2011 Race Awards

In the spirit of the new year and remembering the experiences of 2011, I present my race awards for the second year in a row :)


Best Value for Money: AdiNation of Runners 5th Sunday Runs (January 31, 2011 and May 29, 2011) , McDonald's McHappy Run (November 11, 2011)

The AdiNation of Runners 5th Sunday Runs held in January and May 2011 definitely take the best value for money award.  For a reasonable fee of P50, we were given race bibs, breakfast, Adidas freebies (such as water bottles), and decent hydration during both events, and winning teams were given Adidas products for prizes.  The catch, however, was that you had to be an active member of the AdiNation of Runners, and you were required to have a minimum number of stamps (attendance) during ANR sessions.  As an active member and assistant coach of the Ortigas chapter, however, that was no problem for me.

Adination of Runners - Ortigas Chapter 5k Women's Relay Team during the 1st ANR 5th Sunday Run (January 30, 2011)

For non-exclusive races, McDonald's McHappy Fun Run held at the Venice Piazza at McKinley Hill in Fort Bonifacio takes the Value-for-Money award.  At P600, the registration fee for 10k wasn't exactly cheap, but the inclusives, consisting of a Sausage McMuffin and unlimited brewed coffee courtesy of McCafe, unlimited Selecta ice drops, a McHappy finisher's shirt, a donation to the Bright Mind Read project of the Ronald McDonald House Charities, adequate hydration, and a voucher for a free Big Mac for Foursquare addicts (like me!) made me feel like I got my money's worth :)

Sulit! (with running buddies Sam and Memes)

Runner-up: Robinson's Fit n' Fun Buddy Run, Fort Striders
Special Mention: Hyundai Run (I didn't run this, but what run gives you better value for money than a well-reviewed and organized run that's free?)



Best Route (Road Race): Baguio 21k (April 8, 2011) , AXN Runs Philippines (September 18, 2011)

 

The soft breeze, the heavy air, the lush scenery, the scents of nature, the killer inclines...the Baguio 21k run adopted "Feel the hill" as its tagline for a very good reason!  But despite the challenging terrain, boredom was hardly felt since I was busy appreciating the refreshing mountain/countryside view.  And as an added bonus, I barely noticed the time it took me to finish the run thanks to the cool breeze and fresh air (albeit not without a bit of smog from the belching vehicles).

With no less than four flyovers back and forth, AXN Runs Philippines wasn't dubbed as a "run challenge" for nothing!  Beginning and ending in F. Ortigas Jr. (Emerald) Avenue in Ortigas, the route of AXN Runs Philippines brought runners along Julia Vargas, through the urban jungle of C5, straight to Lanuza, back and forth the long and winding flyovers of Kalayaan, Ortigas/Tiendesitas, Blue Ridge, Katipunan, and cruising (walking?) along the other rolling roads and hills along the way.  This was, without a doubt, the best city-based route of the year!

Best Trail: Merrell Adventure Run (June 18, 2011)


2011 was the year I got into trail running, starting with the Men's Health All-Terrain Race in June 2011.  Two weeks after, I found myself joining the Merrell Adventure Run in Montalban, Rizal.  Unfortunately (or fortunately?), strong rains poured the night before, resulting in extremely slippery inclines, fallen branches, and mud mud MUD all over.





During this run I discovered I was glad to have my friend Maynard pace with me across the ten long kilometers.  This was certainly not a run for fussy runners nor the faint-hearted.  I slipped a bunch of times and was more than grateful for the showers provided at the finish line.  The effort required for this 10k trail run certainly bested the effort that is usually required for a half-marathon, but the interesting scenery, coupled with the rush of endorphins after, certainly left me with a feeling of euphoria and excitement for more trail runs in the future!




Most Unforgettable Race Experience: The Bull Runner Dream Marathon 2011 (March 20, 2011)

                  

Nobody forgets their first time.  Bull Runner Jaymie Pizarro made sure this would hold true for participants of the second Bull Runner Dream Marathon held in Nuvali, Laguna.  Joining late meant missing the Bull Circles and Sessions, but this still held true for me.  The race itself was superb: clean air and clear roads, overflowing hydration (never appreciated the many flavors of Gatorade as much!), gel stations, the non-competitive camaraderie and encouragement among participants.  But mustering enough strength to keep myself from giving up and eventually "sprinting" with my friends who'd come along to cheer me towards the finish line while tolerating monthly period pains, the pain of plantar fasciitis, and a very troubled mind makes this event the most unforgettable running event for me thus far.

Special Mention: Standard Chartered Marathon Singapore


Held outside the Philippines, the Standard Chartered Marathon Singapore, my second full marathon and first international race gets a special mention owing to its pretty singlet, nice medal, and tough route.  And best of all, a strong finish with a personal best 42k time left me feeling exhilarated long after the event.

Runner-up: AXN Runs Philippines, AdiNation of Runners 1st 5th Sunday Run



Best Medal: Corregidor International Half-Marathon

I may not have joined the event this year, but I still can't help but name Corregidor International Half-Marathon's heavy and ginormous medallion as the best medal of 2010.

Runner-up: Condura Skyway Marathon



Best Singlet: Adidas King of the Road (October 23, 2011)

The event's 2010 singlet was a black racerback made of dri-fit material that was plain and basic.  This year Adidas King of the Road decided to go for the polar opposite, providing runners with attention-grabbing bright singlets ranging from fuschia or stark blue for females to royal blue and deep green for males, with the same racerback cut.  Not everyone was pleased with the loud shades, but I was an instant fan.  I even got myself a second singlet at the King of the Road expo, where they were sold for P500 each.


Runner-up: AXN Runs Philippines, Nike We Run Manila 10k (Special Mention: Standard Chartered Marathon Singapore, which I think also deserves the best finisher's shirt award)



Most Organized Run: The Bull Runner Dream Marathon 2011

This unexpected surprise arrived at my home after a couple days after a bit of e-mail correspondence!

I named TBR Dream Marathon as the most unforgettable race of 2011.  And because of smooth procedures from bull circles and bull sessions to the race packet claiming/carbo-loading session, and during the race itself -- almost all the flavors of Gatorade you could think up overflowing at each hydration station, well-managed traffic and organized roads, gel stations, useful freebies such as a 1.5 L bottle of Gatorade (Gatorade 1 HR), a Thermos water bottle with an insulated cover and lots of toothbrushes -- I would have to consider it the most organized run as well.  Special recognition is due to the team in charge of distributing certificates; because I was unable to claim my race certificate and souvenir program CD at Mercato Centrale, the organizers sent it to me via Air 21.  Nice!

Runner-up: Unilab Run for Wellness Leg 1


Special Awards
Worst Singlet/Finisher's Shirt: Men's Health All-Terrain Race (mislabeled sizes that were way too big!)
Most Forgettable Run: Goldilocks Run (I might've forgotten about this one if I didn't keep the singlet.)
Worst Organized: Nike We Run Manila, Brooks Run Happy

Total Races for 2011: 27
Total (Official) Mileage (Races Only): 465.19 km


Cebu Marathon (21k)
Greentennial Run (15k)
AdiNation of Runners 5th Sunday Run (5k 5-member women's relay)
Condura Skyway Marathon (21k)
Unilab Run United for Wellness Leg 1 (21k)
The Bull Runner Dream Marathon (Full Marathon)
Globe Run for Home (10k)
Baguio 21k Feel the Hill (21k)
Goldilocks Run (21k)
Brooks Run Happy (15k)
AdiNation of Runners 5th Sunday Run (5k 5-member women's relay)
Men's Health All-Terrain Race (10k Trail)
Mizuno Infinity Run (21k)
Merrell Adventure Run (10k Trail)
Yamaha Run for Heroes (21k)
Robinson's Fit n' Fun Buddy Run (10k Buddy Run)
Rexona Run (10k)
Unilab Run United for Wellness Leg 2 (21k - PR)
Fort Striders Run (10k - PR)
AXN Runs Philippines (21k)
Camsur Marathon (21k)
Nike We Run Manila (10k)
Adidas King of the Road (16.8k)
Energizer Night Run (10k)
Unilab Run United for Wellness Leg 3 (32k - PR)
McDonald's McHappy Run (10k)
Standard Chartered Marathon Singapore (42k - PR)

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

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.

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 :)

Adidas King of the Road 2010 Checklist

► Adizero Aces
► aNR Singlet
► Nike Shorts
► iPod
► Hook Earphones
► BodyGlide
► Petroleum Jelly
► Bib Number
► Bib Belt
► Hammer Gel x 2
► Nike Armband
► Cap
► Knee Support
► Ponytail Holder
► Timing Device
► Toiletries

Who said running was a cheap sport? :p

Countdown: 3 days!

Three days (well, a few hours less than three days) until one of this year's most anticipated running events: Adidas King of the Road 2010.  This event marks the anniversary of my first 10k run and the anniversary of my knee injury.  This event also marks my first half-marathon.

A year ago I would never have expected I'd be signing up for a half-marathon in this lifetime.  The aforementioned injury actually bogged me down for almost eight months.  Not only did it hinder my running progress (I had to limit myself to short-distance runs), I also had to mellow down on other high-impact activities: I temporarily eliminated the endorphin-machine BodyAttack (a high-intensity workout by Les Mills that includes several high-impact, knee-wrecking moves such as high-level lunges, jumping, and running) from my workout routine, and I had to lie low on my all-time favorite comfort workout, BodyCombat (very similar to taebo, this Les Mills workout inspired by moves from different martial arts disciplines such as karate, tai chi, kickboxing, takewondo, and capoeira).  I shifted to RPM/spinning as my regular program since it seemed to involve less impact on my knees.  In December that I decided to pay the doctor a visit, and I was thoroughly relieved when my x-ray came out clear and my doctor told me that time was all my knee needed to heal.

True enough, it did.  The knee actually got much worse before it got better (March and April were the worst months, during one race I was so frustrated I couldn't keep up with the fast pace of my music that I almost threw my earphones to the floor), but by late May my knee was feeling normal again, although by 10k progress dropped to zero.

I insisted on joining races at least twice a month in order to get used to running.  Besides, I'd reached a progress plateau in BodyCombat, and after recovery I didn't seem to be as psyched up about BodyAttack anymore.

More than a month ago, after a bit of googling and inquiry, my gym rat friends and I started joining sessions of the Ortigas chapter of the AdiNation of Runners.  aNR has four chapters in Manila, located in Alabang, Makati, Ortigas, and Fort Bonifacio.  The Ortigas group is just the right size -- big enough to motivate, small enough to get to know people without the awkwardness.  Joining the group has allowed me to appreciate running more and feel confident about myself -- enough to PR in my most recent run, the Summit Camsur Marathon held in Pili, Camarines Sur, and decide to sign up for Adidas' half-marathon.

Now that the long introduction's done and over with, I would like to mention that since then, I've done three-hour BodyCombat marathon and two-hour spinning and BodyAttack marathons.  I do a hardcore four-hour workout (BodyPump [weights and resistance training], BodyAttack, RPM, and BodyCombat) every Monday.  aNR has gotten me through fartlek training, speed training, and 13km of hills.  I've only missed one session since I joined the training sessions.

Despite all this, I can't really say I'm ready.  My outfit is already planned out as early as now: my yellow-green aNR singlet with the trademark three blue stripes, my blue shorts (or black -- I haven't decided yet), my bright blue cap, my black armband, my bright pink iPod with the new hook earphones, my bib belt, and of course, my Adizero Aces.  I've equipped myself with two energy gels, BodyGlide, and petroleum jelly.  My playlist is ready (well, almost), carbo-loading with friends has been set on Friday, and I've drastically lowered my workout intensity (especially since I seem to have overstretched my ankle during yoga last Friday).  Excited much?  Yes, you could say that.  But I would also like to say another thing: I'm terrified -- scared of the exhaustion, scared of the boredom, scared of not being able to make a decent time, scared of getting injured during my knee injury's anniversary (though I do promise to be extra careful this time around).  Then again, this is the first time I've actually trained for a run.  In three days I'll see if it actually pays off!