It took me a long time to update this blog about my CAMSUR experience. Work consisting of the almost daily hearings, preparation of pleadings and other legal documents, professional commitments and meetings with clients, got under way. But for now, I have to conclude the Camsur chronicles by thanking Coach Rio, Gov. El-ray and the rest of their team for a job perfectly done.
MY FAILURE, ONE’S LESSON
Camsur Marathon 2010 was a learning and humbling experience for me. I had mixed emotions about this race. I was happy that I finished the race, never entertaining the concept of quitting even if my legs suffered cramps. Quitting was not in my vocabulary at that time. I felt sad because I committed so many mistakes in this race. The long and short of it is that I failed. I underestimated the distance. My leg muscles were not yet accustomed to a full marathon. Muscle memory wasn’t there yet.
I was in race mode for the 1st half of the route but got nowhere during the 2nd half. At the start of the race, I was tempted to run at an average pace of 11k per hour, slower than my usual 21k pace.
At the latter part of the race, I had to adopt the walk and run strategy, not minding what people would say about my performance. At the 35th km. mark, it was a pity that I could not match the strength and stamina of the much older runners. The “older’ marathoners were a joy to watch. They were taking it very easy – enjoying the full route without suffering any injuries. It’s as if they already know that all the fast runners, especially the ones like me and the first timers who were tempted to run at a fast pace during the early part of the race, will hit the wall early and suffer during the latter part of the race. They were the ones who finished way ahead of me. It’s a case of the monkey being outsmarted by the donkey [pun intended for the rhyme] figuratively speaking, if ever there is one such figure of speech.
The bare truth is that I was already in survival mode during the last few kilometers of the race. It dawned on me that the last 10k was really where the actual marathon began.
While suffering from severe leg cramps, I convinced myself that even if I have to crawl going to the finish line, I would do it. I did not go to Camsur all the way from Manila just to quit. Coach Rio saw me shrugging my leg pains with barely 800 meters to go. With Coach Rio egging me on by saying the words “kaya natin po iyan”, I could only thank him for such words of encouragement.
NEVER again should I commit the same mistakes. In my next 42k, I plan to be a lot smarter, always taking some pointers from the “older” runners who are not only mentally tough but also very patient and smart. For me, I may have lost the CAMSUR battle but I still have a chance to win the war.
KUDOS TO COACH RIO
Despite his successful stints in previous races organized by his team, Coach Rio has remained soft-spoken, very accommodating, friendly and always concerned with the welfare of the participants. It cannot be disputed that he is simply the best race director and organizer right now. He has set the bar up so high that other organizers would find hard to equal.
Coach Rio was all over the race route. He went back and forth with his black motorcycle. Other people would have simply stayed under the roof and avoid the sweltering heat, but not Coach Rio. He was a hands-on director, no doubt.
Unforgettable experience for our group
Our group had such a wonderful time in Camsur. The Slimmers Adriatico group is composed of the following: four 10k runners – Toi, Cheryl Dexter and Dr. Kenz; six 21k runners – Rod, Herbert, Kit, Grace, Ram and Teody; five 42k runners – honorary members Odie S., Alex M., Red S.; and of course, June and myself.
Every hour, every minute and every second of our stay in CAMSUR was enjoyed by everyone in the group. Funny moments could not be avoided because of the presence of 2 clowns – Ram and Teody. Dr. Kenz was the one who laughed the loudest when the 2 jesters delivered their punchlines. It was a show of camaraderie at its best.
This group will be very eager to go back to CAMSUR for the next edition. Hope to see you all in 2011.
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