SJCS 10km Race - 2011 Race # 2

Per and I were privileged enough to be invited to the press conference of this event some weeks ago at ROX and got for ourselves some race kits from the event organizers.

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This was the perfect race for me for the weekend given I had to do a long run before my first 21km for the year (Condura) and I knew I had to be somewhat ready for it in terms of the distance I had to conquer and the lack of mileage that I had been doing this month.

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I was optimistic to finish a total distance of 18km with a lot of walk breaks involved and I started that by first doing a slow 5km jog around my house, went back home to change into drier clothes (and bugging Per in the process) and driving myself to MOA for the 6:00am Gun Start for the 10km race. (Per decided to back out from the race at the last minute.)

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I wasn't sure where the race start was but opted to look for a parking space first and to figure out the starting line later. Just my luck that I parked some 500meters away and I had some three minutes to go to get to the starting line. Oh Crap! This will definitely be included in my 18km target distance for the day!

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I heard the emcee speak "last one minute to go before race starts... last 30 seconds...", which lead me to run faster. Double Crap! This is sooo wrong: speed running even before the race starts! But what would be worse for me was starting the race late.

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I made it on time (for a measly 2 seconds) before the race began and I ran off again, this time with all the 10km runners.

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I thought right then how everything was wrong from the start - how could I run fast when I was already tired doing my 5km jog + 500 meters sprint before the race? Ordinarily, that was fine for this RUNNING FATBOY but this was called Race for Place for a reason! And although I didn't really believe I could make it to the top 500 finishers to get the medal, I was secretly hoping that I would come in 490th (or thereabouts) place to be able to bag it. Of course, this secret hope came about at the time I thought I would just run 10km for the day!

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At the first water station, I gladly stopped by to get a drink of water. As guaranteed before at the presscon some weeks ago, there were a lot of water stations for this race, which was quite good for us runners.

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My desire for the finisher medal got to the point where I counted the runners who were ahead of me but gave up at 20 as figured I would be crazy if I counted all the way to 500! I would instead do my thing: focus on my arm swings, high knee raises, proper foot landing, breathing, feeling if there is pain on my left foot, etc., all the while following the directions of the 10km route.

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It was nice running here at MOA again and it has been a while since I joined a race here. Weather was perfect (not too hot, not too cold) and there were enough marshals to make sure we don't get lost. An ambulance was also roaming about, which was another good point for the race organizers.

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At one point, I gave up on my quest for the finisher medal and just decided to do the run to the best of my abilities. If I make it, that would be awesome. But if I didn't, that is okay too. As long as I finish strong and painfree, then I should already be happy with my achievements.

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But...

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Everytime, a runner would overtake me, at the back of my mind I would think, "what if he is the 500th runner?". So I would run again and do little walk breaks and if I do take them, it would be for only 10 -20 seconds before I run again.

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Even with this thought, I did not sprint or run after them as I didn't want to be too tired today.

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So I ran, and I ran, and I ran, and thinking that this 10km distance seemed to be too long, I would look at my Garmin and see that it just showed a distance of 8km. GRRRRRR!!!!

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Anyway, to cut the story short, I made it to the finish line at a time of 1:05++. Not really fast for me but given my circumstances, I was very happy by it.

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I ran another 3km around MOA complex at super slow pace of 8:30 - 9 min/km pace, did a lot of stretching at one of the empty parking lots, drove home to pick up Per to have breakfast at our new favorite weekend morning place (hint: it's at BGC) to replenish burned calories and went back home again to relax.

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18km Target Achieved!

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As for the finisher medal, I have yet to wait for the results to see my place in the 10km category but I got what I secretly hoped for:

Yeah Man!!!!
I can now proudly say that I Raced for Place and I got it! Best of all was waking up the next day with no muscle or foot pain. God is definitely Good (no foot pain was one of our answered prayers).

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Kudos to the race organizers for this fun run!

First 15km for 2011 - Greentennial Race

The Greentennial Race was my first road race for 2011. It was my first 15km race for the year and it would promise to give me my first finisher medal for 2011 with only one rule – that I finish the race.

Ordinarily, it would be a cinch for me to do so but with little or no running for the past one and a half months, I was a little bit scared by its distance. I was unprepared for it, doing only some short, slow runs on the ACTUAL week of the race. In any race training rulebook, this was a definite foul! And I’m doing it for a couple of valid and invalid reasons: to burn calories, to get in shape again and to bring home that finisher medal!

I was anxious the night before (just ask my wife) and couldn’t sleep till past midnight. When I finally did, it seemed too short before both our alarms started ringing off. With a quick change, a cracker to fill up my growling tummy, and some minor stretching, we drove to BGC for the race.

Parking was easy this time around and I still had 10 minutes to go when I reached the starting line and spotted Janine and RunningAtom there. I was a little excited given I haven’t been joining a race for some time but knew also that I should take it slow as this was a big distance for the non-running FATBOY.

The 15km race route was one of my favourites when it comes to running in BGC as it took us to the Buendia Flyover, past the 5km and 10km turn around points on Buendia Avenue, past the three stoplights of Buendia Avenue before we reached our own 15km turning point and headed back to Fort Bonifacio to run 5km more. However, there were no street lights on the flyover and one had to be really careful where he/she is running on as it was pitch dark at that time. But I had no complaints. The mere fact that I was running was already a great moment for me.

I left my MP3 player at home, choosing instead to absorb the sights and sounds around me. It was also a great time to talk to God while running, when you can see all of His creations around you and appreciate them – the sunrise was always the best part for me! And to be blessed with legs and feet and with little pain is something I don’t always appreciate.

As I headed back to Fort Bonifacio, I was clearly panting and wheezing. Yes, lack of running/ training would do that to a person! Luckily there were ample water stations there, giving me an excuse to take some walk breaks and drink the Powerade/water that were handed out to me. I saw recent NYC Marathoner finisher Alvin there doing the 10km race and he opted to run with me and to do a little bit of chatting. In that 1-2km run, I got to chatting too and got my second wind back. Yay! That really helped me and by the time he left me, I only had 3kms to go. This looks achievable!

And it was. As I headed towards the final turn before the sprint to the finish line, I heard my wife call out my name as she waited patiently for me by the sidewalk. I gave her a big smile and a wave and then I focused my attention to the last 300 meters. The finish line sign got bigger as I got closer. Last 100 meters! Finished!

I was so tired when I finished my race that I even wanted to vomit whatever was in my stomach (the puny soda cracker???). Good thing I didn’t or it would be a sad sight especially to the girl who put the finisher medal around my neck!

Yes, I am very much happy for having finished this race strong and to God for being there by my side. I dedicated this race to Him at start of the race and I was rewarded a finisher medal at the end. I believed he nudged Alvin to my direction too when I really needed some pushing!

To Him Be the Glory!

Am I Ready?

My first run for 2011 will be held this coming Sunday at BGC (the place formerly known as Fort Bonifacio).

In my confidence, I registered myself waaayyy back in November for the 15km category to avail of the early bird rate. Little did I know that I would stop running for a month from December 05 to January 05, do one super slow 8km run after that hibernation, and then nothing again for one entire week. SHEESH!!

With only a week to go before the big day, I had no choice but to hit the road once again.

Monday - super slow 8km run around BGC (doing multiple 1.2km loops around area)

Tuesday - no running

Wednesday - another super slow 6km (+ two 400 meters walk) around Ultra's Oval Track even while it was raining (yeah, us runners don't care about the freaking rain!).

Thursday - 5.5km run inside the village

I hate cramming! But that is all I can do for now less I burn myself out even before the race starts! Hopefully, it should be enough for this Sunday's 15km race. Fingers crossed!

So .....Am I ready? We will know soon enough!

Run For Fun, Race For Place - Jan 30th 2011

Here is a perfect race to join just before the Condura Skyway Marathon. With a 3km, 5km, and a 10km course, and the race being held at the flat gounds of MOA, it would be a relatively nice fun run for all of us joining it.

There will also be a finisher medal for all categories but it is just limited to the first 500 people to finish PER CATEGORY.

Will you be able to finish your race category within the top 500 people and get a finisher medal (hence the name Race for Place)? Hmmmm.....

Personally, I don't think I could make it to the top 500 as I haven't been running for some time now, but this will be a good excuse for me to burn some calories. It will also be my first 2011 race that will be held in Mall of Asia area.

Registrations are Php 400 for 3km category and Php 500 for 5km and 10km categories. The 10km race starts at 6:00am, followed by the 5km at 6:05am, and finally the 3km race at 6:10am.

Registrations are ongoing at ROX.

Sample of Singlet. (They have also added an XXL size for which I got for myself).

Solitary Running

I haven't done any solitary running for some time now. Come to think of it, I haven't done any running. Period!

After a month of hiatus from running and doing nothing but eat, sleep, and watching TV programs, I ventured out to do more eating, more sleeping, and more watching TV programs, and have added one other activity: that of watching movies!

But it is now time for me to hit the road again, especially since I have an upcoming 15km and an upcoming 21km race to do within the next 30 days. (What the f%$& was I thinking?) Well, no time like the present to get this fat @$$ off the bed/ couch and hit the road again.

And so I did.

At 5:00pm, I got off my bed, put on my running shorts and a simple cotton tee shirt, laced up my rubber shoes and left the house. No Garmin watch this time. I didn’t care about the pace (or more correctly, I didn’t want to know!). And I ran, or rather I jogged. There was nobody else on the road. But I didn’t mind. To be frank, I enjoyed it. I enjoyed looking at the different houses, the Christmas decors that weren’t put down yet (one house had a total of 8 Santas on their gates, garden, walls, etc), the damp roads, the foggy atmosphere, the large trees, the stray cats, the dead frogs (well, maybe this sight I didn’t enjoy). A lot of things entered my mind too as I ran (okay fine.. JOGGED) around the area: the accomplishments I’ve done, the blessings I’ve received, the changes in my life, the good stuffs, the bad stuffs, and all the stuffs in between.

And I think about running too. How I’ve come to my peak running form about a year ago, only to have it crashing again due to injury. How I’ve gained weight since then. How I’ve slowed down since then. How I’ve been left behind. But then I think about how I started running when running wasn’t the craze yet. There were no Garmins yet, no Ipods, no Runnr store, no Newtons, no Secondwind, no BGC, no RunRio Trilogy, no running blogs, no ROX, no Condura Races, no chip timers, and no finisher medals. Wow, how things have changed! But going back to me – I never thought I would run longer than a 10km. Actually, a 10km run was already overwhelming to just think about it. I never thought I would survive a full marathon. But I did. Repeatedly. I never thought I would run it at a good pace. But I did.

And then, I remember... that this was how I started running. Just me and the road. Left, right, left, right. This was me some years ago. Where there was no other runner in sight. This was me going back to basics with just my G Shock watch (back then, it was an Adidas Sports watch) to time the entire run. This was me not knowing how far or how fast I’ve ran but just kept on going for as long as the road would me take me. This was me running with no water or cash in sight but didn’t care about it. This was me not being competitive, with no running goals, no time pressure, no PR pressure.

This was just me and the road.

SOLITARY RUNNING: What a GREAT FEELING!

Condura Skyway Marathon 2011: Year 4

Ahhh, the Skyway!

Whereas our Milo Marathons can be equated to the famous Boston Marathons, in that both races are the oldest and hardest-to-qualify races (due to the short cutoff times) in their own respective countries, I would think that Condura's Skyway Marathon can be equated to the famous New York Marathons.

There are bridges to cross, cheering people, festive after race parties, lots of giveaways and so so many runners. As Condura prepares for its Year 4, the question comes up: What would be new this year?

I have been lucky enough to join all 3 Condura races as I started at 10km (2008), ventured to 21km (2009) and did the 42km (2010). In all these events, I ran the farthest distance. Will there be a 50km new distance this year??

Sadly, it's a no (not that I could do it!) but the organizers put in a new distance, which my friend and co-blogger Janine would do - 16km!

Another plus is that the 10km, 16km, 21km and of course, the 41km, will all go on the Skyway! Now more people can get the SKYWAY EXPERIENCE!

Registrations are now ongoing at Greenbelt3 via a very quick registration procedure.

See you guys there!

I am registered for the 21km! Per will do the 3km race!

It's just runners and the SKYWAY. No Pollution + Wide Open Roads + No cars = Faster Time!

Registration Area inside Greenbelt3. Shirts are very nice and range from XS to XXL size.

Nike's 5km Run Manila

"Don't you think it's fun to do a 5km race once in a while? " - The Bullrunner (after seeing her and her husband at Fort Bonifacio's weekend market after doing the Nike Run).

I couldn't agree more!

With only one race category in this year's Nike Run, runners can do one of three things:

1) still join the race and just enjoy it

2) join the QCIM, which had 10km, 21km and 42km race categories

3) sleep it off or just run on your own.

Having done the QC Half Marathon last year, I decided to skip it this year and just do a race closer to home. Enter: Nike's 5km race.

For a fee of Php 300, there were no singlets, no finisher shirts (although what the marshals were wearing were really nice! I hope they at least sell those shirts. Pretty pretty Please!) and of course, no finisher medals!

But there were ample drinks in the route, lots of food and drinks at the finish line (got two bananas, tuna pandesal, water bottle and a sports drink) and the Nike + toy (which comes in three versions).

Perfect run also to try my new shoes from the suggestion of Benny (thanks buddy!). It was really a fun run as there were a lot of students, a lot of people walking, talking and even taking pictures along the race route. But I didn't care. I still had fun.

Race started late (at 7:00am) but good thing weather cooperated nicely as no sign of the blazing sun during the run. Plus the chance of waking up quite late for a road race (especially since we came home late the previous night.... mmmmmmmm.... Pen Pals...... mmmmmmmm.... Ice cream.... Drool!)

I followed this group of runners for the first 3km (doing a lot of weaving among the crowd of runners) but got winded out from their fast pace and had to stop at one of the water stations, and see them slowly disappear from my sight.

But they still took me more than halfway in the race and I just had 2km to go. My goal was sub-30minutes but doubtful I could do it as haven't really been running fast for the past few months! But by following them, I was able to accomplish my goal with 7 seconds to spare! Haha!

I am still slow compared to my pace a year ago, but at least I knew what it felt like again to have my lungs trying to bust out of my chest, to breathe deeply, to wheeze, to pant, to sprint the last 150 meters, all the while looking at my watch and wishing for the seconds to slow down. Definitely not as fit as I was before!

But it was still a good fun run and I enjoyed every minute of it.


The Nike toy stands proudly in our room.