The Bull Runner Race Reports Archives - Page 26 of 36

Eco Dash Race Report

Monday, 14 September 2009 | Race Reports

TBR RACE REVIEW: ECO-DASH: THE AYALA MALLS ENVIRONMENT RUN
Overall rating (10 highest): 7

THUMBS UP:
• Enjoyable race course.
• Organizers set up tents for runners due to the rain.
• Race was delayed by 30 mins to accommodate late runners due to the rain.
• Adequate water and Gatorade at stations.

BETTER JOB NEXT TIME:
• Lack of km markers along the route.

The Eco Dash was a well-organized and smooth run (no pun intended). The half marathon course took runners around Glorietta, which was a delightful change from the usual Buendia route. Despite the pouring rain, the organizers managed the affair fairly well, providing tents and delaying race start to wait for runners who arrived late due to the weather. The Eco Dash was one of those races that you could miss, but had you joined, you would’ve left feeling glad that you did.

———————————

BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR

The night before the race, I did a little rain dance, sang a couple of out of tune songs, and placed this in my Facebook status and twitter pages: “all set for the Eco Dash half marathon tomorrow. I hope it rains!”

At 3:45 a.m., hubby and I woke up to the wonderful sound of the pitter-patter of raindrops on our roof. I got my wish…woohoo! Then, within a few minutes, the rain poured madly and loudly. Uh oh, this was much more than I asked for, I thought. But, what the heck, we dressed, packed our rain jackets into our bags, and left the house…albeit a little bit late.

BETTER LATE THAN NEVER

The half marathon race start was 5:00 a.m. I arrived at the Bonifacio High Street parking lot at 5:25 a.m. Thankfully, the organizers moved all race start times 30 minutes later as most runners were late as well.

I left hubby to park (his 10k race started at 6:00 a.m.) and headed for the starting chute. There, I found Mon Domingo of Happy Feet who introduced me to Leo Valdez, yes the ultra-talented singer who played the engineer in Miss Saigon. As if on cue, my good friend, Kim (same name as the lead character in Miss Saigon) approached me along with her friend, Ivy. We chat briefly until the race begins.

SOAKED AND SMILING

My target pace for this half marathon was 6:40 min/km, in other words, kwento- or chatting-pace, which is my favorite pace of all! I find that, at this pace, the time flies by quickly and I usually end the run without injury nor pains in my legs. Sure, I won’t end with a PR, but that really isn’t my goal for now.

It was great then that I found myself running alongside good friends JunC (Solemates) and Dindo (runningDATcom), who has been sorely missed after his Milo Marathon a few months back. We ran together under the rain, chatting away about anything under the…rain.

The strong rains didn’t let up: we ran wet and soaked. In the beginning, I would try to avoid puddles to avoid getting my feet wet, but after a while, it just didn’t matter anymore. The weather was cool and sometimes windy, which was good since I didn’t feel tired nor thirsty at all. I took my Fuel Belt with me—2 8-0z bottle of Gatorade and 1 bottle of water—but only sipped after the first 10km. That’s how cool it was! I cannot count how many times I told my running buddies “This is so much fun!”

From Bonifacio Global City until we descended Buendia flyover to head off to Lawton, the three of us ran side-by-side. When we reached Chowking, I bid them goodbye as I had to make a visit to the little girls’ room. When I got out, I bumped into another friend, Charlie, who I hadn’t seen for quite some time as well.

Charlie and I chatted through the rest of the race. There was talk about massage, ITBS (the evil injury we’re both plagued with), triathlons, and many more. Before we knew it, we were down to the last kilometer to the finish. Jonel (BugoBugo), who had finished and was running the opposite way for his extended long run, accompanied us instead until the finish line. Jonel told us “Finish strong. Go for a sprint.” I was feeling strong, but I replied to Jonel “Nah, it’s okay. I’m running slow and easy until the end.” That really was my plan, and that’s how I ended it with a smile.

My Polar recorded a time of 2:14 (I paused it during my bathroom break). Not bad for a happy run with friends.

* Sorry, no race photos! I enjoyed the run so much, I completely forgot to pull out the camera!

Mommy Milkshake Marathon Year 3

Tuesday, 8 September 2009 | Race Reports

I didn’t join this one to race. I came to provide moral support to the organizer (my sister and friends!), to take a stand for breastfeeding, to run (of course!), and last but not the least, to enjoy!

The atmosphere in Mommy Milkshake Marathon Year 3 at Bonifacio Global City last Sept. 5 was laid-back and fun. With a jester juggling, a man on stilts, a big blue teddy bear mascot, and moms and kids strolling about, a runner would’ve thought he stumbled into a kiddie party instead of a run. But, one quick look at the sea of pink runners pinning their race bibs, stretching, or warming up, and one would know it was truly a fun run.

– with my sis and partner for Urban Mom Magazine, Janice Villanueva, and our dear friend, Rome Kanapi, childbirth preparation class instructor –

– Mesh (My Iron Shoes), Ting, Bards (Banana Running) and friends –

– My cousins, Camille and Candy and daughter, Katie, with Tonette, future marathoner –

– Charmaine (Correr Conmigo) and Taki (Techspec) with their unstoppable little runner, Meekha –

– They look like running twins! –

The great thing about this run was the variety of runners that showed up: non-runners such as pregnant and breastfeeding moms, newbie runners hoping to gain their first friendly race experience, serious runners bringing friends and family along, hardcore ultramarathoners (in pink too, mind you), and even the elite. Despite the various backgrounds, runners of all shapes and sizes were there to have a good time.

– Off we go! –

– Hardcore runners: Bald Runner, Lester, Mari and Jonel –

– Kids and dogs joined the fun –

– Recent Ironman 70.3 team relay finisher (swim leg), Maricel Laxa-Pangilinan and her Lola finishing the 3k –

– Swthrt (Broj) and son –

– Mariel (Solemates) and daughter Mica –

As for me, I planned on running 15k (and the hubby 10k) before Mommy Milkshake, plus another 5k with the hubby and kids. Due to the rains, I slept longer than expected (whoops!) and thought it best to keep the kids at home. So, the hubby and I arrived at the race with enough time to run only 5k. We ran 5k during the race after which I ran another 6k to complete a full 16k as prescribed in my training program. It was an enjoyable run under cool weather. Even better with great friends and family around!

– with Mariel, Bea, Sofia, and Mika, Marga, Patrick and friends, hubby, Vimz and Art and their kids, Aljo –

– with Marga, Patrick (Nike+ 5k Challenger on Run Radio), and hubby. Congrats on your “bitin” 3k, Patrick! –

– Fun, fun, fun! That’s what it’s about, guys! –

Hood to Coast: Best Race Ever!

Sunday, 6 September 2009 | Favorite Posts, Race Reports

“You’re tougher than you think you are,
and you can do more than you think you can.”
– Ken Chlouber on the Leadville Trail 100 (Born to Run, Christopher McDougall)

It was my turn to run. As I saw Cool Aussie running towards me, I took a deep breath, grabbed the green band from his hand, and set off to run my first leg.

LEG 10: Windy Run through the Backroads of Oregon…Fantastic!

Time: 2:30 p.m.
Weather: Cloudy and windy
Temperature: 27C
Description: “Long leg mostly along Springwater Trail then city streets over relatively rolling and flat terrain”

– Springwater Trail –

By this time, the intense heat that scorched my teammates during their run had dissipated and I was blessed with cool weather with winds blowing upon my face. The long paved road I was running on was narrow—just enough for two runners to run alongside each other—with trees lining both sides. I glanced at the road ahead with pure excitement, cranked up my speed, and put on my race face.

I swept past a few runners, but could not, for the life of me, outrun one older lady runner. After a few kilometers, we settled into a comfortably hard pace and run side-by-side. Boy, she was tiring me out. When we reached a turn on the road leading to a short climb towards even narrower roads, I spotted my teammates waiting to provide support. I smiled, waived off the drink they were offering, and sped off to leave lady runner behind.

This was the time I managed to admire my surroundings: abundance of nature around me, fresh air, and the sound of only panting runners, made me smile no matter how tired I was. I remember thinking how absolutely happy I was at that very moment and thanking God once again for such a great opportunity to run.

The run was much longer than I thought. After throwing all I’ve got during the first few kilometers (a common mistake for overly eager runners), I realized I was tiring out. I was glad to see city roads which meant I was nearing the exchange point, but it was a long ascent towards the finish. I trudged along, made a right turn towards the end, and excitedly searched for my teammates, especially Fast Boy, who was the next runner.

RUN DATA:
Distance: 10km*
Time: 54.19
Ave. Pace: 5:25 min/km*
Ave. Cadence: 87
Ave. Altitude: -12m
Ascent/Descent: 15m/25m

* adjusted from uncalibrated Polar reading

Among the crowd of runners, I yelled out with outstretched hands “Where are my teammates?!!!” They were nowhere in sight. I was about to exit the exchange area until a marshal said it was against the rules. I waited, and waited, and waited. A runner told me “I feel sorry for you. Your team abandoned you.” I didn’t think so, I was sure something had happened. Did they lose their way? Or worse, did they get into an accident? I replied, “Oh, it’s okay. I feel sorry for the next runner who’ll have to make up for lost time.”

After a long wait, my teammates arrived. They mistakenly drove towards the next exchange point, skipping mine. Fast Boy ran his leg and we all entered the van laughing. This little mishap essentially spelled out our van’s mission for the race: to have fun. Other teams would’ve labelled this a “mess up,” or blamed each other for the lost time, but not our team. As we drove off, our van captain, Cool Aussie, said that this little mishap made our race experience all the more richer. In between bites of chicharon, we agreed.

HOTEL BREAK

When all six of us completed our legs, we turned over the band to Van 1 and headed back to the hotel. We showered, rested a bit in our own rooms, and met again at 9 p.m. to head to the next exchange point.

– Bumping into Team Singapore Noodles just outside the hotel –

LEG 22: Wet and wild night run

Time: 1:10 a.m.
Weather: Cold and rainy
Temperature: 20C
Description: “Gradual up and downhills on paved but narrow back country roads”

– It was cold, wet, and dark by the time we reached the exchange point –

– The start of Leg 2 for all of us at Van 2. Here’s Van 1 turning over the time sheet to Van 2 –

Before my run, CK had run her leg with no incident. As Coco run his tough uphill leg, we had yet another mishap where we waited for him in the dead of the night along the course, only to discover that he had been waiting for us at the finish for some 30 minutes. (It was so dark out that he probably ran past us on the road.) As usual, we had a good laugh about this mishap. Cool Aussie, as usual, ran a fast leg in the dark.

By this time, it was freezing cold. I wore a long-sleeved top, long tights, jacket, beanie, and gloves, yet every time I stepped out of the van, my teeth would start chattering. The rains didn’t help at all.

As I prepared for my second leg, I also wore the reflective night vest over my rain jacket, chose to carry the torch instead of a headlamp, plus I added a cap to wear on top of my beanie. I left the gloves behind. I was nervous and scared about this run. I had never run this early in the morning in the dark, and here I was making my first attempt in unknown territory.

I saw Cool Aussie coming in, grabbed the band from him, and climbed up the narrow trail along with a handful of runners. After a few meters, the terrain changed to paved roads but the ascent was steep—similar to the zigzagged roads of Baguio—that I was short of breath. The thin, cold air made it all the more difficult to breathe. It was so cold that in my second kilometer, my upper lip completely went numb!

I was having some difficulty with the torch, too. In pitch black, with every swing of my arm, the light would sway back and forth ahead of me; it was like running in a disco and it was getting me dizzy. I shut it off for a few seconds, and in an instant, I could see absolutely nothing, I turned it on and swore to God I would never scare myself that way again.

The entire time, I ran on the left side of the road at the edge of the mountain; one misstep and I could fall into nothingness. One time, as I tried to fix my beanie which was sliding off my head, I didn’t realize that I was veering off to the left (one doesn’t notice these things while running full speed ahead in the dark). When I focused my torch on the road, I was so close to the edge that I could’ve slid off in a step or two! Phew.

After the long climb, it was all downhill to the end. I abhor downhills as they’re bad for my knees, so I ran fast but practiced caution. Before I knew it, I could see Fast Boy waiting for me at the end. CK grabbed me by the arm to lead me to the car. Coco asked my time and I looked at my watch in the dark and said “1:10” Geez, 1 hour 10 minutes for approx. 11k? That was slower than expected. No worries, I submitted that time anyway. (It was only when I got back to Manila that I discovered I submitted the time of day, not my actual time! Whoops)

RUN DATA:
Distance: 10.96 km*
Time: 1:00 hour
Ave. Pace: 5:27 min/km*
Ave. Cadence: 88
Ave. Altitude: 29m
Ascent/Descent: 120m/180m

* adjusted from uncalibrated Polar reading

BACK TO SCHOOL

After our van finished our legs, we set off for a local highschool that offered hot showers and sleep areas at their gym for all Hood to Coast runners. For $2, we got to wash up (in a public shower…oh boooy!) and we got to secure our own tiny spot on the gym floor where close to a hundred runners lay in the dark getting as much sleep as they could before it was time to run off again.

– Our home away from home –

– Yes, that’s what we needed! –

By 7 a.m., we got up, and without washing our faces nor brushing our teeth, we loaded our van with gas and headed off for the next exchange station.

– Our view as we entered the car to start our 3rd leg –

LEG 34: Tough and Tiring

Time: 11:22 a.m.
Weather: Cool and rainy
Temperature: 22C
Description: “Very short leg in length with gently rolling hills along paved country roads”

Surprisingly, I didn’t feel sleepy nor tired that morning. I was looking forward to my last leg which, based on the course description, sounded like it was going to be easy. CK had decided to run the last leg with our last runner, Hyper T, so Coco chose to run my seemingly easy leg along with me.

– Runners that passed us as we waited for our runner, Cool Aussie –

– Coco yelled out to a male runner “My teammate loves you!” referring to Hyper T. Unfortunately, it was Fast Boy standing beside him! –

– Photo op with the big red barn while waiting –

– There’s our runner, Cool Aussie! –

For the 3rd and last time, I grabbed the green wristband from Cool Aussie and ran full speed ahead. Coco stayed right behind me.

By the first kilometer, after one major uphill climb, I yelled at Coco and told him “Go ahead if you want to. I’m super tired.” And, I was telling the truth. I felt like that first climb had yanked all the energy out of me and finally all the hours of running and traveling had caught up with me. I don’t even remember what he answered, but he remained right behind.

So much for “gently rolling hills,” I thought. These hills we were running were not gentle; they were aggressive and angry! The hills would not let up. After one hill, there would be another, and another, and another. I continued to plod on forward, but I was falling apart. Thankfully, on the middle of the road, our van awaited and provided us with Gatorade, which allowed me to push forward once again. We even managed to enjoy the sights when we passed a huge plot of land filled with the most cows I had ever seen.

– Ack, I get tired just seeing this photo! –

The last uphill was the toughest. It was long and arduous and I felt like I wasn’t making progress even as I took one step at a time. Slowly but surely, we reached the top and a few meters ahead, I saw Fast Boy and turned over the band to him.

– We did it! –

Wow, we survived! I finished my three legs in one piece and with no injury! What an amazing experience!

RUN DATA:
Distance: 6.85 km*
Time: 35:51
Ave. Pace: 5:14 min/km*
Ave. Cadence: 86
Ave. Altitude: 5m
Ascent/Descent: 50m/35m

* adjusted from uncalibrated Polar reading

– Race conditions before the last leg for Hyper T and CK. It was cold and muddy –

– Right before they got their jackets and set off to run –

BEACH PARTY!

The Nike Hood to Coast Race ends at the beach in Seaside, a picturesque little town which came to life with decorated vans and thousands of runners walking about in the streets.

– Town of Seaside –

Cool Aussie, Coco, Fast Boy and I headed for the finish area and waited for our runners CK and Hyper T to come in. After a few minutes, we spotted Hyper T and watched her cross the finish line to mark an amazing finish for Team Singapore Chili Crabs.

– Last few hundred meters towards the finish –

– Finish line –

– Nike area –

– Nike Japan team…heehee –

We met up with the rest of our teammates and Singapore Noodles at the Nike area on the beach. Against the background of the cloudy sky and the Pacific Ocean, we had tons of food to eat, beer, and lot of stories to share for hours.

BEST RACE EVER

The Nike Hood to Coast relay is what you make of it. Our team dove into the adventure with nothing but fun (and a little bit of competitiveness) in mind, so we came home with a treasure trove of happy stories to tell and memories to cherish. I will never forget the three different race experiences I had on those three legs (especially Leg 22), the great teammates I loved being stuck with for over 24 hours in a dirty, stinky van, the many mistakes we made yet laughed about, the beauty of Oregon I saw by foot, and of course, the lessons I learned along the journey. As many of us said after the trip, it was definitely the best race ever!

– Best teammates! –

– Singapore Chili Crabs! –

Hood to Coast: And the Race Begins!

Friday, 4 September 2009 | Race Reports

Now for the exciting part: (drumroll, please) the Hood to Coast Relay race. Here we go…

Our Team: Singapore Chili Crabs

Singapore Chili Crabs had 12 runners and 2 vans. I was part of Van 2 along with my teammates:

Runner 7: CK
Runner 8: Coco
Runner 9: Cool Aussie
Runner 10: TBR
Runner 11: Fast Boy
Runner 12: Hyper T

– My Teammates…minus Hyper T –

– We’re not the fastest…but we’re the happiest! –

The Way It Works

Basically, this is how the relay goes: Each runner runs three legs of approximately 10km each in rotation with the 11 other runners in the team.

– The Masterplan! –

Van 1 starts off the race with their 6 runners covering Legs 1 to 6. When they are done, Van 2 takes over while the first van eats, bathes, or rests. Van 2 finishes Legs 7 to 12 after which Van 1 takes over again to cover Legs 13 to 18, while Van 2 freshens up. This cycle occurs thrice until the last runner, Runner No. 12, finishes Leg 36 and crosses the finish line at Seaside.

While a runner runs his leg, the 5 others in the team remain in the van and provide support—be it food and drinks, moral support, or the requisite jokes and entertainment . At the same time, the van drives off towards the next exchange point where the current runner will pass the green wristband to the next runner.

The race is non-stop and lasts for over 24 hours (unless you’re freakin’ fast). Our team started on August 28, Friday at 7:30 a.m. We estimated 30 hours to complete the race.

Last Minute Preparations

Since Van 1 started early in the a.m., our team had a leisurely breakfast at a cozy cafe near the hotel. It was quite the antithesis of the race conditions for the days ahead.

We set off to meet Van 1 at the Leg 7 exchange point where our first runner, CK, would grab the green wrist band from Van 1’s last runner, VC, Nike Singapore employee and one of the country’s top female triathletes.

We reached the area to find the parking lot filled with colorful, well-decorated vans and runners warming up, buying last minute supplies, or sun-bathing on mats.

We purchased more markers, art materials, and a large flower balloon for our van and decided to spruce it up while waiting for VC to come in.

– Our Van –

– JUST EAT IT! That’s what we wrote on the paper that Coco and Fast Boy are preparing –

– Cool Aussie wrote our names all over the van –

First Exchange Point…and Many More

Fast Boy and I accompanied CK to our first exchange point. It was the first of many more exchange points that I would see. The atmosphere was tense and nerve-wracking, but it was also filled with boisterous laughter, constant cheering, and lots of chatter from other runners.

We wished CK the best of luck as she crossed the road towards the exchange point under the sweltering heat of the noon sun. As soon as she set off to run her 10k leg, we jumped into the van and took to the road.

– CK waits as VC nears –

– VC finishes a fast 10k despite the heat –

We passed CK twice and gave her liquids to combat the heat. It was as humid as Manila during lunchtime! We used our Hood to Coast cowbell, which we shook with vigor everytime we passed our runner on the road as we yelled words of encouragement (or sometimes innocuous teasing.)

– Waiting for CK to pass us on the route –

– Cool Aussie gives CK a drink. Check out that hill. That was tiny compared to the other hills CK had to climb in her leg –

– This is what we do with our idle time on the road –

After that, we went ahead to Leg 8 exchange point where our next runner, Coco, prepared himself as he waited for CK to turn over the green wrist band so he could run next.

– Exchange point between CK and Coco –

– Fast Boy hands Coco a gigantic bottle of Gatorade –

After Coco, it was Cool Aussie’s turn. We knew we had to drive fast because Cool Aussie was a fast runner. At the same time, I nervously prepared my run gear: Amphipod water belt, ipod shuffle, and Polar watch, then downed one espresso Hammer gel. All set!

PREVIOUS: Hood to Coast: Thursday
NEXT: Hood to Coast: Best Race Ever!

Run with M.E. Race Report

Monday, 27 July 2009 | Race Reports

TBR Review: Run with M.E.
Organizer: Ateneo Management Engineering Alumni
Venue: Ateneo de Manila

THUMBS UP:
– Challenging course: a mix of ascents and descents on the road, rocks, and a run through the Ateneo Highschool field
– Ample supply of water at stations
– Directional signs and race course marshals
– No singlet but was announced early on as funds were directed to the beneficiary: 40 scholars

BETTER JOB NEXT TIME:
– Race start mixed runners of all distances
– Narrow strip of road climbing up from the gym
– Long lines to claim free shirts given to the top 50 finishers for each race distance

– with Manman Jalandoni, member of the race organizing committee from Ateneo ME alumni –

Run with M.E. was a relatively small race with around 1,000 runners showing up for the event. The usual spoils of a bigger event were not available, and rightfully so since this race was a fund raising event to send 40 scholars to school. Despite the limited budget, organizers successfully provided runners with an enjoyable event covering basic requirements for a good race. The atmosphere was more laid-back and friendly, less hectic than the more commercialized races, but just as fun. Congratulations to the Ateneo M.E. Alumni! I hope you make this an annual event.

————————————-

It was 1996. My best friend and I joined the Ateneo Taekwondo Team to obtain exemption from P.E. classes. One training day, our coach surprised us with a new warm up: one run around school grounds. My best friend was a smoker while I never smoked a cigarette in my life (and I never will.) But, there we were, both gasping for air as the rest of our team mates happily jogged along. That was the last time I ran in Ateneo.

Yesterday morning, I found myself at the starting line of Run with M.E. ready to conquer the roads that once challenged me. I was near the front of the starting line along with my hubby and right behind the elites. The race organizer announced that 5k would go first, 10k and 3k would follow. Perhaps we were busy chatting or we were too excited to run, but when the gun was fired, it was only then that we realized that were running the 10k and we shouldn’t have been there! So, we ran a few steps forward to let the 5k run their race, laughed about our foolish mistake, and made our way back to the starting line for our real start.

When the race started, I didn’t have a plan. Nothing, nada, zilch. Then, my Garmin—whose software I updated the night before thanks to good friend Alvin’s advice—died once again. I relied on my Nike+ Sportsband instead, but couldn’t quite read see the pace as I was maneuvering the slippery, scary roads. So, my impromptu plan was to give 90% effort: fast but not the vomit-at-the-end-of-the-race fast.

We ran downhill towards the gym and up again a very narrow, rocky path. Then, we ran on the main road that led us to Ateneo High School. As I was running, I couldn’t help but feel nostalgic about my fun and carefree college days. I passed our old hangout, the cafeteria, and even those far off classrooms at Bellarmine Hall which I deplored walking to (as if it was so far!) Then, I spotted my old Theology teacher, Fr. Dacanay. I called out his name and he stared at me blankly. I yelled out “Old student!” in between breaths and he smiled back. If I had more time, I would’ve stopped to remind him that I was the student who arrived late for class and, in front of everyone, he ordered me to get out because no late comers were allowed. How embarrassing, but I loved him still.

My favorite part of the race was the run around the high school soccer field. It was unique for a race and a good break from the tough roads. After one loop, we ran on the road again and made our way back towards the Blue Eagle gym for another 5k loop.

By 5k, I was exhausted. It was due to lack of training, really. But, I pushed myself and focused on finishing the race at almost the same pace as I had started.

As I ran around the same loop again, nostalgia took a backseat. I was already tired and out of breath. I stopped at every water station to sip water and pushed myself forward again. The second half of the race came and went quickly. I basically shut my eyes to run as fast as I could.

I finished the race at exactly 53 minutes for a distance of 9.07km according to my Nike+ Sportsband. Hubby’s Garmin says it was 9.67km while my friend Harry’s Polar registered 9.33km. Not bad at all for an overly sentimental runner who hasn’t done any speedwork in weeks.

– with fellow Ateneo alumnus Dingdong (RunMD) –