(Note: If ever your name is not included in the list, please resend the scanned copy of your deposit slip as soon as possible to this e-mail address: jovie75@hotmail.com. Please bring your deposit slip to the Briefing & Carboloading Party (CLP) on or about 6:30 PM of January 26, 2012, Thursday at the AFP Officers’ Club in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City).
Taklang Damulag 100-Mile Trail Endurance Run (TD 100) is already one of the Ultra Races being administered by Mark Gilligan of Ultra Signup.
If you are used and familiar in registering to International Marathons, most probably you have experienced registering your participation through www.active.com. For Ultra Trail Races in the United States and other countries, registration of participants are done through Ultra Signup.
TD 100 is the FIRST Ultra Race in the Philippines and Southeast Asia to be under the processing of Ultra Signup.
Lately, I registered for the 2012 Cobra Half-Ironman Triathlon and I was charged with a registration fee of $ 225.00 (US Dollars) plus $ 16.00+ (US Dollars) as Processing Fee, a total of $ 241.00+ for my participation in the event. In comparison with Ultra Signup, it does not charge additional processing fee for the registration fee. So, if you are interested to join this event, you will be charged with the stated registration fee ONLY.
This is the most important virtue that a runner must have, whether he/she is a beginner, average, or competitive one.
Patience is having more time to wait for things to unfold, as a result of your training program, before being reckless and do things the wrong way. As a result, you will regret for the things you have done. Your actions in running should be deliberate as there are NO “magic bullets” or “quick fix” in the sports we love.
In training, you need patience for you to develop your aerobic endurance and overall, improve on all the aspects of running. It does not take days or weeks to happen, but it would take months and years to develop your maximum potentials in the said sports. There are “ladders and steps” to overcome from one level to another level. Patience means you don’t have to go through a marathon (42K) training without experiencing what it takes to finish a simple 3K run. If you think you are good in 3K distance, you can go to the next step of trying a 5K run and so forth. However, there are training programs that you must follow in order to get the full potentials of your body’s capabilities if you want to excel in the distance you want. If you want to finish a marathon race, you need patience. Believe me if I tell you that I prepared for one year to experience what it takes to finish my first marathon. More patience is needed, if you desire to finish your first ultra marathon race.
Not adhering to patience by trying to do so much too soon in one’s mileage have always been the number one problem among runners. Not following the time-tested 10% rule of increasing one’s mileage on a weekly basis always brings runners to being injured and stale in their improvement. As a result, patience will always be the solution of this problem—patience to let the injury heals itself.
In races, runners would always forget what it takes to be patient. The tendency of most runners is to go out too fast once the gun is fired only to realize that mistake had been done when he/she is “crawling” to reach and cross the finish line. We always don’t have the patience to remember and stick to our race strategy and the training we have done in preparation for the race.
We need also patience in choosing our first running shoes and running attire. We have the tendency to look like the elite runners who are featured in “glossy” international runner’s magazine with the thought that we look “cool” and better runners than others. We have also the tendency to buy what we see for the first time not knowing that there are better fitting shoes with less cost if we waited and had time to look around. It is not the brand, color-combination, and the weight of the shoes that count most, but the proper fit to our feet. As for the running attire, you need patience to find out what is more comfortable for you considering our weather and humidity.
We need also patience in trying to find out what food and drinks that are good and work best for our performance. Depending on the distance you want to race or run, you can experiment on what nutritional needs for your training, pre-race, during race, and recovery period.
We need patience to find out what races we want to join in the future and patience to prepare for these races.
We need patience to finish what we have started. Because finishing a race is what matters most!
Like life itself, we need patience. There are lots of options but we need to have smart choices and decisions.
In running and in the race called “Life”, always think and remember…PATIENCE.
See you at the Starting Line!
"Running Is Patience" (Photo By Ding Quinto/The Frontrunner Magazine)
I can’t believe we are on our 3rd edition of the RIZAL Day 32K Run in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City. Since it is always the first road race after the Christmas celebrations, it is a “must run” event for runners who are preparing for the Fat Ass Run; Cebu City Marathon, Bataan Death March Ultra Races; Condura Skyway Marathon; 3rd TBR Dream Marathon and the SC Hongkong Marathon.
As in the past editions, the run will start infront of the GHQ Grandstand at 5:30 AM on Friday, December 30, 2011. For those who opted to register on site on race day, they should be at the Assembly Area at 4:00 AM for processing. The registration fee is P 850.00 as it will be the first time that we will be giving a Special Rizal Day 32K Finisher’s Medallion (with pink Finisher’s T-Shirt) and whatever proceeds we raise from this event will go to the fund allocated to support our Elite Team Bald Runner to international competitions.
Runners will have to run 4 & 3/4 loops on the 7K-loop course inside Camp Aguinaldo. There will be two (2) Aid Station on the 7K-loop which will provide hydration (water, Gatorade mix, RC Cola/Sarsi) and selected foods (hot noodles, boiled eggs, biscuits & choco bites). The 1st Aid Station is located at the Camp’s Fire Station and the 2nd Aid Station is located at the Enlisted Personnel’s Condominium/Housing Area.
Please refer to the last edition’s guidelines (entrance to the camp; parking; toilets; baggage area; etc.) for more detailed information about the event.
I hope the runners will be treated with “surprise donations” to be served at the Finish Line from our usual “friends and donors”.
Rizal Monument Replica As Trophies To Podium Finishers (Except The Two Phil Marines!)
For those who are seriously considering to break the course record and for those who have goals to improve their PRs & PBs in this run, you can check the last year’s results.
“Trail Running have at least three of the four following characteristics: (1) surface should be unpaved; (2) have natural obstacles that may include but are not limited to rocks, tree stumps, tree roots, dirt, gravel, mud, moraine, leaves, grasses, ice, snow, and creek/water crossings; (3) have a significant gain or loss of elevation; (4) include scenic vistas. Some mountain races include a portion or an entire route on pavement; however, these races provide scenic vistas”…from the book “The Ultimate Guide To Trail Running” by Adam Chase & Nancy Hobbs
Scenic Vista; Elevation Gain & Loss; Unpaved RoadRocks & Sun-Baked TrailBigger Rocks & Water CrossingsBetter-Looking Trail With Softer Ground
One of the basic principles in endurance sports is consistency. Running, being an endurance sports, needs a consistent attention and focused training.
In simple terms, consistency means once or twice a day; 7 days a week; 30 or 31 days a month; or 365 days every year!
You might not believe but there is a group of runners who runs every day, even in inclement weather (they use the treadmill!). They are called the Running Streakers! For them to be called as streakers, they should run a minimum of one mile every day, whether they are sick or not. These guys are really the hardcores of running!
I haven’t heard of any Pinoy Group of Runners who would fit this kind of group of runners. However, if you browse on the Internet, you will find out that there are lots of groups with their respective “Medal Standings”.
Now, we go back to consistency in running. Whether your goal is to finish a 3K, 5K, 10K or in any distance, your main consideration is your consistency in your training. It means that you have to go out and do your “30-minute” rule for the lesser distances and do your easy long distance runs for the 10K and more distance races on a daily basis! In simple terms, consistency is daily runs!
What is good about running everyday is that you could easily adopt any kind of training program for any distance race.
If you want to improve in your road and trail races in the coming year, make this as your New Year’s Resolution—-RUN EVERY DAY!!!
There is ONLY ONE Finisher within the cut-off time of 32 hours in the “Taklang Damulag” 100-Mile Endurance Trail Run.
Dick Balaba’s Official Finish Time in the Inaugural TD100 Trail Endurance Run is 31:11:26 Hours. So far, a “Course Record” to be broken by future endurance runners! Congratulations to all the runners, “volunteers”, BR Events Staff, 7th Infantry Division, SOCOM, Special Forces Regiment of the Philippine Army and ultra friends who supported the conduct of this historic event in the country. It is official that TD 100 is the FIRST AND ONLY 100-Mile Trail Endurance Run in Southeast Asia!!!
Dick Balaba, Champion and the ONLY Official Finisher of the 1st TD100
I did not qualify for the 35th MILO Finals this time as I did not have the time to qualify in the regional/provincial races. But with the start of my training season for my next year’s running events to attend to, I need to join road races which can serve as my training runs and make them as my guide in my training preparations. Thus, QCIM and MILO Races were part of the training program to build-up my endurance.
At the 3rd Quezon City International Marathon which was held a week before the MILO Finals, I opted to join the Half-Marathon event and I finished it in 2:20:50 hours. It was really a long slow distance run for me to start my training period. I was happy with the result.
After a one-day rest, I started to resume my “30-minute” daily runs; maintain my “30-minute” swimming drills at least 3 times a week; two visits at the gym where I did some light weight lifting (deadlifts, dumdbell exercises, and lunges) and stationary cycling for “30 minutes”. A massage on Friday evening and some brisk walking on Saturday completed my tapering for this event.
As in past MILO Finals, there was a festive mood at the Starting Line and I positioned myself at the farthest back among the Half-Marathon runners. I thought and planned of doing ala-Dean Karnazes style in this run—an LSD run from the back of the pack and slowly gaining some speed along the course with the objective of passing as many runners as I can along the route until the finish line. I have observed this kind of approach in running when I joined the Los Angeles & San Francisco Marathons with Dean Karnazes in the past years.
As soon as the Gun was fired, I started to walk brisky from the back and I was sure I was the last runner. I started to ring my mini-cowbell continuously which brought the attention of the MILO VIPs on the stage. Coach Rio, the Race Director of the Event, approached and greeted me. I thanked him for giving me the complimentary race packet for the event.
It was a very slow start for me as it was still dark and with lots of runners infront of me. As soon as there was natural light, runners would recognize me and I got a lot of greetings. Some runners would recognize me and see me in person for the first time and tried to start some conversation. Others would try to pace with me. Others would make me as their “target”.
At the Km #9, I briefly stopped and walked after I was fed up hearing the sound of dangling keys and coins from one of the runners behind me. The runner asked me why I stopped and I answered him that I could not stand the noise from his noisy keys & coins! When the runner was about 50 meters away infront, I started to run again. At Km #11, I passed the runner and increased my pace. I would never see him again.
On those fly-overs, I would pass more runners! I asked one of the runners who was pacing with me to pass two runners in triathlon suits as we attacked the fly-overs. The other runner nodded and we attacked the fly-overs and I left him halfway on the uphill portion while I overtook the two triathletes. I never saw the runner and two triathletes after that incident.
Believe me, I was having fun during the run. I overtook more runners in the Aid/Water Stations as I would not stop because of the handheld “Sprint” Nathan Bottle on my left hand with my cowbell on my right hand. To add more fun to the run, I would ring my cowbell to most of the ultra runners whom I would meet along the route. I even cheered to the top Pinoy runners using my cowbell. In short, I was running and at the same time cheering everybody with my cowbell!
At The Last Kilometer To The Finish Line
Soon enough, I was nearing the Finish Line. I tried to be relaxed as much as possible after I thought of those previous deaths in running events. One runner died last year in the MILO Finals Half-Marathon; another runner died in the Los Angeles “Rock N Roll” Half-Marathon last October; two runners died in the latest Philadelphia Marathon (one is in his late 20s and the other is a triathlete in his mid-40s); and another runner died in the latest SC Singapore Marathon. All these deaths happened on the last 2 kilometers of the race and/or after crossing the Finish Line. I found out later in my readings that experts would suggest not to “sprint” or do your “extraordinary fastest pace” on the last 800-1,000 meters of the race. Such action might do harm to the heart’s functioning. Don’t pay attention to what the EMCEE is telling to all the runners that “you are almost there” which would trigger you to start sprinting to the Finish Line. Runners should be calm and relaxed as one approaches the finish line!
What could be more relaxing than having a smile, ringing my cowbell, and waving my other arm/palm to the other runners and crowd as I approached and crossed the Finish Line? None! I finished the race in 2:09:25 hours which is a great improvement from my QCIM Half-Marathon result. After I got my medal, swags, and certificate, my day was complete!
Ringing My Cowbell Near The Finish Line
I found out later in the results that I placed #343 overall among the 1,432 runners who finished the race. I could not believe that I was able to overtake/pass 1,089 runners during the race. So far, so good!
So far, MILO Marathon is still the premier marathon race in the country! Congratulations to Nestle, Phils and RunRIO for a job well done!
Note: Thanks to Angelo Lagumbay & Angelo Maravilla for the Pictures
Bald Runner 
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