The Concepcion Brothers and the Condura Durables have always been a “surprise” sponsor for my BDM 102K Ultramarathon Race. In last year’s edition of the BDM 102, they have donated Champion Prizes in the form of Refrigerators for the Men & Ladies Categories without me asking them for such. Aside from my BDM Races, Condura & Concepcion Brothers had been supportive to my advocacies in running.
Since the inception of the Condura Skyway Half-Marathon and Marathon Races, I had been a supporter of their runs and their advocacies and I never missed joining their yearly events. This Marathon Race had always “primed” my marathon and ultrarunning season for the year. Last year, two days after I finished the Condura Skyway Marathon, I ventured on my first multi-day/multi-stage 5-day run from Manila to Baguio City.
Due to my latest bout with an injury (muscle tear, again!) last December which forced me to recover for the past 6-8 weeks, Condura Skyway Marathon is not seriously considered as part of my marathon races for this year. However, a simple “snaffu” or lapse had happened on the earlier stages in the marketing of this race which could had made me “pissed off” was brought to my attention. Simply stated, the PR guys of this event missed me in their invitation for the “bloggers presentation & briefing” of this event. It could had been a nice post for my blog for a controversial topic of missing the Bald Runner in a bloggers night or maybe, for not inviting the Bald Runner in an event that he had religiously supported a running event since its birth!
Looking at those status and pictures of the bloggers night event in Facebook made me wonder why I was not invited. Well, I just said to myself and wondered why the Concepcion Brothers did not invite me in this event even if I casually contact them through SMS. I started to ask myself if I have done or said something wrong with Ton and Patrick in my posts but I never recalled anything. So, I kept silent and let the event passed. After a few days, I got my answer when the PR guys e-mailed me with apologetic messages for having accepted that they did not do their work well. I got the same SMS messages from the Concepcion Brothers. Well, guys, no harm done. With or without your invitation, I will still support your event.
It was only a few days ago that I found out that bloggers had been given a complimentary entry to run in the said event! It was a breeze when I simply went to their registration booth at the Greenbelt 3 and registered through the computers lined up in the area. I was able to save my money and got one of the best commemorative T-Shirt for a Marathon Race in the country! I am finally registered to run in the 42K event!
Now, here comes the best part. Will I run this marathon race even if I am not fully prepared for the distance? My longest running time for the past two weeks had been a one hour and ten minutes run which is easily converted into a 10K distance run. I still have 3 days to decide on this run.
Looking at the number of registered runners and the hype this marathon has created, I could see that this Marathon Race will showcase a Marathon Race which Metro Manila and/or country could be proud of and could make our country easily placed in the map of worldwide Marathon Races. It is just a matter of time that this Marathon Race will be a destination of more International Runners.
Congratulations to Ton & Patrick Concepcion and advance Happy Birthday to their Dad, Mr Raul Concepcion!
4:30 AM December 5, 2010/2nd QC International Marathon
Last year, I ran the Half-Marathon of this event with my daughter, Jovelle, and I was on a pacer-crew mode. This was my last long run before I tapered off for the 2009 Subic International Marathon where I finished in sub-4 hours. The route was totally different then as most of the runners would run towards the Trinoma Mall area before reaching the Finish Line inside the Quezon Memorial Circle. Continue reading “2nd Quezon City International Marathon”→
CAMSUR Marathon/Pili, Camarines Sur/4:00 AM September 26, 2010
1. This is my 3rd Marathon Race for the year and I prepared this race without any training plan or program. Everything was done by “feel” and “instinct”. All my runs after the 34th MILO Manila Marathon Elimination were easy long runs; mountain trail runs; and a limited once a week tempo runs. Basically, I did not train for “speed” on this marathon race. I concentrated more on my “back-to-back” weekend easy long runs and decided to have the CAMSUR Marathon Race as part of my easy long run in preparation for another “epic” running experience in the future.
One of My Finish Line Pictures (Courtesy of Babes Guloy)Having Two Escorts At The Finish Line (Courtesy of Babes Guloy)
2. I finished the race in 4:39:33 hours (unofficial) as recorded in my GF 305. It is not a “shabby” finish time but I was able to learn a lot of what my body is capable of with my age of 58. Comparing myself with my friend and BDM 102 “veteran” Victor Ting who is already 62 years old, he was faster in reaching the Finish Line and I think he was ahead of me by 3 kilometers, I think I still have the chance to reach his age and run as fast as he can. But I think Victor is getting faster as he grows older. But for now, speed will remain at the back burner up to the end of this year and I will slowly introduce it again in my workouts at the start of the new year.
1st CAMSUR Marathon Logo
3. So far, this Marathon Race is the third major running event in the country that is fully sponsored and supported by a local government unit. The City Government of Quezon City came first with its own version of an International Marathon Race on the later part of last year and it was followed by the Cebu City Marathon last January 10 of this year and now it’s the Provincial Government of Camarines Sur. These local government executives in these cities and province are commendable for promoting the sports of running with their own resources without the support of the national government. How I wish more of these kind of local executives should come up with such sports events in their respective provinces and cities in order to promote their place through sports tourism. With cash prizes at stake on these running events provided through the efforts of the local executives, it will give more incentives to our elite athletes to train some more and at the the same time inspire the local folks and “grassroots” to develop themselves as competitive runners in the future. My salute and congratulations to the good leadership of these “pioneers” in promoting international running events in their own cities and provinces.
4. Camarines Sur Marathon is showing an example of the trend of marathon races in the country. It is no longer possible to have an ideal environment for a marathon race within the confines of Metro Manila and its immediate environs because of the problem of vehicular traffic, pollution, poor quality of air and the “no concern attitude” of the residents to people who are competing in a road race. It is only in the province and cities outside Metro Manila where you see spectators cheering and saying best wishes and good greetings to runners along the route of the race. Moreso, you can feel the hospitality when you see the barangay officials and folks manning the different Aid Stations offereing some food and water to the runners as Volunteers. I was informed that the Race Organizer had fielded almost 1,500 volunteers for this running event.
Relaxing Moments at CWC
5. Going to Naga City and Ipil by land and air from Manila was so easy. By land on our own vehicle, it took us an easy 8-hour ride on the late evening from Manila and arriving at Naga City on daybreak. Travelling by bus, I heard it was more comfortable by sitting on “Lazy Boy” seats with a Comfort Room inside. And by plane, after a short 45-minute ride, you are already in Naga City.
6. Having registered to run the Marathon Race last June, I had a lot of time to plan for the trip and for the accommodation for my Elite Team. I was lucky to know that one of my officers assigned as one of the General Staff of my Command when I was the Division Commander in Panay Island is now assigned with the 9th Infantry Division of the Philippine Army based at Pili, Camarines Sur. Col Ace De Asis took upon himself to look for a place for us to stay. I was surprised to find out that another officer who served as my Camp Engineer in Panay Island is also assigned in the said place. Through the transient facilities of the Philippine Army, my team and I were “billeted” at the VIP Transient Facility of the 565th Engineer Battalion of the Philippine Army for almost 3 days.
7. We arrived in Pili, Camarines Sur on the early morning of Friday and went around the facilities of the CWC and later proceeded at Camp Martillana where our the Philippine Army’s Transient Facility is located. We were received by our host, Lt Col Tony Celoso ( my Command Engineer in Panay Island) and led us to their Battalion’s VIP Transient Facility. The facility has two big bedrooms with two bathrooms; a big living room with TV and cable connection; and dining area. We were able to buy fresh foods at the Pili Market and cooked them in the facility’s kitchen. My elite team’s members were the cooks, dishwashers, and the ones going to the market to choose what food to eat for the day.
8. My elite team and I attended the scheduled briefing on Saturday morning at the CWC and I was impressed on the preparations made to make this running event a success. I observed that a lot of international runners attended the briefing and I saw new faces from the Kenyans. I even saw athletes whom I was informed to be from Russia. I was able to meet other runners who are regular participants of my PAU races as well as runners who came all the way from the Visayas and Mindanao. Definitely, this running event was a meeting place of the avid and passionate runners from all over the country.
42K Runners at the Briefing
9. A day before the Marathon Race, I requested the Battalion Commander of the 565th Engineer Battalion to assemble his officers and men for an “impromtu” Running Lecture which will guide them to a more scientific way of training in preparation for a running event. The running lecture was done after one hour with the hope that the soldiers of this unit would be able to train properly. I gave them the challenge for them to join the next year’s half-marathon race after imparting to them the basic principles in training as well as tips in running. I told them that they are lucky and fortunate to have the Provincial Oval Track located just in front of their camp. In conclusion, the most important thing that I emphasized to them are the good values each one of them to develop while they are preparing for a running event.
Running Lecture With The Army Engineers
10. The race was conducted perfectly as the race started promptly at 4:00 AM; there was a “festive” mood at the starting line which was highlighted with fireworks; lots of photo-ops with runners; greetings from the “usual suspects” in marathon races; lots of hydration points; proper markings along the road; presence of volunteers and marshals along the route; fresh bananas, sports bars & sports gels (although some were “expired”) were available to the runners at the 2nd half of the marathon route; and most of all, the presence of spectators who were cheering and greeting the runners!
My Favorite Racing Shorts & Singlet For Marathon Races!"The Usual Suspects" In Marathon RacesMy Walking "Breaks" On The Last 3-4 Kms
11. Kenyan runner Richard Kemeli Kemboi won the Marathon Race with a time of 2:19:40 hours. In the women’s category, Ethiopian Ayelu Lemma Geda won the race in 2:40:05 hours. The Champion received a Cash Prize of $ 7,000. This could be the highest paying marathon race for this year in the country. My Elite Team managed to win First Place & Third Place (Local Category) for the Half-Marathon Race with a Cash Prize of P 20,000 and P 10,000, respectively and 3rd Place (Local Category) for the 10K Race. My team did not make good in this running event due to sickness and flu weeks before this race.
Don't Worry, Guys..There Are More Races To Come
12. Successfully finishing a Marathon Race this year is becoming a “trigger” mechanism for me to do something more challenging in the coming days. Few days after my Condura Marathon last February, I did my 5-day multi-day run from Manila to Baguio City covering a distance of 240 kilometers. Two weeks after my July 4th MILO Manila Marathon, I ran the Headlands 50-Mile Mountain Trail Run in San Francisco, California. And now that I’ve finished the CAMSUR Marathon, I am supposed to run the Dick Collin’s Firetrails 50-Mile Mountain Trail Run on October 9 in California but I had to cancel it due to some commitment which I could not refuse. But instead of the Firetrails 50-Mile Run, I am coming up again with another multi-day run in the coming days (with the message that you can “journalize” your multi-day runs on near “real-time”!)
The following is the Summary Report on the death of Remus Fuentes written by Rudy Fuentes, father of the victim, as gathered from witnesses, his personal observations, and insights. Obviously, this is just one-side of the story and I am still waiting for the Official Statement from Team MILO/NESTLE, Phils and the Race Organizers. I will reserve a post in my blog for such statement.
However, the fact & reality remain…A runner died due to running/participating in a road race and the running community should be aware and well-informed on the effects of this sports and we have to learn some lessons from this incident and prevent this from happening in future road races.
REMUS FUENTES died of multiple organ failures as result of heatstroke secondary to severe dehydration two days after he ran the 21K in the recent 34th Milo Marathon last Sunday, July 4, 2010.
His death was the result of fatal mistakes, incompetence and negligence in the event organized by Organizing Team.
Photo Provided by Mr Rudy Fuentes
My son, 37-year-old Remus ran the 21K together with a running buddy when he collapsed at 19.9 kilometer mark. There was none of organizer’s ambulance nor marshals to respond in the incident. Policemen hailed for a taxi and they, together with his buddy, assisted in bringing him to the nearest hospital, Ospital ng Maynila. At the ER, the diagnose was suspected heart attack. My wife and me, upon being informed by his younger brother, Roy Fuentes, who also ran the 21K, rushed to the hospital and saw that Remus in coma, had seizures and struggled breathing in spite of hand-pumped oxygen and dextrose attached. His body temperature was 40 degrees C and when asked, the medical attendant told us he had fever. She introduced paracetamol intravenously twice at interval of about 15 minutes. Remus continued having seizures even until the arrival of Medical City doctor & ambulance attendants that we have arranged for his transfer. The Medical City doctor attending said his status was unstable, contrary to the earlier advice to her by the Ospital ng Maynila ER doctor. They rushed him with the ambulance to Medical City at about 11:30 AM. There, a series of tests were done, including blood chemistry, CT scan, etc. Cardiologist told us his heart was strong and no intervening medicine was necessary. Blood Chemistry results showed positive findings on creatinin level, an indication of kidney failure. They suspected liver failure too. To stop his seizures, Remus was put on full sedation for 12 hours. Kidney functions further deteriorated after 36 hours. Blood pressure and heart rate went erratic. Doctors attending him in the ICU asked our permission to do dialysis and blood transfusion to stabilize his blood pressure. Seven hours later, ICU nurse woke us up and asked us to rush to the ICU. We saw 18 medical people around him, several taking turn doing the CPR. Failing to revive him, the doctor asked our consent to stop the CPR after 15 minutes. We begged them to continue hoping for a miracle. 30 minutes further, doctor told us again that all numbers in the monitoring board “were bad” and asked again the consent to stop the CPR. Finally, we relented. Few minutes later, his heart rate monitor went flat. All these happened in front of his mother and me. We lost Remus 48 hours after he collapsed into coma which he has never recovered. His young wife and his eight-year old son took the news very badly.
About Heatstroke:
It usually happen in extreme sports like basketball, football, boxing and marathon.
Heat stroke is a life-threatening medical condition. The person’s cooling system, which is controlled by the brain, stops working and the internal body temperature rises to the point where brain damage or damage to other internal organs may result. The body temperature, usually at normal 37 C, goes up during the exertion of effort as result of the increased heart rate. When it reaches 40 C, the person is in danger of getting heatstroke. Above 40 C and mostly at about 42 C, the person can collapse into unconsciousness. If nothing is done within few minutes, he can slip into coma and brain damage may occur. The proven first aid response for heatstroke is cooling the body rapidly in whatever means to the level of below 40 C before bringing him to a hospital. Ice and water is the best way to do this, the same way it is done for a child having high fever who has convulsion.
Another way of understanding heatstroke is comparing it to the performance of car engine. At idling, the engine temp is low and safe. At sustained high speed, engine temperature increases rapidly but because of the cooling system, the heat is continuously dissipated in the radiator and safe temperature level is maintained. But when the water in the radiator is gone, Undissipated heat will rack up the engine temperature and ultimately exceeds the safe limits. At this condition, engine breakdown will occur in minutes starting with broken piston rings, rods, pistons, etc.
With the human body, perspiration cools down the body so hydration by drinking water is essential. Without water, perspiration stops and body temperature goes to critical level and into heatstroke and then organs and brain begin to fail.
Big obvious difference between human body and car engine is that you can always overhaul the engine but you cannot do that on the human body.
Why Heatstroke is More Dangerous in Marathon than in other Extreme Sports?
In basketball, the player exerts extreme effort only in bursts, stopping or slowing down intermittently which slows down heart rate and cools down the body. At timeout, they drink to replenish lost body water hence you always have the waterboy. Heart stroke is rare but ask any PBA player what they do when a player collapse. They don’t move the body but cool them off with water or ice before bringing him to the hospital.
The same is true in football and in many similar sports.
In boxing, in between rounds of three minutes, boxer rests and drinks water. We can only wonder what will happen if the rule of the sport is drastically changed and will only end when one is down and out.
In Marathon, the risk of heatstroke is much higher for the following reasons:
The long distance runner aims for shorter time as a goal and therefore motivated to keep a sustained effort, not unlike cars at high speed in the highway.
Furthermore, the target minimum time set by the organizer adds more to the motivation to run faster. The cut-off time added more pressure to the marginal marathon runner, meaning if you are used to run above the target time, the tendency is to do better time, probably at pace unproven by your body in practice. (Milo Marathon set the target for 21K medal at 2 ½ hours or less. Remus collapsed at near 20th km. with time of 2 hours 10 minutes when his previous record was 2 hours and 27 minutes. ).
The more critical factor is that the hydration management is not in the control of the runner. He has to rely on water availability at the water stations provided and planned by the organizer along the route. ( In this 34th Milo Marathon, several runners including Remus brother, Roy and Remus running buddy asserted that practically there was no water to drink in the last 2~3 kilometers before the finish line, a fatal failure for Remus by the organizer when they changed the route resulting in merging and over-traffic near the finish line. There were record 28,000 runners on that day and the organizers failed to anticipate the complexity of hydration management. Milo’s last year marathon participants were well below 10,000 runners.)
The correct life-saving response for heatstroke depends on few knowledgable people who may happen to be around the person. To mitigate this, the organizer deploys ambulances with water & ice for cooling heatstroke victims and is expected to respond within minutes. In addition, marshalls are provided along the route to assess runner situations continuously. (Obviously, the organizer failed again on this aspect because Remus was helped by policemen and his buddy instead. By this time, Remus is probably already brain damaged as evident by his seizure at the hospital. No Milo people knew of Remus case on that day until Roy, his brother, sent an email informing the organizer of the incident in the next morning)
The Sun Factor adds to the danger in Marathon. Running under the heat of the sun in tropical country like ours cannot be underestimated. To minimize the effect of the sunheat, Marathon run is planned to finish in the early morning avoiding the heat at later time. Organizers usually take this into consideration. (Milo organized the 21K to start at 5:30 AM , a departure of common practice of other marathons which started at 5:00 AM. Remus collapsed at about 7:57 AM. Roy, who is a better runner than his brother Remus, complained that it was unusually hot that morning even if he was able to finish it earlier in 1 hours 45 minutes )
Clearly, Marathon is an extreme and dangerous sport even to the young, healthy and trained runners. This is not the “fun run” many people confused of.
The organizer has clear life-and-death responsibility to make sure that the conditions the runners will run under item 3, 4 and 5 above are done properly. Obviously they did not do their job properly in the 34th Milo Marathon. In my opinion, being the father of Remus, Milo Marathon Organizer have failed my son. It is their incompetence and negligence of their duty that results in the death of Remus …an unneccesary death.
About Remus:
At the time of his death, he was an IT project manager of Hewlett-Packard (HP) responsible in computerizing big companies like Unilab, Coke, etc. including installation of hardwares (servers, etc.) and software system. He used to work for Intel for 10 years before he moved to HP 3 years ago. He graduated in Computer Engineering. He left a housewife, Takako and two children, Raphael, 8 years old and Therese, 4 years old. Raphael is enrolled at La Salle Greenhills. He played basketball with his brothers regularly on weekends. He has been running since his high school days in Lourdes School of Mandaluyong. He has run many 10Ks and two 21Ks before these, the “Freedom Run” in June 13 and “Nature Valley” in May 20 only this year. He has no history nor complaint of illness and he lived clean.
My Questions for the Marathon Organizer:
How many died in the 34th Milo Marathon last July 4? Is it true that there was another runner at 42K who collapsed at 33 km and later died?
How many runners collapsed in that marathon due to heatstroke who later survived but now are no longer the same person as before due to partial brain injury? At Ospital ng Maynila, we saw a 2nd runner brought in unconscious and woke up later but he can no longer recognize his family. Do the Organizers knew this? What happened to him. Are there more?
Is it true that another 36 year-old runner, Fidel Camson, who ran the 42K 31st Milo Marathon in November 2007 collapsed near the finish line, brought to the Ospital ng Maynila and died later of undetermined cause? If true, what did they do to avoid a repeat which apparently did not happen in this 34th Milo Marathon? If true, why do they still keep the same Marathon organizer for 10 years until now?
Do they keep tally of deaths in the 34 years of Milo Marathon? Do they study the statistics and establish how many died of heatstroke, the preventable one?
What is the corporate culture of the Organizers regarding its respect of the value of life? Upon knowing the death of my son Remus, A Senior Vice President of the organizing team, who head its Beverages Business Unit went to see me and among other things, he told me that the Marathon is continuously improved and but sometimes “lapses occur and they will learn from these lapses”. Lapse is defined as a ‘mistake’. People learn from ‘error’, a deviation from being correct but a ‘mistake’ is caused by a fault: the fault could be misjudgment or carelessness. We learn from ‘error’ but we take action on ‘mistake’ and more drastic action when people die of this ‘mistake’. So death in my son’s case is a mere learning process for this person? Is this the culture that pervades in their Organization? or only in him?
Is the measly “humanitarian” offer to help the family shoulder medical & funeral expense to the family had become an SOP too often? Was it their expectation that as appreciation of this help, the family will keep quiet about the whole thing? Do they really think that the waiver signed by the runners protect them from being liable? Do they know that this waiver won’t apply if negligence of their duty as organizer can be established?
What did the Organizers do, if any, to keep the news of Remus death from appearing in the media even after one week? Not one news item of his death appeared in the newspaper, TV or radio. Could the news of “ HP Manager Died of HeatStroke during the Milo Marathon” not interesting to the public? Were they afraid that the bigger news is when the subline “Father charged Milo Marathon Organizer of Incompetence and Negligence” which may damage the public image of the company?
The answers to these questions will help enlighten the public whether Milo Marathon is safe or not for the runners. To the runners, their parents, wives and relatives…they all better ask these questions before the runners decide to run in Milo Marathon.
Last Words from Remus Father:
I am not condemning the sport but the organizer who failed to make sure runners will not die of heatstroke, when the risks can be greatly minimized with proper route planning, hydration management and quick medical response. I am condemning the contribution of the apparent culture of the sponsor of diminished value of human life as indicative of its senior executive’s attitude that my son’s death is a result of lapses. My hope is something good will come out of Remus death and as result of improved organizing of the marathon run, few lives will be saved from heatstroke. My other hope is to get justice and for the Organizing Team to answer for his untimely death. I am working on it.
4:08 AM July 4, 2010 Km 0 Roxas Boulevard/President Macapagal Avenue
Brief Background
I did not run the 2008 MILO Marathon Manila Elimination Race but I was able to find a way to join the MILO Marathon FINALS held in November where I registered the fastest time so far after reviving my regular running activities since I retired from the government service. I registered a time of 3:48:32 hours at that time. For that year, it was my third marathon race after finishing the Pasig Marathon in February (4:49+) and the San Francisco Marathon in August (4:36+). I can still recall that I put more mileage in my preparation for this race and lots of “speed” training at the ULTRA Oval Track up to the point that I was able to schedule three (3) “speed” sessions every week. However, since then, I could hardly improve my time with the hope that I would be able to reach the time of 3:45 hours for a Boston Marathon Qualifying Time for my age.
For last year’s MILO Marathon Races, I did not do well as my time was not able to breach below the 4-hour qualifying time. Such performance could be a result for having developed a slower pace to finish ultramarathon races (50-102K) which I joined for last year plus the fact that I was getting one year older! But in last year’s Subic International Marathon, I was able to register a finish time of 3:58+ in the month of October.
For this year, my objective was to qualify for the 4-hour time making my Jeju International 50K Ultramarathon Race last March 27 as the start of my preparation for the Marathon Manila Eliminations. I said to myself that a 10-week preparation for the race would be enough where a gradual increase in mileage towards the last 4-5 weeks before the race shall be attained. As I did not follow a structured training schedule for this race, the guide for my training was to “listen to my body” as I did at least one (1) interval speed run session at the Oval Track; one (1) tempo run; one (1) LSD; and one (1) recovery run almost every week during my strengthening phase. Six weeks before race day, I had my runs to the “Brown Mountain” trails and I was able to increase my weekly mileage up to more than 110 kilometers for two succeeding weeks until I slowly decreased my weekly mileage up to the race day. Aside from proper nutrition and hydration with Gatorade, I had weekly body massage and stretching exercises.
Race Proper
On the day of the race, I woke up 2 hours before the scheduled start time and did the necessary “ritual” that I’ve mastered before in any runnijng event that I competed. Everything was smooth and efficient as I arrived at the race venue at least one hour before the start of the race. After the usual greetings and photo-ops with other runners, friends, and members of the Race Organizers, I was ready to enter the Starting Area.
With Team BR-Professionals At The Sound Of the Starting Gun
I observed that I started to perspire a lot without even doing the stretching exercises being performed as part of the opening program. It was a sign of the “heat and humidity” of the day. It was a warning also to hydrate properly during the race. Being a “veteran” runner. I already know the “drill” and not to be “hard-headed” during the race. The key to survival is to be able to drink & hydrate in every Aid/Water/Gatorade Station.
BDM 102 "Veterans" & "Hardcores"With Team MILO/NESTLE at The Stage
There was a long pause during the opening program where I was able to talk briefly and have photo-ops with other runners and the Team Bald Runner-Professionals (BRP) when all of a sudden the crowd was surprised with the sound of the starting gun without even warning us with a “countdown”! Well, sometimes small or detailed things as practiced are forgotten in major marathon just like this. The crowd’s reaction was to start our run! My GF 305 watch registered the start time at 4:09 AM.
Km 0 to Km 10. The first 3.5K was flat that I was able to register an average pace of 5:56 minutes per km for the first kilometer and I slowly increased my pace up to 5:40 mpk before reaching the 2K mark. Knowing that my support staff had been stationed in critical points along the route to supply me with the needed hydration and solid foods (suman, fruits, boiled eggs, and sports gels) along the route, I purposely passed the first few Aid Stations and continued with my average pace which reached as fast as 5:30 mpk. I was able to finish the 10K distance in 55:26 minutes and I was happy that I was within my goal to finish way faster than the 4:10-hour qualifying time for my age.
Looking Good, Dude!
Km 11 to Km 20. On the second loop, my legs were still strong to pass over the two Flyovers along Roxas Blvd and I was still maintaining an average pace of 5:30 mpk and was confident that I can still make my pace much faster one if I wanted it. At this time, I was regularly provided with water and Gatorade by my Elite runners who acted as my pacers and my staff who prepositioned themselves at the President Macapagal Avenue. Aside from being supplied with cups full of water and Gatorade, I had with me on my closed fists additional water placed in small “ice candy” plastig bags. I think I did not have any problems with my hydration at this point. I also ingested the Sports Gels provided by the Race Organizers every time I was able to complete one loop of the 10K route within the route.
Km 21 to Km 30. As I was about to reach Km 26, I felt a jolting sensation on my right hamstrings and I know that if I maintain my pace of 5:30 mpk, the sensation might lead to some pain and then to muscle cramps. I slowed down from this point and tried to observe and listen to my body if the hamstring issue will disappear. For the next kilometers up to Km 30, my average pace was a “see-saw” where alternately after every kilometer, my pace would register the fastest pace from 6:15 mpk up to the slowest pace of 6:57 mpk up to Km 30. I know, I can still manage the slight pain but it made me slower, hoping that the pain will disappear.
Drink, Drink, & Drink Some More Water & Gatorade!
Km 31 to Km 40. From Km 31 to Km 32, I can still manage to control the pain on my right hamstrings but at the middle of Km 32, I started to feel another pain on both of my quadriceps. These signs made me reduce my pace and ultimately started to do some brief brisk walking just to give comfort to my legs. But I tried to manage to go back to running after 10 seconds of brief walking. At this point, my pacers started to regularly douse me with cold water and told me to take small steps just to be able to lift my feet and knees from the ground. Once I reached the last 6K of the race, I was already struggling and trying to fight the pains on my legs. At Km 39, I already knew that I would not be able to qualify for the MILO Finals as my pace registered an average pace of 7:40 mpk. I asked for ice cold bottle of Coke but it gave me a short “boost” to relieve the pain from my legs.
Struggling To The Finish Line With Michelle Estuar In Good Form
Km 40 to the Finish Line. Despite knowing that I could not qualify for the Finals, I tried my best to increase my pace and I was successful to prevent myself from walking and surrender from thinking of being a failure in this race. I was able to bring back to a faster pace for the last 2 kilometers and reached the Finish Line without any injuries.
I finished the race in 4:25:13 hours (Official Time) with a registered distance in my GF 305 of 42.4 kilometers. My average pace for the entire race was 6:15 minutes per kilometer.
Finally, Near The Finish Line!
Lesson #1: Heat, Humidity, and the Quality of Air
It is already a fact that the hot weather, very humid condition, and the poor quality of air in Metro Manila are the top “nemesis” for long distance runners. I have predicted that the “all-comer” Marathon Record Time set in Metro Manila in 1982 by Waldemar Cierpinski in 2:14:27 hours will never be broken by a Filipino or international runner because of the warmer average of temperature that we have as compared in the 80s and the worst quality of air that we have at present because of our non-implementation of our Clean Air Act and the proliferation of vehicles in the metropolis. Even the visiting Kenyan runners and the elite athletes were not able to breach below 2:30-hour finish time except for the record set by Ed “Vertek” Buenavista few years ago at 2:18+ hours. During last Sunday’s race, one of my elite athletes complained that the weather was too hot that contributed his unusual experience of having muscle cramps on the last 10K of the course.
Lesson #2: Unsual Race Course
I was surprised to learn during the brief presentation of the route before the race started that the marathon runners had to run along the Flyovers at Buendia and EDSA for the “fourth time” before turning around towards the Finish Line. This surprise part of the route was already considered as “punishment” to all the runners. I had no problem running along these Flyovers for three times but the fourth and last time brought so much pain and torture to my cramping legs. Well, that is what we get when the “thinkers/consultants” and Race Organizers of MILO/Nestle, Phils are not seasoned “marathon runners”. If these people would ask my suggestion and feedback about this race, I would tell them to scrap this route and bring back the original one. However, it would be better for them to ask a selected group of seasoned runners to “test run” their planned route before implementing it to the public and find out the necessary feedback. I think this is “doable” in the next editions to come.
Lesson #3: The “Dumb and Stupid” Runners
I thought the 3-loop course and the presence of RFID Timing Chips would eventually eliminate reports and observations of “cheaters” from taking advantage to those who are honest in the race in past editions of the MILO Marathon Race. I was wrong! The result of the Marathon Race had glaringly showed the absence of “complete” split times of almost 42 runners but were able to register their finish times. It shows and proves that these runners made a “shortcut” and did not pass on two different “sensors” along the route. In addition, I’ve seen discrepancies in the recorded split times wherein a slow runner on the first and/or second splits would register a very fast pace on the third and last splits despite the challenging weather (heat & humidity) condition and the lack of hydration supplies on the last 10K of the course. I just hope also that nobody among the runners registered an “improper” birth date to make them older! In my lectures/clinics, I always emphasize to my audience that running develops good values to each and every individual and the most importantly of them is HONESTY.
Lesson #4: Hill Repeats, Not Hill Running
As I reviewed the journals of Arthur Lydiard, he highly recommends Hill Workouts & Repeats as part of the Sharpening Phase of a Marathon Training. Instead of doing Hill “Repeats”, I did Hill Running or running on top of the “Brown Mountain” on a once or twice a week basis. My workout in going to BM further strengthened my legs and my aerobic capability but it did not improve the “survivability” of my running legs on overcoming those repeated runs over the Flyovers along Roxas Boulevard. My mountain running did not duplicate what I really needed to surpass those “speed bumps”. During the last 8K of the race, these “speed bumps” became “speed obstacles” for me to qualify for the Finals.
Lesson #5: Wrong Choice of Race Strategy
In other words, I was overconfident in this race. I opted for the even-pace strategy with an overall average pace of 5:55 mpk but I registered a faster pace at 5:30-5:40 mpk up to the point that I reached Km 30. I’ve observed that I gave so much pressure to myself when I adopted this kind of race strategy and never taking into consideration the effects of the weather and the realiability of support from the Aid Stations. This kind of race strategy had worked well with me in my Marathon/Ultra Races in the USA and in South Korea. I am sure that the colder weather had greatly helped me well to finish with better times.
In my past good marathon races here in the country, I adopted the “negative-split” race strategy where almost half of the race was done with an easy and slow pace and later slowly increasing my pace on the last half of the race. I applied this strategy in this year’s Condura Marathon, last year’s Subic International Marathon and in the 2008 MILO Marathon Finals. I guess, I’ll have to stick to this kind of race strategy in my future marathon & ultra races.
Lesson #6: Remember the term “Collapse Point”
I discussed the term “Collapse Point” in one of my past posts. It is the point or distance along the marathon course where you hit your “Wall”. To determine your “collapse point”, you have to find out the total of mileage (in miles or kilometers) for the past 60 days prior to race day and divide it with 20. The result is your approximate “collapse” point. In my case, I was able to run a total of 646 kilometers, 60 days before D-Day. After I divided it with 20, the result is 32.3-kilometer point. This was the approximate point where I started to slow down, breaching past the 7:00-mpk pace as my average pace. After this point, I started to “brisk walk” and my goal to qualify for the Finals started to collapse! It shows that my total mileage before the race was inadequate and lacking.
Lesson #7: Age Factor
As I am getting older, I need all the “tricks” in maintaining a competitive level in running. Balance and Moderation are the keys to an injury-free condition for me to be always ready to train to a marathon or ultra race wherein I can compete within my age category or even to the younger age categories. Running will always be an “experiment of one” and there is no such thing as “miracle pill” to make a person into a fast and strong runner within a limited period of time.
Lesson #8: Ultrarunners’ View of a Marathon Race
Eversince I started to join and run ultramarathon races, I’ve considered a Marathon Race as a part of my training in order to find out my endurance level. Do you remember that I started my Manila to Baguio City Multi-Day (5-Day) Run after a day of rest from finishing the Condura Marathon last February of this year? Do you remember that I participated in my first 50K Ultratrail Run at Bulldog Trail Race in Calabasas, California barely two weeks after my San Francisco Marathon? I survived and finished such ultra runs because of my preparations for the Marathon Races that I joined prior to such events. An ultra runner friend of mine would jokingly say that a marathon race is considered as his “tempo run” workout for an ultra running event. And I believe him. In addition, it is not acceptable ( in a blunt term, it’s a shame) when a runner walks in a marathon race, but when a ultrarunner walks in a race, it’s the “smartest” move he can depend on in order to finish the race! After finishing this Sunday’s MILO Marathon Race, I can say that I have the endurance to finish another ultramarathon race/event in the future!
To all the Marathon & Ultra Runners, see you at PAU’s “P2P 65K” and CAMSUR Marathon!!!
Yes, I did not qualify for the 34th MILO Marathon Finals to be held on December 12 of this year. I am trying my best to recall what happened during the race and still making an assessment about my training and preparation for this marathon race. Hopefully, get some lessons to share during the race and in my training.
I finished the race in 4:25:12 hours (unofficial) based from my GF 305. I could be a “veteran” runner but I was not happy of what I’ve accomplished. But I am still proud that I was able to finish this race without any injury. This is my 19th Marathon Race and so far, I’ve have not yet experienced any DNF in my career as a runner.
I will be posting my Race Report about this race in my incoming post with more details. I had my 30-minute recovery run this morning and I am ready for my next race, after a brief “rest & recovery” period from intense training. Actually, my training and preparation for my next race started in yesterday’s MILO Marathon Elimination Race! Wish me luck!
For the meantime, I would like to express my congratulations to all the Qualifiers and Finishers. You did well and you have shown the courage and determination of a “warrior”. To Team MILO and the Race Organizer, you did great for the race with the hope that nobody got seriously injured or hospitalized due to the heat exhaustion. I salute you for making this marathon race as the most challenging one, so far! You maintained your reputation as “the most prestigious marathon race” in the country. Additionally, your “Help Give Shoes” advocacy is a success!
To my readers, those who prayed for my safety and for those who cheered & supported me along the way, my sincerest thanks to all of you! After all, I am a mortal just like everyone else. The battle cry for next year’s MILO Marathon Race…BOUNCE BACK!!!
After I found out that the 34th MILO Marathon Elimination Route was changed into a different route where the 42K runners will have to undergo a 3-loop run within the course, I planned to recon the place, most especially that portion of the race route.
At 7:30 AM, last Sunday, I started my run at a certain point within the loop course which have a direct access to the MOA grounds and located along the Pres. Macapagal Avenue. From this point, I went westward towards the PICC Complex by turning left going to the old and abandoned Film Academy Building; turning right towards infront of the Philippine Plaza Hotel and went all the way to the Folk Arts Theater before turning right towards Roxas Boulevard.
I turned right at Roxas Blvd and did not dare to run along the flyovers at Gil Puyat/Buendia Blvd and EDSA but instead ran along the flat road of Roxas Blvd. Running along Roxas Blvd gives you the tendency to run fast while inhaling the smoke from all forms of vehicle passing the area; smell of garbage & drainage; and the dust of the road. I turned right at the Aguinaldo Blvd (Airport Road) before finally turning right at the Pres. Macapagal Avenue and ending my run where I started along the said road.
My GF 305 registered a distance of 10.4 kilometers with an elapsed time of 1:01:32 hours and an average pace of 5:55 mpk!
I have nothing to complain about the 3 loops every runner for the 42K race would undertake as long as it will result to an accurate distance for the 42.195K race. The relatively flat terrain of the course where the Flyovers will be considered as “speed bumps” (on flat streets) will be an advantage for the runners. For those who will be supported with their own family/friends’ Aid Stations, they could select a place where they could wait for their runner to pass without having the problem of following or “leap-frogging” with their runner. This loop system will also a nice way to keep an “eye contact” or good sighting to your “target” for this race due to the straight direction of the key roads of the route. I’ll be glad that runners within my age range will also use me as their “target”! But for the younger runners, I’ll be happy to see them way in front of me because they will be qualifying for a faster time!
MILO Marathon Elimination Race Route
In my race strategy for this event, I’ll have to visualize that I’ll be running along the oval track with each lap measuring to 11-12 kilometers per lap, instead of 400 meters. I should be able to complete each loop in 1:10 hours or less and finish the remaining kilometers in 40 minutes or less in order to be able to qualify for the MILO Marathon Finals and register a Finish Time of 4:10 hours or less. This could be my most conservative strategy for the race but depending on the actual situation, my body condition, and external factors, I could go for a faster time. Having prepared for this race since the last week of March 2010 and my training in the mountains had given me the confidence of a nice result for this race.
Despite my long runs had been within the range of 25-30 kilometers, I tried to compensate the need for longer LSDs by training along the mountain trails and “sharpen” my training through hill workouts. Another bold experiment that I’ve done for the past months is the ability to sustain my pace without drinking any water or sports drinks on my 10K or less distance workouts. I tested and evaluated this experiment when I participated in the latest NB Trail Adventure 15K Run at Nuvali, Sta. Rosa, Laguna last June 20, 2010. It did not affect me whether the Water Stations were not consistently positioned along the route.
I’ll be using the MILO singlet provided for this race; running shorts (“RMWRS!”); DryMax Socks; ASICS Gel-Tarther Shoes; Oakley Sunglass; and my Bandanas!
Always remember, when you run the MILO Marathon Race, you have to give justice to this event as the “most prestigious marathon race” in the country. Do your best and prove to yourself and to everybody that you are a “RUNNER”!
See you this Sunday! Good luck!
I'll Be Donating These Shoes! My Race Singlet On D-DayYou Will Never Miss Me During The Race!
MILO/Nestle Phils launched its MILO Marathon website last Sunday, June 13, 2010 and I am impressed with the site. But what impressed me most is MILO Marathon’s cause/advocacy of giving running shoes to underprivileged but deserving children in the elementary & high school grades.
MILO Running Shoes
This is one of the reasons why the registration fees for the 34th Marathon Races had increased as a portion of it goes for a small contribution from the runners for this project. For an amount of Five Pesos from each runner registered for the race, in return, MILO will donate an equivalent amount to the total fund raised.
Everystep..MILO's Help Give Shoes Project
For further details of this advocacy, I enjoin my readers/visitors to visit the MILO Marathon website at www.milo.com.ph. The video entitled “The Gift” is nice which I know most of you have seen it on the TV commercials.
Let us support this advocacy. Register now and join the 34th MILO Elimination Races & Finals.
See you on July 4, 2010 at 4:00 AM.
(Note: Pictures were taken from MILO Marathon’s Website at www.milo.com.ph)
For my age of 58 years old, my qualifying time for the MILO Marathon FINALS on December 12, 2010 is to be able to finish the 34th MILO Marathon Elimination Race at 4 hours and 10 minutes or less.
Do I have to be happy or challenged by the introduction of the qualifying times for the 34th MILO Marathon Finals? At my age, finishing the marathon with a time of 3:45:00 hours is still my goal which is the qualifying time for my age in the Boston Marathon! In the 80s when I concentrated for months and years (yes, I prepared for my first marathon for a year!) to reach the Boston Qualifying time for my age (3:10 hrs), I could only get a finish time of 3:29 as my best time. Trying to qualify for Boston Marathon during those years were impossible because of my career in the military. At present, 3:45 hrs as a qualifying time is finally doable as I have more time to run and try to improve my finish time as I become older!
Finally, MILO had come up with a new qualifying time according to age category for runners. The 4:10 hrs qualifying time for my age bracket made me happy as this cut-off time will not make me pressured during the race. It simply means that I can run the distance by completing every 10K segment in one hour and do a 5:00-minute per km average pace for the last 2 kilometers! But deep in my mind, the BQ time of 3:45 hrs is still my ultimate goal in every marathon race that I join. That’s the fighting and competitive spirit in me.
34th MILO Marathon Manila Elimination Qualifying Times: (From takbo.ph)
A New Running Form?
AGE GROUP
MEN
WOMEN
18-34
3hrs 10min
3hrs 40min
35-39
3hrs 15min
3hrs 45min
40-44
3hrs 20min
3hrs 50min
45-49
3hrs 30min
4hrs 00min
50-54
3hrs 35min
4hrs 05min
55-59
3hrs 45min
4hrs 15min
60-64
4hrs 00min
4hrs 30min
65-69
4hrs 15min
4hrs 45min
70-74
4hrs 30min
5hrs 00min
75-79
4hrs 45min
5hrs 15min
80 and over
5hrs 00min
5hrs 30min
Abovementioned qualifying times are for the Boston Marathon!
Noteworthy to mention are the comments I had been reading at Facebook from my running friends. Topics and comments deal with the high registration fees and the new MQ (Milo Qualifying) times. I would surmise that the MILO Marathon this time will be “cheater-proof” and with more logistics & Aid Stations along the route, thus, we have a higher rate of registration fees. I hope that the Race Organizer will offer some foods aside from the usual water and Gatorade in every Aid Station. Please don’t serve those 100 Plus Drinks as they are carbonated drinks which is totally different from Coke and other sweet carbonated drinks. As for the MQ times, this will encourage more of our runners to train properly and pursue for excellence. As compared to the BQ times, it should be noted that the MQ time for the 18-34 Men (3:45) is the BQ time for the 35-39 Women runners! And the same time is my BQ time as a 58-year old male runner.
With the higher registration fee, although I am not fond of those give-away singlets, I hope MILO will have a better quality of cloth for their singlet. The past singlets tend to be very heavy after they are soaked with my sweat/perspiration. I guess, a wet MILO singlet adds up to another 1/2 kilo I have to carry during the most critical second half of the marathon race. This is true!
I just hope that “cheating” will not be done in filling up those registration forms in this race. Let us be honest this time and enjoy to run the most prestigious national marathon race that the country has to offer. Thanks to MILO/Nestle, Phils!
I’ve seen the list of Cash Prizes for the Eliminations and Marathon Finals plus the bonus prizes for breaking the fastest record time of 2:18+ hours and the imaginary time of 2:14 hours. This is a big improvement as the cash prize have increased which will be beneficial to our elite athletes plus they have the goal to excel and improve the record finish time for the marathon in the country. How I wish our King & Queen Champions for this year will be sent to compete in one of the prestigious marathon races in the US.
In the coming weeks and days before July 4th, I will be posting my preparation/training and race strategy in order to qualify for the MILO FINALS Marathon on December 12 this year.
Once again, I personally congratulate MILO/Nestle, Philippines for having consistently brought us the only competitive and the most prestigious marathon race in the country. For a multinational company that is based here, this is the only corporate entity that had focused its support in Athletics/Running, the most number of sports diciplines, and the conduct of local /National Sports Meets in the country. It should be noted also that MILO/Nestle is the Number #1 supporter for our athletes/national delegation to the Southeast Asian Games, Asian Games, and the Summer Olympic Games.
To all the runners, this is your chance to excel and not be contended in finishing a marathon race within the cut-off time.
While browsing on my earlier posts about the Arthur Lydiard Training System in Marathon Running, I found out that the link I made about the said training system is nowhere to be found. I tried to Google “Arthur Lydiard” and I was able to locate everything about the training, speeches, books written, and the training philosophy of the guy.
In the course of going back to the “basics” of marathon running through the writings and speeches of Mr Arthur Lydiard, I came upon the following article which I copied from www.hillrunner.com which I am going to post in my blog so that it will stay permanently on this site for reference purposes.
Enjoy reading the said article.
When Should I Run My First Marathon?
This is a question posed by many new runners. It seems like such a straightforward question. Unfortunately, the answer is not as straightforward and, honestly, not what most beginning runners want to hear.
First, there is the question of what your goals in running are and may be in the future. Very few people run a marathon in their first few years of running and go on to reach their ultimate racing potential. Second, age is a factor. There are countless stories of people running marathons in their teenage years, just to not keep improving beyond their early 20s. Considering the fact that many marathoners don’t reach their peak until their mid 30s, this doesn’t seem to be ideal. Finally, there is previous exercise levels. Someone who never got off the couch before taking up running is going to take longer to become prepared for a marathon than someone who came from an athletic background, especially if that athletic background was in endurance sports.
As I stated, the first question is of your goals. If you are not interested in trying to reach your racing potential and instead “just want to finish” a marathon, that is quite different than if you want to race marathons or other distances and want to try to reach your potential. People who reach their full potential tend to build up to the marathon. They start with shorter races, like 5k and 10k, develop a good ability in those distances, then build up to 10 mile and half marathon type races, eventually possibly even working up to 25k, 30k, or 20 mile races. Once they have reached a high level in the shorter distances, they step up to the marathon. For many runners, their first marathon may come 10 or more years after they began running. Personally, my first marathon came after I had been running for nearly 12.5 years. On the other hand, not everyone has goals like these. I still think it is a wise idea for anyone, regardless of goals, to build up to the marathon. I would love to say that nobody should run a marathon on less than 3 years of running but I know a lot of people don’t want to accept that. What I will say, and some people don’t even like this, is that you are not ready to run a marathon unless you have been consistently running for at least a year and have been building up for a marathon for at least 6 months.
Age is a much debated factor. Some people will tell you that a person should never run a marathon before the age of 25. Others will give stories about themselves or people they know who ran a marathon at 16 or 17 years old. Personally, I fall more toward the first group, although I won’t give a definite age. To put it simply, I think a teenager has more to lose than gain by running a marathon. You have your whole life ahead of you to run marathons and you will be better prepared to run marathons if you wait a few more years. As I said above, if you want to race marathons and push for your full potential, by all means, take your time. Many elite marathoners don’t run their first until they are in their late 20s or even early 30s. Even if you don’t want to race, your body will be more ready to handle the stress a marathon puts on it if you give it more time training. Also, you shouldn’t look past the mental aspect. As a teenager, you are still mentally and physically maturing. The longer you give that mental and physical maturity to develop, the better your first marathon experience will be.
Finally, the experience factor. A lot of experienced marathoners take heat on this topic, in large part because of training groups that advertise that a person can go from inactive to running a marathon in 6 months. Sorry to inform you but the large majority of people who try this do not come out of it without a bad experience in the closing miles. Sure, maybe they say it was the accomplishment of a lifetime but ask them how the last few miles felt. I’ve heard many torture stories. Marathoning doesn’t have to hurt that badly if you give yourself adequate time for training. My suggestion is to not even think about running a marathon on less than a year of consistent running. I would love to say more but I know most people will just ignore my suggestions if I do. You need to give your body time to adapt to the stresses of running. Going from 0 to 26.2 in even a year’s time is a tall order for anyone. Doing so in 6 months time is playing with fire. Once again, if your goal is racing or trying to become the fastest you can become, consider taking much longer.
In the end, only you can decide what time is right for you to do your first marathon. I stated my feelings on it here and I hope you will consider what I have to say. Weigh all the advice you are given, who it is coming from, what they stand to gain or lose by your following their advice, and make an informed decision.
Bald Runner 
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