Do not travel along the SCTEX (Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway) from Subic to Clark or vice-versa during nighttime. There are unidentified persons along the expressway who throw stones at your car. If your car’s windshield or one of your window panels is broken, it creates shock and panic to the driver and to the passengers! The breaking of a glass of a car at a speed of 80-100 KPH is a horrible experience. It seems that somebody had shot you with a gun or a rifle. And the burst of those tiny glass fragments inside the car landing on your body seems that you were hit with shotgun pellets!
But what is worst is when you are shocked and get panic, it is either you suddenly stop your car or bump your car along the side railings of the expressway. Either way, you will end up as a casualty. There were reports that these unidentified persons who threw stones to passing vehicles are members of a “hold-up” syndicate. Once you stop your car at the shoulder of the highway, this is a chance for these persons to approach your vehicle and divest you with your things. In a few seconds, they could escape along the fields and trails leading to the hills beside the highway under the cover of darkness.
Last week, I was a victim of these “stone-throwers” but I did not stop along the expressway even if I was in the company of Mr Sig Sauer. It was 7:30 in the evening when I heard a loud explosion of a broken glass and knowing that my windshield was untouched, I continued driving until I reached the Clark Exit to NLEX. I found out that the quarter panel glass on the side of my car was broken and there was a trace that a stone had hit it. I am glad the stone did not hit my windshield or my window glass panels.
After the broken glass was replaced by the car company’s repair service, I went back to the place where I believe the incident happened. It is the place in between Dinalupihan & Floridablanca Exits. This was the very same place of the first 10K of last year’s Subic International Marathon! One of these days, I’ll have that hut/nipa house situated on a hill and the rock-crushing facility inspected by the soldiers during nighttime.
So, if you have plans of travelling along the SCTEX from Clark to Subic or vice-versa, do not do it during nighttime! Stay safe!
1. Yes, there are too many road races on a Saturday and Sunday up to 4-5 running events for each day for this month of May. It is surprising that we have the most number of road races in a month which is considered as the hottest month of the year for us. On the other hand, this could be a sign that it is about time to declare the Month of May as the “Month For Running” or “Month For Runners” in the country. If any of the newly-elected Senators and/or Members of the House of the Representative would read this blog, at least, they have a proposal for a Bill that could be enacted into a Law. This will encourage more of our countrymen to be involved in an active healthy lifestyle through running. I hope the member of Congress who will propose this bill is also a runner!
2. Is it good or bad to have a lot of Running Events in one day or during the weekend? If there are Cash Prizes for the top runners, it will be good for the “visiting” Kenyans and to the local Elite Runners, to include my Elite Team Bald Runner! If there is none, it will be good for the competitive/average runners (to improve their PRs) and receive their “loot bags” and a “winner” to the corporate sponsors for their marketing exposures.
3. Too many road races means that there are also too many race directors & race event organizers around. It also means that almost all the corporate products are dipping their money to promote their products through the road races. I just wish that the Race Organizers will get a profit out of their running events even if they are competing with other road races being conducted on the same day. It is good to “spread” the economy, too.
4. If there are two or more road races in a weekend, what would be the most important factor to consider in selecting one? Is it the registration fee (lower or higher), the route, the reputation of the Race Organizer/Race Director, the singlet & the “loot bag” at the Finish Line, the brand or product being endorsed, or the popular personality who is endorsing the race and the product? Whatever your choice is, you are the one making the decision and above all, it’s your money!
5. There are more road races being conducted outside Metro Manila and I hope that there are more runners being developed and/or discovered as a result of these races. Aside from the MILO Elimination Runs in the Regions and key cities in the country, I hope more of the established companies/corporations would be able to sponsor local road races and fun runs. In addition, it is about time that the local government units should be in the forefront in encouraging their consituents to be involved in sports. Running would be the least expensive sports that they could plan & implement.
6. Last Sunday morning, I was at The Fort and I observed the Start & Finish of the Neutragena 15K/10K/5K/3K Road Races. I was an spectator of the event and I was surprised that there are only “few” runners (as compared with the previous races with 5-8 thousand runners!) It appears that there were less than 2,000 runners in the event based from the published results. This could be the effect of too many road races in one weekend where runners have a choice depending on the factors to be considered in a road race. On the other hand, this was the first time that I also observed the presence of “tall & muscular” security guys dressed in all black. “Bouncers” in a Road Race? What is their job description at the Start & Finish Line? If I may suggest, these “security guys” should be posted in key intersections along the route of the runners where they could “bully or intimidate” those undisciplined jeepney drivers/motorcycle riders and “angry-shouting & honking” taxi drivers! I wonder if they are “volunteers” or get paid by the Race Organizers/Sponsors?
7. With the new administration of government preparing to take over the reign of leadership for the whole nation, I’ve been reading a lot of news about the same personalities who brought our athletes in our past international sports competitions (2008 Beijing Olympics & 2009 Laos Southeast Asian Games) with dismal performance as the ones reportedly recommended to be leading again our government’s sports institutions. Politics & Sports will never mix in order to get the best from our athletes and win medals in International Sports Competitions.
8. Lastly, I am planning to tender my resignation as the PATAFA’s Chairman of the Road Race Committee. Nothing had been done to my recommendations on the conduct & protocol of road races to include the conduct of seminar among road race directors and organizers. I would rather concentrate my effort in promoting ultramarathon races through the Philippine Association of Ultrarunners (PAU) as the President & Founder by bringing more of the ultra races outside Metro Manila.
1. On April 6-8, 2010, I was in Laoag City to celebrate the 85th Birthday of my Mom. I had a chance to run at the Laoag City Oval Track and meet the local runners & friends. I told them of my plan of coming up with an ultramarathon road race from Laoag City to Pagudpud in the future. Everybody was surprised as most of them have never tried running beyond the marathon distance. They told me that the estimated distance is 80-85 kilometers. Anyway, I told them to train and prepare as I will bring more ultrarunners from Metro Manila to run in the province.
Bangui's (Ilocos Norte) Windmills
2. On my last day in Laoag City, I asked one of my nephews to drive me to Pagudpud to initially measure the route with the use of my GF 305. The measurement of distance started infront of the Provincial Capitol in Laoag City and we took the Bacarra Road, going North to Pagudpud. As soon as we reached the town of Burgos, Ilocos Norte, my GF 305 registered a distance of more than 50K and I have yet to reach the Municipality of Bangui. Based from the Kilometer Posts, I need to travel another 30K to reach the town of Pagudpud! Instead of going to Pagudpud, I decided to visit the Bangui Windmill Project Site and the Burgos Lighthouse.
3. Through my calculation and assessment of the route, it would be nice to start the race at the Municipal Hall of Pasuquin where the runners would start to have a glance on the seashore! Laoag City to Pasuquin is 18-19 kilometers. The route will take the runners to pass along the Bangui Windmill Project (on the beach) and then back to the Highway. They will also have the chance to run uphill towards the Parking Area of the Burgos Lighthouse and then back to the Highway. The uphill climb is nothing compared to the uphill climbs in Tanay. The Finish Line will be at the Saud Beach in Pagudpud! Hopefully, a distance of 65K will be measured for this run.
Big Mangoes!!!
4. These could be the biggest mangoes I’ve seen in the country or in the whole world! The smaller mangoes are the Indian mango variety and they look like “dwarfs”. These mangoes are not available in Ilocos Norte! The biggest of them would weigh 3 kilos each! The biggest one in the picture weighs 1.5 kilos! The mango when it is ripe tastes like a papaya! They are sweet and juicy! They are good to eat after finishing a 20K easy run!
There is a story behind in every road race that the Bald Runner’s Events had been organizing and implimenting for the past years. The BDM 102 was a “dream” ultramarathon event to honor our heroes which is ultimately becoming the “Holy Grail” of running in the country. The MASTERS 15K was a “test run” being conducted inside a secured environment and in preparation for the RIZAL DAY’s 32K Run last December 2009 at Camp Aguinaldo. Now, we have prepared a series of ultramarathon events which will be held in the different parts of the country.
The story behind the 1st PAU (Philippine Association of Ultrarunners) 50K Run was a combination of the following factors:
1. Jeju Ultramarathon Experience—My exposure/attendance in a Regional (Asian) IAU Ultramarathon Race provided me with more information and techniques on how our neighbors do their ultramarathon events. Our neigbor countries almost have ultramarthon races in their different regions every month which is being sponsored by their Ultramarathon Sports Federation and the Local Government where the event is being conducted. If there are corporate sponsors, these are companies where the ultrarunners are working or personally managed.
2. Tanay Route—The Tanay-Sampaloc-Sierra Madre Route had been the training ground of the Elite Team Bald Runner in preparation for the January 10’s Cebu Marathon. They trained in the said route for almost 4 months. I had also the chance to run on the said route last year and it gave me the idea to hold the first series of ultra distant road races on the said route.
3. Mountain Trail Route—Through my instructions, the Elite Team Bald Runner was able to locate a 20K-loop in Tanay’s Sierra Madre Mountain’s Trails with a plan to conduct a 100-miler ultra trail run within this year but I had to put it on hold status due to security and logistics reasons.
4. BDM 102/151 Training—A year before the BDM 102/151 would be an ample time/period to expose and train runners who would like to participate in the said ultramarathon event. The PAU races are scheduled every 3 months which will serve as “test runs” for heat training, hydration & nutrition strategy, and pacing strategy. The Tanay 50K Run is considered has the “hardest” route in this year’s PAU’s road races
5. Get Out From The Runner’s “Comfort Zone” & See Other Places—Running along the “usual & familiar” routes in Metro Manila is becoming “boring” to the “crazy, purist & hardcore” runners. Yes, I am bored, too! These kind of “warriors” need a different kind of challenging & “pain-inducing” route that would be a “never-ending” source of topics/stories in one’s running experience. Just look at the “status” and pictures of the Finishers at Facebook and stories in their Blogs and you will know what I mean. Seeing other places and running along “pollution-free” areas outside Metro Manila is also something worth experiencing.
6. Reason To Bring Friends & Family—When I set the date of the Tanay’s Race, I really did not know that it was “Mother’s Day”. I thought it would be a nice day to schedule a race because of the 3-day weekend due to the Election Day on the following day. Monday would serve as a rest day for all the runners. But I was surprised that most of the runners brought their respective family with them as their support crew and cheerers! It was an appropriate time to bond and share the day with the whole family.
7. A Test of our Race Operations’ Efficiency—All of our marshals and Aid Stations’ Personnel are competitive and elite runners but we need to make some adjustments due to the distance in-between Aid Stations in ultramarathon races. We have to mobilize and transfer our first two Aid Stations which had been passed by all the runners to the turn-around point at Km 35 and at Km 45. We are glad that making the distance in every 5 kilometers for the Aid/Water Station on the last half of the race had greatly contributed to the safety of the runners from the intense heat of the sun. Our mobile marshals with water supply to the runners had contributed also to the success of the race.
8. Keep It Simple, Sir Jovie! (KISS)—The START & FINISH tarpaulins on the ground were “copied” from ultratrail race events held in the US. It is something different but nice for “photo-ops”. No Emcees, No Corporate Sponsors (who control the Race Director), No Lights, No Fireworks, No Loud Music, No VIP’s (The runners are the VIPs!), No Formal Program, No Digital Timer/Clocks, No Timing Chips, and No “circus” atmosphere. PAU races are simply races where one would test his/her endurance limits through running. These are races where the experience, scenery, and friendship among ultrarunners are priceless!!!
Now, another story is about to unfold as we are starting to open the registration for the next PAU’s Road Race dubbed as the “P2P 65K” (Pasuquin to Pagudpud) Run which will be held on August 29, 2010. The Registration will start on May 17, 2010 (Monday). Last Day of Registration will be on August 1, 2010. The race will be limited to only 200 slots. The registration fee is P 850.00. There will be no distribution of Race Packets on Race Day.
The 1st PAU 50K Run (Tanay) would not be a successful event without the support of the runners & their support crew, BR’s friends & donors/sponsors, BR’s Events’ Staff, Elite Team Bald Runner, 2nd Infantry Division of the Philippine Army, and our “friends” from the Philippine Army & Armed Forces of the Philipines. Thanks to everybody!
1. Last week, I had a 10K easy run at the Ultra Oval Track wherein I started my run at 8:00 AM. It was too hot already and I could feel the heat of the sun while preparing myself under the shade of a tree. Nevertheless, I started my run as I was the only “crazy” runner along the track. Well, there were other people under the heat of the sun at the same time at the Oval Track but they were not running, they were there for a location-shooting. Actually, there were two groups complete with their cameras, equipments and props. From a distance, I saw Ben Chan of Photovendo, Jaymie-The Bull Runner, and Kim busy doing their shooting. At the other end of the Oval Track, I saw Lester Castillo of Nestle, Phils/MILO with another group of photographers. I did not ask what they were doing as I concentrated with my running.
2. I felt good running under the heat of the sun at the Oval Track. I have to drink water every time I finish 3 kilometers. Since I sweat a lot, I could feel that I need to hydrate some more and eat some food. After running for about 6 kilometers, I went to my car and brought out a bottle of Gatorade and 3 pieces of banana. As the heat of the sun became hotter, I hydrated myself every two kilometers, instead of 3 kilometers and ate the food I had with me. I seldom use sports gels in my running workouts as I prefer to eat something solid. However, I use them only during marathon & ultramarathon races.
3. After running for about 8 kilometers, a guy entered the oval and started his run, too! He is heavy-built and I guess he was there to shed some fats from his body. Later, two runners started to run also but after one lap, the older runner stopped while the younger one continued with his run. There were at least 4 “crazy” runners at the Oval Track, running between 9:00 and 10:00 AM. I completed 25 laps but I felt I was still strong to run some more laps.
4. I talked to the guy who stopped after running one lap. I introduced myself and his name is “Joey”. He told me that he can not withstand the heat of the sun. Our conversation led to something more fruitful—he is inviting me for a FREE Running Lecture & Clinic with his officemates. I had also some time to talk to Lester after my run and to some of his crew. Of course, I was able to talk to Jaymie, Ben Chan and Kim before they left the Oval Track.
5. This morning, I ran 30 kilometers in 3:41+hours along a rolling terrain under the heat of the sun. It was a slow and easy run but the heat was too much that I had to buy some cold bottled water along the way to pour to my head and body. This run is nothing if compared to what the runners of last weekend’s Laguna Lake 200K Ultramarathon Relay had gone through, to include the lady runners. I salute these runners and participants even if some of them were told that they could not make it within the cut-off time for the 2nd day. I could only blame the Race Organizers who are not runners themselves who gave “conflicting” instructions to the Race Marshals. The race was commendable but the presence of “ignorant” Race Organizers made things harder for the runners. I consider the runners & participants of this ultramarathon relay race as “road warriors”—the “purist and hardcore” runners, most especially to the non-elites.
6. I was frustrated to see a lot of litter along the road where I ran today. There were lots of empty sports gel plastic containers/packs and empty water & Gatorade/Powerade bottles littered along the side of the road. I really do not know who were responsible with such irresponsible littering of wastes. However, I am sure that they could be runners and cyclists passing through the same road where I’ve ran. It is about time to disqualify cyclists and runners in a race who litter their wastes along the road. It should be also the responsibility of the Race Director and Race Organizers to inspect the route after the conduct of the race in order to find out if there are litter/wastes along the road and it’s their duty to clean and dispose them properly.
If you hate running under the heat of the sun, then go out and run in the evening! Bring lots of water and sports drinks and remember to hydrate!
Yes, it’s not a mountain yet, but I need to traverse these hills before reaching the base of the nearby mountains!
Finally, I was able to run on top of a hill that faces another group of mountains. It is a group of hills that is only a kilometer away from where I am. The trail that leads to the hill is a rough road with stones and gravel and it suddenly ended in a stream where a clear-crystal water flows. I did not want to cross the stream by having my running shoes dived into the water. I slowly inched my way by jumping on big boulders and rocks on the side of the stream until I reached a single-foot track that leads to the top of the hill.
I was surprised that my ASICS Gel-Kayano 14’s sole tracks could hold my feet from sliding as I stepped my feet on the steep parts of the trail. Jogging slowly, I was able to reach the top of the hill and I was surprised that it has a trail that connects to another hill. I proceeded to the next hill which has a distance of about 500-600 meters. After reaching the second hill, I decided to look for the trail that goes down and I was able to pass some illegal settlers which are hardly seen from the nearest highway.
I slowly went down from the hills and it was a good 1 kilometer descending trail. Once I reached the main road which is paved, I ran another one kilometer through it which is uphill and then ran back for another kilometer. Not bad that I was able to count at least 1,040 steps for each kilometer distance and I knew I was running at an average pace of 5:15 minutes per km. As I finished my run along the paved road, I went up again to another hill which is the place where I am staying.
It was already dark when I finished my run. I was able to run a distance of 7 kilometers and I was not tired at all. My GF 305 registered 350 meters ascent to the hills.
Looking around where I am, the hills that I ran through were not the ones that I wanted to reach. Instead of going to the North direction, I took the trail that goes to the South direction. It came upon me that I was lost and did not check on my directions before I started my run. I realized that I just ran through the first trail that I’ve seen from the paved road. I guess, I am still disoriented in this place.
I will try the North direction anytime today and conquer some hills and look for trails that will lead me to the higher mountains someday. My “guide” could not be located…
The first thing that I’ve observed during the conduct of the race on its first day is the traffic along the road from the 1st transition area in Barangay Sucat Hall in Sucat, Muntinlupa City to SM Sta Rosa, Laguna. Some runners had been “sideswept” by vehicles which were competing with the narrow streets. The volume of the traffic was exacerbated by the number of “vehicle caravans” and “sorties” of local political condidates going around their respective jurisdiction on this day. The Race Officials were able to count at least eight (8) different “caravans” or groups of vehicles of politicians which we encountered along the way from the Starting Area to Los Banos, Laguna!
The traffic was standstill that one of the teams used motorcycles in bringing its next runners to the next transition areas. This a clear violation of the rules and regulations of the race as one team must have only one Support Vehicle where the rest of the runners would ride and the only means where the runner would be transported from one transition area to another.
The worst problem on the first day was the absence of the promised water aid station in every 3 kilometers. Most of the runners complained about the absence of water being provided to the runners along the race route. The motorcycle escort for each runner were not properly briefed about their function and job description for the race. There were conflicting rules and regulation as to what was the job description of each motorcycle escort for each runner. The lack of water aid station along the route resulted in the collapse of one of the runners before he reached the third transition area. The runner was not able to complete his designated segment as he was brought immediately to the nearest hospital. His team was declared DQ or DNFed.
1st Day Finish Line @ Laguna Provincial Capitol
Sometimes, You Need To Remind People
At the 4th transition area, I was able to talk to Thumbie Remigio, Race Director, about the lack of water stations and some violations incurred by the other teams. Thumbie immediately refered me to the Race Organizer, Emmet Penson about the lack of water stations and he informed me that the violations made by the other teams were noted. I did not know that even my teams incurred some violations! However, Mr Penson was at the rear part of the race and I decided to see him at the Finish Line later during the day.
Being impatient of waiting for the arrival of Mr Penzon at the Finish Line, I immediately approached Chairman Ed Manda of the Laguna Lake Development Authority and introduced myself. I told him about my observations on how the race was being conducted by telling him about the problem on the hydration supply for the athletes and the news about one of the runners being brought to the hospital. Based from his answers to me, I concluded that he is not a “runner”, not even a “jogger”!
When Mr Penzon arrived, I immediately talked to him and told him about the concerns of my runners and some “lapses” in the conduct of the race. He listened and I was talking to a guy whom I believe could not even run and finish a 3K race in 20 minutes! I suggested to Mr Penzon that something has to be done to correct the “lapses” on the 1st day as the next day’s leg will be longer, more challenging because of more uphill climbs and the expected higher temperature of the day.
I really don’t regret “lecturing” these people who think that organizing a road race (and an ultramarathon race!) is a simple event.
Overall Standing After One Day
Team Antipolo is headed by PATAFA National Coach Roy Vince whose runners are members of the Athletics National Pool. They are leading the race by so much minutes but they violated some rules in transporting their transition runners by using their motorcycles. I could not even see if they have really a Support Vehicle with them. I was really impressed on the speed and endurance of these athletes and I was thinking that if they win the 1st Prize of P350,000, it will be a good incentive for these athletes who are training to represent the country as the government lacks the necessary support for this athletes.
Team Philippine Air Force-BROOKS was on 2nd Place but the presence of Ed “Vertek” Buenavista and the PAF Elite Runners would be a challenge to overtake this team.
PAF-BROOKS Team Led By Ed "Vertek" Buenavista
My team, Elite Team Bald Runner #1 was on 3rd Place and the other Elite Team Bald Runner #2 was on 4th Place with 16 minutes in-between them.
Team McDonald’s was on 5th Place consisting of Jun Lozada, Jessie Ano and the rest of the known fast runners you see regularly at the ULTRA Oval Track.
2nd Day: From Sta Cruz, Laguna to Tiendesitas, Pasig City
Rene Desuyo, First Runner: “Small but Terrible”
The race started at 5:30 AM infront of the Provincial Capitol of Laguna in Sta Cruz, Laguna.
Photo-Ops With Chairman Manda With the Runners Before The Start of 2nd Day
First thing that I’ve observed was the arrival and presence of additional Maynilad & Manila Water Pick-Up trucks to reinforce/augment the roving water stations deployed on the 1st day. All these pick-up vehicles were filled with water containers and personnel/crew. After driving for about 2 kilometers, I observed that there was a Water Aid Station using one of the pick-up trucks and cups filled with water! The crew of the pick-up truck were on the ground ready to hand in these cups filled with water to each of the runners.
I was happy to see a big improvement on the hydration support for the runners! Even the motorcycle escorts for each runner were instructed to bring with them dozens of handy bottled water in their pack properly tucked on their respective back seats! If I am not mistaken, there were at least more than a dozen of roving pick-up vehicles as Water Aid Station that “leap-frog” in every 2-3 kilometers along the race route. Even the motorcycle escorts were seen very responsive to the needs of their runners.
Rene Desuyo of Team Bald Runner Leading The Pace
Rene Desuyo, my team’s first runner, was leading the race with two other runners. After cruising the first uphill climb in Cavinti, Laguna with almost 13 kilometers covered, he immediately sped up and told me later that he was bored with the prevailing pace. He left the two runners on the downhill and was able to gain 4+ minutes ahead of the second runner as he finished in the transition area at the Municipal Hall of Mabitac, Laguna. Rene Desuyo covered the 27K distance in 1:40+ hours!
“Houston, We Have A Problem!”
Jack Espana, our second runner, got the relay “baton” from Rene Desuyo and he started to run from the Mabitac transition area towards the new Jalajala Municipal Hall, a distance of almost 30 kilometers! It was the longest segment of the race! I was hoping that Jack Espana will be able to maintain his pace with the said distance knowing that his longest race so far was a half-marathon race! We waited for him at the 25-Km pont but we decided to proceed to the next transition area. Little did we know that he slowed down on his pace after he reached the 20-Km point.
Jack Espana Was Still Strong & Fast At This Point
The first runner to arrive at the 2nd transition area was the runner from Team Antipolo and the roving water aid station informed us that our runner, Jack Espana was already walking with the remaining 3 kilometers from the transition area. All of us panicked that our runner might collapse along the way and unable to reach the next transition area. This could be the end of my Team Bald Runner #1 where I am the designated “driver” of the Support Vehicle. However, I knew that the Race Officials were able to provide a lot of water along the way and there is no way that my runner will collapse due to “heatstroke”.
I decided to meet him (Jack) by driving our Support Vehicle but after I started the vehicle and moved a few meters, one of the rear tires burst and I have a flat-tire! There was no way we could support our second runner except by sending Rene Desuyo and my staff to meet and cheer him to jog and not to walk towards the transition area. One of the soldiers from the Philippine Air Force and the drivers of the Team BR-Professionals support vehicles helped me in changing my tire with the reserve tire.
Finally, Jack arrived at the transition area and our 3rd runner, Patrick Gongog left as the 5th runner of the race with the objective to stay focused and be able to catch up with the other 4 runners. Our team was lagging behind from the fastest runner by 20-25 minutes and we don’t want to squander the 16 minutes that we accumulated on the 1st day from the 4th place team! The remaining three runners were instructed to run their best pace and finish the race.
2nd Transition Area @ The New Jalajala Municipal Hall
The Chase Begins
While changing my tires, I requested the Philippine Air Force team to transport my two remaining runners to the next transition area just to ensure that my runners will be ready once the arriving runner reached the transition area. After 20 minutes, our support vehicle was ready to go and we tried to catch up with our 3rd runner. From here, we made sure that our runner was within our sight and gave support through the motorcycle marshal. We had to “leap-frog” every 1-2 kilometers. We arrived at the 3rd transition area with enough time to prep-up our lady runner/4th runner.
I was surprised that Patrick was able to slowly gain some time we lost on the second segment of the race. He really tried his best to gain more speed and distance despite his non-exposure to 10K or half-marathon road races! I found out later that he is a 3K & 5K runner in the oval track as he is a part of the FEU Athletics Varsity Team. He tried his best to maintain his pace up to the transition area in the Tanay Town Hall. He was able to gain/reduce our delayed time by 6-8 minutes after he finished the distance of 19.3K.
Nhea-ann steadily reduced the gap on the leading runners as this was a segment for the lady runners. I consider this segment as the “hardest” one with two big uphill climbs at mid day! This is the Tanay-Binangona leg which has a distance of 19 kilometers. Nhea-ann is a very strong runner and she was able to maintain her pace on those two big uphill climbs and I was surprised that she was still sprinting on the last 600 meters towards the 4th transition area! She was able to close the gap from the fastest runner by 10 minutes and we are only 2 minutes away from the 4th runner!
Alquin Bolivar’s Run to The Finish Line
With the fast time delivered by our lady runner, Nhea-ann and Patrick, Alquin was confident that he could overtake the 4th runner and close in the gap with the 3rd runner. We had to “leap-frog” every 1 kilometer to make sure that our runner is fully supported by the motorcycle marshal. After 12 kilometers, Alquin was able to overtake the 4th runner. Alquin was not able to speed up because of the heat of the sun as he regularly douses his head and legs with cold water. Alquin really tried his best and “dig deeper” for his strength on the last 7 kilometers. He was able to close in the gap by almost 7 minutes. He was not able to overtake the 3rd runner (Team Bald Runner #2) as the 3rd runner finished 3 minutes ahead of him. But there was no worry among the members of the team as we had 16 minutes of lead time to spare which the team earned on the 1st day of the race.
LL200K Ultramarathon Relay Route
“The Race Is Over Until It’s Over”
When Jack Espana reached the 2nd transition area in Jalajala, Rizal where our team lost a considerable time, my runners were all silent and I could see sadness & frustration on their faces. I was sad, too! But, I need to challenge and motivate the remaining runners to give their best for the remaining segments of the race. Well, this is where “leadership” should come in! The flat tire was just a temporary problem which can be solved immediately but trying to “fire-up” the fighting spirit of my remaining runners needs final verbal instructions to each of the runner. I told them, “the race is not yet over, it will be over once you reach the Finish Line. Do your best on the road, we’ll pray & we’ll give you 100% support in every 1-2 kilometers”.
Every time I release a runner to the next transition area, I have to brief them on the task at hand and motivate them some more to do their best. Once a runner finishes his/her segment, I personally meet them and pat them on their shoulders and tell them what they have accomplished—“you were able to close the gap by 7 minutes or 10 minutes or 6 minutes and you are a strong and fast runner. you did an splendid job of closing the gap” and remind them that the team will land on the 3rd place with the other team trailing behind us. I let them take a shower with our ice cold water to lower their body temperature and have them changed to a dry clothes before we move to support our runner on the road. Once the runner is inside the Support Vehicle, it’s time to feed him/her with food and sports drinks!
Awarding Ceremony @ Tiendesita’s
My teams tried their very best but they could have done better. Our Team #1 & #2 placed 3rd and 4th places, respectively. The Team #1 where I was the Manager/Coach & Driver got P 105,000 as Cash Prize with a Trophy, Individual Medals & Certificates. The Team #2 won P 80,000 and Finisher’s Certificates! Rene Desuyo as the fastest runner in the 1st segment for the 2nd day received an individual cash prize of P 5,000. As the Coach/Driver, I was awarded with a CASIO watch (I thought I heard it was announced by the Emcee as SUUNTO watch?)
The following pictures show all the happiness of all the runners during the awarding ceremony:
We Got The Bronze Trophy for the Team BR #1Rene Desuyo Receiving His Cah Prize as Lap WinnerTeam BR#2 Receiving Their Prize as the 4th PlacerTeam BR#1 Receiving Their Cash Prize, Trophy & MedlasBR Receiving a CASIO Watch (not a SUUNTO!)We Share Our Celebration With Team BR-Professionals
I hope the Laguna Lake Development Authority will have the 2nd edition of this race next year and hold it during the cooler months of the year! It would be nice to have the route of the race reversed with a separate category for the average runners. To encourage more runners to participate, it is suggested to incorporate also a 50K, 100K, 200K solo races with the 2-day relay race.
The race was fun and memorable to everybody. Congratulations to Team Antipolo for being the Champion and the Team PAF-Brooks for getting the Second Place. They deserve their awards and they did well in this race. And to all the Teams that competed in this historic ultramarathon relay race.
May 1-2, 2010/From Pasig City to Sta Cruz, Laguna on the 1st day and back, passing through the towns of Pagsanjan-Lumban-Mabitac-Jalajala-Tanay-Binangonan-Taytay, Rizal
The following pictures were taken on the first day of the Relay Race from Tiendesitas, Pasig City to Sucat, Muntinlupa up to Sta Rosa, Laguna-Calamba-Los Banos-Calauan-Santa Cruz, Laguna.
Team BR-Professionals With Ed "Vertek" Buenavista of the PAF-Brooks TeamChairman Ed Manda of LLDA Led The Opening Ceremony Before The start of the RaceThe Most Hardcore Runners at the Starting LineAnd There They Go! 5 Runners; 5 Segments; & A Total of 100K On 1st DayRene Desuyo Finishing 3rd On The 1st Segment2nd Runner Jack EspanaNhea-ann Barcena as our Lady Runner/4th RunnerAlquin Bolivar, our 5th & last runner leaving the last transition area
This particular Elite Team Bald Runner placed 3rd in rank after the race’s 1st day/leg was declared finished and another Elite Team Bald Runner finished 4th Place on the first day, too! My fastest team finished the 1st day leg of 100K distance in 5:45+ hours. The other Elite Team Bald Runner finished the 1st leg in 6:01+ hours.
The two teams of the Team Bald Runner-Professionals were able to finish the 1st leg within the prescribed cut-off time of 10 hours. Out of the 18 teams, 4 teams were DNFed at the end of the ist day of the race.
All the runners were provided with meals, softdrinks and lots of water during their overnight stay at the Laguna Provincial Sports Complex in Sta. Cruz, Laguna. Almost all the runners slept at the said Complex.
At 8:30 PM, all the runners were already on their bed and ready to sleep as they were expected to be served with breakfast as early as 4:00 AM the following day.
It was announced that the race shall start on the second day at 5:30 AM as the race shall cover a distance of 110 kilometers to the Finish Line.
The 2nd day event was full of drama up to the Finish Line.
Do you experience the feeling what they call “Runner’s Blues”? This is the feeling when you lose your motivation to run and at the same time lack the needed focus and concentration in your ability to continue with your training program towards a certain goal. Sometimes, after finishing a marathon or an ultramarathon race, there is a feeling after the race that you seem to lack the motivation to start training for another race. No matter how you force yourself to train for a specific race after a “big race”, there seems to be some laziness, lack of drive and motivation, and sometimes not being able to continue your programmed running workout for the day.
I am sure most of the runners out there whom I considered as “purists & hardcore” have experienced this “runner’s blues”. I also observe that my elite members of Team Bald Runner are also experiencing the “runner’s blues” and I have to deal with this situation and challenge them to train some more and be the best that they can be.
After browsing on the Internet, reading some journals about running and based from my running experiences, I hope the following suggestions will solve your respective “runner’s blues”:
1. Take the initiative to be one of the Volunteers in a Race. There is a lot of Race Directors and Organizers around and you could contact them through e-mail or phone and be a part of their Volunteer Group. You can act as their Marshal or Aid Station Personnel. In the BDM 102, you could apply as a Support Crew of one of the competing runners.
2. Look around for a new route. Get out of Metro Manila and look for a mountain. I am sure there are trails towards the peak of the said mountain. Make sure to ask for a “guide” from the Barangay Captain. In the mountain, you can run through a forest or vegetation or in a creek or river. Take some time to walk and enjoy the scenery.
3. Join a Running Club or Run with Somebody. Ask your friend or relative to run with you. If somebody wants a “date” with you, invite him in a 5K or 10K run. Or join one of the running clubs in Metro Manila as they have activities every time they have their running workouts.
4. Leave your Car at Home. Try to run from your house to your office and back without your car. You’ll be surprised that there is no traffic on the sidewalk!
5. Leave your Watch at Home. Try to run without any pressure and just enjoy the scenery of your route.
6. Run an Errand. It’s the same with leaving your car when you buy something at the grocery or buy a “food to go” at the fastfood at the corner of the street or buy bread at the bakery (Pugon De Manila).
7. End your running workout with “drills”. You can do some lunges, high-knee jogging, skipping, bounding, jumping and strides after your run.
8. Do some “fartleks” along the route. Sudden “bursts” of speed along the road will make your run more challenging and interesting.
9. Run in the Dark. When I had my “Manila-Baguio” Adventure Run last February, I enjoyed running in the dark listening to my footsteps and the sound of trucks, buses, and vehicles approaching and passing me on those nights I’ve been running on the road. I’ve learned to distinguished the sound of a transport bus, a cargo truck, and a fast car!!!
10. Run In The Rain. Running in the rain is something that every runner should experience whether you are on the road, at the Oval Track, or on the mountain trails. Running with a wet shoes or thick mud on the soles is a funny experience, too!
11. Treat a Race as a Fun Run or Weekend Workout. Sometimes, you need to slow down with your pace and find time to greet and engage in a conversation with the other runners during the race or after the race.
12. Bring your digital camera with you during your run. When you are tired, bring out your camera and choose anything you want to record or shoot. There are things that are seen and viewed once in a lifetime and seizing such momemt through your digital camera will bring memories/story to your running workout.
13. Look for the “Taho Guy”. Don’t you know that “taho” (bean curd) bought from the streets is a pure source of protein for your aching muscles? The sweetener and the “sago” are also good source of carbohydrates.
14. Take advantage to Rest & Recover. If you are still feeling the “runner’s blues”, it is a sign that you need more time to rest and recover. Write something about your running experiences or read some books about the personal experiences of runners. Eat your complete diet and sleep at least 8 hours a day.
15. Get into Cross-Training Activities. You can go to the Gym, ride on your bike, swim, attend some yoga or Pilates sessions.
16. Go On Shopping! A new set of running apparel and shoes will motivate you to go out and feel you are a “new and reborn” runner!
Good Luck to Everybody and Have Fun In This Weekend’s Road Races!!!
For the past days, I’ve been looking into a mountain range just one kilometer away from where I am writing this post and I’ve had the urge to climb and run through its trails but I hesitated because I am alone and I wanted to have a “guide” who is a local in the place. I’ve been to this place a lot of times but I am always enchanted with the mountains. If not for the heat of the summer and unfamiliarity of the place, I could have proceeded with my plan to locate the trails being used by the hunters and locals in the area. I heard they can still hunt for “wild pigs” and other wild animals in the place.
Don’t think that I am starting to train for my future mountain trail race or maybe, inspired by the stories of the finishers and non-finishers of the latest TNF 100 Race in Baguio City-Benguet last weekend. I am just fascinated by the stories of runners I happen to browse into their blogs and entries in social networking sites in the Internet.
Let me take the example of Anton Krupicka who had just finished his “Green Mountain Project”—running on the peak of Green Mountain in Boulder, Colorado everyday until he reached to 100 times. He did it in 92 days since January of this year, averaging at least 15-17 miles every time he runs before he goes to his work as an Instructor/Professor in one of the Colleges near his residence. Come to think that the mountain is covered with snow since he started with his project. By May 1, he will be competing the Miwok 100K in California. This will be his first mountain trail race since he DNFed in last year’s Leadville 100-Mile Trail Race which he won in the previous years.
There is another guy, Martin Parnell, one of my “friends” at www.dailymile.com who just ran his Marathon #72 for the past 72 days! That is, he completes one marathon distance run everyday. He will attempt to run 250 marathons for this year.
Dean Karnazes would run as much as 3X everyday in order to prepare himself for his first 100-Mile Trail Race at Western States Endurance Run. More miles had to be completed and covered when he prepared for his 1st Badwater Ultramarathon.
Being a passionate runner, I am thinking of coming up also with my own running project. Maybe, I could do another “Adventure Run” again this second quarter of the year after finishing my first “Adventure Run” last February which I consider my accomplishment for the First Quarter of this year. Or maybe, think of running up to the peak of the mountain range infront of me for the next 100 days or so? That would be fun and a nice story to post in this blog.
There are so many possibilities; many options; more places to run; and more running “projects” to think of.
But I never thought that running should be used for political ends! Running will always remain as a “way of life”; a “sports” where anybody could excel and be the Best; and the most inexpensive way to stay healthy and active.
“Never Stop Running”.
P.S. Finally, the “guide” just arrived and I am about to start my exploration to the mountain range infront of me!
Bald Runner
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