Category Archives: Race Reports

The day before the race, I attended the press conference held during the Laguna Phuket International Marathon race expo at the Event Marquee.

Here I am smiling, but deep inside I was torn between the half marathon and 10.5k. I ended up signing up for the 10.5k rather than risking a toilet emergency or worse dehydration or heatstroke during the run.  (I sound so mature, I love it! Wahaha)

During the race expo, runners were still allowed to register.  Sponsors booths sold running/triathlon products and race merchandise.

Bumped into Pinoy runners at the expo. Ultra runner Bro. Carlo, formerly from Cebu but now based in Bangkok, registered for the full while Pure flew in from Manila to run the half marathon.

– Bro. Carlo, me, Lit, and Pure. Yes, we had to climb up on stage just for this photo. Hey, we’re Pinoys, remember?! We do everything for a great shot –

Met Mia, a Pinoy runner based in Bangkok, on the way to the press con. Let me know if you want to join TBR Dream, Ria!

Met Wu, a TBR reader from Malaysia, who’s looking at running a marathon in the Philippines.  Come over anytime, Wu!

Marathon Man Trent Morrow from Australia started running in 2008 and has since run 50 marathons (including the Laguna Phuket Int’l Marathon). Here he is with one of his new friends and fans from the Philippines. Such a friendly, amiable, and passionate runner!

We claimed our loot bags BEFORE we even finished the race.  Perhaps we should do the same in Manila?  Nah!

Registration fee for Laguna Phuket International Marathon

Finishers’ Medals – I like!

Race organizers and personalities during the press con: Ms. Thailand who led the walk to raised funds for “Fully Booked” schools project, Mr. Roman Floesser, race director and triathlete who’s done Ironman 70.3 Camsur a couple of time, Ms. Debbie Dionysius, AVP – Destination Marketing of Laguna Phuket, and Trent Morrow aka Marathon Man.

Our very own Chi Running instructor and TBR Dream Marathon head coach Lit Onrubia gave a talk on Chi Running.

Hey, hey, hey, what is this?  A reason to return to paradise?!

Click to read Part 1: Laguna Phuket International Marathon – Race Report

Race: Run Paradise! – 7th Laguna Phuket International Marathon
Date: 10 June 2012
Venue: Laguna Phuket, Phuket, Thailand

TBR Rating:

Set in Laguna Phuket, a picturesque 1,000-acre resort with six hotels and villa properties with 8km of long white sand beaches and lagoons, the Laguna Phuket International Marathon aptly titled its race: “Run Paradise.”

Now on its 7th year, the Laguna Phuket International Marathon drew a record field of more than 4,000 runners from 50 countries who raced a variety of distances: 42k, 21k, 10.5k, 91.5FM 5k community walk, and a 2k children’s run. Of the 4,088 runners, only 1,400 were Thai with around 50 other nationalities represented. The Japanese runners numbered 405.

For a relatively small race in Manila’s standards, this marathon was a well-organized and top-notch event. Free shuttles took runners to and from the assembly area, cold hydration, fruits, and sponges on the course were overwhelming, kilometer signs were accurate, and, last but not the least, the race course was safe, scenic, and a pleasure to run.

TBR REVIEW

PROS:
– beautiful race course. Majority of the 10k course was within the Laguna Phuket area which was both safe and scenic.
– cold and ample hydration (water and 100Plus sports drink), fruits, and sponges
– accurate kilometer markers
– road marshals throughout the 10k course
– free shuttle to and from the race venue within Laguna Phuket
– friendly and helpful race staff
– weather was similar to Manila. Just a little bit more humid.
– attractive medal
– small race with a relaxed and fun atmosphere. No heavy traffic.
– onsite registration available until the day before the race
– pre-race expo with merchandise from sponsors and a short running talk for free
– carbo loading party (for an additional fee)
– for foreign runners, the hotels within Laguna Phuket are mostly five-star hotels that make for a perfect run/vacation for the entire family
– post-race area included free food buffet, massage, and hydration for finishers

CONS:
– no direct flight to Phuket from Manila. It’s a 3 hour flight to Bangkok and a connecting 1 hour flight to Phuket. Laguna Phuket is 20 minutes away from the airport. Travel time is half a day at best. I’d recommend you stop over in Bangkok—shop, eat Pad Thai, and get a Thai massage—before heading to sunny Phuket.
– race bib design needs improvement

TBR VERDICT
If you’re looking for a run destination abroad, particularly an affordable one around Asia, Laguna Phuket Marathon is a race I would highly recommend. Don’t expect all the bells and whistles or the crowds of a Standard Chartered Singapore or Hong Kong Marathon. But, you can expect a relatively small, friendly, and well-organized race in a venue that will leave you feeling invigorated and inspired to run even more.

———————

I was all set to run the half marathon at Laguna Phuket. Coach Andy told me to run it at race pace. In his words, “Nail it!” So, you cannot imagine how frustrated I was when, the day before my flight to Phuket, I fell ill to intestinal flu. Yes, the works: slight fever, stomach pain, and frequent runs to the toilet. With some meds and tons of fluids, I managed to recover enough to make the flight without any major problems. But, I knew I wasn’t well enough to race a 21k. It was with a heavy heart (and restless legs) that I downgraded my race to a 10.5k run.

If I was anywhere else, I would’ve been distraught. But, man oh man, I was just happy to be where I was. Our resort, Angsana, was one of the best resorts I’ve stayed in (reminded me of Shangrila Boracay) and just to have the opportunity to run in a new place no matter the distance was, in my opinion, something to be thankful for.

– View from my balcony at Angsana where I hung out as I deliberated between a half or 10.5k run –

– Loved Angsana Laguna Phuket! Yes, that baby elephant was hanging out at the pool and lobby –

I arrived at the assembly area 30 minutes before race start. 10.5k runners totaled 1,661 in number. This was the largest group among other distances.

I sat by the Timex booth and watched everyone: younger runners had their moms as their “cheerleaders” and photographers, foreigners in groups chatting and laughing, and more serious runners warming up on the road running back and forth.

The race started exactly on time. The roads were a little bit wet from the earlier rain. The sky was overcast. Perfect for a short and easy run for me, I thought.

– Off we go! –

I ran through the roads of Phuket with camera in hand. The course was relatively flat and fast (a great PR course in my opinion), but with my condition, I decided to enjoy the sights and sounds of Laguna Phuket instead.

Majority of the route allowed us to run through lush greenery or pass scenic views.  There were little or no vehicles.  Most of the time, we ran in silence.

There are always a few attractions at a race and Laguna Phuket was no exception.  Some runners came in their colorful costumes.

Things got even better when we entered Laguna Homes. It was peaceful and beautiful here. Looking forward, I could see the runners ahead of me marching like tiny ants through the zigzag roads. To my left and right was the vast expanse of the golf course.

Organizers provided very cold hydration and fruits at certain stations.  There were a lot of cold sponges too. I think I used up over 10 sponges for a 10km run!

At around the 4km mark, I ran behind a mother-son tandem. The boy was 10 years old and he ran in pace with his mom. At times, he would struggle to keep up and he’d hold out his hand to her. Each and every time, she would respond immediately, clasping his little hand in hers and, almost instantly, he would find his rhythm again. There were times she would gently fix his hair while running as it fell over his eyes, or she would give him a little kiss almost to say he was doing a great job. I was touched and, at the same time, worried about the little boy: how long could he keep this up?

By around 6km, I was feeling weak because of my illness. The course was beautiful and, half the time, I wished I had been well enough to run it fast. The other half I was just hoping the finish line would be near.  Still, the race was enjoyable and fun even for an ill runner like me!

I almost made a right turn when I saw this. I thought it was made especially for me (and the rest of our TBR Dream Marathoners)…

Almost made a pit stop here…

Seriously considered this one too…

And, it took a lot of energy out of me to resist the temptation to just head home to my super cozy hotel room…

Soon enough, we neared the finish. We entered this area with a lagoon to our right. It was definitely a great way to end the race, especially for the 42km runners.  This was definitely my favorite part of the race course.

I was still running behind the mother and son. At no time did the little boy slow down. In fact, in the last kilometer, he started to sprint. (To think I was worried about him!) They crossed the finish line right before I did and I shook the mom’s hand congratulating them both. That little boy was a fighter…and I believe he’ll grow up to be one strong athlete.  At no point was I even able to overtake them. Wow.

I finished at a relaxed 1 hour 7 minutes. On any other day, I would’ve ranted about the awful time. But, who was I to complain, I just ran through paradise!

– Great medal for an awesome race!  –

The post race area was brimming with free food and drinks and offered free massage for runners. I took the free shuttle back to the hotel, enjoyed a light snack at my balcony, and later treated my body to a massage at the Angsana Spa.  Aaah, what a great day in paradise!

Click to read Part 2: Laguna Phuket International Marathon – Race Expo

“The miracle isn’t that I finished.  The miracle is that I had the courage to start.”

– John Bingham

Woohoo! I finished Tri United 1 yesterday! It was a 1k swim – 30k bike – 7k run, a distance that may seem short to experienced triathletes, but daunting to this newbie.  I’m writing to you now so that’s proof that I survived it.  Even better, I actually had fun!

I hesitatingly showed up for the women’s race yesterday all nervous and jittery. Quite honestly, I didn’t know what I was doing there.  I knew I didn’t have enough training.  I wanted to stay home with the kids for the weekend.  And, every time I thought of the swim and bike, my stomach churned. But, surprisingly, when I looked out at the sea in Laiya, I felt a certain calmness.  All of a sudden, I felt I made the right decision in showing up for the race and facing my fears.  Just like my first 5k way back in 2007, I knew I was at the right place.

RACE BRIEFING

The women’s race was at 2:30pm Saturday while the men would race Sunday morning (earlier this morning). We were 42 participants in the women’s race.

The course was friendly for beginners like me. It was 2 loops each for the swim, bike, and run. So, we pretty much knew what to expect for each of the 2nd loops.

– Host during the race briefing for the women’s race –

– Female triathletes during the brieifing. That’s Lods Yapson of Team Secondwind in the Sun Broadband shirt. Hey, Sun Broadband, I like! hah! –

– Unilab GM Clinton Hess during the briefing. In the back, my teammates Jake and Paolo are busy with more important matters: packing their baon –

– My teammates Bic, Adel, Mike, and Clint during the briefing –

THE RACE

It was my first open water swim triathlon. The only time I ever swam in open water before this race was at The Next Step Tri Camp last year. To say that I was nervous was an understatement.

Swimming out towards the buoy was tough as we went against the current. It kinda freaked me out that I couldn’t see anything at the bottom.  I don’t know how many times I stopped to hang on to the buoy just to find my way. But, heading back towards the shore, as my Coach had advised, I pulled hard and swam at a good pace. That’s exactly what I did.  Before I knew it, I was out of the water telling my teammates how much fun it was.

We ran 300m from the swim to the transition area. I calmly wore my bike shoes, helmet, shades, race bib, and hydrated, then off I went on the bike. Oh boy, I could use a lot more training on the bike. This was the point where I felt everyone was just overtaking me and I felt frustrated about wanting to go faster but not being able to.  Lots of newbie tales here: there was a time I almost bumped the race signage, or the time I u-turned beyond the u-turn portion to avoid hurting the spectators, or the time I yelled at men on motorcycles ogling at all of us women: “Lumayo kayo sa akin! Babanggain ko kayo!”

After what felt like forever, I finally reached the transition area and dismounted without crashing (one of my nightmares). The first few kilometers of the run were difficult. I wanted to push harder, but my legs felt heavy off the bike. (That’s what I get for not doing any brick sessions!) By the 2nd loop, I felt much better and I went at a slightly faster clip to finish the race.

– Heading towards the finish. Photo courtesy of Gica Limjoco –

THE END

I’m such a newbie. I didn’t even get my time. I guess I was just ecstatic about finishing. And, to tell you the truth, that’s really all that mattered to me at that point.

How many times have we said that, when it comes to your first marathon, the only goal is to finish? Well, for my first serious triathlon, it was exactly the same. The goal was to enjoy the journey and to finish with a smile on my face, and that’s exactly what I did.  I just had a grand time all throughout the race!

Uh oh, guys, I think I’m hooked.

Thanks so much to Coach Patrick Joson for teaching me the basics of biking and chasing after me when I was learning how to ride with cleats, Coach Andy Leuterio for taking me out for interval rides, Coach Martin Carandang for teaching me how to swim even if I take too long in between laps, Team Berlin and Team Kalyo (that’s just you and me, Ton) for our always fun runs, and to Team Unilab Active Health for the camaraderie and support.  This is only the beginning.

– with good friend and 2nd Place finisher for her age category, Bic –

– Teammate Ani de Leon, wins in her age category just 4 months after giving birth –

– with teammates from Team Unilab Active Health. They all stayed overnight for the men’s race the day after (today), but I rushed home after the race to be with the kiddos –

Event: Salomon XTrail Run

Organizer: Race Mechanics
Date: March 31, 2012
Venue: Tagaytay Highlands

TBR Rating:

The 3rd Salomon Xtrail Run at Tagaytay Highlands was a record breaking event with the most number of participants at 1,000 runners. The weather was nippy yet comfortable for a trail run.

The course, both road and trail with majority on the trail, was a scenic and challenging route best for competitive trail runners or serious runners looking for an alternative to road racing. There were steep ascents and descents and some slippery and muddy portions where one had to slow down to a walk, but there were numerous opportunities to run freely through the trails.

– Elevation chart of Salomon Xtrail 12k on my Garmin –

The course was secure, well-officiated, and very organized. Ample hydration and directional signs were provided. The post-race event atmosphere was casual and fun.  Highly recommend this race!  Congratulations to Salomon for a fantastic event!

——————————–

Time: 2:36:55
Distance: 12.43 km
Avg Pace: 12:38 min/km
Best Pace: 5:22 min/km

Yes, you read that right! It took us over 2 1/2 hours to cover 12km, but when you run (and walk) the trails with friends, time doesn’t really matter. We spent much of our time running through the wonderful trails of Tagaytay Highlands, grasping for vines or anyone’s hand when negotiating slippery slopes, gasping for breath when we climbed those awfully steep hills, or chatting and laughing about how slow we were going. Oh, we also cursed our good friend Neville Manaois who created the course, but forgave him as soon as we saw his rare smile at the finish line. (We love the guy no matter how much hell he gives us.) This Salomon Xtrail Run was all in good fun. A good break from the city roads and a perfect opportunity to celebrate running with friends. Now for the pictures:

– with Dr. Randy Molo, Hector and Mayen waiting for the 6am gun start for 12k –

– Waiting for the race to start. Thank you Lord for allowing the sun to rise already! –

– Check out that fog! And the road!  And the weather was perfect! Aaah, I loved this race atmosphere –

– More friends on the road! Nice bumping into Bobby Cruz and birthday girl Vima (Kulit Runner) –

– The road ends and we line up for the trails. This is what we came here for! –

– Hector Yuzon of Secondwind Running Store looked so at home in the trails –

– It was great seeing so many girls on the trails! –

– One must always stop and take photos on a trail run –

– Don’t be fooled by the smile. There were steep uphill climbs that left me panting. This was definitely a challenging course –

– Yes, that’s how steep it was! We hit the road on the last 3k of the route. We thought the race was almost over. Little did we know that the longest, steepest ascent I had ever encountered was waiting for us. We walked backwards, sideways, on grass…whatever worked to bring us closer to the finish ASAP! –

– So we were walking ever so slowly on the last few kilometers of our 12k run. Who else but Coach Ige Lopez overtakes us as he runs—yes, runs!—up that hill to end his 24k run! He didn’t look as happy as we did though hah! –

– Runners walking towards the finish after the steep climb –

– Last kilometer to the finish was an absurdly steep descent! –

– Walking gives you a lot of time to come up with great photos for Facebook –

– with the man to blame for the aching calves, muddy shoes, and soaked shirts, Neville Manaois –

– with friends from ROX Rain and Macel –

– with TBR Dream Marathon finisher Edwin of Runner’s Runner in the same costume he wore during TBR Dream. Remind me to wear all red compression tights next time. This guy doesn’t seem to break a sweat whether it’s a tough marathon or trail run –

– with Ian of Salomon. Congrats Salomon XTrail for a great event! –

Congratulations to the 483 finishers of TBR Dream Marathon 2012!

Please click this link for TBR Dream Marathon 2012 official results from Runrio: <<< TBRDM2012_RESULTS FINAL >>>

For any questions or clarifications, please do not comment below but contact Macel at macel(at)thebullrunner.com or TBR DM Hotline at SUN 0922-771-8014.