Posts Tagged with: "race"

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. 

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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!

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! –

ECO DASH: THE AYALA MALLS ENVIRONMENT RUN
September 13, 2009
28th St. Beside Bonifacio High Street

Registration Period & Venues
Aug 17 to Sept 12 – 10am to 9pm at the ECO DASH Registration booths near the Glorietta Activity Center; near the Ground Floor Concierge booths of Greenbelt 3, Alabang Town Center and TriNoma; Central Plaza Entrance/Exit of Market! Market!; and Nike Park – Bonifacio High Street.

Sept 13 – 4am to 5am at the Race Venue

Registration Fee
P250 for 3KM/5KM
P300 for 10KM/21KM
P400 for on-site, all categories

Registration Procedure
1. Fill up the registration form completely in legible and neat handwriting.
2. Submit accomplished registration forms and pay the registration fees at any of the ff:
– Eco Dash Registration Booths in Ayala Malls or at Nike Park – Bonifacio High Street
– Fax to 671.0907
– E-mail to e_squared@pldtdsl.net
* For faxed/emailed registration forms, registrant must pay the registration fee to finalize their registration.
3. Minors must secure permission from their parent/guardian by getting their signature on the consent line in the registration form.
4. Discounted registration fees:
– Donate any of the ff. recyclable item w/ a minimum weight of 1KG and get P50 off on the registration fee. Accepted recyclables are paper (white, colored or newspapers), aluminum cans, plastics, used ink cartridges and PET bottles. Recyclables proceeds shall go to Bantay Kalikasan.
– A flat fee of P150 for delegations with a minimum of 100 participants. Representative should present a valid ID, plus the list of all participants in the delegation.
5. Registration staff to provide a provisionary receipt that will be used to claim race packet & singlet. Race packet contents are race bib w/ official race number, safety pins & route map.
6. Race packet & singlets may be claimed starting Sept. 1, 2009.
7. Only the first 2000 runners across all Ayala Malls who registered for the 3KM/5KM.10KM/21KM will receive singlets, with the exemption of the members of participating delegations.
8. For those who registered in August, pls. present your provisionary receipt when claiming your race packet & singlet. Claiming period for race packets is only until Sept 12. On-site claiming of race packets shall not be accommodated.

ECO DASH Race Rules & Regulations
1. All participants must wear their race bibs pinned on the front of their singlet/shirt at all times during the race.
2. Changing of race distance categories & assigned runners will only be from Aug 17 to Sept. 12 only.
– Fill out the cancellation slip.
– Present original provisionary receipt & race packet (w/ original race bib) to the registration staff.
– Registration staff will replace the race packet, and/or the assigned runner for the particular race number.
– Those who will make changes on the day of the event, Sept. 13, 4am – 5am, will be required to pay an additional P150 for the 3KM/5KM or P100 for the 10KM/21KM distance categories.
3. Race participants caught deviating from the race route/taking short cuts/exchanging their race bibs with another runner will automatically be disqualified from the race.
4. Should a runner make a protest, s/he must put it in writing & submit the written protest to the Race Organizer w/in thirty (30) minutes of the announcement of the official race winners. A protester is also required to pay a P500 protest fee for every written protest submitted.
5. The decision of the Race Organizer is final.
6. Personalized runner’s certificate, with the runner’s name & finishing time will be available one (1) week after the event at the mall where the registration was made.
7. For inquiries, please contact Liza Calumpong of Exceeding Expectations at 671.2960 / 0917.625.6517 or email: e_squared@pldtdsl.net.

Race Schedule
4:00AM Assembly & On-site Registration
5:00AM 21KM Run Start
5:30AM 10KM Run Start
5:40AM 5KM Run Start
6:00AM 3KM Run Start

Race Facilities
Water Stations – located every 2.5KM along the race route.
First Aid Stations – located at the Start/Finish line, midway along the longest route and ambulance
Toilet and Parking Locations – surrounding race area.
Baggage Area – Beside the race assembly area; open from 4:00 – 9:00am.

Awarding of Medals & Claiming of Prizes
Upon announcement of race winners, the runner must present himself at the Race Secretariat booth.

Prizes
3KM Category (Male and Female)
1st Place – P3,000 Ayala Electronic Gift Certificate
2nd Place – P2,000 Ayala Electronic Gift Certificate
3rd Place – P1,000 Ayala Electronic Gift Certificate

5KM Category (Male & Female)
1st Place – P5,000 Ayala Electronic Gift Certificate
2nd Place – P3,000 Ayala Electronic Gift Certificate
3rd Place – P2,000 Ayala Electronic Gift Certificate

10KM Category (Male & Female)
1st Place – P8,000 Ayala Electronic Gift Certificate
2nd Place – P6,000 Ayala Electronic Gift Certificate
3rd Place – P4,000 Ayala Electronic Gift Certificate

21KM Category (Male & Female)
1st Place – P10,000 Ayala Electronic Gift Certificate
2nd Place – P7,000 Ayala Electronic Gift Certificate
3rd Place – P5,000 Ayala Electronic Gift Certificate

While most of us were worried over our race performance during last Saturday’s Kenny Roger’s Urbanite Run, Hector Yuzon, owner of Second Wind Running Store in Teacher’s Village, QC, had a little more on his mind.  Aside from running the 5k with his girlfriend, Tania Olea, he also had plans of proposing to her in the middle of the run!  Yes, he was excited about the biggest proposal in his life, but he didn’t know if he could pull it off as planned.  I’ll let Hector tell you what happened and, of course, what she answered!  

– Tania and Hector of Second Wind –

[THE CHARACTERS]

Girl: Tania A. Olea, 31 yrs. old, more of a walker for a year
Boy: Hector T. Yuzon, 30 yrs. old, running for more than a decade  

[THE PLAN]

I chose to propose sa run because if I hadn’t gone through with Secondwind and traded my corporate life – our paths wouldn’t have crossed. So I owe a big part of our “discovering” each other through running. 

[PROPOSAL DAY]

That morning, I did a long run with friends Mikey Macainag and Michael Paderes.  For the most part of the long run, I was picturing Tania.  I was thinking: what could she be doing that morning?  Does she have an idea of what’s to go down tonight?  And then it hit me – bigla ako kinabahan.  What if she says no?  What if I lose the ring sa run?  The whole week, I had trouble sleeping and also practicing my proposal speech.  To all those who are planning their proposal: NOTHING will compare to the event proper!!! Anyway, as the 10k went off, I immediately thought, “Ay, kami na, 5k na?!  Oh no, I cant remember my speech”… I forgot what to say…Parang I wanted to shout: “Wait!  I forgot what to do!!!  Wait!” …but then the crowd started to push forward…so I just said to myself, “This is it!”

[THE PROPOSAL]

As the crowd pushed forward, we were both enjoying the walk.  We took the sidewalk nalang so as not to bother the runners.  I personally enjoyed the walk because I didn’t know you can do that sa race – walking!  It was really relaxing for a change not having to think about your performance and just greeting and cheering on other friends!  Anyway, I was busy looking at venues on where to kneel down.  When we were at Mckinley Hill, she took a break inside Razons – there I grabbed the chance to check on the ring!  Thank God it was still there.  I had to pack it well, I had to put it in a plastic bag so my sweat wouldn’t ruin it, and then as I put it in the internal pocket of the shorts, the edges/corners of the bag was poking my hip, so I had to wrap it in tissue paper pa, and put rubber band around it to really seal and secure it properly! 😀 Then I saw the Venice area, the façade was near complete and it was nice!  Romantic pa (romantic daw o), but then it was well lit and there were a lot of runners – and I didn’t want to draw attention to Tania – and in turn pressure her.  So I said nice, but not feeling it. 

So there, after the turn around point – I said to myself, I better find “the spot” fast.  I even considered the big empty parking lot of Mckinley Hill… pero baka biglang may dumaan na delivery truck at masira.  Still walking back, after the last water station before Mckinley, I said this looks nice, by the condos and under the trees, still ang daming tao!  As I was running out of road, I said to myself: “Wala na, sa parking lot na bagsak nito…” and then suddenly, I saw the old closed grill resto with the mini golf… EMPTY and LONE.  This is it!  So I pulled her that direction.  

Tania: “Bakit dito?”
Hec: (bluffingly) “Eh doon din naman lusot nito e.”
Tania: (skeptic) “Ah..”  

And then I did my horrible speech… a week’s planning and writing, and my mind was still everywhere… and when I popped the question:   

Hec: (after my bad speech)…”Will you marry me?”   
Tania: (smiling, skeptic but now in shock) “Ha?  Ano ba?!” (and then pushing the ring to the side)
Thought in my head: “Did she just say no????!!!!  Crap!!!!”

Repeating myself (and more assertive)…

Hec: “I’m serious, will you marry me?”
Tania: (smiling before answering) “Yes”
Hec: “Thank God!”
Tania: “Bakit?”
Hec: “Ang sakit lumuhod sa semento.”
Tania and Hec: “hahahaha!”

Had my brain been in one place, the speech was:

Even though the people around me was saying, don’t leave corporate, stick with the sure thing – I still went with the opposite direction. Something or someone inside me kept whispering “go, everything will be fine”.  And since that day that I chased after secondwind I crossed paths with you. Even though we’re both old friends, I don’t think we would’ve discovered each other if I dint run after my dream.  I resigned to the fact that I will be married to my work while putting up secondwind.  after all that, good things started to fall in place, and having found this love is the single greatest and most beautiful surprise that came my way.    

One of the defining moments of a man is when he finally meets the girl that he wants to spend the rest of his life with, the girl that he wants to wake up to every morning, the girl that he wants to come home to everyday – will he treat it like another relationship and ignore all of the above?  or acknowledge the fact that this is the woman that I want to marry.  

Tania, this is my defining moment.  Will you marry me?

– Newly-engaged couple ends their most memorable race ever –

[THE WEDDING]

TBR: When is the big day?  Will you marry after a marathon or in running shoes? 🙂

Hec: July 2010 (because theres no major race that time haha joke!).  Yes, I think she allowed me to wear running shoes 🙂  or at least that’s my interpretation of her smile.  I think the key here is to ask the entire guys request right after proposing!  Im still pushing for a running inspired wedding though…

To Hector and Tania, congratulations!  May you have many more kilometers to walk and run together!

Here’s a fun race for families: Mommy Milkshake Marathon Year 3. My sister organizes this event every year. It’s the least competitive, but most fun-filled and relaxed race you could join. I’ll definitely be there with the kids.

Click below to read about previous years’ races:
Mommy Milkshake Marathon Year 1 (2007)
Mommy Milkshake Marathon Year 2 (2008)

To register, click here. Limited slots available. Registration is free.

For more information, email mommymilkshake@gmail.com or call 7809898.