1. After singing some songs at the Resto where I had my lunch and posting my story about my running experience this morning, I prepared for my afternoon run. By simply wiping my whole body with my bandanas dipped in cold water, I was able to remove some of the dirt to my body exposed to the elements and at the same time cool down the temperature of my body.
2. After 3 1/2 hours of rest, I changed to a new set of running apparel—NIKE White Compression Long-Sleeved Shirt; New Balance Compression Shorts; 3 Bandanas (one for my head sweat stopper & 2 were tied on my neck); PUMA Black Socks; white cap; Ray-Ban Sports Sunglass; ASICS Gel-Kayano 14 and my Nathan Hydration Belt.
Another Set of Running Attire. Shell Station Personnel @ Tabang Were Kind & AccommodatingRice Fields Are Slowly Shrinking Due to Commercial & Housing Establishments
3. I started at exactly 4:00 PM. I entered the center of Malolos City and I was surprised to see the wide roads infront of the Provincial Capitol and the presence of so many commercial establishments on its sides. The place is completely different when I was a Brigade Commander with Bulacan as one of the provinces under my area of operation/supervision. My pace this afternoon was faster than the one I had on the start of this run. I was able to continously run for the first 10K with a time of 1:05 hours with an average pace of 6:30 minutes per kilometer. I was able to sustain the pace up to 13K mark as I started to take picture of the scenery along the way.
One of the Commercial Establishments in Malolos, BulacanOoopps...Wrong Wall To Display Campaign Posters! Hahaha!
4. For the afternoon run, I was able to run a distance of 19 kilometers in 2:27 hours to include the “walking breaks”. My average pace was 7:45 minutes per kilometer and average heart rate at 130 beats per minute. For the whole day, I was able to run & walk a distance of 46 kilometers. I left the road before 7:00 PM to look for a place to take a shower, eat and stay for the night.
Crossing The Bulacan-Pampanga BoundaryLast Kilometer Post For The Day
5. I was able to consume or pay for the following items during/after the run:
2 Bottles of Propel—-P 36.00
2 Liters of Bottled Water—P 54.00
1 Kilo of Lacatan Bananas—P 47.00 ( ate 3 pieces of banana)
1 Kilo of Ripe Mangoes—-P 50.00
Dinner/Food—-P 160.00
Hotel Accommodation (One Night)—P 630.00
6. So far, there are no “issues” or injury during my first day of my adventure run. Sleep is badly needed now!
1. Today is the first day of my “adventure run” from Manila to Baguio City. I started at Km Post #10, which almost one kilometer away from the Bonifacio Monument in Calocan City, at 6:20 AM. I started late in the morning purposely to have a clear view of the road and the environment while I started my run.
"Adventure Run" Dedicated To The Team Bald Runner
2. After a few kilometers, I was approaching the City of Valenzuela. At first, I was running against the traffic but because of the sunlight and the heat of the sun, I transfered to the other side of the road, taking advantage of the shade provided by the buildings along the road. The city streets are dirty and dusty. The traffic along the McArthur Highway was too slow because of the jeeps and cargo trucks. Almost all the restaurants and bars along the road are named after the late General Douglas McArthur!
3. The City of Meycauyan, Bulacan came next and the streets are far cleaner than the streets of Valenzuela City. All the drainage covers along the sidewalk were properly marked with “Project of Mayor Win”. Nice project and projection on the accomplishment of the City Mayor!
Drainage Cover @ Meycauayan, Bulacan
4. What reminds me of Marilao, Bulacan is the SM Mall which I had the chance to drop by at the said establishment when I was still a Brigade Commander in Central Luzon, six years ago. At this point, the road became wider and the traffic was no longer busy.
@ Marilao, Bulacan Infront of SM
5. I had my late breakfast at McDonalds in Bocaue. I ordered burger with pancake and hot chocolate. I rested here for one hour and read the daily newspaper. No worthy news to read. Everything was about politics and the national election/presidentiables blah, blah, & blah!
6. Almost all the electric posts along the way are full with posters of candidates for the president and local government officials. I’ve noticed that you see the faces of the candidates with their “best smiles” in their campaign billboards and posters but in reality when you meet them in person, you seldom see them in their “campaign smile”.
A Welcome Banner in Guiguinto, Bulacan
7. In Bocaue, Bulacan, I’ve noticed that the game of Jueteng is prevalent. In one of the street corners, I saw a collector of bets accepting money from one of the bystanders.
8. So far, these are my expenses and consumption:
Gasoline—-P 1,500.00 (Full tank which will last up to Baguio City)
Gatorade—2 Bottles—P 32.00
Water For Drinking—2 Liters—P 30.00
Breakfast @ McDonalds—P 150.00
One Pack of SkyFlakes—P 5.00
Cloud Nine (2 Bite Sizes)—P 3.00
Lunch @ Malolos, Bulacan with Softdrinks—P 100.00
9. For this morning run, I was wearing an Under Armour Runner’s Cap, one ala-Buff by Armando Caruso (P 69.00) as my head sweatband, NIKE White Long-sleeved shirt, NIKE Compression Shorts, ASICS Gel-Kinsei 2 with Hane’s Athletic Socks. On my left wristband is my GF 305 while my right wristband is my GF 405. The GF 305 tells me the elapsed time and distance while my GF 405 tells me the actual time of the day. My hydration is my old and trusted Nathan (SOB) Hydration Belt.
10. I ran through the following places along McArthur Highway: Valenzuela, Meycauayan, Marilao, Bocaue, Balagtas, and Guiguinto, all of the province of Bulacan.
11. I just had my lunch and I am now resting while singing the Karaoke in one of the retaurants here in Malolos, Bulacan. I will resume my run later this afternoon.
I’ve never missed the Condura Run since the time such road race was conceptualized by Patrick and Ton Concepcion and you can consider me as an avid fan and supporter of this run. Even if I was injured last November’s Pasig Marathon and sidelined for almost six weeks of no running workouts, Condura Run was scheduled as my first Marathon Run for the year.
The Cebu City Half-Marathon last January 10 and the Midnight to Sunrise Run for the BDM 102 participants last January 31 were my “training runs” in preparation for the Condura Marathon. I set my mind that the objective of this run was to be able to finish it in less than 5 hours or better, in less than 4 hours & 30 minutes. Condura Marathon is my preparatory run for my incoming “adventure run”.
I checked-in at the coral area 20 minutes before 4:00 AM and I was able to meet the BDM 102 “veterans”; the “usual” faces in marathon races; Officers & Enlisted Personnel in the AFP; the “newbies”; and brothers Patrick and Ton Concepcion. Actually, it was my first time to meet Ton in person after so many exchanges of e-mails as I tried to impart some of my insights about the Condura run few months ago. I greeted most of the runners, smiled, and wish everybody good luck for the run.
First thing that I admire in this race is the punctuality of the gun start! The race started at exactly 4:00 AM after a brief “fireworks”. My plan was to maintain a pace of 6:00 minutes per kilometer for the whole run and expected to finish the race in 4:15 hours.
1st Marathon For the Year!
The second thing that I like in this race is the challenge of the race course. Everybody who finished the marathon would agree that the course is far more challenging than the race course of marathons outside the country. I think the Condura course is more challenging than the San Francisco Marathon! The course will always be in the minds and the “main topic” in the sharing of stories among the marathon finishers. The uphill climb towards the Camp Villamor/NAIA 3 Exit of the Skyway was the “killer” in this course!
The Face of a Road Warrior
The first time that I glanced my GF 305 is when I reached the 10K mark and I found out that my time was 1:02 hours. My 10K run was slower than what I’ve planned by 2 minutes but it did not bother me as I maintained my even pace. When I reached the 20K mark, my time was already 2:01+ hours and I was able to pick-up my pace. However, once I hit the turn-around at the Skyway, I made my pace faster and I was passing one runner from another.
On My Last 2 Kilometers
It was funny that whenever I join a runner or a group of runners, somebody always asked me what was my prevailing pace and I immediately told them that the pace was 5:45 minutes per kilometer (as what I saw on my watch)! But I became guilty of not telling them the accurate pace when I came to realize that after uploading the data from GF 305, my average pace on my way back at the Skyway was a blistering 5:05 minutes per kilometer!
The third thing that I like in this race is the abundance of Water/Sports Drinks Station and long tables full of water cups. I am just happy that, slowly, the quality of races are getting better with regards to the basic support for the runners. I can consider the influence of the runner-bloggers as the main reason for this improvement. The Race Organizers and Sponsors are already “listening” and “reacting” to the basic needs of the paying runners! As for the Condura Run, they did a wonderful job on this matter. I hope they will remove those unnecessary guys who are handing those cups to the passing runners. It would be better to just simply leave those cups with water on the table and let the runners approach the table and grab their own water. With regards to Sports Drinks, I am a Gatorade-user and I am not used to Carbonated Sports Drinks during the run and so I was not able to drink the 100 Plus Sports Drinks offered at the Aid Station.
Passion, Patience, Focus & Determination (Photo Courtesy of Jaja Galvez-Suarez)
At the 30K mark, my GF 305 registered a time of 3:00 hours flat and I was happy! No cramps, no issues, no pain, and no problem about my support. I stopped briefly to eat my instant oatmeal, fresh banana, and hard-boiled eggs as these will serve as my “fuel” for the last 12 kilometers of the run.
The last 10 kilometers was a long steady run pace with my Elite Team Bald Runner who finished their respective races. My Elite Team Bald Runner lone entry for the Marathon Race, Elmer Sabal, won 1st Runner-Up with a Cash Prize of P 40,000. Other members of the Elite Team; Alquin Bolivar won 1st Runner-Up, Alley Quisay won 2nd Runner-Up, and Crifrankreadel Indapan won the 3rd Runner-Up for the Half-Marathon; and Cora Salcedo won 2nd Runner-Up in the 5K Race, Women’s Category. My Elite Team had improved a lot since I transfered their “training camp” in the Sierra Madre Mountains.
@ Kalayaan Flyover Towrads The Fort
Due to the heat of the sun, I slowed down and there was no reason to speed up my pace on the last 5 kilometers. I have to preserve my body and not to exert a lot of effort on this part of the course. I need to recover quickly after this Marathon race and be able to prepare for my “adventure run” which I intend to start in the coming days.
I finished the Condura Marathon in 4:17:12 hours (Official Time) with an average pace of 6:08 minutes per kilometer and average heart rate of 153 beats per minute. I finished #130 out of 593 finishers. I ranked #11 for the runners 50+ years old. I was able to attain my objective for this race and ready to embark on my “adventure run”.
@ The Finish Line With Macky aka Gleeman's Tale (Photo Courtesy of Macky)
To those who experienced their “first” marathon, congratulations for finishing the race, most especially to those who were trained under our running clinic and BR’s “speed training” at the ULTRA Oval Track. Our coaches, elite athletes, and staff are proud of your accomplishment.
Lastly, my congratulations to Patrick & Ton Concepcion, Condura, sponsors and to all the volunteers for a great job!
1. On D-Day, all the Support Vehicles will proceed at vicinity Km Post #7 to wait for their respective runners once they drop off at the Starting Area at Km Post #00.
2. All runners should maintain a single file along the route of the race. This rule was violated on the first 7 kilometers of the route.
3. Runners are not allowed to approach their support vehicle, except when they want to rest. Their support crew should be able to hand in their needs while they are on the left side of the road. Proper coordination between the runner and his/her support crew spells a lot of difference in an ultra race like the BDM.
4. It is no longer allowed to leave the route to eat and buy drinks in convenience stores and fastfood restaurants during the race. Advise your support crew to buy the needed food or items and let him/her give you along the way. Better yet, plan ahead for your hydration and food intake and have these items stocked in your support vehicle. However, in case of emergency, like going to the restroom, this will be an exemption.
5. The race on D-Day will start at exactly 12:00 Midnight of Saturday, March 6, 2010.
6. Each runner shall be responsible to provide its own first aid kit, headlight, flashlight, reflectorized vest, and extra batteries during the race. The use of reflectorized vest and flashlight/headlight is highly recommended on the first 5 hours of the race as it will be dark along the way.
7. Train your bowel movement for the early part of the race as most of the gasoline service stations and restaurants will still be closed. We don’t have the luxury to deploy portalets along the route. Better yet, take some immodium/diatab tablets before the start of the race.
8. We intend to have an Aid Station at Kilometer Post #50 where we will serve hot arroz caldo, hot noodle soup and boiled sweet potato/banana/eggs exclusively for the runners. The halfway mark will serve also as the only “drop bag” area along the route.
9. We don’t intend to impose any proper attire for the race. Runner can use his/her prefered apparel for the race. The Race Organizer will not be giving race shirt or singlet for the event. Make sure that the race bib will be displayed visible on the front of the runner’s shirt or shorts. Runner will not be penalized for running without a shirt, provided that his race bib is pinned on the front part of his shorts.
10. It is suggested that runner can use light-colored or white shirt during the race as these colors don’t absorb so much heat from the sun. Provide yourself also with lots of sponge which can be soaked to cold water and used as sprinkler of cold water to your head and body. Better yet, get a bottle sprayer which you can fill with cold water and have your support crew use it to spray you with water while you are running. This is not a joke, from time to time, spray or pour cold water on your core & groin areas, too!
11. For further advise and tips in order to finish the BDM 102, please refer to my previous posts on my experience about this race. Browse also the blogs of Bugobugo85, run2dmoon, runnerforchrist, and other runner-bloggers.
12. Remember, your main objective in this race is to be able to finish within the 18-hour cut-off time and enjoy the experience.
BDM Km Post #00 to Km Post #50/6:00 AM 23 January 2010
1. At exactly 6:00 AM yesterday, a group of 70 runners and their support crew assembled at the BDM Shrine where Km Post #00 is located. It took me at least 30 minutes to brief the runners on the rules and regulations and the “critical” Km Posts to be aware of along the route so that they will not get lost.
2. I was overwhelmed by the number of runners as less than 30 runners signified in this blog to join the test run. Those who are registered to run on race day were given the priority for the prepared race bibs and the 50 race bibs that I prepared were not enough. Some runners who were not registered to run the BDM 102 were allowed to run during the “test run”.
3. After some pictorials and last instructions, the test run started at 6:35 AM. The 1st 7 kilometers of the course was very challenging to everybody because of the continous uphill zigzag route for about 4 kilometers and the strong winds on top of the mountain posed another challenge that forced the runners to run slower.
Combination of BDM Veterans, BDM "Newbies" & LSD RunnersThe RD Announcing the Last InstructionsVeteran Gene Olvis Leading the Group Only To Get Lost at Km#321st Timer Oscar Sanez & Veteran Jonel aka FrontRunner MagThis is a Violation During D-Day! Runners Should Be On Single File
4. Kilometer Posts #14, 23, and 32 are the “critical” points that every runner should remember. It is on these kilometer posts where every runner should turn right in order to trace the actual BDM route. I made sure to wait for the runners on these critical points along the route and guided them. Six (6) runners on the lead group did not notice the marked Km Post #32 and I was able to catch up with the 5 runners and directed them to go back to the crossing on the said Km Post.
Strong Winds Met The Runners at Kms 7 & 8
5. On race day, these “critical” points shall be manned with marshals and they will be marked with lighted orange cones. Another marshal shall be positioned at least 50-100 meters before these crossings to warn every runner to turn right on the road with a lighted orange cone.
Arman Fernando Edged Junrox Roque Before Km Post #50. Top 4 Runners are from "Team Hardcore"
6. As I said in my briefing before the test run, every runner’s finish time shall be recorded and posted as this will serve as their “guide or benchmark” on how they would be able to deal with the last half of the BDM 102 ultra race on 6-7 March.
2ND BDM 5OK TEST RUN
23-Jan-10
NAME
TIME
1
Arman Fernando
5:14:29
2
Junrox Roque
5:14:30
3
Jonel Mendoza
5:22:00
4
Gene Olvis
5:27:40
5
Chris Iblan
5:29:32
6
Wilnar Iglesia
5:29:32
7
Ralph Salvador
5:37:50
8
Mari Javier
5:59:40
9
Oscar Sañes
5:59:40
10
Jay Nacino
6:01:20
11
Totoy Santos
6:02:23
12
Ben Saludario
6:02:30
13
Vener Roldan
6:03:15
14
Isko Lapira
6:09:50
15
Tina Narvaez
6:10:42
16
Dennis Ravanzo
6:15:09
17
Jomar Galauran
6:20:00
18
Alvin Adriano
6:25:40
19
Albert Salazar
6:25:50
20
Wency Jael
6:28:44
21
Eric Bullena
6:33:00
22
Jerome Cartilier
6:41:03
23
Ed Yonzon
6:59:32
24
Richard Poquiz
7:07:25
25
Willie Suarez
7:12:25
26
Ramon Gillego
7:19:36
27
Francis Santiago
7:27:49
28
Francis Hortelano
7:27:49
29
Rod Apolinario
7:30:15
30
Glen Tañag
7:31:00
31
Joseph Soriano
7:36:36
32
Mylene Buenafe
7:37:44
33
Aya Isip
7:42:30
34
Raiza Tulan
7:42:30
35
Jay Cu Unjieng
7:42:30
36
Odessa Coral
7:42:30
37
Ric Cabusao
7:42:44
38
Ernesto Balolong
7:43:00
39
Gregorio Torres
7:56:20
40
Eugene Tariaga
7:56:40
41
Jag Irasga
7:57:09
42
Ray Jimenez
7:59:49
43
Jeff Avellanosa
8:00:47
44
Francis Esteban
8:02:08
45
Samuel Narcise
8:02:10
46
Abby Jocson
8:11:18
47
Mara Montaos
8:22:45
48
Benedict Meneses
8:31:23
49
Emiliano Burgos
8:31:23
50
George Dolores
8:44:40
51
Nicko Nolasco
8:44:40
52
Kim Oconel
8:48:32
53
Roel Anu
8:48:32
54
Lemuel Narcise
9:08:00
7. Out of the 70 runners, 54 finished the test run. I did not announce this before the start of the test run but I have planned this all along. All the Finishers will be awarded with their respective “Certificate of Achievement” for having the “guts and mental toughness” to “go beyond their limits”.
BDM 102 Veteran Jerome From France Finishing The Test RunKim Finally Finished Her 1st 50K UltraGeneral Samuel, my brother, Finishing his 1st 50K Ultra, the Only Active General of the AFP who officially finished an Ultra Distance
Congratulations to all the Finishers! Good job! Keep on training for the Race Day!
1. Having been a runner since the 70s, I used to buy old issues of the Runners World Magazine & Runner’s Magazine to gain information about the scientific approaches to endurance running and to know the marathon/running personalities in famous road races in the world. Although there was a “running boom” in the 70s & 80s, running-related articles were published in newspapers and sports magazines.
2. There had been weekly Sports News broadsheets and Sports Magazines then, but most of the pages were filled with basketball-related results and their teams & respective athletes and Golf Tournaments. Running-related news would fill the Sports Pages in broadsheets due to the MILO Marathon; Manila International Marathon; PAL-Manila International Marathon; Pasig River Heritage Marathon; Magnolia Half-Marathon and the lesser-distance races sponsored by corporate brands. In short, running news were limited about the road race and the winners being published in Sports Pages of broadsheets.
3. Since the 70s, the United States had published additional running magazines aside from the Runner’s World Magazine like Runner’s Magazine, Running Times Magazine, Marathon & Beyond Magazine, Trail Runner Magazine, and Trailrunning Magazine. Other countries would also publish their version of the Runner’s World Magazine. But nobody from the local scene had ventured in the publication of a running magazine.
4. Now, for the first time, a new full-sized Runner’s Magazine is published locally in the country. The Front Runner Magazine is the “brainchild” of Constante “Jonel” Mendoza, Jr, popularly known as “Bugobugo 85” among the runner-bloggers. For a cheap price of One Hundred Twenty Pesos (P 120.00), anybody can gain a lot of information about running and fitness in a single magazine with pictorials, “no-non-sensense” and “direct to the point” articles and list of road races. It features places in the country conducive to running, training tips, nutrition, supplements, medical tips to prevent injuries, and elite athletes & race organizers in running as well as celebrities and VIPs in our society who adhere to running as their favorite sports.
5. The magazine is being published every two months and it was first released to the public in Cebu City, in time for the Cebu City Marathon last January 10, 2010. I hope that the released copies in the Visaya will filter down to the Mindanao area. The magazine is already available in Fully Booked Stores and at the Second Wind Running Stores in Metro Manila. Hopefully, this maiden issue of the magazine will filter down to the different provinces in the country and it will serve as a “jumping board” for the public to adhere to running as the “cheapest & most accessible” sports where anybody could excel or maintain an active lifestyle.
6. I am highly recommending this first and “only one of its kind” running magazine locally published “for runners by runners”. The 80-page “maiden” issue of the Front Runner Magazine is predicted to be a prized “collectors’ item” for runners.
Cover Story: "Vertek" Buenavista: ASEAN Games Marathon Gold Medalist
1. This is the 4th week of my training cycle and my injury is no longer bothering my running workouts.
2. I was able to run a total mileage of 61 kilometers for this week as shown on this daily workouts:
04 Jan—10K Run with “strides”. Average pace: 6:00 minutes per kilometer
05 Jan—-5.6K Run. I tried to do a controlled “interval/speed” run at the Oval Track. It was to test my legs and my injury. Average Pace per lap (400 meters): 4:45 minutes per kilometer. I did 5 X 400 meter runs with 1 minute rest after one lap. There was no pain with my injury.
06 Jan—-10K Tempo Run @ Oval Track with an average pace of 5:32 mpk.
07 Jan—-Trip To Cebu City
08 Jan—-9.12K Easy Run inside Camp Lapulapu & Asia Town IT Park in Cebu City. Average Pace: 6:34 mpk
09 Jan—-5K Active Recovery Run @ Camp Lapulapu, Cebu City
10 Jan—-21K/Cebu City Half-Marathon with an Official Time of 1:57:35 hours. Average pace: 5:34 mpk
3. The 4th Week of the Training Cycle is still a part of the Endurance/Base Building Phase. I have maintained a maximum mileage of 60-62 kilometers per week for the past 4 weeks and I intend to lessen my mileage for the 5th week in order to recover.
4. The Cebu City Half-Marathon was a “diagnostic test” to evaluate my performance level. Due to my good performance, it is time to progressively build-up my mileage for endurance and intend to go back to supplementary weight training at the Gym to strengthen my core and leg muscles.
BR With ADIDAS Techno Fit Compression Shorts
5. One of my readers asked me to make a review on the Adidas Techno Fit Compression Shorts. Well, this is what I have to write about this apparel. The “shiny” strips on my buttocks, hamstrings, and at the end of my quads (near the knees) produce a “tight” feeling to my running muscles and I could feel a “squeeze” action whenever I lift my legs. The “squeeze” feeling reminds me to lift my knees some more, resulting to a longer stride. I am basically a “shuffler” (not lifting the knees) but when I wear this shorts, it forces me to lift my knees higher. Aside from this reason, it also prevents the upper leg muscles from injuries. The price is P 3,400+ and it is worth the price.
Runners who are intending to run and participate in the 2nd BDM 102 on March 6-7 are highly encouraged to join the 2nd BDM 50K “test run”. For those who can not make it in this “test run” on 23 January 2010 (Saturday), it is their personal responsibility to conduct a “walk-through” or “test run” on their own before race day.
One of the glaring lessons learned during the conduct of the 1st BDM 102 was for the runners to know the exact route of the race especially on the first 50 kilometers of the race where everybody was running under darkness. Some of the leading runners were not able to accurately went through some roads that led to the other kilometer post markings of the Bataan Death March’s original route. And some did not mind going inside the towns of Limay and Orion and instead ran along the Roman National Highway, shaving off considerable distance from the race.
In order to be fair to everybody and accurately run through the exact route of the BDM, the “test run” will be conducted from Km #0 in Mariveles, Bataan up to Km #50 in Abucay, Bataan on January 23, 2010. The assembly time will be at 6:00 AM at the Bataan Death March Shrine in Mariveles, Bataan. The test run will immediately start at 6:30 AM.
It is in this “test run” that the new rules and regulations will be tested and applied and it is a must for the participants to bring their respective support vehicle and for them to run on the left side of the road, facing the incoming traffic. There will be no pacers and runners shall run on a single file on the edge of the road. If runners would be able to bring their support crew, it would be better.
Runners in this “test run” are not allowed to display banners and tarpaulins of their respective corporate sponsors. However, I will allow the runners to display the banners or tarpaulins of their respective running clubs or groups. The running groups with names of products are strictly not allowed.
Due to the unavailability of ambulance or medical personnel to assist in this run, the runners are advised to bring appropriate FIRST AID KITS in case of any injuries or emergencies during the run.
Km Post #7 & Vicinity
After the start of the run, the drivers of support vehicles are advised to immediately proceed to the vicinity of Kilometer Post #7 where there is an ample space where the vehicles would park and wait for their runners. Support vehicles will be advised NOT to “leapfrog” from Kilometer Post #1 to Kilometer Post #7 because of the lack of road shoulders most especially from Km Post #3 to Km Post #7. With this situation, the runners are also advised to bring their hydration belt with them on the first 7 kilometers of the route.
Km Post #14. Turn Right Towards Brgy Mountain View, Cabcaben
The first critical intersection or Y-road is at Kilometer Post #14 that goes inside Barangay Mountain View, Balantasan, Cabcaben, Bataan. All the runners should turn right on this road and be able to reach Km Post #16 as runners would go back to the main highway.
Km Post # 31. Road from Poblacion Limay, Bataan
The second intersection is at Kilometer Post #23 where the runners must turn right towards the Limay’s National Power Corporation and Limay’s Poblacion. Runners must be able to run again along the main highway after reaching Kilometer Post #31.
The third and last critical intersection is at Kilometer Post #32 where all the runners must turn right again towards the Municipality of Pilar. On this road, the runners would be able to reach Balanga and Abucay. The Finish Area is at the vicinity of Kilometer Post #50 near the Abucay Public Market.
All these critical instersections will be properly marked with yellow-colored ribbons.
Runners are also advised to be careful and completely stop and observe the incoming traffic on both sides of the road/highway before crossing the highway and towards these intersections along the route.
After running through this part of the route (Km #0 to Km #50), the runners would be able to memorize and be confident to run through these intersections even during darkness which will be the actual situation during the race.
From Km Post #50, while they are on their way back to Manila, they could travel along the rest of the route up to the Finish Line at Km Post #102 in San Fernando, Pampanga. The route inside the Poblacion of Guagua, Pampanga is recommended to be seen by the runners. ( A Pit Stop to taste Razon’s Halo-Halo in Guagua would be a nice treat to the runners’ tired leg muscles!!!)
The local runners who will join their first BDM 102 race are highly encouraged to join this “test run”, moreso, to those who will be running their first ultra distance.
A Race Bib will be issued to each runner before the start of the “test run” and it should be displayed visibly infront of their shirt or shorts. Although this is not a formal race, every runner will have a registered finish time for the “test run”.
See you at Km Post #0 on the early morning of January 23. Good luck to everybody.
(Note: Please leave a comment if you intend to join the “test run” so that we can prepare the number of Race Bibs)
Cebu City Marathon was a perfect race for everybody from registration up to the awarding ceremonies. The registration and distribution of race packets gave us “no problem” as the race staff and personnel were so accommodating to every runner. There were no long lines to speak of. The carboloading party was also a “class act” to follow where the venue was at the newly-expanded “The Terrace” at the Ayala Center with choices of food available to everybody; orderly arrangements of tables and chairs for all the runners; nice Live Performance of Bands & Singers; and the very orderly and detailed conduct of the program during the party. I stayed longer in the said party because it was my first time to watch the movie “The Spirit of the Marathon” which was shown on a big screen that helped motivate the runners to finish the race where they registered or participated.
Start of the Full Marathon @ 4:00 AM
On race day, I had to wake up at 3:00 AM to make sure the members of the Elite Team Bald Runner were ready to warm-up with a slow jog towards the Starting Line as we were coming from the CENTCOM Headquarters at Camp Lapulapu, Lahug. The distance from our place where we stayed was a good one kilometer, which is just the exact distance for a warm-up jog before doing some stretching exercises.
The Race Organizers really mean business on the day of the race. They started the Marathon Race at exactly 4:00 AM which is the published Gun Start. As always, John Pages and his co-Race Director were there at the Starting Line to make sure that everything was followed as scheduled. True enough, the Marathon Race started with a big bang! Lots of fireworks were released 10 seconds before the Starting Gun was fired by no less than John Pages. Fireworks before the Gun Start? Am I dreaming of a second New Year’s celebration? Aside from the start of the full Marathon Race, they did it again before the gun was fired off during the start of the Half-Marathon! It was my first time to experience such festive mood (with music & fireworks) in a Marathon Race during the span of my running career aside from the usual aerobics, loud music with a festive beat, and drum & percussion bands. (Note: Condura & MILO, if you read this one, this is a tough act to follow!!!)
Congressman Gilbert Remulla; Andrew Neri of MILO/NESTLE, Phil
I have to wait one hour & ten minutes before the start of the Half-Marathon race. I was too cautious to my injury that I opted to run the Half-Marathon in order to test if I’ve recovered well since the Pasig River Marathon last November 8 last year. This Half-Marathon was my first road race after two months of rest and recovery and also my first road race for the year 2010.
While I was doing my second set of warm-up, I met Congressman Gilbert Remulla who is featured in the First Issue of the Front Runner Magazine and Mr Andrew Neri of MILO/Nestle, Phil. I had a brief chat with them and I found out that Congressman Remulla is a regular visitor in this blog. Thanks, Congressman! I hope you will greatly help us bring the sports of running down to the “grassroots” level.
A View From the Back of the Half-Marathon Runners @ The Starting Line
It was not my intention to run the half-marathon to reach my previous PR or do 100% effort. My goal was to finish the race without my chronic muscle tear on my left calf and peroneus muscles to recur. It was a test to find out if my injury have completely healed and at the same time find out the status of my fitness level in running. This race is some kind of a “diagnostic test” after starting a training cycle for the past three weeks. In simple words, I wanted to finish the race in less than two hours without any injury with an average pace of less than six minutes per kilometer.
After the fireworks and the starting gun was fired off, I started to slowly jog until I was out of the IT Park. The first kilometer was a slow run for me as I was trying to warm-up before reaching my race pace of less than 6:00-minute per kilometer and the terrain was a slight uphill. I started to peak up my pace on my 2nd kilometer and from there I was on my “automatic cruise control” all the way towards the turn-around point at the SRP Road.
Everything you need in a road race was “perfect” as I observed during the race! The race has a nice route passing through the city’s historical landmarks; terrain description of the course is relatively flat; lots of water stations and long tables with disposable cups filled with water, 100 Plus Sports Drinks; aid stations with sponges soaked in cold water; lots of road marshals along the route and in critical corners with flags used to point the exact direction of the runners to take; lots of traffic enforcers and police to man the intersections; exact location of kilometer markings properly marked and color-coded for the half-marathon and marathon distances; ambulance & emergency vehicles busy plying along the long stretch of the SRP Road; dancers and bands in every water station; cheerers along the route with placards written with words of encouragement; and the disciplined/cooperative drivers and riding public along the route. This is the only race that I have joined locally without hearing blaring horns of vehicles and bad words/curse coming from the mouths of drivers and the riding public whose vehicles were stuck on traffic due to the on-going race. The running or race atmosphere and environment in Cebu City was completely different from the races in Metro Manila. Moreover, the weather during the race was also perfect!
SRP Road Towards 10.5K Turn-Around Point
Running along the SRP Road was a breeze. I really did not care the smell I was breathing along the SRP Road as the smell along Roxas Boulevard and along the Pasig River are far worse. However, I was entertained by the sight and scenery of the place plus the greetings I got from the runners coming from Manila. Most of the runners from Manila joined the Cebu City Marathon Race as part of their training and preparation for the 2nd BDM 102 which will be held on March 6-7. And before these “hardcores” will join again the Condura Marathon on February 7, the same runners will join the BDM 102 “test run” from Km #0 in Mariveles, Bataan to Km #50 in Abucay, Bataan on January 23. These runners are really “hardcores”. Other runners whose faces I’ve seen for the first time would greet me along the SRP Road and I know that they are not from Manila because they greet me as “Bald Runner”. As compared from the runners in Manila, they simply greet me as “B R”. It was also along this part of the route that most of the runners overtook me and I let them go until I overtook them one by one on the last 3 kilometers from the finish line.
With The Elite Team Bald Runner
The reason why I became faster on the last 3-4 kilometers from the Finish Line was that the members of Elite Team Bald Runner who finished their respective races met me along the way. Everybody cheered, paced, and handed me water and Gatorade drinks placed in small ice candy plastic bags until I reached the last 500 meters before the Finish Line. Some of my runners would also take pictures of me running with the other members.
Last 1.5 Kms To The Finish LineLast 400 Meters To The Finish Line
I finished the Half-Marathon Race in 1:57:35 hours, Official Time, and ranked #53 among the 354 finishers. My average pace was 5:35 minutes per kilometer and with an average HR of 159 beats per minute. I was happy that I was able to finish the race in less than two hours without any pain or cramps from my past muscle injury. My target goals for this race were attained.
The Bald Runner is Back!!!
Cora Salcedo Won #4 in Women's 5K RaceRaul Lamprea Finished #8 and Jujet De Asis Placed #2 in the Men's 5K RaceTeam Bald Runner Got #1-2-3 in the Men's 21K RaceElmer Sabal Placed #5 & Rene Desuyo Placed #8 in the Men's 42K Race
I can say that the performance of the Elite Team Bald Runner in this race was outstanding. In the Marathon race, Elmer Sabal placed #5 and Rene Desuyo placed #8. In the Half-Marathon, Alquin Bolivar placed #1; Crifrankreadil Indapan placed #2; and Gerald Sabal placed #3. In the 5K Men’s Category, Jujet De Asis placed #2 and Raul Lamprea placed #8 and in the 5K Women’s Category, Cora Salcedo placed #4. In due time and more focused training, we will beat the Kenyans in future marathon races. My runners are learning a lot from them.
In conclusion, the Cebu City Marathon was an outstanding road race that surpassed my expectations. From registration, distribution of race packets, carboloading party, race proper, up to the awarding ceremonies and the immediate posting of the official results, everything was “perfect”. It only proves once again the importance of the local government’s full support and involvement that makes a Marathon Race of such magnitude as a very successful event. In essence, it is the UNITY IN PURPOSE and COOPERATION of everybody that spell the difference to create an excellent result is the moral lesson in this event. Congratulations to City Mayor Tomas Osmena and his City Council, John Pages & his Co-Race Directors & Staff, Cebu Executive Runners Club, the Race Sponsors, Volunteers, and to all the Cebuanos for a job well-done!!!
Happy Sinulog Festival!!!
Team Bald Runner will be back for the 2nd edition of the Cebu City Marathon!
Bald Runner 
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