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Official results of Animo Triathlon are out.

I placed 2nd overall out of 27 women.

What does it tell me?  Swim was good.  Run was great.  Bike…err…needs improvement.  

– Top 10 Female Mini Sprint Results –

More photos to share…

– The coolest, calmest triathlete on the course: Sea Princess Tessa Prieto-Valdez. Too bad I didn’t get shots of her dancing her way across the finish line –

– 3:42 Boston finisher and Polo Tri team member, Leica Carpo –

– Sen. Pia Cayetano and Maricel Laxa, both participants of Animo Tri –

– South Tri people: Yvonne, their friend, Paolo and Patricia –

– with friends, Dedette and Tiffin –

– with the hubby who finished his first tri. Woohoo! –

This was so much more fun than my first triathlon last year!  While the first tri was a race to finish, this one was a race to beat—not others—but myself.  I jotted down my time for each sport in last year’s Animo Tri and, as I trained, I made sure that I improved on those times. With the training I had the past week, plus the bike lent by my friend Hans, I was pretty sure that I wouldn’t be the turtle that I was in 2008.  (Well, I wasn’t that confident but I sure was praying for that!)

– Big big thank you to Hans of GranTrail Bike shop, West Gate Center, Alabang –

{CHECK IN}

Check in and body marking was quick and easy.  Hubby, who did his first mini-sprint, and friends Jamike and Jun were just a few meters away.  After hanging up our bikes on the racks, placing stickers on our bikes and helmets, and preparing all our gear for easy transition, we calmly walked towards the DLSZ swimming pool.

– Transition area set up –

{SWIM: 350 M}

This is when I started getting all jittery.  Seeing the green, murky water in the DLSZ pool didn’t help at all to alleviate the tension.  I ran to the bathroom twice, talked with my father-in-law about anything that came to mind, fidgeted with my goggles and swim cap, and started wondering if I should just stick to running instead.

When it was our turn, I jumped in the pool along with the other female mini-sprinters.  It was great to see my two highschool friends, cousins Jennie and Tintin, both strong athletes who were as nervous as I was.  After a brief chat, we heard the horn signal the start of our race.

There was a lot of pushing and kicking going on in there.  And, these women were fast!  I threw caution to the wind and went as fast as I could too paying no attention to the kicks I got or gave.  By the first lap, I was spent.  Obviously, I was not made for sprint swimming.  I took a 5 second break and went at it again.  Same speed, same gusto, but probably with terrible form.  

– Forgot about pacing. I went as fast as I could –

It went on like this for the next six laps.  Before I knew it, I was done.  Out of breath and tired, I ran out of the pool, slipped into my flipflops (which I now left near the exit unlike last year) and made my way towards the transition area.

SWIM TIME: 8.46 mins vs 18:00 mins 2008.  Beat my old time by 9.14 min.

{BIKE: 11KM}

Since the bike course was initially flat at Narra, I got to recover a bit from the tiresome swim portion.  I was still pretty much in relaxed mode at this portion.  As we headed out towards University Ave., that’s where the real race began.  I overtook bikers while the same bikers would overtake me.  It helped that I memorized the ocho-ocho loop a few days before the race.  There was no time lost on second guessing the route, or worse, missing out on a turn or doubling a loop, mistakes that were committed by a lot of participants this year and the last.

After we climbed up Country Club Drive, it was basically one other female biker and I who were competing with each other.  She and I started chasing each other through the rest of the course.  Aaack, it was tiresome, but I gotta admit, it was fun too!  Near the end of the course, I recognized her face and realized it was an acquaintance, Mavis.  We reached the end of the bike portion at practically the same time.  After transition and as we headed out towards the run, I told her how the bike portion became so much more challenging with her presence.

BIKE TIME: 34.21 (11km) vs 41.01 (12k) last year.

– Never thought I could have that much fun on a bike. I’m a convert. (I look like I’m in pain in the photo though haha) –

– Sprinters heading for transition –

{RUN: 3.5KM}

And now for the part we all love…When I started to run, I was breathless; I was panting like a puppy.  Nevertheless, I pushed forward, taking one quick step at a time, still paying attention to my form.  By the time I made it out to University Ave., there was no one behind me nor in front of me.  Honestly, had I not ran this route during our simulation last Tuesday, I would’ve thought I lost my way; there were no race signs nor marshalls.  I trusted my instincts and just plodded forward.  Soon enough, I spotted a couple of runners ahead.  One male, one female.  I followed.  There was another female heading back and she was escorted by a marshall on motorcycle, so she was #1.  The lady ahead of me was #2.  Then, in complete disbelief, I realized that I could actually be the 3rd!  

As I circled the turnaround, I spotted female #4. Lord, not her!  It was the super strong french lady runner from Hope in Motion 3 last year. (After chasing her throughout the race, I gave up and fell behind.  She placed 2nd and I 3rd.)  When I saw her, I wanted to run for my life!  Unfortunately, I was just so tired.  I just gave it my all, put on step in front of the other, and prayed to God that she was as exhausted as I was.  In a few minutes, I made the right turn and headed towards the finish line.

RUN TIME: 17.18 (3.5k hilly course) vs 16.06 (3.4k flat) last year.  

– Tri is lovelier the 2nd time around! Finish time: 1:00:25 –

– with my training buddies: Jun, Jamike and hubby (or as Annie would say Tito, Vic, and Joey heehee!) –

– with my “Team Mate”…same trisuit, long hair, but she was a lot leaner and taller and faster on the bike. Sheesh, forgot her name! Please email or comment! –

– with highschool classmates, Bau and Tin. See you next year? –

{2ND PLACE FOR MY 2ND TRI}

Turns out I got 2nd place for female overall, while the french lady won 3rd.  The lady runner ahead of me at the run won 1st place; she beat me by 24 seconds.  I don’t exactly know what happened to the lady leading the pack.

The podium finish was a pleasant surprise.  I really just set out to beat myself, so the medal and P250 David’s Salon Gift Certificate (perfect for covering up my new dead toenail) are really just bonuses for an hour of sweat, excitement, and friendly competition.

– 2nd Place female overall –

– Official results –

More photos in the next post…

I don’t even remember anymore the first time I heard about Newton Running shoes.  But, I do recall how skeptical I was about it. I did my research online and even tested it at the Singapore sports expo last year, but it felt different and that was unnerving to me.  After so many injuries using the wrong shoes for my flat feet, I thought it best to stick to what I believed were safer shoes.

– Testing the Newtons at Singapore’s Sports Expo, Dec 2009 –

Fast forward to this year, after another bout with injuries while wearing my usual motion-control shoes, I figured that I had to try something new to solve the root cause of my problems.  I switched to Nike stability and neutral shoes.  I also became more open to the idea of barefoot running and tried applying the techniques of Chi running again.  I also consciously made an effort to shorten my stride and quicken my turnover and put special emphasis on landing on my midfoot.  Presently, I can say that I’ve fully recovered from all my injuries, but the work is not over—it never is—in trying my darndest best prevent them from coming back.

It was perfect timing that the new running specialty store, Runnr, sent a special gift to try:  Newton Running Shoes.  Newtons, as seen on their website, espouses landing on one’s “sweet spot” which is between landing on the toes and heelstriking—in other words, forefoot/midfoot landing.  The shoes encourages the runner to practice proper running form which helps to avoid injuries.  

When Runnr asked me to choose a model, I didn’t bother checking out the colors.  I just asked for size 9 Stability Trainers.  I was willing to experiment on these shoes no matter how they looked.  Lucky for me, mine was white-aqua-red, just the right amount of boldness without going overboard.  When I tried them on, they looked great!

– Newton Stability Trainers –

– Sideview –

– Bottom –

My first road test with the Newtons was during a bike-run yesterday morning.  I followed “Newton’s 10 Laws of Running Better” that came with the shoes: I replaced the insole with my Spenco and planned on running just a short 2k to gradually get my legs accustomed to the new technology.  

With that short run, the difference was noticeable.  I was compelled to land on my midfoot because of the four lugs that protruded underneath.  The shoes provided a fair amount of stability to guard against overpronation.  I enjoyed the cushioning—not too soft, but just right.  I felt lighter, faster, almost like there was a spring to my step.

I encountered some problems running downhill.  Actually, I could barely run downhill!  I had to slow down to a walk because I felt like I was falling forward.  Hopefully, I get used to this in time.

The 2nd problem I foresee with Newtons is its price.  They are a bit more expensive then the regular running shoe, so it can burn a hole in your pocket if you end up loving them.

For the next few weeks, I’ll slowly increase mileage on the Newtons.  I’ll be alternating between my Nikes and Newtons: a great combination, I believe. Hopefully, with these two, I would have finally ended my long search for the perfect running shoes for my feet.

Interesting reviews on Newtons from other running/tri bloggers:

• Banana Running (Bards)
• Caught on the Run
• Tri Phx

Thank you to Toby and Nicole of Runnr.  Newtons are now available at Runnr, Bonifacio High Street.

From now until the end of July, each weekend is booked with not just a race, but a good race.  Just check out my list of races.  

My running conscience has been tapping me on the shoulder, telling me to take it easy and not get overly excited again, but I can’t help it!  Race organizers nowadays always have something new to offer, so I end up spending Mondays to Fridays scratching my head thinking “Should I?” or “Shouldn’t I?”  9 out of 10 times, I give in.

Here’s my racing schedule from now until the end of July (my race schedule is subject to change depending on my mood):

• June 14: Animo Triathlon.  Too bad I can’t make it to PTAA Charity Run.  I still registered for PTAA earlier today though and I’m crossing my fingers I win the roundtrip ticket to Honolulu.  (Yes, you can win the raffle even if you don’t run.)  If I win that, I would take it as a sign that I should run the Maui Marathon!


– Bumped into the CougCat Family (Arnold, Thess, and Anton, The Leaping Cat) this afternoon as we all registered for PTAA Charity  –

• June 21: Men’s Health, easy pace
• June 28: Botak or GIG…still choosing
• July 5: Milo…10 or half, still choosing, definitely it will be easy pace
• July 12: Robinson’s Fit & Fun, 10k
• July 19: SECRET BIG RACE…I’m super excited for this.  Blocking off my sched for this one.  I highly recommend you do the same.  This race by Finish Line will be in a new route and will have a lot of new offerings for runners.  Wish I could tell you, but I have to zip my mouth until Tuesday.
• July 26: Come Run with M.E…of course I’ll join a race organized by my alma mater!

How about you?  What’re you’re plans for the next month and a half?  I’m guessing it’s as busy as mine.