To all experienced triathletes out there, the country’s longest triathlon, Enervon Activ 226 Bohol Triathlon in Panglao, Bohol set for December 6, 2014, is now open! Limited slots available. (more…)
I joined the Unilab Active Health Camp Alpha Advanced Triathlon Camp last weekend, May 3 & 4, at The Village Sports Club. I had mixed emotions about this camp: I wasn’t too thrilled about all the suffering (past participants jokingly call it “Cramp Alpha”…gulp!), but, at the same time, I looked forward to double or even triple workouts over the weekend and pushing my body hard again. With Tri United 2 coming up, I felt I needed something to jolt me back into bricks and dual workouts.
Camp Alpha is led by my triathlon coach, Coach Andy Leuterio, and assisted by Keshia Fule for the bike sessions. The swim coach is Martin Carandang, my swim coach way back in 2012. He basically got me from being a newbie to finishing IM 70.3 Cebu 2012 without drowning. Needless to say, I was quite familiar with their coaching styles and, more importantly, happy with the way they supervised us throughout the camp. The coaches provided the right amount of guidance, not too basic nor theoretical, and generously shared more practice tips for triathlon training and racing.
with Coach Andy. Scary eh?
Good thing Coach Andy smiles one day a year. This was it. Here we are with Keshia and my parrot hair
with Coach Martin for swim
The sessions at Camp Alpha were mostly speed sessions and some aerobic activity with a couple hours of classroom sessions for both days. It was a good mix so that participants were able to maximize the camp in just two days.
Participants were all advanced and experienced triathletes. Before the event, Coach Andy divided the participants into two groups, Group A and Group B, and emailed the schedule of activities for the weekend. It was a great way to manage the different fitness levels of the participants and ensure that each one got adequate attention.
Here are photos of the camp for Day One and Two:
DAY ONE:
1) Swim with Coach Martin
Photo by Coach Andy
2) Run Intervals (my fave!)
Photos by Coach Andy
3) Practical tips on the bike (flying dismount, flat tire assembly/disassembly, and bottle pick ups)
4) Lecture
DAY TWO:
1) 20k Time Trial in Daang Reyna
Photo by Coach Andy
2) Aerobic Swim
3) Lecture
What a weekend! I suffered, survived, had quite a bit of fun, made a few new triathlon friends, learned advanced triathlon tips during the lectures, and, best of all, I lost 2 lbs. in the process! If you’re an advanced triathlete looking to improve your performance for an upcoming race or eager to pick up new expert triathlon tips, you may consider joining the next Camp Alpha.
The next leg of the Unilab Active Health Camp Alpha will be on June 20-21, 2014. Presented by SPECIALIZED and sponsored by Newton Running and RUNNR, the camp is open to all triathletes who would like to make 2014 their breakthrough year. Inquiries can be sent to Coach Andy at alpha_tri@yahoo.com .
Event: Run United 1
Venue: SM Mall of Asia
Date: March 16, 2014
More than 12,000 runners showed up at SM Mall of Asia yesterday for one of the most anticipated races in the country, Run United 1. A whopping 5,000 21km runners joined the event, a testament to runners being more competitive and advanced in their sport.
Early on, during registration, it was news in the running community that slots, particularly for the 21km, had filled in a matter of days. These slots were in high demand as Run United 1 is the first of a trilogy of races where runners aim to complete their triple medal.
The runners who were lucky enough to bag slots all showed up on race day in their Run United sweat activated singlets and visors. After a few kilometers of sweating during the run, the word “Citius” which means “Faster” in Latin magically appeared at the back of the shirt.
Unilab Active Health truly lived up to its own mantra: “Exceed Yourself.” The race, organized by Run Rio, was once again another perfectly orchestrated event from start to finish. Perhaps the only element that I hope can be improved on is the high congestion on the road, particularly for the 10k distance, but, then again, due to its sheer size, I think the crowd is almost inevitable. Beyond that, the race was fantastic. They even had Parokya ni Edgar at the post race village to entertain the runners. According to Lester Castillo of ULAH, ULAH aims “to provide quality races for progressive athletes who wish to exceed themselves by establishing new PRs, doing higher distances, or having a strong finish.” Looks like they’re doing just that!
Congratulations to Unilab Active Health and Run Rio for another successful event!
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LAST DAY OF RECOVERY
After a marathon, my body needs exactly 3 weeks to recover. It may not be the same for you, but, for me, it can’t be any less or more. It is always exactly 3 weeks when I feel like my body has gotten enough rest, my tight muscles have loosened up, and I can finally push my body again to run fast or long.
Last week, I decided to withdraw from Tri United 1 because I felt like I would do my body harm by pushing it to do a triathlon when it was asking for rest and lots of massage. My quads were so tight (as hard as plywood!) that it was causing some discomfort on my left knee.
Yesterday, on the third week after Tokyo Marathon and the day of Run United 1, I felt like I was fully recovered. Ton, Lit, and I signed up for 10k. I planned on running this very easy to test if, indeed, I was right.
– Ton, Lit and I a few seconds after gun start –
EASY PEASY
When the gun went off, Ton and I were with other triathlete friends, Kesha, Trina, Glenn and Yvonne. As we ran easy along with the crowd of 10k runners, we realized Lit had taken off way ahead of us. We laughed that he had decided to suddenly be competitive again. Before we knew it, Kesha had gone ahead as well and Glenn and Yvonne had disappeared in the crowd. So, it was Ton, Trina, and I who ran together for the rest of the race.
The course is not unfamiliar to us. We’ve run the 21k distance to Run United so often that we can almost run this with our eyes closed. (Okay, maybe just one eye closed!) I won’t lie to you. On this day, I was so glad that we were running only 10k. We ran it slow and easy.
At Km 2, it was quite a surprise for me to hear so many runners around me panting. I could hear the usual barking sound that male runners make when they’re dying midway through the run “Huh! Huh!” How does one tire at only 2 km? Only one answer: If you didn’t train for it! Silently, I made a mental note that we really must find a way to remind beginners to TRAIN for a race before they register for it. 10k, or even a 5k, is no joke for someone who hasn’t run a day in their life!
Soon enough, we hit the turnaround at around 4.5km. What?! So early in the race! We were so used to making a turnaround much farther out in the 21k course that when we turned around so early I almost wanted to scream out in joy.
LAST 2K
The last 2k made me a bit nervous. During the past few weeks of running, I would feel the knee pain at the 8th kilometer. I was crossing my fingers and toes that, this time, with rest and some therapy at Peak Form, my knee was completely fine.
As we neared the finish, the crowd got bigger with other race distances merging as we re-entered SM Mall of Asia. This was no problem for me as I enjoyed the easy pace. Lit waved to Ton and I as he waited for us on the other side of the road having finished earlier.
Trina had gone ahead at the last kilometer, so Ton and I ran with ease, all smiles, and, for me, absolutely no pain, baby! It was a great way to run my last day of recovery and my first day of getting back into training mode.
– Ton and I with the birthday boy, Coach Rio, who celebrated his birthday yesterday –
– Lotsa finishers at the post race area! –
– with Trina, Kesha, Papoo, Gilbert, Mark, Eric, Lit, Ton, and Mark –
A whopping 12,000 runners participated in the 2013 Run United Philippine Marathon yesterday at SM Mall of Asia. Organized by Unilab Active Health and Runrio, it was the 3rd and last event of the Runrio Trilogy which featured the marathon distance. Approximately 3,000 runners joined the 42k event.
– Fun 21km at RUPM! (Photo: Adriann Vazquez | Photo-Ops) –
I joined the 21k event which was perfectly executed from start to finish. As always, for Run United events organized by Runrio, hydration, marshals, the course, directional and kilometer signs, lootbags, medals, and the post race area was well done. It’s almost a foregone conclusion that the event will be a success. In fact, the race is just so expertly organized that, if you noticed, I don’t even bother to write a race review anymore! Perhaps, the only thing I would change about this event would be to move race start to 4:30 AM or even 5:00 AM during the ber months. Waking up at 2:00 AM for a half marathon is just a challenge. Is it the same for you? If not, then I must be getting old. Waaah!
As for the 42k event, I must say that Unilab Active Health took their own motto, Exceed Yourself, and applied it in their race. Full marathoners were offered gels, hydration, and grooming during the race and they ended the 42km running from the back of a stage and in front of a huge crowd. They also received ULAH slippers as part of their lootbag. ULAH definitely aims to improve their events with each passing year. Congrats again to Unilab Active Health and Runrio for such another successful race!
Now for my half marathon. I arrived at the venue at around 3:50 AM for a 4:00 AM gunstart with good friend Ton. I had only slept 2 hours the night before, but, fortunately, I felt I had enough energy to last me through 21 kilometers of easy running.
Yep, plan was to run easy. Correction: Ton and I didn’t have much of a plan! All we knew was that we would run this event to rid ourselves of the aliens that started residing in our bellies as soon as triathlon off season started LOL.
With little time to visit the potty, we went straight towards the assembly area where our other 5,000 half marathoners awaited. We chatted with friends Dra. Lora Tansengco and Eric Carpio while waiting. We failed to see Joey and Elaine who we intended to run with. Before we knew it, the race had begun.
Ton, Eric, and I ran together. There was a slight crowd due to the sheer number of participants. (Note to self: Never start at the end of a huge race!) So, even if we wanted to, there was not much of a choice but to run slow. This was completely fine.
By 5k, on Roxas Boulevard, Ton and I stopped at a quaint hotel for a toilet break. Eric decided to go ahead. That stop at the hotel was so refreshing that we hoped we could drop by again on our way back. I know, I know. It sounds like we took this race too easy. Hah!
By 10km, we both felt great but we decided to incorporate run-walks with a 4min-1min interval. Surprisingly, our 2nd half went faster than the 1st. We were running at 5:30 to 6:00 min/pace and alternating this with relaxing walks. The race even felt easier at the time.
It was great to see a lot of TBR Dream Marathoners doing the run walks during the race. As I saw them, I thought it would be great to just run an entire race with them next time.
At the last 3k of the race, we bumped into friends Vic and Cyn Icasas. Cyn is training for TBR-ULAH Dream Marathon while Vic is an alumni. Vic said that Cyn was on her way to a new PR. Without wanting to stress her out about this, he yelled: “No pressure, but what are the first two letters of “pressure” again?!” That made us all laugh, including Cyn who did break her half marathon PR that morning.
– Cyn, Ton, and I (Photo: Vic Icasas) –
During the last few meters towards the finish, Ton and I ran strong. At the last 30 meters, I bumped into Dexter, a TBR-ULAH Dreamer who I had run with the day before. We joked that we would race against each other that morning. Well, we didn’t race; we did the opposite. Ton, Dexter, and I crossed the finish line together with a time of 2:24.
It was a fun, easy, and enjoyable run. The kind of run that left me feeling more energized than when I started. As I was about to leave the event, I was introduced Nary Ly, a runner from Cambodia who placed 2nd in the 42km that morning. Her time: 3:29. I gasped and congratulated her for an awesome time. She replied: “Oh, that was an easy run. I took the time to drink water and waved to spectators. My marathon PR is 3:02.” Gasp. I guess the words “easy run” are relative.
– Winners from Team Unilab Active Health: August Benedicto, Bic Ferreria, and Benny Rana –
Congratulations to all finishers of Run United Philippine Marathon! Until the next one!
Who hasn’t registered for Run United Philippine Marathon (RUPM)?! I’m looking forward to running 21k there.
RUPM is the third and last leg of the RunRio Trilogy and the only slots open are for Ceelin 500m dash. RUPM, now on its second year, will feature four race categories namely: Ceelin 500m, Hydrite 10km, Alaxan FR 21km and Enervon Activ 42km.
What can you expect at Run United Philippine Marathon on October 6, 2013?
(1) Runners who participated in Run United 1 and 2 can finally obtain the last piece of their “medal puzzle” and complete their UNITED medal.
The completed UNITED medal from the 2013 Run United Trilogy series (21-21-21, 21-32-21, 21-32-42) fits together with the RUPM finisher’s medal. According to Unilab Active Health, securing all these medals is a testament of the runners’ commitment to continuously exceed themselves in the field of running.
– Unilab’s Alex Panlilio welcomes the bloggers at the recently held bloggers night for Run United Philippine Marathon –
(2) The 3,000 Enervon Activ 42km runners and finishers will get VIP treatment—before, during and after the race. Gatorade, ION Energy Drink, water, sponges and bananas will be given out at certain points of the routes.
(3) 42k runners will be among the first to try and taste Active Health’s latest offering in its Sports Nutrition Line – the Active Health Sports Gel, to be launched at Run United Philippine Marathon.
– Active Health Sports Gel will be launched on RUPM. Its flavor is Berry Mix. Unilab will come out with more flavors in the coming months. Price will be at parity with other imported brands –
(4) 42k runners will experience a red-carpet finish. The finish line for 42km runners will be right inside the Active Health Village, through a short tunnel carved underneath the main stage. The runners’ companions can cheer at the cordoned-off spectators’ waiting area, and at the main stage audience area. All 42km finishers will be given an ice cold glass of Enervon HP Recovery Drink, a grooming station complete with staff will be on standby to make sure that they will look their best in the photo-ops at the finish line.
(5) 42k runners can start their rest and recovery routines by attending a post-race talk and stretching at the Enervon Activ Marathoners’ Lounge where they will receive limited edition RUPM commemorative slippers. The University of Santo Tomas College of Rehabilitation Sciences will provide physical therapy and stretching services inside the Active Health Village.
– Lester of Unilab Active Health and Coach Rio dela Cruz of Runrio show off the RUPM Commemorative Slippers –
(6) RUPM participants and their companions can avail of activities, games, free product samples in various sponsors’ booths at the Unilab Active Health Village. Alaxan FR PBA Legends will also be around for photo-ops. Entertainment will be provided by True Faith and Evedancel of Sugarfree.
All categories except for 42km will have start and finish line at the SM Mall of Asia; the 42km category will start at Bonifacio Global City and finish at SM Mall of Asia.
Gun starts are as follows: 500m dash at 7:00AM; 10K at 5:30AM; 21K at 4:00AM; and 42K at 3:00AM
UNILAB ACTIVE HEALTH’S NEXT EVENTS
Two more events are up ahead in ULAH’s active calendar—Tri United 3 and the Enervon Activ 226 Bohol Triathlon. Registration for both is still ongoing.
For more race information and results, interested parties may visit ULAH’s official website at unilabactivehealth.com as well as it Facebook and Twitter accounts.
