6:13 AM 26 October 2008 at The Fort

The race is called the 4th October Run Festival Race which is organized by the Fort Striders Running Club.

After exposing for the first time the “Team Bald Runner” at the 1st Mayon Trail Run last Sunday, this race was the second exposure of the team in road races and its first exposure in the road races in Metro Manila, as a team wearing their outfits/uniform.

As usual, I woke up early at 4:00 AM and did my “ritual” before leaving my place. I was already at the vicinity of the starting area at 5:00 AM and made my final preparations to include stretching and warm-up jogging for about 30 minutes. I started to sweat and took some more time to slowly jog along the streets of The Fort. At least 15 minutes before the scheduled start time of the 10K race, I entered the assembly area and met the “usual friends and runners” who regularly visit this blog. It was a nice experience talking to these “road warriors” before the race as we try to be relaxed and calm before the gun was fired. I also saw and waved to some of the “runner-bloggers” while waiting for the race to start. After the rendition of the National Anthem and Invocation by one of the Fort Striders’ members, the runners were warned that the Mayor of Taguig City City will be firing the starting gun. All of a sudden, without the usual coountdown from 10 to 1, the fire went off and the race started at exactly 6:13 AM based from my watch.

The race route for the 10K run was a familiar route for everybody as it started from the The Fort and goes all the way to Lawton Avenue and turn left at Bayani Road going to the Heritage Park and back to the Fort.

My race strategy was to have an even-pace run throughout the 10K race where my average pace would not pass way up to 5:00 mins/km. I was successful in maintaining my pace at 4:35 up to 4:50 mins/km up to the turnaround point, which was already at 7-km point. However, I finished my 7th Km in 5:00 mins; 8th Km in 5:13 mins; 9th Km in 5:15 mins; and 10th Km in 4:42 mins. The uphill climbs from the Heritage Park; towards Lawton Avenue from Bayani Road; and Essensa slowed my average pace, which means, that I need to do more hill sprints/repetitions in my future running workouts in order to improve my finish time in the next races to come.

I finished the race in 48:08 minutes (unofficial time) basing from my GF 305. Although the distance (based from my GF 305) was short by almost 100 meters, I am happy with my performance with this race as I could see some incremental improvement with my finish time. I would attribute this with my oval track runs where I concentrated more with my tempo runs and speed intervals. In addition, the “person-assisted” stretching exercises being done to me by the running coaches and members of the Team Bald Runner at the ULTRA Oval Track were also helpful in providing more flexibility to my leg and core muscles. The “drills & strides”; running on the stairs; and plyometric exercises gave me the power and agility that I needed during the race.

At the Bald Runner’s Event Booth/Area, I was able to give/award the “1,000-Km Club” Finisher’s T-shirts to Bards aka Banana Running; Dr Joe aka The Loony Runner; and MarkFB, the No.1 “commentor” in this blog. Congratulations to the Finishers!!! As usual, more “photo-ops” were taken with my friends and visitors to this blog. My booth is becoming (again!) as the meeting place of the “hardcore” runners with the likes of Jonel aka Bugobugo85; Lester aka Moljcy; Dr Joe aka The Loony Runner; George; Bards aka Banana Running; Mesh aka My Iron Shoes; RunMD; MarkFB; Jinoe aka Manokan Express; Philip aka The Foreign Runner and the members of the “Team Bald Runner”.

As usual, I woke up early at 4:00 AM and did my “ritual” before leaving my place. I was already at the vicinity of the starting area at 5:00 AM and made my final preparations to include stretching and warm-up jogging for about 30 minutes. I started to sweat and took some more time to slowly jog along the streets of The Fort. At least 15 minutes before the scheduled start time of the 10K race, I entered the assembly area and met the “usual friends and runners” who regularly visit this blog. It was a nice experience talking to these “road warriors” before the race as we try to be relaxed and calm before the gun was fired. I also saw and waved to some of the “runner-bloggers” while waiting for the race to start. After the rendition of the National Anthem and Invocation by one of the Fort Striders’ members, the runners were warned that the Mayor of Taguig City City will be firing the starting gun. All of a sudden, without the usual coountdown from 10 to 1, the fire went off and the race started at exactly 6:13 AM based from my watch.

The race route for the 10K run was a familiar route for everybody as it started from the The Fort and goes all the way to Lawton Avenue and turn left at Bayani Road going to the Heritage Park and back to the Fort.

My race strategy was to have an even-pace run throughout the 10K race where my average pace would not pass way up to 5:00 mins/km. I was successful in maintaining my pace at 4:35 up to 4:50 mins/km up to the turnaround point, which was already at 7-km point. However, I finished my 7th Km in 5:00 mins; 8th Km in 5:13 mins; 9th Km in 5:15 mins; and 10th Km in 4:42 mins. The uphill climbs from the Heritage Park; towards Lawton Avenue from Bayani Road; and Essensa slowed my average pace, which means, that I need to do more hill sprints/repetitions in my future running workouts in order to improve my finish time in the next races to come.

I finished the race in 48:08 minutes (unofficial time) basing from my GF 305. Although the distance (based from my GF 305) was short by almost 100 meters, I am happy with my performance with this race as I could see some incremental improvement with my finish time. I would attribute this with my oval track runs where I concentrated more with my tempo runs and speed intervals. In addition, the “person-assisted” stretching exercises being done to me by the running coaches and members of the Team Bald Runner at the ULTRA Oval Track were also helpful in providing more flexibility to my leg and core muscles. The “drills & strides”; running on the stairs; and plyometric exercises gave me the power and agility that I needed during the race.

At the Bald Runner’s Event Booth/Area, I was able to give/award the “1,000-Km Club” Finisher’s T-shirts to Bards aka Banana Running; Dr Joe aka The Loony Runner; and MarkFB, the No.1 “commentor” in this blog. Congratulations to the Finishers!!! As usual, more “photo-ops” were taken with my friends and visitors to this blog. My booth is becoming (again!) as the meeting place of the “hardcore” runners with the likes of Jonel aka Bugobugo85; Lester aka Moljcy; Dr Joe aka The Loony Runner; George; Bards aka Banana Running; Mesh aka My Iron Shoes; RunMD; MarkFB; Jinoe aka Manokan Express; Philip aka The Foreign Runner and the members of the “Team Bald Runner”.

“Team Bald Runner” is starting to be known by the race organizers and by runners, too! The following were the results and ranking of the members of the team:

10K Race (Men’s):

1st Place—Alley Quisay

4th Place—Reynando De Los Reyes—1st Place in the 30-39 Age Category

6th Place—Isidro Villasola—2nd Place in the 30-39 Age Category

Top 5 In their Respective Age Groups—Michael Embuedo; Ferdinand Espejo; Saturnino Salazar; and Bald Runner

10K (Women’s):

1st Place—Maricel Maquilan

3rd Place—Ellen Tolentino

5K (Men’s)

1st Place—Gerald Sabal

3rd Place—Jujet De Asis

Congratulations to the Fort Striders Running Club for a well-organized road race. I hope more road races in Metro Manila should be done this way—lots of water stations & water and roads clear from any vehicle.

To all the runners, “road warriors”, “hardcore”, and “crazy” runners like me, keep on training and see you soon at the New Balance Race at Clark Air Base!