Yesterday's Unilab Run will be one of my favorite runs of the year.
In addition to the PR (which I'm quite sure I was able to get), the run yesterday was different because it was the first time that I really felt the improvement in my speed and endurance.
Prior to this, the last run I joined was the Rexona Run at the SM Mall of Asia - my third 21K for the year and my 9th run for the year. After that, I sort of went into an unplanned break from organized runs.
The realization that I missed running outside of the gym came when I went to the Men's Health Urbanathlon run to cheer JB and Josef. Being at the Fort just before sunrise and seeing the hundreds (thousands?) of people all raring to hit the road was all that I needed to see that it was time to join a run again. (I also promised to join next year's MH Urbanathlon just to challenge myself with the obstacles.)
Thankfully, there was the Unilab Run United 2 was scheduled just after the MH Urbanathlon. It was the perfect run to get me back. I joined the Unilab Run early this year and I had a very good experience with it, so I knew that Run United 2 was going to be just as good.
Twitter buddies/fellow Rainbow Runners (hehe!) Jamie, JB and Marl also signed up for the run so that made it much more awesome. While running appears to be more of a solo sport, it is just way different when you're with friends. (I-vanchy, Jonjon and Cyp, I missed you guys!)
JB and Jamie, seasoned runners that they are, signed up for the 32K. Marl (who is just as an active runner as the two) and I signed up for the 15K. I thought of signing up for the 21K, but that distance was scheduled on a Saturday along with the 10K and the 3K. Sunday was for the 32K, 15K, 5K and the kids' 500-m dash.
The good things about how the run was organized. Since it was a RunRio event (and backed by a major private company), it was expected that the run would be well-organized. Add to that the not-so-cheap registration fee (P700 for the 15K...hehe!) so only the best was expected.
1.) Two run dates. I thought it was great that there were two run dates. The crowd was still huge, but at least runners still had their own personal space (most of the time). I heard that the Adidas KOTR was a nightmare because of the number of participants and because that was one of the more popular runs.
2.) A slight change in the route. I actually liked it that the first leg of the 15K route had a tiny, tiny difference with the usual race route. If you've been joining runs at the Fort, you start to become familiar with the route and it gets boring. From the usual starting point, the race course makes you turn right at the first corner. What the organizers did this time was to make people turn left. I don't know but that small change was something that I liked. Maybe because asking people to turn right would make the race course longer than 15K. I dunno but I liked it... even if the rest of the course was already familiar.
3.) Water stations galore. There were water stations at every 1.5KM. Water and Powerade were available. For the 32K runners, they even had a banana station. I think we all know by now how important these hydration stations are, so there's really no need to elaborate on this.
4.) The other bonuses. There were tons of product samples. When I registered, I got a small pouch with vitamin capsules and other products along with my race pack. When I got the finisher's kit, I got more product samples, a towel, a finishers' shirt, and bottled drinks. I wanted a medal as well, but only the 21K and 32K runners got medals. Oh well. There was also a Unilab Health & Wellness Village set up at the venue, which made the event more exciting for runners.
Okay, let's now go to my run.
I've always said that I am more of a recreational runner. Some people run to beat their previous run time. Some people join to win the cash prize. Some people go because it's the "in" thing. Some people sign up to be inspired (read: check out the hotties... hehe!). For me, my goal is to just cross the finish line in one piece.
So in my previous runs, I am conscious of my time but when I feel that my feet and legs are about to quit, I stop and walk. Sometimes, I enjoy the walking too much that it takes a while before I start running again. Hehe!
In yesterday's run, I still stopped to walk and catch my breath but the walks were fewer and shorter. As soon as I feel that my heart rate was going back to a "normal" but still pumped up beating, I start running again.
I took less water breaks as well, which I'm sure helped cut my time. I took my first drink just before the 6K mark and I really just quickly passed by the hydration station. A glass of cold water in one hand, a glass of Powerade on the other hand, and I'm off again.
It was also the first time that I was able to catch up with my friends during the race. Because I know that they're much faster, I would usually just see my friends at the finish line for the traditional post-run photo shoot. Hehe! This time, I was able to catch up with Marlon just before the 5K mark. I paced with him for a little while, but was left behind when my legs started begging to slow down. I was able to catch up with him at the 7K mark. And then the legs cried for mercy once again so I slowed down again. Hehe!
I saw JB along Bayani Road. We were going opposite directions and as soon as we crossed paths, we high fived each other and that pushed me
What else? Ah, because the route was already quite familiar, I knew where to begin decelerating and where to push myself again. The difficult part for me (and I guess for the other runners) begins with the entry to Lawton Ave going to Bayani Rd. The is uneven and is hilly. Because I knew and already anticipated where the descents and ascents would be, I was able to conserve my energy properly.
One more reason why I love this run is because of the very good strong finish. It's my best "finish" I have to say. At the 14K mark, I slowed down a bit so I can have energy for the last kilometer. When I made the turn to the finish line and saw that the clock had just started with 1:46, I mustered all the energy and made a dash for it. Marlon's target was 1:40. I teased him that mine would then have to be 1:50. Therefore, it was a very nice surprise when I saw that I finished 2 minutes before my target. It seems like a small thing, but 2 minutes is a lot of time when it comes to running. Hehe!
Afterwards, I met up with Marlon (who crossed at 1:40??) and our other friend Ros to wait and cheer for JB and Jamie to cross the finish line. We congratulated one another and had our post-run photo shoot. Hehe! Jamie and Ros then went ahead while JB, Marlon and I stayed behind to get breakfast.
It was the opening of the Mercato Centrale @ BGC that day so we decided to check it out. It was a very nice place and because it was the opening, we saw several celebrities - Marc Nelson, Paolo Bediones, Angel Aquino (who is super niceeeee!!!) and the new US Ambassador. This one's a whole other story though. Hehe!
Going back to the run, I can't wait to see the race results. I hope that I got my run time correct. I can't wait to see the Photovendo pics. I hope that the photos are good. Hehe!
And I definitely can't wait for Dec. 5. Because that will be the highlight of my runs this year - Standard Chartered Run... in Singapore, baby!!! :P It's going to be awesome!
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