Archive for October 2009
Showing that they do not live in a bubble (unlike some politicians we know) and are open to constructive criticism and feedback ( they actually read blogs), here's the official response of Smart Sports to the Subic International Marathon dehydration fest : Wait, sorry for the copy-paste, I am in a sloth-like state today.
As an avid basketball fan as well, I remember Pato Gregorio as the creative guy who nearly became the commissioner of the PBA. According to insiders, he had the most comprehensive and clear-cut plan for the country's premier basketball league. Too bad he didn't make it. I want to see if he can apply the same vision to the running community. With all the lessons learned with their maiden foray into running, I am hopeful that SIM 2010 would be executed much more efficiently, and with greater concern towards the welfare of the runners.
SMART SPORTS THANKS SIM 2009 RUNNERS AND ALL PARTNERS
At the outset, we at Smart Sports would like to extend our congratulations to all the runners, most especially to the marathoners of the recently concluded Subic International Marathon 2009. However, it has come to our attention the numerous comments of the participants of SIM 2009 regarding the technical aspect of the race and if there are shortcomings we will make it a point to discuss this with the race organizers. Rest assured to the running community that all these comments, feedbacks and suggestions are carefully being reviewed and will be kept as reference for other marathons Smart will be supporting.
Allow us to take this opportunity to share with the running community the reasons why Smart Sports decided to support SIM:
1. We are a sponsor. Much the same way we will be when we sponsor other marathons
2. We believe in the transformational advocacy of the Philippine National Police through its program director Ret. Gen. Sam Tucay and Chief PNP Jesus Verzosa
3. We realize that through SIM, we will be able to identify Filipino runners that can represent the country in international races. Kudos to the only 2 Filipinos (Hernanie Sore and Alquin Bolivar) to make it in the top ten who gave every ounce of willpower for flag and country
4. We simply want to promote a sport where hundreds and thousands of passionate Filipinos love
5. Sports tourism: to showcase the beauty of the Philippines. Particularly the beauty of SCTEX and Subic Bay
Since Smart Sports has committed to support Philippine marathon in the long run, we ask for the running community’s understanding and patience as Smart is very new to this. Smart has already pledged to support several international marathons for 2010 and we assure the running community that through partnerships with seasoned race organizers, we will make these marathons enjoyable and memorable which running enthusiasts (both local and foreign) can look forward to each year.
Smart – we’re helping sports… we’re helping running…
Maraming salamat po sa inyong lahat!
Patrick “Pato” Gregorio
Head - Smart Sports
As an avid basketball fan as well, I remember Pato Gregorio as the creative guy who nearly became the commissioner of the PBA. According to insiders, he had the most comprehensive and clear-cut plan for the country's premier basketball league. Too bad he didn't make it. I want to see if he can apply the same vision to the running community. With all the lessons learned with their maiden foray into running, I am hopeful that SIM 2010 would be executed much more efficiently, and with greater concern towards the welfare of the runners.
Hi. Kamusta mga repapips? Ako nga pala si Tito Caloy. Sa mga hindi nakakakilala sa akin, ako ang binansagang "internet legend" ng pamangking kong si Mike. Tawag niyo sa kanya Luis, o kaya naman Gingerbread, o kaya GBM. Minsan JBM. Ewan. San ba pinagkukuha yang mga pangalan na yan. Balita ko kung ano ano ang pinagsususulat ng bata na yan tungkol sa akin. Kung may naisulat man ho yan, malamang totoo yun hehe!
Inggit ka parekoy? Ayos!
Ako'y nadawit sa pagtakbo nung sinama ako doon sa Botak na pagkainit init. Naalala ko un, hinimatay ung isang tropa dun eh, ung doktor ba un. 5k ang tinakbo ko nun. Aba'y di man lang ako pinagpawisan. No tsallenge men! Kaya noong nagkaroon ang mga tropa ni Mike ng takbuhan sa Tagaytay, tignan mo nga naman naka 27k agad ako! Elibs ka ba? Sumunod na takbo ko sa Globe, ung dumaan ng Ayala at kung san napilay si Mike, banat kasi ng banat tigas ng ulo. 21k nakang naka eh! Ang ganda ng pacing ni Coach, di man lang ako napagod! Parang wala lang!
Di yan pagod, pumosing lang!
Nageenjoy talaga kong kasama etong mga tropang taga Takbo.ph. Kaya nung sinabi saking na pupunta daw ng Subic para tumakbo, aba nilabas ko ung mga panalo ko sa tongits at nagpalista na ako sa 21k. Okey na yan! Baka mabatak kung 42 tayo agad. Kaya eto, kwento ko sa inyo ano nangyari.
Sa Unang Pagkikita
Nagkita kami dun sa Jollibee sa may Shaw mga bandang ala sais. May amats pako, tumira tayo ng pampagana nung kinagabihan. Nauna ako kaya't wala akong nakilala. Aba, ako'y nagulat at kilala pala ako ng mga tropa. Tito Caloy! Okey sa olrayt to ah!
Da Gwapings!
Lakad Na!
Dun kami sa oto ni Eo. Disenteng disente. Pero may tinatagong kamandag din pala! Pati si pareng Bong andun din, ung instik na gwapings. Ang dami palang babae nun pasimple lang! Alangyang mga kaibigan ni Mike mga loko din! Di tayo makasabay, clean living tayo eh. Pero kung sakaling mapalaban, makakatikim yang mga yan ng taktak maragondon, halukay ube ni Tito Caloy!!!
(Editor's Note : Kindly forgive my uncle, in his inebriated state I guess you will have to make do with this cacophony of unabashed ramblings dashed with a sprinkling of shameless innuendo - GBM)
Kainan Muna
Tigil muna kami doon sa may Kenny sa highway. Ayos libre nanaman ako!Hihihi. May mga GC kasi si Mike, may syota ata tong taga Kenny dati kaya meron. May nasagap pa kaming mga chix, sarap talagang tumakbo ganda ng sights.
Ang ganda nila noh?
Tambay Taym
Ang ganda ng tirahan namin, Forest View ba yun. Siyam na kalalakihan. Sarap ng buhay. May oto, may puesto, mahangin ....sarap manginom dito. Ay di pala pwede, sasalang na tong mga to! Halos lahat babanat ng 42k. Si Mike iba sasalihan, 10k lang ata. Excited na ko! Excited nako na masolo tong lugar namin wahehehe.
Sarap ng buhay no?
Simula ng Kalbaryo
Onting tsibog , onting dasal, at hinatid na namin ang mga tropa kung saan sila susunduin ng bus. Aba ordinary ang bus na susundo sa kanila papuntang Floridablanca! World-class nga! Daming mga mag 42k, ung isang nakita ko parang namumutla, kabado siguro. Kulang sa balut. Nakasakay na ang mga tropa, sana okey kalabasan. Si Mike muntik pang makasama sa bus kodakan blues pa kasi. Natawa tuloy ung isang Egoy. Sana okey naman sila, mukhang malalakas naman ang mga pwersa nila eh.
Mga macho papa, yakang yaka 42k!
Nako si pareng Bong ang daming babae nito...
Naknang isa pa to si Eo, madaming napaiyak nong araw to...
Ang bilis siguro nitong BulaKenyan na to
Nasa Bus na , pahabol pa!
Teka, na nosebleed nako sa pagsulat ko dito, di naman bayad to! Makaisang round muna kami ni pareng Vino Kulafu. Abangan niyo na lang ang susunod na kabanata! Out na muna ako! GTG Pips!
Inggit ka parekoy? Ayos!Ako'y nadawit sa pagtakbo nung sinama ako doon sa Botak na pagkainit init. Naalala ko un, hinimatay ung isang tropa dun eh, ung doktor ba un. 5k ang tinakbo ko nun. Aba'y di man lang ako pinagpawisan. No tsallenge men! Kaya noong nagkaroon ang mga tropa ni Mike ng takbuhan sa Tagaytay, tignan mo nga naman naka 27k agad ako! Elibs ka ba? Sumunod na takbo ko sa Globe, ung dumaan ng Ayala at kung san napilay si Mike, banat kasi ng banat tigas ng ulo. 21k nakang naka eh! Ang ganda ng pacing ni Coach, di man lang ako napagod! Parang wala lang!
Di yan pagod, pumosing lang!Nageenjoy talaga kong kasama etong mga tropang taga Takbo.ph. Kaya nung sinabi saking na pupunta daw ng Subic para tumakbo, aba nilabas ko ung mga panalo ko sa tongits at nagpalista na ako sa 21k. Okey na yan! Baka mabatak kung 42 tayo agad. Kaya eto, kwento ko sa inyo ano nangyari.
Sa Unang Pagkikita
Nagkita kami dun sa Jollibee sa may Shaw mga bandang ala sais. May amats pako, tumira tayo ng pampagana nung kinagabihan. Nauna ako kaya't wala akong nakilala. Aba, ako'y nagulat at kilala pala ako ng mga tropa. Tito Caloy! Okey sa olrayt to ah!
Da Gwapings!Lakad Na!
Dun kami sa oto ni Eo. Disenteng disente. Pero may tinatagong kamandag din pala! Pati si pareng Bong andun din, ung instik na gwapings. Ang dami palang babae nun pasimple lang! Alangyang mga kaibigan ni Mike mga loko din! Di tayo makasabay, clean living tayo eh. Pero kung sakaling mapalaban, makakatikim yang mga yan ng taktak maragondon, halukay ube ni Tito Caloy!!!
(Editor's Note : Kindly forgive my uncle, in his inebriated state I guess you will have to make do with this cacophony of unabashed ramblings dashed with a sprinkling of shameless innuendo - GBM)
Kainan Muna
Tigil muna kami doon sa may Kenny sa highway. Ayos libre nanaman ako!Hihihi. May mga GC kasi si Mike, may syota ata tong taga Kenny dati kaya meron. May nasagap pa kaming mga chix, sarap talagang tumakbo ganda ng sights.
Ang ganda nila noh?Tambay Taym
Ang ganda ng tirahan namin, Forest View ba yun. Siyam na kalalakihan. Sarap ng buhay. May oto, may puesto, mahangin ....sarap manginom dito. Ay di pala pwede, sasalang na tong mga to! Halos lahat babanat ng 42k. Si Mike iba sasalihan, 10k lang ata. Excited na ko! Excited nako na masolo tong lugar namin wahehehe.
Sarap ng buhay no?Simula ng Kalbaryo
Onting tsibog , onting dasal, at hinatid na namin ang mga tropa kung saan sila susunduin ng bus. Aba ordinary ang bus na susundo sa kanila papuntang Floridablanca! World-class nga! Daming mga mag 42k, ung isang nakita ko parang namumutla, kabado siguro. Kulang sa balut. Nakasakay na ang mga tropa, sana okey kalabasan. Si Mike muntik pang makasama sa bus kodakan blues pa kasi. Natawa tuloy ung isang Egoy. Sana okey naman sila, mukhang malalakas naman ang mga pwersa nila eh.
Mga macho papa, yakang yaka 42k!
Nako si pareng Bong ang daming babae nito...
Naknang isa pa to si Eo, madaming napaiyak nong araw to...
Ang bilis siguro nitong BulaKenyan na to 
Nasa Bus na , pahabol pa! Teka, na nosebleed nako sa pagsulat ko dito, di naman bayad to! Makaisang round muna kami ni pareng Vino Kulafu. Abangan niyo na lang ang susunod na kabanata! Out na muna ako! GTG Pips!
You have got to be kidding me. No way. Inhuman effort at Nike Human? Goodbye sub-50 dreams.
A steep incline seemed to be sardonically staring me down just as I was gathering momentum. I figured, yeah I'll ride it out and hang on, I have enough in the tank and enough of a pace bank. Little did I know, that was easier said than done.
But hey, what the heck am I talking about? For the sake of literary jurisprudence, a short backgrounder.
Strictly speaking, the Nike + Human Race 10k was originally conceptualized in 2008 as a relative point of convergence for runners from nearly 30 key cities from all over the world. The routes would pass through some pretty awesome sights, for instance in Istanbul you run across the bridge that connects Europe to Asia. Utilizing Nike + technology, a case could be made for the "the world is flat" paradigm as thousands of runners all over the world could log on to the Nike website and upload their times , essentially engaging in a virtual competition in a race that knows no borders.
To spice things up, there are different Nike Ambassadors assigned per country. The Philippines had five, all with teams under them that add up to the virtual tally board on race day. In terms of representation, runner blogger par excellance Bards Bathan of Bananarunning took up the cudgels for the general blogosphere.
Who was your ambassador?
Even if Manila was not chosen as a key city for this year's event, the race actually took on a greater cause in the wake of recent calamities that have struck the country. For every kilometer ran by a Nike + Sportband user who took up the Nike Ambassador challenge, P10 would be donated on their behalf. In addition to that , finishers would have P100 of their registration fee donated to Gawad Kalinga efforts for Typhoon Ondoy victims.
So now that you know all about it, what exactly happened on race day?
Remy Field. Subic Bay Freeport. 4:00 pm.
So I'm here at the impressive track oval of Remy Field, just a few minutes away from our hotel at Forest View. Some of the Takbo.ph gang have already gathered around, some of them running their maiden 10k's like Lorie and Bea/Notsquare .
As people were milling around aimlessly, there was a certain palpable degree of uncertainty over the whole thing. Why? If you are used to the whole "event-style" weekend runs as of late, roughly 30 minutes before gun time it seemed as though there was nothing going on. No fancy American accent DJ host blurting out ads and wittycisms, no hot Fitness First gal to do stretching, no Pia Cayetano giving words of inspiration, no Luke Mijares to sing "Love of my Life" (oops got ahead of myself there).
Sorry Luke, you're up for the next column
I was somehow expecting a shtick of some sort, just because it was Nike. Nah. Not a few runners approached me and asked "Sir, tuloy ba?" . I really didn't know what to tell them. But hey, I could care less. I came here for the thrills, not the frills. Although frills never hurt anyone :)
Remy Field. Subic Bay Freeport. 4:25 pm.
Out of nowhere, an emcee abruptly announced that the race would be starting in 5 minutes. I looked around, and by my estimate about 200-250 runners were there. Slated to run the 21k event the following day, my mind was fixated on a quick, flat run. A run wherein if I get lucky, I could nab that elusive sub-50 without expending too much energy. The utopian in me got a bit carried away I guess. Quick countdown, quick prayer, and let's see how this thing unravels.
Kilometer 1-2 . Resisting Temptation.
Positioned near the starting line, the lead pack of runners took off in a blinding burst of speed. I estimated though that there were about 30 runners running like there was no tomorrow, can't have that many elites around right? So I resisted the temptation of going at it guns blazing... and my calculations turned out to be correct. One by one their pace dropped, and by the time we got to Km 2, I had passed about 10 of the early birds already. Was cruising at 4:35 - 4:39 km/min, felt pretty strong at this point. I was thinking, if I can build enough of a big lead during the first half, I could hang on for a nice touch to my weekend. Turns out, the fates weren't agreeable with me today.
Hard to resist the temptation to go all out when people are passing you.
Kilometer 2-5 Better Luck Next Time.
Just when I was getting comfy, the incline that came into view took the wind out of my sails. An extremely steep, curving incline that instantly reminded me of those that I had faced in Baguio (I walked) and Corregidor ( easy run, I got really tired) . With no hill training over the past two weeks, I churned in a big fat 6:12 split over the stretch. My pace plummeted all the way down to 5:30 . I was getting more and more zapped by the minute. With my positive split strategy, no way I could make up that big of a differential in a diminished state. That was it. Game over. Better luck next time. Uwian na. But then again....
Missing the sub-50 worse than getting "basted"?
Kilometer 5-8 What Goes Up, Goes Down : The Final Stand
I stopped for a moment at the 5k water station to get my bearings back. I traveled all the way here, spent a couple of bucks on a hotel, for what? For this pedestrian effort? C'mon quit whining and get it going. I made a resolute effort to give this my shot. If I'm going down, I'm going down on my shield. At the risk of blowing out my quads, I blazed through the downhill portion with splits of 4:08, 4:12, and 4:18. Gave it all I got . And yet again, this only managed to get the pace down to 5:02. Gulp.
Make it worth your time and don't go down without a fight
Kilometer 8-10 . Accepting reality.
Having brought down my pace to some semblance of respectability, I was fast fading. I was hoping that after my final assault, I would be at borderline below 5 minutes. Not happening. So the key is to be realistic, just accept that it isn't your day, and go on to fight another battle. But I still had 2 kms to reconcile. I had a bike escort with me, which was cool. The bike escort couldn't do anything about the truck fumes that were right in my face as we negotiated the route though.
As I was reentering the Remy Field oval attempting to chase down a powerful runner (I affectionately dubbed him Energizer Bunny ) who was about 20-30 seconds ahead of me, I suddenly realized that I cleared 10k much earlier! The distance turned out to be in excess of 450 meters, or nearly half a kilometer. Finished strong with a split time of 52:01. The reality was, I missed my goal. But given that monstrous incline, satisfied nonetheless
A steep incline seemed to be sardonically staring me down just as I was gathering momentum. I figured, yeah I'll ride it out and hang on, I have enough in the tank and enough of a pace bank. Little did I know, that was easier said than done.
But hey, what the heck am I talking about? For the sake of literary jurisprudence, a short backgrounder.
Strictly speaking, the Nike + Human Race 10k was originally conceptualized in 2008 as a relative point of convergence for runners from nearly 30 key cities from all over the world. The routes would pass through some pretty awesome sights, for instance in Istanbul you run across the bridge that connects Europe to Asia. Utilizing Nike + technology, a case could be made for the "the world is flat" paradigm as thousands of runners all over the world could log on to the Nike website and upload their times , essentially engaging in a virtual competition in a race that knows no borders.
Bridge between Asia and Europe is... Cool.
To spice things up, there are different Nike Ambassadors assigned per country. The Philippines had five, all with teams under them that add up to the virtual tally board on race day. In terms of representation, runner blogger par excellance Bards Bathan of Bananarunning took up the cudgels for the general blogosphere.
Who was your ambassador?Even if Manila was not chosen as a key city for this year's event, the race actually took on a greater cause in the wake of recent calamities that have struck the country. For every kilometer ran by a Nike + Sportband user who took up the Nike Ambassador challenge, P10 would be donated on their behalf. In addition to that , finishers would have P100 of their registration fee donated to Gawad Kalinga efforts for Typhoon Ondoy victims.
So now that you know all about it, what exactly happened on race day?
Remy Field. Subic Bay Freeport. 4:00 pm.
So I'm here at the impressive track oval of Remy Field, just a few minutes away from our hotel at Forest View. Some of the Takbo.ph gang have already gathered around, some of them running their maiden 10k's like Lorie and Bea/Notsquare .
As people were milling around aimlessly, there was a certain palpable degree of uncertainty over the whole thing. Why? If you are used to the whole "event-style" weekend runs as of late, roughly 30 minutes before gun time it seemed as though there was nothing going on. No fancy American accent DJ host blurting out ads and wittycisms, no hot Fitness First gal to do stretching, no Pia Cayetano giving words of inspiration, no Luke Mijares to sing "Love of my Life" (oops got ahead of myself there).
Sorry Luke, you're up for the next column I was somehow expecting a shtick of some sort, just because it was Nike. Nah. Not a few runners approached me and asked "Sir, tuloy ba?" . I really didn't know what to tell them. But hey, I could care less. I came here for the thrills, not the frills. Although frills never hurt anyone :)
Remy Field. Subic Bay Freeport. 4:25 pm.
Out of nowhere, an emcee abruptly announced that the race would be starting in 5 minutes. I looked around, and by my estimate about 200-250 runners were there. Slated to run the 21k event the following day, my mind was fixated on a quick, flat run. A run wherein if I get lucky, I could nab that elusive sub-50 without expending too much energy. The utopian in me got a bit carried away I guess. Quick countdown, quick prayer, and let's see how this thing unravels.
Kilometer 1-2 . Resisting Temptation.
Positioned near the starting line, the lead pack of runners took off in a blinding burst of speed. I estimated though that there were about 30 runners running like there was no tomorrow, can't have that many elites around right? So I resisted the temptation of going at it guns blazing... and my calculations turned out to be correct. One by one their pace dropped, and by the time we got to Km 2, I had passed about 10 of the early birds already. Was cruising at 4:35 - 4:39 km/min, felt pretty strong at this point. I was thinking, if I can build enough of a big lead during the first half, I could hang on for a nice touch to my weekend. Turns out, the fates weren't agreeable with me today.
Hard to resist the temptation to go all out when people are passing you. Kilometer 2-5 Better Luck Next Time.
Just when I was getting comfy, the incline that came into view took the wind out of my sails. An extremely steep, curving incline that instantly reminded me of those that I had faced in Baguio (I walked) and Corregidor ( easy run, I got really tired) . With no hill training over the past two weeks, I churned in a big fat 6:12 split over the stretch. My pace plummeted all the way down to 5:30 . I was getting more and more zapped by the minute. With my positive split strategy, no way I could make up that big of a differential in a diminished state. That was it. Game over. Better luck next time. Uwian na. But then again....
Missing the sub-50 worse than getting "basted"? Kilometer 5-8 What Goes Up, Goes Down : The Final Stand
I stopped for a moment at the 5k water station to get my bearings back. I traveled all the way here, spent a couple of bucks on a hotel, for what? For this pedestrian effort? C'mon quit whining and get it going. I made a resolute effort to give this my shot. If I'm going down, I'm going down on my shield. At the risk of blowing out my quads, I blazed through the downhill portion with splits of 4:08, 4:12, and 4:18. Gave it all I got . And yet again, this only managed to get the pace down to 5:02. Gulp.
Make it worth your time and don't go down without a fight Kilometer 8-10 . Accepting reality.
Having brought down my pace to some semblance of respectability, I was fast fading. I was hoping that after my final assault, I would be at borderline below 5 minutes. Not happening. So the key is to be realistic, just accept that it isn't your day, and go on to fight another battle. But I still had 2 kms to reconcile. I had a bike escort with me, which was cool. The bike escort couldn't do anything about the truck fumes that were right in my face as we negotiated the route though.
As I was reentering the Remy Field oval attempting to chase down a powerful runner (I affectionately dubbed him Energizer Bunny ) who was about 20-30 seconds ahead of me, I suddenly realized that I cleared 10k much earlier! The distance turned out to be in excess of 450 meters, or nearly half a kilometer. Finished strong with a split time of 52:01. The reality was, I missed my goal. But given that monstrous incline, satisfied nonetheless
The reality is, I gave it my best. But my best wasn't good enough.
The Aftermath
What a race! I enjoyed it, even in a masochistic sort of way. The buzzword amongst the finishers was "!@#$ na hills yan". Even Jaymie/TBR agreed that it was one of the toughest, if not the toughest 10k of the year. Somehow got ensnared in an interview for QTV along with Ambassador Bards afterwards, gak :)
What freebies did I get? An uber cool, exclusive Nike Human duffel bag (okay so it's the same thing they gave away at QCIM but it's still cool), one Pocari Sweat and one water. I heard beforehand there was supposed to be some sort of finisher's Nike bracelet or band, didn't really see anyone with it.
What could be improved for next time
Nothing to lose sleep over, but still noteworthy to mention for future considerations. Distance was in excess of 420-450 meters, matched this with mine and 3 other people with a Garmin. There were no water stations after the turnaround point, woe to the newbie runner or those making a jump to 10k. Also, the people kept on sticking around for the results, the emcee kept on stalling until after the SIM winners arrived to keep the people there. It was announced more than 3 hours after the finish, and by that time I had to leave to support the rest of the team at km34. Went back after the whole thing was over, and had to badger the ACSAT people for the results. Took 15th place out of 270 overall , my first time to crack the top 15 of any race, so hooray. :)
To conclude, the route itself provided a lot of thrills for those who ran. It was definitely not your typical weekend 10k. And knowing that P100 of my money would go to a GK project for Ondoy victims makes my screaming quads a whole lot happier. No-frills , lots of thrills, even more uphills. In spite and despite, was proud to have been part of this.
(starts writing letter to Nike making Manila a key city in 2010)
:P
What a race! I enjoyed it, even in a masochistic sort of way. The buzzword amongst the finishers was "!@#$ na hills yan". Even Jaymie/TBR agreed that it was one of the toughest, if not the toughest 10k of the year. Somehow got ensnared in an interview for QTV along with Ambassador Bards afterwards, gak :)
What freebies did I get? An uber cool, exclusive Nike Human duffel bag (okay so it's the same thing they gave away at QCIM but it's still cool), one Pocari Sweat and one water. I heard beforehand there was supposed to be some sort of finisher's Nike bracelet or band, didn't really see anyone with it.
What could be improved for next time
Nothing to lose sleep over, but still noteworthy to mention for future considerations. Distance was in excess of 420-450 meters, matched this with mine and 3 other people with a Garmin. There were no water stations after the turnaround point, woe to the newbie runner or those making a jump to 10k. Also, the people kept on sticking around for the results, the emcee kept on stalling until after the SIM winners arrived to keep the people there. It was announced more than 3 hours after the finish, and by that time I had to leave to support the rest of the team at km34. Went back after the whole thing was over, and had to badger the ACSAT people for the results. Took 15th place out of 270 overall , my first time to crack the top 15 of any race, so hooray. :)
To conclude, the route itself provided a lot of thrills for those who ran. It was definitely not your typical weekend 10k. And knowing that P100 of my money would go to a GK project for Ondoy victims makes my screaming quads a whole lot happier. No-frills , lots of thrills, even more uphills. In spite and despite, was proud to have been part of this.
(starts writing letter to Nike making Manila a key city in 2010)
:P
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 burning
Botak 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.
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.
The last two weeks have quickly passed by
Priceless snippets of life resulting in more than a runner's high
Gingerbread rendered stale because of the heavy load
Allow me to compensate with this very simple ode
Time flies by so fast...
It all started with a distance left untouched
Oftentimes before it did not matter much
As healthy curiosity led to the act of giving one's all
A 5k PR was set at Octoberun Festival
Another year beckons to summertimes lost
In the book of life another page tossed
Birthdays are as constant as rising gas prices
But it's still nice to savor all of life's little surprises
The quest for higher learning entails choosing the road less traveled
Sleepless nights and lost weekends rendering you zombie-mode frazzled
So close to quitting, to just breaking down and bending
Entrusting it to a higher power will get you that happy ending.
Altruistic acts reign supreme in this time and place
What with calamities invading our lives and private space
Giving back to your community without an eyelash of hesitation
I was happy to have peeled bananas at the Milo Aid Station.
C'est la vie is what the elders always say
We laugh, we cry, we live to fight another day
To survive life's intricate trappings surely takes all of one's cunning
I'm just happy to share with you my life outside of running.
Priceless snippets of life resulting in more than a runner's high
Gingerbread rendered stale because of the heavy load
Allow me to compensate with this very simple ode
Time flies by so fast...It all started with a distance left untouched
Oftentimes before it did not matter much
As healthy curiosity led to the act of giving one's all
A 5k PR was set at Octoberun Festival
Another year beckons to summertimes lost
In the book of life another page tossed
Birthdays are as constant as rising gas prices
But it's still nice to savor all of life's little surprises
The quest for higher learning entails choosing the road less traveled
Sleepless nights and lost weekends rendering you zombie-mode frazzled
So close to quitting, to just breaking down and bending
Entrusting it to a higher power will get you that happy ending.
Altruistic acts reign supreme in this time and place
What with calamities invading our lives and private space
Giving back to your community without an eyelash of hesitation
I was happy to have peeled bananas at the Milo Aid Station.
C'est la vie is what the elders always say
We laugh, we cry, we live to fight another day
To survive life's intricate trappings surely takes all of one's cunning
I'm just happy to share with you my life outside of running.
Main Entry: sin·glet
Pronunciation: \ˈsiŋ-glət\
Function: noun
Date: circa 1746
1 chiefly British : an athletic jersey; also : a collarless men's undergarment for the upper part of the body
Chiefly British. Hmmm. Why was I not surprised? Only those dudes could take the sando and make it sound so sosy.
So you're a singlet Ho. Yeah, admittedly. As I was writing my previous piece on newbie gaffes, I had mentioned there that the Adidas KOTR's singlet had taken my fancy. It's much akin to what you could buy at a store for like 700 or 800 bucks, and under that prevailing logic not only can you get the fancy singlet for a much cheaper price, you get a free fancy race as well.
As far as I know, you can get the singlets at their Running Expo this Saturday and Sunday at Megamall's Megatrade Hall, some ginormous event with fashion shows, running clinics and seminars. Not bad for 500 bucks eh? But dang, I can't wait that long! UGH. Must .... get... hands.... on .... KOTR singlet.....
I still likey. NOW.
Anyway, my thought process was jarred from its otherwise halcyon state as the ghosts of singlets past suddenly came back to haunt me. Singlets come in all shapes and sizes. Some are training-run worthy, some go straight to the bottom shelf cabinet for posterity. Others are spectacular, while most just plain suck. I've even come across some that are "large" but couldn't fit my younger sister if I had one.
With that in mind, I'll try to run you through some of the singlets that I have come across in the past, and how they measure up.
Takbo.ph
Well, for me its still the coolest singlet ever, and I'm not just saying that because Boss Jinoe will fire me if I dont :P Our unofficial uniform during Sunday races, it's the "legacy" limited edition singlet that was given during the Condura Run Carbo-Loading Party several months back. I bet the singlet would do very well on the black market :P
The Airspeed Run
Anyone remember this? This came from the era where Coach Rio was dabbling in the utilitarian, "tipid meals shut up and dont whine you only paid 250 bucks for this" style of singlet. I mean seriously, ask anyone. These were virtually unwearable in real life. Fabric was substandard, and even after losing like 30 pounds I still could not squeeze myself into one. Sigh, the good ol' days.
Men's Health Miracle Run
Still remains to be one of my personal favorites. Was well made, had a cool design, and was an upgrade over the shirt that came with the first incarnation. Everyone was raving about it.. until they turned the singlet and saw a big "Frenzy" logo there. So much for wholesome family running fun. Oh, and yeah I'm still waiting for the official results.
Auto Review Run
Did you run this? Thought so too. But this is where my singlet hoeness came to the forefront. Saw the jpegs, thought it was awesome, left the office to register even if I had absolutely no intention of running it. Was somewhat disappointed with its substandard material and weird fit. Tito Caloy had fun running the race though.
Botak Ultramarathon 50k
Milestone run for me, and wonderful, personalized singlet that elicited quite a stir at the time. I still sleep with it under my pillow at night.
Globe Run For Home
I remember. Everyone was so excited about this race.Including me. First mainstream disposable chip-timed race. I was so excited that I risked running this on no training and still in recovery. Blew out my ITB as a result . Anyway, just as excitement was reaching fever pitch, the Coach Rio version 2.0 singlet was released. And tadah! Amidst tremendously high expectations, collective jaws dropped. Nuff said.
So with all these in mind, this finally brings us to...
Adidas King of the Road
Yahoo! Yay! Prayers answered! It's the greatest thing since sliced bread. Fit is wonderful too! It rocks so much that I may very well ghost register someone just to get a spare, in case something happens to it. Haha just kidding of course. Yeah. Haha.
But if you do see me on Saturday or Sunday at Megatrade Hall, let's just make it our dirty little Gingerbread secret okay? :P
If you have any "vintage"singlets you may want to see the light of day, send me images through the Gingerbread Mailbox on the home page and lets do something fun with it :)
Pronunciation: \ˈsiŋ-glət\
Function: noun
Date: circa 1746
1 chiefly British : an athletic jersey; also : a collarless men's undergarment for the upper part of the body
Mr. Webster looks good in his old-school singlet
Chiefly British. Hmmm. Why was I not surprised? Only those dudes could take the sando and make it sound so sosy.
So you're a singlet Ho. Yeah, admittedly. As I was writing my previous piece on newbie gaffes, I had mentioned there that the Adidas KOTR's singlet had taken my fancy. It's much akin to what you could buy at a store for like 700 or 800 bucks, and under that prevailing logic not only can you get the fancy singlet for a much cheaper price, you get a free fancy race as well.
As far as I know, you can get the singlets at their Running Expo this Saturday and Sunday at Megamall's Megatrade Hall, some ginormous event with fashion shows, running clinics and seminars. Not bad for 500 bucks eh? But dang, I can't wait that long! UGH. Must .... get... hands.... on .... KOTR singlet.....
I still likey. NOW.Anyway, my thought process was jarred from its otherwise halcyon state as the ghosts of singlets past suddenly came back to haunt me. Singlets come in all shapes and sizes. Some are training-run worthy, some go straight to the bottom shelf cabinet for posterity. Others are spectacular, while most just plain suck. I've even come across some that are "large" but couldn't fit my younger sister if I had one.
With that in mind, I'll try to run you through some of the singlets that I have come across in the past, and how they measure up.
Takbo.ph
Well, for me its still the coolest singlet ever, and I'm not just saying that because Boss Jinoe will fire me if I dont :P Our unofficial uniform during Sunday races, it's the "legacy" limited edition singlet that was given during the Condura Run Carbo-Loading Party several months back. I bet the singlet would do very well on the black market :P
The Airspeed Run
Anyone remember this? This came from the era where Coach Rio was dabbling in the utilitarian, "tipid meals shut up and dont whine you only paid 250 bucks for this" style of singlet. I mean seriously, ask anyone. These were virtually unwearable in real life. Fabric was substandard, and even after losing like 30 pounds I still could not squeeze myself into one. Sigh, the good ol' days.
Men's Health Miracle Run
Still remains to be one of my personal favorites. Was well made, had a cool design, and was an upgrade over the shirt that came with the first incarnation. Everyone was raving about it.. until they turned the singlet and saw a big "Frenzy" logo there. So much for wholesome family running fun. Oh, and yeah I'm still waiting for the official results.
Auto Review Run
Did you run this? Thought so too. But this is where my singlet hoeness came to the forefront. Saw the jpegs, thought it was awesome, left the office to register even if I had absolutely no intention of running it. Was somewhat disappointed with its substandard material and weird fit. Tito Caloy had fun running the race though.
Botak Ultramarathon 50k
Milestone run for me, and wonderful, personalized singlet that elicited quite a stir at the time. I still sleep with it under my pillow at night.
Globe Run For Home
I remember. Everyone was so excited about this race.Including me. First mainstream disposable chip-timed race. I was so excited that I risked running this on no training and still in recovery. Blew out my ITB as a result . Anyway, just as excitement was reaching fever pitch, the Coach Rio version 2.0 singlet was released. And tadah! Amidst tremendously high expectations, collective jaws dropped. Nuff said.
So with all these in mind, this finally brings us to...
Adidas King of the Road
Yahoo! Yay! Prayers answered! It's the greatest thing since sliced bread. Fit is wonderful too! It rocks so much that I may very well ghost register someone just to get a spare, in case something happens to it. Haha just kidding of course. Yeah. Haha.
But if you do see me on Saturday or Sunday at Megatrade Hall, let's just make it our dirty little Gingerbread secret okay? :P
If you have any "vintage"singlets you may want to see the light of day, send me images through the Gingerbread Mailbox on the home page and lets do something fun with it :)
