Chase The Sun: The Neutrogena Run

TBR REVIEW: CHASE THE SUN, THE NEUTROGENA RUN

Rating:

Organizer: Finish Line

THUMBS UP:

• well-organized 5k run
• nice challenging 10k route
• free Neutrogena lotion right before the race
• coolest finisher’s shirt designed by Team Manila
• generous loot bags filled with J&J goodies
• post-race activities included post-run massage, bungee trampoline ride, and more
• Red Mango yogurt and Fruit Magic in the event area
• Mist fans to combat the heat
• use of timing chip

BETTER JOB NEXT TIME:

• N/A

Chase The Sun: The Neutrogena Run was one of those small, relaxed races that allow you to enjoy the event without much stress or traffic. The race was small compared to the monstrous races like Century Tuna or United Run, but with the 2,400 runners who showed up for the race, one could say it was still well-attended.

I cannot give you a complete race review as I literally ran through my own problems during the race and had to DNF (more on that when you scroll down), but I was present for the post-race activities. I can tell you that Neutrogena pulled out all the stops in that arena with the loaded lootbags, awesome finishers’ shirt, and all the wonderful post race activities.  It was fun event that had everyone going home with tons of freebies in their hands and a lot of happy memories.

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CHASE THE SUN…AND A RUN!

For the past two weeks, I was troubled with fever, cough, headaches, gastroenteritis, and diarrhea.  It left me with a depressing 12km mileage for the entire week last week.  This was the first time in probably two years when I got a viral illness at all.  I remember telling hubby a few months ago that I couldn’t even remember the last time I had a sore throat.  Then, all I do is get stressed and…wam…bam…I’m sick with all the illnesses I managed to avoid in the past couple of years.

So, I loaded up on antibiotics (thanks to my fake doctor Francis G. for the prescription!) a few days before Chase the Sun race hoping that I could…er…chase the sun!  Of course I wanted to run the race which had my face plastered on tv and collaterals, but more than that, I just wanted to run BADLY.  And, more than that, I was itching to run FAST.

FREEDOM TO SHOES

I signed up for the 10k weeks before and I was excited about it.  The one thing that I love about 10ks is the freedom to experiment with shoes.  I think everyone knows that I feel safest using my Nike Lunar Glides for long runs because it’s the tried and tested pair for me, but when it comes to 10ks or below, I can get away with experimenting on other brands and models.  For this run, I pulled out my Asics Gel DS-Trainers, a light stability shoe that I thought would be perfect for me in race mode.

A FAST 10K RUN…NOT!

When the gun went off, I left hubby and Lit behind and ran on my own. This was serious business. My average pace at the the first kilometer was 5:03 min/km.  I felt fine and, even better, I felt strong and fast. It felt great to finally run again!

At Km 2 and Km 3, my pace was 5:08 and 5:12 respectively.  Not bad. I was still in high spirits, excited over the ability to run again.  And, by golly, the shoes were fantastic.  I had trained in them before, but never raced in them.  I felt like I was flying.

Then…in the blink of an eye…the speed was gone.  Suddenly, I felt deflated. All my energy zapped out of me and it was a wee bit more difficult to breathe.  Then, I started getting chills.  Uh oh.  I slowed down to 5:22, half wishing I could still run even if I knew I should stop.

At 4km, the 10k route was leading us towards the Buendia Flyover.  I had to make a decision to run up Buendia and complete the 10k or to quit so that I could run/walk back to the finish line.

DNF

Like a good little girl, I decided to DNF. I stopped my Garmin at 4.7 km with a time of 24:48.  Had I signed up for a 5k and completed it, I would have gotten a new PR.  Oh yes, you shouldn’t be surprised that that was the first thought that came to mind even as I was coughing all the way back to the finish!