196 Days: Laoag City Milo 21K Elimination Race

On September 21, 2008September 21, 2008 By kingofpotsIn Insights, Jogging, Pictures, Races, Running, Ultramarathon9 Comments

6:00 AM 21 September 2008 in Laoag City

Instead of starting infront of the Provincial Capitol (as published in the newspapers), the Milo Run started along the Ablan Avenue near the Provincial Sports Complex. About 40 runners for the 21K waited for the arrival of the Governor of Ilocos Norte, Hon Michael Keon, the former Director of the Project Gontong Alay and President of the Philippine Olympic Committee as he was late for almost 40 minutes for the 6:00 AM scheduled start of the 21K Race. Anyway, the race started without any problems and the road marshalls were all posted in key intersections as the race proceeded to the main street of Laoag City, Rizal Street, going all the way to the east, towards the direction of the Municipality of Sarrat. Continue reading “196 Days: Laoag City Milo 21K Elimination Race” →

How About “Bataan Death March Memorial Ultra Run” In The Philippines?

On September 12, 2008April 2, 2009 By kingofpotsIn Insights, Jogging, Pictures, Races, Running, Ultramarathon25 Comments

The reason why I conducted the “first and only Bataan Death March Challenge” in April 2000 held along the exact route where the event occured because I was challenged why in the world would the ROTC of White Sands, New Mexico, USA celebrate such event in their desert where a handful of US World War II survivors from that State would be supported and commemorated. Also, there are three other places/States in the US where they commemorate this famous Bataan Death March. Continue reading “How About “Bataan Death March Memorial Ultra Run” In The Philippines?” →

2008 Los Angeles Triathlon

On September 9, 2008 By kingofpotsIn Insights, Pictures, Races, Running2 Comments

Little did I know that the yearly LA Triathlon is held every first Sunday after Labor Day in the US and I’ve known it from the LA Times a day before its scheduled date. Since the bike route and the running turn-around point are just 10-minute walk from the house, I asked my son if he wants to see & watch the triathletes. Well, he said, yes, and we had to wake up at 7:00 AM of Sunday and walked all the way to the Walt Disney Concert Hall at Grand Boulevard.

While walking up along Beverly Boulevard towards the corner of Hope and Grand Blvds, we could see already the first triathlete approaching us on the bike/cycling event and followed by another one with a distance of at least 100 meters in between them. And one by one, the Professionals and Elite triathletes passed the corner of Grand Boulevard towards the finish area which was the Staples Center, a distance of 1.5 miles from where we were standing. Continue reading “2008 Los Angeles Triathlon” →

Ryan Hall & 1st Big Bear Marathon

On September 6, 2008September 6, 2008 By kingofpotsIn Insights, Races, Running4 Comments

Two weeks before the Men’s Olympic Marathon, I told my family that I am planning to run the Inaugural Big Bear Marathon in Big Bear City, California which is 1 1/2 hours car ride from Los Angeles. The marathon race is scheduled tomorrow, 06 September 2008. They asked me why I am going to run another marathon again two weeks after my Bulldog 50K Ultra TRail Run. I told them that there is one condition if I am really determined to actually run the said marathon.

I told them that if Ryan Hall will win any Olympic Medal in the Men’s Marathon, by all means, I have to register and join the Big Bear Marathon and have a chance to talk and have a picture with Ryan Hall. And they are duty-bound to bring me to Big Bear City a day before the Marathon Race and spend overnight in the said mountain city. All of them laughed at me and they told me that I am really crazy! I told them that a picture of the Bald Runner with Ryan Hall posted in the blog will be something nice for my readers. Yup! I am really crazy! Continue reading “Ryan Hall & 1st Big Bear Marathon” →

Lessons Learned: Bulldog 50K Ultra Trail Run

On August 30, 2008September 2, 2008 By kingofpotsIn Insights, Races, Running, Trail Running, Ultramarathon3 Comments

1) Intelligence (“Know The Enemy”)—I had the chance to run through the 22K distance (except the last 3K) for each loop of the trail run distance on two occassions; my first time one month before race day and the second time two weeks before the race day. These practice runs along the trail route starting at 9:30 AM and 7:30 AM on each run gave me the needed knowledge and information as to the overall profile and condition of the route. Through these practice runs, I was able to gain confidence and finally plan for my race strategy. Running through the trail route gave me 50% chance of finishing the race.

2) Do Your Homework—I had to make a research on the Internet and from books and magazines available in order to get as much information I could about running an ultramarathon. The book “The Ultramarathon Man” by Dean Karnazes had greatly influenced me to take my body what it feels to experience and finish the ultramarathon. Printed magazines on Ultra Trail Running and books about ultramarathon had also helped me by reading the experiences of ultramarathoners who were just like anybody else—they started too as beginners. “Tips” and words of encouragement from my blog visitors (Ben Gaetos aka Benwah, Quicksilver, and Eric aka Habang Tumatakbo) were very helpful. Thanks to these ultra friends! Continue reading “Lessons Learned: Bulldog 50K Ultra Trail Run” →

2008 Bulldog 50K/25K Race Report & Results

On August 27, 2008August 28, 2008 By kingofpotsIn Races, Running, Trail Running, Ultramarathon8 Comments

The following is an e-mail letter sent to me by Nancy Shura-Dervin, the Race Organizer of the Trail Run, which I received yesterday afternoon, two days after the race. It is actually a race report of what transpired during the race and the official results of the 50K/25K races. I am sure that each of the participants had received the same letter.

From this e-mail letter, the following observations were made:

1) All participants to the Bulldog 50K/25K Races registered “on-line” and there were no late registrants on the day of the race.

2) Each participant were given enough reminders and guidelines about the route and what to expect during the race through e-mail before the race.

3) Each participant received this e-mail regarding the report and results of the race two days after the race.

4) The race organizers limited the number of participants for better control, support, and overall management of the race.

5) There are still vandals and cheaters in road races even in the United States! I could not see the reason why such people do irresponsible acts.

6) I placed # 100 out of the 139 finishers with a finish time of 7:18:16 hours. The report did not mention if there were DNF in the 50K ultra race.

7) The race was well organized and the aid stations with volunteers did a splendid and wonderful job in taking care of the runners’ needs. Continue reading “2008 Bulldog 50K/25K Race Report & Results” →

My First Ultramarathon Race: Bulldog 50K

On August 25, 2008August 26, 2008 By kingofpotsIn Insights, Jogging, Pictures, Races, Running30 Comments

Recap of the Bulldog 50K Ultra Trail Run in Malibu Creek State Park, Calabasas, California, USA (23 August 2008)

I registered to participate in this ultra trail run on the 2nd week of July after I arrived in Los Angeles, California to experience what it takes to run an ultramarathon, a running event which is longer than a marathon. My son paid $ 70.00 for the registration fee through his bank’s debit card and my application was accepted immediately.

I ran through the route of the race for two times except for the actual last 3 kilometers of the trail that connects the Corral Canyon/Backbone Trail to the Malibu Creek State Park, which is the Tapia Trail, instead, I had to run along the side of the Las Virgenes Road facing the incoming traffic.

In my first practice run in this route (25K-loop) with my son, my GF 305 registered a total ascent of 4,593.6 feet (1,392 meters) not including the last steep hill between Tapia Park and Malibu Creek State Park, and a total descent of 4,217.4 feet (1,278 meters). After running the whole distance of the Bulldog 50K Ultra Trail Run, I expect to run run twice the figures above as my total ascent & descent distances. The race started at an elevation of 600 feet (182 meters) and reached the highest peak of 2,528 feet (766 meters) at the end of Bulldog & Corral Canyon Trails. And I have to run through the peaks and the trails twice under the heat of the sun!

Continue reading “My First Ultramarathon Race: Bulldog 50K” →

Results: Men’s; Women’s 10,000-Meter Run; & 20K Men’s Racewalk @ 2008 Beijing Olympic Games

On August 21, 2008 By kingofpotsIn Race Results, Races, Running6 Comments

Tirunesh Bibaba of Ethiopia won the Gold Medal in the Women’s 10,000-Meter Run in the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games with a time of 29:54.66 minutes in a new Olympic Rececord, breaking the old Olympic Record of Derartu Tulu of Ethiopia with a time of 30:17.49 minutes in the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games. This is the complete results of the said run in the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

On the Men’s 10,000-Meter Run in the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Kenenisa Bekele of Ethiopia won the Gold Medal with a new Olympic Record of 27:01.17, breaking his old Olympic Record in the 2004 Athens Olympic Games with a time of 27:05.10. This is the complete results of the said run in the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

On the Men’s 20K Racewalk, Valeriv Borchin of Russia won the Gold Medal with a time of 1:19:01 hours. His time is faster than me running the 20K distance! This is the complete results of the said event.

Lessons Learned: 2008 The San Francisco Marathon

On August 9, 2008August 9, 2008 By kingofpotsIn Insights, Jogging, Marathon Race, Races, Runners' Training, Running4 Comments

Evaluation of my Running After The 2008 San Francisco Marathon

After I finished the 2008 Pasig River Heritage Marathon last 24 February, barely four months of slowly building my base, I continued my running workouts without any plan of running a full marathon in the future but I saw to it that I have to improve my race times in the 10K to half-marathon race distances which were held almost every weekend in Metro Manila.

With my retirement from the service and plan to visit my family in the US after retirement in May of this year, I thought of running the San Francisco Marathon which was scheduled at least 10 weeks after my retirement. After sending an e-mail to my son of my decision to run the SFO Marathon on the 1st week of May, my training became more focused to experience my 2nd International marathon after my Fort Benning’s First Infantry Marathon in 1984. My registration to the said marathon encouraged my son and daughter to run also with me and they started preparing for the race. Continue reading “Lessons Learned: 2008 The San Francisco Marathon” →