Mizuno Infinity Run Time Trials 2009

Some of my friends have been bugging me about being delinquent with my blog. Really sorry!!! I'm just in the midst of a very busy period at work -- I'm having a hard time catching some open slots to work on my blog. And, it will continue for a few more weeks. But, I'll do my best to catch up.

I actually just came back from a 2 week trip abroad. I was in A(H1N1) territory and it was a huge concern, to say the least, traveling through the affected areas. I had a heavy schedule traveling through 3 cities in California and passing through Hong Kong and China before returning home. I made sure I was stocking myself up with multivitamins to boost up my immune system. It's worth a separate entry in my blog but let me focus on the Mizuno run first. Anyway, this was the situation leading up to my first race in June, 2009.

The Sunday after I arrived, I pushed myself to go to UP to work out a run. I only had 1 training run while I was on the road. I was able to complete at least a 10k run along a familiar route but my time was almost 1 hour 20 minutes. I wasn't too concerned because of the under-training. I had two more runs within the week before the Mizuno event. Unfortunately, come Thursday, my body seemed to have reacted negatively to all the physical stress -- I came down with fever.

I panicked!! (Well, not really -- but I was suddenly concerned about potential A(H1N1) exposure!!) So, I told my wife to free up the attic and told everyone to avoid me. Fortunately, as I went home that evening, my fever disappeared!! Must have been my body just reacting to the sudden increase in exercises (I had a total of 26Kms logged in 4 days!). But, I still felt sore and weak. So, I rested Friday and Saturday so that I could be in a better position come Sunday.

Sunday came and I went straight to the starting corral. All my running buddies were all joining the 15K race -- leaving me the lone participant for the 10K run. And true to Rudy Biscocho form, the races started 5 minutes early!!

Unfortunately also, while I brought a camera with me, it wasn't charged!!! So, there are no pictures for me to post this time (note to myself -- CHECK THE CAMERA the night before!!)

The first part of the race was good. We started behind the NBC Tent, ran towards Serendra before turning at the corner towards 26th Street and all the way to the end at Rizal Drive. The route will take us up towards Buendia Avenue via the Buendia-Kalayaan flyover.

As I approached Paseo de Roxas, I could feel that my body was still not in the best condition. My legs were starting to burn. I guess lactic acid was building up faster than normal. I continued to press until the turn at N. Garcia. But, somehow I knew this was going to be a difficult return path.

Sure enough, physically and mentally, I just wasn't prepared to control my run. As such, it became a series of stops, walks and runs all the way back. I was afraid that I was gonna do even worse than my UP run last Sunday!! There were plenty of times I was tempted to just stop and give up!!! Somehow, though, I was able to motivate myself to finish the race, no matter what -- I just wanted the Mizuno finisher's shirt so much!!! he! he!

I guess when you're not fully up to par physically, your mind can play havoc on your efforts. It really was a struggle to stay focused on completing the journey. I was so happy to reach the Serendra area -- I could now see the Finish Line! Until I saw other runners continuing beyond the Finish Line corner, causing a brief panic attack. Fortunately, these were the 15K runners!! The marshalls directed me left into 28th Street and onto the Finish Line!!

At least I didn't do worse than my run at UP!!! I was able to finish around 1 hour 16 minutes. It was also my first time to try my new toy -- the Garmin 405!!! The GPS told me, however, that I finished less than 10K -- around 9.8K or so. I just checked the official results and I was clocked at 1:16:22.

I'm not thrilled but I know there were mitigating circumstances surrounding my performance. I just have to suck it up and train and try again. This was actually my "birthday race" -- I celebrated my 51st birthday on June 3 while Ting also had her birthday on June 11. So, we both treated our running buddies to breakfast at the Metro Club. At least the breakfast and company helped eased a relatively poor run for me. There is always next time!!!

Men's Health Miracle Run Report

I've taken a longer time to post this report -- the jet lag, the catching up with work and also the dealing with a foot injury that has kept me in pain for most of the week. I've been ignoring a small throbbing pain in my left foot for the last few weeks but I guess when you ignore signals from your body, it comes back with a vengence to get your attention. I've also pushed myself a little too far by also playing basketball immediately after the 5K run last Sunday. The result was the worsening of the tendinitis of the left foot -- primarily the posterior tibial tendon -- which I needed to nurse this whole week with ice baths, creams and pain killers. I'm still not fully well and that probably means not running for awhile until it gets better. I guess I really have to listen to my body and pay attention. I do hope to get back to running soon.

After almost 3 weeks in the U.S., I touched down in Manila on Thursday, August 14, late in the evening on NW 01 from Los Angeles. I was fortunate to have landed just before a 4-day long weekend. It gave me the opportunity to acclimatize myself to Manila time again just before the Men's Health Miracle Run on Sunday, August 17. I thought I should be fairly in shape given the running I did around the roads and hills of Laguna Niguel, Orange County, where my sister lives. Somehow, it didn't quite translate as so. I tried putting in a run on Friday morning but I manage to eke out a 2Km run before feeling quite fatigued. I guess it's part of the jet lag. Still, I think I should be able to do well on the Sunday run.

The Men's Health Miracle Run is supposed to be a 10K run. If 1,000 runners join and ran 10K each, we would reach the target -- 10,000 km. Each finisher would mean a P200 donation to the GMA Kapuso Foundation. Okay -- so it's with the rival network, but, what the heck, it is for a good cause!! There were two options for joining -- the first is for a runner to complete the whole 10K course and the 2nd is for a tandem of 2 runners to complete 5K each. I chose to run the tandem race. This time, I was paired with Lauren, a member of the BayanTrade Running Club.

I woke up before 4:30am on Sunday -- due in part to jet lag. I was told the race would start at 6:00am but it was actually scheduled for 6:30am. I was at the Starting Line behind the NBC Tent before 5:30am. I was supposed to meet up with Lauren and Ting there to pick up my race packet since they registered me while I was still in the States.

I believe there were 2 other events scheduled that day -- one was Takbo Bayani and another race was supposed to be at U.P. - the Run for Your Life: Passed the Picture Based Health Warning Bill. As such, I noticed that there weren't a lot of runners compared to previous events at the Fort. Still, there was a festive atmosphere at the site.

Both Ting and Lauren were running late -- it was almost 5:45am when I caught up with them and got my race packet. The other BayanTrade runners started trickling in soon afterwards. Ting decided that it was time to make a comeback after the long hiatus because of her hip injury. She was given the green light by both her doctor and trainer. As a testament to her pent-up desire to run -- she decided it was time to run a full 10K!! That means that I was the only one left in the 5K corral!! he! he! Rico was also there to run the full 10K.

The race started fairly on time at around 6:30ish. The 1st runner of each tandem team was supposed to start with the 10K runners. The 2nd runner was supposed to wait at the holding area and start when the 1st runner completes the 5K. Unfortunately, the sun was now high above and it was getting hot. Lauren and the other Bayantrade tandem runners decided that we should just all run together and complete the 5K at the same time because it would have been really hot by the time they actually started their leg. Of course, that means we didn't follow the rules and as such we officially did not finish -- no actual finishing time. Oh well -- we all just wanted to run anyway.

The course was supposed to be fairly flat -- instead of passing through the hills around McKinley Hills and the Philippine Army Headquarters, it went through the International Schools area. But, somehow, the heat became a factor -- inspite of adequate Gatorade stations. I paced myself as best as I could but at the u-turn point at International School way, I knew it was going to be a difficult race for me. It was only through sheer mental control that I continued running without stopping. When I reached the finished line and stopped my watch, I was happy to have bettered my San Francisco Marathon 5K time -- I finished with 34:14.

My BayanTrade runmates were already at the finished line and that was when they told me that our race would not be counted because both runners in our tandem started at the same time. I also saw some familiar faces in the crowd -- Ellen Cayanan and her beau Bong Zandueta, as well as one of our co-Finex basketball players, Allan Esguerra, who also decided to run a race first before playing in the basketball game later.

I stuck around and waited for Rico and Ting to finish. Rico was the first one to appear less than 20 minutes later. He also felt the heat impacted on his performance -- he said he already went below 50 minutes for a 10K but this time it was not a new PR. We both waited for Ting and at around 15 minutes later, we spotted her on the home stretch. She was told she finished at around 1 hour 16 minutes -- pretty good for her first try at the 10K distance!

After the race, we went for our usual post-race breakfast. This time we decided to go to UCC Coffee Shop. I was able to hand over Ting's Aquajogger belt which she ordered actually for all of us via the Internet but only the first 2 belts arrived in time for me to bring home. But, I guess, now that she is well enough to run the 10K, she actually doesn't need the aquabelt anymore!! I also gave Rico and Ting their own San Francisco Marathon souvenir caps. We're talking about running with the same caps in the next race. Should be a good photo-op!