Last Sunday, all roads led to The Fort as the heavily anticipated New Balance Power Race was finally coming to fruition. Ondoy's onslaught had postponed the race from it's original Sept.27 playdate, and this gave me an opportunity to get myself a slot. As some of you may know, much to my chagrin I had missed the original registration cut, which then compelled me to make the infamous "Hitler finds out he didn't make it to New Balance" video.
I approached the race with a lot of enthusiasm as I would be joining a pace group for the first time ever. This emanated from a conversation on the Takbo.ph shoutbox, which sort of went like this :
GBM : Target ko mga 1:55 ayos nako dun. 1:57 ung PR ko, medjo sagad na.
VVinceth: Kaya yan sub 1:50. 1:45 pa nga. Even splits lang tayo, 5:10 pace lang yan!
jix_jixee : Uy ayos yan sama ako!
markhernz: Ganun ba? Kaya yan! Game!
TheRunningNinja: Game ako kahit saan, walang inuurungan!
GBM: !!!!!!
Meet the Gang
And thus, this ragtag pace group was born. I was hoping that running within a field of excellence, I would be prevailed upon to deliver a performance far beyond the realm of my capabilities. Hence, without further ado, let me introduce you to the members of my NB PAce Group :
Pat aka VVinceth/ The Running Safety Pin
With BunnyyyOur de facto anchor, Pat is easily the fastest and best-credentialed runner within the group. 45 minute 10k's and sub 1:45 minute 21k's are a relative walk in the park for him. It was with his relative optimism that we were actually enjoined to gun for a time that seemed to be way beyond my capabilities. Likes long walks on the beach and bunnies.
Jix aka Jix_Jixee
Another known Takbo.ph speedster whose relative pace is always about 5 minutes faster than my own, it is intended that his speedy ways would tow us to victory specially in the latter stages. His favorite movie is "The Notebook", and has an inherent dislike for Piolo that science alone could not explain.
He not likey Piolo either...Mark aka Markhernz/Running my Mouth
In just a few short months, this naturally athletic dude has not only jumped from a 5k to a full marathon, but has posted times most people only dream of in their lifetime. He has a penchant for not finding baggage counters, and is a full-blooded Lasallian (useless trivia)
Masel Man MarkSam aka TheRunningNinja
If other pace groups have celebrities like Jaime Zobel deAyala or Tessa Prieto, we have our own celebrity! And he is none other than... Sam the Running Ninja! One of the most recognizable faces in the blogosphere, it never hurts to have him around :P He likes fast cars, and doesn't like motorcycles, hospitals, and Gas station restrooms.
Celebrity NinjaStarting Corral
Excitement was milling at the starting corral as the 21k runners were herded en masse. I was quite happy that Extribe was enforcing the "no check-in, no-entry rule", much in the same way that Condura does it. This makes for a much more orderly assembly. +1 brownie point to them. As Mark, Sam, and myself squeezed ourselves towards the front of the pack, we realized that Pat and Jix would be banditing the race. Sweet.
Brownie point!
Fun Starting Um, Horn?
As people were revving up for the starting gun, the runners spontaneously burst into laughter as the start of the race was ushered in by... a foghorn. Ooooh. Good vibes.
Foghorns = Quick Laughs
A Blistering Start
The first 10k was highlighted by Pat's even split strategy reaping dividends for our group, as we covered the first 10k below 50 minutes. This had me questioning my positive splitting ways, as I essentially achieved the same result - without feeling like dying after. We gradually lost track of Mark after the 6k point, and Sam was startling the crap out of us with his "fartlek-the-hills-then-grunt-like-the-Olympic-hammer-throw-champion strategy". Apparently, this primal act (like any other) zaps the energy out of even the best of them, and by the 10th kilometer turnaround our celebrity buddy had dropped behind, leaving Pat, Jix, and myself to carry the cudgels for our group.
Primal screams... are fun.
Surpise Surprise!
In a minor shocker, speedy Jix was fading badly at the onset of the Bayani Road inclines. When one of your best runners starts to labor with the route, oftentimes your thought process would get inundiated with self-doubt. Hey, if he's fading, I've got to be next. Which brings us to the next portion of this paragraph, the "Why Did Jixee Fade At NB" contest.
Could it be :
1. He had a hot date the night before who made him mutter "Running Sux" 100 times
2. His date promised him "favors" if he accomplished #1 while finishing an entire bottle of Patron in less than 30 minutes
3. In offering the proverbial olive branch, Piolo offered to hook him up with his Kapamilya friends if he stopped pacing this GBM character, if only to make his future 21k target a lot easier.
Send in your entries, correct answer gets a prize. I'll ask Jixee the answer.......tomorrow.
Piolo has done it again!
And Then There Were Two
The Exag Hills
From that point on, I would only see Pat one more time. He would fartlek to me, then fade back. Still no idea why he was doing that at the time. But i was steeling myself for the long haul. We had built enough of a cushion that I was on pace for a 1:49 or 1:50 finish if I kept my act together. But then.... the hills happened. Wow. These people know their stuff. What were they thinking?
Cut scene to Extribe Route Formulation Meeting over drinks
Extribe Person #1 : Why not at the end, let's add one loop around Mckinley?
Drunk Extribe Person #2 : Weeeeeh. That's sooooo generic. Make it two! Bwahahahaah.
Sadistic and Drunk Extribe Person # 3 : Whatever! I ain't running anyway! I hate athletic people! Make it three! Bwahahahahaahah!
Chorus: Bwahahaahahahahahahaha!!!!
Scene at Extribe before finalizing race route
So to make a long story short, they saved the hardest part of the race for last. We did practically three loops around that hilly area in Mckinley stretching to the British embassy and Enderun. Ugh. Under the beating heat of the sun,I surrendered three fat mid-6ish splits towards the end, and our hard-built lead was gone. Thankfully, it was still still substantial enough to snag me a 1:54:01 finish, good enough for a new 21k PR and 111th place amongst a very tough field of more than a 1,000 half-marathon runners. If we had hit out target 1:50 or below, that would have been good enough for somewhere around 70th place. As I said, tough crowd... because at QCIM my 1:57 was good for 47th place. More training! :)
Overall, kudos to Extribe for a good, albeit sadistic job on this race.Seriously though, I had no complaints whatsoever, this was as good as it gets in terms of race organization. Better known for their multisport events, Extribe is slowly building strong brand equity in the running scene. All of their races that I have ran so far have been very good. I know there was a slight snafu with the 10k route, a mystery that has since been solved.
With all things said and done, I'm pretty sure good ol' Hitler is churning in his grave now for missing one heck of a race. :P
Excitement was milling at the starting corral as the 21k runners were herded en masse. I was quite happy that Extribe was enforcing the "no check-in, no-entry rule", much in the same way that Condura does it. This makes for a much more orderly assembly. +1 brownie point to them. As Mark, Sam, and myself squeezed ourselves towards the front of the pack, we realized that Pat and Jix would be banditing the race. Sweet.
Brownie point! Fun Starting Um, Horn?
As people were revving up for the starting gun, the runners spontaneously burst into laughter as the start of the race was ushered in by... a foghorn. Ooooh. Good vibes.
Foghorns = Quick Laughs A Blistering Start
The first 10k was highlighted by Pat's even split strategy reaping dividends for our group, as we covered the first 10k below 50 minutes. This had me questioning my positive splitting ways, as I essentially achieved the same result - without feeling like dying after. We gradually lost track of Mark after the 6k point, and Sam was startling the crap out of us with his "fartlek-the-hills-then-grunt-like-the-Olympic-hammer-throw-champion strategy". Apparently, this primal act (like any other) zaps the energy out of even the best of them, and by the 10th kilometer turnaround our celebrity buddy had dropped behind, leaving Pat, Jix, and myself to carry the cudgels for our group.
Primal screams... are fun.Surpise Surprise!
In a minor shocker, speedy Jix was fading badly at the onset of the Bayani Road inclines. When one of your best runners starts to labor with the route, oftentimes your thought process would get inundiated with self-doubt. Hey, if he's fading, I've got to be next. Which brings us to the next portion of this paragraph, the "Why Did Jixee Fade At NB" contest.
Could it be :
1. He had a hot date the night before who made him mutter "Running Sux" 100 times
2. His date promised him "favors" if he accomplished #1 while finishing an entire bottle of Patron in less than 30 minutes
3. In offering the proverbial olive branch, Piolo offered to hook him up with his Kapamilya friends if he stopped pacing this GBM character, if only to make his future 21k target a lot easier.
Send in your entries, correct answer gets a prize. I'll ask Jixee the answer.......tomorrow.
Piolo has done it again!And Then There Were Two
With Jix gone, it was up to me and Pat to navigate the course. Having ran with Pat numerous times in the past, including the Botak Ultramarathon, this was not unfamiliar territory. As pacers go, it's terrific to have someone like the Energizer Bunny to drag you along when you're starting to slack off. The heat was starting to set in, and I needed all of the help that I could get.
Keeps going.... and going... and going....
Keeps going.... and going... and going....All By Myself....
Heading up to somewhere around the 13th or 14th km, cruise control mode was suddenly jarred when Ultraman Pat said "Una ka na". I thought, this was bordering on absurdity. No way Pat could fade, I mean, this is a guy that eats 100k for breakfast. I comforted myself in thinking this was a ploy with deeper profound meaning. In retrospect, I should have kept in mind that Pat was tapering for his Singapore marathon the following week. But at that point, with the heat of the sun beating down on me, this took me off my game plan. I had my work cut out for me then.
What's up Master Pat's sleeve?
Heading up to somewhere around the 13th or 14th km, cruise control mode was suddenly jarred when Ultraman Pat said "Una ka na". I thought, this was bordering on absurdity. No way Pat could fade, I mean, this is a guy that eats 100k for breakfast. I comforted myself in thinking this was a ploy with deeper profound meaning. In retrospect, I should have kept in mind that Pat was tapering for his Singapore marathon the following week. But at that point, with the heat of the sun beating down on me, this took me off my game plan. I had my work cut out for me then.
What's up Master Pat's sleeve?The Exag Hills
From that point on, I would only see Pat one more time. He would fartlek to me, then fade back. Still no idea why he was doing that at the time. But i was steeling myself for the long haul. We had built enough of a cushion that I was on pace for a 1:49 or 1:50 finish if I kept my act together. But then.... the hills happened. Wow. These people know their stuff. What were they thinking?
Cut scene to Extribe Route Formulation Meeting over drinks
Extribe Person #1 : Why not at the end, let's add one loop around Mckinley?
Drunk Extribe Person #2 : Weeeeeh. That's sooooo generic. Make it two! Bwahahahaah.
Sadistic and Drunk Extribe Person # 3 : Whatever! I ain't running anyway! I hate athletic people! Make it three! Bwahahahahaahah!
Chorus: Bwahahaahahahahahahaha!!!!
Scene at Extribe before finalizing race routeSo to make a long story short, they saved the hardest part of the race for last. We did practically three loops around that hilly area in Mckinley stretching to the British embassy and Enderun. Ugh. Under the beating heat of the sun,I surrendered three fat mid-6ish splits towards the end, and our hard-built lead was gone. Thankfully, it was still still substantial enough to snag me a 1:54:01 finish, good enough for a new 21k PR and 111th place amongst a very tough field of more than a 1,000 half-marathon runners. If we had hit out target 1:50 or below, that would have been good enough for somewhere around 70th place. As I said, tough crowd... because at QCIM my 1:57 was good for 47th place. More training! :)
Overall, kudos to Extribe for a good, albeit sadistic job on this race.Seriously though, I had no complaints whatsoever, this was as good as it gets in terms of race organization. Better known for their multisport events, Extribe is slowly building strong brand equity in the running scene. All of their races that I have ran so far have been very good. I know there was a slight snafu with the 10k route, a mystery that has since been solved.
With all things said and done, I'm pretty sure good ol' Hitler is churning in his grave now for missing one heck of a race. :P
tough 21k no? inantok nga ako eh hahaha
Lmao Jet inantok ka? Bwaahahahaha :D Rinace mo ba to or chillax pace?
hahaha i like i like!!! go go go GBM!
Damn,
Amazing race Luis! sana one day, i'll be as fast as you guys. :)
Congrats Luis!
Thanks Cap! Late haha. But at least it's out haha :) Nice seeing you pre-race :D Pabwenas haha.
Ge, with the way you train, mamaya we'll be eating your dust soon enough haha :)
There was an extra 300 meters daw. If not for the McKinley hills I could have hit sub 2 :( But I'm still happy with the new PR of 2:00:40 seconds....I really hate that extra 40 seconds by the way.
I had fun running with you guys. Next 21km uli kitakits!Kudos to the Bad Boys of Takbo.ph..you guys rock!
Sam The Running Ninja
hey, great job, luis! and congrats! tough ba talaga?! parang "walk in the park" lang for me...hehehe, joke..killer talaga ang hills. i'm so proud of you! idol!
hmm, re: your NB pace group, pwedeng members lang kayo ng "kanto boys".. LOL..sana may presentation kayo sa christmas party!
I need to avenge this run! can't believe I was slower than the first time I ran this distance :( di ako papatalo k Piolo! hehehe
On the survey - #3. hehehe
I need to avenge this run! can't believe I was slower than the first time I ran this distance :( di ako papatalo k Piolo! hehehe
On the survey - #3. hehehe
drunk and sadistic xtribe person- LOL! LMAO! OMG!!! Cannnnt stoooppp lauggghinggg!
Definitely halimaws! Congrats Kanto Boys!
Congrats, speed monsters! :-P
Umm, #3?
Sam, terrific job haha. We will get them next time! Yeah, the 40 seconds can only serve as motivation for you for next time. Good job celebrity Ninja dude!
Len, yeah super hard whahaha. Walk in the park ba? Waaaah Kanto boys? Si Sam daw ang leader, ako director bwahahaha :)
Mark, no retreat, no surrender and no sleep until we beat Piolo! You still had a tremendous run though :)
Bwahaha number 3? LOL :D
AJ, they really are drunk and sadistic!take my word for it :D Hahaha. They need to drink to keep on churning out top-notch races :)
Thanks Neil! We missed you and Rach at Corregidor, where were you guys? :)
NBF, #3 din? Bwahahahahaa. Piolo bribe taym :D
Ayos! The new breed of Power Rangers!
Gingerbread Man: Running sub-50 with a massive hangover
The Running Ninja: Grunting like a boar while running to pass out gas to propel himself towards the finish
The rest of the gang ano pa ba ang super powers nyo?
Go go Takbo Rangers!
how come pat has a bunny wabbit? =)
your NB pace group, akala ko sabay sabay sa finish line. Nagkaiwanan sa bandang huli :P mahirap nga ang course :D
maganda yung suggestion ni ellen, presentation sa takbo christmas party :) PEACE!
congrats pa din :)i know you're doing your best sa race and training :)
-tin
me and jix have one thing in common, "favorite movie = the notebook" haha! :)
-tin
Lol, Zordon hahaha. POwers.... hmmmm guess that's for them to know and us to find out haha :)
Hey Julie! He has an affinity for these creatures haha :D Thanks for dropping by and it was nice to meet you last time in Corregidor :)
Thanks Tin! Bwahahaah "The Notebook" ba? LMAO cheezyyy :P~~
Likewise Luis! Added you to my blogroll =)
Thanks Julie, I'll add you as well :) Hope you get better already. :)