14 Jan 2008 (PM)—6 miles or 9.6 kilometers
15 Jan 2008 (AM)—6 miles or 9.6 kilometers
(PM)—6 miles or 9.6 kilometers
16 Jan 2008 (AM)—10 miles or 16 kilometers
(PM)—7 miles or 11.2 kilometers
17 Jan 2008 (AM)—7 miles or 11.2 kilometers
18 Jan 2008 (AM)—7 miles or 11.2 kilometers
19 Jan 2008—Rest/No Runs
20 Jan 2008 (AM)—13 miles or 21 kilometers (Subic Half-Marathon)
Total Distance Covered—62 miles or 99.2 kilometers
20 January 2008
I arrived at the assembly area on or about 5:15 AM and the runners for the Half-Marathon, 10K, 5K, and 3K were jampacked at the starting area. The runners of the 42K/Marathon just left the starting area at 5:00 AM. The organizers were explaining to the runners that the routes for the 3K & 5K were going out from the Main Gate and the routes for the 10K and Half-Marathon will be taking the route going to the airport.
Most of the runners were members of the Philippine National Police, Armed Forces of the Philippines, and cadets/lady cadets of the Philippine Military Academy and Philippine National Police Academy. I was part of the Philippine Army Team. Other runners came also from Metro Manila and other cities in Central Luzon. Estimated number of runners reached to almost 4,000.
The ever-popular singer Dulce entertained the runners with some of her original songs in the 70’s with some changes in the lyrics to praise God as she is known today to be active in some Religious Ministry. After the songs, two PNP Chief Superintendents (Brigadier Generals) delivered their speeches explaining to the runners on the objectives/goals of the said event. One of the PNP Chief Superintendents, my classmate in PMA, acknowledged my presence and the other Chief Superintendent also acknowledged me when he delivered his speech.
I was able to meet the members of the Gold’s Gym Glorietta Runners Team and were surprised to see me. They joined in the 5th DND-AFP Gintong Pangarap Team Relay last June 2007 which was held at the Parade Ground of Headquarters Philippine Army. I found out that we were going to run the same distance, the Half-Marathon, on this race.
Dulce sang the Philippine National Anthem and there was no Invocation/Prayers before the race. The City Mayor of Olongapo suddenly arrived and he was given the chance to talk also to the runners. He was asking for the cash prizes for the top runners. I thought he was about to commit some additional cash prices but he just said “Good Luck” to the runners. He was even telling to the runners that he is also a runner!
The race started exactly at 6:00 AM. I was able to have my stretching and warm-up exercises before the race. I tried to squeeze myself infront of the runners where I found other runners from Manila who were wearing triathlon suits with caps and sunglasses. I thought they were running the Half-Marathon but they actually registered for the 10K run.
I started the race at a very slow pace and I was happy to see kilometer marks along the way. I started with a pace of 6:00-6:20 minutes per kilometer and later slowly increasing to 5:00 minutes per kilometer.
The “mountain route” was a killer from Km. 8 to the turn-around point and the uphill portions from Km. 6 to 7. These parts of the route slowed down most of the runners. My time at the turn-around point was 1:02:35 hours. I tried to increase my speed on my way back but my tired leg muscles were becoming to feel pain. I alternately slowed down and then later picked up speed but the heat of the sun was too hot to the body. I tried my best to attain my desired goal but the mountain route/portion took much of my strength and stamina. I was confident that my hill training in Jamindan was enough for me to overcome the uphill and mountain portions of the route but the one at the Subic mountains have a higher elevation.
At the “mountain route”, the runners were able to disturb the crows and lots of big birds in the jungle on both sides of the road and they started to fly. I was “lucky” (ha!ha!ha!) that I was hit by fallen “bomb” (crap) from the birds. My right hand was hit, barely missing a hit on my bald head!
I was using my Nathan Water Belt and I did not stop along the way to drink the water. The only time that I got water from a water station was when I was already 1-2 kilometers away from the finish line.
By the way, the PNP used their Fire Trucks and Fire Hoses as sprinklers to produce showers along the route. These showers were useful to slower runners who were still running under the heat of the sun.
I finished the race in 2:12:56 hours and failed to attain my goal of sub-2 hours but I considered this run as my long run for the week and served as part of my preparation for the Pasig River Heritage Marathon on February 24.
Overall, this Marathon is outstanding! The route has nice views on both sides of the road, clean air to breath, no traffic from vehicles, well-prepared and organized, more participants and has a very challenging “mountain route”/terrain. And most of all, the roads are made of asphalt which is softer to the feet, leg muscles, and knees than roads made of concrete/cement.
My congratulations to the organizers, sponsors, and volunteers who made this marathon event a success.
My pictures will be posted soon!
I failed to break sub-2 hours in the Subic International Half-Marathon but I am still strong and injury-free. I am ready for the Pasig River Heritage Marathon for next month.
I finished the Half-Marathon race in 2:12:56 hours (unofficial time) taken from my Timex watch.
More stories and pictures to be posted later today.
19 January 2008 (8:30 PM)
I arrived at Subic Freeport on or about 4:00 PM today (Saturday) with my driver and security. I was able to keep in touch with the Philippine Army Team runners at the parking area of the Subic Oval Track where the registration office is located. I was able to register as VIP Runner and got my reserved race number and singlet. Thanks for the help and involvement of the Philippine National Police as one of the Organizers/Sponsors of the event. A Police Officer facilitated my registration without any problem. He even invited me for an informal dinner at the Oval Track/Finish Line area.
I was happy to see Kilometer Markings (to be placed along the route) being prepared near the registration office. Three days ago, I sent a text message to PNP Chief Superintendent Samuel Tucay suggesting him to place mile/kilometer markings along the route of the Subic Marathon and told him also that I am going to run the Half-Marathon.
Learning from my past mistake from the Clark 10K Run last weekend, I immediately oriented myself with the route by slowly driving along the roads where the marathon will pass. The first 6-7 kilometers is relatively flat with the next two kilometers as gradual uphill going towards the airport. The last 1-2 kilometers going to the turn-around point is a “roller coaster” terrain. I could see that going back to the finish line will be an easier task in terms of the terrain but the heat of the rising sun will a harder task to overcome.
I am bringing along my Nathan Water Belt for my water supply and instructed my driver/security to be ready to replenish my water supply at the 12-km mark.
We had dinner/”carbo-loading” at Aristocrat Restaurant (spaghetti, pancit canton, boneless chicken barbecue w/ java rice, & SMB Light Beer) and presently staying in one of the hotels/inns near the SBMA Office which is few meters away from the starting line.
I was informed that another group of Kenyan runners (a different group from the Clark Freeport Marathon’s Kenyan runners) will be joining the race.
Assembly time will be 5:00 AM and Start of the Race will be at 6:00 AM tomorrow.
It’s final…The DND-AFP “Gintong Pangarap” Half-Marathon is reset to 09 March 2008. This will be hosted by the Philippine Air Force and it will start at the Grandstand at Camp Villamor Air Base, Pasay City on or about 5:00 AM.
Flyers and Registration Forms will be available at the Subic International Marathon this Sunday and in the succeeding weekend road races.
Details of the race will be posted later on this blogsite.
18 January 2008
I arrived here in Iloilo City from Jamindan yesterday afternoon. I had an appointment visit with Bishop Angel Lagdameo in Jaro, Iloilo City at 4:00 PM yesterday. Bishop Lagdameo and I had been meeting on a regular basis every month and discuss things and issues prevailing the country but more on telling him what my Command had been doing to the people of Western Visayas.
I am scheduled to meet Vice-President Noli de Castro today in connection with the inauguration of the new Bacolod-Silay City Airport where he is the Guest of Honor. Later, before lunch, I will be taking the Weesam Fastcraft for Bacolod City.
I woke up at 5:30 AM to prepare for my short run at the Iloilo Sports Complex Oval Track. After a slow and warm-up run for four rounds on the oval, I started my run and averaged 2:35-2:50 minutes per round/400 meters. Later, I did Yasso 800s with the following registered times—3:35 minutes; 3:44 minutes; 3:49 minutes; and 3:39 minutes. I jogged one round to recover every interval run. I am surprised that I improved with my time as compared with my performance during my run with my son, John, last month.
My Average HR was 164. My Maximum HR was 169 and my Minimum HR was 153. I was reaching my Oxygen Debt and Threshold with my Yasso 800s. I am slowly introducing speed runs in my training and find out if I have enough strength already on my leg muscles in order to prevent any injury. I am happy with my running workout today. I was able to finish 27 times around the oval to include cool-down run. This will be my last run before the Subic Half-Marathon this coming Sunday.
Total Distance: 7 miles or 11.2 kilometers.
1. Recon and Inspect the Route—Find time to familiarize with the route of the race looking for the general terrain (uphill & downhill portions) of the route. This could be done weeks/days before the race.
2. Visualize Mile/Km Markers—In the absence of mile/kilometer markers, establish reference points along the route which will serve as your mile/km markers. This should be done during your reconnaissance activity on the route.
3. Plan for a Strategy—Depending on the extent and nature of your training in preparation to the race, you should be able to come up with your “strategy” to attain your desired goal for the race. It could be a fast run in the 1st half of the course & an average pace up to the finish; or an average pace on the 1st half & a fast pace on the remaining half of the course; or running at an average pace with “modified fartlek” along the route; or maintaining a fast pace or “speed play” throughout the course.
4. Drink Water—This is very basic. Drink water before the race, along the route, and after the race. Rule of Thumb: Drink water every 3 kilometers. Water provides replenishment to the runners’ sweat/perspiration and minerals taken out from the body due to perspiration. Psychologically, water provides more power and strength to the runner. For runners in tropical countries like ours, water provides cooling effect to the body. Proper and immediate replenishment of water to the body contribute to a faster recovery for the tired muscles of every runner.
5. Stretching & Warm-Up—More stretching and warm-up needed before and after the race. I did not have enough time to properly stretch my muscles and jog to warm-up. This lack of proper stretching and warm-up gave me the condition which made me run at a faster pace at the start of the race.
6. Desired Goal—Come up with a conservative goal to be attained on the said race. I was planning for a sub-50-minute PR best for the race but I did not follow my “strategy”—to run a conservative pace on the first half and run at a “speed play” pace on the last half of the course. I need to control the “adrenaline rush” at the start of the race. This will never happen again!
7. Body Massage—Don’t forget to have that body massage at least two days before D-Day of the Race. My successive body massages for the week, at Marco Polo Hotel and Olympia Spa, days before the day of the race were able to loosen my tight and tired muscles from my training runs. My muscles were loose and relaxed before and during the race. Early and fast recovery from my race was also a result of a good body massage.
17 January 2008
It started raining after I woke up at 5:45 AM. I planned to run at 6:00 AM but it was raining hard and it gave me time to check if the Globe Internet Connection was already working. I was really frustrated to see that it was not yet working and I opted to take my usual morning green tea and eventually had my breakfast.
I started running once the rains stopped at 9:00 AM. I ran along the 2-mile route inside the camp with the road wet and damp. Sometimes, there are parts of the road which are slippery because of the thick moss that grow on top of the road. I tried to avoid the accumulated water along the road and the slippery moss which made my run as slow and controlled but more comfortable.
I finished 3 rounds around the 2-mile route with the following times:
2 miles—18:18 minutes
4 miles—35:43 minutes
6 miles—53:37 minutes
I ran the second round at 17:25 minutes while my third round’s time was 17:54 minutes. I ran one mile as my cool-down run and later made my post-stretching exercises. This run was an easy run with an average pace of 8:56 minutes per mile or 5:35 minutes per kilometer.
My TIMEX Watch Zone Trainer Digital Heart Monitor registered the following data:
Elapsed Time—53:37 minutes
Time In Zone—47:42 minutes
Maximum HR—157
Minimum HR—100
Average HR—142
Total Calories—647
Total Distance: 7 miles or 11.2 kilometers
Bald Runner 
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