Conquering Corregidor: The Corregidor International Half-Marathon

The CIHM (Corregidor International Half Marathon) was the year-end race that almost never was. My friends and I had decided to run right after we'd run in Camsur in September. It was quite expensive, at P2,500 for early registration, but we figured the overall package -- roundtrip ferry transfers, an official backpack and drifit shirt, a humongous medallion (shown to us during orientation), buffet lunch, and the chance to visit the last bastion of freedom during second World War would be worth it. However, due to budget and/or time constraints (it was held during the weekend right before Christmas), quite a few people backed out. About a month before the run, there were in fact rumors of the event getting canceled, though they were quickly dispelled by the organizers themselves.

The CIHM marked many firsts. It was my first trail run (even if trail comprised only about 20 - 30% of the race). It was my first trip to "The Rock." CIHM was also the first race I'd ever joined with a cut-off: we were supposed to have crossed the 10k mark at 10:45 AM, after which all runners would be "netted." This gave us an hour and fifteen minutes to finish the first ten kilometers. This was easily attainable, but rumor had even the most hardcore of runners cursed Corregidor's hills, so I was thinking my two prior half marathons might not have prepared me enough for what lay ahead.

Corregidor's Eternal Flame, said to symbolize eternal freedom.

I didn't get that much sleep the night prior to the run, and for the first time I almost missed a run. My friend Mich and I were both knocked out and thankfully our friend Ron woke us up with a phone call. We panicked and were up and out of the house in fifteen minutes to meet up with Ron and another friend James. Panic number two came at the port when we realized realized we hadn't been given ferry tickets, but that was quickly resolved since we had our bib numbers anyway. The ferry trip wasn't all that smooth. It was raining slightly when we left the port, so I'm glad the Bonamine I'd taken eventually knocked me out.

The Ferry by Star Cruises. I hate my seasickness.

Overcast weather greeted us in Bataan, which we were happy about since it meant it wouldn't be as hot as we'd feared an 8 AM guntime would be. When we got off the ship, I could finally feel the slight excitement while the fear faded a bit once I started seeing familiar faces. And while waiting for the starting gun to fire, I couldn't help but feel that despite all the hill training I still hadn't prepared enough for this race.

Welcome to Corregidor!

I didn't really have much of a choice, however, and once the gun had sounded I could feel myself getting dragged to the end of the pack while hating myself for failing to warm up for the nth time, especially since after a few meters, the first of Corregidor's hills greeted us.

The first four or five kilometers were quite fuzzy to me. I remember being greeted by inclines almost immediately and passing Malinta Tunnel, which served as a bombproof shelter during the World War and as the headquarters of the Philippine Commonwealth government under President Manuel L. Quezon. Malinta Tunnel featured replicas of various prominent figures in Philippine history. It was dark in the tunnel, which made it difficult to run too fast, but it was worth the experience.

As you can see, it was dark.

I do remember passing through trees and seeing a few ruins along the way, but I could only glance at them as there was no time to stop. There were old weapons, batteries, and a lot of u-turns, but I was kind of expecting the latter since they'd mentioned we'd have to collect seven different-colored strings along the way.

Turnaround point.

I should also mention that the hills seemed endless, and that I had that familiar "why on earth am I torturing myself this way again" thought echoing through my mind again. At the same time I felt quite thankful for all the hill training I'd done in the months leading up to the race. I forced these thoughts to melt into my fast and perky music playlist, hoping the tunes would make the torture easier. I stopped at almost every hydration station (there were more than enough stations, I must say) and treated myself to water and bananas along the way to ease the boredom.

After the fifth kilometer or so, I suddenly felt myself getting inexplicably lighter and I was off. It also helped that there was a soft breeze while the view cleared up and runners were treated to a majestic view of the ocean. And I was treated to my first taste of trail running, across barren fields and tall grasses. It felt good not feeling the impact of concrete or asphalt against my feet (and more importantly, my knees). I actually turned off my music a couple of times and I still didn't get bored. I also encountered my friend Alain, who was also my pacemate during the Adidas King of the Road (my first half-marathon). After a bit more running, I saw the 10k marker. I had no idea what time it was, but I couldn't help but let out a soft "Yes!" upon seeing that the bright orange net (yes, there was a literal net) was still folded up and hanging from the tree on the side. I could take it as easy as I wanted and I would still get that pretty 21k medallion!

Trail running with Alain :)

I also noticed that runners seemed to disperse after the 10k mark. Perhaps most of them started taking it easy knowing they'd beat the time limit. There were still hills, hills, and more hills, but in any case nature continued to provide a feast to the eyes, with trees providing ample shade even as the sun's rays continued to shine brighter. And after a few more kilometers, we had the rare opportunity to marvel at the famous Mile-Long Barracks. I also encountered my friends James and Ron, so we had a blast with taking photos again.

Smile for the camera! With Ron (L) and James (R).

We ran many more kilometers of running road and trail, but I didn't feel the distance as much anymore. And considering it was already quite late, the heat was perfectly bearable, and there was in fact a slight breeze. We passed Malinta Tunnel again, and having been exposed to copious amounts of sunlight, it became more difficult for us to navigate through the tunnel since it felt darker than before.

KM 18.

As we passed through more trail and road, I knew I still hadn't seen the worst, and guessed that it was coming, since I'd heard many horror stories about it. And finally, there it was: Corregidor's famous killer hill that boasted a sixty-degree slope, the hill which had humbled even the most hardcore of runners and athletes. I'd think to say that I'd topple over if I stood on the hill without controlling my weight would be no exaggeration. I didn't see a single person run the hill; in fact I passed someone else walking along the way and we could only exchange sheepish grins.

Killer hill...run me and you die! (This picture doesn't give it justice.)

After that I was home free. I actually had enough stamina in me to the sprint to the finish line, but I was embarrassed since I was the only runner around at that time and all eyes were on me so I picked up my pace just slightly instead, and graciously accepted the medallion and a free visor upon crossing the finish (which, by the way, was HEAVY). I'd clocked in at 2:39:30, and I have to say I was feeling an extraordinary runner's high.

Roses for the ladies!

After meeting up with the rest of my friends, we took a few snapshots and then dressed up then headed to claim our other reward, a lunch buffet that was part of the race package. There wasn't anything special about the food, but it tasted extraordinarily good. I had to go back for a second serving to satisfy my craving.

Photowall/camwhoring with Mich!

 

Ravenous!

We still had a few hours before the ferry back to Manila so we sprawled on the benches and tables to rest our legs and eyes a bit, and we finally got bored we decided to take the guided tour of Corregidor in order to better appreciate the monuments and sights we'd encountered. The passengers of our bus seemed exhausted though, each time the tour guide asked us to get down for photo opportunities we barely budged and there seemed to be a mutual understanding among the members of our group that we were just plain tired. After a bit more of waiting we were finally called to board our ferry. I got knocked out almost immediately after boarding, and when I woke up we were almost in Manila. We were starved by then and treated ourselves to a hefty dinner at Teriyaki Boy before heading home.

That said, I give you a rating of the race:

HYDRATION: 8/10
Water was overflowing, yes, but I passed a few stations where you had to wait. Bananas, cut up into manageable portions, were overflowing as well, and there was a honey station. I kind of regret getting a honey packet, though, for a while I couldn't find a place to throw away the packet, and unlike most races I couldn't just throw the plastic away; I felt I'd be desecrating the place. There were also sports drinks, albeit a bit diluted.

Gatorade, albeit a bit diluted.

ROUTE: 10/10
This race takes definitely gets the best route of the year award in my book. This was probably the only race of the year during which I had to turn off my music several times in order to better appreciate the sights.  Although this race began at 9AM, an hour that would normally scorch, the heat was perfectly bearable and there was in fact a cool breeze.

Nature at its best!

ORGANIZATION: 7/10
The actual organization was almost flawless. The organizers were easy to reach in case of questions, the runners' orientation and race kit distribution went smoothly, and this was the first race I'd encountered where the results were released the AFTERNOON of the race (via SMS, e-mail, and their official site). The hydration was sufficient and the trails were obviously cleared for the runners. The only problem was coordination with Sun Cruises. The wait for the ferry trip was unnecessarily long (marketing ploy?), they couldn't find our names on the passenger manifest (though this was resolved within a couple of minutes), and the ferry left Manila late.

VALUE FOR MONEY: 9/10
A race backpack, a very pretty medallion, a drifit shirt, RFID timing device, roundtrip transfers, no smog (the good and bad "scents of nature" were all we could smell), island closed off to outsiders. Plus, we discovered a day tour of the island alone would already cost P2,000. P2,500 is steep, yes, but we could very clearly see where the money went, although they might considering doing away with some of the freebies to lower the price and encourage more runners to participate next time. (And yes, I still prefer singlets to shirts.)

Our MEDALLION + the seven strings.

 
OVERALL RACE EXPERIENCE: 10/10
The Corregidor International Half-Marathon was the perfect race to cap off 2010. More than the best route award, I'd say the CIHM deserves the prize for the year's best race overall. It was a challenging race (who could forget that dark tunnel and the killer hills?), it was fun (it helped that I was in good company; let's just forget the panic of not waking up in the morning), and it served as a trip that encouraged historical/cultural appreciation (since, as I mentioned, it was my first time in Corregidor). Despite the bad 21k time, I expect the CIHM be remembered as one of those unforgettable races which remind me why I love running.

So shall we return? I sure hope so!

Photo credits: Many thanks to Memes, Ron, and Alain for the photos I grabbed from their Facebook albums :)

2010 Running Awards

Whoops...I just realized I left this unpublished last year.  Feels weird posting this given how I've already started on the 2011 edition, but oh well, I figured I'd post it anyway!


Best Loot Bag: Neutrogena Chase the Sun

The Neutrogena Run's loot bag might not have been the most jam-packed, but I think it held had the most number of useful items.  Johnson's body wash, Neutrogena Deep Clean facial wash, Johnson's baby powder, and a Team Manila finisher's shirt to boot.  That was definitely one sulit loot bag!

Runner-up: Unilab 1 and Fit n' Fun.  From registration to post-race, Unilab provided runners with rather useful items such as facial sunblock, vitamins, and ibuprofen capsules that would be handy to any runner. Fit n' Fun, on the other hand, showered runners with grocery bags full of grocery items. It was overwhelming to dig through the contents of the bags, which stretched far beyond the P300 per head we'd shelled out for registration!

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Best Route: Corregidor

The race organizers advertised Corregidor as "the ultimate running frontier," and for good reason.  My first experience with semi-trail running (the route was comprised of 60% pavement, 40% trail) took us through historical landmarks including the dark Malinta Tunnel (which served as the seat of the Philippine Commonwealth Government during the second World War) and the Mile-Long Barracks, through grasslands with both fresh and odd scents (I was glad I "christened" my new compression pants during this run!), and finally, up the killer sixty-degree hill that reduced even elite runners to walking.  I actually had to turn off my Walkman a number of times to appreciate the sights.


It was also an enormous plus that we had the place entirely to ourselves that day.  The venue being closed off meant zero smog and vehicle emission, no traffic problems, and no garbage littered on the streets.  In fact, the place was so clean that throwing our empty plastic cups on the floor almost felt like sacrilege!

Runner-up: Camsur. We might have needed to rough it a bit, but the world's wakeboarding capital certainly had an interesting route in store for us!   The whole city of Pili seemed to have turned up for the event, and the rustic feel provided a nice change from the usual city scenery.

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Best Singlet/Finisher's Shirt: Adidas King of the Road

Black might not be as daring as people would want it to be, and some people might even find it boring, but it still does wonders to hide the love handles.  Also, I find that Adidas' Climalite technology works for me.

Runner-up: Activate! Run and Pump it UP

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Best Medal: Corregidor

The best medal of the year by far is Corregidor's enormous medallion.  Being 3 inches wide and 10 mm thick, with the logo of the race engraved on the front, this medallion is pretty hard to miss and ogle at!

Runner-up: Camsur Marathon.  How I regret not working hard for that sili medal!

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Most Organized Run: Unilab & Unilab 2

Despite the sheer volume of runners that took part in these two events, Runrio and Unilab were still able to carry off an incredibly smooth run (with overflowing hydration, I might add), no strings attached (except maybe the price).

Runner-up: FS Run, Condura. Nothing like races that are organized by runners, for runners!

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Best Weather: Unilab 2

Unilab 2 was my first 15k hence it was impossible for me not to PR, but even if it weren't my first 15k, I probably would have PR'd anyway because the weather conditions were nothing short of perfect.

Runner-up: PSE Bullrun

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Best Value for Money: Fit n' Fun

Overflowing shopping bags full of grocery items for the price of P300/person (or P600/pair) for 5k, a pretty decent singlet, and a pretty well-organized run.  It's hard to get something more sulit than that!

Runner-up: FS Run, Corregidor

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Best Overall Race Experience: Corregidor

First Runner-up: Camsur.  The route was one of my favorites, the run was well-organized, the singlet was quite decent, the price wasn't bad, and I did my 10k best.  Adding that all up means an experience that would be pretty hard to beat!

Runner-up: Condura

Worst Singlet/Finisher's Shirt: Men's Health

I don't really mind the fact that it's a finisher's shirt that I will never be able to use for running.  What I do mind is that I'll probably never use this finisher's shirt ever, owing to the neckline that chokes and the not-very-creative design.

Most Forgettable Run: Rexona Run

I almost forgot I even did this run until I started recounting them one by one.  And to think this was my first (and only) run at Mall of Asia.  What I do remember, however, was the breakfast at my friend Mich's house after!

Worst Overall Experience: Globe and Rock n' Run

Rock n' Run -- It wasn't the rain that I worried would destroy my beloved iPod.  The rain I don't really mind.  What I DID mind was that everything from the singlet design fail (it looked like a cheap version of the template), to the non-appearance of the promised loot bags, to the 10k distance that was almost 2km short, to the non-performance of the bands (so much for "rock"...it was June, didn't they anticipate the rains?) was a mess.

Globe -- This Rio-organized run was actually pretty organized.  But what I hated about this one was how my knee injury prevented me from running; it was a good thing I had my friends James and Albert to motivate me and help me from melting boredly under the scorching heat of March.

Worst Organized: Figaro Run and Rock n' Run

Figaro Run -- Poor hydration, distance lacking (4.4km for 5k and 8.6km for 10k), sucky loot bag.  Although it was a moderately-priced run, I still say this run wasn't worth the price I paid.

Rock n' Run -- Just see the reason why I voted as the "worst overall experience."

Runner-up: Earth Run, Adidas King of the Road, Century Superbods Run

Remembering Old School BodyJam

BodyCombat may be my undying workout love and gateway to fitness, running may currently be my most effective calorie-burner, and BodyPump may be the best "toner," but few people know that none of these got me hooked on working out and getting fit.  The honor of my first workout love would have to go to BodyJam.

What's BodyJam?  BodyJam is a dance-based cardio workout that makes use of a hodgepodge of various dance moves, adapting moves from all genres from Latin to Jazz, Hiphop to Disco.  It's probably the Les Mills program with the most updated music, as it often utilizes the latest chart-topping hits.  Recent BodyJam releases have a more or less standardized format, starting off with a slow warmup and stretch, then proceeds to building up two long sequences with a recovery track in between and a cooldown track at the end.  The second sequence usually ends with a breakout dance.

But BodyJam hasn't always followed this format.  Once upon a time, BodyJam was structured much like all the other Les Mills programs -- nine single standing tracks, and usually, with the exception of the warmup and cooldown tracks, all tracks offered a challenge to participants' cardio/fitness levels assuming they exhibited proper form and enthusiasm.








Music from one of my favorite BodyJam tracks ever, "Feel the Need" by Weird Science, from BodyJam release 25.

Given the "single-standing tracks" format, it was easy to tolerate boring tracks since they came only occasionally, and anyway tracks were usually less than ten minutes long.  On the part of instructors, it was easy to pick out the best tracks -- or perhaps the most "hyper" tracks -- if they wished to give their students the ultimate workout.  It also didn't hurt that members of my home club then, Fitness First ABS-CBN, were so into dancing and that their passion for swinging their hips and clapping to the beat was infectious.  Most instructors made use of more recent releases that used the newer "two long blocks" format, but my favorite instructors then, Laqui, Rio, and Kenneth, all shared my passion for what was eventually dubbed as "old school jam."








Let's baila, baila, baila! Baila Casanova by Paulina Rubio from BodyJam release 29.

Gradually, more and more new instuctors came into the group exercise world and they were allowed to make use of the more recent releases when teaching.  I, on the other hand, became more and more fond of BodyCombat, since I found that it achieved results much faster even if punching my way through the whole class was torture, as it rendered me out of breath and caused my muscles to ache.

Finally, Les Mills issued a memo to all its instructors.  It was said that Les Mills wanted to "standardize" BodyJam's format, but there were rumors that circulated saying Les Mills encountered copyright problems since the BodyJam choreographers of old school jam had joined a new company.  Either way, they prohobited them from the use of "old school jam" tracks, first during regular classes, and eventually, during special events as well.  At the same time, the Les Mills programs such as BodyAttack and BodyStep were introduced in the country.  Slowly I fell out of my love for BodyJam, first lessening the number of classes I attended per week, and eventually, removing BodyJam from my workout routine altogether.  But BodyJam, specifically old school jam, will always be special to my gym ratty self, since I probably wouldn't be this enthusiastic to get fit if it hadn't encouraged me to do so in the first place.

Run United for Wellness 2

I'm a person who likes to take things slowly but surely and I can be a bit of a coward sometimes, so it was a pretty big thing for me to jump from doing 10k races to more than double, i.e., my first 21k race during this year's Adidas King of the Road.  One month after, I decided to take the opportunity to do my first 15k at the Unilab Run for Wellness 2.  Moreover, quite a number of friends had expressed their intention to take the 32k challenge during the same event, so I figured it would be the perfect way to express my support.

Memories of the first Unilab run in March...sadly I've lost that singlet :(

I ran 10k during the first Unilab Run for Wellness held in February, and if its predecessor was any indication, I knew I could expect a well-funded and well-organized run from Runrio.  Unilab 1, I have to admit, was not one of my best runs.  On the contrary, it was one of my worst in terms of performance, since at that time (until April) my knee was in its worst condition yet such that I couldn't run without wincing.  But there were enough water stations, the marshalls were well-placed, and the freebies were definitely worth it, so I was really happy when they announced that Unilab would fund the event in lieu of Timex.

The weather was perfect on Sunday morning.  I'd slept four hours the night before.  Four hours is the minimum amount of sleep I need to feel human, so I woke up without the desire to bash my alarm clock.  The sun was hiding behind the clouds and a cool breeze could be felt.  Unfortunately by the time I reached Fort, the 20-mile (32k) race had started and roads had already been closed off, so I was forced to park in the "grassland of no return."  By the time I'd reached the starting line it was already teeming with eager runners, and I was dreading that I'd overexpected from this race.

Still dark!

Fortunately I hadn't.  As always, the first three or so kilometers felt like torture, perhaps because I hadn't warmed up, but it got much easier after the first three or so kilometers.  There were markers at the start of every kilometer so it was pretty easy to calculate my pace.  It was a bit of a chore to have to go through the same usual playground again, but I'd made sure my tracklist would keep me entertained enough to make me speed through usual ol' Fort.  There was enough water and Powerade to drown me, and they looked so tempting that I stopped at almost every water station until the finish line.

It was only when I crossed the 10k mark that I realized I'd forgotten my knee support!  It was also then that I started coughing (yep, still the same cough that made my Urbanathlon miserable, although it's improved a bit).  I had to simmer down a bit and take it easy, then when I reached the 12km mark I made sure I had upbeat tracks playing so I'd be a bit more motivated.  When I finally saw the finish line I realized I couldn't sprint anymore, and I couldn't help but let out a huge shout of relief when I crossed it.

Happy finish!

After meeting up with my friends and grabbing my loot bag (no lines!),  I trekked back to the grassland of no return (and got lost doing so) to make "banners" for friends who'd run the 20-miler.  Even as we waited, It was fun cheering and taking pictures of each of them as they triumphantly crossed the finish line.  By then "Wellness Village" was already pretty crowded, so we decided to skip it altogether and take a shower at the gym instead before heading off to North Park for breakfast.

We lose weight to eat!!!

I had to leave after breakfast, though, because I had to meet up with my dad for some quality time over lunch at Eat Well Greenhills (yes, I know I'm a glutton, if it helps any I just had tofu for lunch even if I know it's not the best post-run lunch) before heading home and dozing off for a couple of hours.

Run United 2 was undoubtedly one of the best-organized races of the year and is enough reason to look forward to next year's Run United events.

Next race, the 2nd Quezon City International Marathon, is up in less than two weeks!

Singapore

Last weekend I went on a trip to Singapore to visit my sister using a ticket I'd booked just about a week before.  Singapore usually just means shopping and eating to me, but this particular trip was rather memorable for me.

I got to spend some QT with my sister, who's taking Marketing courses there for six months.

I enjoyed the cuisine and got a taste of delectable Marché.

I got to catch up with a good friend.

I got a glimpse of Orchard's initial Christmas display.

 

Got to do a bit of shoppin'

Men's Health Urbanathlon 2010

When I signed up for the 2010 Men's Health Urbanathlon at 360 Fitness, I already had an idea that I was signing up for no ordinary race.  I signed up for the 5k category thinking I'd be able to beg off some of the dreaded "obstacles" that way.  As it turns out, however, there was no escaping the obstacles.  The obstacles were the same regardless of race category.  Participants could choose to skip the obstacles in exchange for a corresponding time penalty, but I wanted to avoid that since I figured only in completing all the obstacles would I be worthy of being called an "urbanathlete."  In addition to this, I almost bailed out on the race since I was tired from a party the night before, but my stinginess prevailed and before 5 AM I was on my way to Fort with my friend Ron and was surprisingly awake for someone who'd had about three hours of sleep.

Thinking I was going to get wet or dirty or both, I dressed down a bit and wore my old Kenny urbanite singlet with an old pair of shorts and left my trusty iPod in the car.  I just brought the belt bag I'd dug up at home the night before and an old pair of workout gloves.  I'm extremely finicky about high necklines, so I had to leave my bright yellow Urbanathlon dri-fit shirt at home.  I decided to leave my Adizeros at home fearing they'd get dirty and donned my slightly older, slightly blister-causing Asics instead.

One notable thing about this race is that hydration was overflowing.  Sure, the Gatorade tasted a bit diluted, but every kilometer of the race had a water station, and I commend the organizers for making sure runners had more than enough to drink.

The first obstacles were easy.  Going through the tire dump didn't require much effort, and while my awful balance caused me to fall off the balance beam at least five times, I was still able to complete that one in less than two minutes.  The scaffolding maze and the hurdles were a piece of cake; I wouldn't even call the latter an obstacle.  The low crawl got a bit messy, yes, but only because I literally crawled on the ground so that I could make up for the time I wasted coughing and walking when I could have been running.  The wall, however was a different story.

The "wall" was actually an eight-foot makeshift piece of wood with ropes which were to be used to climb it dangling from its peak.  There was already a long line to climb it when I got there.  When my turn came, I out on my gloves and grabbed the rope and had to stand there looking clueless for about ten seconds.  The rope had no knots and the wall had no holes or steps, so I had no idea how on earth I was supposed to hoist myself up.  I'm not sure if it was because they were just being helpful or if it was because they were getting impatient, but someone near me offered to give me a push up the wall, and I immediately accepted.  After one failed attempt, and a bit of acrobatics, I found myself on top of the wall!

Finally on top of the wall! That is my "How on earth am I going to get down from here" face.  Photo courtesy of the Greentennial Team :)

Most runners climbed up the wall and went over the steel railing that seemed to help hold it together, but not me.  I ended up in sitting down on the wall itself under the steel railing.  I was scared I would take a misstep if I attempted to go over the railing, so after a few more seconds of trying to figure out what to do (I probably annoyed the person next to me in line, I decided to do this instead:

Voila!  (The marshalls didn't seem to approve of what I was doing haha)  Still from the Greentennial Team.

After the famous wall I was home free.  I ran my last few meters and was elated when I finally saw the finish line!  It sucked that the 5k category didn't make me eligible for a medal, but it was the right decision given my horrible cough and colds.  Instead of a medal I got a Century breakfast consisting of tuna salad and tuna pan de sal and some kind of discount card, but not before washing the dirt off me at the Manila Water "shower" station.

When I finally got to meet up with friends and other familiar faces, I was impressed to find out that my friend Noelle won first place for the women's 10k category and my friend Gigay had managed to snag a spot in the top five.  As for me, while this race wasn't one of my best (on the contrary, it was my lousiest 5k -- hopefully EVER -- given how the number of 5k runners meant I spent almost half the time lining up to get through the obstacles), it was definitely one of the most unforgettable!

Done!

Half-Marathoner, finally! (aka Adidas King of the Road 2010)

It's been a week but I'm still rather euphoric over my first 21k race at the Adidas King of the Road.  Being someone who used to join races for the after-run breakfasts, and remembering all the times when I'd curse about the mere thought having to get up at the unholy hour of 4 AM, it amuses me how much has changed since my first 5km race back in March 2009; back then I never would have imagined running would become the "in thing" it has become today.

Memories of my running debut: the Men's Health 10,000km Miracle Run (L-R: Mike, Janine, Boyet, Xander, Byron, Me)

Our then-little running group's first post-run breakfast at Something Fishy (Eastwood)!

Back then, it took really pretty singlets to lure me into having to wake up uber early on Sunday mornings  (though I did run Kenny's Urbanite).  It didn't help that my first 10k during the King of the Road in 2009 resulted in my first running injury -- a knee injury that had help me back from reaching maximum workout capacity for months and that caused me to lie low on high-impact exercises.

After Adidas King of the Road in 2009. Okay, so it's not that obvious in this picture, since we're all smiles, but my knee was hurt pretty badly here and my calves had me wincing in pain.

When I started running I never thought I'd eventually be joining a running group (i.e., the AdiNation of Runners -- or aNR -- Ortigas Chapter) running at least once a month, much less did I expect I would be registering for my first half-marathon more than a year later, during the anniversary of first 10k and first knee injury, no less!  At first I was having my doubts, but I had the bliss of having PR'd my Camsur 10k rushing through my veins, peer pressure, as well as the my kabaratan coupled with the outrageous P850-regardless-of-distance registration fee to thank for giving me the courage to take on my first pikermi (21k run).

This is one medal I really trained and worked for.

Pre-race, I have no complaints.  The registration process was smooth; my friend Xander registered me for the race as soon as the Adidas outlet opened on the day they'd replenished their outlets with 21k kits (since we were in Camsur the week before and they'd run out of 21k kits then).  We got the race kits immediately, thus avoiding the lines and the chaos like we'd experienced while claiming race kits for King of the Road 2009.  And yes, the singlet is black and rather plain, but it gives anyone wearing it a distinct athletic look.

Thumbs up on both accounts; Adidas has been holding this race annually for years now, and running has been so in-the-vogue lately, most people considered it only natural to think they would have the experience (and the budget) to cater to runners' needs.  But apparently that wasn't the case in other aspects of the race.

First, Bayani Road was under repair.  While this is of course beyond Adidas' control, it would have helped to segregate the 10k and 21k runners a bit, especially in areas such as this.  The convergence of 10k and 21k runners reduced me and everyone passing certain areas to walking even, which might be good if you're looking forward to a bit of rest but not when you're all hyped up.

Sorry, no pictures of Bayani Road. This is a picture of me on the Buendia Flyover courtesy of the Greentennial Run Facebook page. This was only one of the areas where it was pretty difficult to speed up because there were too way too many runners.

Second, there was just not enough water.  It's a good thing that I'm quite a paranoid person; I let no water station pass during the first half of the race, which is probably why I was properly hydrated when I got past the 15th kilometer.  I got a bit annoyed when I learned the water and Powerade had run out, but not everyone was as paranoid as I'd been.  A friend of mine decided to pick up a used bottle of water from the ground when she reached that point, and another friend practically saw stars because he'd gotten dehydrated.

Third, when Adidas had initially announced the cost of registration, quite a few people were outraged.  P850 for a race that had cost P550 the previous year?  Online posts and marketing materials tried to justify the cost of registration, promising a "buffet breakfast" after the run.  Apparently, for them a "buffet breakfast" means cold hotdog and cold egg served in styrofoam coupled with a banana (that was what we got in exchange for the  "meal stubs" attached to our race bibs).  Classy.

Fourth, although they used the RFID timing device for the race, there were no splits.  Any runner who was feeling a bit lazy that day could have taken a shortcut and his/her time would still have been recorded as a 21k finish as long as he/she started at the starting line and ended at the finish line.  It could have helped to use at least the old-fashioned strings to make sure the runners had gone through the entire route.  Besides, I find it helpful to know my splits.  I finished two minutes short of my target time, and I would have wanted to find out which part of the race slowed me down.

Several booths were set up to provide runners with freebies (like frozen yogurt!) and tests to enjoy and try out after the race, but lines were looong, so my friends and I decided to drop by the aNR Ortigas registration to camwhore a bit instead.

The Adination of Runners - Ortigas Chapter photowall! (L-R: Ron, James, Me, and Drew.)

Many people felt outraged about the lack of hydration and getting cheated out of their "buffet breakfast," but apparently I was semi-oblivious to these thanks to the gush of endorphins.  In fact, thanks to all the excitement, I ended up forgetting my buffet breakfast somewhere.

Our group poses with Coach Rio dela Cruz.  Notice I'm still wearing my knee support -- never running without one again! (L-R: Ron, Me, Tita Mel, Boyet, Noel, Jaymee, Jong, Gigay, Charlz, Mich, and I believe James took this picture.)

Perhaps the steep fee was hardly justified in terms of the technical aspects of the race, but I for one was simply happy to have survived the race scath free.  Well, I will admit "scath free" is not entirely true; I was victim to blisters that slowed me down during the second half of the race, my calves hurt like hell the day after, and had I not been wearing my ever-reliable knee support -- which I'd worn on the wrong knee the first five kilometers by the way -- I would probably have crossed the finish line cursing or crying.  But the price of being able to bask in the feeling of having accomplished my first half-marathon was worth it.

Upcoming Runs

Upcoming Runs:
November 7 2010   Men's Health Urbanathlon (Fort Bonifacio - 5 km w/ obstacles)
November 21 2010 Unilab Run for Wellness 2 (Fort Bonifacio - 15 km)
December 5 2010    Quezon City International Marathon (Quezon City - 21 km)
December 19 2010  Conquer Corregidor: The Corregidor Half-Marathon (Corregidor - 21 km)
January 9 2011        Cebu City Marathon (Ayala Center, Cebu City - 21 km)
January 23 2011      Greentennial Run (Fort Bonifacio - 10 km)
February 6 2011      Condura Run 2011 (Fort Bonifacio/Skyway)
February 20 2011    New Balance Power Run (Clark)*

Wow my running sched is booked!  Already registered for the Urbanathlon, Unilab, Corregidor, and Greentennial Run.  Never thought I'd become this much of a running addict.  To think that I used to run for the breakfasts! :)

Body Combat 45 Review

I finally got to try the new combat release, BodyCombat 45, last Monday at Fitness First Greenhills.  I'd heard some not-so-good feedback about this release, so I figured that, hoping I'd be able to appreciate it more, I should wait for Jury's class to try it out.  (Jury Domino teaches BodyCombat at Fitness First, and is one of the two primary mentors who taught me to love and live this workout.)

Jury did his job; I think I appreciated the new release much more than I would have if I'd attended any other instructor's class.  But I still couldn't help thinking this release somehow lacks the oomph that makes BodyCombat the hardcore workout I consider it to be.

Track 1 (Warmup Track): "No Easy Way Out"/"Are You Gonna Go My Way"
Quite good, the slow-motion moves (specifically the back leg kick) proved to be a bit of a challenge to a girl who'd just finished her first half-marathon the day before.  A bit too long, though.

Track 2 (Combat Track 1): "Back to Innocence"
This track left me feeling there was something missing.  Not necessarily ugly, but definitely not great and a bit forgettable.

Track 3 (Power Track 1): "Because the Night"
Pretty fun and one of the better tracks, but still less so than the last release's third track ("The Time of Our Lives").  A bit confusing at first, but anyone can easily get the hang of it.

Track 4 (Combat Track 2/Jump-Kick Track) "Take a Look Around"
This one was a bit too noisy for my liking, and let's just say that I seldom like "loud" combat tracks.  A bit challenging though.

Track 5 (Power Track 2) "Proud Mary"
This track might win the hearts of oldies-lovin' combaters (like my dad, who kind of likes the track), but I think the repetitive knee-ups and speedballs can get really boring after the first minute or so.  Definitely not a fan of this track.

Track 6 (Recovery Track) "Russian Roulette"
"Russian Roulette" is my favorite track in the release, which is a good thing because I believe it's the longest recovery track in BodyCombat history.  Dramatic music and innovative moves -- nice! -- albeit a bit slow.

Track 7 (Muay Thai): "Going Out Swingin'"
Muay Thai track "Goin' Out Swingin" is another noisy combat track that I didn't enjoy too much; basically it's knees, knees, and never-ending knees.  I think I'd say this is one of my least favorite muay thai tracks in BodyCombat history.

Track 8 (Power Track 3): "See the Light"
My other favorite track!  Recycled from BodyAttack (not that I mind, since I love BodyAttack as well), this track and the speedwork that comes with it has the potential to provide combaters with some much-needed endorphins when executed energetically.  I can imagine it would be a blast to scream our heads off while doing this track.

Track 9 (Conditioning): "I Can Transform Ya"
Tough track!  Provides a nice shoulder workout.

Track 10 (Cooldown): "Black Box"
Your basic, straightforward cooldown track; nothing really new there, although this track allows for a bit of nice drama katas.

BodyCombat is still my favorite gym workout, no doubt about it.  But this release leaves me hoping that the they'd improve on the next release, and it makes me glad that I have running has an alternate workout now, because I don't think I'd be able to stand having to do this four days a week for an entire month like I did with older releases.

Half-marathoner!

Might not have been the most organized run, but this bib number and medal will always hold a special place on my shelf :)

Friday night means...

...Tony's all-you-can-eat chicken...

...with awesome chili sauce...

...and Banapple's gobblin' goblin pie to top it all off!

That wasn't really a carbo-loading session was it?  More of a protein and sugar loading session.  Still, sweet :)