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“The miracle isn’t that I finished.  The miracle is that I had the courage to start.”

– John Bingham

Woohoo! I finished Tri United 1 yesterday! It was a 1k swim – 30k bike – 7k run, a distance that may seem short to experienced triathletes, but daunting to this newbie.  I’m writing to you now so that’s proof that I survived it.  Even better, I actually had fun!

I hesitatingly showed up for the women’s race yesterday all nervous and jittery. Quite honestly, I didn’t know what I was doing there.  I knew I didn’t have enough training.  I wanted to stay home with the kids for the weekend.  And, every time I thought of the swim and bike, my stomach churned. But, surprisingly, when I looked out at the sea in Laiya, I felt a certain calmness.  All of a sudden, I felt I made the right decision in showing up for the race and facing my fears.  Just like my first 5k way back in 2007, I knew I was at the right place.

RACE BRIEFING

The women’s race was at 2:30pm Saturday while the men would race Sunday morning (earlier this morning). We were 42 participants in the women’s race.

The course was friendly for beginners like me. It was 2 loops each for the swim, bike, and run. So, we pretty much knew what to expect for each of the 2nd loops.

– Host during the race briefing for the women’s race –

– Female triathletes during the brieifing. That’s Lods Yapson of Team Secondwind in the Sun Broadband shirt. Hey, Sun Broadband, I like! hah! –

– Unilab GM Clinton Hess during the briefing. In the back, my teammates Jake and Paolo are busy with more important matters: packing their baon –

– My teammates Bic, Adel, Mike, and Clint during the briefing –

THE RACE

It was my first open water swim triathlon. The only time I ever swam in open water before this race was at The Next Step Tri Camp last year. To say that I was nervous was an understatement.

Swimming out towards the buoy was tough as we went against the current. It kinda freaked me out that I couldn’t see anything at the bottom.  I don’t know how many times I stopped to hang on to the buoy just to find my way. But, heading back towards the shore, as my Coach had advised, I pulled hard and swam at a good pace. That’s exactly what I did.  Before I knew it, I was out of the water telling my teammates how much fun it was.

We ran 300m from the swim to the transition area. I calmly wore my bike shoes, helmet, shades, race bib, and hydrated, then off I went on the bike. Oh boy, I could use a lot more training on the bike. This was the point where I felt everyone was just overtaking me and I felt frustrated about wanting to go faster but not being able to.  Lots of newbie tales here: there was a time I almost bumped the race signage, or the time I u-turned beyond the u-turn portion to avoid hurting the spectators, or the time I yelled at men on motorcycles ogling at all of us women: “Lumayo kayo sa akin! Babanggain ko kayo!”

After what felt like forever, I finally reached the transition area and dismounted without crashing (one of my nightmares). The first few kilometers of the run were difficult. I wanted to push harder, but my legs felt heavy off the bike. (That’s what I get for not doing any brick sessions!) By the 2nd loop, I felt much better and I went at a slightly faster clip to finish the race.

– Heading towards the finish. Photo courtesy of Gica Limjoco –

THE END

I’m such a newbie. I didn’t even get my time. I guess I was just ecstatic about finishing. And, to tell you the truth, that’s really all that mattered to me at that point.

How many times have we said that, when it comes to your first marathon, the only goal is to finish? Well, for my first serious triathlon, it was exactly the same. The goal was to enjoy the journey and to finish with a smile on my face, and that’s exactly what I did.  I just had a grand time all throughout the race!

Uh oh, guys, I think I’m hooked.

Thanks so much to Coach Patrick Joson for teaching me the basics of biking and chasing after me when I was learning how to ride with cleats, Coach Andy Leuterio for taking me out for interval rides, Coach Martin Carandang for teaching me how to swim even if I take too long in between laps, Team Berlin and Team Kalyo (that’s just you and me, Ton) for our always fun runs, and to Team Unilab Active Health for the camaraderie and support.  This is only the beginning.

– with good friend and 2nd Place finisher for her age category, Bic –

– Teammate Ani de Leon, wins in her age category just 4 months after giving birth –

– with teammates from Team Unilab Active Health. They all stayed overnight for the men’s race the day after (today), but I rushed home after the race to be with the kiddos –

Dear Lord,

Tomorrow is the big day: Tri United 1 at Laiya, Batangas. It feels like my first triathlon since I’ve really only done two mini sprints way back in 2008 and 2009.

Oh God, this is the first time I’m joining a triathlon in open water, first time I’m going out of town for a triathlon, and the first time I’m going to swim and bike for what seems like such a long distance! Last year, I would never have dreamed of swimming and biking this much!

If you sense the panic in my voice, please take pity on me and, should you have a short recess from solving the more weighty problems of the world, perhaps you could accede to one or more of my humble requests:

1. Please don’t let any sea creatures sting me — be it jellyfish or sea ticks. It will be quite difficult for me to employ my own TBR swim-scratch-gasp-swim(R) technique during a race.
2. Please help me make sure I prepare everything properly in the transition area. You know how often I’ve forgotten underwear, toiletries, or even my own surname after receiving epidural for two kids. Just this once, help me leave nothing behind.
3. Keep me and all other participants safe during the bike ride. Yes, needless to say, you may also keep them safe from me and my not-so-perfect biking skills.
4. Guide me as I attempt to drink from the bottle during the ride. I know, I know, you only help those who’ve helped themselves. Promise, I’ve practiced this the past couple of weeks, but I’ve come to the sad conclusion that I must’ve been absent when you blessed humanity with balance and maneuvering skills.
5. Please spare me from any technical difficulties on the bike. I’ve watched so many youtube videos on “how to change a flat tire” but unless my repair kit has a magical caucasian genie triathlete that pops out and does everything for me, I don’t think I’m ready to change it myself yet. I promise to learn before Ironman 70.3.
6. Brick? Oh boy, I didn’t have any brick training during my past 3 weeks of mishmash triathlon training. Please Lord, don’t make me wobble like a duck when I hop out of the bike and attempt to run.
7. Allow me to have a strong and safe run since, this time, it comes after a 1km swim and 30km bike ride. You know I haven’t done anything like this in my entire life, so send some angels to make things a bit easier. If they’re busy doing some good in the world, then second or third or fourth wind would be much appreciated if and when I tire out.
8. Last but not the least, please let me have fun even if none of the prayers above are answered. Remind me that the first race is always about enjoying the experience. I can worry about time and a better performance at the next race, right?

Yours Truly,

The-Bull-Runner-Who-Is-Going-Nuts-Thinking-About-The-Swim-&-Bike-Tomorrow

I’m a sucker for love stories. Toss in a bit of marathoning to the mix and I’m hooked.

Here’s a great running love story from TBR Dream Marathoner Candice Belza, Bib No. 065…

Teamwork. Commitment.That’s what my first marathon is all about.

My pacer who became a marathoner in the recent Condura Skyway race got sick (sorethroat, diarrhea and fever) 2 days before the TBR Dream marathon day. Since I had cramps in the St. Luke’s EYE Run a week before, I was scared of 42k. Even dreaded it more because my pacer was sick and I might not make it without him. But he promised to run for me and with me. After all, we had been training for March 18, 2012 for 5 months.

Race day came and we had a strong start. We were pacing it right. No sign of fatigue during the first half. However, at 24km, my pacer felt bloated and started to feel the urge to make a potty break. We had to make long walks and short runs. Finally, the potty break at the top of the hill. He asked me if I was going to wait. Of course I was going to wait for him. I waited and while the runners were passing by… I felt that everyone else was ahead and that my pacer was taking too long. I was disappointed and I was in a hurry. There was a little voice that told me to go ahead. I felt strong and could make a sub 5. My pacer even suggested that I go ahead. But I could not leave him behind. He was there for me all throughout my long runs in the 5 months of training and never left me even if he thought I was a pain in the ass. I chose to run with him notwithstanding the little competitive voice that told me to go for a strong finish and hug the spotlight.

We ran together. Walked together. I didn’t complain.  At 32 km, he paced himself and admitted to me that he was getting tired. While I reminded him of why we were running, I felt very strong during the race. I didn’t hit a wall. I made sure that my pacer and I would cross the finish line together. And we did finish strong at 5:52 for all our 3 children to see! I believe I became tough on race day because I had to support my husband. And that is what it is all about.

Marathoning brings out the best in you just like in a Marriage. It’s teamwork for those who are committed to succeed.  Happy anniversary, honey!

Two cool videos on running! Which one do you like more?

adidas WE ALL RUN with David Beckham, Lionel Messi, Derrick Rose and Katy Perry

Nike Free – I Would Run to You

“Jaymie and Marc, you are team number one. You have won a trip for two to Greece where you will run the Athens Marathon. Congratulations.”

Wow. What an awesome dream. Not only do I have Marc as my partner (move over, Rovilson!) and I get a free ticket to Athens Marathon, but I actually make it to the Amazing Race!  I’m a huge fan!

Well, the good news is that dream can actually turn into reality not just for me but for everyone now!

The world’s most prestigious adventure race is now accepting applicants for its first Philippine edition. The twelve-time Emmy Award winner for “Outstanding Reality-Competition Program” arrives on local shores with an open call for contestants of The Amazing Race Philippines.

The show’s producers consider the Philippines as one of their favorite places to shoot, and now you can take part in this grand event too. There are three ways to audition: online, mail-in and on-ground.

HOW TO JOIN:

For online auditions: visit www.theamazingrace.ph for the link where you can fill up the online registration form and upload your audition video in AVI, MOV or MPG4 format. The audition video’s running time should be a minimum of 1 minute and maximum of 3 minutes.

For mail-in auditions: download the application forms at www.theamazingrace.phand send the completed forms together with a DVD of your audition video to the TV5 office (21st floor Marajo Tower, 26th corner 4th sts. Bonifacio Global City, Taguig).

For on-ground auditions: watch out for announcements of audition dates on different venues. Both team members must be present and come prepared with the completed application package.

Note: Carefully review the Terms & Conditions and Application Procedure. Applications must be received by April 27, 2012 6:00 pm Manila time.

As for me, wow, I would love to make this dream come true, but I wonder: how does one train for triathlon while you’re running all over the place?!