“Spoon Feeding”

On October 19, 2013 By kingofpotsIn Insights, Jogging, Pictures, Races, Running, Sports Program, Trail Running, Ultramarathon1 Comment

One of the reasons why I require a Marathon Finish for the participants of my Ultra Events is that he/she would have gone through the “mill” of starting from being a 5K runner to Half-Marathoner for a certain period of time. The period could be a number of months of continuous training or a year of dedicated preparation for the 42K distance.

It is assumed that the Marathon Finisher had experienced what it is like and what it takes to finish the distance.

If a Marathon Finisher takes the plunge to Ultra Marathon, he/she looks for an entry-level distance ultra race which is the 50K distance. Depending on his/her choice, it could be a road or a trail ultra event. But for easier transition to ultra events, I highly recommend for a runner to do a road ultra.

Starting this year, a runner has already a choice of 50K road ultras as compared to the past 3-4 years. However, what stands out as the number one choice of marathon runners who would like to be “baptized” as ultra runner/ultra marathoner is the famous Tagaytay To Nasugbu 50K Ultra Marathon Race, simply called as “T2N”.

For the past months, weeks and days, I have been receiving a lot of questions from runners who would like to run in my Ultra Events. Some of the runners have already finished ultra events from other Race Organizers and they would like also to try my Ultra Events. I have no problem allowing or accepting their intention to run in my races. However, I have the following conditions for them to follow and satisfy:

Strictly follow my Events’ Rules and Regulations.
Runner must know the meaning of the words: Honesty & Integrity.
I don’t “spoon feed” information to runners about my Ultra Events.
Go to my blog at www.baldrunner.com and type the name of the Ultra Event in the SEARCH “slot”. My blog serves as the website of my Ultra Events.
If you don’t know my blog, simply “google” the title of the Ultra Event.
Except for my new Ultra Events which I introduced this year, most of the Ultra Events’ Rules and Regulations, Official Results, Race Report/s, and RD’s Reports had been posted/published in my blog.
Even if I posted an Event Page on Facebook with details/information, it is best to visit and browse on my blog about such Event.

I hope I am very clear on these conditions.

Lace up, get out of the door and run!

Marcelo Is OUT!

On July 9, 2013 By kingofpotsIn Insights, Running, Ultramarathon2 Comments

Since the 3rd week of February this year, Marcelo, the Champion, is NO longer under the care and supervision of Team Bald Runner/PAU. He had been on his own to run in any ultra race that he wants to run into since he was out from the control of PAU.

Marcelo is a good example of an Ultra Champion in the country who could be developed and nurtured for other greater international exposure as seen from his splendid performance in this year’s VIBRAM Hongkong 100K Ultra Trail Run. But due to simple reasons of hard-headedness and for not following instructions from his “handler/manager”, his future for more international exposure is now uncertain and might not happen under the auspices of the National Federation of Ultrarunning, PAU.

I would not mind if another “Good Samaritan” will be able to provide support to Marcelo again.

What a waste of talent!

Simon Sandoval: Pinoy Ultra Runner Sets A New Course Record At The Western States 100-Mile Endurance Run

On July 2, 2013January 14, 2015 By kingofpotsIn Insights, Race Results, Races, Running, Trail Running, Travel, Ultramarathon3 Comments

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Simon Sandoval of Makati City, Metro Manila sets a New Course Record for a Local Pinoy Ultra Runner at the 40th Edition of the Western States 100-Mile Endurance Race (WS100), considered as the oldest and most prestigious ultra marathon mountain trail race in the world. He finished the race in 27 hours 9 minutes 53 seconds with a ranking of 156th out of 277 finishers in the second hottest edition in the history of the race where the temperature registered triple digits as high as 110 degrees Fahrenheit in the mountain canyons of the Sierra Nevada Mountain Ranges & Western States Trails. Sandoval was the lone representative of the country out of the 22 countries and 40 states in the US that were represented in the said race in this year’s edition.

Simon @ Rocky Chucky Mile #78 (Photo Courtesy of Rick Gaston) — Simon @ Rucky Chucky Mile #78 (Photo Courtesy of Rick Gaston)

Last year, Jonnifer Lacanlale, a lawyer from the Clark Freeport Authority in Angeles City, was the first representative of the country in the history of this prestigious race when he joined last year with a finish time of 29 hours 50 minutes 33 seconds, landing at 309th place with 316 runners who finished the race. He was later awarded with a Special Recognition Award/Plaque from the Philippine Association of Ultrarunners (PAU) as the First Local Pinoy Runner to have finished the prestigious trail race.

Simon Sandoval performance had greatly improved from Lacanlale’s performance last year due to the advise and guidance of the latter’s lessons learned during the race. Simon and Jonnifer had been together in finishing the Mt Blanc Ultra Marathon Race (UTMB), a 100-mile trail running race around the famous mountain, in France in 2011, passing through the countries of France, Italy and Switzerland.

Sandoval qualified for the Western States 100-Mile Endurance Run after his name was picked in the lottery among thousands of qualified applicants. He was among the 417 runners who got into the lottery from qualified applicants throughout the world. A qualified applicant must have finished a 100-mile mountain trail race within the prescribed cut-off time or have finished a 50-mile trail race in less than 11 hours or have registered a finish time in a 100K trail run in less than 15 hours. Sandoval is qualified to run the race as he finished both a 100-mile trail race and registered a finish time of 9 hours in a 50-mile trail race in the United States.

Timothy Olson of Ashland, Oregon won the Championship Award in this year’s event for the second year in a row with a time of 15 hours 17 minutes 27 seconds. He holds the Course Record in 14 hours 46 minutes in the last year’s edition. The ladies champion went to Pam Smith of Salem, Oregon finishing the race as 9th Overall with a time of 18 hours 37 minutes 21 seconds. Olson works in a Special Running Store while Smith is a full-time physician.

Timothy Olson & Pam Smith With The WS100 Championship Cougar Trophy (Photo Courtesy of IRunFar.com) — Timothy Olson & Pam Smith With The WS100 Championship Trophy (Photo Courtesy of IRunFar.com)

Out of the 383 runners who started the race at 5:00 AM of June 29, Saturday, at the 1960 Winter Olympic Games Site in Squaw Valley, California, 277 runners finished the race with 72% Finish Rate. 95 runners finished the race in less than 24 hours and awarded with the WS100 Silver Buckle and the rest of the 185 finishers were awarded with the Bronze Buckle finishing the race within the cut-off time of 30 hours.

Simon Sandoval said, “I really prepared for this race and all my training workouts were specific for the challenges to be expected from this running event. I have to allot ample time for me to familiarize the course as I arrived in the USA few weeks before the race.”

Simon must had been able to acclimatize with the weather and been able to adjust on the altitude and elevation of the course. Runners would climb and descend a total of about 40,000 feet or 12,120 meters through the wilderness of the mountains and into the deep and hot/humid canyons of the historic California Gold Country.

Simon was all smiles when he received his WS 100 Bronze Buckle during the Awarding Ceremony in the presence of his relatives, friends, support crew, and other Pinoy Ultra Runners based in California.

Retired Major General Jovenal D Narcise, President of the Philippine Association of Ultrarunners (PAU) had extended his congratulations to Simon Sandoval for an exemplary performance in the 40th edition of the Western States 100-Mile Endurance Run. He said, “The outstanding performance of Simon Sandoval shows that our local Pinoy Ultrarunners are at par with the best ultrarunners in the world. We have to strive some more to send our best local runners and be able to represent our country in this prestigious ultra trail event. With the help and support of the running community and the private sector, our efforts shall be geared towards sending our next Pinoy Ultra Runner who would be able get the much-coveted WS100 “Silver Buckle”.

If there is any significant record-breaking fact in the 40th edition of the race aside from Timothy Olson’s winning the race for the second year in a row and the second highest registered “hottest day in the 40-year history” of the race, it is the performance of the former 1997 Western States 100 Champion Mike Morton, 41 years old, as the New Male Master’s Course Record Holder with a time of 15 hours 45 minutes earning him as the 3rd Overall Finisher in the race.

Mike Morton had been stationed in Subic Bay Naval Base when he was with the US Navy during his younger years as a Naval Diver. He is presently a Master Sargent of the US Special Operations Command based in Florida, USA.

Race Report: Bandit 50K Trail Run

On April 16, 2013 By kingofpotsIn Races, Running, Trail Running, Travel, Ultramarathon2 Comments

I was in Los Angeles, California last February to attend the wedding of my son, John Paul. After the wedding, I had all the time to “peak bag” some of the nearby mountains near our house and had my daily runs of about one hour everyday. My “peak bagging” activities would cover not more than 20 kilometers in distance but most of these runs would cover 4-6 hours and my longest was 7 hours.

I was able to “peak bag” the Dante’s Peak @ Griffith Park, Verdugo Mountain, Echo Mountain and Mt Lukens through the detailed information from Ben Gaetos, an ultra runner friend who is based in Eagle Rock, California which is near Los Angeles. Separate posts will be published on this blog on my experiences on these mountains that I’ve visited.

In one of my FB chats with Ben Gaetos, he mentioned to me that he is going to run the Bandit 50K Trail Run in Simi Valley, California which was two weeks to go before race day. Without any training and preparation for the said distance, I forced myself to join this event with the goal to finish the race within the cut-off time.

Breakfast With Badwater Ben Gaetos & ARC Shoe Guru Joe Matias

Gilbert Gray, an ultra runner from Maryland, USA and BDM 102 & 160 Finisher, saw my picture on Facebook with Joe Matias of A Runners Circle Store and Ben Gaetos having breakfast. I posted the said picture saying that the three of us were planning for something about ultra running in California. Gilbert might had been intrigued about my post and picture. He ultimately discovered that Ben and I were registered to run this race. He immediately registered for the race and booked a flight to California with his wife.

What puzzles me up to this time was when I found out that Gilbert Gray’s flight landed in Sacramento, California which is 500 miles north of Los Angeles. He drove from Sacramento and arrived at the race area barely 4 hours before the start time. What amazed me most was that he just finished a 100-mile race in Florida two weeks before this run and drove his car from Maryland to Florida and back. And after the Bandit 50K Race, he would drove back to Sacramento to catch up with his flight back to Maryland the following day! This is the reason why I call him, “The Machine”!

The trip by car from our house to the State Park in Simi Valley was about 45 minutes and I was at the assembly area one hour before the start time. Runners would fall in line on their respective distance booth and the Race Packet and Loot Bag were given after stating your last & first names to the volunteers. Very easy and well-organized.

Photo-Ops With The 3 Bandits & Friends @ Starting Line

After pinning my race bib, it was time to look for Ben Gaetos and Gilbert Gray. It was already daybreak when I was able to see them barely 30 minutes before gun start. It was some sort of a reunion and I was very relaxed with the expectation to finish the race within the cut-off time. Few minutes before the gun start, Ben Gaetos told us that we will see each other at the Finish Line which means that he is going to race and finish strong in this event. Gilbert and I positioned ourselves at the back of the pack and we both knew that it would be a long day for us on the trails!

Gilbert & I Were At The Back Of The Pack

After a simple countdown, the race started at exactly 7:00 AM. Gilbert and I were at the back of the pack trying to warm-up with our slow jog but we can still see the runners in front of us. We went around the park on a wider trail for about a mile and then passed by the place where we started. After that short flat loop, we turned right into a wooden bridge and that was the start of almost 2 kilometers of winding single track trail going up to the peak of the mountain. Gilbert and I started to power walk all the way to the peak where the first Checkpoint/Aid Station was located. On top of the ridge, the trail was on top of a mountain made of rock and we simply jogged on this part.

After the exposed mountain rock, we followed a trail that brought us for some shade and vegetation until we went down from a mountain that leads to a subdivision/group of newly-constructed houses. We ran on the asphalted roads of this affluent neighborhood until we followed a road that goes to another mountain. Before going up to another mountain, this was where the 2nd Aid Station was set-up to serve a lot of food and drinks. This was where I saw boiled small potatoes were served with salt to dip on.

From the 2nd Aid Station, we had to face another mountain which was exposed to the sun. It was hot during the day that I had to drink a lot. It was on this portion of the course that I thought I was dehydrated and tried to look for Coke for some “sugar rush”. It was only when we reached the turn-around point at the Km 25 that I was able to refill my bottles. This was where the 3rd Aid Station was located. But my mistake was not to take a drink from the ice-cold coke offered at the Aid Station. I relied on the electrolytes that I brought with me in my pack which was my first time to use.

Picture Taken By Ben Gaetos Before The Km 25 Mark

Picture Taken By Gilbert Gray While Meeting Ben Before Km 25

I was still strong from the turn-around point up to the 2nd/4th Aid Station. Gilbert and I ate some foods at the 2nd/4th Aid Station and we stayed longer to mix my drinks and engage short conversation with the volunteers and other runners trying to refill and eat at the said place. From the 2nd/4th Aid Station, we started to jog and walk but the heat of the sun was too much to bear but I tried my best to power walk on the inclines and slowly jog on the downhill parts of the course.

...And Uphill Challenge! — …And Uphill Challenge!

On our last 15 kilometers, I started to have cramps on my quads and I had to stop to stretch the affected parts and Gilbert Gray was there to see to it that I was fine. Slowly, we walked on a long stretch of uphill road to the top of the mountain and I was on survival mode! When we reached the peak of the long uphill road on the last mountain which is about 5 kilometers from the Finish Line, I thought I could no longer move my legs! This is where I analyzed my mistakes in joining this race. No decent “back to back” long runs and introducing a new electrolyte mix in this race! I told Gilbert that I have to finish this race and consider it as my long slow distance run even if I slowed down from my past 50K trail run in the United States. Gilbert was very patient with me as he would start a conversation that would boost my ego and morale. He would tell me that people with my age (60 years old) would be fat and sitting in front of their TV set and constantly visiting their medical practitioners for their health problems.

A Pose With Simi Valley On The Background

As part of our brief rests, we would take some photos of us on the last few kilometers of the course. The 1st/last Aid Station was a blessing to us as we had the last cup of Coke and there was a towel soaked in an ice water which I rubbed on my head, nape and face. From here, it was our last 3 kilometers and we simply started to run on switchbacks going down the mountain (the first mountain that we peaked). Our pace in going down the mountain was so fast as if somebody was behind trying to overtake us on that single-track trail. Gilbert and I were excited to cross the wooden bridge where his wife was located trying to get a picture of us. At this point, we were 400 meters away from the Finish Line.

Few meters from the Finish Line, Gilbert and I held our hands up high until we crossed the Finish Line. We had an identical time of 8:07:19 hours, placing 119 and 120, respectively out of 140 Finishers. Ben Gaetos crossed the Finish Line one hour ahead of us. He was really fast on his way back to the Finish Line.

Tres Bandidos With Their Finisher's Medals — Tres Bandidos With Their Finisher’s Medals

If I have the chance to join this race again in the future, I would gladly prepare and try to improve my time and correct my mistakes. I am highly recommending this race for those who usually visit California and Los Angeles during the month of February.

If you are interested to know more about this race, you can visit its website on http://banditultratrailrun.com.

Keep on running!

(Note: Some of the pictures were taken by Ben Gaetos & Gilbert Gray! Thanks!)

New Tag Line

On April 15, 2013 By kingofpotsIn Running, Trail Running, Travel, Ultramarathon2 Comments

If you look closer on my blog’s title, I have changed my old tag line which had been there for the past five years. I have decided that I should have a new one and a more “focused” identity to this blog.

So, there you have it. The new tag line is, “My Journey In Ultra Running”.

Keep on running!

In Itogon, Benguet (Photo By Michael Lafuente)

Fear Of Darkness

On April 2, 2013 By kingofpotsIn Insights, Jogging, Military, Pictures, Practice Runs, Races, Runners Accessories, Runners' Training, Running, Trail Running, Travel, Ultramarathon2 Comments

You always hear the usual greetings, “ Welcome to the Dark World of Ultra Running”, when you finish an ultra race. The way I understand the greetings or statement is that an ultra runner needs to run and finish the race at all cost with his/her strength within the prescribed cut-off time which can last till night time or till the next day. It also means that an ultra runner should also come into reality that running in darkness is part and parcel of being an ultra runner.

As I progressed from 50K distance to 100+kilometer distance races and in my personal experiences in my multi-day adventure runs, I learned to appreciate running at nighttime or in darkness. It came to a point that I have to train and run more kilometers in my training during nighttime. Slowly, I am starting to appreciate the meaning of the said greetings.

In the ultra races that I organize and direct, most especially on the 100-miler distances, like the BDM 160 and TD100, I observed that runners have the fear of darkness, moreso, when they have almost completed one half of the course. This is where I received information of runners of declaring themselves as DNF in the race.

Despite the completeness of lighting equipment of the runners, the fear of running in the darkness comes into their minds. What could be the reason why runners have the tendency to quit the race when darkness comes? If you ask me, I really don’t know why!

Some runners are afraid of dogs on the streets and trails during nighttime and I could understand their predicament. But based from stories from ultra runners, running in darkness alone saps the strength and mental fortitude of an ultra runner. Could it be that this observaton is only applicable to Pinoy ultra runners? I personally don’t believe so. I firmly believe that Pinoy ultra runners are brave to run in darkness.

So, how do we deal with the fear of darkness in ultra running?

In my experience as past military commander, darkness is always a friend of the troops. Soldiers move silently under the cover of darkness in order to “surprise” the enemy and ultimately, defeating them. Some runners also adopt such stealth tactics in ultra races when they put-off their headlights to “surprise” their targets as they get nearer and pass them. Always think that darkness is your constant ally during the run. Don’t believe on ghosts or vampires roaming around you waiting to strike you. There are no such things or creatures! If somebody appears in darkness and it is moving, most likely, it is a human being like you or an animal roaming around the place.

In this age of high technology, there are lighting equipment, i.e. headlamps and hand-held flashlights which have high and powerful illumination with lesser use of power/batteries. There are also batteries which can give extended period of constancy for the illumination needed for these headlamps. Get these “high-tech” headlamps and flashlights and use them in your night runs. It is advisable to use them during your training runs in order to find out for yourself if the advertised capabilities of these equipment are true or not. Never use “new” lighting equipment on race day. And bring extra batteries for your headlamps and flashlights. For better illumination on the course, use both your headlamp and hand-held flashlight. The headlamp is focused on the road/trail (where the feet are leading to) and the hand-held flashlight is directed on a wider-angle in front of you covering both sides of the road/trail.

Most of the time, fear of darkness is attributed or caused by human beings or animals you meet on the course of your run. In my experience, I usually wave my hand and start a conversation by greeting the individual with the usual “Good Evening” or saying, “We are in a middle of a “Fun Run” or “I am jogging to this place and I started from this place”. Always start the conversation and try to look them on their faces. But most of all, simply smile at them and show on your face that you are having fun and enjoying the run. As for stray dogs, simply walk and observe the movement of the dogs. Directing the light of your flashlight to the face of the barking dogs could also “stun” them temporarily.

Gaining 100% confidence running in darkness is through running the course on nighttime. If the course is not available or accessible, you can find a place that resembles the elevation or terrain of the course. Try running alone on this course using your headlamp and/or flashlight not once but as many as you can. Repetition of such workout during nighttime conditions the mind to be relaxed and focused.

Sometimes, having a “buddy” who trains with you could also give confidence and solve your problem of the fear of darkness. Get somebody who would be your pacer or somebody who have the same pace and strength as with you. But you must be always prepared for the “worst” scenario if your “buddy” declares himself as DNF. Get somebody as your “reserve” pacer or “buddy” or wait for another runner to pass you and stick with the said runner as you continue your run. Make that runner as your “point man” along the course.

If you are preparing for a 100K or 100-mile trail ultra marathon, running at nighttime should be your friend and ally.

Next topic…Fear Of Coldness…soon!

@Mt Ugo Trail Marathon (Photo Courtesy of Darkroom Running Photographers)

Guimaras 110K Run

On March 23, 2012March 27, 2012 By kingofpotsIn Food & Dishes, Insights, Jogging, Places to Run, Races, Runner's Fashion/Attire, Runners Accessories, Runners' Training, Running, Sports Program, Travel, Ultramarathon108 Comments

1:00 AM To 8:20 PM, March 20, 2012/Start & Finish @ The Provincial Capitol

On the last week of February, I made a trip to Guimaras Island purposely to visit the place, talk to the Provincial Governor, and recon the circumferential road with a plan to have it as a venue for the incoming PAU National Championships which I scheduled for September 15, 2012.

Despite my initial coordination with the Office of the Governor of Guimaras, my contact person informed me that Gov. Felipe Nava and his wife left for Manila for an important meeting the day before I arrived in the island. So, we had to make some adjustments for the initial coordination.

Provincial Board Member Roy Habana was our savior for the trip. He happens to be a former police officer and personally knows my Uncle-General of the former Philippine Constabulary who was also assigned in the Visayas Area. I explained the purpose of my visit in the island-province to Board Member Habana and he positively endorsed my plan to the Provincial Tourism Officer. After almost one hour of meeting with the Capitol’s Staff concerned on the preparation of my event, the good and very accommodating Board Member Roy invited us for a trip around the island with him as our driver!

For almost 3-4 hours trip on the road around the island, Board Member Roy was our “tourist guide” and host for our “impromtu” lunch prepared and coordinated by her wife in Buenavista, Guimaras (the busiest town of the island). It is in this recon trip that I started to appreciate and love the beauty of the different scenery around the island. Each town has a distinct characteristic of its own which I wanted to feel and see while I am actually running on the ground.

My initial impression of the place is that, this is a “paradise” for ultrarunners! No frills, no vehicular traffic, very nice scenery, challenging terrain of the route, nice people, air quality is very good and above all, a very peaceful environment. No restrictions on what side of the road you would like to run and I intend to allow the use of earphones for the race!

The purpose of my day trip to the island had been attained. Before I left the island, I promised to Board Member Roy that I’ll be back soon for me to actually run around the island. He was amazed! He told me that I will set the record and history for the island for the first runner to run around the island-province! I smiled at him and expressed my heartfelt thanks for the hospitality given during my stay.

Fast Forward. Almost after three weeks, I landed in the Iloilo Airport (again, for the 2nd time this year) with my support crew/security waiting for me. Visiting Iloilo City is not complete if I don’t have my lunch at the Mang Inasal Resto inside the SM Mall in the city, a practice or habit I developed when I was a Division Commander of the Philippine Army in this area. After lunch, I bought my nutritional and hydration needs at the SM Grocery. Top on the list are “Biscocho” & “Butterscotch” from Biscocho Haus; lots of Gardenia Loaf Bread & a bottle of Lily’s Peanut Butter; SMB Pale Pilsen in Cans; Mountain Dew; Nescafe Latte in Cans; Gatorade Powder Mix (I brought it with me); and Absolut Bottled Water. (Yes, I drink beer during my adventure runs!)

A boat ride (each boat is good for 50 passengers) from the city to the island of Guimaras followed after leaving the SM Mall. The fare is only Fifteen Pesos (P 15.00) per person and in 20-25 minutes, we were at the Jordan’s Port in the island. The boat ride was slower this time as compared on my first visit because of the rains, strong winds, and cloudy skies but the sea water is always calm in between Iloilo and Guimaras.

The generosity and hospitality of the Province is superb! Governor Nava prepared for my team’s free hotel accommodation and 50% discount on food for two days at the Raymen Beach Resort in Barangay Alubihod, Nueva Valencia, Guimaras plus the dedicated support vehicle, an Escapade Nissan Van (but I had to buy for the diesel/gas during the whole trip) ! The place, beach, water and amenities are great. Although it is far from the Provincial Capitol, my stay in this place was very relaxing!

As soon as the team was settled in the resort, I met my support crew/security and briefed them about the details of my adventure run. My run would start infront of the Provincial Capitol in Barangay San Miguel, Jordan at 1:00 AM the following day and the run will go on a counter-clockwise direction around the island. My team was advised to sleep immediately after the briefing with a dinner call at 7:30 PM and then sleep again; and then with a “wake-up” call at 12:00 Midnight before going to the Starting Line. My support vehicle would “leap-frog” every 2 kilometers with a motorbike-riding-in-tandem would be on my tail. This adventure run would follow an ala-military operations style of implementation so that it will come out with a successful result! There should be no point where mistakes/errors should be committed.

At 00:45 AM, I was met by Board Member Roy Habana infront of the Provincial Capitol. Wow! I really admire this guy! I am not surprised why the people of Guimaras would elect him to his elective post every election year! My salute to this fine gentleman who is known from his unblemished and outstanding service in the Philippine National Police! We had a brief talk and he wished me good luck before I started my run. After offering a personal prayer for this run, I left the Starting Area at exactly 1:00 AM of March 20, 2012.

My run from the Provincial Capitol was generally downhill but there are also places where there are uphill climbs for the rest of the town of Jordan until I reached the boundary of Nueva Valencia, which is the next town. Nueva Valencia offers a mix of rolling hills just like Jordan but the southernmost part area in this town has a lot of places where it seems there is only the town of Nueva Valencia that covers the whole province! After covering a distance of 42K, I was still in the said town!

It was about sunrise when I saw a lone runner sprinting uphill doing his morning run in one of the last barangays of Nueva Valencia. He was the only runner whom I saw during my run. Nueva Valencia-Sibunag area has a lot fishponds and the scenery was simply refreshing to the eyes! Most of the Sibunag roads are under construction and there are sparse places where runners would encounter uphill climbs!

I would religiously follow my Gymboss setting of 3-minute run & 45-second brisk walk for the first 50 kilometers of my run and I did not feel any pain or imminent attack of cramps on my calves. I was fresh and still strong! Every 2 kilometers, I would eat 2 pieces of “biscocho” and 2 pieces of “butterscotch” with water or gatorade mix and the drill was repeated throughout my run. This is not an advertisement for Biscocho Haus of Iloilo City but that was my nutritional intake for the whole run. If you have tasted these two delicacies already, then you know already why it powers me up during this run!

Board Member Roy Habana linked up with me in the boundary of Sibunag & San Lorenzo for my breakfast/lunch in a roadside eatery/resto where I ate the best “native chicken” tinola in the region with lots of broth! I was simply feeling cold because of my damp running apparel brought about by the rain during the run but the hot broth/soup of the dish kept me warm and my leg muscles’ fresh! I think we stopped for 40 minutes for lunch as more interesting conversation cropped up with the good host-Board Member Roy. Well, he paid for our lunch, to include the police escorts’ meal! Being the Chairman of the Peace & Order of the Provincial Council, he made sure that I was properly escorted by the PNP in every municipality of the Province! Amazing! I did not get this kind of treatment & attention when I was still in the active military service!

As I resumed my run, Board Member Roy passed by on a muddy part of a road under construction and said that he will be going ahead and hope to see me finish at the Provincial Capitol.

I made a discovery that I could run stronger and my endurance last longer if I drink 2-3 cans of beer during my adventure runs. Drinking one can at a time should be spaced properly during such runs. One should not drink more than one can every pit stop! I usually start to drink beer after finishing the marathon distance of 42K (at least, one can to reward myself for finishing the marathon distance) and from there every 10K, I take a sip and once I finished my 2nd marathon distance (84-85K), I should have finished my 2nd can of beer. However, every 2-Kilometer “pit-stop”, I have to drink water or Gatorade and ingest “biscocho & butterscotch”! The 3rd can of beer is taken after finishing my run! It worked well with me.

However, there are times when I fell sleepy while taking my time to finish my 2nd can of beer. The solution is to bring out my Nescafe Latte or Espresso Blend in Cans to perk me up. Espresso Blend is better though because of its strong bitter taste!

As I approached the 90-Kilometer mark all the way to the Finish Line, it’s time to bring out the most powerful source of sugar/glucose—Mountain Dew!

The strong headwinds and crosswinds of San Lorenzo almost zapped my strength on this run. The road is so flat that I was bent on increasing my pace but the wind was so strong that I spent so much force to maintain my short but quick strides. As usual, I was maintaining my Heart Rate of not going beyond 150 beats per minute for the whole duration of this run. There is no use to battle it out with the wind and I concentrated on following my Gymboss setting.

After the strong winds in San Lorenzo, here comes now the start of never-ending uphill climbs once I approached the town of Buenavista. Board Member Roy told me beforehand that there is only one uphill climb from San Lorenzo going to Buenavista, but he was wrong. I think I counted four (4) major uphill climbs before I reached the town!

Passing along the Poblacion of Buenavista was a blast! Board Member Roy, his wife and friends were on the roadside cheering and clapping their hands as I passed by! This town could be the busiest town in the island with lots of people/students leaving their schools; lots of people going and coming out of the public market; and vehicles/tricycles plying along the road.

I was scheduled to reach the finish line between 6:00 and 7:00 PM but the hills in Buenavista and Jordan prevented me from attaining it. It was getting darker already when I slowly ascended each of these hills that I had to brisk walk and took my time to breath the fresh air around. At this point, I was starting to feel the most awaited thing in endurance sports—pain, agony and suffering for an ultrarunner. I was already on my last 10 kilometer before the finish line and all the pains coming from all parts of my body were starting to appear. It is a warning that I need to take something solid in my stomach. I am lucky that we bought a lot of “biscocho & butterscotch”! Biscocho Haus’ products & Mountain Dew are the best food & hydration on this part of my run!

The last 10-kilometer distance in all my adventure runs is simply the hardest but the sweetest of them all. You can easily forget your first 10 kilometers in every ultrarunning race but the last 10 kilometers will always remain in your thoughts that gives a special signature or significance of the race/run that you have successfully finished! This is where you remember to recite and shout your favorite running mantra; this where the “demons and angels” of running will argue with each other; this is where “mind over body” would work; this is where you determine what you are made of; this where you remember your loved ones who are rooting for you to finish this race; this is where you think of your inspiration; this is where you curse yourself why you are doing this run/race; and lastly, this is where you separate yourself from being an ordinary “running boy or girl”! This is where you think that you are a brave “warrior” and nobody would defeat you in order to win your battle!

The last 10 kilometers were challenging part of the route indeed! My Garmin Forerunner 305 would prove that the Provincial Capitol sits on the peak of the highest hill in Jordan, Guimaras! I finally reached the exact place where I started my run infront of the Provincial Capitol with a clock time of 8:20 PM of the same day which means that I finished my run in 19:20+ hours for a distance of 110 Kilometers.

Hereunder are the summary of data taken from my two (2) GF 305:

Distance: 110 Kilometers

Time: 19:20:04 hours

Average HR: 135 beats per minute (bpm)

Maximum HR: 149 beats per minute (bpm)

Total Calories Spent: 5,066 cal

Total Ascent: 3,663 meters (12, 088 ft)

Total Descent: 3,653 meters (12,055 ft)

Running Kit:

Under Armour Compression Shirt

CW-X Compression Shorts

Drymax Socks

ASICS Gel-Tarther

Under Armour Runner’s Cap

Nathan “Sprint” Watter Bottle

Peltz Headlight

2 GF 305 Watches with Heart Monitor

Ice Bandana

Oakley Sunglasses

Gymboss

After a dinner of Fresh Fish Sinigang, Native Chicken Adobo, Pancit Canton and lots Guimaras Mangoes, I was already on my bed snoring loudly. After almost 9 hours of sleep, I was already on the salty waters of the beach soaking my tired legs for almost 30 minutes.

Before my team left the island, I had the chance to personally talk to Governor Nava about my run and my plan to hold the PAU National Championships in his province in the later part of the year. He appreciated my feat in running the whole island and he told me that I made a history in the island as the first and only person (and the only retired Major General of the AFP) to have run around the island in a single stage. He also appreciates my purpose of bringing “Sports Tourism” in the province.

A visit to Guimaras is not complete if you have not tasted and brought back home the sweetest mango in the world—Guimaras Mangoes! “Nothing Beats The Guimaras Mango”!!!

See you in Guimaras in September 2012!

WC 200: 2nd Attempt (2nd Day)

On November 14, 2011 By kingofpotsIn Insights, Jogging, Pictures, Places to Run, Running, Travel, UltramarathonLeave a comment

September 22, 2011: From Botolan to Santa Cruz, Zambales

After 4.5 hours of sleep at the Circles Inn in Botolan, Zambales, I had my shower and ready for the second day of my run. My team and I went to the commercial center of Iba, Zambales and chose Mang Inasal for our brunch.

One for the customers talked to me (seeing my ARC Los Angeles shirt) and she is apparently a United States’ resident who was born in Iba, Zambales and is the owner of one of the Beach Resorts which is situated at least 2-3 kilometers north of the Poblacion. After our brunch, we went back to the place where I stopped at the vicinity of Poblacion Botolan, Zambales. After some preparation for my hydration and food, I finally started my run at 11:00 AM and the weather was cloudy with a 100% chance of rains later in the day.

After covering a distance of 6 kilometers, I was already at the center of Iba, Zambales, the capital town of the province. There was a portion where there is one way street for vehicles going to the north as well as those going to the opposite direction. I took the road where vehicles going to the North would usually take. It was uneventful as I was able to cover another 3-4 kilometers away from the town.

Slept For 1 1/2 Hours After Taking In Some Food

I really didn’t know what hit me as it started to rain/drizzle and started to feel weak. I took a rest in one of the waiting sheds along the road and asked my crew to serve me some solid foods and Ensure Drinks. However, after drinking the Ensure Drinks, I felt sleepy and just laid down on my back.

I woke up after 1 ½ hours and started to eat some solid foods. Even it was noisy due to the sounds of the passing tricycles, I was able to have the much-desired rest. I immediately prepared myself to continue my run. I was aware that from this place I will have to encounter some hilly portions along the route.

The plan for the day was to cover as much as many kilometers for the day until the night and the following morning.

It was already at 5:00 PM when I was approaching the next town, Palauig, most especially near the Headquarters of the 24^th
Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army. Having arranged beforehand about my run through their Area of Responsibility, I knew that the Battalion Commander will provide me with security personnel in civilian attire along the route. This part of the route was mountainous and for security reasons, there is a need to be cautious about the place.

Approaching The 24th IB Headquarters In Palauig, Zambales

After passing the highest peak in the said town, I had another “pit stop” before running through the night. I had to choose to stop infront of the Iglesia Ni Kristo churches along the way because it is well-lighted and the personnel/guards on their gates were very accommodating. We plugged on their electric outlets for the needed heating of our water in our electric thermos. The INK Church and its people in Palauig, Zambales were great!

At first, there were two motorcycle-riding intelligence personnel of the Philippine Army who gave me the security along the way through the night who would alternately switched from one position to another—one is pre-positioned at least one kilometer ahead and one is at least on my back at a seeing distance. These guys pretended to be like locals and they tried to be discrete on their locations and actions. It was fine with me as long as I have somebody to secure my movement during the night.

At midnight, these two personnel were changed with two personnel with a single motorcycle and they did what they were tasked. After an hour of running, I asked them to join me in my “pit stop” and shared my food (coffee and sandwich) to them. Conversations with them on my “pit stops” gave me more information about the place and its people.

"Pit Stop" Infront of the Iglesia Ni Kristo's Church In Masinloc, Zambales

The mountains and hills of Palauig and Masinloc of Zambales were not noticed as I was running in the dark but I had to “power walk” on those inclines and jog/run on the descending portions of the route. These places are a “must” for cyclists to train and see the beauty of the province. The town of Candelaria was uneventful as the route started to level off until I reached the town of Santa Cruz, Zambales.

At 5:30 AM on the following day, I reached the Poblacion of Santa Cruz, Zambales, the last town of the province and decided to have a rest/break. I was able to run a distance of 66+ kilometers on my second day. For the two days that I’ve been running, I was able to cover a distance of 141 kilometers.

Not being able to look for a decent place to stay within the town, I had to drive all the way to Alaminos, Pangasinan, 60 kilometers away, for the much-needed rest.

To be continued.

“Good Samaritan”

On October 4, 2011February 25, 2012 By kingofpotsIn Insights, Jogging, Pictures, Runners' Training, Running, Travel, Ultramarathon2 Comments

I never met this guy, Andre Blumberg from Hongkong, in person but we are “friends” on Facebook and I’ve seen him joined in this year’s TNF 100K in Bicol through pictures of other runners posted at Facebook. He had been travelling to other countries just to participate in TNF’s and other Ultra Races and he also finished the TNF 100 in Australia last June of this year. We were supposed to meet at this year’s MIWOK 100 last May at the Marin Headlands in San Francisco, California as he got a lottery slot for the race. But it never happened as he can not make it to the United States due to work commitments.

Last September 6, he sent me a message on Facebook which I’ll repost in this blog and it is self-explanatory:

Dear Sir Jovie,
As you may we aware we will have the second Vibram HK100 event here in Hong Kong, along the famous MacLehose trail. 100km distance, around 4.5k vertical. It will take place on 18/19 Feb. Last year Lizzy Hawker joined, and no doubt next year there will be some good international presence as well. I am not directly involved with the event but know the RDs well and would like to support the race since it is the only 100km solo event currently in HK (we have many other events including a very tough 156km one, but they are all team events with at least 2 members to a team).
I am very proud about the work you do for the ultra community in the Philippines. Whilst I did not have a chance yet to join any of your events (hopefully BDM160 next year), I cherish the Pinoy ultra community, largely because the people I met are all very friendly. I’ve worked in Manila for 6 months in the late 1990ies (but didn’t run at the time), so always keen to go back.
Anyhow, purpose of my note is the following: I would like to consider sponsoring one or two athletes in your team to join the HK100 event in order to give them international exposure. I have no specific arrangement in mind yet, but I could help out with sponsoring the entrance fee and/or hotel and/or flight, or parts thereof. I know there are many talented and very hard working runners and that many of them may not be able to afford traveling overseas for a race, hence I would like to support perhaps one male and one female athlete to join this event, ideally this would be runners that have good potential and who would “grow” by participating internationally. The HK100 is a qualifying event for UTMB, Comrades and Western States, so it could be a stepping stone for one of the truly big events. Would be interested in your thoughts on the above.

Thanks,
Andre.

I immediately sent this reply to him.

Dear Andre,

Wow! I am amazed with your gesture to help/support one/two of our pinoy ultrarunners. I could not imagine a foreigner offering such support. All along my blog and status at Facebook had been sending the message to my readers to support our elite athletes to international exposure and I am really surprised that you understood the predicament we have here.

Your offer is very timely as I am in a venture to send at least one/two elite runners to WS100 in 3 years time. I’ve talked already to two of my athletes and they have started training for the said goal. They wll be competing in the IAU Asian 100K Championship in Jeju on the last Saturday of March 2012 (1st weekend of April).

However, I have another 2 elite ultra runners whom I have to talk about your offer. I will update you on this matter in the coming days.

I will be sending an e-mail soon for us to discuss the details.

Thanks! God bless!

Sir Jovie

Why am I posting these exchange of messages in my blog? Because for the past THREE YEARS that I’ve been promoting ultrarunning races on the Philippines, nobody cared to have the INITIATIVE to offer any kind of support to our elite athletes for INTERNATIONAL exposure. Except for those “usual suspects” in ultrarunning whom I’ve been asking for support, I was able to bring two (2) of our elite long distance runners to the IAU Asian 100K Championship in Jeju, South Kore last year. Alquin Bolivar of the Philippine Army was able to set a National Record of 9:06+ hours for the said event where he placed #6 beating other countries.

I don’t want to mention the names of corporations and private institutions/Race Organizers who had been engaged in promoting their products and corporate names through running, and who should/must be at the forefront of having the initiative to help our elite athletes in international exposure. I am sorry to say that our ultrarunning as a sports could not be supported by the government as the different Sports Federations in the country are competing with each other for the funds coming from the Philippine Sports Commission. As I said before, the VISION of our Sports Federations only goes up having a Podium Finish at the SOUTHEAST ASIAN GAMES! And the government ONLY recognizes an athlete or a team if he/she/it wins a World’s or International Event.

Have you noticed that Race Organizers in our Marathon Races could not even send their (Pinoy) Winners to some of the prestigious Wold’s Championship in Marathon like Boston, New York, Chicago, Berlin or London? I don’t know the reason why, BUT they could send an AVERAGE competetive runner to these Marathon Races through sponsorship! It boggles my mind as I am not envious with this kind of arrangement. It is simply a waste of resources sending such runners instead of sending our top elite runners who can really compete with the world’s best runners! It is the truth and I am sorry that, reality bites!

I had experienced “begging” to the government (to include politicians) and to some of the known private corporations in the past, most specifically when I planned to launch the 1st BDM 102 and most of them did not offer any support and as a result, I made a promise to myself that I will never attempt to do it again. I am satisfied and contended that I have “friends” who can understand my message in this blog and willing to support in my endeavors for the simple reason of promoting the sports of Ultra Running.

To Andre and to the “usual suspects” in ultra running, thank you for your INITIATIVE to support our Sports and to our elite athletes! God bless!

Andre Blumberg In Action (Taken From Andre's Facebook Wall)

So, if you are awaken to what I am driving at in this post, then I will be glad to accept voluntary offers to support our elite athletes in order to bring them to international exposure, whether in Asia, Europe or in the United States. You can send a message on Facebook or send me a note to my e-mail address at jovie75@hotmail.com. It’s about time we have to hear from you. Don’t wait for a foreigner to be more generous to us than from a full-blooded Pinoy. Let us help one another!

Nalpasen!

On September 25, 2011 By kingofpotsIn Insights, Jogging, Pictures, Places to Run, Runners' Training, Running, Travel, Ultramarathon7 Comments

It’s an Ilocano word for “It’s Done”.

I finished my self-proclaimed “West Coast 200-Kilometer Endurance Run” in 57:48:32 hours with the route along the Olongapo-Bugallon Highway from the Remy Field’s Oval Track at Subic Freeport to Alaminos, Pangasinan.

This is the summary of my daily runs:

September 21 (Wednesday). I was able to complete a distance of 73.5 kilometers, from the Remy Field’s Oval Track to the Poblacion of Botolan, Zambales with 18 hours on the road to include “pit stops”. Average Heart Rate: 135 bpm

September 22 (Thursday). I was able to complete a distance of 67 kilometers from Botolan, Zambales to the Poblacion of Santa Cruz, Zambales (the last town before reaching the boundary of Pangasinan). It took me almost 16 hours on the road to include “pit stops” and sleep in waiting sheds along the road. Average Heart Rate: 132 bpm

September 23 (Friday). I simulated this run at my own “race pace” which I purposely did at nighttime. I was able to complete the remaining 60.4 kilometers in 9:48:32 hours to include brief “pit stops” and some “photo-ops”. Average Heart Rate: 138 bpm.

I was able to finish my self-proclaimed run in almost 3 days with an average daily distance of 66+ kilometers! This could be my best performance in my adventure runs despite some setbacks (dog bites, LBM, recovery from my left knee injury and inclement weather on my last day’s run). A big improvement from my best daily run of 55 kilometers during my 1st adventure run from Manila to Baguio City.

This feat would not be possible without the snappy performance of my support team (a driver and a support crew). I would like also to thank my sponsors—A Runners Circle Specialty Store; FrontRunner Magazine, Northern Luzon Command of the AFP, 7th Infantry Division & 24th Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army, and Reinier Pacific for their support on this adventure run.

Details on my training and preparation, details of the route and personal thoughts during the run, my running kit, and my daily experiences & photos will posted soon in this blog.

Leaving Sta. Cruz, Zambales & Going Towards Infanta, Pangasinan

3 Kilometers Away From The Finish Line (Alaminos, Pangasinan)

Finished The Run at The Alaminos-Sual Diversion Road

Now, it’s time to rest and recover and make a detailed account of this adventure run. How I wished I could post a “near real-time” account of this run but due to weak Internet connection along most of the the areas of the route, my time could had been wasted just to look for reliable signal or places with WiFi connections.

My special appreciation goes also to those who prayed and wished for my fast recovery/treatment for my dog bites and those who wished me for my safety and best of health during the duration of my run and trip in this latest adventure run. As always, this adventure run is dedicated to all the runners out there, whether you are a novice/beginner; average runner; or a seasoned ultra runner.

See you on the road and trails!

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