RESULTS OF THE SALOMON X-TRAIL RUN

Last November 23, I posted my comment about the Salomon X-trail run held at the Pamulaklakin Forest Reserve, SBMA. In that earlier posting, I gave my reasons why I considered this run a 2-star race only despite the very challenging route. After a long wait, the results are now out. Just click any of the icons below to view the results.
Men's 24K
Women's 24K
Men's 12K
Women's 12K

CORREGIDOR INTERNATIONAL HALF-MARATHON [DEC. 19, 2010]

A day before the race

I was excited to run this race because this is the first time that I will be able to step in Corregidor Island.



From what I’ve heard from those who already went to Corregidor, I was more excited to ride the ferry boat than anything else.

We were at the terminal by 9 A.M. on 18 December 2010. The ferry left Manila a few minutes past 10:30 A.M. I was amazed with how beautiful the inside of the ferry was. We got nice seats at the upper deck near the refreshment area where passengers can buy food and drinks. It took us less than 2 hours to reach Corregidor Island.
Along the way, we met two lady runners [Rhea and Karen] who were also booked at Corregidor Inn. All the rooms there had no TV sets and refs. I also know that there are no internet connections. I had to prepare myself for the boredom that goes along the way with the lack of these hi-tech amenities. That was the reason why I brought a luggage bag where I could place some of the office folders I could work on. Business goes in handy when you are trying to kill boredom.


Corregidor Inn's resto



registration area for the hotel booking




nice view outside the Inn



By 4 P.M. after I’ve taken a short nap, we went out of the hotel to take some pictures. The big cannons were there. McArthur’s statue was a welcome site for photo-ops. I could have gotten farther into the steep uphills but rain began to pour. We then had to hurry back to the hotel to while away our time.




Large cannon pointed towards the sea



one of the uphill routes






McArthur's statue












After working on a few cases I brought along with me, I prepared myself for a long night sleep.

During the run

We were at the starting line a few minutes before the 8 A.M. gun start. Pics were taken with friends, snapping photos here and there, and bantering with the members of Slimmers Adriatico until the organizers announced that the race would start in a few seconds.



With Attys. Alex Martin and Audi Samar





From L-R: Rod Sollesta, Quintin Atienza, Dr. Kenz Cancio, myself, and Dr. Teody Del Mundo


This was one race where I felt very heavy right from the very start. Attending Christmas parties where food and drinks were abundant has taken its toll on me. This is not to offer any excuses for the dip in my performance but just part of how I explain to myself that there is really no way to improve one’s performance unless you try to discipline yourself mentally and physically.

This Corregidor Run I would not classify as a trail run. About 5% of the route consists of a well-trimmed trail and nothing else. The remaining 95% was actually road running that is composed of very steep uphills and downhills. The last uphill climb [around the 17k point] was the one where many had to walk, forward or backwards, whichever form fits the runner.

The CHIM route was excellent. This is actually a good training ground for anyone who wants to improve their performance both in speed and endurance. The drawback is that you have to spend a few thousand bucks for every trip to the Island [P1,900 for the ferry ride; P1,900 daily rate for the hotel; P600 bucks for food and drinks daily].

I finished the 21k in 2 hours, 10 minutes and 43 seconds [02:10:43] which is good enough for the 57th ranking overall.













After the run

On a scale of 1 to 10, I’d give this race a perfect rating, not because I am generous with ratings but because the organizers really deserved to be congratulated. Kudos to the CHIM organizers! Mabuhay kayong lahat!

Here are some of the reasons why this race deserved a very high rating:

[a] The medal was the largest brass medal I’ve ever received. The Mayon Trail run medal was larger but this was made of lava material and not brass. As most runners commented, “sulit na sulit sa medal pa lang.”
[b] Very challenging route which is comparable to the Biodiversity route.
[c] plenty of water stations, with bananas, honey, energy drinks;
[d] marshals were located at strategic points of the race route;
[e] very friendly and accommodating staff;
[f] the scenery was like no other place I’ve run before; and
[g] lots of food after the race.

Our group submitted a very decent performance [Rod Sollesta, 01:55:30; Quintin Atienza, 02:01:22; Dr. Ma. Encarnacion Cancio, 02:19:22; Atty. Red Samar, 02:20:59; Atty. Audi Samar, 02:21:35; Atty. Alex Martin, 02:21:39; Dr. Teodoro del Mundo, 02:30:16; Mary June Villamor, 02:31:12]. Dr. Kenz Cancio garnered 3rd place in the women’s overall. Michelle Estuar was the QUEEN OF THE ROCK. First placer got P15,000 cash prize while 3rd placer Kenz received P5,000.00 for her first 21k. She also received a P1,600 gift certificate.

June Villamor - podium finisher in RUNEW Alabang 16k [3rd place], Biodiversity 21k run [4th place], Makiling 16k trail run [4th place]. Suffering from an ITBS, finishing the Corregidor 21k run was more than an achievement.



Dr. Teody Del Mundo - Before the race, Teody was worried that Dr. Kenz would have a difficult time finishing the 21k race but it turned out that the latter was actually the sister of SHEENA, queen of the amazon.




Atty. Alex Martin - he tried to overtake Atty. Audi in the last 50 meters.




Atty. Audi Samar - just would not allow Alex to cross the finish line ahead of him. Not this time, bro!




Atty. Red Samar from the Court of Appeals - the ultramarathon guy! Very humble despite his incredible credentials.


Introducing the BLOODY MARY [you have to ask her why] or the BLONDE RUNNER, Dr. Kenz Cancio - a very successful dentist who took 3rd place overall among female participants. Dr. Kenz received P5,000.00 and a gift certificate worth P1,600.00. Not bad for a first timer in the 21k level. Congratulations to Kenz. She now plans to be a full time runner and a part-time dentist[lol]. You can view the results by clicking any of the icons below:
Corregidor International Half Marathon - 21K Overall Results
Corregidor International Half Marathon - Male 21K Results
Corregidor International Half Marathon - Female 21K Results

BACK TO BACK RACE - the ING Running 20 and the Milo Half-Marathon

This was pure bravado which is not advisable for non-elite runners. It’s definitely a no-no for newbies like me. I had to find this out the hard way. Unless you are an elite runner, it is very difficult to have the same pace for 2 races in 2 consecutive days. Your performance in one race will really have to suffer. Besides, you may be courting injury if you insist on doing back to back races. So let me share my experience with these events held on December 11 & 12, 2010.

ING RUNNING 20 – Dec. 11, 2010

After the QC full marathon last week, I joined this race upon the prodding of my friend, Atty. Audi Samar though the registration fee was high compared to other Metro Manila races. This was supposed to be our recovery run.

Overall, the race was just a little over the middle of the rating scale, at least insofar as the 20K runners are concerned. After the race, many 10k and 5k runners complained, at the point of cursing the organizers, because some of them got lost or were misdirected by marshals who probably lacked the proper orientation in how they should function during running events. There were also hate mails in the internet. This only goes to show that everyone is entitled to his own opinion in a democratic country.

From an objective point of view, the race would have been better if the organizers asked for some pointers from Coach Rio. The participants’ safety should always be the primordial concern of the organizers. It isn’t a pretty sight that runners would be just inches away from vehicles passing by Lawton Avenue, with no specific designated lane for the participants. That is what happened in ING. It isn’t a pretty sight either that runners would be crossing Lawton Avenue without any marshal to guide them and direct traffic for passing vehicles.

Despite everything, the 20k runners had fun. A large tent was in place for 20k runners for their free breakfast.

The route was almost identical to the ones used in runrio events. After the race, my GF 305 indicated a total distance of 20.2 kms. One thing good with this race is that results were texted just a few hours after the race. Very fast, indeed. I landed at 22nd overall [20th among male participants] with a time of 1 hour, 43 minutes and 8 seconds [01:43:08]. My friends also had improved clockings: Jerome Bautista [01:45:38]; Atty. Red Samar [02:05:37]; and Atty. Audi Samar [02:11:18].

10K runners who submitted very good clockings were the following: Chad Davis [11th overall, 00:39:53], Natasha Davis [19th overall and 4th among female participants with a time of 00:48:57]; Quintin Atienza [27th overall, 00:49:45, just his recovery run]; and my daughter Christine Marie [83rd overall and 8th among female participants with a time of 00:57:17].

On a scale of one to 10, I would give this race a rating of 7 [a 3-star race]. I would have given a higher rating if the organizers thought of the welfare of the runners above anything else. Just press on the links below to access the results:
20K Overall
20K Male
20K Female
10K Overall
10K Male
10K Female
5K Overall
5K Male
5K Female
3K Overall
3K Male
3K Female

MILO HALF-MARATHON – December 12, 2010

The organizers of this race made sure that there will be no untoward incidents from start to finish. Water stations were placed not at every 2.5 kms. but at an interval of less than 1.5 kms. A fellow runner remarked that hardly had he drank one cup of Gatorade when he saw another water station just a kilometer away. If the organizers are trying to impress the participants, I am one of those who were definitely impressed!

The route was much better than the one used during the July eliminations. I ended up with a time I deserved because of my folly – doing a back to back race. This was pure bravado with nothing really to gain on my part. My time was 01:56:10 with a 156th ranking. My lawyer friends submitted decent clockings: Atty. Alex Martin [02:07:28], Atty. Red Samar [02:10:29] and the vastly improved Atty. Audi Samar a.k.a. the AYORN MAN and WHIRLPOOL RUNNER [02:15:35].

On a scale of one to 10, I would give this race a rating of 9 [a 4-star race]. Why not the perfect rating? Would you give a perfect rating if you have the same medals and the same singlets just like the ones given during the eliminations? What do you think? Just press on the links below to access the results:
34th National Milo Marathon Finals - 21K Race Results
34th National Milo Marathon Finals - 10K Race Results
34th National Milo Marathon Finals - 5K Race Results
34th National Milo Marathon Finals - 3K Race Results

QCIM 2010 - NO DÉJÀ VU THIS TIME

After my first full marathon experience at CAMSUR last September 2010 where I clocked a slow 5 hours and 9 minutes, I was worried about how I would fare at QCIM, my second full marathon. Tons of workload came in between the last week of September and the end of November. Still, I was able to squeeze in several good races before the QCIM [Mayon Trail 21k Run, Oct. 24; Salomon 24K trail run, Nov. 13; UNILAB 32K run, Nov. 21; RUN BGC 21K, Nov. 28].

Being able to finish two of the hardest trail runs in the Philippines [Mayon and Salomon] gave me the mental strength and will power to overcome the odds of another full marathon. No guarantees of a good finish though, but at least, I have a fair chance of beating my CAMSUR time. The UNILAB 32 K and the RUN BGC 21K, both races organized by Coach Rio, served as my long runs before the QCIM. I was thankful that I had these runs. Better have two races before a full marathon than none at all! Moral booster, fellas, that’s what I need before my 2nd full mary.

Come race time, I was confident that I would be able to break the sub-5 barrier. I was actually aiming for a 4:30 mark. From the very start, I maintained a pace of 6 minutes per kilometer or 10 kilometers per hour. At the 30 kilometer mark, I was right on target with a time of 2 hours, 59 minutes and 39 seconds. If only I could maintain the same pace, I would be able to finish and even break my goal, or so I thought. Mixed thoughts crossed my mind. I thought that I have 1 hour and 30 minutes to finish the last 12 kilometers and still achieve what I was aiming for.

At the 34th kilometer mark, my legs were feeling the first signs of cramps. I had to walk for a minute or two, even striding and talking side by side with non-participants who were also walking along Commonwealth Avenue. They were forced to walk towards Elliptical Circle because of the traffic situation. After the stiffness in my legs seemed to have withered off, I ran at a much slower pace – 07 to 07:30 minute per kilometer. After every 5 minutes of running, I had to take a 30 second walk break just to prevent cramps from again creeping in.

When I entered the UP oval, barely 6 kilometers away from the finish line, the Baldrunner overtook me. I was never able to catch up with him the rest of the way. I was right on his tail up to the MALCOLM building but I was slowly fading and he was gaining strength. Parang diesel si Baldrunner, habang tumatagal, lumalakas! I admire him for his strength and stamina. Just like in so many races, he was able to beat many younger guys, even those half his age.

The last 4 kilometers was the most difficult part. At the turn-around point at CP Garcia, with 2 kms. to go, a pretty lady cheered: “kuya, 2 kms. na lang.” I replied in jest, “2 kms. na lang ha, halika, sama ka at makita mo kung gaano ako nahihirapan.”

A few meters away from the finish line, I realized that I wouldn’t be able to reach my goal of 4 hours and 30 minutes. The clock indicated a time of 4 hours and 32 minutes. But when the results came out, it was 4 hours and 38 minutes. My friends Alex Martin, Red Samar and Audi Samar also had 5 or 6 minutes added to their final results. Whew!

But never mind, whether I finished it in 4:32 or 4:38 doesn’t really matter that much. What matters is that I was able to beat my 5:09 clocking at Camsur. That was a 31 minute improvement! Mission accomplished!

This QCIM experience was memorable in so many ways. I met new friends in this race. I was able to meet in person my facebook friend, the pretty ultramarathon girl Michelle Estuar. Of course, I would not allow the brief meeting with Michelle to end without our pics taken. Thanks Michelle!

















Noel Ko and Lana Jacel Mercado were also there. Noel and I sprinted at the last 200 meters going to the finish line in UNILAB 32K. He beat me there because he had these long strides for his 6-foot frame. In QCIM, Noel was miles ahead of me because he finished in 4:15. On the other hand, Lana Jacel Mercado is a petite lady who is stronger than me when it comes to finishing long distance races. I could beat her in 21k races but in long distance, I end up always eating her dust.













Then there were other guys whom I met - Will Veluz and Celma Hitalia. I know that both are very strong runners. They were just pacing themselves at QCIM because Celma just ran a 50K ultramarathon [T2N] where she finished 1st runner-up.









Finally, I will never forget how the old runners I was pacing with during the first 30 kms. made my day. We were barely 7 kms. from the starting line when they started farting alternately to their hearts’ delight. I could have remarked then by saying “feeling niyo po talaga close na tayo ha” but I did not. What I told them was that it was okay, and that we will just treat their farting as “change gear” o kumakambyo papuntang segunda. This drew laughter from the group and from then on, they felt they were at a liberty to blow the air off their butts!

December 5, 2010 - 2nd Quezon City International Marathon

PRE-RACE JITTERS

I am again having the jitters. Is this a good sign? Last Thursday, I started preparing all my things. I had to be sure that everything in my checklist is ready. And in my desire to improve on my Camsur 42K performance and to avoid a déjà vu, I had to follow some very important reminders given by experienced marathoners and authors of books containing everything you need to know about running a full marathon. Here are the tips I got:

WEEK BEFORE THE RACE
[source: http://www.mindfulness.com; Before/The Month After@2001 Austin “Ozzie” Gontang, Ph.D.
1. Carbohydrate loading the right way. By eating normally on days 5, 4 & 3 before the marathon plus hydrating well, you will have stored the energy needed to complete the marathon. Eat early the night before the marathon so that you have enough time to have a good bowel movement. Make sure that you have plenty of bulk/roughage in your meal so it is digested and you are ready to have a good bowel movement several hours before the marathon.
2. Sleep-Get It Early. The sleep you get on days 5, 4 and 3 before the marathon, especially days 4 and 3 will get you through the marathon. Even if you were to be up all night before the marathon or even if you only get 3 to 5 hours of sleep, it will be due to the energy your body has stored by your minimal running 4 days before the marathon. Knowing the body is on a 36 hour cycle, will allow you to run the marathon no matter how little sleep you had the night before the marathon. That is one less worry you have the night before the marathon.
3. Hydrate! It Needs Repeating: Hydrate! Knowing it takes 3 grams of water to store 1 gram of carbohydrate in your liver and the muscles, the water you drink on days 5, 4 and 3 before the marathon is very important. Should you not drink enough water, your body will use water from the body to store the carbohydrates. So it would be possible to be carbohydrate-loaded but not well hydrated. If you are flying to your marathon, bring a liter of water for every 2 hours of flight time. Even then that might not be enough, but it will keep you from getting too dehydrated from being in a pressurized cabin.
4. The day before the marathon, you will do nothing but hang around. Remember that if you go sightseeing by walking around, each mile you walk is costing you 100 calories. Should you walk 8 or 10 miles, you will not be able to replenish your energy stores in your legs by next day. Even then you possibly wouldn’t feel it until the last 4 to 6 miles in the marathon.
Am I prepared for this QCIM full marathon? Your guess is as good as mine. Well, there is no other way to assess my readiness and performance until I cross the finish line on Sunday, Dec. 5. Good luck to all runners and may God bless us all!

TWO IN A ROW - Run BGC, The Fort, Bonifacio Global City

If this wasn’t a RunRio event, I would not have joined this race. If there was no Chevrolet Cruze at stake, I would not exchange a much needed rest in preparation for my next 42K race [QCIM 2010]. But the challenge was there, the stake was there, the fun was out there – I told myself that this was just another 21k and I would be able to run this and bring home that chevy. At least, praying and believing that one would win a raffle prize doesn’t carry any price at all! The only problem I had is that everyone in my group has the same prayer and belief – to bring the first prize. We can’t divide one prize which is indivisible. Only the one who prays real hard will end up with the windfall!

From the thousands who waited up to 9 A.M., only one person found his prayers answered by the God Almighty. The winner, a tall guy, probably did not even drop that many sweat when he ran his race and when he won the chevy. He was a 5K finisher! Had God given me that sign that he will give the chevy to a 5K runner, I would have joined that short distance race! With a heavy heart, I have to congratulate the winner [lol]! Don’t forget to pay the taxes, bro, lest the BIR would be coming right after you.

Back to the race

This was two in a row for me - 32K a week ago and another 21k in Run BGC. This is what my friend Atty. Audi Samar referred to as “tinuhog” or “binarbeque”. That doesn’t end there, though. Next week will be the QCIM [Dec. 5] and the week after that would be RUN ING 20K [Dec. 11] and MILO 21K [Dec. 12]. Wrapping these weekly races would be the CORREGIDOR 21K trail run [Dec. 19].

With a very controlled pace, I was able to finish the 21K race with a time of 1 hour and 49 minutes [01:49:35.76], good enough for 39th place.

The route was nothing new. Some runners I talked to said that they can ran this same route even with their eyes closed! That’s how bored some runners may have felt because the same route is being used in races held in the FORT. Well, at least, in RUN BGC, a new route was introduced – a short stretch after you turn right at 34th Street. After that short stretch, runners had to run the same old route.

This is not to take anything away from the race organizers. They did a very good job no doubt! These are some of the plus-factors: [a] Plenty of water stations; [b] good traffic management; [c] use of D-tags for accurate time; [d] nice medals handed to 21k runners right after crossing the finish line; [e] loot bags filled with so many goodies; [f] no long lines in getting the loot bags; and [g] expensive raffle prize that went to a 5K runner .

Runrio Leg 3 – RUNunited2

As far as I know, this is the first race in year 2010 [or perhaps in all running events for this decade] that a race organizer held back to back races for two consecutive days [Nov. 20 and 21]. There were 12,946 runners who participated in this 2-day event.

Why do I have to thank Coach Rio for this race held on November 21, 2010? Two important reasons come to the mind.

One, this is the first time that a 32k race was held in the Philippines. Experienced marathoners would find this race a walk in the park. But for newbies like me and the relatively inexperienced, this one was a good preparatory race for a full marathon. To survive a full marathon, elite runners and coaches say that long runs must be incorporated in the training. Again, long runs are a must! Running 32 kilometers under a race atmosphere is what I need before I ran another full marathon this December. I enjoyed my first marathon last September – well, every bit of it despite the fact that I conked out like a car with a broken engine. I must get over this haunting experience insofar as performance is concerned. I told myself, never again! That is why when I ran the 32k, I was pacing myself from the start up to the finish line. I finish my first 32k race with no cramps or any injuries. I was actually planning to finish the race in 3 hours and 20 minutes. With a very controlled pace, I was able to chop my expected time by 11 minutes. My chip time was 03:09:07.73.

Two, Coach Rio’s trademark was all over the place - before, during and after the race.

i. Finish times were accurately recorded in the computers because of the presence of the D-tags. Starting time for the 32k runners was perfect. Countdown before the gun-start gives another brief excitement to the runners.
ii. Water stations were plenty. There was no need to bring hydration belts. I still brought mine, though, well, let’s just say because “old habits die hard’. Power gels were given to 32k runners at a certain point along the route. Marshals were all over the route. Except for some marshals’ boo-boo that may have caused the leaders [Kenyans] their rightful place in the podium, everything went well with the majority of the runners.
iii. Right after reaching the finish line, 32k medals were handed by pretty gals to the 32k finishers. This was a luxury! Coach Rio knows that after a long race, finishers would not want to fall in a long line just to get their medals. No long lines at all in any of the tents where one gets the loot bag. Loot bags for the finishers were filled with goodies [i.e., cap, canned goods, medicines, enervon milk powder, bottled water, finisher’s certificate, water container, and so many more]. What else could you ask for? Kudos to Coach Rio, his team and all the sponsors!

Without doubt, everyone enjoyed this race. My rating for this race: a 5-star race because of the reasons above-mentioned. Here are some more photos:



With one of my idols and ultramarathon director,the BALDRUNNER



My friend Quintin Atienza from St. Benilde - a future threat to the Kenyans



With Atty. Audi Samar who is aiming for a sub-5 finish at the QCIM

With Atty. Alex Martin, another guy aiming for a sub-4 finish at the QCIM