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I registered for Run United and Run BGC even before I left for New York. I missed Run United because I didn’t wake up (blame it on the jetlag!)  Fortunately, I managed to show up at the Run BGC assembly area last November 28 wondering if I would even survive a 10k run.

SLEEPY START

Together with the hubby and Mariel (The Solemates) we stood at the starting line among the sea of noisy, giddy runners.  We stood near the end of the line chatting about the “relax mode” that we all fell into after New York.  Had hubby and Mariel turned their backs on me, I would’ve made a run for the car and crawled into a backseat for a couple more hours of sleep.  But, before I could make an attempt, the race started.

– with hubby and Mariel (The Solemates) –

PERFECT RACE

The race was very well organized as Coach Rio has definitely mastered the basic template to a perfect race.  For each event, he adds unique features to make each one different from the other.  Each time, it just keeps getting better and better.

Run BGC was definitely one of those perfect races.  There was nothing to rant about from beginning to end, especially since BGC ended it by giving away a Chevrolet Cruze as the grand prize in a raffle!

So, here I was.  Grunting and snorting my way through a rough and tough 10k.  My injury was well behaved. I had slept well the night before.  And, I was running at a pretty good clip.  But, I just didn’t find my rhythm all throughout the run.  I felt heavy (uhm, I really am with 4 more lbs. of post-vacation fat hanging on my hips and thighs), I was sleepy, and I simply wasn’t in the mood to race.

To make matters worse, there were three guys on three separate occasions who raced me. Each one would run by my side and go head-to-head with me.  I wanted to look them in the eye and say “No, thank you. I am not racing against you today.”  But, my inner bull would stop me from doing so.  In fact, my legs would speed up on their own and attempt to leave them behind.  The result: even more panting and grunting from this runner who shouldn’t have been running at all.

THE END

I crossed the finish line at 57 minutes (thanks to those 3 guys!) feeling so exhausted I thought I had just finished 42k.  But, it felt great.  I loved being drenched in sweat again. I loved the competition. And, I felt like it had ignited the fire in me to get back on track again.

It was a great way to end such a sucky race start.  Although, may I say, it could’ve been way better had I won the keys to that Chevrolet…

– See that guy with the bag and race bib? He’s the lucky winner who won MY Chevrolet Cruze –

See you next Saturday for our Bull Session run clinic!  This is my favorite part of TBR Dream Marathon, running with the future marathoners and getting to know each one personally.  I also enjoy seeing all of you meet your batchmates and setting up training sessions amongst yourselves.  It definitely makes the journey (read: long runs) more enjoyable!

We decided to postpone tomorrow’s planned Bull Session to make way for the races this weekend.  We know many of you are joining QCIM and Nike 5k.  Our Bull Circles (talks) will resume in January 2011.

So, block your calendars next week and see you there!  We’ve invited a surprise coach to brief us on basic form and running technique.  SecondWind will be there to guide us.  Gatorade will be available for free.

To all alumni of TBR Dream Marathon 2010: We welcome your support at the Bull Sessions.  Run with us and make the future marathoners feel welcome.  Pls email thebullrunner(at)gmail.com if you wish to volunteer for Bull Session 2.

Attention TBR Dream Marathoners:

We are in the process of ordering your finishers’ shirts from New Balance Singapore.  The TBR Dream Marathon shirts are non-gender specific. Sizes are in XXS, XS, S, M, L, XL and XXL. Here are the shirt specs:

To ensure that your finisher’s shirts fit you to a tee, we are giving you a chance to check out the shirt samples and to revise your preferred size. The shirt you will receive will be the size you requested in your registration form unless revised before SUNDAY, Dec. 5, 2010, 6PM.

HOW TO REVISE YOUR SHIRT SIZE ORDER:

Two ways:

1) VIEW SAMPLE AT ROX
Shirt samples (only in size, not in design) will be available for viewing at ROX:
– Dates: Friday, Dec. 3 and Saturday, Dec. 4, 2010
– Time: 12 noon to 6 pm
– Place: 2nd Floor, ROX, Bonifacio High Street
– Look for: TJ or Angela
– For inquiries: call 408-8070

2) EMAIL
Based on sizing chart above, email tbrmarathon(at)gmail.com with the following:
– Subject line: Finisher’s Shirt
– Send the following info:
* Name:
* Shirt size:

No revisions means you are happy with your initial order and you will receive the shirt size requested in the registration form.

UPDATE: My sincerest apologies to runners who dropped by 12nn to 4pm this Friday and weren’t able to see the shirts.  There was a miscommunication with our staff.  They thought the shirts weren’t delivered when, all the while, it was hanging in the 2nd Floor since 12 noon. We are deeply sorry for the inconvenience.

Talk about incentives to run. Last week, they gave a car away at Run BGC, now K-Swiss is giving away a free trip to the LA Marathon in March 2011…

K-Swiss Running Club starts December 6, 2010 and will have 13 sessions of training. Participants who have complete at least 10 sessions will have a chance to win a trip to Los Angeles, California, USA and a slot in the LA Marathon on March 2011.

Training Date: Every Monday starting December 6, 2010, 6:30-8:30pm
Training Location: University of Makati Oval

Club Head: Coach Peter Gonzalez (Athletic Program Director of the Triathlon Association of the Philippines)

Prize:
– Round Trip tickets to Los Angeles, USA
– Hotel Accomodations
– Local Transport
– Entry to LA Marathon

To join the club, you must drop by at K-Swiss Glorietta and Planet Sports stores (Glorietta, Rockwell, Alabang Town Center, Tri-noma and Virramall) to register

Singapore Marathon is just around the corner and I am excited for all of the Pinoy runners who are taking a crack at running 42k (or even less) in the Lion City.  I ran the half marathon in 2008 and the full marathon in 2009. So, just two tips from me to you: 1) Carry salt caps, and 2) Plan your hydration well. We all know it’ll be humid so hydrate consistently throughout the race.

One runner who is flying off to Singapore for her first international race is TBR Dream Marathon alumni, Kassy Pajarillo.

– Kassy nearing the finish of her first marathon at TBR Dream –

Kassy is using her run to help raise funds for the Maple Tree Foundation. Click below if you’re interested in helping!

Good luck Kassy and to all Pinoys!  Make us proud.

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