Race Report: 8th Clark-Miyamit 50-Mile Ultra Trail Run (CM50)

The score is now 3-2! For the past six years since 2012, I finished successfully the Clark Miyamit 50-Mile Race for three consecutive years, starting when I just turned 60 years old. I was lost on the last 3 kilometers to the Finish Line in the 2016 edition missing the cut-off time where I could had finished it easily. And then I volunteered as the Aid Station Marshal at AS3 in last year’s edition as my way of giving back to the trail running community in the country.

In my past Race Reports of this event, I made sure my story to be detailed as I can remember so that future trail runners who would like to join and challenge themselves with this event had some background on what to expect along the route and get some lessons and tips about my training/preparation; nutrition and hydration strategy; and those detailed things on what to do if things would go wrong. Until this time, I would re-read and review all my previous posts about my Race Reports whenever I have plans of joining this event. The RD, Atty Jonnifer Lacanlale is a very good friend who would readily accepts me to run his event in a short notice.

As everybody knows, I posted on Facebook that I finished the race but beyond the cut-off time of 9+minutes and I am considered as an Official DNF of the event. Out of 205 starters, I could had been the last finisher at #162 ranking and would had defended my self-imposed title as the Oldest Finisher of this Badass Event. And I was devastated and frustrated once I crossed the finish line for not being able to implement on my Race Plan—reach the turn-around point/Peak before 9:00AM; leave AS 4 after coming from the Miyamit Falls on or before 12 Noon; reach AS3 at 1:30PM; and a “go-for-broke” and “survival” mode on the last 4:30 hours for a distance of 22+kilometers to the Finish Line.

I failed “big time” on the last section of the plan where I had 4:30 hours of time to run a distance of 22+kilometers. If I finished the race within the prescribed cut-off time of 18 hours, I would not be here explaining those things that went wrong during the run. I would have easily said that everything went right and mentioned some “glitches” that challenged me to endure in order to reach the finish line. The runners who were with me on our descent from AS4 and AS3 towards the Finish Line were surprised that I faltered on the last 19 kilometers (AS2) up to the last last 8 kilometers (AS1). With those who were with me “fighting for the last golden minutes” (I think there were 5-6 of them whom I passed on the last kilometers, who are younger), I am sorry for giving them a false expectation or hope of telling them that we could still make it before 6:00PM. What I was trying to instill in them was to fight for their last strength and breathe in order to cross the finish line….they should have the “do or die” attitude to reach and cross the finish line, end their suffering, and of course, collect their deposit of P500.00!

You might say that I am “sour-graping” or looking for some excuses for not being able to finish this race as what I had planned for. But this is me, I had been a runner throughout my life and a fighter and passionate in this sport. It is in my brain, blood, and my body system. Whether I fail or succeed, I will still be a runner. And this is what really happened…..

1. My Coach prepared a Training Schedule for me after finishing the Salomon Cappadocia 63K Medium Race (in the middle of October) in preparation for the MILO Finals Marathon which will be held on December 9, 2018 in Laoag City. I told him that I would like to finish my BQ time of 4:10 or faster for my age of 66 years old in the said race. So, since then, everything on my workout was for a Marathon distance. However, two weeks ago, I told him that I will be joining a 50-miler trail run and just be able to finish the event as an LSD. I lied on the reason! Actually, I was trying to earn my UTMB/ITRA Points in this event and maybe, improve on my ITRA Performance Index. He told me not to join the event but I could have the option to choose a lesser distance and I told him that I could downgrade to the 60K event. He replied that 60K was too much for me and he was against it. So, the only choice I had was for the 10-miler event which I did not mention to my Coach. For the past days, I just kept silent and followed my prescribed training every day but on two weekends before the CM50, I would increase the number of hours of hiking in the mountains with my trekking poles in the company of one of my ultra running friends who joined and successfully finished the 60K course. My Coach silently knew that I was “hard-headed” and he would see my posts on Facebook that I am going for the CM50. This was my first mistake…not following the advise of the Coach whom I am paying for his services. Lesson learned: Let the experts do their work and strictly follow their advise!

2. For the first time, I decided to use a HOKA One One Speedgoat2 for this race, instead of my New Balance or ASICS Racing Flats or my Salomon Speedcross 4 which I’ve been using before. At Kilometer #8, while approaching PUNING’s RESORT my left foot hit a small rock imbedded on the road and I tripped, making my left knee hit the ground first, and then my right knee, and then followed with my two hands which acted as my brace to protect my face from hitting the ground! It was a hard fall as the ground was hard and solid, not a sandy ground! Shit! This tripping/falling to the ground was happening again early in the race with a pair of HOKAs on my feet. This thing happens to me all the time whenever I wear these HOKAS! I knew it was going to happen because I am natural “shuffler” when I run! Even if I was wearing the brightest headlamp available in the market, Lupine Lighting System, at that time, a sloppy “shuffler” runner like me should not wear HOKAS in a trail race. The impact of the fall on my knees would bring back havoc and pain as I descended from the peak down to Barangay Sapang Uwak. Lesson learned: I should have used my Salomon Speedcross 4 or Speedcross PRO or my new NB Racing Flats!

3. I bought the most expensive Trekking Poles in the market——GIPRON Trekking Poles and they are the lightest! I used them once or twice in my short runs and they were fine. But during my ascent and descent to and from the Peak (during the race), they gave me some “pain in the ass” as the string would loosen its hold on the different segments of the pole. Instead of the usual 3 segments in the Black Diamond and Leki Poles, GIPRON are folded in 4 segments. I would stop whenever the segments would loosen as both poles create a weird sound as they hit the ground. I would tighten the string only to find it loosen again after a few meters. It was stop and go for me fixing on this problem. Because of this problem, it slowed me down and just distracted my focus to maintain my speed/pace. A lot of runners had passed me on my way down from the Peak to the Falls because of this predicament. After a day since the race, I sent a message to an ultra running friend in Hongkong and sent him a picture of the locking system of the GIPRON Trekking Pole and told him my experience during the race. He told me that the trekking poles were not LOCKED when I used them during the race. He instructed me to pull the string harder until I could see a small knot on the string and let that knot to be anchored on the slot at the top end part of the handle! Another SHIT again!!! I saw the small knot as I pulled the string harder away from the handle! I was cursing and laughing when my friend told me that “I was not the FIRST one who experienced this SHIT on these trekking poles!” Lesson learned: Ask the manufacturer of this expensive trekking poles to enclose some written instructions on the package whenever they ship out to their buyer! Not even the video on YouTube would tell you about the presence of this small knot (on the string) on these trekking poles!

4. Whether I apply Anti-Chafing Stick or “thing” on my Red Salomon S-LAB Sense Shorts or not, they still give me chafing on my groin areas! Yes, I have my chafing already as early when I was at Km 19 and it became worst when I was on my way back from the Peak. After the race, I could see the chafed areas as big as the size of a 10-Peso Coin on my left and right groin areas. When I finished the Salomon Cappadocia Ultra, I had the same chafed areas but they were not as deep and big; and did not give me so much pain during the race. Lesson learned: I should always bring an Anti-Chafing Stick as part of my Mandatory Gear for 50K and up races.

I did not have any problems with my nutrition and hydration strategy during the race. I had enough water, electrolytes, and “solid” foods with me stashed in my hydration vest’s pockets and inside the pockets of my AMIHAN GoLite Belt. My Ice Bandana was always full of ice whenever I stopped at the Aid Station. I don’t think I stayed so long in the Aid Stations as I would eat the prepared solid foods most specially at AS4 and 3 (on my way back to the Finish Line) which were manned by special friends in the ultra running community.

The Race Organization; Trail Markings; Aid Station Services; and the prevailing Weather during the race were the BEST, so far, in the history of this race. Thanks to Atty Jonnifer Lacanlale for this International Standard Badass Event and for his Outstanding Leadership to make this yet another successful event.

Congratulations to all the Runners! Hopefully, I will be strong enough to join in next year’s edition!