Adidas KOTR 2011

Distance: 21.1K
Time: 2:23 minutes
Date: October 23, 2011
Pace: 6:46 minutes per kilometer

My A-Race

I selected this race to be my A-Race over three months ago and that this would be the race I would transition from a 10K to 15K runner to half a marathoner.  This race was not just 21K, it was 3 months worth of training and hard work on speed sets, hill runs and the weekly long 21K++ runs.  While I wasn't short of preparation, I was really jittery a week before as I felt that I have peaked too soon and may have lost some momentum during the taper week but I guess, being jittery is a normal reaction for someone who wants a major event to be finished successfully and that was my goal to finish with a good time and a decent pace.

Team Total Fitness Debut

This was also the debut race of Team Total Fitness and this is the beginning of a new era as Total Fitness and our sponsors (Oakley, ON Cloudsurfer, Brooks, Polar, Cep, i-pure, Chris Sports, Honey Stinger, Dermplus,  Epic Triathlon and Cycling Wear and Moving Comfort) is entering the running and multisports arena under Coach Andy Leuterio of Alpha Training Systems.  There was no bigger stage to make a debut than Adidas KOTR.  It was double the excitement as not only am I running my first 21K, I am also running as part of Team Total Fitness so it's gonna be a big day for all of us.

The Race

There were over 4,000 runners under the 21K category and this time I positioned myself a bit nearer to the front as I was determined to have a good time for this run.  I usually go for a strong start but having too little of stretching, I wasn't able to accelerate immediately so I changed strategy to go for a steady start until I feel that my legs are a bit warmed up.  I was also surprised by the sudden change in the race maps having so many twist and turns around the Fort area instead of a more straight course as originally planned. Oh well, no matter how much you change the route, it's still 21K. I found my second wind past the Kalayaan Flyover towards the second half of the race so I increased my speed a few seconds from that point and took advantage of the flat and straight course.  I also shifted my rest and run approach, resting only for water breaks and taking energy gels every 30 minutes.

Going past kilometer 15, I know this is a race I can finish and just thinking that this took 3 months to prepare, stopping was never an option.  It also pays running under the Team Total Fitness banner as you're running with more pride.  It was now back to Kalayaan flyover and knowing that the end is near, I was able to run at a steady pace. Kilometer 19 was the final challenge an uphill climb from 5th Street until McKinley Parkway and after that it was a matter of coasting towards the finish line with more flats and downhill inclines.  As I crossed the finished line around 2:23 mark, it was satisfying and all the hard work the  past three months was well worth it.

This was one of the more organized runs I attended.  It was a touch of genius to separate 21K and 16.8K runners on the way back in the Kalayaan Flyover.  Hydration Station was sufficient and even if there were thousands of runners, it didn't feel crowded and you have all the leeway to run.  The route switched from simple to complicated but as I said earlier it's still 21K.  The finisher medal was unique and definitely a must keep memento of the race.  It was a great first 21K experience.

Nike Run Manila

Distance: 10K (Actual 10.4K)
Time: 1:07 minutes
Date: October 15, 2011
Pace: 6:41 minutes per kilometer (Actual: 6:26 minutes per kilometer)

Night Run

 Night runs are as rare as they get and upon seeing that Nike had one in store, I immediately signed up.  It was more of a warm up for my 21K debut next week than an actual run plus a night run should be a real change of circumstances over morning runs.  While you go with fresh of the sleep energy on morning runs, you get to take a night run already perked up and ready to go.  Gun start was 5pm and it was still warm and humid for this run.  The run also offers a different race course concentrating on 8th Ave and International School Area and Triangle Drive area.

8,000++ runners

Upon entering the runners area, I immediately downgraded my expectation and threw all PR aspirations away with more than 8,000 runners running on a single wave and we were packed towards the midpoint until the tail end of the run.  This is gonna be a crowded run.  As the sound of the gun start rang, it took as an additional 2-3 minutes just to get to cross the starting line and right after that, it was 'human traffic'.  You can't really accelerate much as there is not much space to run and you had to swerve from one point to another just to get past all the runners.  It does get tiring trying to overtake continuously and endlessly.  I shifted my strategy to running at a steady pace and just have sudden burst if there would be areas with less runners and just go with the flow on congested areas.

The Race

The race course was congested throughout the whole run and aside from the heat and humidity, it felt suffocating to be surrounded by so many runners but a race is never about counting things going wrong but living past these inconveniences to come up with a decent finish.  I held on to a consistent pace and trying to get past as many people as possible, I just went on and on and on.  I felt tired as early as kilometer 3 but I just kept on going at a moderate pace and just stopping for several water and hydration breaks.  It was also nice that series of kids were so involved in watching the race that they wanted low fives.  At first, I was hesitant since I didn't want to drop form but seeing how the kid appreciate the low fives, I did give them my low fives.

Going for kilometer 7,8 and 9, you now get the full effect of a night run. Though there were some lighting, there were some areas that are real dark especially the last two kilometers at 8th Ave.  This was also the point I started to adding a few seconds to my speed towards the finish line and finished around the 1:07 mark.  It was of course nowhere near my PR. Come to think of it, it wasn't a bad time. Given the circumstances, it was the best I could have given.  Of course, it could have been a better time had I started nearer the starting line as it would have saved me a lot of energy overtaking but you just got to take what you can get.  In another perspective, this could be my PR for 10K obstacle run / walk course.

The race course was unique but it was too small to squeeze in 8,000+ people and there were some congested areas where you had no choice but to walk but I have to give it to the organizers that all the runners were properly hydrated and guided along the race course.  The finisher item was not available on time but the race organizers was humble enough to apologize for such and come up with an alternative solution.  There may also be some mix-up on the d-tags as  I got twitter updates for a different runner.  I hope that this does not mean, some errors in the results when it does come out. On the overall, I think the 8,000 runners had fun and seeing that Nike was able to pull in newbie runners because of its strong brand name would be plus to the running community.



Instant Picnic

We had our instant picnic right after the race with S&R Pizza, Blue Bunny Ice Cream and the World's Best Sports Drink, Coca Cola.  You do need to recover all those lost calories and sugar in your system.  It was fun and different to have a simplified picnic setup compared to the usual restaurants at high street.  And there goes another race and another story but somehow this would be my last run going solo as a new banner would debut next week and I'm really excited for that but let's leave that story for another time.  It'll be a new beginning.

Yellow Ribbon Run

Distance: 6K
Time: 34:45 minutes
Date: September 18, 2011
Pace: 5:47 minutes per kilometer

This is my first run on foreign soil and really hope I would have done 10K but run out of slots for 10K but since the flight has been booked might as well make the most out of it by going for a 6K race in Singapore. The race starts at Loyang Ave near Changgi golf course and goes through several parks and attraction like the Johore Battery, Changi Chapel & Musuem and ends at Changi Prison Complex.

They had busses pick up runners from Expo MRT to starting point and there were a lot of runners. It was fun watching 10K runners try to catch the gun start. After some stretching then we had our own gunstart and I went at full speed ahead with a pace of 5:30 mpk since the starting area was a bit downhill and slowed down a bit on km 3 as I had pains in my calf muscles and the uphill portion but was able to recover on the downhill portion before maintaining a steady pace til finish line.

It was scorhing hot as the gunstart was 8:15 am compared to the usual 5-6 an gunstart at home. There was only one water station at the mid point of the run. The finish had as entering the prison compound and just like that 6K run was over in less than 35 minutes at a very fast pace. I got my goodie bag which had a medal and a rain gear for running.

After a run that took just 35 minutes, it took me more than an hour to figure my way out of prison. Target complete and let me go back to my regular longer training runs for next months 21K but a part of me is looking forward to more runs on foreign territory and I finished at the top 5% of the runners.

Ateneo Diamond Blue Run

Distance: 10K
Time: 59 Minutes
Date: August 28, 2011
Pace: 5:54 minutes per kilometer

I was looking forward to this run as I was probably one of the first to register for this event. It's not that commom for Ateneo to hold runs outside Katipunan area so having a run held at MOA was a welcome change then add personalized bib, I'm definitely in. The race route was not ideal with 3 loops around the mall and so was the 'is-it-raining or not???' weather and 'get-your-own water' setup but I was on a mission on this one. PR or bust... Take the course at full intensity and if you succeed you set a new personal record or close to it or there's also the possibility of burn-out, either way you get to test your limits and you'll come out stronger. Somehow, I just disregarded all the possible excuses and just went at it.

I have been staying away from races and 10K runs as I'm focused on building up stamina for my upcoming transition to 21K come October using longer runs during weekend but since it was recovery week, I got the chance to go for a strong 10K again. All signs pointed to a not-so-good run as I've missed the gun start by about 3 minutes without proper stretching. My Garmin didn't start on time, my left calf muscle was a bit sore from lack of stretching, it was a wet and windy run and there were very minimal hydration station. I was the last runner to start the race so had a lot of catching up to do.

Finished at 1:02 but given the 3 minutes gun start time I missed, it was unofficially a PR run at 59 minutes and I did it by just running consistently. PR or not, this was a really good run and this definitely isn't a bust since I was a felt stronger in the last lap.

Takbo.PH Runfest

Distance: 16K
Time: 1 hour 47 minutes
Date: July 24, 2011
Pace: 6:40 per kilometers

The first time I saw the race course, I got scared seeing that you have to take an uphill climb from Fort to McKinley area and then you have to go through the full length of Bayani Road until C5 then another uphill climb in McKinley until C5 area before you get to descend on the road to the finish line at the Fort.  I didn't set my expectations high with my last race more than a month ago and that I'm considering this more of a training run than a race on the other hand, I'm also using it as a gauge if all the long runs I did for the month has been effective.  Somehow, I felt more relax with this race since it would be my first time running 16K. As long as I finish, I get to have a personal record.  I went for shorts, total fitness tri-singlet, 2xU compression socks and my trusty Kwicky Blade Light.

It's always a different feel when you are in an actual race compared to when you are training.  There's that adrenalin rush coming from running as part of a crowd and running to beat your time.  There were pre-run exercises conducted by the organizers/sponsors and then the official gun start and there I was running in a race again after more than a month of being away.  I started at a very fast but still relaxed pace taking advantage of the flats from high street area until international school area. Surprisingly, I went at a steady pace for the first 10 kilometers of the race which includes the uphill climb from 5th Avenue and Lawton and the full length of Bayani Road and back.  Approaching McKinley on the way back, I cruised on downhills, went steady on the slight inclines and preserved my energy on the steep inclines.  Got past McKinley on the 14th Kilometer mark back. It was a slight incline back to Lawton for KM 15 and cruised downhill in 5th Ave all the way to the finish line and time was 1:47 for about 16.2 kilometers (Actual Mileage). A very decent and strong finish for my first 16K.

The course was a nice one.  It felt like running two races, one in the Fort Area and another one in McKinley.  While it had uphill terrains, you still get an equivalent share of downhills where you can recover your momentum from being slowed down by the hills.  Water station was sufficient.  There were kilometer markers.  There were a lot of photographers.  Race marshals were encouraging runners to keep on going.  On a personal note, I'm really happy with my performance for this one.  I was in control of my pace the whole time and was able to pace myself well for the full 16K of this run.  I'm glad all the hill work and long runs has paid dividends and the struggle I had in my last few runs was no more.  I'm upbeat to get back to train and get better.

Extra Kilometers: Post race: there was no official timing result for this run as the organizers timing partner had computer glitches.  A big boo to technology.  Despite me wanting badly to know how I'd fared against the field in this race, I'll have to settle for me surpassing my own expectation for the run.  After all, you're main competition in races like this is yourself. 

Reebok Run

Distance: 10K
Time: 1 hour 8 minutes
Date: June 4, 2011
Pace: 6:48 minutes per kilometer

I consider this race as more of training than an actual race as I'm now slowly shaking off my sluggishness and really didn't set much of a goal this time.   I did like the route for this one as it is relatively simple compared to the previous runs though there was a time I stopped a while since they modified the race course from the one in the race maps.  Surprisingly, this had an earlier than advertised gun start but no complains from me since the earlier the race starts, the sooner I finish and the longer I can run without worrying about the heat.  There was ample water station and the loot bag had free drinks and a reebok cap.

I started the race at a fast pace testing how far I can sustain the pace and that I guess it lasted for the first quarter of the race including the uphill climb to Kalayaan flyover after which I decided to just go at a steady pace.  I knew I haven't build up enough stamina to go all out for a 10K.  Later in the race, the heat was now on and this time I came prepared with my visor and shades so the heat was not much of a burden this time.  I boosted the speed meter in the last kilometer once more to have a strong finish.

Overall, I think this was a good race even if its far from my PR form as I ran at a steady pace except for a few weak kilometers and was able to push myself enough but of course, I'd like to get back the speed and stamina I once had.  I know I can get back to the form and there's only one way to attain that, working hard consistently.  I need to push myself harder and longer.

Brooks Run Happy

Distance: 15K
Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
Date: May 22, 2011
Pace: 7 minutes per kilometer

I didn't have high expectation on my performance for this race as I was a struggling and sluggish lately but I did have a goal to finish the race injury free given that my last race had me suffering cramps.  What I didn't expect was the late gun start, the unorganized water station and the scorching heat.  Just imagine having to endure the heat of the sun and as you approach the water station you had to queue just to get cups and water. Oh well, I need to get used to the heat wave that has been so evident even on training runs.

The runners was agitated at the late gun start since in a 15K run you'd like to run as much as you can before the sun is up.  After the gun start, I was able to run a decent pace for the first few kilometers before I felt my left calves stiffen a bit so had to slow down a bit.  The sun was up ad scorching as early as the 2K mark so it was a real difficult running for someone used to running early and at night.  It made the course feel a lot longer and tougher.

Finished finally at 1:45 mark. Decent enough but not something to crow about as this time pales in comparison to my previous 15K run but I did finish this race injury-free and this should go a long way in boosting my confidence to push harder without the fear of injury and running under this condition is such a nice and tough training.  When things don't go your way, you can simply call them lessons and this was a tough one so I guess that's something to be happy... =>