Month: May 2014

Rules & Regulations For The 7th Tagaytay To Nasugbu 50K Ultra Marathon Race

On By kingofpotsIn Insights, Jogging, Pictures, Places to Run, Races, Running, Sports Program, Travel, UltramarathonLeave a comment

Guidelines/Rules & Regulations For The 7th T2N (Tagaytay to Nasugbu) 50K Ultra Marathon Race (4:00 AM May 11, 2014)

Starting Line & Assembly Area
Starting Line & Assembly Area

1. This is a solo race. The race will start at 4:00 AM of Sunday, May 11, 2014 in front of the Picnic Grove (near the Development Academy of the Philippines) in Tagaytay City. The Finish Line of the race is at the PETRON Gas Station in Nasugbu, Batangas which is located One Kilometer before the Poblacion.

2. The route of the race will follow the Highway from Tagaytay City to Nasugbu, Batangas. Runners will have to turn LEFT upon reaching the SHELL Gas Station at the intersection of Nasugbu and the Highway that goes to Matabungkay Beach Resort. Runners will have to run at least 500 meters before they turn-around and finally proceed to reach the Finish Line.

3. Runners should bring with them their Registration Deposit Slip (BPI Deposit Slip) and submit it to the Secretariat/BR’s Staff before the start of the said race. Runners should be at the Assembly Area not later than 3:00 AM of May 11, 2014 for processing. All runners/starters shall be accounted at the Starting Area before the race will start.

4. Runners are allowed to have their Support Vehicle & Crew but they are NOT allowed to have Pacers. Due to the absence of any Aid Station along the course, runners may run on “self-support” or “self-contained” making sure that they have an appropriate hydration system with them.

5. Runners shall ALWAYS run or stay on the farthest LEFT side of the road facing the incoming traffic. Runners are advised to be extra vigilant on vehicles approaching on their FRONT and BACK. Vehicles overtaking other vehicles on your back have the tendency to get more space on the Left Lane of the Road. To be safe, run/stay on the farthest side of shoulder of the road.

6. Runners shall ALWAYS run or stay on the farthest LEFT Side of the road on SINGLE FILE. We will be strict on this and we will warn any runner violating this rule before we declare DNF or disqualification in the said race.

7. Support Vehicles must be able to “leap frog” their runners. It means that the Support Vehicle should be waiting for their runner at an appropriate distance ahead of the runner. Runners are NOT allowed to be “shadowed” by their Support Vehicle. Support Vehicle must cruise along the route at the prescribed Speed Limit of the Highway. Support Vehicles are NOT allowed to turn on their Hazard Lights while they are plying on the race course.

8. Support Vehicles must ALWAYS park on the farthest RIGHT SIDE of the road/highway when waiting for their runner/s. Support Vehicles parked on the LEFT SIDE of the road will be a ground for the runner to be Disqualified.

9. Runner are NOT allowed to get inside their Support Vehicle during the duration of the race. Support Crew can provide portable/collapsible chair for the runner outside the support vehicle which can be seen by other passing runners.

10. Runners’ Bib Number should be pinned and displayed in front of the runner’s apparel. Bandits will NOT be allowed to run this event.

11. Runners are highly encouraged to bring and wear with them their respective hydration system/belt during the race.

12. Cut-off time of the event is nine (9) hours.

Route Map & Elevation Profile
Route Map & Elevation Profile

13. Ipods, MP3s, and “wires” are NOT allowed. Runners should be attentive and vigilant with their surroundings.

14. Finishers within the prescribed cut-off time will receive a PAU Finisher’s Medal, Finisher’s Shirt, and Finisher’s Certificate (to be given later). Official result will be posted at http://www.baldrunner.com.

15. All runners must wear the following mandatory equipment/accessory: headlight and reflectorized vest or shirt with reflectorized strips. It will be still dark during the start of the race and these items are needed for the safety of each of the runner.

16. Corporate Logos are NOT allowed to be displayed on support vehicles. However, tarpaulins with the name of the running team/group is allowed to be displayed.

17. Maintain the Integrity of the Race. Runners are “deputized” to report any suspicion of cheating in the race. The RD has the authority to declare disqualification to any runner before, during and after the race.

18. Runners MUST be able to memorize their Race Bib Number. There will be Marshals who will be asking the runner’s bib number in the different Checkpoints along the route.

19. In case of emergency or report of a DNF, a runner/support crew can contact Cell Phone # 0918-965-9895 through call or text message stating the runner’s location and nature of emergency/cause of DNF.

20. Any infraction or violation of these guidelines/rules and regulations shall be dealt with accordingly and the RD shall immediately impose decision on such violation. The RD’s decision is FINAL.

21. It is the responsibility of the runner to inform his/her support crew and driver about the rules and regulations of this event/race.

22. The spirit of ultra running where runners are disciplined, honest, and caring /supportive to one another is highly encouraged. Remember to treat the other runners as your FRIENDS and SUPPORT to Finish the Race. The enemy lies within yourself and it is specifically located “in between your ears”.

PAU Finisher's Medal
PAU Finisher’s Medal

Good luck and See You at The Starting Line.

(Note: These Rules & Regulations Will Apply To The Runners Of The 1st Tagaytay To Naic 100K Ultra Run)  

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“The Hay Is In The Barn”

On By kingofpotsIn Insights, Jogging, Pictures, Places to Run, Practice Runs, Races, Runners' Training, Running, Trail Running, Travel, Ultramarathon4 Comments

This is the statement that my Coach would send me after putting all the miles in my training program in preparation for the 2014 The North Face 100-Kilometer Trail Run which will be held this weekend. Since it was a new statement to me and have some varied personal interpretations about it, I would “google” it in order to find out what my Coach would like to tell me. And I was satisfied of the things that I would read on the Internet explaining what the statement is all about.

Basically, farmers (in countries with winter season) would put and store bundles of hay inside their barn in preparation for the winter to come so that their livestocks (cattles/horses) would have enough food when snow covers their farm. In the Philippines, our farmers don’t have barns or livestock covered structures where they could store rice straws/hay as food for their horses, cows and carabaos (water buffalos). Our farmers would simply bundle them and stack them on top of the other to form a pointed cone in the middle of their farm. But the intention is the same, for the livestock to have a reserve food during the dry season which sometimes result to drought.

"Hay In The Barn" Philippine Style
“Hay In The Barn” Philippines’ Style (Photo By Google)

In running. which is the same with the other endurance sports, the statement would mean that one has to appreciate the past months that one had prepared for the event and it is time to reduce the volume and intensity of training before Race Day. It simply means that one has to taper in final preparation for the Big Event, the end-goal of ones months of training. Putting more miles and more intensity to ones training at this point would no longer have an effect for a better performance during the event. If one is hard-headed not to observe the taper period, he/she is likely to be overtrained or not fully recovered and fresh a few days before Race Day.

My failure to finish in last year’s TNF Phil 100 was the reason why I would concentrate on mountain trail running. For the past 10 months, I’ve been almost running on the trails in my playground 5-6 days a week! Following a structured training program for trail running which is tailored to my age and history of my  running-related injuries, I would log in at least 240-260 miles (380-420 kilometers) every month with some speed training/tempo running on the trail once a week and a rest day on Mondays. This is where I would test my nutrition, apparel, shoes and running techniques.

My training program paid off as a result of my satisfactory finishes at the Clark-Miyamit 42K Trail Run and Clark-Miyamit 50-Mile Trail Run last year. Last December, I finished only 110 Kilometers in the Taklang Damulag 100-Mile Endurance Run due to nutrition problems and in February of this year, I was able to reach Kilometer #60 in the H1 100-Mile Trail Run after being lost along the route and spent a lot of my energy trying to catch-up with the rest of the runners. These DNFs had also contributed in my mileage in preparation for the next events to come.

For the past two months, March and April, I was consistent with my training which involved more hiking and running to higher elevations except for at least two weeks where I would reduce my mileage and do more some stationary cycling inside the house. It was also in these two weeks that I had to see my orthopedic doctor for some tests and rehabilitation for my injured knee in the past. These two weeks gave me the much-needed rest and recovery to be stronger in my runs and hikes to higher elevations and peaks within the vicinity of my playground for the rest of my training period.

Two weeks before this weekend’s TNF 100, I have tapered my training and I am ready for the challenge stored for me to this yearly event. I don’t have any specific goal for this event but as I usually predict in my CM Trail Races, I would target again to be among the upper 50% of the Finishers. If there will be 200 Finishers in this year’s TNF 100, I wish that I would land among the top 100 runners.

Wish me luck!