Category Archives: Race Reports

Now that was a fine race. Let me rephrase that: it was one helluva race. This may just be rookie talk but truly for me it was the most well-organized and orderly of the mere five races I’ve joined so far. You gotta hand it to Adidas and RACE for taking care of us runners. From pre-registration (when will we ever stop talking about those red singlets?) to its start (aaaaw, did tears not well up in your eyes as you listened to the national anthem against the backdrop of a beautiful sunrise?) until its finish (or at least my own finish since I left before awarding started), I would say that almost everything was well-prepared for. The minor bumps along the road—long lines at the portalet and the wait at the baggage check-in—were exactly those: minor little flaws that I overlooked once I heard the oh so romantic and deep voice of that host!

– Err…next time, can someone please remind me not to come this early? –

So, anyway, there we were—Annie and I—impatiently waiting for the race to start as we stood just a few rows behind the starting line along with the sea of runners in red who were, needless to say, impatient as well. At exactly 6 a.m. the gun was fired and we were off. After making a right from the starting line towards Roxas Boulevard, I knew the route would be pretty simple. It would be straight, straight, straight, climb up and roll down the Buendia flyover, hit the 10k turnaround, climb up and roll down the Buendia flyeover, straight until you make a left back into the Quirino Grandstand. Soon after my brain had absorbed all that (which was just a few seconds, mind you!), Annie had skipped ahead…uhm…way ahead.

I ran at my own pace (around 75% effort if Coach B asked me) but, after a few minutes, doubts seeped into my brain if I could even keep this up. I had slept at 11:45 the night before (coming from a 10-hour road trip from Pangasinan) so I thought I could forgive myself for not breaking PR on this race. After all, I had a good excuse! Before these evil thoughts could get any further, I cleared my mind and focused on the race. Just enjoy it, I thought. If I get tired, I could always slow down. If I don’t break my PR, i’ll try again next time (although I would curse myself for weeks.) With that, I kept my pace steady, chatted with Renz, checked out the view in what was to me unfamiliar grounds, and relaxed. Surprisingly—and guys this is going to be dull and boring—but the entire run was smooth sailing for me. Why, even the Buendia flyover, which made me shudder when I saw it from afar, posed less of a challenge than I initially expected. As I climbed the hill, I could almost hear Coach B whispering “slow down, take shorter strides” and that’s exactly what I did. As always, rolling down freely with my arms outstretched was my favorite part. When I hit the 10k turnaround, I felt like I got my second wind with a sudden burst of energy pushing me further. So, off I went with the gusto of a runner who had just started a race. The last part of the 5k was quick as I remember it. I just ran, and ran, and ran and I loved it. Aaack, I so loved it! Before I knew it, it was over.

I checked the time and I was ecstatic: 56 minutes 27 seconds. I broke my PR. I shaved off a whopping 4 minutes! Wooohooo! “Yeah, I AM the Queen of the Road!” I exclaimed…to myself…silently…so no other runner would think I was crazy.

– Runners make their way to the finish –

– All queued up at the Finish Line –

– With Mars, a highschool batchmate I hadn’t seen since…uhm..highschool. See you at more races, Mars!

Before leaving, Hitme (and his macho driver) arrived bearing gifts. The best gift any runner could receive: a bundle of Runners World magazines! Truly, this man must be called “Running Santa” for his generosity, jolly disposition, and good choice of presents! Hitme, no, it’s not because of the tummy!

– Hitme’s driver delivering my stash of Runners World Magazines! Doesn’t he look like Rudolph? –

Driving home from the race, Annie texts me announcing great news: she won first place for 10k in her age group! I couldn’t be happier for the bestest running buddy one could have! I could go on and on about Annie, but I’ll save that for another post. For now, I shall reluctantly but humbly pass on my crown to Annie as the official Adidas Queen of the Road for 10k. As if I ever had the title anyway!

– With Annie, winner of her age group for 10k with a time of 47.43, and her friend Rose –

Winners of the Adidas King of The Road 21k:

Men’s Category: Eduardo Buenavista 1:07:28

Women’s Category: Jho-An Banayag 1:19:17

This being my 4th race we—my hubby, son, and I—have got our pre-race preparation down pat. For a 6 am race like yesterday’s Run For P.E.A.C.E., we planned on arriving at 5:30 am, which meant that I would wake up at 4:30 am, followed by hubby at 4:40, then son at 5:00. We would be out of the house by 5:15 to arrive at the venue on time. As expected, that is exactly what took place yesterday morning.

The gods must have been bored to death by our predictability though because, as soon as the race started, there were a few surprises—pleasant and err not so pleasant—that were thrown my way.

(1) The route was changed! I signed up for the 10k, despite coming from a Batangas business trip the day before, on the premise that the route would be easy and flat as the race organizers had initially presented in their map. It was deja vu for me then when, after running around Libingan ng mga Bayani we were led to make a right turn towards C5. A right?! No way, I thought, because that would lead us all down the hill towards C5, which would have meant that we would take a u-turn and climb back up again! It was the Champion Race all over again—aaaaah!

(2) I’ve made a lot of running friends. I still remember my very first race vividly. I forced (uhm, I think “persuaded” sounds much better) my husband to accompany me for fear of looking like a lonesome loser waiting for the race to start. Fast forward to yesterday and I was pleasantly surprised to meet a few runners I’ve been in touch with online—Mon, Smith, Joms, and Tisha of H@ppy Feet Runners, Hitme64, and Renz. Of course, familiar faces like Mayi and Jamike—the coolest athletic couple ever who I have the pleasure to train with every now and then—were there too.

– with Jamike and Mayi (who finished 10th) –

For the first time, I ran side by side with someone all throughout the race. Joms kept me entertained for a full hour with whatever he could dish out about anything under the sun. Well, there was certainly a lot for us to chat about since this was the first time we had ever really met (excluding the quick photo op in the Champion Race.)

(3) No pain! After struggling through a week of knee pain, I was paranoid about hurting my knee all over again. In fact, I was 80% sure that I would hear my knee clicking again after the race. But, nope—I felt no soreness, no pain, no snapping, no nothing—could it be that I’m getting stronger? Hmmm…it’s probably because I didn’t push too hard during this race.

(4) I broke my PR. Yup, I came in at 1:00:24, 33 seconds faster than my previous 10k. What surprises me though is that I broke it at all. I certainly did not give this race my best. For some reason, my mind wasn’t all that into it. I think I got turned off with the start of the race when we had to literally walk/jog our way out of the mass of runners in the narrow road leading to the cemetery.

– Running towards the finish line –

– My little boy and I after the race. He’s pooped after his 3k –

(5) I placed 6th! Honestly, I don’t know if this is a surprise or a joke! Me, 6th place? 10 minutes after the race, as I was chatting away and taking photos, my hubby asks me about the piece of paper in my hand. I tell him it’s nothing—a man handed it over to me when I reached the finish line. When I take a look at it closely it says “6th Female.” Wooohooo! My time wasn’t all that great, but hey it feels awesome to discover that I was the 6th fastest woman in the 10k. Now, that was a surprise for you too, wasn’t it?

– Who would have thought an index card could bring me so much joy? –

During my solo run/frog hunt yesterday, I went up against a sea of runners who were part of the Masters, Executive, and Corporate 10k Run. I secretly wished I could have joined the race (since I ran almost the same distance during training), but I quickly realized that this was the one race I was glad I didn’t qualify for—women are required to be over 35 years old. Well, I only have a few more years…gulp.

The race drew 80 runners and was organized by the Triathlon Association of the Philippines (TRAP).

– I had to take this. I liked her running skirt –

LIST OF WINNERS:
Men
1st Place – Rogelio Adenig 38:31
2nd Place – Joseph Rosete 39.28
3rd Place – Edgardo Pedregosa 39.55
Women
1st Place – Daisy Castillan 51:55
2nd Place – Rizzo Tangan 53:41
3rd Place – Doray Ellis 53:56
Men’s Executive
1st Place – Graciano Santos 45:58
2nd Place – Danilo Burdeos 45:59
3rd Place – Mark Ellis 46:50
Women’s Executive
1st Place – Doray Ellis 53:56
2nd Place – Ruby Dawn Allas 1:09:20
3rd Place – Chay Saputil 1:13:56
Male Residents
1st Place – Jose Mari Banzon 47:03
Female Residents
1st Place – Susan Lafferty 56:31

Source: The Philippine Star (May 28, 2007)

Yesterday was a big day for me. “Big” because it was my first 10k ever…hmmm perhaps I should’ve used the word “long”?

I arrived at the scene of the Champion Run at 5:30 a.m. giving me just enough time to do my warm-ups—some dynamic stretching techniques taught by Coach B followed by a quick run to the little girls’ room. That counts as a warm up, right? I bade my hubby and son goodbye (both came for moral support…ack, who am I kidding? I begged my hubby to come as my official photographer) then I slipped into the sea of runners impatiently waiting at the starting line right across Jollibee at The Fort.

– Runners stretch before the race –

The crowd that showed up on this sunny Sunday morning was an enthusiastic and happy lot—aren’t runners that way all the time? Most were men (well, a whole lot of them were PNP cadets) and I would say that majority of the registrants were serious runners who knew their stuff. Soon after the National Anthem, at around 6:10 a.m., we were off.

It was literally a mad rush to get out of the pack. Runners were scrambling to secure their own space, overtake the slower ones, or find and sustain a steady pace. I knew it was wrong for me to run like a bull at this point, so I kept my pace at around 65-70% effort with some bouts of power followed by short recovery periods every now and then. The first 5k of the course from the starting line till the end of Manila American Cemetery at the end of C5 road was relatively easy for me. I savoured the downhill runs and immensely enjoyed the idea of gravity doing all the work for me at that point. Passing by the water stations, I made a mental note to stop at one on the way back since it was located at the bottom of an uphill climb. At around 4.5k, I saw a couple of friends heading back already: Sen. Pia Cayetano, an accomplished triathlete who probably eats 10ks for breakfast, and Annie, my running group buddy who never seems to run out of energy (she can teach a spin class right after our 10k training runs!) Physically, I was still alright, but mentally I was getting a bit nervous about the thought of climbing up all the hills I had previously rolled down from.

Upon reaching the 10k turnaround, I felt like I still had a lot of energy left, but I needed water badly. I knew where the water stations were located so these became my goals—much like a dehydrated madman searching for water in a desert. I pushed myself hard and thought positive. When I saw hills, I reminded myself of our training runs in Cuenca Street in Ayala Alabang when I initially thought I couldn’t climb such a steep hill but surprised myself when I did so with ease. When I was tempted to walk, I reprimanded myself and said “No way you’re walking. Just run slowly until you recover.” With some patience and persistence, there it was…the next water station. Aaaah, at last! As I was about to line up for a glass, I was completely shocked to see (almost in slow motion, I tell you) one man pouring what was left of the water over his head. Just like a mirage, all the water was gone! Thirsty, tired runners were screaming “Tubig!” (“Water!”) repeatedly but no water came. OMG! When I reached the next water station, why was I not surprised that there was no water either? I was too thirsty to complain. Needless to say, I, and hundreds of other runners, ran the last 5k with nothing but willpower.

When I saw the finish line ahead of me, I was ecstatic. I gave it my all and ran as fast as I could. Boy, did I miscalculate the length of that road because I certainly did not have the energy reserves (nor enough training) to run a sprint that long. With a dry throat and tired legs, I forgot about everything and just went for it. Before I knew it, I crossed the finish line.

– That’s me a few steps away from the finish line –

My goal: 1 hour. My time: 1:00:53. I was seconds shy of not reaching my time. But, sigh…I did it! Now, when’s the next 10k again?

– My hubby (taking the pic) and son meet me at the finish line –

– with Annie, my super strong running mate –

– with Sen. Pia Cayetano, my boss/friend/running idol –

– PNP cadets celebrating post-race camraderie –

– Three runners relaxing after the race –

– with the H@ppy Feet Runners (It was great to finally meet you guys! See you at the next run!) –

I woke up as giddy as a schoolgirl at 430 in the morning of March 18, 2007. It was the day of my first ever run at the Pinay In Action 5k/10k Fun Run in Fort Bonifacio Global City. There were a lot of questions in my mind: what do I eat for breakfast? (I had half a cup of coffee and graham crackers anyway), what do I wear? (I had my usual sports attire with a new training bra underneath—woohoo!), will they have a restroom in the area? (me and my uncontrollable bladder), and last but not the least, will I finish?

Thankfully, my 6-year old son expressed his interest in joining the 3k just the night before. So he and my hubby (my son’s guardian for the race) were coming along. (If you’ve got kids, let me tell you that fun runs can be a great bonding experience for the family while teaching your kids about the value of exercise and fitness.)

– My son and I before the race –

We arrived in the scene to see hundreds of people (most of them were women since this was a women’s run) getting ready for the race—others were warming up, some were still registering, and all the rest were chatting away in groups. The place was charged with positive energy and enthusiasm. I whispered to my husband, “I could get used to this.”

After a brief speech by Sen. Pia Cayetano about women’s health and empowerment, we were off.

– Sen. Pia Cayetano leads the start of the run –

Knowing my husband and son were way in the back, I concentrated on my run. I found a comfortable running pace and safely stayed with this throughout the race. Since this was also a walk event, I was running past a lot of women who were just strolling and this gave me a lot of confidence (Thank God I definitely won’t be the last to finish! Hah!)

– Can you see me? I must be there somewhere –

– Girl Power: Women runners finish the race –

I reached the finish line at 33.38 minutes. I was surprised to hear that this was a great time for beginners. I was proud of myself. After all, my only goal was to finish!

LIST OF WINNERS, PINAY IN ACTION 2007:

5-KILOMETER RUN
19 Years Old & Below (Rank-Name-Time)
1st Place – Kim Mangrobang – 22.25
2nd Place – Amelita Arcilla – 23.39
3rd Place – Michelle De Vera – 24.31
20-29 Years Old
1st Place – Maria Fe Dumandan – 24.12
2nd Place – Lou Andrea Sison – 30.51
3rd Place – Juliana Bennison – 32.15
30-39 Years Old
1st Place – Genevieve dela Peña – 23.19
2nd Place – Margaret Malewski – 28.26
3rd Place – Jessica Vaughn – 28.28
40 Years Old & Above
1st Place – Ma. Luisa Dulnuan – 26.39
2nd Place – Susan Lafferty – 28.02
3rd Place – Elma Naval – 28.05

10-KILOMETER RUN
19 Years Old & Below (Rank-Name-Time)
1st Place – Cinderella Agana – 40.32
2nd Place – Gabrielle Marie Santos – 1:00.03
3rd Place – Andrea Marie Santos – 1:16.19
20-29 Years Old
1st Place – Ailene Tolentino – 40.32
2nd Place – Jennifer Deana Baldonado – 41.42
3rd Place – Marilou Arevalo – 42.03
30-39 Years Old
1st Place – Rizzo Tangan – 49.22
2nd Place – Merlyn Lumagbas – 49.35
3rd Place – Ellis Boray – 52.43
40 Years Old & Above
1st Place – Rose Milagrosa Fercol
2nd Place – Bess Regler
3rd Place – Elenita Dans

* Photos (except Anton and I) and List of Winners courtesy of Companero Rene Cayetano Foundation