Milo Cebu Leg 2013

After a very busy August (work, work-related travel, crazy personal predicaments and what not), I learned that the Milo Cebu Leg will be held in September instead of October here in Cebu.

I wasn't prepared but a colleague or two persuaded me to sign up for the half marathon.

So after my attempt of cramming a 21k training in less than a month, I showed up scared and unusually quiet at the starting line of the September 22 2012 Milo Cebu Race. I found four guys from work and decided to position behind them (because I know they've trained real hard and I didn't want them to see me plodding at the beginning of the race). 

A bling!

To make the story short, I finished but was the last among those from work who ran the 21k.  

But surprise, surprise! I got myself a finishers' medal supposedly given only to those who finished at 2 hours and 30 minutes or less! I finished at 2 and 40 but they extended the cut off! 

God must have heard my plea that I qualify for the Milo medal.  I prayed to Him at kilometer 18 or so after I heard from those running with me that we couldn't make it to the cut off. 

Oh, I almost puked few meters before the finish line! And when the race marshal handed me the heavy brass bling suspended in the Milo-green ribbon, I got sentimental that I almost sobbed while looking for familiar faces. Good thing I had my shades on.  

Thanks to those who egged me on to sign up, to those who pushed me to work out those legs(especially on lazy days), and most of all to dear God for answering my prayer. Next time I'll ask for something much bigger. ;)  

A PR

A review of my past 21ks shows I got myself a personal best this time:

• Cebu City Marathon 2011              ---> 2:53
• Cebu City Marathon 2012              ---> 2:49
• Dumaguete Adventure Marathon ---> 3:09 (a really tough one as we run on trail paths, steep uphills and crazy downhills even passed a creek with huge boulders)
• Milo Cebu Leg 2013                        ---> 2:40

Yeeha!

Here I Go Again...

Signing up for a half marathon without the needed training.

I cannot just cram my workout in the last few days leading to the race so instead I just find other ways to put a little dose of inspiration to this lazy girl. So here's some:

1. Read about how to train the brain for arduous physical tasks like a half marathon. Yeah there is an article about it somewhere. 
2. Add new songs (to surprise me) to my running playlist.
3. Look into new running gear that I can strut in. Because when you're too tired to run or jog, you just walk like the road is a ramp where you model your new running clothes. 
4.  Buy me some energy bars, gels or sport beans. As if that helps!

Good luck to me this Sunday!

Jealous? Who?

Running is such a jealous sport. You got to set time for it, love it both in fun and lazy periods, devote time to it and spoil it every now and then (e.g., pay expensive registration fees for select races, an expensive gear or two yearly, etc.).

If you ignore it for some time, set it aside for more worthy pursuits, or just make it last in your priorities; it haunts you with jeans that won't fit, a bulging tummy, love handles that previously did not exist. It gets even. 

It lets you pay for the times you ignored it.  You suddenly have extra expenses for medicines for the trip(s)  to the doctor, you swipe your card more than the usual for the new set of clothes because your favorite shirts are too tight for comfort.  

I should know because I'm paying for it now.

Sorry, dear Running. I'll try to make it up to you. I promise.

Not My Typical Bantayan-Sta. Fe Run

Road running has become part of my things-to-do when I visit my island hometown, Bantayan. Last Friday was the fourth (I am not really sure, could be fifth) of those road runs but it wasn’t the typical, uneventful 10k jog to the beach area. 

This time I was with Momi, Alex and Kuya Juko. Before we covered a kilometer of a warm-up walk from home, the guys decided to speed up to a run while I was left hiking with Mom. But when I saw the steep incline to Combado, I told her I’ll jog the part and just run back for her.  I suck at uphills so I wanted to conquer that ascent bad. Instead of agreeing to my plan, Mom told me to proceed and not go back for her since she is stopping by her vegetable garden anyway. She'll just join us at the beach later, she added.

So off I went, way behind the brightly-clad guys. Yes, Alex and Kuya J were wearing bright running shirts as if they were off to a pictorial or some major race that attract photographers. Little did they know that it'll be yours truly who'll be in an impromptu photo shoot.

Running the first few kilometers wasn't so  fun as I didn’t feel the usual coolness of the morning air. Also, the heaviness from previous days overeating slowed me down. So I kept my mind entertained with something else: counting road kills (yep, a bit icky but it took off my mind from early exhaustion and thirst). I found at least 10 flattened frogs in various state of decomposition. No snakes this time.

As I was just feeling the start of the heaviness in my arms and legs, I saw someone inside a speeding tricycle wave at me. It was Momi. Oh, well, I guess I'll be the last one to reach our pretend finish line. As soon as the three-wheeled vehicle faded into the distance, a shiny Strada pickup truck slowed down beside me. Driver's window slowly rolled down to reveal a cousin: Joel. After he learned that the brother was way ahead of me, he sped up.  But less than a hundred meters, he suddenly stopped. When I was near his truck, he got out toting his camera. I was about to burst out laughing as soon as I knew what he's up to. But before I could manage a snicker, he comfortably positioned himself in the road and shoot, clicked, snapped.


"I hope my hair isn't a mess, I hope I don't look pale, I hope my stride looks nice," the vain part of me thought  while I tried my best to smile. This is one of those moments that smiling is as complicated as tying your shoe laces while in the middle of the race.

After that, he and his truck zoomed ahead and once more stopped to take more shots of the struggling Tapots. A road in Sta. Fe in a Good Friday morning is far from deserted so I was taken out of my comfort zone. Imagine cars and trikes passing by, locals and cows staring at you.  Okay, maybe just one cow...  But I wanted to have a good running shot to show off later so I tried my best to smile. I had a bit of inspiration too from the thought that the guys would be jealous of my little luck (they’re quite camera hoggers themselves).

Now, I have to get a copy of the photos as evidence. :-)


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Edit: Photos here:

I'm not too fond of posing for solo shots so here's an awkward smile for the camera.

Here, I'm probably thinking: I hope my stride will look good in the picture. :D

Getting the hang of it. 

Because I don't know what else to do, I raised my hands to give the V signs.  :P

Off to Talisay, Sta. Fe.

Finally met up with the guys. BTW, this is the beachfront area of La Bebe's house. 

Who can resist those clear-blue waters? I can't. 

Being ahead of the run/race isn’t always where the fun is, no?

Oh, and after I met up with the guys and Momi in Sta. Fe, and after a group shot or two, I took off my running shoes and socks for a post-run swim in the clear waters. Wow, the cold water was such a welcome relief especially to the stiff legs. I'll be including the swim-after-run part in my To-Do's when I'm back in the island. 

Race Pot Money to Top Lucky Runners

Except for little prizes raffled off after a race, non-elite runners like me and tons of others (e.g., novices, running because his doctor says he should, joining races because everyone is, those just wanting to counter calorie intakes during the week, etc.) would be too lucky to bag top prizes in running competitions. Well unless all top runners are somewhere else like in some major race with much bigger prizes or where only a handful attended because of the date and the weather (which reminds me I have been lucky once and bagged the top 3 spot).

Anyway, Google reader showed me a blog introducing a fun alternative to the usual give-the-pot-money-to-the-elites. If you're too lazy to click the link to read the entire post, I'll summarize the idea into two items:

• a new award allocation format 
• you could be real slow but you can still win the pot money

I bet my favorite pair of running socks that this wouldn't get the top runners and their handlers' nod. They would certainly be unhappy and argue to the lines of, "Where's the competition in that?! Now what would motivate one to run fast now? 1#^&$h+)x!" 

But for slowpokes like us, that kind of race would be exciting.

Now how to get this idea to race organizers... Hmnnn...

D.E.A.R. Friday

Clad in our workout clothes and trusty running shoes, we slowly gathered at the parking lot area of Teradyne Cebu, 5:00 p.m. of April 8. Dubbed as D.E.A.R. (Drop Everything and Run) Friday, it was the first in a series of activities planned out by the group TERunners, the company’s new running and walking club. I didn’t know what to expect but I sure was a bit anxious early on when I saw only about five people in the assembly area. “With this number, it will just be like running alone,” or so I thought.

Angelica Joson (from UltraFlex-Miata) and company suggested the once-a-week activity during the club’s second meeting. Everyone who heard the idea got so excited that they can’t wait to launch it right away. And so the group agreed to start the run the very Friday after that meeting.

The plan was to group into two--one for the runners and the other for beginners and walkers. But the early birds seemed to be comprised of those who can’t wait to dash out of the gate and run around MEPZ 2. So we decided we’ll just go as one group for that first meeting.

While waiting for someone to take the lead for the warm-up exercises, I saw the attendance gradually increasing with more Teradyners proceeding to the area. BRS-VTD’s Lourence Alemania, one of the club representatives, made sure that everything was set from the sketch board for drawing the run route to the attendance sheet for tracking active members. For the warm-up exercises, he also gamely took charge (at least that’s what I thought) with participants who now numbered around 15.

“I had mixed emotions—nervous, shy, and excited—since that was the first time that I had to lead an exercise in front of such number of people” he later shared.

“I’ll lead the warm-up next week,” Rowena Retuerte of Marketing promised. I told Lourence I could also lead the walkers group if they show up next Friday. For the running bunch, I’m sure the current pack leader would be glad to see volunteers too.

With excited smiles, 20 or so TERunners set out and run on a clear afternoon for two 2.5-kilometer laps in MEPZ 2. Led by avid runner Leopoldo Arias (Nextest), we proceeded at conversational pace. But we did not really worry about pace as the goal was just to cover the entire distance.

“Walk if you should, dash if you could, or just jog and chat like most of us are doing,” Pol said. “For those just starting out, we advise run-walk intervals.”

The run was already in full swing when more familiar faces, in wide grins, came to catch up and join us. Some cheerfully walked and chatted to cover the remaining distance.

PSG’s Juanito Serrano felt one lap is enough for starters. “I did not know that I had it in me, until it was out of me... my breath!” Juan quipped.

After two laps, majority of the attendees slowly trickled back into the Teradyne compound and congregated for the stretching exercises. I think I wouldn’t have finished the entire 4.5 kilometers if I was doing it alone because I would have been easily bored going the same route minus the chitchats and personal cheering squad.

“It was fun,” Angelica said. “It was a great way to meet people who like running as much as I do.”

I agree; it was great. Actually, it was more fun than solo running where my mind easily wanders off to ice-cold, calorie-laden drinks and to the cafeteria’s humba (braised pork belly). Now, TERunners just have to keep us feeling great every week and maybe those with high cholesterol levels like me won’t need medication at all.

TERunners is created, among others, to promote and encourage running and walking to employees as means to get fit, and, at the same time, have fun along the journey to better health and fitness. Aside from D.E.A.R. Friday, the group is planning to hold running clinics for participants to learn the basics and principles of training in running. For walkers, the group sees doing hikes and treks. Members and non-members are welcome to join the activities.

This Blog Hasn't Died

Nope. The blogger is just busy working on... work! Definitely still running. Even running with people from work and getting involved in creating a running group with people from work. I'll tell you more about it in a separate post. 

Gotta run work!