My Standard Chartered Marathon Singapore Experience 2011 (Part 2) -- Second Chance

With the help of my ever-reliable Sleepasil, I was able to get almost six hours of restful sleep before I woke up and put on my new pink Asics top (so much for not using new gear during a run!), my black Nike socks, my trusty Nike Eclipse shoes with about 140km of mileage, my 2xu compression pants which had proven their worth during my previous 32k race, my Garmin Forerunner 405cx, and my Ultimate Direction bib belt with a small pocket and single hydration bottle with a single pack of my favorite strawberry-flavored Clif Shot Bloks. I was careful to put on my bib immediately, since I'd already had experiences of forgetting my bib and d-tag during two separate occasions. I realized I'd left my visors in Manila, so I had no choice but to go without them. I ate a piece of fire floss bread I'd gotten from Bread Talk so I could drink my Celcoxib.

Bib # 736403!

After getting all dressed up, I went on the ten-minute walk towards Orchard Road with my roommates Mich and Drew. As I prayed on the way to the finish line, I told myself that the good thing having run my first full marathon at the Bull Runner Dream Marathon under the most dreadful conditions was that there was little room for surprise and there was almost no way I could do any worse. Running with plantar fasciitis? Done; the pain was in fact more worse the first time around, and this time I was armed with Celcoxib to ease the pain. Running with my monthly period? Check; my previous marathon was run on the second day of my monthly visitor. Lack of sleep? Done; I'd had zero hours of sleep the night before TBR. Hot and humid weather? Also done; TBR had been held in summery March.

Memories of the summery heat of TBR (my first full marathon) on March 20, 2011 in Nuvali, Laguna

Having specified a safe target time of 6:15 to complete marathon in my registration, I was placed in the last wave of full marathon runners, so I headed for (almost) the end of the line with Mich armed with my red bib. I had a sub-6 goal in mind, but I figured any time better than my previous 6:42 would make me happy. I strapped the very useful 5:30 and 6:00 finish time guide bands I got from the BMW booth during the expo on my right wrist. I had previously read that pacers were only available for those aiming for a finish of 5:30 or faster, but it didn't matter, the only thing that went through my mind were the words "slow, sure, and injury-free."

These turned out to be really useful!

The gun fired at almost exactly 5 AM, and given the massive crowd that had shown up to run the full marathon, it took almost ten minutes before I started up my Garmin as we crossed the starting line. Many of the runners around me seemed overly excited, but due to the crowds it was quite impossible to run for the first minute or so without crashing into another runner. There was also a tunnel near the start that got quite claustrophobic, and I realized then that this was going to be a very crowded full marathon. Thankfully, however, it wasn't as hot nor as humid as I expected it to be, though I reminded myself we were just starting.

Fort Canning Tunnel. Photo credit: Shonn Tan (http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6137/5915924293_c0fae63572.jpg)

After about a couple of kilometers the crowd cleared up a bit and I was able to move more freely. I skipped the first 100-plus/water hydration station since runners were crowded all around it, and at around KM 3, I realized I was already in Chinatown and quite warmed up. I enjoyed the first familiar sight, the Esplanade, but after a few more kilometers my plantar started to act up, and I realized I needed to remove my gel insoles.  I veered to the side for a while to roll the insoles on my belt and immediately noticed my soles felt better running without them. But I reminded myself that I needed to take caution or risk suffering the consequences later.

The Esplanade at Night.
Photo credit:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fa/The_Esplanade_%E2%80%93_Theatres_on_the_Bay.jpg/
350px-The_Esplanade_%E2%80%93_Theatres_on_the_Bay.jpg

The water and energy gel stations were well placed during the first kilometers of the run. We were provided with Shotz energy gel packs, which I stuffed into my belt as well. At around KM 10, I noticed that one of my gel support soles was missing, but I decided to forget about it as there wasn't really anything I could do about it by then.

After a couple more kilometers we entered East Coast park, where we went through lots and lots of trees. By this time, runners were already beginning to slow down. I kept on checking my Garmin then, to make sure I was still on target, as I could feel myself start to slow down as well. I showed no signs of fatigue, but my plantar continued to act up, so I figured it might do me good to run on the sandy sidelines. Not only would this help me avoid the crowds of runners who had already started to walk, it would also do my soles good to run off the concrete. Even more importantly, I realized I needed to change my foot stride. My forefoot strike wasn't going to work this time -- not with the pain of plantar, and not unless I wanted to suffer like I did during TBR.

East Coast Park.  Photo credit: http://static.panoramio.com/photos/original/20786093.jpg

At around KM 15 I could feel myself starting to slow down more so I popped another of my Clif Bloks. My legs and breathing seemed to be working well then, but I figured it couldn't hurt, and that besides, I was getting hungry. The endless trees went on for about twenty more kilometers, past the 21km mark. I hardly noticed any kilometer markers and had to rely on my Garmin and time guide bands to keep on target. My average pace at the 21 km mark was slower than during TBR, and I knew by then that a sub-5:30 finish was impossible.

Onward to the Second Half

As I passed more of the endless trees I noticed it was getting even hotter and that I was getting slower, but two things gave me a boost of confidence. First, I realized I shouldn't really worry as the people around me were slowing down much more than I was. And second, I realized that although I felt like I was getting broiled under the sun, the Celcoxib seemed to be taking effect on my soles already.  I knew I was really, definitely going to finish this, and the thought gave ne a renewed vigor. My Nikes, despite being all muddy and dirty by then, were going to take me to the end of the race.

Second wind!  From Marathon-Photos.com.

At around KM 25, I passed a Tiger Balm muscle rub station and held out my hands to get some of the ointment, but realized it was going to be hard to rub on my legs as I was wearing compression pants, so I rubbed it on my back and shoulders instead. BIG, BIG mistake; the tiger balm started to heat my skin up and I could hardly keep from yelping in pain. I had to risk staining my top as there was nothing else I could use to wipe myself. I was a bit disappointed while thinking I'd probably lost a few minutes while getting it off, but when my Garmin signaled the passage of KM 28 I couldn't help but smile; KM 28 had been my wall during my first marathon, and I'd been unable to rebound from that wall back then. This time, however, I still felt strong, and I could feel the endorphins coursing through my bloodstream.

You know how they say you should never try anything new during a race? I had to learn this the hard way...

The last ten kilometers felt like a death march. But while I wasn't as strong as I'd been during my 32km race two weeks ago, I could still run though not consistently, in contrast to the other runners around me who had resigned to walking slowly and tiredly.  Passing two water stations that had run dry made me very grateful for my single hydration bottle. Unfortunately, the songs on my Walkman were also running dry. I had only come up with my playlist the day, hence it was already on repeat by this time.

Felt like a death march!  From Marathon-Photos.com.

When my Garmin beeped again to signal the end of KM 38, I felt that mixture of happiness, relief, exhaustion, and victory again as I felt my eyes well up. I popped the last of my Clif Bloks and tried to run/power-walk a little faster until my Garmin beeped to signal that I'd passed KM 42, I looked out eagerly until I finally caught sight of the finish line.

Oh yeah!

I checked my time and realized that I'd done it; I'd accomplished a sub-6 finish with just a few minutes to spare...I'd clocked in at 5:56:50, chip time! While I had not quite achieved my secret goal of 5:45, I was still happy to have finished a whopping forty-six minutes better than my TBR time!

The reading on Bee, my Garmin :)

Post-Marathon

After getting through the marshals and checkers, I immediately lined up to claim my medal and finisher's shirt (unfortunately a bit too big for me, but the design on the back was pure love).

Back of the Full Marathon Finisher's Shirt!

There is no feeling that can beat the feeling that comes with finishing a full marathon, but I had to put my euphoria on hold while I looked for my friends in the crowd.  After spotting a few of them I eventually found  Drew and started to calm down, and it was then that I realized I needed to set out to find Mich, since we had to be in the airport in about four hours. After a bit of commotion which consisted of me bugging the staff, panicked phone calls to our friends, and witnessing fallen runners trembling on stretchers while connected to IV tubes, Drew and I went back to the hotel.  However, I eventually decided went back to Marina Bay, worried, but later Drew told me to come back to the hotel, which was where I found a limping Mich with blistered feet.

The rest of the day went by like a blur. We took showers and pack our things, and once Mich and I boarded our plane that afternoon with our flightmates Memes and Ron, we were almost immediately knocked out.  I woke up about 30 minutes before we landed.

There's nothing like your first time; there's no doubt about it. But my second full marathon, I would have to say, was just as unforgettable as my first. When I remember how I tolerated the heat of the sun, ran (and walked) through the endless trees, winced through the pain of plantar fasciitis (now double plantar!), and mastered the art of weaving through death marchers, most of whom I'd probably never see again, I couldn't help but feel mixed feelings of gratitude and disbelief: I felt grateful to people who pushed me to go for the full mary, and at the same time I silently cursed myself for being so crazy.

Still can't believe I ran this far!

But best of all, my second full marathon made me realize that I'd grown as a runner. After TBR I was literally limping, and I couldn't even drag myself to work the next day, something I was able to do this time. This time I felt euphoric, happy, powered by endorphins, and eager to do better in my next full marathon. So if there's one statement that could describe how I felt about my entire SCMS experience, I'd say that second time's a charm :)

My Standard Chartered Marathon Singapore Experience 2011 (Part 1) -- Road to the Marathon

It was during the Cebu Pacific 50% seat sale held in February 2011 that the idea of running an international race spawned.  My friends from the AdiNation of Runners - Ortigas started booking seats for the first weekend of December, which is when the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon is traditionally held, and at the price of P3,500 roundtrip tickets were a steal.  Before we knew it, a whole delegation of Filipino runner friends had booked flights and were anxiously waiting for the announcement for registration, even if the event was still nine months away.

When the registration finally opened in August, I was torn between doing a half marathon and a full 42.195 kilometers.  Based on the previous year's race's reviews, the half marathon had a more exciting route that went through Sentosa and Universal Studios, but the need to redeem my abysmal first marathon time, coupled with the thought of this being my first international race event and the pressure by my fellow runners (special mention to my friend Mich), drove me to sign up for the full marathon.  I figured there was less room for surprise, since this would already be my second, and that the plantar fasciitis on my right foot, which proved to be my Achilles' heel during the Bull Runner Dream Marathon, would still have four months to heal.  With a bit of reluctance I signed up for the full marathon

Race Confirmation Slip...no turning back!

The trip was hardly forgotten as we booked hotel accommodations and planned itineraries, and the months flew by.  By September my plantar had gotten loads better, and despite my lack of run training I was able to build up on strength through yoga and weight training.  By November I ran the 20-miler (32k) race during the 3rd leg of RunRio's Unilab Trilogy.  Unfortunately, it was during this race that pain in my left foot began to gnaw at me, and fears of having to tolerate the pains of plantar during a marathon grew all over again.  My last race before the big day was McDonald's 10k McHappy Fun Run.  I could still feel pain in my left foot, but by this time, I knew there was no turning back.

By the week of the marathon my friends and I could hardly think about anything else.  When I started packing the first things to go into my luggage were my compression tights, my sports bra, my race registration, my trusty Nike Lunar Eclipse shoes that got helped me attain most of my personal record times, my one-bottle hydration and race bib belt, my gel foot support, and my race survival kit (which carries petroleum jelly, sunblock, one pack of Clif Bloks that I'd purchased a couple of days before, my Sony Walkman earphones -- replacing my old pair that had just retired days before).  I then threw in a bunch of clothes and I was set to go.

Day One: Welcome to Singapura!

I left for the airport early Wednesday morning, and this being a holiday I got to the airport early to meet the rest of my "field trip" mates Mich, Drew, Gary, Memes, and Ron.  I slept the entire way and by the time we got to Singapore it was raining, suggesting it might be a wet marathon for us.  There were signs welcoming runners for the event, which got us all the more excited.  We did a lot of walking that afternoon and accomplished a lot: we located and checked in our hotels, had money changed to dollars, got Singapore SIM's, met up with Jill (another ANR Pearl member), and had dinner, and strolled while taking pictures along the famous Orchard Road, where the annual Christmas lights and decors display was already installed and picture-ready.  Signs, advisories, and billboards related to the marathon were already visible everywhere, and we couldn't help but feel excited.  We retired early that evening, knowing we had much to accomplish in the next few days.

Orchard Road: Spreading the Holiday Cheer!

Day Two: The SCMS Expo and More of Orchard Road

My friends and I had signed up for the Closed REPC so we could claim our race kits early and avoid the crowds.  After a brunch of roti and curry, we headed for the expo venue Marina Bay Sands at Harbourfront.  We arrived before 1 PM and met up with other friends, but despite having arrived early, lines were already rather long.

Lining up to enter...and what a long line it was!

The Expo was a runner's haven: there were deep discounts for running clothes and other gears, all kinds of elixirs were on sale (Mich was ecstatic when she found that her favorite gel, GU Roctane, which was out of stock everywhere in Manila, was available at the expo), and there were actually freebies being given out.  We met up with our friend Renze, who works for 2xu's Singapore distributor.  The variety of foods and depth of discounts made the expo feel like a runner's paradise; I ended up buying a pair of 2xu compression shorts at a discount, as well as a bright pink Asics running top sporting the official SCMS logo.

The expo wasn't too big, but it was a runner's paradise nonetheless!

After the expo, we explored the Marina Bay area a bit more then headed back to Orchard.  After more window-shopping and one-dollar ice cream sandwiches, we headed for my all-time favorite restaurant in Singpoare, Marché, a restaurant by the Swiss company Mövenpick, to have dinner.  I had freshly-made ham and cheese crepe and rösti (fried grated potatoes served with a wallop of sour cream -- yum!).  After dinner we explored Orchard a bit more before turning in and calling it a night.

Cheap Thrill: $1 Ice Cream Sandwiches!

Marché: my favorite Singapore restaurant all dolled up for the holidays!

Day Three: Sentosa Island

We started Friday off by heading for Harbourfront again and meeting up with our friends from Six:30 Allan, Jonj, John, and Hendy at Marina Bay Sands, where they were staying. 

View from Marina Bay Sands

After breakfast we headed for Sentosa Island, where Mich and John met up with friends from my running group, the Happy Ortigas Team (HOT) Runner before heading for Universal Studios.  Drew, Gary, Allan, and I, on the other hand, stayed at Resorts World Sentosa, where we spent the rest of the afternoon exploring Siloso beach, taking the Skyride, and riding the luge.

Welcome to Sentosa!

Siloso beach in Sentosa is man-made and small, but is said to have a thriving night life.

Allan and me enjoying the Skyride!

The luge was a long stretch of pure downhill fun!

Day Four: Taper Day!

One invaluable lesson I learned from my TBR experience is that I should never exhaust myself the day before the marathon.  Forget the "tire myself so I can sleep early" excuse, and never mind that I wasn't able to use my Fitness First international passport that I was previously intent on utilizing, I was determined to be as lazy and comfortable as I could be that Saturday.  To do this I used my Nike Lunar Eclipse shoes all day to make sure my feet were cushioned (since they were tired from all the walking I'd done in the previous days), and headed off to visit my relatives, Ate Dona and her family, in Pasir Ris, away from the city.

Pasir Ris MRT Station

I took the MRT to Pasir Ris and took the bus to Ate Dona's new place, where she and her family were spending a lazy Saturday afternoon as well.  There I played with her kids Chubby, Timmy (who happens to be my godson), and Mia, and caught up a bit with Ate Dona.  Towards late afternoon I joined them for the anticipated Sunday mass in their parish nearby and then had dinner at Pastamania, an Italian restaurant in a nearby mall, before heading back to the hotel and turning in.

After-Mass Dinner at Pastamania

With my godson Timmy!

Running the Dream: TBR Marathon 2011 (Part 3 -- Marathoner)

All kinds of thoughts clouded my mind during the last few weeks prior to the marathon.  I was faced with a dilemma of whether to risk undertraining, or risk overtraining.  I knew I definitely lacked mileage and training, and this wasn't a joke considering I was about to run my first full marathon.  Unfortunately, despite the self-therapy and the meds, my plantar fasciitis wasn't getting any better, and I ran the risk of aggravating my condition if training proved to be too much for my foot to handle.  Eventually I thought it might be riskier to overtrain, because if my condition got worse, I might not be able to run at all, so I decided to stick with my typical gym routines, and do training sessions with the AdiNation of Runners group once or twice a week.

We were instructed to claim our race kits at Mercato Centrale one week before race day.  I got there a bit late and missed the raffle, but I did get my race kit, a 100-peso food coupon, and a glimpse of the runners who were to become my dream marathon batchmates.

Ready with my TBR Arms: Bib # 372, My water/bib belt, BodyGlide, Petroleum Jelly, my Sony Walkman Earphones, Map to Nuvali, and some flimsy sports tape (ha).

Pre-race

I didn't really taper during race week; it was the only way I could forget the nerves which were building up.  The jitters lasted all the way until Saturday, the day before race day.  All was well until Friday, when I experienced any female marathoner's worst nightmare: I got my dreaded monthly visitor, full force.

To add to this, I almost didn't get enough sleep because I was woken up unnecessarily, but thanks to my ever trusty Sleepasil I was able to get back to sleep.  It was a good thing, too, because I got zero hours of sleep that evening.  Instead I had dinner with friends and had to take in a bit of stress including getting lost on the way to the dinner.  By the time I met up with my friends Hapi, Jill, Athan, and Mich (who was running the marathon as well), however, all other thoughts save the marathon jitters were blocked from my system.

Our all-around support crew: Jill, Hapi, and Athan (not in picture). Thank you guys!!! :)

We arrived in Nuvali more than an hour before the 2 AM gunstart.  We caught sight of other friends and we could immediately feel the tension and excitement in the air.  I quickly looked for the kinesio taping booth and lined up, unfortunately about thirty minutes before gunstart we were informed they couldn't accommodate any more runners, so I hurriedly put on my compression pants, socks, and Mizunos (which had approximately 1 km of mileage -- so much for avoiding new gear during a marathon!) with gel insoles, and a bit of sunblock and headed for the starting line.

The starting line!

Okay Jess, relax and breaaathe.

Photo op with friends from ANR Ortigas! (L-R: Hapi, Mich, Jess, Lee, Gary, Leo)

KM 0

I didn't really pay attention to the warmup and opening remarks; I was just thinking and praying and hoping I could finish the race.  When the gun finally sounded, I was glad to see immediately that almost everybody had taken on a slow, steady pace; nobody seemed to be particularly competitive.

The first half of the race went pretty fast.  I figured I'd have to work on a positive split, so I stayed at a pace that was only slightly slower than my usual half-marathon pace. We were to travel the same route twice to complete the full marathon.  If my plantar acted up, I figured I could find a way to change shoes halfway, since I had an extra pair of racers in my car.  I'd created a playlist that was a bit different from the playlists I'd been accustomed to, consisting of all kinds of music fast and slow.

There was more than enough hydration to go by.  I could only be thankful there are that many flavors of Gatorade.  There was also no way we could have gone hungry; each runner was provided two Accel gels (which I didn't use though) along the route, as well as (overflowing) biscuits and sliced fruits (bananas and apples).  There were also more than enough portalets, which I was thankful for since I had to use a portalet for the first time in my running career (so that's what's inside!).

Halfway: KM 21

I crossed the 21k point at about 2:40.  Hapi, Jill, and Athan were waiting for us there, waving surprise banners for me excitedly, giving me a renewed vigor.  I became a bit more confident, too, since I realized I had more than five hours to finish the remaining 21 km.  I could feel the ache from my plantar, but the pain wasn't enough to slow me down.  When I saw the marker for KM 24, I realized that was as far as my training would take me, since my longest run prior to the marathon (more than three months back) measured about that long; I'd be entering unchartered territory from that point.

Jill (L), Athan (R), and Hapi (not in picture) had come up with banners for us and were excitedly waving them at the halfway point :)

Still a-ok!

KM 28: The Wall

I hit my first wall at KM 28.  It was then that my plantar fasciitis started to really act up, and I could feel a blister start to develop on my right foot (the price of using new shoes!), and I knew a lot of runners were already overtaking me.  I decided to veer to the side to remove my gel insoles.  It was a bad idea; the pain in my foot multiplied during the first few steps, so I had to go to the side again to put back the insole in my right shoe.

And then at KM 30 I hit my second wall.  It was then that I was reduced to walking.  Not brisk walking, not Galloway-style walking, but a turtle-pace walk with a slight limp; some runners and pacers actually approached me to ask if I was okay, and I told them I was doing fine; I was in pain, but the pain wasn't bad enough for me to quit.  However, after a kilometer or so, when my feet were ready to run again, I felt the consequence of taking that leisurely stroll: the walking had activated the pain in my calves and all over my legs, and the pain got worse when I tried running.

Boredom and pain are among a marathoner's greatest enemies, but many say overcoming them would be a matter of the mind.  Winning over boredom was easy this time, given that Nuvali was a welcome change from the humdrum of the city, and given how I was seeing friendly faces every few hundred meters; winning over pain, however, was another story, given that I was obviously injured and loathing my female hormones.  I decided to turn off my music and just think about everything from people waiting for me to finish and recent conflicts to career (!) and friends who'd pushed me to get this far.  When that didn't work I simply absorbed everything I was seeing, since by then the sun was already shining.

"Sun was shining" is an understatement; it was hot!  You can see one of my gel insoles rolled up to the right of my bib.

The Final Stretch

Somewhere in the last ten kilometers (I couldn't remember the exact location anymore), I caught sight of Maan, a friend from ANR-Ortigas who was serving as a chaser, and she ran with me for a couple of minutes, giving me a much needed push forward to start running again.  I really couldn't keep track of the distance anymore, I just told myself to keep running -- walking was permitted, but stopping was not an option.  It was getting hotter and hotter; this wasn't good news since I was already chafing all over. 

When I finally saw the marker for KM 41, I could feel my eyes tear up.  The thought of how exhausted I looked when I crossed the finish line didn't even cross my mind; all I could think of was that were was only one kilometer to go, and that I was going to make it!  I kept on looking straight in anticipation of the finish line, and finally there it was!  My friend Hapi met up with me and ran by my side in his flip-flops at what was probably KM 42.  I ran all the way until I'd finally gotten across the blue ribbon.

For what it's worth, I was able to cross the finish line smiling.

I had finished with an abysmal chip time of 6:42:25, but I didn't really care (much) anymore; I was bloated and aching, I badly needed to go the bathroom, and the pain my plantar was causing made me want to cry, but despite all the crappy events I'd been through the days prior to the race, I made it!

This pride and glory of my medal collection.

As I claimed my finisher's medal and huge bottle of Gatorade 1 HR (Tropical Fruit, my favorite flavor!), someone approached with a microphone me to ask how I felt after the marathon.  "Uh...tired?" were the only words to escape me.  I was not tired enough, however, to miss the opportunity to have pictures taken with friends and grab my rather packed loot bag as well.  Too bad I didn't get to have my picture taken at the "I RAN 42 KM" photowall!

Pearlies Jill, Mich, Jess, Leo, Lee, and Athan with the aNR Ortigas - Pearl banner :)

The loot bag contained a whole lot of stuff -- Tiger Cookies, a whole plastic bag of Oral B Toothbrushes, a Milo Marathon visor and (oversized) singlet, a bottle of water, Powerade...the works!

When I started running two years prior to the event, I couldn't have imagined I would ever run anything beyond five or perhaps ten kilometers at the most, much less a full marathon.  Training takes up a whole lot of time, you run the risk of injury, and during the last few kilometers you just want to cry and you wish the finish line would come into view.

But misfortunes aside, I realized running a full marathon with the little training I had didn't torture me as much as I'd initially expected it to.  I'd say the sweat and tears of anticipating and running a full marathon were more than worth it, and the feeling of euphoria that you gain after leaves you wanting more.

So I guess it's safe to say I have a feeling this won't be my last :)

The best-tasting bottle of Gatorade, ever!!!

Running the Dream: TBR Dream Marathon (Part 2) -- Training and Plantar Fasciitis

There was exactly one month (thirty days) until race day when I received my Dream Card and confirmation letter for the Bull Runner Dream Marathon 2011.  I could barely contain my excitement then, but I wanted to keep my plans low-key in hopes of avoiding the pressure and panic.  But being the ENFJ personality that I am, I already had plans in mind.

At the time my longest run was my 21k-turned-24k at the Quezon City International Marathon, which I finished in decent time.  I figured I needed at least one long run before race day, so I decided I would run an extra 10km or so after my Unilab Run for Wellness 21k race to be held in two weeks.  My marathon shoe would be my one-month old Brooks Ghost 3, a well-reviewed neutral cushioning shoe.  I'd be full accessorized with a comfortable top, bib and water belt, compression pants, blister-prevention socks, and visor.  I would go on diet so I'd be lighter by race day.  I would faithfully attend the weekly Wednesday sessions of AdiNation of Runners Ortigas in addition to weekly easy runs around the village or UP Diliman to build up enough mileage.

The bright orange Brooks Ghost 3 was my projected marathon shoe.

I achieved about 18 km of mileage during the first week of my training, and lost about three pounds immediately during the first few days of my diet.  I was elated; things were going well.  One day after an enjoyable aNR session, I had a chicken dinner with my friend Xander, along with Irish and Pedz, fellow aNR members.  I met Pedz during the aNR 5th Sunday Run in January where we both ran under the aNR Ortigas banner.  I've admired Pedz since that event; I knew him to be a speedy runner/sprinter who has achieved podium finishes a number of times.  During our dinner, however, I learned that he hadn't been too visible in the running scene in the past months since he'd been inflicted with plantar fasciitis, which he described to be a painful inflammation of the foot that tends to get worse unless treated.

It didn't strike me immediately, but after a day or so I realized my right foot was experiencing the exact same symptoms he'd described.  I couldn't remember for how long; I thought they were normal post-run foot pains.  When I read more about the condition, I became scared and more convinced that I was indeed suffering from plantar fasciitis, but I wasn't sure I wanted to see my doctor given the possibility he would tell me not to push through with my marathon plans (and knowing I skipped my followup appointment with him...guilty).  I decided I would put off going to the doctor but simmer down training a bit, sticking to spinning sessions to avoid exerting pressure on my feet.

I decided to do "internet diagnosis."  Plantar fasciitis is the inflammation of the plantar fasciia, a ligment that connects the heel to the sole and the toes, and causes severe pain on the bottom of the foot. Picture taken from http://www.foot-care.org/plantar-fasciitis/.

That wasn't my only problem.  Given how I never manage to stick to my diet, my first days of decreased food intake worked wonders.  Before it had lasted a week, however, I began to experience the effects of not eating enough to satisfy my voracious appetite.  I felt so weak and clumsy that I decided to call the diet off.

When I ran the Unilab Run for Wellness about a week after, I became convinced that I needed to seek medical advice, more so when my doctor friend Rich told me I did seem to have plantar fasciitis and that it would be best to see an expert regarding my condition.  Reluctantly and resignedly, I scheduled an appointment with my sports doctor the following week.  This wasn't the first time I'd suffered an injury, and the last time I did, I knew it helped me a lot psychologically when my doctor assured me everything would be okay.

Most people visit doctors to be treated; in my case, I visited my doctor hoping he would dispel my fears of not being able to run the Dream Marathon.  When I finally did, my doctor confirmed my fears; I did have plantar fasciitis, and he advised me to get started on self-therapy exercises as well as anti-inflammatory medications immediately.  But there was good news: the plantar was either in its very early stages or just starting. My x-ray was normal, there was no serious injury, and my symptoms weren't particularly alarming, so I didn't have to stop running.  He did, however, tell me I probably needed to change my shoes, because the injury is often caused by inappropriate shoes.  (I didn't see it as a problem; it would have to spend, of course, but it gave me an excuse to get a brand new spankin' pair of shoes!)

X-ray normal! :)

After finding out about all of this, however, I was confronted with new fears.  I couldn't put my foot under too much stress, and in fact I'd already been lying low during the past couple of weeks ever since my suspicions arose.  I needed new shoes, which I might not be able to break in time; all my other shoes were racers, which were not only inappropriate for anything above a half-marathon, they would mean torture since I would be subjecting my feet to merciless pounding.  I was out of shape and severely lacked training, faced with the question of whether I would rather risk being overtrained (due to my plantar) or undertrained (I chose the latter).  I couldn't cram if I didn't want to cause trauma to my foot, and there were only ten days ago.

My new marathon shoe: the Mizuno Wave Creation 12, the first shoe I'd bought in ages without a discount or gift certificate.

Running the Dream: TBR Dream Marathon (Part 1) -- Getting In

When I first got into running in 2009, running a 5k seemed to take forever, and I couldn't imagine going beyond that distance.  After two races I ran 10k at the Adidas King of the Road within the year; unfortunately, about halfway through the race I took a bad step and ended up with a painful inflammation of my left knee. The injury slowed me down for almost eight months, and I developed a phobia for leveling up. It was only in October 2010 that I conquered this fear and decided to take on my first half-marathon.

The Bull Runner Dream Marathon is a 42k-only event open only to first (or second) time marathoners. Held in Nuvali, Laguna, TBR debuted in 2010. It was tailored to suit the needs of neophyte marathoners: cut-off time for the marathon is a comfortable eight hours, workshops and training programs are made available to participants at no additional cost, and waivers and medical certificates to assure physical fitness are required from participants.  It was pricey at P1,800 per person, but given the entire package and the limited slots, it took only 11 hours to fill up all 400 slots on the first day of registration.

The Camsur Marathon, my second out-of-town marathon. JP Navarrette (purple bib) was the first among the members of our small running group to become a marathoner.

Watching friends cross the 42k finish line in races such as the Camsur Marathon, the Cebu Marathon, and the Condura Skyway Marathon, made me wonder when I myself would debut as a marathoner.  TBR seemed like the perfect race for my first marathon. I wanted my first marathon to be held out of town, and TBR is regularly held in Nuvali, Laguna -- far enough from the smog of the metro but near enough to not require special accommodations, it was certainly no sellout race (there were only 400 slots, after all), and dedicated members of the running community regarded the race with a certain prestige.

But when I learned that all slots were filled up, I was filled with mixed emotions. I was kind of sad that I couldn't join, but I was also happy because it meant I'd have more time to prepare myself physically and emotionally.  I seriously considered Camsur, where I'd run 10k previously and which I very much enjoyed, as the venue for my first marathon. You could say it was this race that not only solidified our small running group, but also ignited a genuine love for running. Plus, it would be held out of town, and out of town races are always something to look forward to. But friends advised me against this, saying the heat and humidity were not conducive to first-time marathoners. By this time I was debating on whether to abandon my out of town dreams, thinking that it might be better to run my first full mary during the Quezon City International Marathon instead.  It wouldn't be as exciting, but at least it would be held on familiar home turf.

One evening, during a weekly meeting with my running group, the AdiNation of Runners - Ortigas (Pearl), my friends and I were talking about upcoming runs and I happened to bring up wishing I had a slot for the Bull Runner Dream Marathon.  Our assistant coach, Maan, suddenly told me she knew of someone who was selling his racekit for TBR, and that I could buy that racekit and could in fact have the name changed to mine.  Another member, Maridol, told me runners also sometimes sold different racekits on the Takbo.ph online forum and I might be able to try my luck there.  Although I knew I wouldn't be "fully" prepared by March 20, there was still more than a month before race day and I knew there was still enough time to become "adequately" prepared, so I suddenly gained a little hope and the wheels in my head began to turn.

The next day Maridol told me she'd made contact with Rommel Eusebio, a member of the Takbo.ph forum who'd gotten injured and wanted to sell his racekit.  I made contact with the person immediately, and I made plans to buy his racekit and meet up with him the next day.  I met up with Rommel, who turned over his "Dream Card" at a discounted rate.  After that quick meeting, I couldn't help staring several times that day at the Dream Card that Rommel had turned over to me, which it turns out he'd also bought from the original owner by the name of Tina Zamora. I couldn't help feeling a mixture of elation, dread, excitement, and annoyance with myself for being so reckless.  Rommel and I both e-mailed race organizer Jaymie Pizarro to request for the change of name.

TBR Dream Card

That same day, I received an e-mail from Jaymie (the Bull Runner) stating she'd received my message and welcoming me to the Bull Runner Dream Marathon 2011.  There was no turning back now. I was in!

My Second Running Injury: Plantar Fasciitis

March 10, 2011: The day I was diagnosed with my second running injury, i.e., Plantar Fasciitis. I had talked to a a friend who'd been previously suffered from plantar fasciia, and I realized that his symptoms bore striking similarities to mine, most especially feeling pain in the area connecting the heel and the arch of my right foot.  Had already previously decreased my mileage, and were it not for the Unilab 21k I did on the 6th of March, I would've been seriously, seriously undertrained.   I armed myself with GelSmart heel inserts, which proved to be invaluable during the Unilab run.

Thankfully, my x-ray findings showed no signs of heel spurs, which according to my doctor are usually found among more serious cases of plantar fasciitis.  My doctor said the plantar fasciitis was probably just beginning, and that regular stretching, hot/cold compress applications, and medicines would help ease the pain I was feeling.  He said I could keep running, though I failed to mention that I would be running my first full marathon in ten days' time.  I continued with the decreased mileage though, and I eliminated high-impact workouts and running temporarily hoping that the injury would heal in time for March 20.  Better, I figured, to be undertrained than overstrained!