Last Sunday was the 5th edition of the Octoberun which is a yearly road racing event organized/managed by the members of the Fort Striders Running Club. My high respect goes to this running group as it had been consistently holding their running practices and workouts with their members at The Fort for the past years since the place started to have wider streets and vertical constructions.
Few days before the staging of the race, I asked Felsie from the Fort Striders if the race will push through because of the threat that Typhoon “Pepeng” would hit Central Luzon and she answered positively. I had predicted that this race will push through because I know the people who are behind this running group—they are dedicated & “hardcore” runners who are serious and know what & how it takes to manage a good road race.
Runners who decided to join the race were surprised to see that the weather was perfect for a road race. The atmosphere at the starting line was very personal and casual as runners would flock with their respective running club members and involve themselves with conversation about running, the typhoon/flooding, and the incoming races.
After a short prayer, singing of the National Anthem, and brief instructions from the Race Organizer, the 16K race started and we were off. Feeling from the way I lifted my knees and saw how my feet hit the ground, I knew I was starting with a fast pace. I tried to maintain my pace all the way along the streets of The Fort until I started to run uphill towards Essensa. Knowing the course, I tried my best to maintain a pace below 5:00 minutes per kilometer along the Lawton Avenue and towards to the turn-around point at C-5.
While running along the route, I’ve observed that the race was well-managed—long tables for the water stations, presence of route marshals, and the traffic of vehicles was not bad at all when the race is done as scheduled. It was good also to see the faster runners on the other side of the road for two times because the route has two turn-around points. I had the pleasure to see the members of the Elite Team Bald Runner battling it out on the lead pack. It was my chance to assess how these athletes/runners carry themselves and maintain their running forms and their ranking as compared with the other fast runners. By looking at their running forms and facial expressions, I could already assess if they are running with confidence or not.
Stronger and younger runners would overtake me along the route but I just maintained my pace as I knew where I could speed up and recover on the road. I would consider this race as tune-up race for the longer road races in the coming weeks and maintained a “tempo run” pace for this race. After all those positive thinking, counting of pace/strides, and mental “mantras”, I was already nearing the finish line and I found out that I still have extra energy to propel myself to the Finish Line.
I finish the race in 1:14:20 hours with an average pace of 4:52 minutes per kilometer (or 7:50 minutes per mile) but my GF 305 registered a distance of 15.3 kilometers instead of 16 kilometers. Being dismayed about the lack of distance, I did not mind or thought of comparing my finish time with my past races. After a few days, I realized that I was able to improve my time after comparing it with my past races in the 15K and 16K (10-mile Race) distance races. In fact, I was able to improve my time by 2 minutes for the 15K or 16K distance. I would attribute my improvement with my longer distance speed runs at the Oval Track ( 3 X 2,000 meters up to 3 X 5,000 meters) and my weekend long runs.
Team BR & Team Hardcore @ The StartPicking Up My Pace Towards The Finish LinePodium Finish For Elite Team Bald Runner (5K)Podium Finish For the 16K Runners & Elite Team Bald Runner
After the race, I took some time to chat with Jonel aka Bugobugo and the members of Team Hardcore at the TKO 250 booth. I was able to meet also the Jinoe, Quennie, and the rest of the takbo.ph people who are also involved in the TKO 250 project for the victims of Project Ondoy. I promised to myself that I will be putting in Ten Pesos (P 10.00) for each kilometer that I will run in road races starting with the 5th Octoberun 16K for the said project. So, on this road race, I was able to donate Two Hundred Pesos (P 200.00).
Before the team left at the venue of the road race, I was able to award the “1,000-Km Club” Finisher’s T-shirt to Junrox aka Tiger Boy. Congratulations, Jun! I hope this program was able to make you a stronger and faster runner!
@TKO250 With Team HC, Takbo.ph, & Team BRJunrox aka Tiger Boy Receiving his 1,000-Km Club Finisher's Shirt
I was doubly surprised when Carrey, my favorite supporter/sponsor of Elite Team Bald Runner handed to me bags of groceries for my runners. Thanks for supporting my elite runners! Yes, we are also victims of Typhoon Ondoy!
ROTARun 21K @ McKinley Hill/ 5:30 AM 20 September 2009
Last Friday, I found out that the Berlin Marathon will be staged on the day that ROTARun will be held. What is significant about the Berlin Marathon is that this is where Haile Gebrselaisse broke the world’s record finish time in a Marathon Race in 2:03:59 hours last year. It is expected that he is going to improve his record in this race. This is also the first Marathon Race for the World’s Marathon Majors (Berlin, London, Chicago, New York, & Boston) for the year 2009-2010.
For my apparel for this race, I prepared my Red Adidas Running Shorts and my first time to use an Adidas Running Shoes since I started running and combined/matched it with the nice dark-blue ROTARun singlet that goes with the cheap registration fee of P 200.00. I was thinking that I could run well in this race after doing much of my tempo runs at the ULTRA Oval Track and hill training runs in Antipolo for the past days since the Eco Dash 21K Run. I was doing “double” runs (morning & evening runs) in preparation for this race to build-up more endurance and strength to my legs in anticipation to the dreaded uphill climbs at McKinley Hill.
My First Adidas Running Shoes (Ozweego)
One of the Few Singlets I Used in a Road Race
In my meetings prior to the race with my Elite Team Bald Runner, I’ve always emphasized to them to study the route of the race and position our support staff on areas where assistance would be needed by the runners. The race strategy was to attack the hills and run faster on the downhill and plain areas. However, I was already apprehensive on the distance of the said route. I was thinking that the distance might not reach the desired 21K. The other thing that bothered on my mind was the expected traffic of runners for the lesser-distance events, which I call “side-events”, along the route as the 21K runners would run along the Lawton Avenue. I was thinking that Lawton Avenue will be filled again with the 10K & 15K runners as the 21K runners will be running towars the last 1-2 kilometers to the finish line. The last thing that bothered me was the length of the water stations to be fielded along the route.
I was not supposed to be bothered with the exact distance of the race, the length of water stations, and the traffic of runners along the route but being a runner, race organizer and director, I could see that there was something wrong as weeks before the conduct of the said race, the original race/event organizer withdrew (?) from the said event and the takbo.ph people led by Jinoe aka Manokan Express came to the rescue with Ian Alacar, a runner-friend, as the Race Director. With Ian Alacar at the helm of the event and the technical support of the PATAFA people, I was confident that this race will be a success. More updates about the race were posted at takbo.ph in order to guide the runners about parking areas and the final schedule of races and warning for runners to arrive in the assembly area earlier before the race starts.
My team and I arrived at the McKinley Hill area at 4:50 AM but there was a long line of vehicles entering the multi-level parking building as most of the free parking slots had been taken by other vehicles and the other streets were restricted for parking by other vehicles. It appeared that all the vehicles were forced and led to the said building to pay a parking fee! I directed my staff not to proceed to the parking area and instead look for a space for temporary parking near the assembly area and later transfer to the Bayani Road area once the 21K runners had left the Starting Area.
I had to immediately leave my staff after my race bib was pinned on my race singlet and proceeded to the starting area. After a brief warm-up jog and stretching exercises, I immediately positioned myself behind my elite team runners as the Program before the race started was going on. I noticed that I forgot my Oakley glasses in the car but I was glad I was able to instruct my staff/photographer to have it given to me at the Bayani Road. As I was shaking my legs and my arms to prepare for the start of the race, the starting gun went off and I went with the flow of the lead pack, trying to maintain a slower pace before slowly increasing it up to my race pace.
I was smiling while I was running my first kilometer because most of the runners were sprinting and passing on my sides. At the uphill portion going to the British Embassy, these “sprinters” started to slow down and I was still smiling as I passed them one by one. My mind was fixed on “attacking the hills” and trying to get faster on the downhill and plain areas. Most of the runners tried to keep up with my pace on the uphill portion from the McDonalds up to Lawton Avenue but I left them for good and slowly made my pace faster. I was prepared to run an average pace of 4:45 up to 4:55 mins per km, a slightly faster pace than the Eco Dash 21K pace of 5:00 mins per km, for this race as I knew this course as a fast one due to my familiarity of the route.
At Bayani Road With My "Pacers"
While I was running along the Lawton Avenue as I proceeded towards Gate 3 (Philippine Marines Area), all I knew was that I was running with a registered runner in the person of Major Eddie Radaza of the Philippine Army who is also a fast & competitive runner but in the end, he was my Pacer during the run. Aside from a constant sound of coughing on my back from another runner, I thought I was with only two runners—Major Radaza on my side and the “coughing” runner on my back! However, after I saw the pictures of me taken during the run, I was surprised to see that I was surrounded with 4-5 runners with no other runner/s trailing on our backs! I said, this is the same scenario that I saw last Sunday afternoon when I saw the LIVE Internet Telecast of the 2009 Berlin Marathon with Haile being surrounded with his Pacers from Km 1 to Km 30+, I felt like I was really “The Haile” being surrounded by Pacers and trying to break my PR for the 21K race! However, in the end, it turned out the other way around…I was their Pacer!
On My Way Back at Bayani Road With My "Pacers"
As I checked my GF 305 regularly, I would reached an average pace of 4:35 mpk and my slowest would be 5:12 mpk. Along Lawton Avenue, I maintained a pace of 4:38 mpk to 4:45 mpk and I was confident that I could improve my time for the 21K run. Running along Bayani Road and inside the Heritage Park was uneventful as I tried to increase my pace and give cheers to other runner-friends whom I met along the course. I really did not mind if I did not see any kilometer markings along the route as I was focused on maintaining my average pace.
As I was about to reach the crossing of Bayani Road and the new Gate 3 of Ft Bonifacio at the vicinity of St Michael’s Chapel, I glanced at my GF 305 and it registered a time of 1: 14+ minutes and I was surprised to see also that the distance I’ve covered was only 15+ kilometers. At this point, I knew already that the distance was short by so many kilometers and not meters! I really don’t know but I slowed down at this point even if I was already on the level/plain portion of Bayani Road going back to Lawton Avenue. My GF 305 registered my slowest average pace at 5:15 mpk at this point! But with the presence of my Pacers, I tried to increase the pace until we reached Lawton Avenue. As predicted, I had to weave around the slower 10K & 15K runners who filled almost the reserve lane for the runners as I ran along Lawton Avenue towards to the Finish Line. From here, everything was “cruise control” until we reached the entry to McKinley Hill where I dashed downhill and then towards the Finish Line.
My last 2 kilometers of the race was like Haile running his last 5 kilometers in the Berlin Marathon when he was running alone without his Pacers and his feeling that he could not break his world record after he realized that he was running too fast up to Km 30 where he broke the record by 11 seconds. Haile won the 2009 Berlin Marathon in 2:06:08 hours and his fourth straight win in a row. He won 50,000 Euros being the Champion and another 30,000 Euros for the time bonus for breaking the 30K World Record Time. I did not win any prize for the ROTARun but I felt I was “Haile” wearing his brand-sponsor Adidas (shorts & running shoes); aided by Pacers; and was trying to break my record PR for the 21K race…but…
My GF 305 registered a finish time of 1:27:58 hours with a distance of 17.85 kilometers. An average pace of 4:55 mpk, faster than my average pace of 5:00 mpk in the Eco Dash 21K, could have produced a better finish time for me for the distance. The course was short by 3K+ and I consider this as a “Mortal Sin” in road racing. I knew I could improve my average pace down to 4:45 mpk if only the race distance was accurate and I was sure of this because I was still strong after I reached the Finish Line! My speed & tempo runs as my preparations for this race were put to waste as I really prepared for this race.
Well, aside from the short distance of the race as compared to what had been published, I have the following observations:
1) The Water Aid Station tables were still short in length—I was amazed with how long was the length of each of the Water Station seen during the Berlin Marathon last Sunday afternoon.
2) Long Period of Time to Award The Winners—I think it does not take so much time to get the results of the Top 10 runners in each Distance Race. I had to wait until the members of the Elite Team Bald Runner had been awarded and it took us up to almost 10:00 AM to leave the place. This is one of the reasons why I hate “side events” in a Road Race. If a race calls for a Marathon Race (42K), then don’t add a Half-Marathon, 15K, 10K, 5K or 3K in the same Race Event with the same route. Due to traffic of runners and the use of more water consumption, the awarding of winners will be longer also! Personally, I don’t mind if this is the decision of the Sponsors or the Race Event Manager and Race Organizer but as for me, this is a sign of “maximizing” the number of runners which is being translated to being “greedy” for more proceeds from the race and from the running community.
3) Nice Singlet & Cheap Registration Fees—I like the singlet that goes with the cheap registration fee of P 200.00. This is one of the few road races that I chose to wear the singlet that goes free with the registration fee. Surprisingly, the singlet did not give me any “chafing” problems on my upper arms, armpits, and nipples. I know the Race Organizer had to seek for Sponsors and Friends to finance the other needs for the race. As per experience as Race Organizer, the registration fee was enough to pay for the singlet and race bib and other minimal incidental expenses. The payment for the PR group, technical support (timer/clock & operators), marshals, support staff, permits, and medical support were not covered from the registration fees paid by the runners. I believe that the payment of such services had been shouldered by the members of the Rotary and their Sponsor-friends. What is important here was that the Race Organizers tried their best to pursue this event despite their limited time of “fine-tuning” the basics in road racing.
4) Rehearse, rehearse, and rehearse—Would you believe that for a small and limited races like the BDM 102 and the 1st MASTERS 15K Run, I have to subject myself to actually measure the route of the race by conducting “test runs” and rehearsals with my staff on the conduct of the race, weeks and days before D-Day? Personal meetings/conferences, exchange of e-mails & SMS, and telephone calls are not enough to produce a perfect race. You need to bring all the people involved in a “walk-through” along the course and rehearsing what they are supposed to do during D-Day. It is easy to say and answer, “Yes” or “I’ll/We’ll Do It” or “I’ll inform him” or “I’ll Take Care Of It” or other words of assurance but what is important is to see how your staff and volunteers do their jobs during rehearsals. Proper rehearsals and repetitive actions of what to do will make an event to “near” Perfection.
5) Awards, Prizes, and “Freebies”—My Elite Team appreciates the prompt awarding of Awards and Cash Prizes during the Awarding Ceremony. At least, the winners were not made to wait for another day or report to the office of the Sponsors to claim their Prizes. I really appreciate the Finisher’s Medal given to all the 21K finishers.
6) Thieves, Again?—I have read a post of one of the runner-bloggers about incidents of theft on vehicles parked as the race was going-on. It really pisses me off to hear such incidents in road races. Despite the presence of security guards and policemen in paid-parking areas, there are still cases of thefts being reported. With this incident, I think the deployment of more security personnel to guard our parked cars will not completely solve this problem because we know and have proven that the thieves are also runners like us! So, let’s go back again why I hate “side-events” in road racing. These thieves pose as runners in the lesser distance events like 3K or 5K and after they finished their event/s they proceed to the parking areas as legit runners and then “target” the cars of the runners still running on the road. So, it is up for the Race Organizer to weigh the consequences of his race— more “side-events” with more “profit” but with bad reputation or no “side-events” with “break-even” or less profit but with good reputation.
7) Contingency Plan—Just like us as runners who have race strategy and contingency plans to survive up to the finish line and meet our objective for the road race, the Race Organizer/Race Director must have also a contingency plan in order to adjust to any problem or eventuality that arises on race day. Ian Alacar and Doc Lyndon of takbo.ph approached me during the time when the Awards were given to the Winners and they explained to me what went wrong few hours before the race started. They found out that the Heritage Park authorities did not allow them to use some of the roads which were intended for the race course, thereby resulting in the lack of distance of more than 3 kilometers. I did not understand the reason why the Heritage people would not allow the race to extend further to their farthest roads since in the past road races held inside the Park, runners would be allowed to run in these areas. The contingency plan should had been to extend the road race up to NAIA 3 Airport/ Camp Villamor even if the runners would fight it out with the traffic of vehicles outside the Camp. I think the road from Lawton Avenue to NAIA 3 Airport does not need any permit for the Race Organizer to extend the race along this road. Or maybe, let the runners run two loops along Bayani Road before proceeding to the Finish Line.
Lastly, I still salute and commend Jinoe; Doc Lyndon & takpo.ph members and Ian Alacar for having the courage to accept the responsibility of conducting this race despite their limited time to adjust to some problems & concerns on the conduct of the race after the original Race Organizer left the said Project. I suggest that in your next project(s), feel free to send SMS, call, e-mail or invite me in your planning/”brainstorming” sessions and “test runs”/rehearsals so that I can input some of my suggestions. Don’t worry, my services is FREE!
To The Race Organizers, Good luck and Best Wishes on your future races!
P.S. Don’t forget to get your license and register your group with the Department of Trade & Industry (DTI) as Race/Event Organizer.
The following are the reasons why I am going to join the 2nd Subic International Marathon where SMART is the Major Sponsor of this running event:
1) Location of the Route—If you want a variety of running route in your Marathon running experience, then the route of the SMART Subic International Marathon is the best! The new SCTEX’s Floridablanca’s Exit/Entry will be the starting area and the finish line is located at the Remy Field’s Oval Track, inside the Subic Freeport. This is a chance to leave Metro Manila for awhile in order to change your running environment. As compared to the route in last year’s Marathon Race, this year’s route is more pleasing and better for the runners, most especially to those who are intending to finish their first Marathon Race.
2) Pollution-Free—Unlike in Marathon Races held in Metro Manila, the SMART SIM offers a race route that is free from pollution—air and noise pollution. The route is devoid of heavy traffic of vehicles, no buildings, no populated areas, and no distractions. No crazy or yelling drivers at you while you are running. No intersections and no pedestrians! Everything that you see around you along the route is the long asphalted road infront of you; the rice fields seen on both sides of the Expressway; hills and mountains on your front and right side and sometimes on your left side when the highway cuts through a hill.
3) Running Surface—The expressway is made of asphalt which a softer and more forgiving surface for our running legs than the concrete-paved roads. Runners would not notice it but the running surface in a marathon race gives a big factor on how our running legs perform in a long distance road race. However, since the cross-section view of the highway is curved on its edges, it is advisable for the runners to shift to the more level part of the highway. I am sure I will be running along that white paint protion on the edge of the road because it is softer than the asphalt.
4) Time of the Race—The race starts at 4:00PM which I think will be the first full Marathon Race to be held on such time of the day in the history of Road Racing in the country. The North Star 10K Run in Laoag City & Paoay, Ilocos Norte is the only Road Race then that starts at 4:00PM on the 3rd Saturday of December. I am sure the sun is still on the west horizon and about to set. This is the time when the heat of the asphalt road and the cooler air that is brought by the setting of the sun would meet. It is expected that the temperature and humudity will still be high but this will be compensated with winds/breeze coming from the mountains and the rice fields. Runners would have a chance and expect to see the sunset on the horizon while running which in contrast with the usual morning road races that we join in Metro Manila.
5) Registration Fee is Cheap!—As compared to the other Marathon Races, this race is very cheap and the singlet that goes with it is nice and of good quality. This is one of the few Marathon Races where you can have your Race Packet (with singlet) given to you once you submit your registration form.
6) Prizes Are Very Attractive—For the elite and international runners, the prizes at stake are very attractive and SMART has really invested in this Marathon Race for the promotion of long distance running competition in the country. Hopefully, this race will put the Philippines in the map of world’s famous marathon races. This race will also promote Sports Tourism for the country.
7) Race/Event Organizer & Race Director—Without a doubt, the people behind this race are very responsive to suggestion and/or comments from runners. In short, they are considered “professionals” in the world of road racing events. Adi De Los Reyes and his team had been in the sports corporate and events management for years and he had conceptualized a lot of ideas for the running community. Chief Superintendent Samuel Tucay of PNP who just retired few months ago is also a seasoned marathon runner, a friend, will be the Race Director for the said event. Actually, the Subic International Marathon is the “brainchild” of C/Supt Samuel Tucay and he maintained to be the Race Director since last year’s edition.
SMART 2nd Subic International Marathon Poster
8) Advocacy of the Event—While C/Supt Samuel Tucay was the Chief of the PNP’s Training and Education Command based in Subic Freeport, he advocated the adherence to running to all PNP personnel who are considered as “scalawags” in the service as they were transformed from “bad eggs” to “good models of policemen” in his Command. C/Supt Tucay was very successful in his program and later adopted such program for the whole PNP and to the different regions. It is through running and adherence to physical activity that anybody could be transformed into a “productive” individual to the community.
9) Dedication to My Bereaved Mom—I joined this Subic International Marathon last year but I was registered for the Half-Marathon as part of my training for the 2008 Pasig River Heritage Marathon. It was January 20, 2008. I will never forget this date as few hours after I finished the race, I got the news from my youngest sister that my Mom died after eating her lunch. She was 82 years old and she died due to cancer. Since then, I made a promise to myself to run the Subic International Marathon annually as a dedication and tribute to my Mom.
10) My Picture On My Blog’s Title—Yes, that picture on top in my blog’s Home Page Title was taken while I was running the 1st Subic International Marathon. I never changed my Blog’s Presentation/Theme with the said picture for the past year & months. So, every time I see my blog, the Subic International Marathon is always recalled and remembered. By the way, I don’t intend to change the Presentation/Theme & such picture on the title of this blog and that is what I call “Consistency”!
And lastly, I am a loyal subscriber of SMART since 2000 and I never changed my cellphone number!!! That’s another example of “Consistency”!
Good Luck on your training and See you at the Starting Line!
Ben Gaetos, an ultra runner friend from Los Angeles, California sent me a Balaikbayan Box full of used donated shoes from his ultrarunning friends in California. I received the said box last Friday and it contained 34 pairs of running shoes.
Thanks again, Ben! Hopefully, these shoes will be given to our less-fortunate runners on the day of MILO Marathon Finals which will start and end at the Quirino Grandstand, Luneta Park on October 11, 2009.
Balikbayan Box From Ben GaetosFilled With Neatly-Packed 34 Pairs of Running Shoes34 Pairs of Running Shoes Displayed On The Floor
My rule of thumb in selecting a road race to join when there are two or more road races in a particular day is to select the road race with the farthest distance! So, I’ve chosen the Eco Dash: The Ayala Malls Environment 21K Run as my race run early this morning.
I was already at the starting area 15 minutes before 5:00 AM (the scheduled start of the 21 K race) and I was hoping that the 21K race will start on time. However, the 21K runners are not yet in the corral/starting area and I knew already that the race will start later than the time it was scheduled. While waiting before going to the corral, I did a short stretching and slow jogging drills just to warm up my body as it was raining. I was able to see familiar faces who are “die-hard” and “hardcore” runners belonging to the MASTERS group and from the younger ones. I had a brief chat with the HING’S Running Club, the Hardcore Group, the takbo.ph group, the MASTERS runners who joined last week’s 15K race in Camp Aguinaldo, my brother General Samie with Babette & nephew Lemuel; Sir Amado aka Reinier6666, and the members of the Elite Team Bald Runner. Simple words/statement of guidance and encouragement to my elite runners before the start of the race had always been a part of my ritual to boost their morale.
At The Starting Line With Elite Team BR's Rene Desuyo
The race started at 5:30 AM after 3 “demonstrators” conducted a simple stretching exercises infront of the runners with the beat of music at the background. And all of a sudden while I was talking to my Elite Runner Rene Desuyo, I just heard the sound of the starting gun and we were off.
My race strategy was to maintain an even pace of 5:00 mins per kilometer or faster and “attack” the uphill climbs at the Kalayaan Flyover and Bayani Road with “surges” or “fartlek” runs with 1-minute duration which I repeat until I reach the top. I usually count my strides as my left foot strikes the ground up to 90 or 100 and repeat the process by counting back to 1. I usually do these “surges” and “fartleks” when I want to overtake and pass someone who is a faster runner infront or beside me. This is a good technique which anybody could do to improve their time and performance in road racing.
On the first 2 kilometers of the race, the runners’ distance with one another stretched out and I was happy to maintain my average pace at 5:00 mpk with ample space on the road but a “newbie” runner kept on making “surges” on me and made criss-cross cutting on my lane/direction as he overtook me for so many times before we reached the Kalayaan Flyover. I did not mind him and continued with my pace but as soon as we hit the uphill climb, he slowed down and did not bother me anymore.
The rain kept on pouring and the road was full of flowing water and some areas were with “potholes” but the runners were not deterred from the adverse condition but for me, it was very comforting that I felt refreshed with the cold rain and seemingly fresh air. I really appreciate the presence of so many water stations and Gatorade Stations along the route and I observed that our Race Organizers had improved on this but I still have to wish the presence of longer tables for these water stations in future races.
I enjoyed running along the wide streets of Makati Business District—Paseo De Roxas; Makati Avenue; up to the turn-around beside the Shang-rila Makati Hotel, without any vehicles. The road marshals were very efficient in controlling the vehicles in all the crossing/intersections. I was running alone while I was running along those wide streets.
On my way back at the Kalayaan Flyover, I met the bigger group of the 10K runners and I had to take a limited space at the right side of the road and I was hearing a lot of greetings from the runners I met on this part of the route. Despite the blurred images of runners I saw through my peripheral vision, a simple wave or “high-five” to these runners was enough to acknowledge their greetings. Thanks, guys! Your greetings kept me running at a faster pace!
Turning Right At Rizal Drive After Coming From Kalayaan Flyover
As I turned right at Rizal Drive (the street along the old Jollibee and McDonald at The Fort), I saw a lot or 3K & 5K runners & walkers who filled the whole street and I could not see the 21K runners ahead of me! Knowing the route for the 21K race, I kept on passing and weaving through the slower runners until I reached 5th Avenue. Once I turned right on this street, I saw that the 21K runners infront of me had gained so much distance from me and I started to “surge” on the uphill portion until I reached the McKinley Road. As I reached Lawton Avenue, I was able to pass more runners and I was surprised that almost all the HING’S runners were infront of me. These MASTERS runners are really good and fast runners! I think their Ice Cream & Ice Buko and other Ice Candies mixed with Ice Cold Beer is their “secret” in running and road racing!
Running along Lawton Avenue up to the end of Bayani Road-C5 turnaround was a lonely one but I kept on looking on my watch just to be sure that I kept my average pace and I observed that I became slower when I attacked the uphill climbs at the Bayani Road by 10 seconds. However, I made sure to pick-up my pace when I reach the downhill/plain portion of the road. More “surges” or “fartleks” along the way and more counting mentally until I was back at The Fort area and up to the Finish Line.
Few Meters Before The Finish Line
For the last 4 kilometers, my GF 305 registered an average pace of 4:35 minutes per kilometer, a pace faster than my 5K average pace at the Mommy Milkshake last week, and I found out that I have more strength left after completing the race. I finished the 21.06K distance in 1:45: 25 hours, registering an average pace of 5:00 minutes per kilometer based from my GF 305 watch.
After a brief rest to drink two cups of water and some “photo-ops”, I ran another 3.6 kilometers around the BHS loop and extending the distance up to 5th Avenue as my “cool-down” run. It was nice to know and witness the awarding of the members of the Elite Bald Runner as Champions in the Men’s & Women’s Champions in the 21K Race ( Rene Desuyo & Anna Vargas) and Champion in the 10K Race (Jujet De Asis).
I am satisfied with the result of my run in this race. Based from my previous post on how to predict finish time for the Marathon Race, my finish time for this Half-Marathon (after adjustments) could, hopefully, give me a finish time of sub-3:45 hours.
Maia Lazo is an avid runner from the ST Microelectronics. Her office is located in Calamba City and started to send me e-mail messages if I could conduct a Running Clinic in their office in time for the General Assembly of a running club in their office/plant which was created few months ago. We agreed on a schedule where the running lecture and the demonstration/practical portion will be done in one meeting/session.
The running clinic was scheduled on 28 August, Friday, at 5:30 PM as part of the General Assembly of the said running club. This was our 10th edition of our Running Clinic to a corporate company ever since we started this program.
I brought my two Coaches and top runners of the Elite Team Bald Runner as part of the running clinic team as we left Manila at 3:30 PM. A two-hour travel time was enough to anticipate the bad weather prevailing at that time and the traffic along the SLEX and we arrived at the premises of the plant on time. Another 30 minutes were devoted to security protocols imposed on us by the Security Guards/personnel of the establishment ranging from AN1H1 medical check , photo scan, ID check, and camera inspection. The security personnel did not allow to bring with us our digital cameras to the venue of the running clinic. That’s how strict and tight the security protocol of this place.
ST Microelectronics
We understand such protocols most especially to such plants/offices which have high standards in cleanliness and the sensitivity of the operations involved in the place. We did not expect that the running club members almost filled the big room which served as our venue. In my estimate, there were almost 60 runner-employees in the audience. It was really a big audience as compared to our past running clinics.
Maia Lazo acted as the Moderator & Emcee of the General Assembly and the activity started with a slideshow presentation of the pictures taken during the club’s daily runs and participation in weekend road races in Metro Manila. The highlight of the presentation was the pictures of its members who joined the Kenny Roger’s Urbanite Run at The Fort. One of the members talked to the audience about his experience during the said race. In short, these runners had fun and enjoyed the experience of joining the said race.
Running Clinic Poster
Due to the limited time, I was immediately introduced and I was able to deliver my brief lecture without the aid of a Powerpoint presentation with emphasis on the Basics; “Tips”; and Principles involved in training for Running. It was followed by demonstration on the technical aspects of running with the members of the Elite Team Bald Runners as the demonstrators. Stretching Exercises; Running Drills; Running Form; Forefoot/Midfoot Strike; and Training “tips” were presented and delivered by Coaches Titus Salazar and Rey Antoque. More information were imparted to the audience during the Open Forum where we answered their written questions and concerns. Other topics discussed were about running injuries, sports nutrition, selection of running shoes; and running/training programs for the marathon and lesser distance runs.
STREAK (ST Running Club) & Elite Team Bald Runner
The picture above only showed one-half of the audience during the running clinic as most of them left after they finished their dinner.
The running clinic and demonstration/practical exercises will surely give better training and preparation for these runners and for sure, most of them will be competitive in the races they will join in the future. For a company located outside Metro Manila to organize a running club is a good sign that running has been slowly spreading as a form of adhering to a healthy and active lifestyle. I always emphasize to my audience that the human body needs to exercise and bring out the sweat so that we can develop a stronger body that could resist diseases and illness.
To Maia Lazo and to the members of the STREAK, thank you very much for supporting my advocacies. Despite the 3-hour traffic along the SLEX on our way back to Metro Manila, our experience and sharing you our knowledge on running gave us the opportunity to know more of the active running clubs outside Metro Manila.
Rey Antoque is presently one of the Coaches of the Elite Team Bald Runner. His credentials as a runner speak for itself. He had been with the Elite Team for the past ten (10) months. What I like with him is that he started to train hard for the Marathon Race at the age of 33 years old, an old age for an elite runner for the Marathon distance.
His performance in Marathon Races in the 1990’s and early 2000’s speaks well of his focused training, dedication, perseverance, and determination.
On his first competition on Marathon Road Racing, Rey placed No. 4 in the 1990 Pilipinas International Marathon with a time of 2:24:06 hours which was considered at that time as the fastest time for a Filipino in a marathon race held in the country. He was 33 years old.
After one year of training for the Marathon distance, he placed #3 Overalll in the 9th PAL Manila International Marathon in 1991 at the age 0f 34 years old.
In 1992, the following year, he won as Champion in the 16th MILO Marathon with a time of 2:28:47 hours at the age of 35 years old. At that time, he won a Cash Prize of P 60,000.
Picture Depicts The Intensity of Rey's Race & Finish
In 1993, he was the 1st Top Filipino and 2nd Overall in the Pilipinas International Marathon where a Belgian runner won as Champion. Rey Antoque improved his time at 2:27:32 hours.
In 1994, he was the Champion in the 12th PAL Manila International Marathon on March 13, 1994 with a time of 2:28:24 hours. He was able to beat and overtook the younger Guiseppe Veletti of Italy who was then 25 years old on the last kilometers of the race. Antoque was then 36 years old.
Guiseppe Veletti of Italy & Rey Antoque
In 1995, the following year, he was able to defend his title as the Champion in the 13th PAL Manila International Marathon on March 12, 1995 beating again a younger Lucio Danza of Italy (28 years old) who was with Guiseppe Veletti. He registered a time of 2:28:02 hours at the age of 37 years old. He won P 100,000 as the Champion and additional prize of P 50,000 for being the Top Filipino Finisher.
Women's Champion Praskovia Gregorenko of Russia Gives Rey a Buss
On July 30, 1995, he was the Champion in the 1995 SIJORI (Singapore-Johor Bahru-Riad) International Marathon Race held in Johor, Malaysia with a time of 2:33:16 hours. He won a prize of RM 10,000.
Malaysian Newspaper With Rey Antoque in the SIJORI Marathon
In November 20, 1994, he was the Champion in the 5th 10-Mile YAKULT Run with a time of 1:03:15 hours.
In 1996, he was the Champion in the 9th Annual PUMA Half-Marathon with a time of 1:08:46 hours.
In 2004, he won the Gold Medal in the 5,000-meter and 10,000-meter runs in the ASIAN MASTERS Championship held in Bangkok, Thailand.
Rey Antoque, 54 years old @ BOTAK's 1-Street Mile Run
He shared some of his “training secrets” of which I am going to divulge in this post.
He trains and prepares the whole year only for ONE Marathon Race Event.
He spends and stays in Baguio City at least 6 months during his training. Kennon and Naguilian Roads were his training routes.
He applied what he learned from a Kenyan elite runner—running three (3) times with a distance of 5,000 meters in 15 minutes with 3-5 minutes of rest/interval in between repetitions in his speed workouts at the oval track. I did this speed workout once (in 23 minutes) and I had to rest & recover for two days!
He runs twice a day, morning & afternoon, reaching up to 200+ kilometers mileage per week. His long run workouts exceeded the marathon distance!
He is a disciple of Arthur Lydiard.
(Note: News Clippings Courtesy of Rey Antoque’s Files & Memorabilias)
1) For those who registered through the phone, your Race Bibs are ready for pick-up at the Starting Area/GHQ Grandstand at least One Hour before the start of the race (5:30 AM). Just be ready for your ID and your registration fee of P 100.00.
2) For those who intend to register on site before the start of the race, you should be at the Starting Area/GHQ Grandstand at least One Hour before the start of the race. A separate table will be established for those late registrants.
3) There is a limited number of Race Bibs. We prepared a total of 170 Race Bibs for the runners with ages from 40-54 years old male and limited number of race bibs for the older ages and the Women’s MASTERS. Issuance of the remaining Race Bibs will be on “First Come, First Serve” basis.
4) Please “Fall In Line” when you claim your Race Bibs or when you intend to be one of the late registrants in one of the tables. Our staff could only attend one person at a time.
Entry to Camp Aguinaldo:
1) Everybody is advised to enter through GATE #1 which is the only gate that is open in the camp before 5:00 AM. This gate is along BONI SERRANO AVE. (SANTOLAN ROAD). Be ready with your Driver’s License if you don’t have an AFP Car/Vehicle Pass or Decal. For those without vehicles, take the Pedestrian Gate (adjacent to Gate #1).
2) MPs will guide you where you can Park your vehicle. Don’t assume that your vehicles are safe because you are inside a military camp. Due to thefts in vehicles in past races, it’s unfortunate that our suspects are also “runners” wearing running attire and with the proper race bib. It is advisable to secure/hide your things and don’t display anything inside your car. The race organizer will not be responsible for any loss or damage of any vehicle parked on the race site.
Please feel free to post your comment/s if you have any clarification or concern about the race. We will try to update you through this blog about the said race. For those who are willing to donate or sponsor any product or “giveaways” for the runners, please feel free to contact us at Telephone Number: 497-6442.
Tatakbo Ka Ba? GMA-7 5K/10K Run @ The Fort/ 6:02 AM 30 August 2009
This was my general feeling when I finally registered to participate in the GMA-7 10K Run. Who cares about the incoming elections, anyway? The purpose of my participation of this run was to evaluate my racing performance after doing a lot of running workouts for the past weeks. I wanted to run in this race with an average pace of less than 5 minutes per kilometer.
One of the 3 Stages Prepared For The Race
The race was scheduled at 5:30 AM and I was already at the starting area at about 5:15 AM. I was surprised to see the festive atmosphere of the place with the presence of three (3) elevated stages; one for the race which was located at the far back of the runners & front-left side of the starting line and another big covered stage for the “special program” initiated by GMA-7 for the swearing in of oath by the candidates for the presidential elective position. Most of the runners at the corral area were not interested or listening on what the Emcees were announcing. In the first place, I don’t watch GMA-7 programs and I really don’t know the personalities or even the news broadcasters. Instead, I started to stretch my leg muscles while waiting for the race to start. I saw the family of Annalene aka The Meek Runner and I approached them. I had a brief time talking to them until such time the Emcees transferred at the front of the starting area and continued their program. We were surprised that we just heard the starting gun.
"Mass Start" For the 5K & 10K Runners
The number of runners who joined this race was also unprecedented. There were lots of runners and I can estimate that it reached at least 4,000 + participants. I am sure the runners did not participate the race because of the presence of the politicians but I am pretty sure most of the runners just wanted to run and the rest of the participants wanted to see the “stars” and personalities of GMA-7.
The other small stage infront of the Starting Line
The race finally started at 6:02 AM and it was a “mass start” for both the 5K & 10K runs. Since I was few meters from the front runners, I started slowly making sure to warm-up my leg muscles. I weaved through the slower runners as I tried to find my comfortable space and pace during the start of the race. From the start, I slowly passed the slower ones and those who made a dash from the starting area who ultimately run slower after running for about a kilometer. All the streets were fully packed with runners and I could hardly weaved through the runners. It was only at the 2.5-km turn-around where the 10K runners started to have more space. From the 2.5-km point, I started to peak up my pace and was able to pass more of the runners. Running towards the Market! Market! area was a breeze as I saw a lot of familiar faces who were ahead of me and those who were trailing me as I passed at the turn-around area.
The problem about the narrow route at the British School and at the vicinity of DILG’s Public Safety College started to be encountered by the 10K runners as most of the 5K runners and “walkers” occupied the road. At this point, it was the last 3 Kms of the 10K route. I had another problem of weaving through the slower runners & “walkers” that made my pace slower up to the point when I reached the road in between the new St Luke’s Hospital and the Ford Car Store.
After running through the streets west of Rizal Drive, I knew I still have one more kilometer to go before the Finish Line. On the last Five Hundred Meters before the Finish Line, I had to slow down because of so many spectators along the route who completely filled almost one-half of the road. The spectators were waiting for the “stars” and GMA-7 personalities to finish the race.
After Crossing The Finish Line
I finished the 10K run in 46:29 minutes with an average pace of 4:40 minutes per kilometer (based from my GF watch). I was able to run well during the race but it could had been better if not for the numerous runners that clogged the narrow streets along the route.
After the race, I did not bother watching the program being prepared by GMA-7 for the politicians. I just overheard that they were reciting an oath that mentioned that “they will be honest, that they will serve the poor and hungry, that they will not abuse their power, that they will not “pocket” the money of the government which are to be used for education, social services, and infrastructure, that they will “so and so”. Whatever, Guys! It sucks to see the politicians reciting such oath infront of the runners and signing such oath on LIVE TV Telecast. If you can not even support or see to it that we attain Sports Excellence in the country, then stop promising to serve the “poor and the hungry” and the the whole country! To me, everything was “bull….”; empty promises; and a “show” to be forgotten after it will be published on the daily newspapers & seen on TV newscasts and finally, I am sure the Race Organizer was laughing all the way to the bank despite of so many “lapses” (again)!
I am already tired mentioning to this blog the different “lapses” of the Race Organizers. As a runner, I just want the following things to be perfect, at least—appropriate length of table for the water stations; abundance of water & water cups in Water Stations; accuracy on the route distance; presence of digital clock at the Finish Line & publication of Race Results; and lastly, punctuality of scheduled time on the start for the race.
The "Presidentiables" & Politicians At The Biggest Stage
The race was significant because I was able to meet new acquiantances (Raffy Uytiepo & others); awarded my “1,000-Km Club” Finisher’s T-Shirt to Joseph Baltazar; talked to the family of David & Rowena from Great Britain; meet a young runner at the age of 11 years old who beat me by one second; meet the Finishers of the 1st BDM 102K (Ralph Salvador, Eric Socrates, & Dionisio Potonia); talked to the registrants of the 1st MASTERS 15K Run; and happy to see the awarding of the winners of this race who are members of my Elite Team Bald Runner. The following pictures will speak for themselves:
At The Team Bald Runner Booth (Note: BR's Logo)Natz aka i2runner with GF & Coach TitusAwarded "1,000-Km Club" Finisher's T-Shirt To Joseph Baltazar (On my left side)Raffy Uytiepo, "El Numero Uno" Race Organizer of Cebu City (on my right)Kid Lindangan (11-year old young runner) & Dad After The Finish Line
I just received an e-mail from the Race Organizer of the Los Angeles Marathon stating therein that their Online Registration will be open effective on August 31, 2009. The Race Day will be on March 21, 2010. The last day of Registration will be on March 1, 2010. The Race Route will be completely different from the past editions as the race will start at the Dodgers Stadium and end in Santa Monica Beach. Registration Fee is $125.00.
From this information, let me point the following observations:
1. Registration Period—An International Marathon Event opens its registration at least six (6) months before Race Day. This is a positive indication that the event will push through and it is already calendared in the list of Marathon Races in any of the websites maintaining a list of Marathon Races in the USA or in International Cities/Countries. The 6-month period is an appropriate duration to train for the said event. May the Local Race Organizers learn from this.
2. Deadline of Registration Period—If the Online Registration published the date for the deadline of Registration, such date will be strictly followed. There will be no “special” accommodation for late registrants! The reason why the Race Organizers always set a deadline for registration in International Marathon Event is that they want a 100% Customers Satisfaction to all the participants. This is translated to efficient production of Race Packets, Finisher’s T-Shirts, Medals, & Certificates to include coordination for security, medical, and safety protocols for the said race. On the said race, the Race Organizers had at least 3 weeks before the distribution of kits and on the race day to prepare the Race Packets of the participants to include the “giveaways” at the Finish Line. I hope our local Race Organizers will learn from this to avoid some “lapses” in the distribution of kits. It is also on this period that the race results encoders will be able to input all the data of the runners in their Master List of Participants for easy post-processing of results immediately after the last runner had passed the Finish Line. It should be noted also that the entity that receives your Online Registration is completely a different group from the Race Organizer.
3. Registration Fee—The registration fee is $ 125.00. Nowhere in the website where you can see where your registration fee will be used. The Race Organizer will not explain where your registration fee is going to be spent!!! If the Race Organizer decides not to give you a singlet or Finisher’s Shirt, they don’t need to explain. It’s either you want to pay the registration fee or not/join the race or not! It’s your choice. However, I am sure the money you paid for the registration is worth the experience during the race.
4. No Need To Invite Elite Foreign Runners—Let the name of the city or location of the Marathon Event speaks for itself. However, if you announce your Marathon Race as an International Event with 60 days before Race Day, there is a slim chance that the best international runners will be coming to participate in the said event. The best runners are already focused to join races which had been known by them 5-6 months ago. If ever foreign runners will participate in our International Marathon Events for the months of October & November, these runners would be their 2nd or 3rd rate runners. We hope these runners to arrive in the country at least two weeks before race day in order to acclimatize with the weather and humidity.
Bald Runner
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