Yes. I did it! I finally did it! Happy, relieved thoughts pervaded my mind as I finally hit the mat with a 1:57:18 performance. My first ever sub-2 hour half marathon. Whew. Would you look at that.
YES!!But one would fail to grasp the pure significance of the moment if we fail to look back to where it all started..... If they say success is measured by how many times you bounce back from failure, then my case would be the optimus exempoator of this adage.
Greenfield Run, Kilometer 17
I am dead tired. I want to die. I am never, EVER doing this again . This is SO STUPID. My feet are on fire. I drove here to Laguna at like 3 in the morning. Normal people are still asleep!! Gak .I can barely breathe. This Takbo.ph girl, what's her name, Ellen? Oh lord I just ate her dust. My pathetic pace is too slow for her and I'm left gasping for air. My student Isha is at least ten minutes ahead of me. I am soooo way over my head here. Idon't want to run anymore. FIRST AND LAST. Oh the pain.
Finish Time : 2:19
Help my feet are burningBotak Paatibayan, Kilometer 20
I'm going to faint. Here it is. Goodbye Poise. Promise. Just a bit more. Sun.... heat.... need.... water . Seriously, who in the right mind would start a 21k at like 7:00 am??? I'm getting roasted here. Didn't put any sunblock, because it would affect my macho image. I should rename myself Fudgeman instead of Gingerbreadman. Oh the agony.... Kilometer 20, but the finish line seems an eternity away.......
Finish Time : 2:14
Would you still read The Fudgeman Report?
GBM loses by TKO Globe Run For Home, Kilometer 19
Oh the horror . I never should have even tried. I should have known that two weeks of no training combined with ultramarathon recovery would equate into the nightmare that is ITBS. Having to suffer the ignominy of walking to the finish line is embarassing to say the least. Hey, I guess this ain't so bad. At least my buddy Bong Yu essentially gave up his race to hang with me. What a class act. Oh, and here's the rest of the Takbo.ph gang! Sigh. Thanks guys you're the best. Ouch.
Finish Time : 3: and nevermind.
Rod Runner's header shows that every ounce of support was needed to get across the line Quezon City International Marathon, 19k
I think I have ran as strategically sound a race as I have ever had . With a target of anything below 2 hours, I believe I have set up the positive split - coast strategy as well as I have ever had. Integrated walk breaks for the first time in my relatively nascent running career, and guess what? They don't suck! They work! Such a festive atmosphere.
The venerable people at Runnex, specially the Jazzrunner Sir Rene Villarta did a yeoman's job on this. Balloon-wielding pacers, majorettes, numerous water stations. Awesome. Now all I have to do is coast and ... OMG im cramping! Nooooooo. Not now! Breathe, breathe. And my tummy hurts! That 100plus screwed me! It's carbonated! Waah. Can i hold on... just a bit more.... I refuse to be denied again. Not today.
Finish Time :1:57:18
Pacute before the race 
With Takbo.ph bossing/Manokan icon Jinoe 
With intense buddy Bong Yu 
The pain and the glory 
With Ryshel's little sisters 
Being interviewed by students from Quirino National High As I look back at the many times I have bombed, sucked, and been humbled at the distance, finally beating one of my major goals is but sweet solace . The personal best is but gravy.... getting through to the line with a smile on my face, with no injuries or otherwise untoward incident, is more than enough.
Oftentimes, getting to the destination is the be-all-end-all of the matter.
But through recounting the travails that got you there...
Oftentimes that's what makes it all the more sweeter.
Sweet victory, Mr. Gingerbreadman. Congratulations. Bask in the moment, my friend, it is a moment well-deserved :-)
Congratulations, buddy! Yes, I would still read the Fudgeman Report. See you in Subic! Remind me not to trail you. I don't like the taste of dust. :)
CONGRATULATIONS! Your training paid off :)
I hope I will be motivated as you are when I get back to running. My FIRST target is 5k for 20 mins :P haha! :) sana totoo :P
Share your secret training dear :D
-tin
epic! more victories to come, GBM!
Congratulations Luis!
For making it under 2 hours and for running injury free.
=)
congrats!!!!
I knew you were up for a fast time when i saw you "racing" on your way back! Congrats, Luis!:-)
Congrats, Luis. hope to see you again.
_xty
Congratulations!
m8parco
Thank you Ricow! All those lonesome days training finally paid off :P Yehey :) Next time ikaw na!
Jules thanks man! And I did not see you! What happened? Boo!
Tin thank you hehe! 20 minute 5k? 4 min/km pace woaaah!!! :)
Thanks Marvin! Lol epic. Was nice to have run with you even for a bit, was already in coasting mode couldn't keep up with your sub60 PR! :P
Thank you Haide! I was hoping to see you there! Sayang! Hope your race was awesome :)
Thanks Roel, and congrats on your 10k PR :)
Thank you so much Sir Rene, you did a tremendous job on this! Kudos to you and Runnex! I got the singlet from Pao btw :) Remembrance hehe.
Thank you Xty! It was nice seeing you and Vener on my way home hehe. Congrats on your crazy, powerful finish :P
Thank you so much Mark! Sa wakas hehe :)
Hey Luis, congratulations on your Sub 2 hours finish. :) This is just the start, there are still more PRs to break. :)
Congrats bro! I hope I can find time to tag along your training runs, para bumilis na din ako haha!
YUN OH! congrats! looks like i missed one hell of a week! nawala lang ako sandali may nadapa, may nag-PR, at may nag-1st 42K din!
as usual, great entry mr. gbm! :-)
Thank you so much Taki! Congrats on your sizzling 21k debut as well :P I hope to reach your level in 10 years haha :)
Naks nice CJ! Thank you! How was your KOTR eh? :) Eh wala, busy ka lagi hehe :) Quads feeling better?
Parkie! Thank you hehe! Where were you? We thought you were going to go with us to Subic :)Dami nga nangyari haha :)
Congratulations on the sub-2 finish! Do I hear a sub 1:50 next??? :-)
As an athletics coach I can totally understand the joy of breaking barriers.
Well Done.
Achieving personal goals is one of the best feelings ever. I work with children from 8 years up to 17 years old, the pride they show when winning a medal is amazing. Totally worth all that hard work and perseverance.
Thanks Al! Heheheeh wala malayo pa sa level mo! More years of training :)
Thanks Coach Gary. Modest goals for the meantime, just happy to clear one of them. Will just savor it a bit, got a long way to go! Thank you for dropping by.
That's amazing, Congratulations GBM. Your perseverance paid off well. My first and last 21k was also such a mess at 19k (http://ekxodus.blogspot.com/2008/11/body-cramping-marathon.html). And after that until now, I haven't tried the half marathon again.
Thanks for your experience, I now have some clinch of courage to try some 21k in the future :)
Thanks thanks man! Wow, cramps are such a pain to deal with. I want to try one of those salt sticks, just to see if it would work. You should! And you will do much better this time, you are more prepared mentally!