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Race: Brooks Run Happy
Date: 22 May 2011
Place: Bonifacio Global City
Organizer: Adrenaline Multisport Group | Thumbie Remigio

Rating:

Good Job:
– very attractive and high quality singlet (I vote for the Brooks singlet as the Best Singlet of the Year—so far!)
– good number of participants
– ample water (although this could’ve been colder)
– directional signs for 15k
– post-race booths and activities
– unique medal

Needs Improvement:
– clueless race staff upon redemption of race kit (they didn’t know gun start nor assembly area)
– late gun start. 5:30AM for 15k is late considering the heat. Even worse, race started 15 minutes late at 5:45AM
– no kilometer markers
– no sports drinks
– no ice nor sponges
– lack of marshals
– no mats nor ribbons in the race course. How did organizer ensure that there were no cheaters?

Brooks Run Happy was a relatively small race with 4,000 runners braving the intense heat of the summer sun at Bonifacio Global City. The bright yellow Brooks race singlet brightened up the road and stood out as the best feature of the race. Basic amenities for a race were provided such as water, directional signs, and road closure, but this was not enough for a summer race where organizers should go the extra mile to ensure runners’ safety and comfort. Gun start was a late 5:30AM and, worse, it failed to start on time. On the route, there were no kilometers markers, an obvious lack of marshals to supervise runners, and quite curiously no mats nor ribbons at any point in the course to monitor potential cheaters. In a race under such harsh conditions, the tepid water at hydration stations helped little to cool down runners when ice cold water, sports drinks, sponges or ice could’ve been provided. We hope that next year, Brooks will stage a much “happier” run.

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PRE-RACE: 7K

32K. Phew.

I had to do 32K today in preparation for Phuket Marathon on June 12. I must’ve told more than a handful of runner friends the past week that I was running my longest run over the weekend. So, you could’ve imagined my shock when Lit, my running buddy and sort-of-coach who has my Phuket Marathon Training Program locked up in his brain, informed me that: No, this was not my longest run because I had to run more next week; 35K to be exact.

Okay, one at a time. I focused on 32K this morning.

Jun, Lit, Ton, and I agreed to meet at 4:15AM in Bonifacio High Street to cover some distance before dawn and before Brooks Run Happy 15K which we all signed up for.  We ran happily throughout Bonifacio Global City along with some easy chit chat to cover almost 7k. Then, we headed for the race.

BROOKS RUN HAPPY: 15.7 K

We stood there in the assembly area drenched in sweat while all the other runners looked clean and fresh in their yellow singlets. When you have to do 32k in this hot weather, every early morning minute counts so you can get the mileage in before it gets excruciatingly hot. When over 10 minutes had passed after the announced gun start, we decided to squeeze some kilometers in and run around the area while waiting. We got 700m in then the race finally started.  Thank God!

The four of us ran side-by-side in the first few kilometers. Lit and Ton agreed early on to practice the Galloway Run-Walk method of 9 min run and 1 min walk. Jun and I first agreed to run at 5:45 min pace, then after a few seconds before heading out to Buendia, I asked Jun: If we go at this pace, don’t you think we might not have anything left to cover the 10k distance after the race. He nodded. And, with that, we slowed to a stop and decided to pace with Ton and Lit. All for one and one for all!

After Buendia Flyover, we found shelter under the shade of the buildings on that road. So, ruining our chances of hitting a PR (as if!), we ran loops along the flat and shaded roads there. Pretty soon, we found ourselves at the end of the 15k runners line. We even spotted Toby Claudio acting as sweeper for the race.  Talk about hands on!

We made a lot of stopovers along the course to wash up, rest, replenish our water bottles, and go on bathroom breaks. We also took detours at our favorite Starbucks branches where they generously provided us with ice.

We crossed the finish line and we didn’t even stop. We went on to run around Bonifacio Global City, straight to the parking lot to our cars where there were ice cold towels, chilled Gatorade, bananas, raisins, and gels waiting for us.

POST RACE: LAST 10K
The sun was beating down on us and it was a mental struggle to plod on forward.  By this time, Ton was off to breakfast, so we were down to three.  Good thing that Jun, Lit, and I find humor in our pain and over all the crazy things we put ourselves through for running.  So, while we were hoping that all the struggling would be over ASAP, we also enjoyed every minute of our long run together.

– Bumped into the Caliraya Runners in the last few meters of our 30k run. Nice meeting you all! Photo courtesy of Timo –

We ran towards any shaded area of BGC. And, we ran those areas over and over and over again. Sadly, around during the last 5k, I started feeling knee pain. I was compelled to alternate between running and walking and stop to stretch a lot. I knew that the right thing to do was to quit and rest it so I wouldn’t aggravate the problem. The boys were kind enough to agree to stop at 30K. We were happy with this. After all, we still have 35K next week!

Day 2: May 18, 2011 | Wednesday

The day started early at 4:45 am for our ATV ride right outside Misibis Bay. We had a clear view of Mayon Volcano and the ocean as we drove around the area feeling like we were literally on top of the world.

– All aboard our ATVs! –

– Check out the awesome view behind us! –

We stopped at a secluded yet secure area and then began a steep 30 minute trail walk towards a hilltop that offered us even a more scenic view. Wow, this was truly rejuvenating not just for the body but for the soul.

– Trail walking and, for the more adventurous, maybe trail running –

– Reaching the top! –

After a quick change, we all met at the beach for Mitch and Armand’s Beach Boot Camp. This was a series of short bursts of cardio activities like running, high-knees, etc. interspersed with strength and core training. It was a fun but need I say challenging workout.

– It was hot and tiring, but I’d do anything for a good workout –

– Push ups until our arms went numb. Well, at least mine did! –

– We survived…with hundreds of calories burned to boot! –

To cool down (but not exactly slow down), we jumped into the pool for an Aqua Aerobics session. Wow, I never knew how difficult seemingly simple arm and leg movements are when done under water. Definitely great for toning those arms and legs!

– Never thought aqua aero could be this fun! –

After a healthy lunch, we hopped onto the speedboat towards Pututan Island for some cave exploring!

– Ready for the boat ride –

– We saw Mayon from the boat. I was speechless –

We climbed 120 steps up towards the cave only to rapel down into it. Once inside, we submerged ourselves into the oh-so cold water and viewed the rocks and stalactites formed over the past hundred years.

– Those 120 steps was easier than we thought. Now onto the cave –

– After a muddy rapel down, we all made it to the bottom! –

– We climbed, and crawled… –

– …walked and laughed all for some cave fun –

With that busy sched, we had our share of relaxing downtime too. We had a healthy salmon sandwich snack by the beach served by the excellent staff of Misibis. If we had special orders, such as coffee or yogurt, they provided these with a smile. Fantastic!

Before dinner, Mitch led a lifestyle modification talk where she offered individualized advice to each of us based on our interviews and assessments. I will share with you what she said about me in a later post, but can I just say she was spot on?!

– Mitch discussed healthy lifestyle eating habits –

Dinner was a healthy Filipino dinner by the sea again. I had to run off and leave them though as my masseuse—along with her massage bed and lavender oil—was waiting at the villa.

Previous: Misibis Bay Fitness Escape – Day 1

Day One: May 17, 2011 | Tuesday

Leaving hubby and the kids behind for a much needed break, I packed my bags for the Misibis Bay Fitness Package. With only 2 hours of sleep, I was thankful for a smooth one hour flight from Manila to Legazpi on board Cebu Pacific. It was my very first time to spot Mayon Volcano from the plane. I heard it more than once from the locals that we were lucky that the weather cooperated with us; they said it’s not very often that guests spot Mayon’s perfect cone.

– Misibis Bay is an hour’s drive by bus from Legazpi airport –

– View from my floor-to-ceiling glass windows –

– That’s my villa right there! Villa #31 –

– Some villas have this as their view –

– My home for the next two days –

Along with Armand and Mitch Mendoza, the trainers for the program, and the four other registered participants, we were welcomed warmly by the staff of Misibis Bay complete with fruit juices, dancers, and an escort to our individual rooms. After a quick change, our Misibis Bay Fitness Escape had begun!

– Welcome drinks –

– with my favorite fitness couple and coaching team Armand and Mitch Mendoza –

First, Armand and Mitch gave us a briefing on the itinerary. Oh boy, we had a packed sched! (Insert nervous laughter here). Then, we had a weigh in (more nervous laughter in that room!) followed by a medical check up with the Misibis Bay doctor. After a healthy fruit snack, we had a fitness assessment: VO2 Max, strength and flexibility tests, and a brief gym and fitness orientation.

– This was a reminder that we were here at Misibis to get fit, not fat –

We had a sumptuous Japanese lunch, but before digging in, Mitch took a photo of the food on our plates. (It was to be this way for all our other meals!) Well, I couldn’t complain much. After all, I had signed up for this to drop some weight, not to binge while on vacation!

– Lunch at The Spice Market in Misibis Bay –

Our lunch was followed by light exercsies called “Gentle Burn” led by Armand…

– We faced the sea during gentle burn. How invigorating! –

Then, we headed to the gym where Armand gave us a brief talk on fitness…

– Intro to Fitness Talk by Armand –

We had CIRCUIT TRAINING of 20 reps, 3 sets each for strengthening…

– Armand demonstrates the exercises –

After the gym, it was time for more exploration of the outdoors! This was the fun part!

We explored Misibis Bay on foot (or in the air) and we did this while burning calories! Isn’t that the best way to lose weight? Check out all the stuff we did—all on our first day here!

– Photo op at the Misibis ampitheater which was a pitstop at Amazing Race Asia –

– On our way to the zipline via golf cart. Fantastic view! –

– That’s me at the 450m zipline! It’s not obvious that I’m afraid of heights huh? –

– On a zipline high—literally! –

After ziplining, we hopped onto mountain bikes and further explored Misibis. Before the sun set, we ran by the sea with Mayon Volcano to our right and a full moon to our left. Now, that’s a sunset run for you!

– Mountain biking adventure –

– Biking by the sea –

We winded down early by having a Vietnamese dinner by the sea and under the full moon while being serenaded by a band.

– After a delicious healthy buffet dinner –

Then, as if they didn’t spoil us enough, Misibis gave us free foot massages; therapists came knocking on our room doors!

– The perfect way to end a tiring but fun day at Misibis –

Next: Day 2 – Misibis Bay Fitness Escape

 

I was pleasantly surprised to see this on Philippine Daily Inquirer today.  This ad is part of Sun Cellular’s new campaign called FIND YOUR FUN where a group of us bloggers from various fields share all the fun stuff we find online on the Find Your Fun website.  I thought it was a great idea to keep everyone updated with new happenings and events so, of course, I signed in!

Thanks to Sun for this opportunity. And, for always keeping me logged in! Yey!

Race: Runrio Series Leg 1: Goldilocks Fun Run
Date: 15 May 2011
Place: Bonifacio Global City
Organizer: Runrio

Rating:

Good job:
– enough marshals
– kilometer and directional signages
– route was safe and traffic free
– attractive and high-quality shirts
– efficient race start
– ample water
– bananas at some stations
– high quality medal
– medical aid throughout the route
– giveaways and booths at the finish

Needs improvement:
– 21k race start was too late at 5:15 am considering the heat. 4 to 4:30 am would’ve been ideal
– 21k route was crowded at the start (1st turnaround)
– no Powerade at last few stations (Rizal Drive and near BHS)
– lack of sponges at some stations, other stations had sponges that were dry!
– water could’ve been colder

Being the 1st leg of the Runrio Series 2011, the Goldilocks Fun Run stood out among the clutter of local races in the country with over 8,000 runners participating. It was well-organized with the route clear of traffic and covered by marshals, ample water at stations, and medics to ensure runners’ safety. However, the organizers may have failed to take the weather into consideration. In this heat, I wish the organizers started the race earlier and came more prepared at the hydration stations. Hoping for a “cooler” race next time for all of us!

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GOTTA DO 28K

Aack! I had to do 28k this morning in preparation for Phuket Marathon on June 12. I usually look forward to my long runs, but, in this heat, I was absolutely dreading it. Thankfully, Jun and Lit agreed to run the pre-race mileage with me. We met at 4:15 AM and ran easy around BHS before the gun start. 5KM – CHECK!

ONE HOT RACE

For the race, I decided to run at training pace alone. Well, not exactly, I had my new ipod nano loaded with a thousand new songs to keep me entertained…or shall I say distracted? During the first few kilometers, I weaved through the crowd of runners completely immersed in my music. It was almost relaxing.

By 5k though, the heat started to get to me. Then, I started to panic: Why am I getting tired this early?! Then laziness set in too: This is just too hot. Why don’t I just quit before Buendia? Then, by some stroke of luck, I bumped into an acquaintance, Mike, whom I see at the strangest places (the last time was at the finish of the NYC Marathon!) We agreed to run together with no other goal than to just finish this crazy, hot, dreadful, torturous race. And that’s exactly what we did!

Nearing the finish, after we climbed Buendia flyover, Mike told me to go ahead as he suffered cramps. I plodded forward through the last 3km of the race with my music to keep me inspired again. According to my Garmin, I finished at 2:16 for 21.35km @ 6:24/km. 21K – CHECK!

NOT OVER YET

As soon as I crossed the finish line, Jun was there and he handed me a bottle of water, which was really akin to receiving food after a 100 day fast! Then, I asked him to hold my 21k medal for me so I could cover the balance of my mileage.

I ran alone back and forth through the sidewalks of Serendra on what could have been the longest 2k of my life. I waited patiently for the Garmin to beep on Km 1 and even longer for the heavenly beep of Km 2. Once that was done, it was back to the car for a well-deserved breakfast with friends. I couldn’t believe I survived it!  TOTAL OF 28K – CHECK!