Category Archives: Race Reports

Event: CONDURA SKYWAY MARATHON 2012
Date: Sunday, Feb. 5, 2012
Venue: Filinvest Corporate City, Alabang

TBR Rating:

Apologies for the eight-day late race report, but for a race this huge, better late than none at all.

One of the most anticipated races of the country, the Condura Skyway Marathon 2012, turned the South and the Skyway into a grand runner’s playground at the stroke of midnight.

The race set-up was impressive with each wave (runners were segregated into waves, much like the New York City Marathon, to reduce traffic on the narrow Skyway entrance) starting before the Skyway Alabang entry while runners and spectators witnessed the gun start from above. The excitement—or anxiety—was palpable as runners of all shapes and sizes gathered for one of the must run races of the country. The race hosts, main host Noel Zarate and the host for  each wave start, did a great job in keeping the energy high for the event.

– Race start for a wave of 10k runners –

– Oooh, how exciting –

– Spectators watch from the top, myself included after I finished my 21k –

Needless to say, the highlight of the Condura Skyway Marathon was, er, running on the Skyway. The course took runners of all distances on the Skyway unlike in past years when only longer distances had the pleasure of running on higher ground. The weather was cool, even cold, at times on the Skyway. Marshals, medical teams, water stations, kilometer signs, and portalets, the basic requirements of a race, were available. Noticeably lacking were sports drinks that, for 21k, were only present at the turnaround and 15k. Except for this, the race was outstanding and well executed. The Skyway was, as expected, traffic free, clean, well-lit and reserved for runners to run to their heart’s delight.

The Condura-Filinvest Village was a grand set up that provided runners a place to eat, recover, mingle, and celebrate with others. Runners were given lootbags, free bananas, and impressive medals that one could truly be proud of.

To Ton and Patrick Concepcion, Event King, Neville Manaois, and the rest of the Condura Skyway Marathon team, congratulations on yet another outstanding race!

———————————

As for my run, there’s little to say about it. I registered for the half marathon; it was to be my first 21k for the year.

Just like the years that have passed, Condura is usually the race that jolts me out of the long, slow mode of running that started December and manages to extend itself until February. (Raise your hand if you’re with me!) I’m almost embarrassed to admit that instead of racing it, Condura turns out to be my test race to check my current fitness level. Most of the time, it’s Condura that flashes the “uh oh” sign and gets me revved up to train harder for the rest of the season.

– with Amela and Gladys May. Photo courtesy of Gladysmay Pascua-

At the assembly area, I got to chat with Anton and Mia Gonzales, Ton Gatmaitan, Cong. Gilbert Remulla, Tristan Choa, Rovilson Fernandez, and Sen. Pia Cayetano. (Wow, everyone really showed up for Condura regardless of the gun start time. For our 21k, race start was an early 3:00 AM.)

My first 16k was uneventful. It was fast and I pushed hard.  Uhm, maybe too hard for my unprepared legs…

– Skyway fun! Photo courtesy of Ken Mendola –

I ran with ease until, all of a sudden, my legs suddenly felt heavy. Simply put, I bonked. I couldn’t push any harder. Worse, I started getting chills and I felt dehydrated. I realized I lacked salt in my body due to my healthy diet the past weeks and knew I needed to drink Gatorade to replenish, but there wasn’t any. So, what was the best thing to do aside from drinking water? I walked and enjoyed the view. Isn’t that why we run on the Skyway? Hah!

I managed to pick myself up intermittently through the last few kilometers and run sprints every now and then. But, for the most part, it became a run-walk race for me until the end.

I crossed the finish line at 2:16 with a pace of 6:31/km. Not bad and not great either.

– with friends JaneJane from Cebu (she finished 4th! Congrats Jane!) and Rovilson. Photo courtesy of Spongebob Runner –

What was good though was what followed after. I met up with friends, most of whom ran the 42k, for a breakfast buffet at Bellevue to celebrate.

– TBR DM Batch 2012 Meet up. I missed it! Waaah! Photo courtesy of Ken –

– The people I run (and eat) with. Congrats to Miriam (PR!), JunB, JunC, and Lit for their marathon finish! –

The Califonia International Marathon is a point to point, net downhill race. It starts at Folsom Dam, a 20-minute ride from Sacramento and ends at the finish line at California State Capitol in Sacramento. The course offers gentle rolling hills which allows for fast times and, subsequently, a high number of Boston qualifiers. No wonder Runner’s World named it as one of the top 10 marathons to run your personal best.

My hotel, which was booked with runners of all shapes and sizes, hired a bus that would conveniently take us to Folsom at 5:15 am. Race start was 7:00 am.

– All wrapped up on the bus –

When I stepped out of the bus, I thought I died and went to the North Pole; it was freaking cold. There was no wind (thank-you-Lord!), but with temperature at the low 30s, my Sheddable Shell (tear away wind breaker purchased at NYCM for $10) with a throwaway long sleeve top plus fleece jacket couldn’t keep me warm! I was uncomfortable and I wanted to hide out in the bus until the gun was fired. But, I had to make a quick run for the portalet, check in my bag, and warm up.

– Runners kept warm with throwaways and trash bags –

– A wall of portalets. CIM has 1 portalet for every 26 runners. Pretty cool but there were still lines before the race start –

– Streets were filled with runners scrambling for last minute race preps –

I waited in the cold for less than 15 minutes, then headed off to the assembly area for race start.

– Just a few minutes before race start. Starting line is right behind me  –

THE START

CIM is a relatively small race with 8,000 runners registered. (Post-race results show that only 5,300 showed up and finished). The start isn’t crowded at all and makes for a pleasant experience. Most runners look experienced—slender, fit, and well-geared for the marathon.

Pace teams stood out with their black flags and pace times. The leaders for each pace team were friendly and experienced and would later give practical tips along the run. For newbies targeting a specific time, this type of system would help give them maintain pace. But, in this race, most runners who joined probably hoped to get that extra nudge to achieve their Boston qualifying time. This was one serious crowd of fast runners.

There was no major fanfare except for the Star Spangled Banner being sung. A few seconds after, we were off.

STEADY DOES IT

We ran through the small and peaceful residential neighborhood of Folsom. The sun was out, the run was slowly increasing our body temperature, and the sounds of our footsteps hitting the pavement was almost tranquilizing. We ran an easy downhill then up a minor ascent which warmed us up even more. There were locals—some in their pajamas—who stepped out of their homes early that morning to give us high fives and cheer us on.

The run was steady, but my legs still felt like lead due to the cool weather. My jacket and gloves were still on (I kept the gloves on until the race ended. Yes, that’s how cold it was!) yet I wasn’t breaking a sweat, literally. At one time, I bumped into good friend Lit and we agreed that our legs still weren’t fully warmed up, my nose was runny, and my lips were chapping. Offering him my chapsticks, I yelled: “Do you want my shlapsphtick?” Man, even my mouth was frozen!

I felt fully warmed up at around Km 8 to 10. And, when that happened, I suddenly felt like a well-oiled machine ready to keep on running. I put one foot in front of the other and never looked back. At Km 13, I turned my ipod on and gained extra strength (and inspiration) from my playlist. (Special thanks go out to Adele and Maroon 5.)

When they said CIM is a net downhill course, I feared it was downhill all the way which was no good for a marathon; it would tire our legs to be running the same way the entire time. Fortunately, this course offered gentle rolling hills. There were slight ascents, none harder than our very own Buendia Flyover killer, and the descents were gentle and easy on the knees. The roads were traffic-free, secure, and wide for most of the way. Race organizers did a good job in setting up this race. Truly the best course I have ever run for a marathon.

– All smiles! Gloves were off only after the potty break! haha –

LESSONS LEARNED

How many times have you heard runners say: “Running is a metaphor for life”? Well, marathons are much like life too. As you go along, you learn from your mistakes and successes, pick up a thing or two from those who know better, practice, practice, practice, and, when judgement day comes, you hope to be the better, stronger person you are shaped by your past.

– Fun and fast course! –

In this marathon, I practiced two key things that helped me finish the race:

1. RUN CONSERVATIVE IN THE FIRST HALF. I’ve heard and read this a hundred times before, but being the bullheaded person that I am, I always failed to practice it. After the big mistake at NYCM last month where lack of training due to my neuroma and an aggressive first half left me drained by Km 21, Lit reminded me to apply this principle again. A day before the race, I promised him I’d try thinking that I had nothing left to lose. I ran a conservative 6:20/km during the first Km 21 and found myself reaching Km 32 feeling great.

2. USE YOUR CORE. The day before I left for San Francisco, I ran with Ironman 70.3 2011 Champ and current TBR Magazine cover, Arland Macasieb. He gave me several tips on the Newton technique of running (I’ll post it here within the week) but what stood out was his advise to use my core, not the arms, to push forward. I practiced this during the race and felt like I could go on and on.

LAST FEW KILOMETERS

Much of CIM is run at Fair Oaks Boulevard at Folsom. I knew we entered Sacramento when the street names became letters and numbers. I spotted the street name: 53rd Street and wanted to delete it from memory.

You see, during the talk at the expo, we were forewarned that we should avoid looking at the street names during the last few kilometers. The race would end at 8th Street and counting down street numbers would only scare us about the distance. Well, it sure rattled me. 53rd street to 8th street. Woah boy, we had a long way to go.

Fortunately, this portion was all flat. And, again, the autumn trees did nothing but inspire me to plod on forward. I focused on taking one strong step at a time. Before I knew it, I was at 20th street, then 15th, and closing in on 8th.

RUNNING ALL THE WAY

Among all 7 marathons I’ve run, this was the first and only marathon that I felt strong until the end. For the first time, I had absolutely no long walking breaks; I actually ran all the way until the end!

I finished at 4:41, my second best marathon time after my Condura 2010 PR of 4:24. This was a whopping 40 minute improvement from my NYC Marathon finish exactly a month ago. With so little training due to my neuroma, I wonder about the possibilities of improved performance now that I’m fully recovered.

I crossed that finish alone overwhelmed with joy and beaming with pride. I wore that medal around my neck and met Pinoy friends for a wonderful picnic of free bagels, cookies, and bananas by the Capitol. A perfect way to end a perfect race.

Remember I said I wouldn’t run a marathon twice except for NYC Marathon which I finished in 2010 and 2011?  Okay, I take it back.  I would love to run CIM again…and again…and again.

– Majestic California State Capitol to greet us at the finish –

– with Nica (4:08 PR), JaneJane (4:09 PR), and Lit (4:38 PR) –

– Pinoy finishers of CIM –

– Fast runners of Team Cebu (Nica, Andrew, and JaneJane) with their relatives –

– Runners relaxing after the run on Capital Park grounds –

– Post marathon chatter is the best –

– Free banana, bagels, cookies, water, and beer for marathoners –

– with Nica at our little picnic as I sipped on my Gatorade recovery drink –

– Walking back to my hotel. Couldn’t stop smiling! –

Just finished the California International Marathon in Sacramento! WOW. This was one fast course that made for a marathon that was one of the most enjoyable, hassle-free, and fun courses I have ever run. Highly recommended!

Here’s a photo of fellow Pinoy runners and I at Capitol Park where the race ended. Everyone was happy with their time with most of them hitting their personal records.  I didn’t break my Condura Marathon PR, but  absolutely no worries, I still ran my 2nd best out of 7 marathons and it was 40 minutes faster than New York City Marathon which I ran a month ago. I’m on a high!

Left to right: Sisters Veronica and Jane-Jane Ong (4:08 and 4:09 respectively), myself (4:41, my 2nd best marathon time), and Lit Onrubia (4:38). Not in photo: Andrew Ong and Amale Jopson (the one who persuaded us to run here)

I’ll post a more detailed race report within the week! Just let me enjoy the food and shopping here in Sacramento and San Francisco a wee bit more!

Before the recent running boom, adidas King of the Road was once one of the few most anticipated races in Manila.  It was a must run race because it stood out as one of the bigger, more organized events in Bonifacio Global City unlike the smaller races in Roxas Blvd. at that time.

With bigger, grander races to look forward to last year, I felt that adidas KOTR was losing its touch.  Sure it was still a good race, but how could it possibly stand out among other races?  Admittedly, I wasn’t that excited about running KOTR in 2010.  Actually, I missed it.

For this year, I signed up for the race expecting a typical road race despite the hullaballoo over the new 16.8km distance that I couldn’t quite wrap my brain around.  I expected an average race, definitely none of the KOTR magic of the earlier years.  Woah boy, was I pleasantly surprised.

I ran the 21k as a training run in preparation for New York City Marathon.  I ran with fellow NYC Marathoner and TBR Dream Alumni, Rico Manuel and his friend, Angela, for the first few kilometers.  Midway through the race, I bumped into friends, Ton and Angel of Gatorade, and we then spotted Lit.  We then saw Joey Torres of Polo Tri who will also run NYCM.  Joey and Lit ran at a faster clip, while Ton, Angel and I ran easy for the rest of the race.  Throughout the run, I spotted friends along the way, some new acquaintances, others I hadn’t seen for over a year!

– Good times! Running with Joey, Ton, and Lit. Thanks to Spongebob Runner for the image –

Sometimes, a race can be memorable because of our performance.  Other times it can stand out because of the features of the event and great execution of its organizers.  For this race, I found that it was special because it reminded me of the good ol’ days when running in a road race was such a positive, energizing experience because of the people you spotted along the way.  You knew half of the runners on the road and you crossed the finish line welcomed by even more familiar faces.  Sure the races were smaller and less extravagant, but hey they were filled with happy memories.

Thanks to adidas KOTR for making me all sentimental and reminding me of those special times in running.  (Tissue please!)  It’s wonderful to have the old and great adidas King of the Road back!

[27 Aug 2011, Saturday | 4 am]

I woke up to hear the wind howling and the rain hitting our rooftop. While bad weather never stopped our run group from doing our long runs, this Saturday was different. Most, if not all of us, had been sick, were sick, or were going to get sick if we ran under the rain. 21k LSD? Pffttt…cancelled. I hopped back into bed after eating my pre-LSD breakfast. Oh yes, I needed those 300 calories for the intense sleep workout.

[Saturday | 8 am to 4 pm]

My thought every hour or so: Crap, I never miss long runs due to rain. Never.

[Saturday | 5 pm]

I knew I was being bullheaded about this, but hey that’s me! I was hell-bent on running come hell or high water. So, like a soldier preparing for war, I put on my rain gear to keep me from getting sick: Nike rain jacket (last time used: Nike Hood to Coast in Oregon), old pair of KSwiss Kwicky Blade Lights with old Spenco insoles, ipod shuffle wrapped in plastic, and emergency money wrapped in plastic. Then, I set off for war…or more like a great running adventure.

I ran almost 10km alone from 5:30 to 6:30 PM. My pace for the first 4k was 5:20/km. The speed was gratifying. I felt like the past two weeks of training had worked its magic as I didn’t have to work as hard to hit my tempo pace. Then the hills came, then I lost my way, then the rain got so strong I seriously started to doubt my sanity. I slowed down to breathe, let go of all worries, and enjoyed the run with Mother Nature as my highly excitable running buddy.

[28 Aug 2011, Sunday | 4 am]

Once again, I woke up to hear the heavy downpour outside but, as I learned the day before, skipping runs for flimsy reasons (like, uhm, my health) was not very good for my psyche. So, I got up and ready for Earth Run. I was set to do a 5k (since I thought I was running long the day before) and the awarding of finishers for the program.

As I waited in the assembly area with Rico, a TBR Dream finisher who’s training for NYCM as well, I was still figuring out what distance I was gonna run. And, even when the gun was fired, I still had absolutely no clue!

Miraculously, the weather cleared just in time for the race. It was a cloudy day, just perfect for a run. I ran alongside the 21k runners in full speed but wondering all along what the hell I was doing there. I knew I couldn’t cover this distance unless I wanted race organizers to kill me for not showing up for the awarding. So, I just ran, and ran, and ran.

When the 21k runners hit Buendia, I went off course and headed back for the race start. I pulled out my race bib and officially pulled out of the race. I created my own course instead and tried to cover as much distance as I could. I ran for 1 hour and 3 minutes to cover over 11km. My pace was 5:47/km.

– Runners posing for the cam after the race –

– with Joel Andrada of Cherifer Premium, a co-presenter of Earth Run, along with 2nd Avenue –

– Met Babu and her dog who ran 10k (not in pic but she’s by our feet). Photo courtesy of Albert Imperial –

– Cherifer Premium girls. I am so tempted to give them shorts, pull their hair up in pony tails, and get them to start running 3k –