6:00 AM 11 May 2008 @ Marikina Riverbanks

I thought the 2nd Champion Run Along Marikina Road Race starts at the usual place where the Pasig River International Marathon started last February. My driver, together with a cyclist, had to ask the actual location of the starting area from a Security Guard at the Mall located at the Marikina Riverbank Shopping Center. With the cyclist ahead of us towards the starting are, my staff was able to reach the place at least 45 minutes before the start of the race.

While having my warm-up and slow jogging, I saw The Loony Runner and Passion Runner and we had a brief chat and later some picture-taking way back/rear from the starting area. We continued our stretching and slow jog/warm-up until I was already sweating profusely. Later on, we heard that it was 20 seconds before the starting time.

At exactly 6:00 AM, the race director, Coach Rio, made the countdown from 10 to 1 and shouted “Go” and the race started. It took me at least 10 seconds to finally cross the starting line as lots of runners from the PNP and other AFP units added to the usual weekend “road warriors” that I see during road races.

In my first 3 kilometers, my pace was very slow as the running crowd was still packed from shoulder to shoulder as the concrete road was too narrow! Aside form the road being narrow along the riverbank of Pasig River, other walkers and members of the populace would leisurely walk along with the runners and some also would walk counter with the direction of the race. This is compounded by weekend bikers and cyclists who compete with the limited space along the narrow cemented road. Some of the faster runners would run along the unpaved sides of the road just to be able to overtake other runners and find a space where they could maintain their pace. I saw Taki and running mate overtook me at the 2.5-Km mark using the unpaved sides of the road.

The runners were against the glare of the rising sun on the first 3 kilometers and I was glad I was already using my sunglasses. For the next 5 kilometers after we crossed to the other side of the river, the sun was already on our backs but as we crossed again the river to return to the other side of the river and ultimately to the finish line, the heat of the sun was already towards us. The Loony Runner overtook me at the 5-6 Km mark and he is making a lot of improvement as seen from his pace but I later saw him slowed down on the last few meters before the finish line. I guess, we were thinking the same that something was wrong with the 10 Km road race.

As I passed the 8-Km mark, I noticed that something was wrong and the elapsed time I am getting from GF 305 was 8 minutes from my finish time on last Sunday’s Runnex@25 10K Run. It appears that my pace was slower this time and I just thought that I just consider this race as my tempo run for the week. Once I crossed the river for the last 1 km, I noticed that my watch had registered more than the time I had last week. This is where I saw The Loony Runner way infront of me to have slowed down and maybe he was thinking that that the race is longer than the expected 10K run.

I tried to increase my pace and overtook some of the runners and the PNP guys as I approached the finish line. I could here Coach Rio announcing my arrival as the “Bald Runner” and shouts coming both sides of the finish line and chute. After I crossed the finish line and while walking along the chute, my GF 305 registered an unofficial time of 57:03 minutes (what?) and I was surprised to see that the distance registered was 11.0 kilometers!

As I walked back to my car, some of the runners would approach me and have their pictures taken with me! That is the prize I have to pay for being the Bald Runner! I saw Taki as I got nearer to my car and he was telling me that his GF registered 11.0K and it was a nice “long run” with those narrow path. He told me that he has new PR best time for a 11K Race! His friends were eating doughnuts and they offered me one but I declined. Maybe, next time I will accept the offer but make it two pieces, Taki!..hahaha!

As I saw the other runners approaching the Finish Line, I started clapping my hands and cheering them, shouting, “Looking Good, it’s your last 200 meters to the Finish Line..You Can Make It”. For those who were walking, I encouraged them to jog and said, “Keep on Jogging. The Finish Line is 200 meters away. You have to improve your finish time”. Actually, I was having my post-run stretching and letting my sweat drip from my running kit while clapping my hands and cheering the runners. I cheered  JunC, Lito, Passion Runner, RunMd, Hubert, the other Senior Runners and the Friends of BaldRunner! Congratulations, Guys!

Congratulations to all the Finishers and congratulations, too to Coach Rio! Excellent job!

It was a nice “long and narrow” run. I will post the pictures on this run next time.