Posts Tagged with: "Races"

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 was about to finish a logo I was working on last night when a friend sent me a message about the 1st Philmug Nike+ Challenge. I hopped on over to the site and I wanted to join the race…even if it seemed like only men had signed up, and I’ll be joining midway, and uh oh aaah, I don’t even own a Nike+ Kit or a Nano—and I don’t plan on purchasing either one. Forget it. I’m sticking with my Polar Dream.

So, temporarily abandoning my work (oh, the temptations of the web for a work-at-home designer), I further explore Nike’s Running site. Oooh, very cool intro and I love their tagline too: “I am a runaholic.” It’s obvious I can relate, isn’t it? The website takes quite a while to load though—did they not take into consideration that runners are addicted to speed? While waiting for what seemed like forever, my son tells me to shut off the sound; he can’t watch Nick Jr. with all the noise.

I go window shopping online and discover sportsbras made the way I like them (plain and simple, please—none of the laces, double spag straps, or triangular holes for other runners to peek through while you’re running ahead of them.) I wonder which branches these are actually available in though since I haven’t spotted any of those in the shops I’ve visited lately, and believe me, I’ve been to quite a few the past month searching for apparel.

I browse through their shoes with little excitement because I am a staunch lover of New Balance running shoes. My old Nikes were always rushed to Mr. Quickie for large doses of rugby on their soles—to think I wasn’t even running then. My 2-year old New Balance pair has never needed a shoe doctor or any kind of special attention. Their tough and dependable.

The running stories are a delight to read. The natural high you get from running cannot be put into words, but what the three runners say does come close. Surprisingly, I’ve met two out of the three of them (one while I was still in the stock market and the other in college) and I’m sure they don’t remember me anymore, but I want to give them a virtual high five and say “Hey brother, I know what you’re talking about!” Haha.

Now for the exciting part. I visit Nike’s pace calculator which, after punching in your record time, will compute your pace—and not just that, but also your predicted finishing time for a race. So, rubbing my hands together, I plug in my personal record during the Global City Run and eagerly await the predicted results of my 10k for this coming sunday’s Champion run. Whoa, at a pace of 6:03, I should finish at 1 hr 30 sec. Hey, for a novice runner, I think I would be pretty happy finishing at 1.30—although 1 hour would sound a lot cooler!

Will I be able to sustain my 6:03 pace on Sunday? Gulp, I have no idea. Let’s wait and see. 3 more days to go…

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

Have you registered for the Champion Run?

– What: 3k/5k/10k run
– When: May 20, 2007; Sunday
– Where: Bonifacio Global City
– Who can join: men and women 5 years old and above
– Registration Fee: P150 per entry. Each finisher gets a singlet.

Contact details:

– Willy 0919.377.0556
– Harvey 0922.494.5578
– Tim 817.1414 to 15
– Ask for a registration form: champion_run2007@yahoo.com.ph

Payments can be made at Japa Bldg. 2256 Chino Roces Ave. Pasong Tamo, Makati City
Hurry, registration ends on May 16, 2007!