Category Archives: Race Reports

I’m back from a fantastic Kuala Lumpur trip sponsored by Newton and CW-X where I joined the Standard Chartered Kuala Lumpur Half Marathon yesterday.

While I try to catch up on sleep (our flight was in the wee hours of the morning), allow me to share the good news: Mary Grace de los Santos, a Cebu-based 25 year old runner from Zamboanga, bagged 2nd Place female category at the KL Marathon.  Mabuhay ang Pilipinas!

– Mary Grace de los Santos wins 2nd Place Women’s Category KL Half Marathon –

It was a proud day for our small Filipino contingent. It was actually just Mary Grace, Renze of Newton, and myself in this video:

During dinner after the race, I asked Mary Grace if she felt any pressure or stress to win the race.  In all humility, she shook her head saying that she felt confident about winning.  She did admit that she was shivering as she stood at the starting line, but it was due to the cold from the slight drizzle. Hah!

– Grace at the starting line –

Mary Grace’s PR for a half marathon is 1:24 recorded at The Great Lapu Lapu Run last March 2010.  The winning time of the 1st placer at KL half marathon, a Kenyan, was 1:24.  The 3rd placer came in 2 mins. after Mary Grace.

Both 1st and 3rd placers had pacers by their side, but Mary Grace was all by her lonesome.  She said that she slowed down considerably when 42km runners and half marathoners filled water stations.  (I was actually surprised to hear that she even stopped to drink considering her time!)

– Grace at the awarding –

Congratulations once again to Mary Grace who did the Philippines proud yesterday!  Hats off to Toby Claudio, Renze Banawa and the entire Newton and CW-X team who provided support and exposure to Mary Grace.  I was a witness to how Renze of Newton took good care of Mary Grace during the entire trip.  He contacted the race organizer to ensure that Mary Grace was included in the front line with the elite and woke up at 3 a.m. to accompany her for the elite warm up sessions before race day.  He did all that and still managed to finish his 1st half marathon with a time of 1:51.

More stories about KL Marathon within the week!  For now, I’ll leave you with this video of the awarding of the 1st Placer at the 42k Male division:

There are a million stories to share from TBR Dream Marathon last Saturday. But, I’ll save that for the rest of the week.

What comes first is a million thanks to everyone who shared in this dream and made it a reality.  My heart is bursting with gratitude to the outpouring of support not just for myself but for all the 300 runners who committed to running their first marathon.  Thank you so much to the following:

TBR DREAM MARATHONERS: To the TBR Dream Marathoners who trusted us with their first marathon, thank you!  We appreciate your patience, dedication, generosity and support.  We did this together!  Congratulations!  As we always say “You’ll never forget your first.”  It was our first too and it will be unforgettable.

JIM LAFFERTY: One fateful day in Ayala Alabang, I told Jim about my dream to inspire and motivate runners to run their first marathon, he replied “Create your own TBR race.” He gave me the confidence and guidance to see it through.  He expected more from me than I ever thought possible.  For that, I will forever be grateful.

NEVILLE MANAOIS: My vision was a race that had heart and soul. I wanted a marathon that treated runners not as numbers on a race bib, but as individuals who dreamed for something bigger than themselves.  The first (and only) person that came to mind was Neville. He took care of me in the last 10km of my first marathon and my only request to him was that he cared for all TBR Dream Marathoners the same way.

EDWARD KHO: We’ve only known each other for less than a year, but Edward dropped everything to help TBR Dream without expecting anything in return.  He said that when he spent time with the marathoners, he didn’t feel tired at all.

RAYMUND MARTELINO: It couldn’t be a race that was all heart, so Raymund was the rational and objective side of TBR Dream when it came to matters of business.  During the race, he took on a dual role as legal counsel and race volunteer.

CREATIVE JUICE: CJ, led by my sis, Janice, and bro-in-law, Gary, expertly managed our logistical concerns for the race and sponsors. By doing that, we were able to focus on the runners. The entire staff worked long hours for us with a smile.

NUVALI: NUVALI came into the picture as a venue sponsor, but as the months went by, NUVALI was more like a partner in TBR Dream providing all out support and assistance not just on race day, but also in Bull Session clinics.  Thank you to NUVALI GM and TBR Dream Marathoner, Jun Bisnar, and the rest of the NUVALI team.

DREAM CHASERS: Sure we planned for a lot of perks: face towels, food, drinks, and a medal to greet you at the finish.  But, the one thing that stood out in this race which we are proud of, is that it wasn’t about TBR; it was about the running community coming together to help the TBR Dream Marathoners achieve their dream.  I heard stories of selfless Dream Chasers who stood under the sun, running with one participant after another, leading them towards the finish.  Hats off to each one of our Dream Chasers!

VOLUNTEERS: It wasn’t easy to spend 10 long hours handing out drinks to the runners, but our hydration station marshals did this and more.

MY DEAREST FRIENDS: You are too many to name, but I thanked each one of you personally.  Thank you for believing in this dream and providing your support.  You didn’t just help me, but you helped to change the lives of hundreds of individuals.

RUNNERS’ FRIENDS AND FAMILY: To the family, friends, and supporters of each runner, you were as much a part of this momentous occasion as the participants themselves.  By your presence, you showed your runner how important they are in your lives.

THE HUBBY: He listened to all my bullish plans and crazy dreams and never told me it was impossible.  He celebrated with me during my tiny triumphs during race planning and put up with me when I was tired, sick, or stressed. For all that and more, thank you! Mwah!

CO-PRESENTERS: Nike Park, Oakley, and HSBC.  The TBR Dream Marathon was conceptualized to be the best and most ideal first marathon for runners.  We wanted to work with top-notch brands who were known to give the best in their respective categories.  To Nike Park, Oakley, and HSBC, thank you!

MAJOR SPONSORS: Secondwind Running Store, Nature Valley, Cecon, Gatorade, Phiten, P&G, Finish Line, Photovendo, and NUVALI

REGULAR SPONSORS: Hammer Nutrition, Timex, Dole, Alaxan FR, Hersheys, ROX, Res Toe Run, Chris Sports, Tang Fruit Teaz, Tiger, Krispy Kreme, Starbucks, Hidden Spring, and Jack N’ Jill Nova

MEDIA PARTNERS: Men’s Health, Multisport, RunTV, Run Radio

* Some photos courtesy of Raymund Martelino and Junrox Roque.

TBR REVIEW: CHASE THE SUN, THE NEUTROGENA RUN

Rating:

Organizer: Finish Line

THUMBS UP:

• well-organized 5k run
• nice challenging 10k route
• free Neutrogena lotion right before the race
• coolest finisher’s shirt designed by Team Manila
• generous loot bags filled with J&J goodies
• post-race activities included post-run massage, bungee trampoline ride, and more
• Red Mango yogurt and Fruit Magic in the event area
• Mist fans to combat the heat
• use of timing chip

BETTER JOB NEXT TIME:

• N/A

Chase The Sun: The Neutrogena Run was one of those small, relaxed races that allow you to enjoy the event without much stress or traffic. The race was small compared to the monstrous races like Century Tuna or United Run, but with the 2,400 runners who showed up for the race, one could say it was still well-attended.

I cannot give you a complete race review as I literally ran through my own problems during the race and had to DNF (more on that when you scroll down), but I was present for the post-race activities. I can tell you that Neutrogena pulled out all the stops in that arena with the loaded lootbags, awesome finishers’ shirt, and all the wonderful post race activities.  It was fun event that had everyone going home with tons of freebies in their hands and a lot of happy memories.

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CHASE THE SUN…AND A RUN!

For the past two weeks, I was troubled with fever, cough, headaches, gastroenteritis, and diarrhea.  It left me with a depressing 12km mileage for the entire week last week.  This was the first time in probably two years when I got a viral illness at all.  I remember telling hubby a few months ago that I couldn’t even remember the last time I had a sore throat.  Then, all I do is get stressed and…wam…bam…I’m sick with all the illnesses I managed to avoid in the past couple of years.

So, I loaded up on antibiotics (thanks to my fake doctor Francis G. for the prescription!) a few days before Chase the Sun race hoping that I could…er…chase the sun!  Of course I wanted to run the race which had my face plastered on tv and collaterals, but more than that, I just wanted to run BADLY.  And, more than that, I was itching to run FAST.

FREEDOM TO SHOES

I signed up for the 10k weeks before and I was excited about it.  The one thing that I love about 10ks is the freedom to experiment with shoes.  I think everyone knows that I feel safest using my Nike Lunar Glides for long runs because it’s the tried and tested pair for me, but when it comes to 10ks or below, I can get away with experimenting on other brands and models.  For this run, I pulled out my Asics Gel DS-Trainers, a light stability shoe that I thought would be perfect for me in race mode.

A FAST 10K RUN…NOT!

When the gun went off, I left hubby and Lit behind and ran on my own. This was serious business. My average pace at the the first kilometer was 5:03 min/km.  I felt fine and, even better, I felt strong and fast. It felt great to finally run again!

At Km 2 and Km 3, my pace was 5:08 and 5:12 respectively.  Not bad. I was still in high spirits, excited over the ability to run again.  And, by golly, the shoes were fantastic.  I had trained in them before, but never raced in them.  I felt like I was flying.

Then…in the blink of an eye…the speed was gone.  Suddenly, I felt deflated. All my energy zapped out of me and it was a wee bit more difficult to breathe.  Then, I started getting chills.  Uh oh.  I slowed down to 5:22, half wishing I could still run even if I knew I should stop.

At 4km, the 10k route was leading us towards the Buendia Flyover.  I had to make a decision to run up Buendia and complete the 10k or to quit so that I could run/walk back to the finish line.

DNF

Like a good little girl, I decided to DNF. I stopped my Garmin at 4.7 km with a time of 24:48.  Had I signed up for a 5k and completed it, I would have gotten a new PR.  Oh yes, you shouldn’t be surprised that that was the first thought that came to mind even as I was coughing all the way back to the finish!

TBR REVIEW: THE GREAT LAPU LAPU RUN

Rating:

Organizers: Nonoy Jopson and race director Raffy Uytiepo

THUMBS UP:

• small-town festive atmosphere
• wonderful view of Cebu along Mandaue-Mactan bridge
• presence of pacers
• unbelievably accurate kilometer markers
• abundant water and Gatorade in long tables
• use of timing chip

BETTER JOB NEXT TIME:

• no road closure on narrow two-lane roads along with vehicular traffic
• late start – clock was being connected 5 minutes before race start
• lack of marshals – there was a spot where I had to stop and check if I was still on the race route
• Jollibee plastic cups were used at the water stations – Jollibee was not a race sponsor so why were the cups from them? This made me think twice about drinking from the stations. I drank Gatorade all the way instead.  (Note from Nonoy: Jollibee provided new, clean cups for the race and these were not recycled.)

The Great Lapu-Lapu Run was organized by the Lapu-Lapu City Government and the Lapu Lapu City Tourism Cultural and Historical Commission. I believe they hoped to showcase the beaches and landmarks of the city along the route.

– near Mactan Shrine –

Highlight of the race would have to be the beautiful Mandaue-Mactan bridge. This made the entire race unforgettable. There were several areas of improvement, such as the traffic and late start, which will hopefully be corrected in future races. My humble recommendations for next year: 1) close the road to traffic, 2) allow the route to enter the various hotels in the area, such as Shangrila Mactan and Imperial Palace, 3) encourage the locals to cheer along the route.  Get these done and the race has the potential of being a great tourist-runner’s run.

For a “tourist runner” such as myself, I couldn’t help but compare this with Cebu Marathon, my first race in Cebu. If Cebu Marathon made me feel like royalty as guest of the city, the Great Lapu-Lapu Run allowed me to experience the good and the bad, like a Lonely Planet traveler. Mind you, this was not such a bad thing.

All in all, it was an experience to remember, a thrilling adventure for a runner traveler like myself.

– assembly area –

– a runner crossing the finish –

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SLOW AND SAFE

The race started in Mactan Shrine, just a 20 minute drive from our hotel. Hubby and I got to the assembly area thanks to Amale Jopson, wife of super triathlete and The Great Lapu Lapu Run race organizer, Noy Jopson, who were kind enough to lend their househelp to watch our kids as we raced.

We parted ways in a rush as hubby and I rushed for a last minute bathroom visit. We saw Magellan and Lapu-Lapu standing before us and truly felt we were touring Cebu.

Until the start of the race, I wasn’t sure about my race plans. Fast or slow? At the very last minute, I chose the latter as previous days’ activities (read: swimming all day at the beautiful Imperial Palace) left me feeling exhausted for a PR attempt.

I was to run with hubby for his 9:1 run:walk interval training for TBR Dream Marathon. We set our Garmins to beap at 9 mins and we were off.

QUEZON NATIONAL HIGHWAY

Majority of the run through Quezon National Highway is a blur now. I know we ran by the beach, but we couldn’t see much of it. It was a run through the narrow roads of Cebu with cars passing us by. One time I almost got sideswiped by a speeding motorcycle. But, hey, I was on an “adventure” and I was not one to complain.

Every now and then, we would pass Cebuano runners who would happily greet us and we would do the same. There were a couple of times when children lined up in rows stretched out their hands for high fives.  I high-fived them back feeling  Our run:walk strategy was keeping us strong and we were doing quite well. Thank you.

– Runners in costume. Wish I was just as daring and creative! –

THE MANDAUE-MACTAN BRIDGE

Highlight of the race would have to be the beautiful Mandaue-Mactan bridge. The steep ascent was a wonderful challenge and a great workout for the quads and the subsequent downhill was a satisfying gift where I practiced my Chi Running again.

It was only at this point when hubby and I temporarily parted ways as I always find it more difficult to run slow when confronted with uphills. Let’s just say my mindset is: “Get this over and done with.” while hubby thinks: “Let’s take this slow and easy. Little steps at a time.” I think he’s doing the right thing, actually.

We had to tour below the bridge for another set of climbs and downhills before leaving this area. This was truly my favorite part of the race.

LAST 3KM

We went back to the highway again and hubby and I started to slow down. One marshal yelled last 5km only for me to find out from my Garmin that there was 7km to go. After that incident, I noticed that the kilometers went by a lot slower than I had hoped. The heat started to get more intense…or maybe it was all in the mind?

The most challenging part of the race was the last 3km. It was mentally challenging as we had passed the finish line already, only to run an additional 3km out through the traffic and heat. What made this portion more difficult was that we were forced to negotiate the roads, along with motorcycle drivers who did the same. We literally had to find our space through traffic as the narrow two-lane road was filled with vehicles.

Thankfully, hubby and I made it to the finish exhausted but happy. We finished at a relaxed 2:23, a good training adventure run for us.

– with the girls –

– with PAL runners from Manila –

After photos and chats with Cebuano runners, we headed back to the hotel for some R&R with the kids.

TBR RACE REVIEW: GLOBE RUN FOR HOME 2010

Organizer: Finishline

Rating:

THUMBS UP:

• New assembly area. First time a race started in Ayala Triangle.
• Challenging route.
• Overflowing water and Powerade at stations. Sponges were plentiful!
• Timing chip.
• Great set up for post-race booths and events.

BETTER JOB NEXT TIME:

• Inaccurate kilometer markers
• Distance was too long for 21k
• No medal???

The unique race start and course was the best selling point of the Globe Run for Home 2010. Sure enough, I was sold!

With the assembly area at Tower One along Ayala Ave., the race felt like a world-class urban run, much like Singapore’s Standard Chartered Marathon at Esplanade. The run through the city’s narrow roads and Greenbelt’s tunnel was a new experience for runners. Although the course was similar to the usual course for past races, the route took runners from Ayala towards Bonifacio Global City, instead of the other way around. Who knew that running the route from the other end could be so different?!

Congratulations to Globe and Finishline for a good race!

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LOST IN LIMBO LAND

I was goal-less for this race and it was awful. As I stood in the 21k race start with the hubby, I thought about my target pace and time. It was absolutely frightening that my mind was completely blank.  I didn’t know if I was going to run easy or hard, with hubby and Lit or solo, with music or not.  All I knew was that I looked forward to running long again after so much time off.

GOODBYE PR, HELLO FUN

After the first few kilometers, I pretty much knew this was not gonna be a PR run.  I just didn’t have it in me nor did my legs. Still, I didn’t run too easy either.  I had yet to burn the extra pounds from HK, remember?

I had a lot of fun running through this course. Highlights for me were the Greenbelt portion and the longer-than-usual route inside Heritage Park. It was nice bumping into friends throughout the race, especially Bataan Death March finishers, Charlie and Alvin.  While I suffered from legs that hadn’t fully recovered from HK Marathon, these two looked so strong, you wouldn’t think they had just survived a 102km ultramarathon a couple of weeks before.

HAPPY FINISH

I finished with an unofficial time of 2:11 (excluding my bathroom break at Jollibee). My Garmin recorded a distance of 22.3km, which I can’t rely on as I lost GPS signal at the race start and in the Greenbelt area.  It wasn’t the best time, but I thoroughly enjoyed the long run.

– Near the finish. (Thanks to Vima, Kulit Runner for the photo!) –

LIKE A KID AGAIN

As I waited for hubby, I bumped into highschool classmates Jennie of Bautech and Tintin. As all highschool friends are, we talked about the past.  But, we also touched a bit on the future, specifically our next goal races.  Turns out the two of them are joining SuBIT (Subic Triathlon) on May 1.  Ooooh boy, just the thought gave me goosebumps, but it got me excited about a new goal!  Should I?  Can I?  Hmmm, will I?  I’ll decide by the end of this week!  (Anyone got a bike to loan me?)