Before this run, I had my last run last Wednesday, 09 July (”Singing In The Rain”) at The Fort and BHS loop. The reason why I did not run after this was the big rash I had with my left inner thigh. This experience gave me a lesson to always apply petroleum jelly on my groin and upper thigh areas where I expect the lower edge of my running shorts would rub with my legs. The rash was big and deep which gave me pain when I wear my pants. Anyway, I decided not to run until my rashes would show some signs of being cured. For the past days, I’ve veen Neosporin Ointment and it is getting healed. I think I need to try using Body Glide.

Watching the elite ultramarathoners during the Badwater Ultramarathon inspired me to run some more and later try going to ultramarathon. The urge to run immediately after the Badwater experience was so intense but I was still in pain with my rashes. I need more time to rest to let my rashes heal before going back to running. So, yesterday afternoon, I decided to run even if my rashes were not yet fully healed.

It took me some time to prepare myself. I had stretching inside the house and later put a lot of petroleum jelly on my thighs most especially on top of the rashes I had. I started to run at 6:34 PM and the sun was still high above the western horizon and it was still hot. The temperature was 72-75 degrees Fahrenheit and it is really summer in LA. The sun sets at 8:30 PM and I thought that the late afternoon sun’s heat will just be perfect for my running.

From the house, I proceeded to Echo Park where a yearly Lotus Festival (even if there are no longer lotus plants in the lake for the past two years) had been held last weekend. One loop of the inner part of the park has a distance of 1.5 kilometers and I had two loops around the Echo Park Lake. From there, I ran along Glendale Boulevard going north towards the Silverlake Water Reservoir.

One loop around the Silverlake Water Reservoir is 3.7 kilometers and most of its running path is a dirt road which is about 3-5 meters in width. I did a counterclockwise direction and the path has two ascending portions which are abrupt in nature. I did three and half rounds along this loop until it was nighttime. I could estimate that there were 50-60 runners in the said area and most of them had their dogs running with them!

From the Water Reservoir, I went back to the house following the route I’ve taken along Glendale Boulevard. I did not notice that it was already 9:36 PM when I arrived at the house. After my post stretching routine, I had my shower and later dinner.

It was a nice run, my first again in LA after almost 1 1/2 years of absence. My rashes were not affected due to the thick petroleum jelly that I applied on my thighs before the run. The following were the readings from my GF 305:

Distance—26.02 kilometers         Time—3:02:49 hours

Average Pace—7:01 mins/km               Average Speed—8.5 kms/hr

Maximum Speed—15.6 kms/hr            Total Calories—1,839 cal

Average HR—148 bpm                          Maximum HR—167 bpm

Total Ascent—898 meters                    Total Descent—884 meters

 The following pictures were taken during Day 1 of the Badwater Ultramarathon.

This is the Support Vehicle of Pam Reed where at least 5 big Coleman Ice Chests are intact inside where ice cold provisions are properly organized depending on what segments along the route they are being used. Each participant is allowed one Support Vehicle and one Crew Vehicle with proper and visible markings on the back and sides.

David Goggins (DNF) talking to Lisa Renee Smith-Batchen (Bib #7) from Tucson, Arizona who finished # 67 overall with a time of 47:17:30 hours.

Pam Reed finished #5 overall with a time of 27:42:52 hours.

Jamie Donaldson is the cute lady with a white cap infront David Goggins. She won the ladies category in 26:51:33 hours breaking the women’s record time which was established by Pam Reed in 2002 by 1 hour & 5 minutes. She finished 3rd overall beating Dean Karnazes by almost 20 minutes who placed 4th overall. Read her Badwater recap story in her blog. 

Akos Konya (#2) finished in 2nd place with a time of 23:49:44 hours. Jorge Pacheco, behind Konya in the picture, finished as the Champion with a time of 23:20:16 hours where he improved by almost two hours from his 4th place finish last year. David Goggins (behind Pacheco) declared himself as DNF upon reaching Panamint Springs (Mile Point #72). Dean Karnazes finished 4th overall with a time of 27:11:00 hours improving his time and standing from last year’s event by 4 hours & 20 minutes and from 10th last year to 4th place overall.

Eight ( lady participants finished on the top 14 overall finishers in the Badwater Ultramarathon.

For more results, pictures and stories, please log on to www.badwater.com.

Ten minutes before the start of the 10AM Group in the Badwater Ultramarathon, I followed Pam Reed to her support vehicle and called her attention and she faced me immediately after she heard her name. The following were the details of our brief conversation:

Bald Runner (BR): Hi, Pam! I am a runner fan of yours from the Philippines who just arrived in the States last Saturday to witness the start of the Badwater Ultramarathon. My wife accompanied me here to Badwater (introducing my wife to her)

Pam Reed (PR): From the Philippnes? Wow, that’s great!

BR: I read your book and it is a very inspiring one. I am advertising it by posting a review in my blog, bald runner.com.

PR: Ha..ha..ha! Thanks! Did you bring your book? I can sign it now before the start of the race!

BR: Unfortunately, no. I prefer to have a picture with you as the ultramarathon woman! Can I have a picture with you?

PR: Sure!

My wife took the picture.

BR: Thank you very much, Pam & Good luck!

PR: You are welcome & Thanks

Pam Reed proceeded to her support vehicle to drink more fluids before going to the starting line.

While Pam Reed was running towards Furnace Creek, I parked the car on the side of the road and took some pictures of her. However, when she saw me from a distance infront of her, she shouted to her crew (who was about to give a water jug to her) and while pointing her finger to me and said, “The guy who is taking a picture is from the Philippines!”

After taking a picture of Pam Reed and after passing on my position, the lady crew approached me and we had a brief chat.

Crew: Are you from the Philippines?

Bald Runner: Yes, I am a runner and I came here to meet Pam Reed and watch the start of the Badwater.

Crew: Pam and I just visited Malaysia!

Bald Runner: That’s good! I hope you can visit the Philippines, too!

Crew: We will!

The following is the picture I’ve taken while Pam Reed was on her way to Furnace Creek:

The lady crew of Pam Reed was giving a water jug to her while telling that I am from the Philippines.

After the pictures of the 10AM Group had been taken and the final instructions had been delivered by the Chief, Race Organizer, some of the runners and crews and even the members of the race organizer had their pictures taken with Dean Karnazes. I finally approached Dean when he finished taking some pictures with the race organizers and my brief chat went like this:

Bald Runner: Hi, Dean! I am a runner from the Philippines and they call me as The Bald Runner in my country.

Dean Karnazes: Hey, you are not bald! You still have a lot of hair sticking out on your head. (Loooking at my head with his smiling face)

BR: I read your book and you instantly became my idol in ultramarathon and intend to join an ultra running event in the future. You are very popular to the runners in the Philippines. I have a blogsite and I posted your book and your accomplishments as the ultramarathon man. It’s baldrunner.com.

DK: That’s great! I’ll check it out.

BK: By the way, I will be running the San Francisco Marathon with my kids, son and daughter.

DK: This coming San Francisco Marathon?

BR: Yes

DK: I will be at the Runner’s Expo for two days before the San Francisco Marathon and you have to see me there. I want to meet your kids!

BR: Yes, we’ll meet you at the Expo. Can I have a picture with you, Dean?

DK: Ok! ( I asked one of the race organizer’s photographers to take a picture with my camera)

BR: Thanks, Dean! (I offered my hand for handshake & he grabbed my hand)  

DK: You are welcome. I will check your blog.

After that brief conversation, Dean left the place and went to his support vehicle to change his cap and get his hand-held water jug and later lined up with the rest of the runners at the starting line.

After the runners left, my wife and I took some pictures at the Badwater Basin; checked and reviewed the pictures taken; drank a lot of water and Gatorade to replenish the sweat while I was taking pictures; and took some time to use the comfort room in the area. It was already almost 40 minutes had lapsed when I started to drive the car along the direction of the runners.

While Dean Karnazes was running towards Furnace Creek, barely one hour after the start of the run, I slowed down the car and stay beside briefly with him and I opened the window of the car, brought out my head and shouted:

BR: Good luck, Dean!

DK: Thank you, Bald Runner! (in a loud voice while pouring water on his cap/head from his hand-held water jug and he was smiling!)

Later, I took the following picture as he was running  #4 from the leading runner on his way to Furnace Creek:

Being sponsored by The North Face, Dean Karnazes wears running shoes and apparel of the said sports company. His running apparel is now lighter and different from his clothes when he ran the Badwater Ultramarathon in 2005.

I woke up at 4:00AM, prepared my things, took a shower, and before 5:00AM, I was already on the road with my wife towards Badwater, California. It was still dark and the street of Los Angeles were clear and I was the only one on the side streets near our place before hitting California State Highway 101 North and later merging at Interstate Highway 10 East after leaving the City of Los Angeles. (Note: US Highways are designated with odd numbers if they go North to South or vice-versa and even numbers if they go West to East or vice-versa)

Well, it had been a long time that I did not drive a car. In the Philippines, I still have my driver to bring me where I want to go in Metro Manila and when I am in Laoag City. But once I am here in the United States, my son or my daughter or my wife becomes my official driver/s and I rarely drive while I am with my family. However, I am a holder of a California Driver’s License which I had renewed regularly since I got it after my schooling in Fort Benning, Georgia and having stayed with my family in Los Angeles for a few months in the early ’80s.

For today’s trip to Badwater, I was made to drive the car as my son and daughter have their respective offices/jobs to attend to plus their scheduled attendance to a Coldplay Concert in Los Angeles on Monday evening. Driving in the US is very easy and efficient unlike driving in the Philippines. Where on Earth (except in Europe’s Autobahn) would you experience driving for hours with an average speed of 80-90 miles per hour? Yes, that was my speed along Interstate Interstate Highway 10 East and later hit Interstate Highway 15 East. Sometimes, I would increase to 100-110 MPH but my wife would remind me that I was way above the authorized 75 MPH speed. She would not like to pay a fine of $260.00 for speeding. That would be equivalent to the price of a Newton and an ASICS Running Shoes!

After one hour of driving, we have to stop at Barstow to fill up the gas tank of our Toyota RAV 4, bought ice cubes for our Coleman Ice Chest where I placed a lot of bottled water, Red Bull, Gatorade and fruits, and we had coffee to go. After 15-20 minutes stop at Barstow, we were on our way to Baker, California, as our Gateway to Death Valley National Park, where we would leave Interstate Highway 15 North and hit California Highway 127 towards north going to the center of Death Valley National Park.

This is California State Highway 127 after leaving Baker, California. At this point, I still had 110 miles (176 kilometers) to go before reaching Badwater Basin, the Starting Area of the Badwater Ultramarathon. There are no structures along the way as it is preserved as a National Park because of its desert and unique land features and mountains.

Driving along CA Highway 127 was a bliss and fast as I was alone on the road. I think I had overtaken two vehicles and met at least 3-4 vehicles on the opposite way for the distance of almost 60 miles before turning left to California Highway 178. CA Highway 178 goes directly to the heart of the Death Valley Park and I had to travel 25 miles along this road until it became an ordinary asphalted road without any center divider line to separate the opposite lane. The CA Highway 178 ended to become the Badwater Road.

At the end of CA Highway 178, there were parts of the earth/soil which were washed away from the mountain and desert due to flash floods and rains on the middle of the road and it made our trip slower for a while. However, once we hit the Badwater Road, we could see the lowest part in the whole United States and we seldom met any vehicle along the road. For almost 45 minutes, we were alone along the said road with a temperature reaching to 100-110 degrees Fahrenheit. My wife became nervous as we did not see any other vehicle for almost 30 minutes except when we had a sight of a Ranger Patrol Car parked on the side of the road.

I was confident that I had the right direction and I was always asking my wife what is the time as I estimated to be at the Badwater Ultramarathon Starting Area in 4 hours and 30 minutes to include our brief stop along the way. I was thinking that I had to reach Badwater at 9:30AM with my estimate of our travel time. And suddenly, the Starting Line was on our sight after a long curve on the road.

I arrived at the Badwater Basin at 9:25AM and I was happy that I had still 35 minutes to take some pictures and time to mingle with the elite runners and later witness the start of the 10AM elite runners group on the 31st rendition of the Badwater Ultramarathon.

The Badwater Ultramarathon Starting Area is a small Rest Area or Viewing Area of the Badwater Basin along the CA Highway 190 which has a parking area good for about 50 cars, toilets, and a wooden elevated stage where the elite runners had their group picture before the start of the race.

The following were the pictures taken before the start of the Badwater Ultramarathon.

This is the only shaded area at the Starting Area where the race organizers would take blood samples, conduct brief medical check-up and weight-in to all the runners/participants.

This is the elevated wooden structure on top of the Badwater Basin where a small amount of water is left on the sides. Fifteen minutes before the start, all the 10AM group of elite runners had a picture taking and at the same time served as their final meeting place and got their final instructions from the race manager. Sports photographers, media, relatives, friends, and crew members were infront of the runners taking pictures. I observed I was the only Asian and spectator for the 10AM event as the rest of the crowd were the race organizers, marshalls, medical staff, members of the family & friends of the runners, and members of the crew of each respective runner/participant. 

From left is Akos Konya (with white cap) who is 33 yrs old from Oceanside, California and a native of Hungary, Dean Karnazes (#4), and Pam Reed (with black shorts). These three elite ultramarathoners are the favorites in this race. Konya finished 2nd last year.

This tall guy is David Goggins (#3) who carries the brand The 100 Mile Man. He is the present US Record Holder of the most number of miles ran in 48 hours (203.5 miles). He is presently a member of the US Navy Seals and he has an impressive record in ultramarathon for the past two years. He finished #3 in last year’s Badwater Ultramarathon.

Well, this is the Best Picture For The Year. A pose with The Ultra Marathon Man, Dean Karnazes. I will post another story later on my brief chat and meeting with Dean Karnazes. 

Aha! Another Best Picture For The Year! A pose with Pam Reed, The Ultra Marathon Woman. I will be posting another story about my brief meeting and chat with this wonderful lady.

Konya and Goggins at the Starting Line. Here are two contrasting apparel of two ultramarathoners where one is wearing a white long-sleeved shirt with cap and another wearing a dark-colored singlet for an ultrarun with a temperature reaching up to 125 degrees Fahrenheit on daytime.

I counted 32 ultra runners for this 10AM group out of the 80 runners who finally accepted the invitation of the Race Organizers to run this event. There were no prayers before the start of the run but they had to play and sing the US National Anthem (Star Spangled Banner) before finally starting the race.

And there they go! The start of a 135-mile distance in 60 hours along California Highway 190 and 136.

Early tomorrow morning at 4:00AM, 14 July (8:00PM, Monday, Manila Time), I will be leaving Los Angeles by car to Badwater, California, located inside the Death Valley National Park. The distance from Los Angeles to Badwater is 290 miles or 460 kilometers which is the estimated distance from Manila to Paoay/Currimao, Ilocos Norte. In my estimate, it will take me 4 1/2 hours to reach the place without any traffic problem or being get lost along the way.

My son just prepared me a printed map which he downloaded from Google with the detailed directions from our house to Badwater. I will be missing the runners who will start at 6:00AM and 8:00AM. The elite runners will start at 10:00AM and hope to meet some of them and witness their start of this ultramarathon event. Hopefully, I will be able to take some pictures of these runners while they will be running along Highway 190.

The following news article was copied from Puhrump Valley Times.

Death Valley race pushes to the limit
BY CHRISSY OHLINGER
PVT

BADWATER, Calif. — Many people don’t savor the idea of crossing Death Valley in the summertime by car. Some actually prefer to go on foot. This July 14-16, Route 190 in Death Valley National Park will be littered with people who do just that during the 31st annual AdventureCORPS Badwater Ultramarathon. The extreme sport event will track participants on foot through 135 miles of the hottest, most treacherous and isolated country in the country and the world: from Badwater, Death Valley National Park, to the trailhead of Mt. Whitney in California. The race route yo-yos from a plunging 280 feet below sea level across three mountain ranges before rising to the chilling heights of Mt. Whitney. Some contestants will even choose to scale the tallest mountain in the Lower 48 as an unofficial finish to their journey.

Much like the Iditarod race from Nome to Anchorage, Alaska, is to dog-sledding, the AdventureCORPS Badwater Ultramarathon is famous as the end-all of marathons and is highly publicized. “Recognized globally as ‘the world’s toughest foot race’ this legendary event pits up to 90 of the world’s toughest athletes — runner, triathletes, adventure racers and mountaineers — against one another and the elements,” according to the publicity, “it is the most demanding and extreme running race offered anywhere on the planet.”

Because of the heat and length of the race, where temperatures are likely to rise to 130 degrees Fahrenheit, it is considered too hazardous to accept many of the applicants who apply. Invitations are limited to the most highly trained athletes in the world. These must run similar routes under similar conditions to be considered. Yet no amount of preparation and training is enough to ensure successful completion of the course. Every year contestants drop out of the race due to exhaustion and painful injuries.

Although there is no prize money, the running event draws athletes from around the globe. This year’s “ultra-runners” include representatives from 13 countries and 19 American states. Twenty-one women and 62 men will run, varying in age from 27 to 66 years old. About half of the competitors are veterans to the race.

The charitable event offers only a T-shirt, a hat, Race Magazine and goodie bag to each participant. Those who finish within 60 hours will receive a finisher’s T-shirt, certificate and medal. Those who finish within 48 hours receive a commemorative belt buckle.

All proceeds from the event go to the event’s official charity, the Challenged Athletes Foundation. One of the primary goals of the ultramarathon is to raise funds and enhance awareness for the foundation.
AdventureCORPS is also a member of One Percent For The Planet, an umbrella organization that oversees donations to environmental organizations worldwide.

Members donate 1 percent of all revenues (not profits) to the charity. In addition to charities, runners will also be supporting possible life-saving scientific research. This year The Montana Center for Work Physiology and Exercise Metabolism will conduct studies on 12 volunteer participants to measure water turnover, body temperature, activity and heat strain during the Badwater Marathon. The study hopes “to determine the human ceiling for water turnover in order to further characterize the hydration needs for extended work in hostile environments.”

The researchers will measure the participants’ water loss (through sweat and urine) compared to water consumed while monitoring statistics such as temperature, activity and heat strain throughout the race.
The study hopes to reveal information about the human hydration mechanisms and cellular defenses in extreme circumstances and how to best protect the body from dehydration. It is an extension of previous studies performed with wildland firefighters, Air Force combat controllers and Ironman athletes in laboratories.

While supporting great causes, participants invariably run for their own reasons. Many participants reveal the race to be a life-changing event. Most famously, Kirk Johnson, sports editor for the New York Times, ran in 1999 while reeling from the tragic suicide of his brother. He later chronicled his experience in the book “To the Edge.” Regardless of the mysterious motivation of the human soul to push the body so far to the edge as to risk death from exhaustion and the elements, the Badwater Ultramarathon is an amazing race for amazing athletes.

As Lana Corless, race staff of 2007, put it, “Badwater represents the human spirit of challenge within a realm of a unique community that emphasizes how well we all can work together given the opportunity.”

I instructed Captain Ferdie Espejo to come up with a team to run/participate in The North Face 100 this coming 26 & 27 July 2008 in Nasugbo, Batangas. If not for my trip and plan to run the San Francisco Marathon this August 3, I could have registered to run in the Team Relay or the 100K solo run. Anyway, the other reason why I have to leave Manila earlier is to witness the start of the Badwater Ultramarathon in Badwater, Death Valley, California this Monday, 14 July 2008 and to adapt early on the weather of California and have more running workouts in Los Angeles.

The Bald Runner’s Team for the TNF 100 will consist of the following:

Rey Antoque and/or Rolando Piamonte for the 100K Solo Run

Cresenciano Sabal and Reynaldo De Los Reyes for the Team Relay 100K

Mamerto Corpuz for the 20K

Ferdinand Elpidio Espejo Jr for the 10K

Bald Runner’s Team will also be running in the TNF 100 Singapore on October 4, 2008.

Good luck to those who will be joining this running event.

The following is a comment from “Fuerza Armada” on my post regarding Mr Pompey Crisologo of North Star Run and owner of North Star Marketing, Inc. in Laoag City.

I’m a frequent visitor of your blogsite and this is my first time to post a comment. My memories travel back 20-25 years ago upon reading this artcile of Mr. Pompeo, considered as the Father of Local Running in Ilocandia. I have also joined once in the North Star 10K Fun Run when I was in Grade 5, that was in the early 80’s, and one Biathlon (Duathlon). Both events I DNFed. The races are usually held near the scenic Paoay Lake or Currimao Port Area near the beach and my father would usually win in the age category. Now, he’s in his early 60’s and can still run short distances.

When I begin working in the government here in Fort Bonifacio, I ballooned into 176lb frame with 5ft 4in height and would be diagnosed with mild hypertension. Until I started going back to life through running in 2005 and losing 54 lbs. My DNF events two decades ago in the North Star haunted me. Something in my life was lacking. And I am very much determined to experience finishing a 10K. After months and years of training, I did 5Ks, then 10Ks, 10-miler, half, then the ultimate full marathon which I already did 9 times (with 6 sub-4hrs).

Though dozens of race numbers and medals adorned in our living room in our home in Lapog, Ilocos Sur, my father never had a medal for 42K and his dream was only fulfilled through me. I cried when I crossed the finish line during my first 42K in the 3rd Manila Marathon since I devoted the race to my father.

Maybe this is the perfect time to thank Mr. Pompeo. Thanks for being the ambassador of good health in the region. We have discovered and produced national class runners during the North Star’s grandeur. The North Star Run will forever be cherished. I know the baldrunner is the perfect figure who could continue the legacy. With the general’s love and passion of the sport, I am very sure he can handle it well. I can also encourage my father, his group and my running buddies in the City Government of Vigan to support your planned races.Then we can have more interesting stories to tell…

Thank you very much, “Fuerza Armada” for sharing to us about your passion in running. I hope more people will be inspired to run/join road races and that “failures” are just small part of our life that would challenge us to surpass our capability to do some more and be a better person.

5:38 PM 09 July 2008 at The Fort

If I did not forget to bring my Ipod Nano in yesterday’s afternoon run, the title of this post could had been “Singing In The Rain”.

The thick rain clouds at The Fort area was an indication that it will rain that afternoon. However, after two days of complete rest from Sunday’s Manila Half-Marathon, I became uneasy and sluggish for not running. I felt that I was able to recover last Wednesday and I did not let the day pass by without sweating it out for a long easy run.

I started my run at 5:38PM at the corner of the IS Road and the main road going to the old Gate 1 of Fort Bonifacio. After running about 500 meters, there were flashes of lightning on the horizon and the afternoon became darker because of the rain clouds. I managed to run at least 4 kilometers, back and forth, along IS Road before the shower became rain. I had to take refuge at the back of the Every Nation Building and kept on jogging in place and used the stairs to do my “up and down” stair drill. It took me almost 12-15 minutes to wait for the rain to stop. When I noticed that the rain became weaker, I resumed my run even if there was still rain. The IS Road was full of rushing water on its edge and I had to run along the elevated sidewalk.

The vehicles along the IS Road would pass on the flowing water along the road and the water would make a splash on my legs and feet which made my legs and shoes to be muddy and wet. Well, two ladies aboard a Ford Expedition stopped near me and asked direction in going to The Fort Strip.

I was wearing a New Balance runner’s kit; Nike Zoom Explosion 2 Running shoe; and black Nike runner’s cap. I was entirely wet due to the rain and my sweat when I finished 5 times running along IS Road. I took the road fronting the British School Manila all the way to the waiting shed near the gate of the Department of Energy Building and turned right going to St Luke’s Hospital (under construction). Crossed the street towards the McDonald’s at 32nd Street and turned right back to Jollibee. From Jollibee, I went towards the old MacDonald’s and turned left at One McKinley and took one round on the block across the Fort Strip.

I was surprised that a male runner in blue attire passed by on my right side with a faster pace and immediately crossed my intended path infront of me even if we were the only ones running along the sidewalk. I just smiled and looked intently on his back and observed that he was still fresh without any sweat at all. He just ran ahead of me and went straight along the road that goes to Price Smart.

After going around the block, I went towards South of Market Building and turned left towards the Bonifacio High Street Loop. At this point, I was able to run a distance of 11 kilometers already. While at the BHS, I made an extended loop which had an average distance of 2 kilometers. After running for several rounds on my “extended loop”, a runner in black jogging pants and singlet overtook me and abruptly cut infront of my running path even if there was a lot of space along the sidewalf of BHS. I just smiled and kept on my pace and it was the first and last time to see the said runner as I was maintaining my run along my “extended loop”.

I really do not understand why runners would overtake another runner and abruptly cut somebody’s path even if there is a lot of space to run.

I just maintained my slow run around the BHS loop and I was able to see a lot of runners; young and old, wife and husband, male and female, and fast and slow runners. On my last round, I met Miake Acedilla, Pam, and friends doing their running workout at the regular BHS loop. Since I recognized Miake and Pam from their pictures with me after the Rush to Mizuno Run, I was the one who started to wave my hands to them and they greeted me in return.

After the run, while I was changing  my running kit to my dry clothes, I started to feel the pain caused by a big rash on my left inner thigh. I thought the pain I was feeling while running was just a small rash but I was surprised to see that the rash affected a lot of portion on my inner thigh. I forgot to apply petroleum jelly on my thighs before the run. The rash will take at least one week to dry up and heal and hope to be able to run more kilometers this week. The New Balance running shorts’ edge had the tendency to stick to my legs when wet and it caused the friction with my skin.

These were the readings from my GF 305 after the run:

Distance—23.4 kms              Time—2:39:28 hrs

Average Pace—6:49 mins/km        Average Speed—8.8 kms/hr

Maximum Speed—13.5 kms/hr     Total Calories—1,702 cal

Average HR—139 bpm                   Maximum HR—152 bpm

Total Ascent—826 meters             Total Descent—765 meters

This is my picture with Mr Pompey Crisologo of North Star Marketing in Laoag City taken two weeks ago. Mr Pompey Crisologo is now 72 years old and he is still wearing a running shoes while he is in his office.

He finished his first Marathon at the age of 52 with a time of 4:15 hours and improved his second Marathon with a time of 4:00 hours flat. He was the father of the North Star Run which started in 1979 and had its last rendition in 2002. He authored the North Star Run Sports Program where he conducted 5K runs in different municipalities of Ilocos Norte on a monthly basis with P 5.00 as registration fee.

In my last meeting with Mr Crisologo, he does not have any plan or intention of reviving the North Star Run. However, I told him that I am interested to revive the said 10K road race but with a different name. He approved of the idea and he is willing to help in the revival of the said race.

I told him also that I am going to revive the duathlon event during summer and he was happy to hear also such news from me. Also included will be a trail running event in Ilocos Norte.

These events are presently on the planning stage under the auspices of the Bald Runner’s Events.