We arrived at the starting point, Mariveles, Bataan with a few minutes to spare. Dawn was breaking and the cold sea wind and stirring bustle of the town roused us from our stupor as we got down from the van. We had time to get our names down on the list, take a few pictures, and before we knew it, we were off.

Group Photo

Marking Kilometer Zero

I was going to run slowly, even slower than my usual easy pace and walk the hills. I initially started running with Jun but further down the road he and Vener sped up and eventually other runners began passing me too.  A few kilometers later, I could see  only one person ahead of me and another person behind me as we negotiated the undulating roads. In order to keep myself from speeding up, I took in the beauty of my surroundings while  evaluating my strategy as I walked. I realized even if I slowed to a pace of 10 min/km I would still make it to the cut-off time of 18 hours even I stopped to rest for 3 minutes and 20 seconds 24 times along the way.

At the 7th kilometer marker, I arrived at the pit stop and saw my van was one of the few vehicles left at the site. I replaced my empty Nathan bottles with new ones filled with cold sports drink and water and I brought along a whole wheat pandesal with luncheon meat to munch on along the way. Past the hills, the roads were wider with little tree cover from the sun, but the air was still cool and it was quite comfortable to run specially when the rest of the way to the next pit stop was downhill.

At the 10th kilometer marker, I told my brother to just move on to the 15th km as I still had bottles filled with sports drink. I was also worried that Vener and Jun might get there and find the van nowhere in sight. However, during the next 5 kilometers, I began calculating their possible location based on the time and different pace times and I reasoned that they couldn’t be farther than 3 km from me.  With the help of a race marshall, I made the turn into the first critical intersection at the 14th kilometer.

By the 15th kilometer marker, I confirmed my computations while I replaced my bottles, ate a banana, and slathered on sunblock. They were probably a little more than a kilometer ahead. The sun was climbing higher and I didn’t want to put on sunblock earlier for fear that it would mix with my sweat and get into my eyes. However, a burning sensation on my right ear would warn me of the need for further protection.

At the 20th kilometer, I had a few bites of a Jollibee Double Cheeseburger.  I did not have the appetite to finish it and continued my run.

Km 20 Pitstop

When we made another turn at the 23rd marker, my Garmin indicated a distance of 25.71 km. I began to worry since there was no sign of my support van. It was possible that they might have missed the turn and had gotten lost or worse, gotten arrested for parking in a no parking zone.

The route passed through the main road of a small town. There were more jeepneys and tricycles and the pollution and rising temperature were combining to make it a uncomfortable experience. I had run out fluids and the only reminder of my last meal was the taste of the burger each time I burped. I had been constantly eating and drinking along the way to battle dehydration and loss of energy, but unless I met up with my support crew I would need  to walk soon. At one gas station, I made a quick stop to wash my face and neck with water from an outside tap.

I finally saw them after 29km. I could hear them say something about taking a service road, but my mind could not process it as I was intent on getting a cold drink and food. Jun was already with them having completed his run. I instructed them to just use the odometer and meet me every 5 kilometers instead of using the markers.

The last few kilometers saw my heart rate creep above 130, but beyond the 30th kilometer, I could run albeit conservatively and keep my HR within 145 to the finish. However, the heat made it next to impossible to maintain a steady pace and HR as it would climb 5 bpm every 30 minutes unless I slowed down. I decided to maintain my pace and let it climb reasoning that during the BDM I would be running this route at night which would keep my HR at my targeted zone.

I Removed My Cap So That I Could Put Some Ice on My Head

The last few kilometers I wondered where the finish line was. I was looking for a church or a municipal hall but when I saw kilometer 50 in what looked like a parking lot in Abucay, it was the happiest sight of my life ( or so I thought at the time). I made it. My first ultramarathon experience and it was a painful but sweet deflowering.

Distance : 50.06 km     Time : 6:01:33     Pace : 7:13/km     Ave. HR : 133bpm

Finally!

Happiness is a Coke and an Ice Bath for My Legs

It was a pretty stressful week as preparations for the BDM test run were in full swing.

After intermittent training sessions in December, I was finally getting some regular runs the past weeks. Upon Jonel’s suggestion, I was using the Runner’s World Ultimate Ultramarathon Training Plan. Although, because the program was meant for a 50-mile (80 km) race, I tweaked the distances and times a little to suit my goal race. However, I needed 16 weeks to complete it and I only had 10 at best which meant I would have to skip the 3rd week of each cycle and hope for the best.

What I lacked in training, I needed to make up for in preparation and strategy. While scanning for articles on ultra running, I pored over the site of the toughest ultramarathon in the world, Badwater, and found some useful advice on what the support crew should bring to the run, choosing a support vehicle and setting it up. I had already made a list of items I planned to bring supplemented with suggestions from those who had run BDM last year but the articles gave me a lot of practical tips which would definitely help in finishing (and surviving) BDM.

For this trip my support crew would be a driver, my brother Joey, and Jun C (who would be running 25 km that day). A few days before the run I briefed each one on the race rules and their responsibilities. They needed to be familiar with the route and to take notes on the course and available resources (i.e. gas stations, convenience stores, etc.). What we learn from the test run in terms of nutrition, hydration, acclimatization, and terrain would depend on simulating a run as close to a BDM experience as possible and our observations.

As for my strategy, I remember reading somewhere that to finish an ultramarathon, I should divide it into three parts; I should not feel the first third, the second third should be comfortably hard, and the final third should be the struggle. For a 13-14 hour finish, I needed to maintain an even 8 min/km pace but instead of focusing on pace I would watch my heart rate. For the first 30 kms, I would keep my HR at below 130. After, I would try to limit it to below 145 if I could. I wanted to finish the test run with something left in the tank otherwise I would have to seriously assess my ability to finish BDM in March.

We left Manila at 2:20 a.m. for Mariveles, Bataan. On the way, we bought 5 bags of ice for our drinks and Jollibee burgers, hotdogs, and spaghetti for breakfast, picked up Vener who was also joining the test run, and met up with Jonel at Petron Lakeshore just before the SCTEX exit. Together with the vehicles of Kim, Arman, and Junrox, we headed towards Dinalupihan while Jonel and Jay C picked up Mari from Clark. During the whole drive, I was constantly stuffing food in my mouth. It would be a long day and I wanted to be sure I had plenty of carbs for it.

At the SCTEX Dinalupihan Exit : Junrox and Vener

Jun, Vener, and Our Gear

Just got an e-mail from Kaye on this:

ONLINE GAMES & SPECIAL AWARDS AT THE 2009 TIMEX RUN

More prizes and awards to be given away at the 2009 Timex Run!  A total of 26 Timex watches will be raffled off and given away as prizes for online games and special awards.  Visit www.timexwatches.com.ph to join “Guess the Bib No. and Finish Time of Piolo Pascual” online game for a chance to win a fabulous Timex watch.  And aside from the 24 category winners of the 3k, 5k, 10k, and 21k distances, we will also be awarding the youngest runner and the oldest runner registered for the event.  They will each receive a Timex watch and a gift pack from Nature Valley Crunchy Granola Bar.  The largest group/club/team/company delegation will also receive 5 Timex watches as their prize.  Christmas just came earlier this year!  See you at the 2009 Timex Run!

It was the kids’ semestral break 2 weeks ago and I took it as an opportunity to get myself used to waking up early everyday to run. Because of my spotty running schedule, I found it difficult to wake up at 5 a.m. with any sort of consistency which led to … well, a spotty running schedule. On regular schooldays, I would start my day by 6 a.m. so that I could eat breakfast, get dressed and be out of the house by 7 a.m. to take my daughter to school on time. With the kids on holiday, I could afford to leave the house at a later hour which meant my body clock could adjust gradually to an earlier wake up time. For that week, I woke up at 5:30 a.m. and ran every day!

Well almost. Jun C and I aborted a long run at the Fort on the Saturday Typhoon Santi hit the country. Despite the strong winds, the felled trees, lamp posts, and other wind strewn debris, I drove down to Bonifacio High Street and waited for Jun at the parking lot behind ROX. I could feel the car being rocked by the strong gusts of air but running during a storm was nothing new to me. When Jun arrived, I was adamant that we push through but as we cautiously made our way down 5th Avenue, we witnessed the extent of the damage and the dangers posed to us by the storm. We finally decided to turn back when we saw a a motorcycle that lost control as the wind slammed into it. The winds had gotten stronger and we could no longer run as we were met with hard rain and resistance. We used buildings to shield us momentarily from the elements until we finally made it back to our cars. Glad to have survived the tempest, we simply continued our long run the next day.

Last week, the semestral break ended. Having adapted to getting up at 5:30 a.m., I began setting the alarm 30 minutes earlier which would give me an hour to run and still be on time to bring my daughter to school. Despite the resumption of my hectic schedule, I managed to run again almost every day.

It feels good to settle back into a familiar rhythm and within a week or so I am ready to dive right into a new training program.

It was as if nothing had happened from the time The Philsports Arena was utilized by the Pasig City government as an evacuation center for the flood victims of Typhoon Ondoy until this morning when I dropped in to see if I could do an interval session. While I had heard that the evacuees had gone back to their respective homes to rebuild their lives, I wasn’t sure if the ULTRA oval was open already. Since the children were on semestral break and I could train longer than usual, I decided to include a visit to the place as part of my route.  As I wound through the compound’s small streets, there were no visible signs that the place had been used as an evacuation center as recently as a few days ago. It was almost 6 a.m. but there were only 1 or 2 cars in the parking area. I couldn’t get a glimpse of runners passing the bend nor hear their approaching footsteps and it was eerily silent. My sense anticipation of grew as I came closer to the stage that served as the entrance and when I finally saw the open track lanes, I knew I was home again too.

ASICS Gel Nimbus 11

Having started with the Nimbus 9, I continue to be a big fan of the Nimbus series. I love the cushioning on these shoes and although they are a bit on the heavy side, I am confident that I am getting the best protection for my feet and knees. . While I use these for my road runs specially the long ones, I use a different pair of shoes for racing which are lighter.

So now I’m off to try them on. See you on the road!

It wasn’t the best episode of the whole season but it certainly was one of the most fun with Hec Yuzon and Nike 5k Challenger, Patrick Echevarria on board with Jaymie and myself.

Run Radio the first ever running talk show on radio went through 12 episodes from July 24, 2009 until October 23, 2009 faster than a 5k.  It was an amazing season with my co-hosts Jaymie and Bards. It was truly educational with all resident nutritionist Dr. George Bodegon and shoe guru Hec Yuzon. It was inspirational with our featured guests Jocelyn Saw, Arland Macasieb, Sen. Pia Cayetano, the Bald Runner and many more! Finally who can forget the journey of our 5k challenger, Patrick Echevarria, who trained for his first 5k during the 3 months of season 1.

All of it was achieved through the vision and efforts of our boss, Marga Deona who produced, directed, wrote and marketed the whole thing by her lonesome ( with the support of Vimz of course!). I can only thank her (and Vimz) for the wonderful opportunity they gave me to talk on and on about my love for running.

Next season should be more interesting with fresh ideas and new guests. Hopefully, the program continues to educate and entertain new and old runners alike.

See you guys next season!

Marga sent me a message Monday night asking me to join them for the press briefing on the Time Is Running :The 2009 Timex Run with Piolo Pascual. Am not quite sure why I agreed since I knew only the girls would be thrilled to be there.

Maybe it was the Max fried chicken meal which I had not had in a while with buko pandan for dessert. Maybe it was the shirt that proudly declares I’m running with Piolo (not!) Maybe I wanted to find out why the race fee was quite high (now I know why!). Maybe it was because of this…

For whatever reasons, it was a fun briefing and hopefully, it will be an even more fun run.

See you at the Timex Run!

During one of Run Radio’s episodes, I asked our guest Sen. Pia Cayetano what she thought about runners who make her a race target in the hopes of “beating” her and she answered that unless it’s an A race she does not go all-out which makes their “victory” hollow. I couldn’t help but agree with her as I had categorized races myself.

What is my A race? My A races are races that I prepare for in advance so that when I get to the starting line I am at the peak of my physical abilities. It usually requires months of training and careful planning and during the race itself, I exert no less than a 100% effort to achieve a victory or a personal best. These are normally races which are announced months ahead to give me time to train. Examples of these would be the Adidas King of the Road, the Milo Marathon, the Bataan 102 Km Death March, and even the Condura Run.

Are there B and C races?

My B races are tune up races which help me gauge my fitness level as a runner. They are usually distances which are shorter than the A race. I join these races as a break from the monotony of the training cycle and to find out if my training has helped me improve in different aspects of my running.

My C races are races that I join for training and socialization. I use these races to experiment running at different speeds, to study the race terrain, to try new apparel, shoes, hydration and fueling techniques. I also take them as an opportunity to get together with friends, new and old, before, during, and after the race.

With the running boom in full swing, there are so many races to choose from and whether they are A, B, or C races the important thing is to enjoy the run!

With only a 5 km easy run at the Nike run clinic in Bonifacio High Street last Tuesday and no runs the previous week, I was itching to run and while I lacked training I more than made up for it with enthusiasm  and ran-walked 37 Km of the first ever Quezon City International Marathon. I had earlier registered to run the 42 Km race even as I planned to join the Milo Marathon Finals the week before but even my best laid plans were for naught as I stopped training altogether and failed to join Milo.The night before, I was actually contemplating just running the half-marathon but I really wanted to run inside the La Mesa dam complex even if it meant walking or worse, taking a cab on Commonwealth Avenue to get back to Quezon City Hall.

Excited for the first time in a long time, I managed to wake up at 3 a.m. and arrive at the staging area of the race with time to spare. The pre-race atmosphere was festive and lively as everyone rushed to complete their final preparations for the event. I saw old friends who were running the same race and wondered who I would pace with among them. I had no expectations. I only wanted to enjoy the run and to experience everything the race would offer.

When the gun went off, I found myself with Jaymie and Atty. Raymund. Jaymie was doing a 32 Km long run in preparation for her debut marathon race in Singapore and Atty. Raymund was celebrating his birthday by running his first marathon as well. It was fun catching up with them (both literally and figuratively) as we passed the UP Campus, Commonwealth Avenue, and Batasan Road. It was quiet in UP as it was still before sunrise, but even after the sun rose as we made our way up QC’s busy thoroughfares, the sky was hazy and the weather remained cool which was perfect for running marathons.

I remember reading somwhere that the objective of the QCIM was to showcase Quezon City as the Asian City of the Future. At one pont, I could not help but think how bleak that future was as we passed the Commonwealth Market. On one side was the chaos of the Sunday morning wet market with the accompanying sights of fresh meat hanging from hooks and smells of rotting refuse and on the other the anarchy caused by all manner of vehicles stuck in traffic and looking for ways to escape the gridlock. We would hear the constant complaints of motorists again on the way back.

Confusion turned to calm when we turned into the roads leading to the La Mesa Eco Park. Inside the park, it was a whole new world as entered the 2,700 hectare forest and reserve. The park itself is only 33 hectares but it instilled an appreciation, no!  a reverence for the beauty of nature itself and the environment around us. We savored each moment as if we had travelled to a faraway land before our return journey. Here, we made our first pit stop as Jaymie and Atty. Raymund made a bathroom break. After that, we agreed that we would walk the uphill portions to conserve energy and prevent possible injuries.

As we exited the gates of the complex, we ended up on a major highway and I was taken aback at  how close the real world was to the doors of the Park. It was a struggle to get back  to Commonwealth. Jaymie and I kept as close to the sidewalks as possible to avoid the buses speeding from behind us. There were no water stations allowed inside the La Mesa complex and the water stations just outside had run out of water. As a result of my poor physical condition, I was beginning to tire and worse, I was getting hungry. If not for Ben Chan who offered us Gatorade and bottled water, I may have stopped right there. Atty. Raymund had dropped back and Jaymie and I continued to run-walk.

I counted the number of bakeshops and convenience stores I passed wondering whether I should stop to get something to eat lest it be the last one along the way. Finally, I gave in and told Jaymie to go ahead while I got something to eat at the Ministop beside the St. Peter’s church. While eating, I considered commuting the rest of the way back but seeing the traffic jam outside and Atty. Raymund heading my way made me decide to continue with the race.

I managed to make it to Philcoa before I decided to drop out and make my way to where my car was parked. It was getting late and unfortunately I needed to be somewhere soon. From my car, I could not hear the sounds of the festivities at the finish line but I did not want to venture closer as I had accomplished what I had set out to do from the start anyway which was to start running again.

Thank you to Jaymie, Atty, Raymund, Ben Chan, and all those who I saw along the way who made the journey a happy and memorable one.

Congratulations to Finshline, Runnex, and the Quezon City Government for the inaugural staging of this event which while far from perfect can only get better thru the years.