Organizer: Rudy Biscocho
Overall Rating (10 highest): 8

THUMBS UP!
- Skyway Run: You dreamed it and you pulled it off!  Hats off to Condura for creating a race like no other.  
- Medals for Half Marathon finishers: Everyone loves a medal.  Even better that someone placed it around our necks.
- Race marshals were effective especially in blocking off traffic:  We even witnessed a fight between a race marshal and a disgruntled driver.  Our bet was on the race marshall, of course.
- Abundant supply of water at stations.
- Sports Beans and sponges near or on the skyway.
- Portalets along the route.
- Pacers for 10k and 21k.
- Rocky theme song playing as 21k runners neared the finish.
- Bands playing along the route.  I didn’t see nor hear them though.  Hubby did.
- Inspirational signs to keep runners motivated (or distracted from the pain!)
- Race results to be published in Phil. Star.  Hope to see it soon!

GOOD JOB!
- Water sprinkling from the firetruck: Great that there was water to cool us down at the start/end of the skyway. I just hope that next time we have the option to get wet or not. I personally don’t like getting my shoes soaked but the water showered over the entire road, so most of us had to squeeze ourselves on the right side of the truck, climb on that way too high edge of the skyway just to avoid getting drenched. (Did I tell you I’m afraid of heights?)
- Fairly accurate distance.  21.07 for 21km and 9.8 for 10k.  
- Medical assistance was readily available.
- Booths and Nike sale at the expo area.

BETTER JOB NEXT TIME
- Crowded assembly area:  The assembly was filled with runners squeezing through the tiny entry way.  I heard some runners only entered when space was freed up after the gun start.
- Balde System: Runners have raised hell over the unsanitary balde system that’s been used in previous races. I heard that the people giving cups were now wearing gloves, but that doesn’t make much of a difference. When will we see an end to this?  UPDATE: Ton Concepcion clarified that all water provided was MINERAL WATER.  See comment below.  Thanks Ton!
- Water from a tank?  A friend told me that drinking water was taken from a Manila Water tank parked along the 5k turnaround.  Please don’t tell me this is true.  UPDATE: Again, this was not used as drinking water.  See comment below.
- Lack of mile markers.  With my Garmin conking out, I had to rely on mile markers.  The markers were few and far between.  

————————————————————-

Wow.  I am in a state of disbelief.  How did I possibly finish the Condura Half without any sign of injury (yes, not the slightest hint of pain) all throughout the race considering I was in pain even at rest for the past weeks?  How did I finish with a time of 2:24 (unofficial)—far cry from 2:08 at Singapore but I’m not complaining—when I expected to crawl through the finish at around 3 hours?  And, how did I manage to run through the finish when I was convinced I’d  be limping my way to the end just like Singapore Half? 

It could be due to my last-minute prep for the race: dry needling (Thur), deep massage (Tue & Fri), and ashtanga yoga (Sat) combined with strengthening exercises and stretches.  Or, as I’d like to think, it was simply a miracle.  God’s way of blessing me for being a good girl despite all the hell that I’ve been through with this injury perhaps? Hah!

Whatever the reason, I know I should be extremely grateful for the chance to run Condura Race.  Here are the highlights of my race:

- Go Team Injured Skins!  It was JunC, Vince, and I who ran together for the first few kilometers of the race.  The three of us were in uniform: our iamninoy runners group shirt (more about this in a later post) and skins compression tights.  Aside from the common attire, all three of us had barely run the past two weeks and had knee injuries.  We shared the same mindset: this run was going to be a slow, safe, and steady run; no racing nor breaking PRs.  Along Buendia, Jake of Team Super joined us.  Until the end of the run, we were stuck together like glue.  It was fun running with you, guys!

- Hubby (10k) and I with JunC and wife Mariel (5k). Vince fell asleep in his booth soon after crossing the finish. Jake, where did you go? -

- Glenn, the best pacesetter ever.  Early in the race, we stayed close to the 7min/km pace group led by Glenn of Fort Striders.  Glenn is a friend and he has always been sociable and funny.  Little did I know he had the ability to entertain runners with his witty remarks (e.g. “Prepare exact change, runners” as we climbed the skyway) which kept a large group of us runners guffawing throughout the race. 

- Boo to my Garmin, Yey to “blind” running.  I hadn’t used my Garmin in over 3 weeks and, today, it decided to go on strike…twice.  It conked out at 2.5km and again at 7km even if it was fully charged.  At first, I was cursing.  But, later on, I realized it was a blessing that I couldn’t check on my pace or distance.  Running like a blind runner allowed me to enjoy the run even more.

- The flyover was worth it.  Do you know that I decided to downgrade to 10k yesterday due to major anxieties over the injury?  But, thanks to friend/ ITBS adviser, Alvin, who told me that I should run the skyway even if I had to bike the first 10k, I decided to just go for it.  Upon climbing up the skyway, the sun was on our left and one could see all the runners ahead and behind marching like little soldiers.  It was a great sight.  Even nicer to think that no other runners had ever ran a race up there.

– Alvin! I cannot thank you enough! Thanks for putting up with my bullheadedness, indecisiveness, and incessant whining over the injury! -

- Test of the will.  I was fine throughout the race.  I actually found fulfillment running the slow 6:30 to 7 min/km even as other runners passed us by.  I refused to succumb to the temptation to run faster and risk injury.  But, on the way back, as we climbed the Buendia flyover, the heat and, I have to admit, the lack of training caught up with me.  I started feeling dehydrated and weak.  From the flyover to the finish line, it was all will that carried me through.

- Annie is back!  My dearest running buddy, Annie, flew in from Singapore for a 5-day break.  We saw each other before the race, hugged, spoke briefly, and off she went to run her 21k leaving us all in the dust.  What’s new?  At least I know she hasn’t changed one bit. Missed you Annie girl!

- Annie showing off her photo in TBR Mag’s inner back cover. She says she’s willing to autograph your magazines anytime!-

- Launch of TBR Magazine. I think this went fairly well.  I saw my banners up, the magazines were distributed after the race, and I didn’t faint onstage (I had just arrived from my 21k when they called me up there).  I was overwhelmed to hear the positive response from the runners I met.  Hope you liked it!

To all runners, congratulations!  To Condura Durables Inc, especially Ton, Patrick, Michelle, and Alex, great race!  Hope to see you again on the skyway next year.

- with good friends Dindo, Banggi, Joms, Ben, Hubby, and Renz -

- with Dindo, Carmen, Tiffin, Jeremy, Mark, Marga -

- with the hubby, my support and photographer for the day -

- with i am ninoy runners group launched at Condura.  Congrats to Jamike and Mayi! -

More photos to follow…

Yes, I know, I had too much idle time on my hands yesterday.  Thanks to Tylenol, I’m feeling much better now.  Today is still rest/ recovery day.  Hopefully, I’m strong enough for a short run and yoga tomorrow.

Last night, a big bunch of us left our running gear at home and dressed up for dinner at Italiannis, Bonifacio High Street.  It was an evening of non-stop eating, talking, laughing, and posing for photos.  Yes, runners do know how to have fun beyond the road, too!

- Class Picture -

- Bards (Banana Running), Coach Rio, Dingdong (RunMD), Dindo (RunningDATcom), and Mesh (MyIronShoes) -

- Vince, Vimz, Ben, BroJ (JRunning), Coach Rio, and Vener (Run Unltd.) -

- Vina, Doray (Doralicious), Mark, Mikey, Tiffin, Vimz (KulitRunner), Aljo, Philip (Foreign Runner) -

Surprise surprise! Here’s your last chance to win the Nike+ SportsBand!  

Be among the first 20 commenters in this post and get a chance to win 1 Nike+ SportsBand from TBR. Give me an answer that will make me laugh, cry, or furious and you increase your chances of winning. If you’re a newbie to the TBR Race, click here for detailed race rules.  

A few reminders:

• Please refrain from revising your posted answer by sending a new entry.  Once you press submit, that’s it!  
• Your comment won’t appear instantly since I moderate them. Fret not, I promise not to delete any.

Here we go…

Fill in the blanks and post in the comments section below.  Please limit answer to ONE SENTENCE.

I deserve the last Nike+ SportsBand because _________________________.

- My xray results.  No fractures here. -

“Are you desperate?”  This was the question that my good ol’ doctor posed before me soon after he reviewed the tibia xray I submitted to him last Thursday.  After visiting him regularly (perhaps “way too often” is a better description) the past weeks, he ruled out a fracture and was definite that my injury was a muscle problem that could only be cured by strengthening exercises that would take, as he said, at least 6 weeks to have some effect.  

“Desperate? Me?” I thought.  Then, without hesitation, I replied “YES.  Super desperate, doc. I need to run again asap.”  And, that’s when he told me to meet him at Moro Lorenzo Sports Center on this day.

This afternoon, I found myself at Moro Lorenzo with the good doctor before me surrounded by a dozen athletes who were probably still in their mothers’ womb while I was already riding my pink BMX outdoors. (Never had I felt so old and decrepit—injured and bloated na, matanda pa!)  My doctor introduces me to Kristine, the head physiotherapist, who I met last year when Adidas gave me a foot assessment.  Then, Kristine introduces me to the therapist who will take care of me.  The guy looked like a younger Robert Downey, Jr. with the charm and brains of Dr. McDreamy.  Oh, I thought it was embarrassing to have to show him my feet, but what the hell, he was probably a decade younger than me too.

He interviewed me for a long 15-20 minutes, asking every detail of my injury and jotting this down on a sheet.  He stared at my feet for the longest time that my toes almost blushed.  He checked how I walk, gave me a range test, taped my foot, and so on and so forth.  Needless to say, it was the most comprehensive assessment I had ever been through.

Basically, he had the same evaluation as my doctor.  Overpronation is the main culprit.  My left foot overpronates which causes too much strain on my shin muscles.  He taught me strengthening exercises then saved the best part for last… acupuncture.

It was my first time to get—how shall I say it—acupunctured?  It was definitely a new experience—the bite of an ant followed by an inner squeezing, twisting, and burning of muscles, sometimes highlighted by an explosive pain when the muscles suddenly twitches.  Ooooh, not an experience that I particularly enjoyed.  However, if I had to choose between “releasing” of muscles through massage or acupuncture, I would, without a second thought, go for the latter.  It was just more bearable.

I ended the session with my leg looking like a mummy.  I had kinesio tape wrapped over my shin and tape all around my foot.  Then, before I left, I asked my favorite question “So, when can I run again?”  Dr. Robert Downey replied “Not this week.”  So much for the Rush to Mizuno Run that I was hoping to join (I even registered for it last Friday).  This Bull Runner didn’t even put up a fight.  I accepted his answer and limped my way out of the clinic.  Looks like I’m getting better at dealing with life’s little injuries.

After those two weeks of arranging our meeting, Michelle and I finally met during our Happy Feet Girls’ Night Out dinner last week.  Meek and shy, Michelle approached Marga and I and handed out a birthday card for me to sign for her dearest boss.  I happily obliged—yes, complete with “The Bull Runner” underneath my real name.  Then, she left us to say she’d be right back with her boss in tow for some photos.  Okay!

What happened next was a scene straight out of the movies.  It’s stuff that only celebrities and rock stars experience—and, quite honestly, something that I don’t dream of nor hope for.

Marga and I chatted away while enjoying our buffalo wings and mozzarella sticks when a girl popped up in front of us, her hands clasped in front of her mouth in a futile attempt to muffle her tiny screams of “Oh my god! Oh my god! Oh my god!” in between gasps for air.  Marga and I stared at each other in disbelief.  Looked back at the girl.  Glanced at each other again.  This must be Gen.  

- with birthday girl, Gen -

Gen continued to shriek for several more minutes before I invited her and Michelle to sit down with us. “Breathe, Gen, breathe.  When you get to know us, you’ll realize we’re nothing to scream over.” I told her.

So, we talked with Gen and Michelle for more than an hour.  And, we learned a lot about Gen—her passion for running, her first race, her dedication to reading my posts (and the fact that she’s read through all the archives), her upcoming birthday, and more.  She openly called me her “Inspirunner,” a clever term she coined for the person who inspires her to plod on—how creative is that?!

- with Gen, Marga, and Michelle -

It felt a little bit awkward to chat with someone who gushed every so often because she was such a big “fan.”  As Gen sat in disbelief over who she was talking to, I was probably as overwhelmed as she was over the fact that someone could ever react to my presence that way.  It was crazy, unbelievable, embarrassing, and awesome all at the same time.

To Gen, happy birthday again!  Thank you for allowing me to make a little difference in your life.  See you at the races.  And, oh, take care of your shins!

* Photos from Gen

With these two high-spirited women, one has no time to yawn, complain or get bored. Both have the same zest for life and adventure that makes my life suddenly seem so mundane—not that it is! 

Banggi is constantly traveling the globe, meeting handsome men on plane trips (ehem), and exploring new cities and delicacies that once made locals in Hanoi yell out “You’re the rockstar!” after she “bravely” swallowed a chicken embryo (aka balot).   Marga is constantly on the go as a freelancer, entrepreneur, swimmer, biker, runner, skateboarder, yoga enthusiast, and more that one wonders how she possibly achieved and experienced this much at such a young age—she’s a full decade younger than me! Champion talaga!

Our lives are so different.  Our personalities on opposite poles.  If you had told me a year ago that I would be having dinner with these two girls, I would have answered “Oh sure…and that dinner would be followed by dessert with Bono and Lance soon after.”  But, thanks to running (and the world wide web), the three of us are no longer just running friends but real friends who run.

To all those running tomorrow—be it at Mizuno-Fuego, Men’s Health All Terrain, or DND—good luck, have fun, and stay safe!  I envy you!

I hit the sack early this evening at around 8:30 but couldn’t get an ounce of sleep with the kids jumping around in the background. By 10:30, I received a text from Ben and, despite the achy bones and slight headache, I knew I had to get up and view his blog.

You see, I was fortunate enough to be handpicked by Photographer Ben to be one among the few that he’s shot for his runner’s profile. (First was Chaia, followed by Coach Rio.)  Ben is a magician with the camera. His photographs are simply amazing. Combine that talent with a great passion for running and you get running photos that just leave you speechless (and in Coach Rio’s case left girls drooling!)

Here’s my favorite photo climbing up my not so favorite hill in Country Club Drive…

And here I am running past St. James the Great Church where hubby and I got married…
This is me on the treadmill with the kids drawing. Ben, I love this shot!

And this is where Ben almost tumbled over as he chased me down the street..

Last but not the least, this is what Ben calls my profile shot…

To view more TBR shots (where my thighs look huge, my tummy is bulging, or my face looks kinda funny which is largely my fault, not Ben’s!) and other runners that Ben has profiled, click here to visit the Photographer on the Run. To race organizers, Ben also shoots races, such as Condura Run and Champion Run.

Thanks so much to Ben and RC for the photos!

All participants in the previous Mizuno Infinity Run will be treated to a discount in registration fee. The organizer will accept new registrants but I believe priority will be given to those who joined before.

I’m looking forward to this race for the following reasons:

1. We will be definitely swimming in pools of water and sports drinks. They haven’t confirmed this, but after what happened last time, Mizuno will definitely make this top priority.
2. Singlets are different for men and women (thanks in part to Rush).   The women’s singlets are racer back…niiice! (I just hope it’s not as see-through as the previous singlet!)
3. Rewards MIGHT (read: not confirmed yet) be given to those who beat their time in the previous race. How exciting is that, eh?
4. I can probably join the 10 or 15k by this time! Crossing my fingers!

Hope to see you all there!

- With Elma Muros-Posadas and Annie -

Elma Muros-Posadas, according to Pinas, “went down in Southeast Asian Games history as the only track athlete who won in different events.” She won 15 gold medals, more than any other Filipino athlete, and is hailed as one of the country’s sports heroes.

I’ve spotted her many a times at the track, coaching her youthful team with the authority that comes from her years of experience, but I was always afraid to approach her—even just for a photo op. Today, I was introduced to her by Coach Rio and, although we didn’t chat long, I learned that this legendary athlete and so called “iron woman” is actually amiable and down-to-earth.

It was a busy, busy day as we all had to literally “run along” but I hope that, in the future, I get to sit down with her and ask for some secret training tips and just some magical speed dust for my feet.

- With Coach Jo-Ar, Elma M., Annie and Coach Rio -