New Balance Power Race

TBR RACE REVIEW: NEW BALANCE POWER RACE 25K

Organizer: Extribe
Overall rating (5 highest): 4

WOOHOO, HIGH FIVE!:
- use of RFID timing chip for 25k runners
- challenging course
- portalet at 12.5k turnaround
- medals for all finishers plus other goodies
- separate race days for kids/5k and 10k/25k

GOOD JOB:
- ample supply of 100 Plus and mineral water bottles at water stations
- good number of race marshalls at certain areas
- accurate mile markers at every kilometer
- bananas and fluids at the finish
- NB recovery and photo booths
- pretty accurate measurement of distance (Garmin measured course at 25.14km)

AAW, BETTER JOB NEXT TIME:
- high traffic to check in at race start
- late starting time
- mistakes at awarding

- NB booth where runners lined up for extra loving care from therapists -

The New Balance 25km at Clark yesterday will be one of the more memorable races for me. It was the farthest I had ever run and, despite my fears and anxieties, it was, by far, the most fun I had ever had in a race. Excellent weather conditions (it was cool and cloudy all throughout with a bonus light drizzle at the start), fun and entertaining personalities among 25kers, a great job by race organizers, plus my better-than-expected performance (not that I had such high standards) contributed to making this race unforgettable for me.

According to my Garmin, I crossed the finish line at 2:33:10 with an average pace of 6:06 min/km, a great time for me because my training runs have all been at a much slower pace; actually, my only goal was to end the race without injury. Here are the highlights of my race:

- Zen dinner: We shared an early pre-race dinner with JunC and Jay and the rest of our families at Zen, just across the hotel. It’s nice to know that, as much as we love running, for this training group, family still comes first.

- Meeting other running bloggers: I met ibanrunner, high altitude, miraclecello, and run unlimited on race day. It’s always great to meet other runners, but even better to come across those who love it so much that they must tell everyone about it.

- Bonding with family: The weekend trip to Clark was enjoyable for the kids, but it was also a great bonding experience for hubby and I since it was the first out of town race we were running together. Hubby ran his first 10k which, as I mentioned to Mark, was of his own free will (and passion); nope, I didn’t have to force or even subtly persuade him (hehe) to register.

- The hubby was my photographer, sponsor, and (as seen in photo) support as I was about to stretch my quads -

- Running with JunC for the 1st half: Our plan was to run a 6 min/km pace. Jay decided the night before to run at a much faster pace while Dindo stayed close behind. During the 1st few kilometers, JunC and I managed to stay within our goal pace but, as soon as we reached the downhill portion, we upped the tempo to 5:30 for around 5km as buffer for the expected slow uphill climb on our way back. JunC and I make a lot of pre-race plans but part of the fun of running with him is agreeing mid-race that we should trash those plans and run faster…haha.

- That’s JunC and myself -

- Potty Break: Before the race started, Ting had informed me that there would be a portalet that awaited female runners at the 12.5k mark. Thank God, I told her. All throughout the run, I (and perhaps other female runners) were tormented by the sight of numerous male runners having easy access to pee breaks anywhere on the road. Aaah, life is unfair. By 9k, I needed to go badly and I was praying Ting was right. As we climbed the slight uphill in Fontana toward the turnaround, I caught sight of the portalet and did my business at world record time. Hallelujah!

- Running with Mark P. and Renz: I bumped into Mark and Renz shortly after my bathroom break. Time flew as I ran with them—almost like running with Tito, Vic and…errr…I am certainly not Joey so scrap that idea. There was a lot of laughter and nonsense talk to keep ourselves entertained. A bonus from Mark was the technical race tip he gave which I will never ever divulge to anyone. (Mark, I tried it in the last few kilometers, and yes it works!)

– with Mark and Renz -

- Running with Coach Rio and Dra. Doray: As luck would have it, I did find Coach Rio and his hair as I had initially planned. I ran with him and Councilor Doray during the last kilometers of the race, which included the 4km climb that all of us dreaded early on. Coach Rio was his usual funny and talkative self (even if I could barely respond), but he also checked in on us often asking how we were doing. Thank you Coach and Doray!

- Last 2km: So, I ran this behind Coach Rio and Dra. Doray and, as they started speeding up, I wondered if I should (or could) do the same. There was barely enough time to think, so I just ran with my eyes practically closed. It was one of the toughest and longest runs for me—ever. Ack, I wanted to yell out and ask Coach Rio if the finish line was really “malapit na” as he had repeated over a hundred times, but I didn’t have the energy to talk. Soon enough, we crossed the finish with a large crowd cheering all finishers and it felt awesome; I couldn’t have been happier that I pushed myself to the limits.

– Our training group: Jay (Prometheus Cometh), Dindo (RunningDATcom), JunC, myself plus the hubby -

- with hubby, Annie who won 1st in her age category with a time of 2:05 accdg. to her Garmin, and JunC -

- Councilor Doray (Doralicious), Nina, Wayne (SFRunner), Coach Rio, hubby, myself, Vimz, Mayen, and friend -

- with the Cougcat Family of racers -

- with Missy, and super fast running partners, shirtless Ben and Joms -

Congrats to all the finishers! It was a fun race! Congrats to race organizers as well!

Thank you to Jay (X59) and Jun, Mariel & Bea for some of the photos!

Posted on 11.17.08 to 02 Race Reports. Tags: Clark, Events, New Balance. Subscribe to follow comments on this post. 43 comments. Add your thoughts or trackback from your own site.

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43 Responses to “New Balance Power Race”

May gusto akong gawing caption sa photo nyo ni Mark P. and Renz pero ibubulong ko na lang sayo hehe

marga said on Nov 17 08 at 10:52 AM Reply
Hey Jaimie congrats on that fast run, with no injuries as you planned.. See you at the SCB run

Hi Sundaywarrior, thank you. Hope to see you there!

sundaywarrior said on Nov 17 08 at 10:58 AM Reply
Great run! I predict you will do well below 2 hours for your Singapore half!

Oooh, pressure hehe. No predictions, no expectations for my first half

DATC said on Nov 17 08 at 10:58 AM Reply
Congratulations Jaymie and to other runners as well!

Yup, I agree. It was one of the best races ever locally.

Most of us set a new PR because of the good weather condition yesterday, among others. It was simply perfect.

See you again here next year!

Hey atty. jon, I didn’t see you! Sino ka doon? Congrats on your race.

atty. jon said on Nov 17 08 at 11:10 AM Reply
nice pics… funny, no one seems to be sporting
a race belt

peanuts nalang sa yo yung s’pore half-marathon

I saw a couple with racebelts. But definitely people use them more at tris.

Wish you’re right about sing!

backpacker said on Nov 17 08 at 11:13 AM Reply
Yay! We finshed it! :O) ‘Twas nice running with you Jaymie during our last 4kms of the race! Glad you joined us!

BTW, let’s not forget our “other” running friend during the last leg … the guy who asked if you were 18 years old already! hahaha :O)

Naaaay, doray, please don’t remind me. At least he served as incentive for us to run faster Thanks again and see you at the next race

doralicious said on Nov 17 08 at 11:44 AM Reply
This has to be 1 of the best race report you have ever made. congratulations also for the good race. wish i joined but prior comitments made me miss it. you are definetly ready for Singapore. again congratulations. have fun

Wow, thanks a lot Pat. Your reasons for missing the race are well justified. I hope you’ll be there next year

runningshield said on Nov 17 08 at 11:58 AM Reply
Congrats Jaymie!! It was a great race. Inspite of the hill portion, we still hit our target pace. woohooo! Everything was fun in this race from pre, race proper and post race. It was great our families had a chance to meet up. Looking forward to the next races.

Hey race partner, our buffer plan worked. Congrats on a great race. I think you should be able to go much faster at Singapore. It was nice meeting your family as well. Loved seeing your wife and daughter wait for you midway. Looking forward to having Mariel and Miguel join our training group in the future…yehey!

JunC said on Nov 17 08 at 12:45 PM Reply
congratulations jaymie and to your hubby miguel! it was great to see all of you there at NB yesterday. Me and hubby (who also ran his first 10k) had so much fun too. See you at the Nike clinic!

Hey kulitrunner, parang everyday na ata tayo nagkikita ah! hahaha. It was nice seeing you again and looking forward to hearing all your kwentos again at Nike. Congrats to you and hubby on your race!

kulitrunner said on Nov 17 08 at 12:48 PM Reply
I am sad that we missed out on the pre race lunch as we were in Clark since Friday. Levy did mention to me but it was to late. Remind me to give you my cell number next time… Great to have seen you again, wanted to chat more but you were quite busy with the other runners/bloggers. Sigurado sobreng celebrity na kayo. See you at Unicef?

Hi philip! Aww, yes, I’ll email you about your cell number so no more missed get togethers next time. Congratulations on your race! I heard you placed 3rd in your age category? woohoo! You were crazy fast! Too bad I didn’t see you at the finish. I think I was just busy stretching and smiling for photos for the most part.

Not sure yet about Unicef. Methinks I should take it easy for Singapore. Let’s see…

Philip said on Nov 17 08 at 12:48 PM Reply
congratulations Jaymie on your race and same with your hubby too! Nakakaingit nga eh. I think you’re really prepared na for the Singa marathon. See you in future races!

Hi Broj, thanks! See you around!

broj said on Nov 17 08 at 1:14 PM Reply
hello….congratulations! and your time was pretty impressive..i’m sure you’ll do better at sing. I ended up hauling my husband and my kids on a last minute decsion to spend overnight at clark. I didn’t get to see you anymore wanted to hang around the finish line for the 25 k runners but my kids were already restless and wanted to go swimming. It was my first race without my usual running mates and at first I felt lonely… but it turned out to be a really nice 10k run for me. And I got a medal too…told my four year old see…mommy won! hehehe…see ya around!

Me-anne, congrats! Didn’t know you were there. Your hubby didn’t run with you? Yes, the medal was great. Feeling winner tayong lahat hahaha

mary715 said on Nov 17 08 at 1:20 PM Reply
Bakit si Joms kahit na he’s gaining weight mabilis pa rin?? This is not fair!!!

Shyet gusto ko rin ng sponsor.

Maybe because he trains a lot despite eating double?

marga said on Nov 17 08 at 1:21 PM Reply
Congrats Jaymie!

Solid Pace! It was a great race. We had lots of fun ourselves (Drew and I were rowdy all throughout). See you next weekend

Javy, congrats to you too! You guys were running super fast while chatting, laughing, and telling jokes! How did you manage to do that?! Galing!

Ricecooker said on Nov 17 08 at 1:23 PM Reply
Hi Jaymie, congratulations. It was great meeting you at NBClark. Good luck on the Singapore Marathon. Run easy, run safe. See you again at the races.

Hi run unlimited, nice meeting you too! Congrats! Hope to see you in future races

run unltd. said on Nov 17 08 at 1:26 PM Reply
Hi there TBR,

You’ve got a good PR for a first 25k!
Nice recap of the race too.

Hey roselle, congrats! Nice seeing you at the halfway point.

Running Diva said on Nov 17 08 at 1:29 PM Reply
one of my memorable runs as well. Luck was on our side with the good weather

Definitely! Can you imagine climbing that hill under intense heat? Aaack.

Runningfatboy said on Nov 17 08 at 1:37 PM Reply
TBR,
nice meeting you there.
you already finish 25k, half marathon in singapore would be just another race for you. see you again!

Hi highaltitude, nice meeting you. Sorry again about the tagalog..hahaha. Congrats on your fast race!

highaltitude said on Nov 17 08 at 3:06 PM Reply
congrats on your 1st 25K race…good job! definitely, you will have a better finish time in singapore. you are invited to our speed training clinic if you have the time. have fun & keep on running

Thanks BR! Congrats on your fast race too. Thanks for the invitation.

kingofpots said on Nov 17 08 at 3:07 PM Reply
Hey there, Jaymie! Great to see you at NB! Will send you pics soon. Also will send you pics of the deflating running arc at the start of the 5k during the first day-it was hilarious!

P.S. Give me a virtual cookie, too! And a virtual million bucks, a virtual car, another virtual two mill…

Hi cougcat, thanks. I’ll wait for your email. I’ll email you back your virtual cookie, car, and cash. I heard your parents will start giving your allowance virtually too

cougcat said on Nov 17 08 at 4:24 PM Reply
that was a very impressive controlled-pace running you did last Sunday. have you been doing any speed training lately? congratulations!

Loony, I’ve been lacking in the speedwork area. Just been running tempos and fartleks whenever I feel like it. I haven’t been very strict with my program as I’m just focused on enjoying every run. I guess that’s what happens when you return from injury.

As for your run, now that was impressive! Running at that speed while carrying 3 bottles was unbelievable! Congratulations!

loonyrunner said on Nov 17 08 at 4:46 PM Reply
Congratulations for running a great race! You are definitely ready for the Singapore Marathon. Keep on running!

Hi felipe, thanks! Did you run? I didn’t see you.

kinderdorf said on Nov 17 08 at 5:47 PM Reply
Congratulations Jaymie and to hubby as well. Now with this out of the way, you can put up the tree haha.

Mayi said on Nov 17 08 at 6:33 PM Reply
No more doubts ha! Before the race you were wondering if you could do it and now you have and more!!! I predict you will do very well in Singapore! See you around partner!

prometheuscometh said on Nov 17 08 at 7:03 PM Reply
i asked because i’ve been doing the same thing. just incorporating fartleks within my long runs. what i’ve noticed is that even without doing formal speed training, my aerobic pace has been improving… and from what i observed last sunday, so has yours… hooray for base training!

loonyrunner said on Nov 17 08 at 8:41 PM Reply
Hi Jaymie,
It was nice seeing you run fast like the bullrunner that you are. Congratulations on your PR of 2:33:10 I think I also finish at that time…just add another HOUR to it… I hit the wall past the 21K marker and had to walk to the finish line-well, will train harder next time. I’m just happy to finish it. Nice race review, had to agree it was one of the better races of the year-great view, prefect weather and grueling course.
Thanks and Good luck on your next race.

Armand said on Nov 17 08 at 9:54 PM Reply
Hi Jaymie

Great outfit I have one just the same. I would have loved to have been at this race too.

Natasha Davis said on Nov 17 08 at 9:57 PM Reply
great going, Jaymie. Singapore will be a cinch for you.

I agree that this has to be one of the best/better runs out there: the weather, the organization, the course, etc. and despite having my fill of tasty cajun/creole cuisine for lunch at Cottage Kitchen and great pasta/pizza for dinner at C’ Italian Resto along with some yogurt for dessert the day before, I did clock a respectable time.

Have a great run in Singapore. I suppose NY is next on your list. Cheers!

bobby said on Nov 17 08 at 10:25 PM Reply
Jaymie! Congratulations. Wala akong masabi kung hindi ang lakas mo. You are very much ready for Singapore. Salamat pala for allowing me to lurk behind you and JunC.

ibetlacbay said on Nov 17 08 at 10:38 PM Reply
congrats jaymie! sabi ko sa yo you wouldnt feel the additional 5kms.

bards said on Nov 18 08 at 2:41 AM Reply
It was a great run! We were so happy after the stretching session at the activity area. I wish all the other races offer it too.

See you in Singapore.

Regards Mark & Tiffin

m8parco said on Nov 18 08 at 7:48 AM Reply
Hi Jaymie. Congrats two times over. A delayed greeting on the Running Aid presentation and for the NB Power Race. You were fast! =)

janine+ said on Nov 18 08 at 9:36 AM Reply
Hey Jaymie,

Congrats on your strong performance last Sunday. I’m especially happy that you came out unscathed with no hint of any injury I know you were worried about the concrete roads and all. The Bull is indeed BACK!!

Ate Virgie

levyang said on Nov 18 08 at 3:42 PM Reply
Oh, and add to the list of ¨better luck next time¨s the fact that there were no trash bags.

cougcat said on Nov 18 08 at 6:52 PM Reply
Hi TBR,
I totally agree with Cougcat, we runners complain about the traffic and smog in running around the metro and we praise the beauty of pollution free Clark and yet we throw half empty plastic water bottles, power gel or candy bar wrappers and what have you in our rush to the finish line. I just thought that runners-joggers-athletes are a more responsible bunch.

Armand said on Nov 18 08 at 11:31 PM Reply
With that great finish, Jaymie–sisiw na lang sa yo ang Singapore Half!

Kiss…kiss…hug…hug…

You remain (as always), my idol and inspiration.

You’re not only great in running, but your outfit is great as well! Let me rephrase that: you’re great in wearing sexy running outfits!

Nora, the golden girl said on Nov 19 08 at 12:16 AM Reply
The Evolution of Running Races:

1. We run alone.
2. We convince friends/family members to run with us.
3. We meet with runner bloggers before or after the race.
4. We run with runner bloggers during the race.
5. We run with runner bloggers during our training runs.
6. We meet to dine/chat with runner bloggers outside the race.
7. We meet to dine/chat with runner bloggers outside the race with our respective families!

I’m still in stage 4. Inggit ako, kasi kayo stage 7 na! I’m sure it was fun meeting with runners with their families . . .

Nora, the golden girl said on Nov 19 08 at 12:23 AM Reply
TOTALLY AGREE!!!

I lost count kicking the bottles to the side of the road – talk about inconsiderate.

Nevertheless the run was as close to perfect in an imperfect world

BRunner, maybe you could add an ECO-FRIENDLY RATING for future races and discourage wastage specially our precious water and use of sustainable materials.

Good luck on your future runs!

Idnod said on Nov 19 08 at 7:12 AM Reply
It was a privilege to be passed and acknowledged by TBR

miraclecello said on Nov 19 08 at 7:27 AM Reply
On the positive side it’s great to see future athletes such as Cougcat aware and concerned with mother earth and fellow athletes — keep it up and looking forward to a better running community.

Idnod said on Nov 19 08 at 9:16 AM Reply
Someone else agrees with me! Me, a 10-year-old kid! :D

Cougcat said on Nov 19 08 at 7:37 PM Reply