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Who’s not joining the much awaited Leg 3 of Run Rio: Run United this coming weekend?  For those of you are signed up for the Sunday event, I’m giving you an additional reason why you should run: Mercato Centrale.

Mercato Centrale is a new weekend food bazaar at Bonifacio Global City.  “Inspired by the outdoor markets of Mercato Centrale in Florence and the Boroughs Market in London, Mercato Centrale at Bonifacio Global City is an innovative weekend lifestyle market with unique, great tasting food finds that you won’t find anywhere around the metro!  Mercato also has an extensive selection of healthy and organic fruits, vegetables and livestock, all located in a clean, comfortable, well-ventilated and organized setting.” They will also stage fun activities, cooking demonstrations, live entertainment, and even Sunday mass for families.

Behind Mercato Centrale is popular blogger and TBR Dream Marathon alumni, Anton Diaz of Our Awesome Planet, RJ Ledesma (of Royal Tru Orange fame), and my soon-to-be-runner (although she doesn’t know it yet) sister and bro-in-law, Janice and Gary Villanueva of Creative Juice.

Ribbon cutting and grand launch of Mercato Centrale will be this Sunday, November 21, 2010.  Everyone is invited.  Yes, it’s perfect after Run United, don’t you think?  Your family can also choose to shop (and eat) while you’re running your race.

Hope to see you there and every weekend thereafter!

The Weekend Market in Mercato Centrale
corner of 30th Ave. and 9th St., Bonifacio Global City
Landmark is at the back of The Spa, Bonifacio High Street
open every Saturday and Sunday from 6am to 12 noon

Let me start my NYC Marathon story with this: how we got to the starting line.

For first-time New York visitors like us, getting to the race start was as big an adventure as the race itself.  Our race (third wave) would start at 10:40 a.m. at Verrazano bridge, but we had to be at the South Ferry Terminal by 7:30 a.m. Our lovely boutique hotel, Park 79, was conveniently located 500 meters from the finish line (Thanks Harry Tan for the great recommendation!), but we expected 45 minutes travel time by subway and added 15 minutes for possible mishaps along the way (i.e., taking the wrong train).

Hubby and I left our hotel at 6:30 a.m. with the kids sleeping soundly and under the care of his cousin.  As soon as we stepped out of the lobby, we walked as quickly as we could toward 72nd and Broadway.  I believe the speed of our steps had more to do with battling the morning chill rather than worrying about our tardiness. Boy was it cold!  I was freezing even with the following layers for my top: (1) tank top, (2) dri-fit shirt, (3) long sleeved shirt, (4) long sleeved throwaway fleece shirt, and (5) jacket.  Thanks to Jane-Jane who gave me a pair of throwaway sweatpants at the very last minute when I decided to wear shorts instead.  If it hadn’t been for those pants, my legs would’ve been as hard as plywood before the race started.

SUBWAY CONFUSION

It would’ve been a simple ride to the South Ferry terminal, but with construction on the subway announced the night before, even hubby’s NY-based cousin wasn’t sure about the trains we should take.  He provided us with a new set of directions (aka kodigo) and hubby and I carried one set each, just to be sure!

As it turned out, even one of the trains we were to take was closed.  While hubby and I hopped off one train to get on another, a fellow runner stuck his head out from the train and yelled “The express train is closed. Come back in here.” Phew.

Later on, there were more than a handful of us, along with the friendly runner, who would hop in and out of trains in confusion with which train to take.  Luckily, we all made it to Chamber St. where we all boarded a free shuttle to the South Ferry.  With the long line of runners at the station, we knew we were on the right track.

ALL ABOARD

We arrived at the South Ferry Terminal even before 8 a.m. The entire place was filled with runners and we all made our way to board the free ferry ride to Staten Island.

The ride was smooth and enjoyable, relaxing even.  While others stood on the deck to enjoy the view, hubby and I sat on the floor inside to keep warm and rest. We completely forgot to check out the Statue of Liberty though!

STATEN ISLAND

We arrived at the terminal to find open shops and delis selling bagels, bananas, coffee, and other meals for runners.  I even got to buy batteries and candies and took a bathroom break.

We then headed out to take another bus ride to the start villages. During the brief bus ride, hubby and I ate our baon bagel and bananas.  No way was I going to risk getting hungry during the race!

The bus stopped at Fort Wadsworth in Staten Island where all start villages—blue, orange, and green—were located. Without the shelter of a ferry or bus, hubby and I silently made our way to the blue start village in the chilling cold, much like devout followers on a procession, along with all the other runners around us.

We arrived at the blue start village to find a party-like atmosphere with runners gathered in circles laughing or seemingly enjoying a picnic, others hamming it up for the cam, while others were busy getting there last minute preparations done.  It felt like we were in Woodstock sans the music!

Hubby and I busied ourselves trying to wear our garbage bags, which truly worked wonders in keeping us warm.  We visited the port-a-potties more than 4x each—aack, that was probably due to the cold, too!  And, I deposited my camera and post-race clothing at the UPS truck, which housed 1,000 bags per truck (so efficient!).  Before we knew it, we were being called to the corral.

BLUE CORRAL

It was in the corral area that runners began to discard their throwaway clothing since clothes discarded on the bridge would not be recycled.  I decided to do the same.  As soon as I removed my jacket and pants, I froze.  I couldn’t keep my teeth from chattering and my nose running.  It was good that we were walking already since any kind of movement helped to keep me warm.

It was nice to bump into Pinoy runners, Leah Caringal, Noel and company, as we made our way to the starting line.  Imagine, what were the chances of bumping into friends among 45,000 other runners?!  After a quick chat, we had to part ways as even the way to the starting line was very well organized.  This was split up into specific numbers of runners so that there would be no pushing and shoving.

Soon, we found ourselves walking past the toll booths and standing at the Verrazano bridge.  That’s when it finally hit me: I was actually going to run the NYC Marathon!  Before all this, everything seemed like a blur.  In a few more minutes, it was going to be a reality…

NEXT POST: PART 2: NYC MARATHON – RUNNING MY DREAM RACE

I did it!

– My ultimate running dream and 5th 42km: ING NYC Marathon –

My New York City Marathon was the slowest 42k I ever ran.  Unofficial time was 4:56:38, a far cry from what I had hoped and trained for.  I thought I was ready, but as it is with marathons (and in life) things don’t always go your way.  I was in a lot of pain during the last 12k thanks to ITBS plus what felt like a frozen hip and inner thighs.

But, I’m still on cloud 9!  It was an unbelievable and unforgettable experience. I am still in awe of the 2.6 million New Yorkers who stepped out of their homes and yelled their lungs out to cheer us on. Thank you so much New York!

I loved every bit of the race despite my disappointing performance. I’ll get over it. More than anything, it was a great experience that I’ll always remember.

More detailed story of my marathon after I get some rest.

That’s it. I’m done. Not with the race, but with preparations for tomorrow’s race!

Wow. Gearing up for a cold marathon (temperature is expected to be in the low 50s while we run, but while waiting in the corral it should be around 32. Yikes!) is so different (and so much more complicated) than preparing for a race in a tropical country.  There’s so much more things to think of and purchase!

Of course, the bib is all set. Has its pins. Filled in the information behind it.

Shoes has got its D-tag on. Decided to use my trusty old Nike Lunar Glide. Yes, it’s old. It was the same pair I used at my first marathon last year. But, it’s safe and reliable for my feet. I was considering using my Brooks Glycerin or Newton Racers, but at the end of the day, I stuck with the one I knew to be safe.

When I left Manila, I was absolutely sure about my entire outfit for the race.  But, after tripping in Disneyland, the entire plan went pffffttt with the open wound on my left knee.  Goodbye 2XU compression tights (which I trained with in all my training runs) and hello to shorts that will make me freeze to death!

I’ll be wearing shorts with compression shorts underneath in hopes that it’ll keep me warm.  Shirt and long sleeved shirt for my top and maybe even an additional tank under!  Of course, I’ll have the Philippine flag sticker from Knowledge Channel on too.

How ironic that the thing that makes me most nervous is the smallest and lightest of ’em all.  The split time bracelet I picked up at the expo. Alvin, yes, I will try my best to watch my pace!

I’ll also wear a beanie, maybe a cap on top if necessary, gloves, Oakley shades, and Nathan hydration belt.  I’ll use CEP compression socks which should keep my calf muscles tight and warm.  The belt will carry my Hammer Gels, salt packs stolen from a burger joint (!), band aid, cash, Body Glide, and my Flip Mino.

Made a mental note to get masking tape later to print our names for taping unto our shirts. We need all the personal cheering we can get!

We also have to prepare snacks since we’ll be waiting around 2 to 3 hours for our wave to start.  Choosing between bagels or whole wheat, but definitely with tons of peanut butter in between!

Hubby and I will be at Wave 3 which starts at 10:40 a.m. Corral no. 44.  We’re hoping to meet up with other runner friends to keep us calm (read: distracted) while waiting.

Phew. So many little things to think of.  It’s unnerving but fun. Wish us luck for tomorrow’s great adventure!