Cebu City Marathon 2013: A 42Km Running Adventure

I still find it surreal that exactly 1 year ago I ran my first half marathon at the 2012 staging of the Cebu City Marathon (read story here ). When the running bug bit me it bit me hard and so my year 2012 was filled with so many running adventures. I’ve learned to love it and have made it a big part of my fitness regimen.  The CCM will always be special to me so I have made a pact with myself that as long as there will be a CCM and as long as my body will allow it i will run this race. It will be my offering to Sto. Niño on the month of his feast.

I came into this year’s CCM with very minimal preparation. Having been injured with a left hamstring strain in October and November I knew I had zero chances of making good time for the race. So I said to myself, bahala na. I’ll just enjoy it, i’ll just embrace the journey, and just make sure I’ll finish in one piece. The longest that I ran prior to this marathon was only a 27km road run which i finished in a little over 4 hrs. Under prepared is definitely an UNDER statement. But the weekend of the race came and I felt more excited than nervous. That Friday I picked up my race pack, feasted on a carbohydrate-rich meal composed of pizza and pasta fr Sbarro, and bought all my race nutrition needs namely 4 GU Power Gel in Tri Berry and 2 Cloud 9 bars.

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Come race day I woke up at 2:30am, took a quickie shower, had my customary pre-race meal of 2 slices of wheat bread w/ peanut butter, geared up, then headed to the race venue. I.T Park was alive and kicking at 3:45am. I took the time to stretch then checked in at exactly 7 minutes before gun start.

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With seconds to go before the 4:00am start fireworks erupted, a loud applause came from the runners and we were off. This is it! my second full marathon! I made the sign of the cross then started my watch. I planned on fellowing the same race plan that Coach Philip Dueñas designed for me for my 1st marathon in Bohol last September. However I knew deep inside that I will find it difficult to stick to it because I’ve had zero training in the past months. So I said, hantod sa ma kaya lang, I will follow the race plan.

I felt pretty good all throughout the first few kms. From Lahug, Salinas, Gorordo, Escario, Mango, Fuente and Jones I went on a very slow and steady pace. But I got really excited as I was about to enter the SRP tunnel. I don’t know why this is always the part that gets to me. I guess because this is the ONLY time that it is opened to runners. I just had to take a quick snap as I entered it.

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Upon entering the tunnel I heard loud Sinulog music playing and a few meters of running I came upon these very perky group of dancers.

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They gladly obliged to a quick photo op while I chugged down a glass of cold Pocari Sweat. I don’t care how disgusting the name of this drink is. It is actually my second favorite after the purple Gatorade. I was so happy there was so much Pocari during the entire race.

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Inside the tunnel there was also a table with juicy watermelons. Little did I know that this race was going to be a food fest. I was to realize that fact soon enough. LOL!

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Upon exiting out of the SRP tunnel the sky started turning pink and orange on my left side. The waters were calm, the wind was still, and the world was just quiet. I always love having breathtaking moments like this during a race. If only I could capture in a photograph how beautiful that particular moment was. I just wanted to take it all in. :)

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The Cebu City Marathon is indeed one big street party. A few meters ahead a live band was playing and at this time I still remember that they were playing Taylor Swift’s You Belong With Me. I couldn’t help but sing along for a bit. Good job ladies!

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The sun decided to come out early on during the race. I was hoping that it was going to be a cloudy day but it was not meant to be. Thank goodness the volunteers of the Chinese Fire Brigade were out in full force. Many of us runners took advantage of the free cold shower from our friendly Chinese firemen volunteers. To sia very much to you guys!

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Just a few kms towards the halfway mark, I finally caught up with my running buddy Coach K. Yes, that famous guy who challenged me to run my first half marathon in last year’s CCM and who’s been a constant running buddy ever since. The first thing I asked him to do was to take my picture. lol!

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After almost 3 hrs of running the Talisay City Hall finally came into view. That only means one thing. That the turning point is VERY VERY NEAR. Hooray!

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I got a bit worried when I saw my watch go past 3 hrs. How come I still haven’t ran past the 21km marker?? Ana ko ka hinayan? haha! :p Soon enough I saw the next marker saying 22kms. At this point I read my cellphone and came upon a message from my co-worker Elaine “Aja Mickie! You can do it!” Thank you so much Laine!

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A few meters more and we finally reached the end of the SRP. The second of 2 U Turns for the 42 km runners. Of course I just had to have my photo op here. :) Notice the harsh shadows on the picture? It’s because the sun had to started to shine with a vengeance by this time. I knew that this was going to be the most difficult part of the race. Running agains the bright blinding sunshine and running under the sweltering heat. It was going to be a mind game from this point on. I decided to change the race plan. Run when I can and walk when I feel tired. Basta ma abot lang gyud sa finish line.

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If there was something unique about this race, it’s the volunteer stations of the different running clubs in Cebu. The support of the running clubs was just so overwhelming. You just know there’s nothing but sincerity and kindness. Imagine waking up early just to set up, to spend your own money to give food to fellow runners, cheering them on and encouraging them to go on with the race. Grabe kaayo full force gyud ang mga running clubs. I’m ever so grateful to them.

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There was the UNGO Ug Dagan volunteer station that offered me a nice liniment spray on my legs.

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Then I chanced upon my Alien classmate and ultra marathoner Mam Sheila. I said “mam sheila! layo-a pa uy!” She went, Layo pa bitaw Mick. Kaon sa! Naa’y roasted calf, puso, ice cream, bananas, chocolate. And so I helped myself to some roasted calf and ice cream. That ice cream was exactly what I needed at that moment. Sugar to boost my energy and the coldness to avoid possible heat stroke and dehydration. Thank you Ungo runners!! :D

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There was also the Team Boyek runners who were mostly buddies with Coach K. So grabe kayo sila naka cheer when we ran past them. In this photo Coach K’s buddies were asking him to do the “Opa BONGman style” and Coach K went “mick ikaw sad! i’m like noooooo! ikaw lang Bonggo! lol! funny pic here. Thank you to M.V Enriquez for this pic :)

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One of the sons of a Team Boyek runner was also suuuper kind to spray liniment oil on my legs. So buotan this kid! Thank you suuuuuuuper much! (photo credits: R.Chan)

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Coach K and I left the Team Boyek station in such high spirits that we didn’t mind running through the next few kms. The heat was getting pretty bad but still bearable. The soles of my feet were starting to feel really sore. We’ve been running for about 4 hours now. We had to stop to take picture breaks and walk breaks every now and then to keep our sanity.

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Coach K went bai ikaw ra lagi permi picture bai. ako nasad kuno

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Later on we chanced upon the Ungo runners again. I think they’ve started to pack up and the few of them left were giving away what’s left of their supplies. Here runner and photographer J.Domingo took some snaps of us runners.

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Thank you so much J.Domingo for these pics :D (Look at Coach K’s hair here. Na afro ug kalit. LOL!!!)

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Aside from the ice cold sponges, cold water, and ice cubes that I literally put down through the back of my shirt to keep me cool, it was the shower from the firetruck that kept me from feeling weak due to heat exhaustion. The heat at the SRP was so unforgiving I seriously couldn’t have survived it without these showers.

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Pretty soon the 31kms marker came into view. 11kms to go. The finish line still feels like an entire lifetime away and my entire body is starting to feel so worn out. I said, gamay nalang gyud mickiego. We’ll get there. Just put 1 foot in front of the other and smile. :D

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I knew full well that there’s a cut off a the tunnel. All runners MUST get through it before 10:00am. Coach K and I were already nearing the tunnel at around 9:48 so I asked him picture me sa here!

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Inside, I said Bonggo, we need to take advantage of the shade. Lets run the entire stretch of the tunnel ha. Then we heard a race marshall yell at us saying “FASTER! FASTER!” i’m like huh?? pwede dili mo mag buot sa among pace?? Later on another race marshall approached us and said “Congratulations!! You’re the last 2 runners to make it!” OMG! That means the other runners behind us had to be picked up in a bus and were not to finish the race anymore. YIKES!

Going out of the tunnel we caught up with some of the runners before us. They said, pwede na ta mag walkathon. No cut off naman! LOL! I was just so relieved to finally make it out of the SRP. About 9kms to go nalaaaaaaang! I think one of the most difficult parts of the race was when we had to run through all the people in Sto Nino church and the entire downtown area. Thank goodness for the race marshalls who were escorting us and for our fellow runners who helped us navigate through the speeding jeepneys. At Jones Avenue I saw this motivational sign right above the RUNNR volunteer station :) Thank you Raffy & the rest of the RUNNR team!

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As I made it up towards Fuente Osmeña circle I came upon another running group volunteer station. There was this girl with a big thumbs up sign that said “YOU CAN DO IT!” She said, duol na kaayo mo!!! GO GO GO! last 4kms nalang!! It was also at this point when I read a motivational text message fr my friend Mimi that said “Go Mickie!!!” Thank you Mims!!

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After seeing the 4kms sign I knew I had no choice but to give up my goal of finishing under 7hrs. No way in the world will I be able to PR this race. At the Bohol Marathon last September I clocked in at 6hrs 55 mins. I really hoped I could have performed better. This IS my home court after all. OH well.. At the end of the day it’s not really about PR-ing or not anymore. It’s about finishing the race with every ounce of energy left in you. It’s about keeping a positive attitude despite the pain that’s going through your entire body. It’s about trying to stay calm and collected under the sweltering heat of the sun. It’s about determination and commitment to finish what you have started.

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So here I am at the last 1km mark. Whew!!!! I’m going to make it to the finish line. I run-walked the entire Lahug stretch with Coach K feeling giddy with excitement. As I entered IT Park again so many runners cheered on us it made my heart just swell with so much pride and happiness. To top it all off, photographer R.Opada was there with his big lens. I said to myself, YESS! I am getting myself a very nice picture. :D Thank you so much for this Reynan!! I think i just might have this printed and framed.

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Running towards the finish line I saw some familiar faces cheering on us. Triathlete and ultramarathoner P.Baltazar yelled “Go Mickie!!!” and took this photo on his cellphone.

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Notice Coach K a few steps behind me looking like he’s about to sprint the last few meters. And sprint he did with his tongue wagging like a dog. (Zookie is that you?!) OMG. I keep laughing when I see this picture. Great capture here P.Baltazar!

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So finally after 7 hours & 10 minutes of running I crossed the finish line of the Cebu City Marathon 2013. I am mighty proud of myself for having put behind 42kms behind me and proving to myself once again that I am tough enough for this.

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After claiming my finisher shirt I had a nice little photo op with Mam Twinkle Ignacio the ultramarathoner who’s famous for her outrageous costumes during races. Nice to meet you mam!

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I came home with the loveliest puso-shaped finisher’s medal and an overwhelming sense of accomplishment. Thank you CCM! Thank you once again to all the volunteers during the race. Congratulations to all the finishers and organizers! Job well done! :D

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PIT SENYOR STO NINO! Happy Fiesta Cebu City! :D

Summit Run For Pinoy Glory

July 7, 2012

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After the sprint triathlon last week I only had 1 run practice session with Coach JPD at the track oval and 1 gym session for weights. The rest of the days I was too busy doing other career things that took up most of my time. So coming into this race I knew that I wasn’t really in the best-est of conditions. Still, I targeted to make it to a sub 2:40 finish because a.) the race course was relatively flat all throughout and b.) well, I just wanted to prove to myself that (as my original coach, Coach K would say), IT CAN BE DONE!

At the first 5k, I paced with my fellow Coach JPD student and first time half-marathoner Cheska. We kept a pretty good pace and chit-chatted for a bit. We crossed the 5k marker at 37minutes and while Cheska chose to do a 3-minute walk break I proceeded to go on my comfortable pace. I focused on maintaining a good running form and kept my breathing in check at all times.

As I went past the 7km marker I picked it up a notch and hoped that I would reach the turning point by 1hr 15mins. Too bad my watch clocked in at 1:20 when I reached 10.5kms. gaaah! I caught up with Coach K at the 12km marker and asked him, “Bonggo, do you think I’ll make it?” He replied with “um.. I think you will but by a hairpin lang. GO GO GO!”

I grabbed my GU Power Gel, drank my Gatorade from my hydration belt then picked up my pace further. I think it was at km13 when Coach K caught up with me. We ran side by side for an entire stretch while I tried my hardest to sustain a faster pace to keep up with him. I think that was the reason why I was able to get a good momentum. We made another stop at a water station, Coach K showered me with cold water then told me “Go na Micks. Go get your P.R. Ako mag chill nako diri.” LOL!

By this time the sun had started to shine so bright. It was HOT and stuffy and the heat was starting to wear me out but I was determined to cross the finish line before 2.40. So I said, FOCUS lang mickiego. I kept on running on a good pace despite feeling pain on both my knees and behind my right leg. I made sure to drink Gatorade from my bottle from time to time I showered myself with water and drank 100 Plus from the water stations to keep myself sane despite the killer heat.

With 5kms to go my watch struck 2 hours. Shucks. I calculated in my head and realized that I will need to run the home stretch at 7 or 8 minutes per km. Sige lang, I told myself. I can do this. So I picked myself up and ran the last 5km with nothing but sheer willpower to beat my target time. By the time I ran past the 1km marker my watch read 2:33. Legs, you HAVE GOT TO ROTATE. Please don’t let me down now.

Approaching the finish line chute, a few meters before the finish line both my feet started to cramp up. I don’t even know how I managed to hobble and run at the same time but I read the timer and saw that I am definitely going to make it. 2 hours 37 minutes and 45 seconds. :D

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A new personal record that I struggled so hard to achieve. Too bad there was no medal waiting for me at the finish line. Lousy organizers told us we were to go back for it along with the finisher’s shirt at the end of the month. Boo! ☹

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I stretched and massaged my cramped up feet and legs while waiting for Coach K and Cheska to cross. Coach K crossed at 2:49

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while Cheska did at 3:02. Good job guys! Congratulations!!! :D

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Us three then proceeded to Pancake House for our celebratory meal and finished it off with a well-deserved Krispy Kreme. What a great race! Can’t wait to get my medal & finisher’s shirt soon!

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THANK YOU’s:

Coach K/DaBonggo/Tito Bong – for those crucial few kms that you paced with me. It gave me the momentum to push forward and onward. Also for the free ride to and from the venue.

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Cheska Geli – for pacing with me on the first 5km and well, also for being an awesome running classmate at the track oval. Haha!

Shasha & Francis Manglapus – for taking my pics at the finish line :)

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Coach JPD – for preparing me for this and for helping me get stronger. ☺

Sonshine Radio Half Marathon

July 22, 2012

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Hoo boy. I can’t believe I just ran my 10th half marathon this morning at the Sonshine Radio Marathon. That’s a total of 210 race kms since January of this year! Yeaah! ☺ The week prior to this race, I had 2 practice sessions with Coach JPD at the track oval that focused on form and speed work. However, I told myself I should just chill out and enjoy this run without expecting much since the race course involved some hills. I’ve ran this course I think 2 times in the past and it was always the Banawa hills that sucked the energy out of me. I told myself, well, bahala na whether I give myself a new p.r or not. As long as I’ll have fun, sweat out, and give myself a pretty good workout today.

I managed to run the first 5k in under 37minutes then ran at my comfortable pace on the next few kms. I wanted to focus on rotating my legs properly and in proper coordination with the swinging of my arms. I took short walk breaks on every water station to make sure I don’t tire myself out too easily. Before I knew it I was entering Banawa road and I was huffing and puffing my way through the first set of hills. I hit 1hr & 15mins at the first turning point a few meters after Paseo Arcenas. I grabbed some Pocari Sweat to keep myself hydrated. The sun had started to shine so hot and bright as I was making my way back up the hills. I made sure to keep my head down so that my visor can keep my face protected from the heat. I had stupidly forgotten to put on sunblock before I left the house this morning so I’m pretty sure my skin is several shades darker again. Ugh. I couldn’t help but take more walk breaks as I ran through the hills. Major major init na gyud DMD!

As I made my way towards V.Rama for the 2nd turning point I checked my watch and realized that if I wanted to make it to a sub 2.40 finish I had about a little over 1 hour to run 9kms. I still felt quite strong so I picked it up a notch. I made sure to pour water on my head and splash my face to keep the heat from getting to me. I also made sure to drink Gatorade from my hydration belt every now and then. Soon I found myself leaving the 8, 7, and 6kms to go markers. At 5kms to go I checked my watch again and it read 2 hrs 1min. Oh wow. I thought to myself I think I still have it in me to go faster. Let’s hunat na sa last 5kms mickiego. We can do this!

While still keeping a good running form, meaning fists closed (I made sure that I wasn’t doing the “witik” move on my left hand), arms swinging in coordination with the rotation of my legs, I ran with every bit of energy left in me. Maybe, JUST MAYBE I could have a fighting chance of p.r-ing today. I was still feeling pretty good all the way to the last 3kms and as I approached San Jose Dela Montaña, I sprinted all the way to the finish line. I let out a pretty loud “YES!!!” as I stepped on the red line and stopped my watch at 2hrs36mins & 32sec. :D

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On my last training session with Coach JPD he taught me all about “running economy”. He said it was what I needed to learn in order to shorten my time. I needed to get used to learning how to speed up when I needed to and recover just in time to be able to gather speed again. Running is both a mental and a physical game. You have to listen to your body and be able to tell whether you still have it in you to “hunat”. All these while at the same time sill making sure that you’re maintaining a good running form.

I caught myself by surprise when I realized that I could p.r today and I only realized it at the last 8 or 9kms already. This time I finished stronger compared to my last race 2 weeks ago where I had to deal with cramps and majorly painful legs afterwards. As I type this post I’m feeling tired in a general sense but there’s nothing extraordinarily painful at all. Well, my shoulders and back hurt a little bit just because I was trying so hard to improve on the coordination of my arm swinging. I felt so good about this race I couldn’t help but write down so many things about it. LOL!

Oh, shout out to my running buddy and the person who got me into running Coach K! Happy Birthdaaaaay!!! :D Thank you for breakfast and for the ride to and from the venue.

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Here’s to more races and finisher medals!

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I have a little over 2 weeks to prepare for my next race. This time it’s going to be the LONGEST I will ever run. 25kms at the University Run on August 19. Pag serious na gyud sa training mickiego!

Red Durano Sprint Triathlon Series Leg 3

July 1, 2012

What a way to kick off the new month! Today I joined the 3rd Leg of the Congressman Red Durano Triathlon Series in Danao City and finished the sprint triathlon distance of 750m swim – 20km bike – 5km run in 1hr & 46mins. AND, i placed 3rd in my age group. OHYEAAHHHBABY!!! :D so proud!!!

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It was my first time to swim in open, super wavy waters and it was freakin’ crazy difficult. Every time I breathed, waves of water would slap me in the face and I ended up drinking a LOT of salty seawater. ugh. DMD! I ended the swim part in about 20 to 22 minutes then proceeded to the transition area for the bike part.

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By then the sun had started to shine so bright and it was MAJOR init. I was also so thirsty the whole time but I forced myself to pedal faster without stopping for water. The roads were also a bit difficult to navigate because we had to contend with Ceres buses, jeeps, cars, tricycles, and lots of speeding motorcycles. Super scary but I managed to survive. I felt SO RELIEVED when I finally went back to the transition area to begin the run part. By then I had been racing for more than 1 hour so I made sure to take my GU Power Gel for energy.

During the run part we had to do 2 loops. On the first loop, for about 2.5kms, my legs refused to rotate. I was tired and a bit dehydrated so I went on a very slow but steady space. i tried not to walk so as not to destroy the momentum. At the start of the second loop I started to feel better especially after a race marshall showered me with cold water. I miraculously started getting stronger and managed to pick up my pace on the last 1km. When I finally crossed the finish line I was all smiles knowing that the race is over and that I finished strong. :)

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Whew! Triathlon-ing is a lot more fun than running so I hope I get to do more of this in the near future. In the mean time I know I have to train extra hard on all the discplines. Most esp biking & running. Plus, I need to practice swimming in open water more. I’m so proud of my podium finish medal! :) Goodjob Mickieeeeeeee!!!!!!

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THANK YOU’s:
- Abigail Lua & Peter Dy for being my triathlon classmates today!

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- Peter for pumping air into my tires and helping me w/ my bike and of course, for lunch! :D

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- Coach Marlon & Hannah Galo for your support

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- Dudin Villo kay ikaw nag galgal nako nga join ani. haha :p

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- Mam Missy Torralba for shouting my name and cheering me on

Hunat Sugbu Run

June 22, 2012

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This Hunat Sugbu 2 run is my second time to attempt back to back 21kms 1 week apart of each other. This time I didn’t pressure myself to make a new p.r because I knew I hadn’t trained enough and hadn’t earned enough mileage since last Sunday’s DYAB Kapamilya run. So I told myself I’ll just enjoy the race, give myself a nice workout and make sure I’ll get to add that incredibly pretty flower-shaped medal to my finisher medals collection.

The word “HUNAT”, as I understand it means to give it your all. In today’s race I really do think I tried to give it my all and to HUNAT. However, the race route was a bit difficult since we had to run through the punishing hills of Banawa. To make matters worse, after the first 21km turning point near Paseo Arcenas, the sun had started to shine so hot and bright. So hills + weary legs + heart pumping + extreme heat = torture. Luckily, I made it through by maintaining by jog pace but slowing down when the road got too steep.

On my way to Banawa also, I almost tripped on something hard on the ground. I don’t know what it was but I was damn lucky that another runner, a very nice lady who was running back, was there to “catch” me. She said “oh, be careful dear. i almost tripped there sad ganina.” thank you lady! :D i had no choice but to almost put my entire body weight on her. gaaah! i would have fallen flat on my face if it wasn’t for her. haha! lousy-ha gyud nimo mickiego!

Despite not being able to make a new p.r today at 2hrs & 45minutes, I’m still happy that I felt strong all throughout the race. Just several months ago the word 21km seemed so scary and daunting. I had all kinds of fears in my head about not being able to finish the race. Today after running my 8th half marathon I think I can safely say I have conquered my fear of long distance running. :)

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Thanks to my training sessions with Coach Philip Duenas and of course, thanks to my original “COACH” Coach K, aka DaBonggo for believing that “IT CAN BE DONE!” I am more convinced now that i will make it through a full marathon by January 2013. In the mean time I know i have to double my efforts at training and at losing weight.

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Congratulations to all the finishers! :) I love my flower-shaped medal!

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DYAB Kapamilya Run

June 17, 2012
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For my 7th 21km race I had only 1 goal in mind. And that is to finish in 2hrs & 40minutes (4 minutes faster than my Globe Run4Home race last March). It was the target time that I set for myself knowing that I have been working quite hard in training the past few weeks. As I tapered off in training last Thursday, Coach Philip Duenas gave me my race plan: 30minute run – 3 minute walk intervals. OR run for 5kms then walk for 500meters. So i told him, sige, I think that’s pretty doable.

Come race day I was quite anxious knowing that this will be the first time i’ll run without music. I couldn’t find my trusty i.pod shuffle anywhere. I always relied on the steady beat of music playing in my ears to keep me entertained while running. I also made sure to leave my compact camera so I wouldn’t get tempted to take pictures. I REALLY wanted to make a new p.r for myself today. So no i.pod & no camera to keep the boredom at bay. Yikes!

I found myself all by my lonesome at the starting line. My running partner Coach K a.k.a DaBonggo was nowhere to be found as he failed to wake up on time. He almost DNS’d (Did Not Start) if I hadn’t called him at the last minute. Lousy Bonggo! The gun fired at around 4:30am. I set my timer, made the sign of the cross then started with an easy jog pace. As I ran past the 17kms to go marker I realized that I was going too slow. I only managed to cover 4kms in 31 minutes. NOOO! So i said, I won’t go on a 3-minute walk break. No can do! I ditched the 30minute run-3min walk race plan and just continued on jogging. Coach Philip’s voice saying “rotate, rotate, rotate” kept ringing in my head so I tried to keep a good running form the whole time.

Going into the 12kms to go marker I was still feeling strong and confident. My legs weren’t complaining that much and I was SO THANKFUL that we were given a nice cloudy day to run. It would have been a totally different story had the sun been shining hot. At the 10kms to go marker, I downed my Strawberry-Banana flavored GU Power Gel which made me feel a bit more energized. I picked up my pace a notch this time and I ran strong and fast across the Cansaga Bridge down to Tayud, Consolacion. A huge wave of relief came over me when the race marshals finally gave me my first of two 21km turning point ribbons.

With 7kms to go I sped up a little as I prepared to cross Cansaga Bridge again. Here I stopped for a bit for Coach K. He gave me his car key so I can let his dog Zookie out of the car as soon as I crossed the finish line. This crazy dude forgot to open his car windows a bit and feared that Zookie might suffocate inside. Siaw2x ka talaga Bonggo! He told me “Micks, I want Zookie at the finish line ha!” OK FINE.

Upon reaching the 5kms to go marker I checked my watch and felt so worried. If I remember correctly it registered at 2hrs 3 mins. I knew I had to speed things up some more if I wanted to cross the finish line at 2:40. My legs still felt strong at this point so I said, let’s go mickieeeee! carry pa! I made a right turn towards Super Metro Mandaue, rotated and rotated and rotated my legs, swung my arms as Coach Philip taught me, and made sure to keep my breathing in check. I got my 2nd 21km turning point ribbon, ran past the 4kms to go marker and felt like flying through the home stretch of the race. With 2kms to go my watch said 2:19. 10mins for each km left. Yeah! I don’t know what transpired at the last 2kms but when i reached the last 1km marker I was surprised to see my watch. It was already 2:36. Shet! Where the heck did the time go? Can I run 1km in 4mins? Pwes. Suwayan nato.

So I picked up my legs, ran in long, fast strides, breathed in and breathed out. I knew I was pushing myself hard but it was a race against my target time and I didn’t want to lose the battle. As I approached the finish line chute I saw none other than mam Twinkle, the always beautifully costumed runner, in all her head dress glory. I wanted to overtake her but she was taking her own sweet time as fans and cheerers picked up their cameras to take pictures of her. Too bad I wasn’t really able to savor my finish line moment because Mam Twinkle stole my thunder. Boo! hahahah!!! :p Joke ra mam basin ma basahan ni! Anyway, OK ra kaayo kay I made it just 1 minute later than my target time.

So today I ran my 7th 21km race in 2 hours & 41 minutes. A new personal record that I am super duper proud of. :)

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Training really does pay off. I am more inspired than ever to keep going at this. I felt strong all the way from start to finish and that is the only thing that matters. Other than a slight pain on my right hamstring and soreness on the soles of my feet plus a small blister behind my toe, I had no other complaints at all. :) Well, I have chafing in different parts of my body but that’s because I seriously need to invest in better fitting (read: tighter) running clothes. Upon crossing the finish line, I made a beeline for Coach K’s car, let Zookie out and waited for him to arrive. It took him a while because of his 13 to 15 minute deficit but the wait was fun because Zookie gained so many fans just standing there.

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Soon Coach K arrived, Zookie smothered him with kisses,

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Then we had a huge celebratory meal at Dimsum Break.

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The meal was followed by a free sundae cone from one of the sponsors which Zookie gladly partook in.

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What a truly awesome run :) Congrats to all the podium finishers and to all the participants. And Thank You DYAB & ABS-CBN for hosting this run and for letting us help Typhoon Sendong victims in our own way.

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On to 21km no. 8 next Sunday! :)

My First Long Bike Ride

May 26, 2012

I have had several FIRSTS these past months. First out of town half marathon last week, first time to hold a plank for 2 whole minutes a few weeks ago, first, first first.

Today I had another FIRST. my first long bike ride ever. Prior to this the farthest I went was probably the 30kms I rode at the Century Tuna National Age Group Triathlon last April 1. At the invitation of my former swimming team mate who’s now my swimming coach, Coach Marlon, i decided to brave my fears of the long ride. Mandaue to Carcar and back. Goodness gracious. Ma kaya ba kaha ni nako noh? I told Marlon to please please please just pace me while we ride and to please not leave me behind on the road.

So this morning shortly before 6am, I met Marlon, Mam Missy & Sir Larry at the corner near my house going to the highway. The 3 of them had been biking for several kms already before they picked me up. I was so excited and nervous! Am i really doing this? Ka layo anang Carcar! “Sige lang mangaon ta ug lechon ig abot didto” was what Mam Missy told me. Wow. Motivation it is. Let’sgoMickieGO!

As we made our way through the first several kms i felt pretty calm. We navigated through jeepneys, cars, stoplights and all while Mam Missy rang her bike’s bell to signal that we were behind. We caught up with 2 more bikers somewhere in Labangon – Nordan on his bike & Sir Randy on his motor (our official escort. hehe!)

The ride towards Carcar was the fun part. My heart struggled to pump harder and my legs pushed harder through the hilly parts of the route. It left me breathless but when the road was flat again I felt better. I wanted to stop a few times to drink water but I somehow managed to balance on one hand while the other reached to the back to grab my bottle. When we reached San Fernando Sir Larry told me we should stop so he can pump air on my tires. I was so grateful for those few minutes of rest and of course for Sir Larry’s help. The air that was added to my tires spelled a WORLD of difference to my ride.

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Upon reaching Carcar we stopped at Sir Randy’s Park & Go bakeshop to park our bikes, to rest, and to quench our thirst w/ a bottle of ice cold Mountain Dew. God. That felt AMAZING. Later on we proceeded to the market to help ourselves to super yummy Car2x lechon and puso. I’ve never had lechon this early in the morning. It was only 830! haha! :p

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Thank you so much again Sir Randy for the treat!! :D

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It was a little past 10am already when we started to make our way back to the city.

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This time the sun had started to shine so hot, the speeding Ceres buses and mini buses were practically everywhere making the roads a bit difficult to navigate. My legs and thighs started to experience the first signs of fatigue. Every hill that we had to bike through was torture for me. My breathing became so labored and the heat of the sun was becoming too much to handle. Somewhere in Minglanilla I had to fall behind and ask Marlon if we could make a pit stop at a Shell station. There I grabbed a bottle of 100 Plus which did wonders for my thirst. Whew. Kapoy na kaayo adto nga time doh!

Upon reaching Gaisano Tabunok the group decided to rest and cool down with some Halo2x at Chowking. I thought I was the only one feeling so exhausted already. Apparently, even the experienced bikers in the group felt the same way. That time i was already so tempted to call our driver and just ask him to pick me up there. I didn’t want to go on w/ the ride anymore. :(

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But the fighter in me told me to stop whining and stop being a wimp. You are already in the city mickiego. Few kms to go nalang abot naka. So mau tu.. i put my cellphone down and decided to not call for rescue nalang. The halo2x gave me the sugar I needed to go on and the rest helped me feel energized again.

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It was almost 12noon by then. You can imagine just how INIT it was. The streets were so busy I started to feel scared about the oncoming jeepneys and motorcycles around me. But thanks to the very patient and very helpful bikers in the group who were nice enough to help me navigate the roads. I am so thankful to you guys :)

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Shortly before 1pm I finally arrived home. in ONE PIECE. I sent a prayer of thanks to the high heavens for keeping everyone safe during the ride. 80kms. Goodness. That is not even the half ironman distance for the bike part yet. plus 2km swim before that & a 21km run after that. I now have serious doubts if i will ever be ready in time for Ironman in August 2013. Sige lang, practice lang ta more mickiego. Wecandodeeeeez!

Thank you again Mam Missy, Sir Larry, Marlon, Sir Randy, Nordan & Neil for your patience and understanding to a newbie like me. Thank you Mam Missy for rescuing my fallen water bottle, to Marlon & Nordan for your tips, to Sir Larry for pumping my tire, to SIr Randy for keeping me company during the times I fell behind from the group. It was an amazing experience. Looking forward to more bike rides w/ you! :D

I arrived home with an amazing feeling of accomplishment plus a super cool tan line. yeahboi!

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