Category Archives: Race Reports

Finally, I can say it, I am an Ironman 70.3 Finisher!

Crossing the finish line last Sunday was one of the most fulfilling finishes, a culmination of all the blood, sweat, and tears—not just during the almost 7-hours of the race—but throughout the past months of arduous training, juggling nine workouts a week with family and work. Looking back, I still can’t believe I survived!

My official results:
Swim – 00:43:26
Bike – 03:28:18
Run – 02:28:52
Total – 06:50:35

As most of you know, I had a 6:49 target time set by Specialized to win my Shiv. I missed the target time by 1 minute. If you want to be anal about it, I missed it by 36 seconds. I’ve said all the curse words in my head, thought about all the what ifs, but nothing is really gonna give me back those 36 seconds. Do I return my beloved Shiv? Read on and you’ll find out. (Yep, pang telenovela na ito)

SWIM: 1.9k at 43:26

Before the race even started, as triathletes made their way to the water start several meters from the shore, many had wounded themselves from the sharp corals and rocks underneath…including myself.

– Guess who I bumped into before the race? Good friend and pacer at my very first marathon, Neville Manaois. He was part of the organizing committee for IM 70.3 (Photo: Neville Manaois) –

– Before entering the water thinking about two things: 1) What the hell did I get myself into? 2) Where do I throw this cup of water without getting penalized for littering? (Photo: Robert Acosta) –

– Nerves. Nerves. Nerves. (Photo: Robert Acosta) –

Even if I swam upon entry, I got huge scratches on my knee and several cuts on my hands and feet. Still, I don’t think it was an issue for many of us. We were going to be Ironmen—well, at least half of an Ironman!—in a few hours and nothing was gonna stop us!

Wave 1, with the pros, elite and majority of the men, went off at 6:15 am while Wave 2, where all women, relay teams, and men 18 to 29 or 50 and above, were to start at 6:25am. I had never joined a triathlon with a water start, but with buoys to cling to as we waited, it didn’t cause as much of a problem as I initially thought. Thank God we didn’t have to tread water as I probably would’ve bonked by the swim! Hah!

The gun went off, I started my Garmin, and swam ahead. I had swam the day before and, much to my pleasant surprise, I didn’t encounter any of the rumored “Twilight Zone” current nor jellyfish that scared me to death. I focused on my strokes, steady and strong, as advised by Coach Andy Leuterio, and enjoyed the pristine water while occasionally spotting sea life below.

The swim was a rectangular 1.9k course with majority of the route going against the current. Except for the time I got kicked in the chin, it turned out to be a wonderful swim. Most of the triathletes posted spectacular times. I finished my swim at 43 minutes, 6 minutes faster than I expected.

– The swim was fantastic! I enjoyed every minute. (Photo: Millette Rances) –

When I got out of the water, I discovered that my Garmin didn’t start at all! Without my swim time, I lost the chance to monitor my time. I was going to go into this race “blindly” which meant two things: 1) I would go by feel which is one of my favorite ways to race, and 2) I would have no idea if I was to make my target time to win my Shiv.

– Out of the swim at Transition 1. Drat, the watch isn’t working! Paaaanic! (Photo: Mia Macaraig) –

BIKE: 90k – 03:28:18

The bike is my weakest area. I only learned to ride in cleats in February and got the Shiv in April.  I was confident about my bike skills and the distance, but when I heard that Cebu had nasty headwind and crosswind, I was concerned.

– I look like I’m strolling in the park with my boyfriend, the Shiv. Next time, please remind me to rush out of transition. I wasted 5 minutes here! (Photo: Mirian Libre) –

As soon as I exited the transition area, the wind enveloped me. They weren’t kidding when they said there would be crosswind and headwind. Most of the bikers ahead of me were comfortably in aero position while I tried to calm myself, focus, and gain confidence even if the sound of the wind was unnerving.

The 90k route took us through four cities of Cebu: Lapu-Lapu, Mandaue, Cebu and Talisay. We ascended Marcelo Fernan Bridge, heading toward a letter M route, then back up the bridge to end the bike at Shangrila hotel. Again, I was to maintain a steady ride paying little attention to time nor speed and ensuring my heart rate didn’t go above 155.

As I’ve experienced in the past, particularly during the inaugural Cebu Marathon, Cebuanos go all out when cheering for athletes. I was glad to see hundreds of spectators, mostly students, lining both sides of the road. They cheered with so much enthusiasm and sincerity that it energized us and even provided entertainment for the long road ahead. I can’t count how many times I heard “You go girl!” (mostly from the gays, hah!), “You can do it!,” and even “Iya Iya” or “Ann Ann” (not that I look like any of these celebs that are a dozen years younger than I am, but mainly because I was a female and they knew both were in Cebu!)

– On Marcelo Fernan Bridge (Photo: Michael Ocana) –

The climb up Fernan bridge was not as difficult as I expected, probably because my training at Nuvali provided hills that were far longer and steeper. As we ventured out towards the M loop, it was a battle against the headwind. This made the course tough and, needless to say, for me, slow. The wind at certain portions, by Radisson Blu hotel and at SRP, made me even more cautious. At certain points, I could see my speed (or the lack of it) and I had to remind myself to just go by my own pace. I maintained my heart rate and pushed forward.

– Making a u-turn at the loop (Photo: FinisherPix) –

The good thing with the headwind was that, on the way back along the M loop, we enjoyed the tailwind. And, boy did I enjoy it! I was thrilled with the ride back; it was fast and easy and it allowed me to forget, even for a while, about the time and to simply enjoy the experience.

When I reached the transition area, I was extremely thankful for a safe ride without any flat tire or road mishaps. Even better, I knew I had enough left in the tank for a steady run.

RUN: 02:28:52

Without my time, the only plan I had in mind was to run a negative split: run easy on the first 10k and go faster in the second half.

The run was a two-loop course via Punta Engano starting and ending at Shangri-la hotel.

I was fortunate to start my run feeling strong. I found my rhythm by the first few kilometers and repeated a single line over and over: “I am a runner!” reminding myself that this was my strength and I was going to kill it.

By the second half though, the body and mind were tired. We were also running under the afternoon heat. I had a race belt carrying my own hydration, but I would stop at every station to pour cold, murky water (who cared where it came from?!) all over my body. I ran with soaked socks and shoes and this caused my feet to blister. At one point, I stopped by a medic station to ask for petroleum jelly. They had no clue what this was. Even when I asked for powder, they frantically went into the house searching for this. With the clock ticking, I decided not to wait and went ahead despite the pain employing a strategy I’ve used in past races: mind over blisters.

It was great to see other triathletes, especially my teammates from Unilab Active Health, along the course, supporting each other by exchanging high fives or yelling “Looking good!” or “Go! Go! Go!”

– Fun but painful run! (Photo: Lloyd Joseph Lawas) –

When I passed one teammate, Jake de Guzman, his simple gesture of pointing at me then beating his fist against his chest, made me dig deeper and push harder. This was no time to slow down or give up. It reminded me of the months of training together when I shared with him the sacrifices I had to make as a working Mom, when we compared notes on workouts and nutrition, when he told me, as we ended our training: “The Shiv is yours. The time will just confirm it.”

As I neared the end, a marshal yelled: “Malapit na. 800 meters nalang!” It was at this point when I decided to make a go of it. After 200 meters, much to my horror, the next marshal yelled: “Malapit ka na. 1km nalang!” Gasp! I didn’t know if I was going to laugh or cry!

– Last few meters! –

When we made our way into Shangrila, I thought that the race would soon be over, but, oh no, it wasn’t! With each turn, I would search for the finish line only to discover that there would be more meters to run. Where was the finish line?!!

After what felt like forever, I did cross the finish. I glanced at the clock ahead of me: 6:59. Since I started with Wave 2, 10 minutes after Wave 1, this meant I came in at 6:49. 6:49!!! Holy Shiv, I hit my target on the dot! I crossed the finish beaming with pride, I finished! Not just that, I won my bike!

– with the guy who prepared me for this race, Coach Andy Leuterio! Can’t thank you enough for all the pain and suffering, Coach! (Photo: Andy Leuterio) –

– Ton Gatmaitan and I took a leap of faith last December when we decided to sign up for IM 70.3 together. Here we are ecstatic after the finish line (Photo: Andy Leuterio) –

– My close friends in running…and now in triathlon: Jay Nacino and Jun Cruz. Jun and I trained for IM 70.3 together from the roads of Nuvali to Ultra. Couldn’t have done this without him! His key role was to lift me up from my bike every time I crashed! (Photo: Jun Cruz)-

– with good friend Hector Yuzon of Secondwind. Hec analyzed my past races and prepared a target pace and time for IM 70.3! Aaaw, don’t you just love having OC triathlete friends?! Thanks Hec! (Photo: Andy Leuterio) –

– Laugh trip! Ton, Hec’s IM hair, and Coach Andy’s hair. (Photo: Andy Leuterio) –

– with JaneJane Ong and world-renowned designer Kenneth Cobonpue with the IM 70.3 Cebu medal that he designed. Unfortunately, my medal fell apart as soon as I crossed the finish (Photo: JaneJane Ong) –

– Teammate August Benedicto (in white with the trophy) is the Top Filipino Elite finisher with a time of 4:27! Here he is with my teammates from Team Unilab Active Health. I was probably sleeping or eating when this photo was taken. Thanks to Team ULAH, especially Clinton Hess, Pot, and Vida for the great support! (Photo: Pia Panlilio) –

OFFICIAL TIME

Later in the evening, I checked the Ironman 70.3 Cebu official results and discovered that I finished at 6:50:35. I missed my target time for the Shiv by 36 seconds. 36 seconds!!!

What if I didn’t stop during the swim to ask the marshal which way to the finish? What if I practiced a quicker transition? (My total transition time exceeded 10 minutes much to my Coach’s shock.) What if I had pushed just a wee bit faster on the bike? What if I didn’t wait at the medic station for the petroleum jelly? What if I didn’t pee six times?! (Seriously, I did! haha!)

So many what ifs. Sigh.

Thankfully, the good people at Specialized, Joey Ramirez and my Coach, Andy Leuterio, decided that they’ll still award me the Shiv. As Coach Andy texted: “Time targets are good but we shouldn’t attach too much fulfillment to them. What matters is how you finish the race.”

I’m blessed. I really am thankful for finishing the race safely, for being surrounded by such positive and supportive coaches, friends, and family, and for having the opportunity to participate in the race that pushes you so hard you feel so alive.

I really have no right to complain or to regret.

So, here’s my last what if:  What if I just sign up for Ironman 70.3 next year and prove to myself that I can cut more than 36 seconds off of my time?  Hmmm…let’s see!

NEXT: It Takes a Village to Raise a Triathlete – the coaches and friends who helped me train for Ironman 70.3

I did it! I finished the Ironman 70.3 Cebu last Sunday! It was a 1.9k swim, 90k bike ride, and 21k run that was pure suffering and so much fun!

While I’m busy organizing my thoughts into a blogpost, scrounging around the house for food, and well, um, basically just resting, allow me to share with you this video from the race.

Everytime I watch it, I feel like I’m back at the starting line with all the other 1,700 participants…

Click HERE to visit Ironman 70.3 Website.

Video courtesy of Ironman 70.3 Philippines 2012

Event: Tri united 2
Date: 1 July 2012
Venue: Laiya, Batangas
Organizer: Bike King

Tri United 2 was to be my first long distance triathlon: swim 2k, bike 60k, and run 15k. To say, I was nervous would be an understatement. The only thing that could console me was that I knew I had run marathons for about the same amount of time I expected to finish this triathlon. Still, my mind knew triathlons were a different animal, and, it was during this race, that my body learned that too.

– Teammates Bic, Jake, and I after we set up our bikes at transition –

– with Harvie, Alex, Roland, Coach Norman, Jake, and Bic. Before a triathlon, it helps to hang out with friends who are calmer than you! –

– with Bic, Drew, and August a few minutes before race start –

– Saling pusa! Photo courtesy of John Ramon –

RACE START – SWIM 2KM

The start of a triathlon is nerve wracking. You’re all lined up at the shore facing the unknown. You don’t know what lurks in the deep blue sea (jellyfish away!), and, worse, what lies ahead of you for the next few hours of the race.

– Nervous smile.  Photo courtesy of Rose Marie Photography –

The swim course for Tri United 2 consisted of three loops. I was confident about my swim, but also anxious.  As a runner, I can anticipate and probably manage matters on the road, but, in water, I felt like I was treading in unknown territory. No pun intended.

My teammates Jake, Bic, and I wiggled our way through the crowd of triathletes lined up at the starting line. We poised ourselves on the far end of the left side. Our strategy, according to Jake, would be to swim on the far left end avoiding the traffic then cut to the right when it was time to turn the loop. Sounded like a good plan.

The gun went off and, barely a couple of minutes into the swim, Bic and Jake were gone. I was on solo flight…or solo fight. Probably both.

I struggled to find my rhythm amidst the chaos of flailing arms and kicking feet. Suddenly, a thought came to mind: What do I cling on to if I tire out? I was so far from the buoy! Almost instantly, I panicked.  I could hardly breathe. Like a drowning dog, I paddled my way towards the buoy. There, I found my comfort zone and proceeded to swim beside it.

By the 2nd loop, I found a sense of calm in the steady pace of my strokes. With every breath, I caught a glimpse of the sun. In my head, I said a short prayer asking God to keep me safe and thanking him for the awesome opportunity to participate in this race.

– Out of the water for the next loop. I was having fun! –

The third loop was swift and strong. I found my rhythm along with a burst of confidence that I was capable of finishing this race. I swam to the finish pulling hard but leaving enough for the bike and run.

Time for 2k swim: 49mins.

– Ani de Leon heading to transition –

BIKE – 60KM

It was the first time my boyfriend, the Shiv, and I were going to race together. I must admit, I was excited to see the progress I made in biking. From being unable to shift gears and ride in aero position, I could now do so with ease, plus drink, and take a gel, and even refill my bottles while riding!  (Next goal is to peel a banana and eat it!)

– That’s my boyfriend, the Shiv, and I! Off we go on our first triathlon together! –

Prior to the race, Coach Andy Leuterio had analyzed the results of a Power Meter test he conducted on me a couple of weeks ago. Based on the results, he said that my heart rate went too high when I pushed hard on the bike (which was expected because I’m new to cycling) so he advised that I keep it steady on the bike to ensure that I could run strong. I obediently followed.

– Steady she goes. Photo courtesy of Jazz Perez, Sports Unlimited –

The ride was steady, conservative, smooth, and, I must say, super fun.  Every now and then, faster cyclists would overtake me yelling “Right! Right!” which would rattle me, but for the most part, I think I was cycling with a smile all the way to the finish.

– Teammate Bic makes the turnaround. I wish I could turn as easily as she did! –

Time for 60km bike: 2:11

RUN – 15KM

I didn’t know how my body would react to running 15km after the swim and bike.  It’s one thing to race 15km and another to run 15km in the sweltering heat in a triathlon. I expected heavy wooden legs as soon as I left my bike at transition. Surprisingly, my legs felt great. (In hindsight, it’s probably because I was conservative on the bike.)

– Off to run wearing my bike gloves! Whoops! Photo courtesy of Noel Miano-

I ran the first loop steady and strong. By the second loop, the heat started getting to me. At every station, I dropped a pail or bottle of water over my body to cool down. It was almost like taking a shower at every station. (It was only at that point that I finally realized why triathletes choose to wear these body-hugging unforgiving trisuits! It’s so much more convenient for showering when the sun is beating down on you! Why didn’t we runners think of that?!)

– Steady run. Photo courtesy of Noel Miano –

– Keeping cool! –

It was also at this point that the mistakes I made during training and racing caught up with me. By the third loop, both legs started cramping up from my calves climbing up to my quads. I had never cramped up in my entire running life! I started shuffling my way through the last 5km. At the same time, I began talking to my legs (by the way, this always works!): Run. Run. Run. We can do this. I also prayed that they wouldn’t suddenly freeze on me and make me fall flat on my face a few hundred meters from the finish line!

Thankfully, the slow shuffle and the psych talk worked! I crossed the finish line even if I didn’t feel my legs AT ALL! It was one of the most fulfilling race finishes I had ever experienced. Right up there with all my marathon finishes. Hehe.

Time for Run 15k: 1:43 mins

CEBU, HERE I COME!

The most important gift of Tri United 2 to me, aside from the scintillating star-shaped medal, is the assurance that I’m on the right track towards Ironman 70.3 Cebu. For this last month leading up to Cebu, I know what I should work on (and there are a lot!), what I should continue, and, last but not the least, what power the mind has over the body!

After crossing that finish line, I heaved a sigh of relief.  My trepidation over Cebu considerably lessened and a feeling of excitement swept over me.  For the first time since I impulsively signed up for my seemingly impossible Ironman 70.3 goal, it suddenly occurred to me: Holy crap, I can actually do this!

– with Teammate Jake and Coach Andy Leuterio at the post-race awarding. Tons of food, lots of laughter, and I got to fill up a whole glass with free chilled Enervon HP for my recovery drink. Hay, I can’t have enough of it! –

– with training buddy, Jun, and Coach Norman, my coach for bike skills. Thanks Coach! –


– with friend Vanj Endaya –

– with new tri friends, Jay and Mark. Photo courtesy of Mark Salvador –

Congratulations to Unilab Active Health and Bike King for a fantastic race! For official results, visit Unilab Active Health website

Few weeks ago, I threw a contest for Epic Relay 250k and the prize, a free slot for a group of 10, was snagged by Snail Runners Alabang.

It was nice to hear from them about their Epic Relay 250k adventure held last June 9 to 10, 2012. Hannah Pua, one of the members, recounts their experience…

It was the last week of April when the registration for Epic Relay 250K popped out. We were all thrilled and started to make our team line up. Weeks passed by and noticed that it wasn’t pushing through. As the date come closer, we decided to let go seeing that there were other priorities in line. But then, June 2 came and we saw a contest on thebullrunner.com and it says “EPIC RELAY 250: WIN A SLOT FOR YOUR TEAM NOW!” without hesitation I joined and tested my luck while following the 4-steps of the mechanics. I sent my entry, without even thinking of who will be joining me along and how we will get to prepare for a span of a week. After attending a running clinic, I opened my Facebook account and email account, hoping to see that we won the slot. I slowly scrolled down and started to shout out of joy seeing that Ms.Jaymie Pizarro emailed me on how to claim our prize. We got Ms.Arleen Lindo of Chris Sports on contact and she was very accommodating. As instructed, our captain attended the meeting and echoed to us the meat of the briefing the day after. We formed and passed the line up 6 days prior to race day. Run over meetings and carbo-loading with the team.

Then BOOM..! June 8 came. At around 8:00pm we had our meet-up, ate dinner and our very supportive team, Snail Runners Alabang gave us a simple “Send off” as they won’t be able to go with us, having another annual team run set for that weekend. We left by 10:00pm and arrived 3:00am in the race venue. Checked in our crew and the rest became HISTORY!

I was the first runner on deck and was very excited yet nervous on what that 11.4K route will feed me. Guided by two, helpful bike marshals, I sped off at 4:50am. With a little pressure, we all tried our very best to run, and outpace the unusual levels of difficulty that the route has to offer. With the cut-off in mind, giving us 40-hours to finish the race with no proper sleep, and bathing. How fortunate we are that there are hospitable neighborhood and gasoline stations along the way for us to freshen up. Nighttime get ahead of, we made sure that we were all wearing reflector vests, headlamps and blinkers for us to be safe on the road and good thing our bike marshals did not leave us alone. The experience itself was superb; running on sizzling, angry sun beaming through our skin and on dark roads with barking dogs, leaping frogs, open drainage, and singing drunk by-standers. How insane could it be for others, but we were able to outstand it! We finished the race in 27:37:00, the 14th team to cross the finish line, placing 4th in the mixed category and even awarded with the “Hassle-Free Team” It was an amazing expedition, running while viewing the scenic routes of Subic, Zambales and Bataan. Passing mountains to mountains of uphills and downhill roads, each runner made their way, outrun, outpace, outlast on this Epic adventure of 250 kilometers of fun. This exploration will always remain with us. Thank you TBR for giving us the opportunity to experience this EPIC journey!

Event: Run United 2
Date: 17 June 2012
Venue: SM Mall of Asia/ Bonifacio Global City
Race Organizer: Runrio

TBR Rating:

Run United events are one of the most highly anticipated events of the year. It is always expected to draw large crowds and yesterday’s race, Run United 2, despite the onslaught of Typhoon Butchoy, was no exception. Over 14,000 runners gathered at SM Mall of Asia for the 3k, 5k, and 10k events and at Bonifacio High Street for 21k. The half marathon event alone could have been a race in itself with over 5,000 runners participating and subsequently released in various waves to control the traffic.

The organization of the race was almost flawless, as expected from Runrio events. Considering that the organizers struggled with the challenges of the pouring rain, the race went on with the safety and comfort of runners prioritized.

The 21k race course starting at Bonifacio Global City and ending in SM Mall of Asia was unique and fun. While it could’ve been a logistical problem for some runners, organizers provided shuttles for the runners thus making the minor hassles insignificant if only to run a more interesting course.

Hydration was overflowing; water was cold while Powerade was provided (it could’ve been colder though and, sorry, but Gatorade just really tastes a lot better for me.) Bananas and sponges were also provided in several stations. Medical aid was offered at various stations. Considering the number of runners, the traffic was controlled and release of runners, done in waves, was a practical move. Marshals efficiently manned intersections, especially when vehicles were honking or worse, attempting to break through the course. Kilometer markers were accurate, but there were a number of missing kilometer markers by the end of the 21k. I was told these were pulled out due to the strong winds.

Turns out that the weather was a blessing in disguise. The strong rains weakened, and later on, completely dissipated to provide runners with a cool and windy run and an enjoyable post-race atmosphere with live bands and activities prepared by Unilab Active Health.

Congrats again to Unilab Active Health and Runrio, two companies that pull out all the stops to provide runners with a great event! See you at Run United 3.

———————-

I was supposed to race the 21k at Run United 2, but since I was just recovering from my week-long bout with intestinal flu and I biked my longest ever ride the day before, I thought I’d just run at a good effort and enjoy the half marathon.

Wow, the weather was perfect! Ton and I arrived at the assembly area to find over 5,000 runners braving the rain. When the race started, it was just a slight drizzle; just enough to keep you cool without soaking those shoes and causing blisters!

Almost everyone in running were there. Most of us were catching up and chatting that, before we knew it, we were at the last wave (actually at the very end) of the 21k runners. Soon, we were off. Ton and I ran together at an easy pace.

By 8k, at Buendia, we decided to part ways. I turned my iPod on and enjoyed every minute of the run. I can honestly tell you that time flew from then on. I lost myself in the rhythm of my footsteps, enjoyed the breeze at Roxas Boulevard, and savored every moment I was out there. I didn’t push too hard but neither did I take it too slow. It was just right. Just perfect, in fact.

– Wore my old Nike Frees for the first time in a 21k! Loved it. Photo courtesy of Jobert de la Victoria –

I didn’t even get my time when I ended. I must’ve gotten in at around 2:15 to 2:20. Who really cared? What mattered was that it was so much fun!

– Posing with the medal but really just thinking about breakfast. Photo courtesy of Tina Zamora –