to do the two flyovers along Roxas Blvd as we head southbound to where the casinos and huge hotels are located.  I count five U turns from the race map and that is my basis for measuring how close/ far I am from the finish line.

Luckily this time around there were no tightness in my legs when the race started and I was able to run at a comfortable below 7 minute pace during that time.  

Struggle were the flyovers but I made sure to run them knowing that the downhill portion will more than make up for the slow ascend.  The first U turn was near the half way point and it was around this part that I had my first GU gel.

I felt good all throughout.  But kept saying the Lord's prayer every kilometer as a way of remembering God and to give glory to HIM via this race.

At the last few kilometers, I was breathing harder and had a hard time saying the Lord's prayer but I continued.  So far pace was quite good at 6:31 average. I wanted to bring it down to below 6:30 as haven't attained that for a while now.  So I had to go a little faster and started to

make loud wheezing and coughing sounds (I could be imagining the loudness as nobody was distracted by it. But definitely wheezing!)

It was just 2km to go. Less than 15 minutes.  "Let's not waste the first 19km by walking now!," I silently thought to myself.

So I kept going, secretly wishing it was over but at the same time, knowing that the longer distance could improve my average pace as I'm going faster for the last part.

And then it was over!  I crossed the finish line, stopped the watch, got the medal, got the pillow (yay!), got drinks and walked quietly and limping to the car!  

It was only when I got to the car and fixed my things did I remember to check my finish time (yes, I was too exhausted to care and was more motivated to get the pillow first).  

And what a surprise it was!  I achieved my last minute goal of sub 6:30 average pace (by a measly second), but in the process got a sub 2:20 finish time.

PRAISE GOD for this!  I can't remember the last time I was at this pace/ finish time.

When I got home (which wasn't immediately as I had 5.5km to go! Boo! And quick breakfast at Jolibee due to hunger pangs), I found out that the only times I was faster than this day's race was back in 2009 and in 2010!  Yes, 7-8 years ago!  Who would have expected that I can go to that speed again!  Praise GOD indeed!

This turned out to my 3rd fastest 21km (PR was at 2:14++) but first two happened before I had kids.  And for a

race where target was just sub 2:30, that was an awesome surprise!

And then there is the Yakult pillow, cherished by everyone at home including my eldest daughter.

Thank GOD for this amazing experience.

YOU are amazing!

Race Review : SMDC 21km

 Like in previous year, this year's event had its race start at Mall of Asia grounds.  In the past years, whenever there is a race that had its starting line here, the route was almost always the same - course will go to intersection of Roxas Blvd, turn left on that road till all the way to Luneta Park before making a U Turn back and heading all the way to a certain point (usually Uniwide) along Roxas Blvd (after climbing two flyovers) before making another U turn (and back to same flyovers) that would take runners to the finish line.

Later, however the route had been changed for almost all races held here.  This time instead of the course being 90% Roxas Blvd, it now becomes 90% Buendia Avenue as we run the entire stretch before the U Turn back on the same road.

For this race, the U Turn is right after Kalayaan Bridge ends in BGC.  So we had to do the flyover two times (to and from).  Two more turns near Mall of Asia before making it to the finish line.  I much prefer the newer route (I hate Roxas Blvd.!) as shadier here and downhill when coming back.

I got to the venue early and had no problems parking my car or to look for a toilet and a few minutes before the gun start, I was already at the starting line. I had time to do some quick stretches too.

My goal for this event was to try and finish below a time of 2 hours and 30 minutes.  I noticed that after doing the HK Marathon, I had gotten a lot slower and get tired easily.  My training runs had been nothing but disappointments and I wonder if this will carry all the way to April's big race (another marathon).

So I was hoping to run below 7 minute pace but even that one wasn't certain given that my training runs had reverted to almost 8 minutes per kilometer and effort wise, it was in the red zone.

So I lowered my expectations for this race but still hopeful that I could run at an average pace of 7 minutes per kilometer.  

This was the first race in recent memory wherein I experienced some considerable tightness in both my thighs.  It made running difficult and by 2km, I walked while drinking some water.  When I resumed running, the tightness was still there.  In the beginning of the race, I had started at pace of 6:45 but it wasn't sustainable and by 7km or so, I was going at a pace of 7:20 per kilometer.

Now given this scenario, the 7 minute 2:30 cut off time didn't seem sustainable! But I kept going and tried my best, all the while reciting the Lord's Prayer every kilomter of the way.

We reached Kalayaan Bridge and began the ascend to the other side, where the U turn was located.  Legs were still tight here but at least 9km down.  12km to go.

As I headed back to Buendia Ave. and ran down from the flyover, I felt legs loosened up from the speed and hit 6:30 pace for that kilometer.  The next kilometer was also at 6:30 pace.  It became sustainable and helped me bring down my average pace.  If this continues, I should be able to finish below my target time of 2:30.

I felt a little hungry and took one super old GU gel.  Instantly I felt regret as it was horrible!!! I drank water, spat it and drank water again.  The bad taste lingered in my mouth!  I couldn't get rid of it and got worried if this will lead to upset tummy.  I ran faster with the fear that I might need to use the toilet any time.  So adrenalin rush for some panicking over expired GU gel.  All the while average pace was going down.

Then it was just 3km to go and I kept pushing knowing this will just take 20 minutes of running!  The second U Turn was there and done.  Only 2km to go.  Then it was the final U turn with 1km to go.  Finally the final turn to the finish line!

Yay!  I have achived sub 2:30.  Best of all, it was faster than my 7-11 Skyway Half Marathon in February!  Praise God for this!  Thank You Jesus!!

By the time I finished, it was just 7am.  And I felt good.  So I went back to the car, changed into my finisher shirt and did another 4km at a very slow and comfortable 8:15 pace.  I waited for the raffle prizes and saw Carlito and his friend Cesar at the finish area.

Good and well organized race with lots of water and Pocari stations.  Nice medal and finisher shirt plus some other things in the loot bag.

Total km: 25km

Race Review: PSE Bull Run 2017

This is the first race for 2017 and similar to last year's edition, I joined the Half Marathon race.  My goal was to beat last year's pace of 7:37. It helps that I was able to blog about it last time so that it will be easy to track down my performance and results.

So I am writing this again in case I need it for reference for PSE Bull Run 2018.  Haha!

Anyway, this would be part of my 32km long run for the weekend but rather run it at LSD average pace of 7:30 per kilometer, I decided to race it just to see how fit I am (and if I can sustain the distance at the pace I wanted).

My goal is to not only beat last year's race but hopefully to do an average pace of 7 minutes per kilometer so I can finish the Half Marathon at below 2:30 time.   But I wasn't sure I could do it as haven't been doing any speed runs lately. 

My legs though felt good, having it rested since Thursday.  And I was sure I could finish this race in terms of distance.

The gun start for the Half Marathon was at an early time of 4:00am which is something I can never get used to!  I was still dazed, sleepy and had a minor headache when Alvin came to the house at 3:15am.  Blame it on the two hour sleep the night before from

doing... nothing!  Just aimlessly flipping TV channels.  Zombie TV time!

We got to the race early, well early for us with about 10 minutes to go.  And saw Jaymie "TheBullRunner" there with her son, who seemed to have inherited her running genes.

Saw my sister and brother in law and some friends too.  All were doing the 21km distance.

Alvin had his own goal of sub 2 hours so he went to the front of the wave as our race started.  I was comfortable running at the back end of the pack.

Like in previous editions, the route was a hilly workout as it took us to Kalayaan Bridge and Lawton Avenue/ Bayani Road or as Alvin and I call it, "the Old School route".

As part of my own training, I would try and drink at every 5 kilometers to try and emulate the hydration stations in Hong Kong Marathon which I shall be doing a second time in three weeks time.  And every time I stop to drink, I would be conscious and spend one minute walking in that area, nothing shorter (so legs can recover from fatigue) or longer (so pace won't slow too significantly).

I had 3 GU gels with me as safety measures but ended up not taking a single one.  I also skipped the banana

station as figured it would take more

than a minute to consume that.

Surprisingly my pace was below 7 minutes even with the hills.  I kept muttering to myself ,"You are going too fast.  You are going to burn out."  But I felt strong and couldn't really slow down. In fact I was going faster.  But cautiously fearing that that won't last long for me.

I honestly missed running the races (except for super early gun time) and this was one I wanted to try my best in it.  Nevermind the fact that I had to run 11 km more after it.  I will just cross the bridge when I get there. GULP! 

I was good all the way, then we headed to Lawton Avenue and there was a curve ball which I didn't expect: a right turn into steep Mckinley West.  A short burst of profanity to myself (sorry!) as I realized where the route was taking us but I had no choice but keep on going.  Took a water/walk break there before resuming the run again.

I should study the race map better next time! Grrrr!  Don't like surprises!

It helps that the weather was chilly and sun wasn't out yet.  Pretty soon I made the U Turn at Bayani road and started to go back to BGC.

That was when the 2:30 pacers overtook me!  What the!  I checked my Garmin watch and I was running at 6:40 average pace.  That meant that they were even going faster than my pace!  For a 2:30 pace that would roughly covert to a 7:00-7:05 average pace so why were they going at below 6:40 average?  That wasn't right and I felt sorry for the runners who joined these pacers and got burned out for running at a fast pace.  Not sure if pacers knew what they were doing in this.

Either way, I never caught up with them but focused on my own pace.  There was a part at 18-19km wherein my right arm had excruciating pain.  I didn't know where that came from but kept going using my legs for running and rotating my arms in clockwise and counter clockwise directions to lossen it up.  Praise God that after 1 km, the pain subsided and I could focus back to the running.

Finally, the end of the race was near. It was a final push to...the stoplight!  Yep, marshals made us stop and wait for traffic to cross before allowing us to run again.  "So bitin", I thought to myself but used that time to catch my breath.

And finally the real final push to the finish line!

With this being first half marathon for the year, it was an automatic PR for 2017.  But what was awesome was how it beat all my 21.1km times from 2016!  Even better news was when I dug deeper in my own running history and found out that last time I ran a half marathon that had a faster time than this race was back in 2010! A 7-year record!  PRAISE GOD for this!!!

After resting a bit and getting high from the good time in the race, Alvin and I resumed our 10.5km additional mileage so I can complete my 32km day requirement.  Of course at a much much much slower time!

Thank YOU GOD for an awesome race

time and for keeping me safe the entire time.

In terms of race organization, it was well handled again by Runrio team.  Easy to claim loot bags, finisher medals at the finish line, ample water and Gatorade stations, good loot, and banana stations.  They probably need to improve runners doing the pacer duties but since I didn't run with them, I wasn't affected by them either.  Hopefully marshals won't stop us too when we are so near the finish line but I guess that's part of how they manage the race and the traffic in that area.  Congrats to the race organizers for a job well done!

Race Review: Pinoy Fitness 21km Challenge

This was my first time to join this half marathon challenge.  With Pinoy Fitness races, you not only have to have the endurance to finish the distance but the speed as well to complete the race within the cut-off time.  Early this year I was able to complete the sub-60 Pinoy Fitness 10km.  It was my most pressured 10km race and it took a lot of weeks of preparation just to make sure I am able to cross the finish line in under one hour and get the medal.

Same goes for the Half Marathon race.  They had three categories: sub-2 2XU which is impossible for me, sub-2:30 which is possible but not 100% sure and the sub-3:00, which is definitely doable for me.  Aside from this, gold medals are given out for the first 300 finishers for each category.

I wanted to join this race but didn't know whether I wanted to do the sub-2:30 category and train hard for it or take the easier route via the sub-3 category and try to aim for the gold medal.  That could also give me a fast time with minimum risk of not getting a medal should some thing unforeseen happen during the race. But I realized that if I took the sub-3 category then I am not challenging myself.  So last month I took the plunge and registered myself for the sub-2:30 category, paid Php 1,000 and got my race kit.

As an added bonus, the medal for 2:30 category is bigger than the 3:00 one (about half inch bigger I think).

My training is to do short 8-10km runs at average pace of 7:00 and I also joined the New Balance 25km to build endurance. I did well in New Balance

so that helped build confidence for this race.

The gun start was at 4:35am and I left the house early as going to MOA is always unpredictable: sudden traffic jams due to roadwork, long lines for parking, need to search for toilet.  Logistics was a problem and unlike other Half Marathons where i can be late, I can't afford that luxury here!  Being 5 minutes late here can spell the difference between me getting a finisher medal or not as they based it on the gun time of the race!

Thank goodness God guided me and I was able to park in a place where there were no lines, found a toilet I can use and no traffic whatsoever in Edsa!  Praise God!

I got to the starting line at 4:30am, just in time to see the first wave of fast sub-2 runners go off.

Then it was our turn to be at the starting line.  This is it!

The route for this Half Marathon consists of two loops, made up of four turns around the area.  My strategy is to go at 7 minute pace for the first loop, which is my target pace for this race and if I am feeling good, to go faster on the second loop.

I had hoped this race would be easier for me given its flat route and that I had a good time in last week's New Balance 25km race, which was hillier and longer!  But that wasn't to be as I was struggling in this race.  

I took GU gel at 12km and at 17km. No banana stations here but didn't plan to eat this as that is additional time that I can't afford to waste.  There were a few Pocari Sweat stations so that posed a challenge for me as water wasn't enough for this race.  Luckily I have an extra GU gels for emergency use (which didn't end up using).

Thank God that on the second loop I was able to go faster and went at 6:35 pace during that time. So that brought my average pace down and gave me more allowance for a sub 2:30.  

But I was getting exhausted.  Just two km more...

And then it was there, the final turn to the finish line!

Thank God For this race and for helping me make it!  I was praying at various times in the race and I felt God was with me all the time.  I was never truly alone in this race.

The sub 2:30 medal was put around my neck and I headed to the finisher kits area but with the long line there, I went first to the PF booth so I can get my self imposed reward:  PF Trucker's cap for Php 250!

I was prepared to buy it and had money with me during the duration of this race.  After getting the cap, I went back to the finisher kits area where it was a loonng wait before I got my finisher shirt.  But I am not complaining as got my qualified time, medal and trucker's cap.  To God be the Glory!

Awesome medal! To Him I dedicate this prize!

Note: race results and photos are now out via Pinoy Fitness website and their facebook page

New PR... at being late! (SMDC 21km race)

I haven't join any road races since the 40th edition of Milo Marathon last July.  My running has been reduced to two short runs in a week. And yet I have the final leg for Run United coming up soon and I needed to do a little training for that.

I was able to increase my long run from 10km to 16km.  With SMDC's 21km race kits still available at Chris Sports branches, I signed up for it to see how

I would fare on this distance.  My goal was slow and easy for the most part and just re-assess on last 5km.

The gun start for the race was moved to 4:15am from the original gun start time of 4:00am but that didn't help me as I turned off both alarm clocks and went back to sleep!  The next time I woke up it was already 4:45am!

Wow, 30 minutes late! The best solution is to go back to sleep or just run on my own.  But no, I quickly dressed up and drove myself to Mall of Asia.  I don't see any runners on the road!  Have they opened up the roads for vehicles? Oh man, what do I do now?

By the time I parked my car, it was already 5:15am, an hour after my race had started.  Is the starting line still up?  Will they allow me to run?  All these questions in my head as I jogged to the starting line.  

Thank goodness the starting line was still assembled and there were some runners near there.  As I peered at some of their bibs, I saw that they were running the 5km distance.  So at least I wasn't by myself on the road.

As I ran with the 5km runners, I was thinking whether I should just stick with the 5km route but I felt it was too short for me.  

A little bit further down the road, I saw some 10km runners.  Well, this was a group I could follow next.  It won't be so bad if I ran with the 10km runners as distance wasn't that short.

But then how would I explain to marshals at the finish line that I did only 10km.  How can I justify getting the finisher medal or shirt?  I would look like a cheat claiming these things. 

So as the 10km runners made a U Turn at the 5km mark and headed back to where the Starting/Finish line was, I kept going.

And this was the hard part as there weren't any runners on my side of the road.  It was empty except for a few marshals whom I assumed were surprised to see a runner at 6-7km mark, nearing 2 hours from the gun start!

I was embarrassed to be on the road by myself and even uttered sorry a few times to the marshals who saw me.  Praise God for these marshals as rather than giving me disappointing looks, they were actually cheering me on.  One even said how daunting my distance was.  To them I must have looked super slow but they didn't show this and instead encouraged me to keep on going.

I saw a lot of 21km runners but they were all heading back to the finish line while I was the lone runner on the rightside of Buendia Avenue.  They were some who saw me on the road and I was embarrased to look back.

With this situation, I didn't or couldn't slow down as I wanted to catch up with some runners if such a thing was possible.  I also wanted marshals to finish their work and not wait on me anymore.  So I kept running (and on an empty stomach too).

I took my first GU gel at 9km mark as I headed toward lonely Kalayaan Bridge. At this point, I was able to overtake three women runners who seemed to have gotten late for this race too.  I was consoled knowing that I wasn't alone in this race anymore.  But I still wanted to see more runners.

And I did...eventually.

I was able to overtake a few runners on Buendia Avenue as they were hurting and were walking on the road.  

I had my second GU gel and kept going, even skipping the banana stations as figured it would lose precious time for me.  

Some water stations were closed and I had to request for some drink from the marshals which they obliged with no complaint whatsoever.

The sun was up by this time and it was getting warm.  At 18-19km there were more runners and I was glad I wasn't by myself.  Water stations were open at this area and got to drink some water before I kept going.

I crossed the finish line, tired and exhausted but also happy that I didn't give up at any time during and before this race.

And I got my finisher medal and shirt afterwards.

Congrats to Leadpack.ph for a well executed race and thank you marshals for the encouragement.  Most of all, thank YOU LORD for giving me a chance to do this race.

Chip time: 2:28:06

Gun time: i guess 3:35 ish!

Pace: 7:01

Results are posted now 

Race Review: Takbo.ph Runfest 21km

Takbo.ph was the online group that started it all for the running community here in the Philippines.  

I was able to register for the Half Marathon category for this year as that is my requirement for the week's long run.  Having it at BGC is an added incentive as it will just be 10 minutes away from my house.

The gun start for the 21km was strange at 4:10am but I didn't mind as had a chance to chat with some friends whom I haven't seen a long time.  Takbo.ph really is the one race that brings together runners, whether they are new ones or ones who have stopped joining races.  It's like a high school reunion! Haha!!

The route was so old school in that we would go up Kalayaan Bridge and into Buendia Avenue with a U turn near South Super Hi-way before heading back to BGC for another climb towards Lawton Avenue and Bayani Road before making a U Turn back and head towards the finish line.

My goal for this race was 2:30 finish time and to distract myself, I thought of it as a video game wherein I am the player.  There would be four levels for this "game": first level going up Kalayaan Bridge, level two return to Kalayaan Bridge, level three and four going to and fro from Bayani Avenue and Lawton Avenue.  By the time I had finished my own "level four", I was just two to three kilometers away from the finish line and with the remaining distance flat to downhill, it was an opportunity for me to surge and pick up the pace.  

By this time, I knew that I would be able to attain my target goal time and as I still felt strong, I ran faster to see how  much faster I could go.

A final push to the finish line garnered me the fastest pace for this race at a pace of 5:49 and this was for the last kilometer!

Final time of 2:22:50, average pace of 6:49 minutes/km with a distance of 20.97km.  Thank YOU LORD!

The medal was pretty awesome.  There were sufficient hydration, km markers and marshals to guide us on the road and monitor cars.  The finisher shirt was nice too. No complaints whatsoever in terms of how race organizers handled this race.  Even the claiming of loot bags and finisher shirt were quick and efficient.    

Congrats to Leadpack Race Organizer for a well handled race.  Congrats to all the finishers for this race. It was nice seeing a lot of familiar faces too. Till the next road race :)

Race statistics:

Number of GU gels consumed: 2 (one at 9km and second at 16km mark)

Paces: 1km - 6:34, 2km - 7:09, 3km- 7:03, 4km - 6:33, 5km -6:49, 6km - 7:05, 7km - 6:56, 8km - 7:22, 9km - 7:36, 10km - 6:50, 11km - 7:01, 12km - 6:48, 13km - 6:48, 14km - 6:35, 15km - 6:43, 16km - 6:46, 17km - 6:47, 18km - 6:59, 19km - 6:34, 20km - 6:03, 21km -5:49

RU1 21km: Horrible start but good finish

This was the worst race start for me EVER!

It had a regular set-up the night before: fixing my running gear and setting my phone's alarm clock to 2:40am.  Too bad at 2:40am when the alarm rang, I quickly turned it off and went back to sleep!!

At 3:30am, I was woken up by a phone call.  It was Alvin calling me!  He is at the house already as our race start was at 4:00am!  Adrenalin rushed over me as I quickly went to the bathroom to brush my teeth, fix my gear and use the toilet. Even with the rush to get ready quickly, it still took too long!

We were out of the house at 3:45am, 15

minutes before race start but we had another hurdle to conquer: EDSA was congested with cars at 3:45am!  Apparently one lane on the flyover to Mall of Asia had some roadwork being done on it.  But after the flyover, traffic was light all the way to Mall of Asia.  Parking was easy too as 21k runners were at the starting line and it was an hour away for the 10km runners.

We got to the starting line 10 minutes after the gun start.  And did some quick stretching before starting the race at 4:13am, 2 minutes before the start cut-off.

There was one final hurdle to conquer and that was my upset tummy.  I hoped to do the race quick enough that I won't need to use the toilet until after the race.  As it was a 21km race, I wasn't that hopeful and I looked at the hotels nearby to see where I could stop for abtoilet break should the need arise.

The route was similar to last week's Yakult run in that it was mostly done on Roxas Blvd.  I was able to spot three hotels as we headed towards Luneta Park.

My pace was at a constant 6:45 minutes per km, which was my target pace here.  But at 8km, I felt my tummy grumble and felt that I had to go soon!  I made it in time to the hotel's bathroom after talking to the hotel's security guard if I could use it.  This happened at the 9km mark.

While there my pace went up slowly from 6:45 to 7:00 and to end at 7:11!  I was so disappointed as felt that all the hard work just disappeared because of the toilet break.  But what can I do?

I am reminded of the biblical verse,

"I have fought the good fight.  I have finished the race.  I have kept the faith."

 - 2 Tim 4:7

With this reminder, I was convinced that the race was far from over!  I may have lost precious time but I can try and make up for it.  I shouldn't give up even with all that has happened and try to work back to my goal.  My goal was 6:45 average pace for this race so now I had to do my best to achieve it with the last 11km of the race.  Every flyovers that I would go to, I will be in attack mode and surge on them.  There would be minimal walking breaks as well and some level of speed maintained in this race.  I was pretty sure the 6:45 target was out the window, but I can at least try to be below 7 minute average pace.

As more distances are covered, my average pace went down as well.  On the last 3-4km, I brought the pace during this time to below 6 minutes.

I knew by then that I should be below 2 hours 30 minutes and even below 7 minute average pace but had no idea how low it was.

Finally I crossed the finish line, drained and exhausted.  I got my finisher loot bag and shirt before I took a look at my Garmin watch.

GOAL ACHIEVED!!  PRAISE GOD!

It definitely wasn't how you start the race but how it is finished!  That's the important thing!  I was quite happy with this time and I hope that it would be enough for next week's PF sub-60 10km.

I end with one other biblical verse:

"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me"- Philippians 4:13

THANK YOU LORD FOR EVERYTHING!!

Just when it felt hopeless, God allowed me to not only reach my goal pace but even be 2 seconds faster from it.  Moreover, this is now my fastest half marathon race since 2010!  With all the hurdles at the beginning, who would have expected this to happen this way?  Definitely not me, but I am sure God knew and He gave me strength.

Race paces:

1km: 6:53, 2km: 6:45, 3km: 6:41, 4km: 7:03, 5km: 6:39, 6km: 6:34, 7km: 6:42, 8km: 7:05, 9km: 6:56, 10km: 10:43 (or as I call it- THE TOILET BREAK), 11km: 6:38, 12km: 7:00, 13km: 6:22, 14km: 6:17, 15km: 6:12, 16km: 6:15, 17km: 6:29, 18km: 5:57, 19km: 5:47, 20km: 6:17, 21km: 5:57, 0.15km: 5:16

Pre-run Nutrition: 1 bottle of Gatorade and 1 pineapple cake

Race nutrition: water and Gatorade throughout race.  1 Gu gel at 10-11km. A second gel was distributed at 16km to which I ate it.

Race Review: Condura Half Marathon 2016

This was a good race for me and one that I joined last minute for.

Honestly, I was lazy to run it as it had an early gun start of 3:30AM and I wasn't that comfortable with running a distance of Half Marathon.  I escaped unscathed at PSE Bull Run 21km but I didn't want to push my luck.  Still, with the blessing of God, I felt I was getting faster and stronger.

Once I was able to talk to race organizers if I could claim my race kit in Makati, I immediately went online to register for the 21km distance.  Thank you guys for your help!

I did one 16km during the week for my long distance run and just had target of finishing well and enjoying the scenery.  But as the day grew closer, I was thinking whether I could beat my PSE half marathon time of 2 hours 41 minutes (with an average pace of 7:37).  I had a hopeful target of maintaining an average pace of 7:30 and if I was still strong, to lower pace for the last 5km.

Even if I wasn't able to go faster than 7:30 pace at last part, that would be a new PR for me for the year.

With two hours sleep and 3 Gu gels in my running belt, I was off to Alabang.  Parking was very easy and I was able to find a spot at Filinvest Mall, just a short walk to the Starting Line.

My gun start was at 3:30am but with the multiple race Waves, I ended up running it at 3:45am.  "Oh no", I thought to myself, "I'm going to feel the heat from the sun at the last part".  Nevermind that it was just 15 minutes longer from the scheduled race start.  The lack of sleep must have muddled my thoughts that morning! Hehe.

But a good reason of starting your race at the last batch was that most runners were already ahead of you, making the road or in this case, the Skyway less congested.

The first 5km was slow and steady as ran on an incline from Alabang to Skyway.  This was good as body was just getting warmed up.

Route was pretty simple: keep running on the Skyway until you make a U Turn at the halfway mark.  As we started our race, there were a lot of Full Marathoners already heading back towards Alabang.

Weather was nice and cool and the sun never came out even at the last part of the race.  In fact, it became a little cooler as it started to rain a bit at the last part.  Thank You God!

I felt good the entire time, taking one Gu gel at 8km mark, a banana at 12km and a second GU gel at 16km for the last 5km on the road.

With enough energy, I was able to go faster at the last 8km and ran at below 7 minute pace for the most part.  Only when I got to the Skyway exit did I get slower as it was congested with 6km, 10km, 21km and 42km runners!!  I had to do a lot of weaving around the runners in front of me.  

But I didn't mind as when I saw my pace, it was at 7:23 and much lower than what I was aiming for so either way, I was happy with it.

Best of all, I felt strong and not even tired.

As we head into Alabang, I stopped looking at my watch and focused on the remaining distance.

Finally, one last turn to the finish line and when I crossed it, I had a big smile on my face.

Condura Half Marathon 2016: conquered!  Thank You GOD for making me strong!!

... And what a nice finish time too!  I not only managed to shave off 11 minutes from my last Half Marathon race but also achieved my utarget time of 2 hours and 30 minutes, which was my ultimate goal for the Run United 1 event in March!  It came much, much sooner that when I expected it.  As another bonus, I wasn't out of breath after crossing the finish line.  No pain in my legs too.  God is definitely good and this race is one of many where I glorify HIM.  Thank You God!!

The finisher medal was nice but I was more looking forward to the Finisher Shirt as it had the route map at its back!  Which was a very neat idea!!

Thank You God for a great race!  Thank You Condura for a good event (there were enough drinks and bananas and distance was accurate).

Final Note:  Unfortunately, although this was a fantastic race for me and I had a great time in it, I can't say this for everyone who ran it.  

There were some complaints with regards to the race kit pick up one day before the event as lines were long and it took a long time for runners to get their kits.

Moreover, it was a sad news for some families and runners everywhere as two runners passed away in this race: both young and at the prime of their lives: One joined the 21km while the other did the 42km event.