Road to ACL Tear Recovery Part 2: The Surgery

Surgery day seemed to come sooner than I would have wanted it to. I dreaded the workout ban that would immediately follow the surgery, but I figured the sooner I got this over with, the sooner I would be on my way to recovery. The day before, Dr. Gar Eufemio's secretary Jona called me to remind me I needed to be at the venue one hour before the actual surgery as well as the 8-hour fast from food and drinks that would precede the surgery.

I arrived at Megaclinic at almost exactly 10 AM on May 6, and my dad followed soon after. I got dressed in a hospital gown and met the anaesthesiologists, who proceeded with preparations for the surgery. I lay down anxiously while waiting for Dr. Eufemio. The last thing I remember before getting knocked out was seeing him enter the room and saying, "Let's start."

By the time I came to, I was in the recovery room, my leg was totally straight and in a brace, with a tube attached to my knee. The first thing that came to mind was the fear of how my knee would be once the pain medication wore off, given that it was already painful then. When I finally got to talk to Dr. Eufemio, he told me it was one of the fastest ACL reconstructions he'd done -- 37 minutes! -- and told me a few things to remember.

This greeted me in the OR :P

I wasn't allowed to remove the brace at anytime yet, and I was to have my first follow-up appointment and rehab session the next day at Cardinal Santos. But Dr. Eufemio, a firm believer in the accelerated approach to recovery from ACL surgery, encouraged me to walk around, even telling me to walk to get out of the clinic. The pain, however, was so bad they had to send me off in a wheelchair. When I got home I forced myself to sleep to forget the pain. Luckily I was feeling quite drowsy, but I kept on waking up every hour or so even into the night. Each time I woke up I felt the pain, I constantly contemplated on whether the pain of surgery and the "forced leave" from my active lifestyle were worth it.

Day 1 of recovery -- surgery day itself!

Road to ACL Tear Recovery Part 1: How Things Came to Be

December 2013 was one of the most eventful months of my life.

After years of chickening out on joining an ultramarathon, I finally finished my first 50k, Bald Runner's Tagaytay to Nasugbu (T2N), on December 8, 2013. I snagged a cash prize for being the 10th female finisher, which made me especially happy because, given the lower back problems I'd been having in previous months, I knew it would be probably be my first and last ultramarathon as well.

With my awesome T2N support crew!

But my celebration was short-lived. Less than two weeks later, on December 19, I had a bad fall after doing a jump during BodyCombat class. My knee locked upon landing, and despite icing the injury immediately afterwards, I experienced severe pain and difficulty. When the pain escalated the next morning, I knew something was very wrong, so I consulted my rehab doctor, Dr. Homer Tiangco, who instructed me to have an MRI done a few days after. Results showed that I had a complete or high-grade partial tear on my left anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), in addition to a sprain and a Baker's cyst. Conservative therapy was an option, but if I ever wished to go back to running long distance and doing intense yoga or BodyCombat again, surgery was the only option. It was an outpatient procedure, and there were many advancements in ACL surgery that allowed patients to recover quite fast. A few weeks later, I consulted my sports doctor and orthopedic surgeon Dr. Edgar Eufemio whom I last consulted when I had lateral knee pain back in 2009. Dr. Eufemio told me that surgery was indeed necessary if I wanted to become active again. But prior to surgery, I needed to make sure my hamstrings were strong enough so I could make a quick recovery.

FAT ASS 2014...with a bad knee

Dr. Eufemio mentioned that I should start strengthening my hamstrings since a hamstring tendon graft would be used to reconstruct my ACL. Since I was regularly attending yoga and BodyBalance classes, I figured that would suffice with a few additional hamstring exercises.

My parents, however, were not as decided as I was. I consulted a second orthopedic surgeon, one who seemed to suggest that conservative treatment for me. By this time, however, I was already determined on getting that surgery; I was not only frustrated about being limited in my recreational activities, I was bothered by sudden episodes of knee pain and locking. For me, it was no longer a question of whether or not to have a surgery; the only question was when.

Finally, during the last week of April, I called Jona, Dr. Eufemio's secretary and took a shot at a random close date. My surgery was to be held on May 6, Tuesday. I had the option to have it done at Megaclinic or Cardinal Santos, but since Dr. Eufemio did ACL reconstruction at Megaclinic more often, I decided to have the surgery done there.

Not-so-ExtraJess: Degenerative Disc Disease

I have always believed in defying limits, especially when it comes to endurance training. I was christened “Extrajess” by a good friend back in 2007 after the energy drink Extrajoss because I never seemed to get tired, and the name kind of stuck.

2012 was probably the most active year of my life. I took on three full marathons, a 20-miler, a handful of half-marathons, and countless other races and training runs. I snagged my best 21k and 42k times. I was a BodyPump addict (squats reached a peak of 27kg), doing cardio workouts six days a week, and attempting new activities such as hiking. Twenty-four hours in a day weren’t enough. I was (still am) a part-time MBA student.  Taking restdays from my workouts is torture for me. Add insomnia to the mix, and getting 6 hours of sleep in a night becomes a rare luxury.

QCIM: My 5th and most recent full marathon...and possibly my last? Photo credit: Photojojo .

I’ve lived this lifestyle since 2006. I already had severe back pains twice before, one episode severe enough for me to require total bedrest, but I always recover. So when the back pains started late January 2013 after an intense session of dynamic flow yoga, I ignored it. I worked out the next day, and the day after…and then, after a lunchtime RPM (indoor spinning) class one Wednesday, I realized I could no longer walk without subjecting my lower back to the most excruciating PAIN I’ve felt, ever. I'd say my tolerance level for pain is pretty decent, but this felt like the worst case of cramps radiating across my lower back and butt.

I rested the entire next day and decided to consult my neurologist Dr. Ester Bitanga about the pain a few days after. She put me on pain medication and muscle relaxants, recommended me to see a rehab medicine specialist, and made me get an x-ray of my lumbosacral spine. The x-ray indicated the presence of bony formations called osteophytes, which were interpreted as signs of “degenerative changes," in my lumbosacral spine (L4-L5 region). I was scared as ever; all sorts of scenarios from slipped disc to being forever banned from exercise to chronic back pain for the rest of my life started popping into my head. More than anything I was scared that I would now to have to pay the price of my stubbornness and endorphin addiction.

My back pains did not show any signs of backing down in the next days, so I finally consulted a rehab doctor. The first doctor recommended me to have an electromyography (EMG) of my back done. The EMG consisted of having electrodes with needles placed on my back to measure electrical activity and identify any abnormality. Neeedless to say, the procedure was painful, and results indicated the presence of "radiculopathies," which indicated nerve damage along the L5-S1 region of my spine. The doctor recommended me to undergo rehab therapy. I wasn't scared of the therapy itself, but it would definitely be time-consuming, so I decided to consult my friend Dr. Dave De Castro, a rehab medicine resident, to ask for a second opinion. Doc Dave recommended me to avoid lifting, running, and twisting workouts for the meantime, and be more active with low impact aerobic workouts like swimming.

By this time then pain would come and go. On some days the pain was so severe that merely coughing or sneezing was excruciating, and I would have to stop walking every few meters because I couldn't bear the pain that would radiate across my back and butt. On some days my back felt almost normal, as if I'd just finished an intense back workout.

In February, I ran the half-marathon (21k) at the Condura Skyway event and did a short run at the La Mesa Nature Reserve with my running group Six:30, but I completely stopped running after the two events. I took on radical changes in lifestyle. I started sleeping more, BodyBalance (a fusion of Yoga, Tai Chi, and Pilates) and Gentle Flow Yoga became my favorite workouts, I would swim every one or two weeks, and I always had a couple of Arcoxia tabs handy, although I hoped I would never have to take them.

And then another good friend, my BodyCombat mentor Dr. Dean Torno arrived in Manila for his annual vacation. After meeting up with him, he convinced me to visit his friend Dr. Mark Tiangco for a fourth opinion on my condition, and he made a lot of things clearer. Apparently, I was not suffering from slipped disc, as I previously thought. I actually had Degenerative Disc Disease (or DDD), caused by normal wear and tear of my spinal discs (which was actually not surprising for me given my active lifestyle) and usually triggered by trauma. But the word "degenerative" was a bit misleading; the pain could go away, therapy was not imperative, and the pain could lessen or even go away. However, there was a very high chance of recurrence.

Also, the yoga I'd been taking on lately was actually good for my back provided I keep in mind my limits. Dr. Tiangco also recommended I start taking collagen supplements for my back and prescribed Lyrica, a strong medication for nerve pain, to be taken as needed. The medicine, especially the collagen, helped immensely.

Don't let the funny name fool you -- this supplement helped me LOADS.
(And by the way, I am not sponsored by this product, I spend good money on to this day.)

Since the onset of pain in January, my back still aches when I stand or I sit down for too long (usually at work), my ab and oblique workouts are still limited, I wouldn't dare to try lifting weights yet, and the only running mileage I've had since the La Mesa run was during the Safeguard-2xu Half-Marathon last April, where I garnered my worst 21k time of 2:58 after about 19 kilometers of power walking.

On the whole, my back has improved tremendously, but it's possible that this time the motto "pain is temporary" may no longer apply. The five months (and still counting) of pain will always serve as a reminder for me to actually listen to my body, although my back still gets better and better with each week. I know the worst is over, but I can only hope it will stay that way.

Run United 3 2012: My 2nd 32km

After completing last year's Runrio/Run United trilogy (and missing the awards ceremony, I might add), I decided I'd sit this year's trilogy out. Not only have I promised to spend less, I've also learned the beauty of running solo, so I've been choosing my races over the past few months wisely. But when Run United 3 was announced, I felt a burning desire to beat my 32k personal best of 4:08 during the previous year's RU3 despite the steep registration fee of P1,000.

Still smiling after 32km at Run United 3 in 2011!

Unfortunately, my lower back started hurting the week before the race, and watching Phantom of the Opera with my family the night before meant not getting enough time to rest. After much deliberation about whether to push through with the race that very rainy morning, I headed for the start line at Bonifacio Global City with my friend Dave about thirty minutes before gunstart. I could feel the soreness of my back, and I had zero hours of sleep in my system; breaking my PR would be a real challenge!

It was raining the entire race (with a single brief pause of about five minutes or so), and this turned out to be a blessing and a pain. The nonstop rains meant the climate was cool and breezy, but it also meant endless puddles, painful chafing and blisters, and wet clothes heavy with rainwater. I never felt so thankful for my compression pants and the Leukoplast I'd put on my toes.

A must for blister-prone people like me :)

However, despite the very wet route, I was able to stick to a consistent pace...that is, until KM22, when my Sony Walkman decided to die on me, and my patience began to wear thin. But it turns out overplaying my tracklist worked to its advantage, because I eventually pushed my legs to run again, "mentally" singing the music I'd been playing only minutes before, and it got me through the mindgame that was the last 8km. I gritted my teeth to bear the chafing; the only consolation was that the cool breeze brought about by the rain meant I hardly felt the urge to grab water from the stations (of which there were more than enough).

When i got to KM 30, I could feel the finish line was near so I picked up my pace again. I knew then that I was going to be able to achieve a sub-4 chip time finish, but I had to ensure I'd get a sub-4 guntime as well. True enough, as I approached the finish,  I saw the red digits on the timer were ticking the last seconds before 4:00, so I sprinted, and crossed the finish line just a few seconds before the target. Garmin check: 3:56 -- a whopping twelve minutes better than last year's 32k time! (Side Note: That Garmin went missing a week after...I guess it was a good last run together. Sad.)

Happy and wet at the finish line! With Romar, Doc Dave, and Doc Edwin.

The third piece of the Runrio Trilogy's pie medal, a finisher's shirt, and a loot bag were waiting for runners at the finish line (very orderly redemption of finisher's kits!). I met up with Doc Dave and got to know new friends Alvin (whom I'd previously met at the Condura Marathon), Joanne, Gerry, and Noel, and we had breakfast at McDonald's. I suffered my usual post-long run appetite crash and barely finished my breakfast, but I knew I'd finished strong. The "blackout nap" I took when I got home was arguably one of the best I've ever had.

Breakfast with new friends :)

I have yet to make up my mind about whether to run the last part of Run United 2012, that is the Run United Philippine Marathon. But getting back to long distance running after a month-long post-Milo hiatus made me realize how much I miss long distance running. So will I be hitting the road again come September 28? Let's see!

Get ready to Xplode in BodyCombat! (Fitness Xplosion 2)

I'm a self-professed gym rat. I've been one since 2006, long before I started running, when I first signed up for a Fitness First membership as a my new year's resolution and ended up getting hooked on group exercise classes. Although I'm versatile and like rotating workouts to maximize benefits and prevent boredom, there are two classes that are especially close to my heart: flow yoga, and the workout that I rely on for my regular supply of endorphins: BodyCombat.

For those who are unfamiliar with it, BodyCombat is a martial arts inspired workout by Les Mills. It incorporates moves from the various martial arts disciplines such as karate, taekwondo, kickboxing, muay thai, tai chi, and capoeira and transforms them into a fun and calorie-killing workout

BodyCombat Memories: Ultimate Combat Challenge at Fitness First Ortigas, March 30 2009.

Last September 1, Fitness First held an event called Xplosion 2, the second installment of a series of five marathons of Fitness First's most popular cardio workouts including RPM, BodyAttack, RetroPop, BodyCombat, and BodyJam/Sh'bam. Prices for the event weren't cheap at P399 per single program (inclusive of an event singlet), so I decided I'd attend just BodyCombat. There was already news prior to that day that BodyCombat tickets had been the most saleable, so my friends and I decided to assemble at SMX Convention Center at Mall of Asia early after a decent lunch.

Jam-packed BodyCombat! 

Hundreds (literally) of BodyCombat addicts came together that day at SMX, and it felt great to be in the midst of fellow BodyCombat addicts from all over the metro (plus Cebu and Pampanga) once again. The floor literally rocked as BodyCombat instructors presented the new release BodyCombat 53 in addition to old tracks.

On a side note, BodyCombat 53 has to be one of the best releases in a while, from the catchy "Written in the Stars" (cutest warmup track ever!) to the combat rendition of the old Les Mills favorite "True Believer" to the energetic finale "Summer Rain." Even the Muay Thai track "Blade" is a big improvement over the tiresome tracks of the last two releases.

Adrenaline was pumping in the auditorium from start to finish as presentors led participants through the fresh new tracks and old favorites such as "The United Vibe" and the immortal "Miracle." Presentors included various instructors from Fitness First including FF Philippines BodyCombat heads Mark and Kerwin, my mentor Jury (one of two people to whom I owe my love of BodyCombat), former BodyCombat head "Mother" Fhe (now based in Singapore), former BodyAttack head May (now also based in Singapore), Vanessa, and Allan, as well as international presentors Ben Tang (from Singapore) and Renee Low (from Malaysia).

Fight!

With Jury, one of two mentors to which I owe my love of BodyCombat :)

Renee Low was certainly a welcome addition to the lineup. The BodyCombat trainer from Malaysia quickly became a crowd favorite as she enthusiastically led the mob through a series of new tracks from the new release.

BodyCombat rules!

Two hours went by like a blur; I barely felt the time pass by, and the energy was so intense that people who were outside the SMX during the event reported that BodyCombat literally rocked the house!

With fellow BodyCombat addicts Romar, Ron, Doc Edwin, and Chal (L-R).

After all the tracks, the crowd clamored for more, and Ben Tang led the crowd to mop up the dirt and sweat in a delightfully painful conditioning track (a bit masochistic, yes).

Fitness Xplosion 2 was Xplosive, that's for sure. Though there will surely be mixed reviews, but I don't think anyone can deny that it was a remarkable improvement over the previous year's version of the event. Being the most attended event, BodyCombat was no exception. I'm sure I'm not the only one for whom Fitness Xplosion 2 invoked a feeling of nostalgia as I remembered why BodyCombat was -- and still remains to be  -- my favorite fitness workout. I'd have to say my fellow combat addicts and I left Mall of Asia with an undeniable endorphin high, and are all definitely looking forward to Fitness Xplosion 3!

Kia Kaha! (Stay Strong!)

NOTE: Thank you Joseph for the awesome photos of the event! :)

Milo Marathon 2012 (Manila Eliminations)

Running the Milo Marathon Eliminations has been my dream since 2011. That year I first signed up for Milo's half-marathon event but was unable to run it because I'd carelessly left my race bib at home. It had rained hard that day, and I couldn't risk running bandit in that kind of weather, so I decided to stick to the sidelines and wait for my friends to cross the finish line instead. I enviously watched runners cross the finish line that day, and became fixated with the idea of eventually earning that finisher's medal since I don't think I'll be able to qualify for finals in this lifetime.

With the UP Heartbreakers! Support Mode during the Milo Marathon in 2011.

Fast forward to June 2012. I already had three full marathons under my belt by then and had an unimpressive PR of just under six hours (5:56), but I was just as determined to become a Milo marathoner as I was eleven months before. However, doubting my ability I decided to ask for help, and approached my good friend Dave De Castro, better known as Doc Dave, to ask if he'd be willing to pace me for the event. Doc Dave is a triathlete blessed with rock-hard discipline I will never have, but after the Condura Skyway Marathon he said he never wanted to run another full marathon again, so I was elated (and nervous at the same time) when he agreed to pace me to a sub-6.

Race Map for the 36th Milo Marathon Manila Eliminations, passing through four cities of Metro Manila.

During the next few weeks I trained worked on leg strength and like never before. Unfortunately the rainy season prevented me from running outdoors as often as I would want, so I had to force myself to appreciate the treadmill at the gym (a real mindgame for me) in addition to getting used to running alone. I was scared about 6-hour cutoff, and I figured training, along with a strict diet (time to shed off body fat!) and encouragement from friends, was the only way I could get over the fear. By race week, I was a basket case. I drastically cut down workout hours in hopes of being able to give my body enough time to recharge.

Training time! My last race before Milo was the DRM Fun Run at Veterans Memorial  Medical Center.

July 29 finally arrived. I rode to Mall of Asia with Doc Dave and another friend JC, but I really couldn't remember much about the trip going there except that I was obsessed about having everything I needed since I was still traumatized about having left my race bib the previous year. I wore the exact outfit I'd worn during the Singapore Marathon, my full mary personal best, from my visor down to my Nike Lunar Eclipse+ shoes. They'd proved their worth during two 42k's already, so I figured I'd take them for their last full marathon.

My Nike Lunar Eclipse + after (hopefully) their last full marathon!

As we headed for the starting line to await gun start, I remember seeing many of my running friends, but I couldn't really think about much except praying my friends and I would finish the race injury-free and within cutoff. I took some energy gel to boost my confidence a bit, said a silent prayer, and when the gun sounded we were off.





The Race

During the first 10km or so, I took on a steady pace with Doc Dave, JC, as well as Gino and his other friend, trying (quite unsuccessfully) not to rely on my music too much. By around KM 15, I couldn't keep up with the pace anymore, so Doc and I fell behind as our three other companions sped off.

The route was relatively flat, but the humidity served to be a challenge. By the time we parted ways with the 21k runners and headed towards Fort Bonifacio, I could already feel the strain on my calves. I tried forcing myself to get out of my comfort zone and change my forefoot strike, but doing so drastically reduced my speed so I decided to bear the calf pain. By KM 30 I was already starting to feel a bit tired and bloated, and it felt like the humid weather was making me melt. And then a miracle happened; it started to rain, and I couldn't agree more with Doc when he said the light shower was God's blessing, and I was able to push myself to run at a constant and comfortable stay. I was also thankful many of my friends ran, because meeting each of them along the way gave me a much-needed boost and encouraged me to go on.

Recognize that McDonald's branch from Fort? Caution: Wet floor!

By KM 37, however, I could feel my speed drop again as heat began to take its toll. I was having mixed feelings by then; I was hopeful that there were only five kilometers to go, but I was frustrated I couldn't keep a constant pace anymore. Water stations were running out of cups, so I had to rely on refilling my single trusty water bottle. I kept apologizing to Doc Dave that I couldn't go any faster. Runners around the area had also significantly reduced their speed, and many of them were in fact already walking tiredly, and I could feel that urge to cry. Then Doc did something I didn't expect; he placed his arm around mine and told me we were going to run the last stretch. Apparently, he decided that if he couldn't push me to my goal time, he was going to pull me...and he did!

Second Wind!!!

When we got to the finish line, I tapped the button on my Garmin triumphantly. 5:34.35. I said a silent prayer of thanks. Not only did we make cutoff, I was also able to beat my previous PR by a whopping twenty-one minutes! I was feeling absolutely euphoric as I hugged Doc Dave and thanked him for all his help and patience. It was I got my beautiful and gigantic finisher's medal, the oversized finisher's shirt, and the loot bag.

My finisher's shirt and loot bag!

The next few moments went by like a blur; I knew there were so many people and things going around me, but I was so tired that I just plopped down on the sidewalk with Doc, and didn't move for who knows how long. When I finally recovered my sanity and composure, I inched my way back to the car; my feet and calves were killing me and I knew I'd killed at least one toenail, but I didn't care. I was a Milo marathoner!

I couldn't help reminiscing about the day I finished my first marathon in March 2011. The day was March 20. I remember the feeling of accomplishment I felt that day, the feeling of gritting my teeth while enduring the pains of plantar fasciitis, the mixed emotions coursing through me, the cheers of my friends as I crossed the halfway point and the finish line. I thought I would never feel as accomplished as I did on that day when I first became a marathoner.

Memories of my first marathon: The Bull Runner Dream Marathon 2011, where I clocked in -- injured -- at 6:42.

Well, I was wrong. I didn't know then that there would come a day when run a race against time and the elements, across four cities while battling rain and heat. I didn't realize how much more fulfilling it would be to run a race I've been eyeing one year ahead and do actual training to achieve my goal time. I didn't know then how good it feels to have someone at your side all the way to encourage you, to assure that you can make it when you feel ready to give up.

But now I know my sense of achievement on the 29th of July would be even tougher to beat, because now I know how it feels to have that enormous medal draped around my neck and to be finally called a Milo marathon finisher.

Milo marathoner, at last :)

BDM 2012 (Part 2 of 2: The Adventures and Misadventures of Team Memi)

KM 00.

KM 00 -- KM 17: Quiet, Steady Start

Memes requested a pitstop once every two kilometers initially, and we gladly obliged. Jill and I took the first shift; we're night owls and were both wide awake. Memes took on a steady pace that was slower than his usual full marathon pace. He took one gel and alternated water, Gatorade, and Pocari, and took an occasional slice of banana or a handful of chips (for sodium).The first part of the race was quiet and uneventful; little did we know what was in store for us next.

Support crew member, ANR Ortigas Coach Drew. It was this dark!

Memes' "throne": a director's chair that Jill had brought along for the ride :)

KM 18: "We're doomed."


I admit I'm a bit of a noob when it comes to car maintenance and repair; apparently, for the first eighteen kilometers, I was carrying out a mortal sin: leaving my car headlights on with the engine off. After our pitstop at KM 18, the car suddenly seized to start, no matter how many times I attempted to ignite the engine, and we realized the car's battery was drained. My hands went cold and my heart sank; we were in the middle of nowhere, it was late (past midnight), the gas stations and other establishments were closed, and my car was an automatic Innova, meaning pushing the car wouldn't help it to start. In Jill's words, we were doomed.

I knew I couldn't forgive myself if Memes DNF'd (a running term which stands for "did not finish") because of my clumsiness. I immediately called Ron in Manila and asked him to search on the Internet for any battery supply or charging stations in the vicinity of Bataan. Drew called Allan, a friend of ours supporting runner Ronnel Go along with another friend Hendy. Drew asked Allan to look out for Memes for the meantime if they happened to see him. I tried calling the emergency number the organizers left, but the woman who answered snapped and told me it was not her business if our car wouldn't start.

A few moments later, some members of the Team Kamote Runners stopped and asked if we needed help. Members of Team Ok-ok also stopped and tried to help us; they checked out our battery and one of them, Jsin, actually snapped the wire of his iPod connecter (gasp!) in an attempt to do something about it. The car still wouldn't start though, and by then I was getting a bit hopeless.

Jill was the most level-headed of us; she grabbed a bag of supplies including water, Gatorade, and some food, and headed off to search for a way she could catch up with Memes. Eventually, we found out that she hitched on a bus (they didn't charge her, wow) until she found Memes, and hitched with the Team Ok-Ok Runners so she could continue to provide Memes with his hydration and supplies. Wow!

Thank you Kamote Runners and Ok-Ok Runners!

Meanwhile on our end, we finally found the tail of the convoy: a sweeper ambulance carrying a couple of soldiers who had apparently been deployed to check the area and ensure there were no runners or support crew vehicles left behind. They took a look at our battery and told us that the truck they were riding in was too big, if another car would be willing to lend their battery, they could try to jump start our engine so it could run again. Eventually we came across the support crew of Brandy Simbe, another runner. The crew was composed of members of Team CB led by Jimmy, whom I know from ANR Ortigas, and Drew asked if we could borrow their battery in an attempt to jump start my car's engine. Jimmy told us they wanted to help, but they would have to ask for the permission of Brandy, since the car was his, and come back to us. As they sped off to meet Brandy, we could do nothing but pray they would be back at the soonest time.

They held true to their promise; after a few more minutes we caught a glimpse of their headlights which were like a ray of hope (sorry for the pun, but that was really how it felt). The soldiers did a bit of mechanical work (which I really need to learn, I think), and after a few more moments of praying and holding my breath, they told me to try to start my engine again and it finally sprung back to life! I knew the worst was over; I let out an enormous sigh of relief. After offering the soldiers food and thanking Jimmy and his fellow support crew members again and again, we sped off to look for Memes and Jill. We called Jill and met up with her, then finally joined Memes for an ecstatic reunion at around KM 28. Later he told us he was already feeling a bit hopeless when Jill had suddenly appeared to give him water and a short explanation of what had happened on our end.

Can I just say, the camaraderie of the running community is just amazing!

KM 28 -- KM 60: Second Wind


After the dramatic reunion we went on cruising along the road again. I felt incredibly awake and refused Hapi's offer to take over the driving. I told the others to get rest. Since it was really dark we almost got lost a few times; I for one was always glad each time we saw the original Bataan Death March's commemorative markers, because this assured us that we were on the right track. We eventually saw some of the runners we knew, like Irene, Doc Art, and Marvin to name a few.

At around KM 42 I closely monitored Memes' time. His time was nowhere his 42km/full marathon PR, but his pace was consistent and he was still strong, showing absolutely no signs of fatigue.

Memes, say "Aahhh..."

Eventually we came across the six:30 members too and thanked them for their help.

Thank you, Six:30!

Eventually the sun started to peek through the clouds signaling daybreak. Hapi and I finally exchanged seats and he took over the driver's seat. I got knocked out cold for an hour and a half.

Daybreak!

KM 60+: Newfound Friend


At around KM 60, Memes told us that his legs were started to feel a bit tired, but he couldn't stop since stopping might trigger his cramps. By the time the bright sun had eradicated the darkness, it started to get really hot, and Memes decided to change into his red singlet. At around KM 60 or so, we came across Team CB member Randy, who I met a few times also during ANR Ortigas sessions. He had been on relatively the same pace as Memes since after the car had stalled. He explained to us that he had overtaken his support crew, who was supporting more than one runner. We told him he could get hydration and food from us since he and Memes were running at pretty much the same speed anyway. It was helpful having Randy around, too; he was familiar with the BDM 102 route, which despite the kodigos and written directions we'd printed proved to be very confusing.

With Ultra Memi and Ultra Randy!

Memes asked to change into his Asics at this time, which was no problem since he didn't seem to have blisters anyway. Later, I would discover that Memes had actually changed shoes because his feet were already hurting; prior to the race, he was actually suffering from plantar fasciitis (incidentally, this was the same injury that had bogged me down during my own first full marathon), and didn't want us to worry. Aww.

Shoe change!

It was also this time that we brought out our secret weapons: the magic spray bottle, as well as the signboards that Ron had made to motivate Memes!

Cheerleader mode!

Last Stretch (Third Wind?)

Soon after it started to drizzle, and weird weather as it was, everyone was thankful since by then it had started to get sunny and really hot. Memes and Randy started to employ the Galloway method (run-walk) to conserve energy. Their pace had decreased a bit, but they were still fine with pitstops every two kilometers. There was absolutely no question about them beating the cutoff, but it was getting hotter and hotter so we tried to motivate them by telling them to beat the sun and heat. Though truth be told, apart from starting to really sweat because of the blistering sun, they didn't look tired at all!

KM 97. Last five kilometers!

When we finally got to KM 101, I told Memes and Randy there was only one kilometer and asked them if they could sprint to the finish line, and they gladly obliged. We were also happy; our runners were almost at the end of their journey!

Last few hundred meters!

And when we finally got to the much awaited finish line, Memes and Randy kept true to their word; they really did sprint towards the finish. There was nothing like seeing our alaga cross that much-awaited finishline! He clocked in at 15:09:39 :)

Sprint to the finish. You can actually see the finishline!

Randy crossed the finish line right after Memes. I myself was feeling rather euphoric, so I can just imagine how it felt for them to cross the finish line after a hundred and two grueling kilometers!

Memes at the finish line with Sir Jovie, aka Baldrunner :)

Upon reaching the finish line we discovered that Memes and Randy were 44th and 45th to finish, respectively. They had overtaken many runners in the last stretch of the race!

Memes, at the KM 102 marker, with his medal and trophy :)

The finish line was the most festive I've ever seen. Sure, there were no balloons or promo booths, there was no bubblegum pop music, nor was there confetti or free Gatorade, but the exhausted exhilaration on the faces of the finishers was unlike those I've seen in any running event.

We couldn't stay for long, to wait for everyone we knew though; Memes was exhausted and all of us were famished. We congratulated the runners around, boarded the car, and drove again, until we got to a place called Holiday Land in San Fernando, Pampanga, where we had unlimited food and iced tea for P160! The food wasn't fabulous but the halo-halo, kare-kare, balot ala pobre, and other dishes were enough for us to call it a feast after almost twenty-four hours of travel and running/support.

Out of the blue, we talked about whether Memes would want to run again in 2013. His answer was an almost resolute yes; whether he wanted to do BDM 102 or the 100-miler (160km) event, he didn't know, but he was almost certain he wanted to return.

So Mariveles, does that mean I shall see you again in a year's time? :)


NOTE: Again, thanks to Team CB, Six:30, Team Ok-Ok Runners, Team Kamote Runners, and the soldier-sweepers for all the help. I don't know what we would've done without all of you!