Beautiful mornings...

Some photos why I enjoy morning runs. Hehe!

Seriously, there's something about starting your run before the sun is up and then seeing the skies reveal its colors as the sun rises.

It's hard not to feel positive about the day that's starting. Hehe!

No wonder there are sun salutation poses. ;)

May is here...

Sheesh, I can't believe I only have 9 posts for April. Haha! What's up with that? I should try to do more this May.

Let me start this month's post by writing about how the first day of May went.

It's a long weekend, and I didn't really have any out-of-town plans. I need to save for an upcoming holiday with my Mom. I need to save for another holiday later this year. Meanwhile, most of my friends headed out of the country. Hehe!

But me being me, I know I will find ways to keep myself busy, to tire myself this long weekend. Haha!

Okay, so I really wanted to hit the gym today. There was a Pump class at Fusionopolis that will be handled by two of my fave Pump instructors. However, I won't be able to go as I have another appointment at the same time as the class. So, I thought I'd just go to Westgate and hit the treadmill.

As I was prepping my stuff, I thought to myself, "Why not just run around the neighbourhood?" It's close to home and it would give me enough time to do the other things I want to do before heading out. Besides, the Park Connector close to my home is a great jogging/running/cycling path.

So, the plan to go to the gym was scrapped. Instead, I looked for my running belt which I have not used in so long. After finding it and after stashing my IC, ATM, EZ Link, some cash, my phone and earphones in it, I left the house and made my way to the park connector.

Well, it turned out to be a very good decision to run in my neighbourhood. What I initially planned to be just a 30-minute run had it been at the gym became a 51-minute run/jog. What I initially thought would be a 3.5KM run/jog became a 6.6KM run. Hahaha! Even I myself was surprised with the outcome of my morning plan. Lol!

It was definitely a good start for the month.

This afternoon, I went to NUS because I read that the Natural History Museum is now open. I was interested to go because I want to see the dinosaur skeletons. Hehe! I was able to find the museum. Sadly, all tickets for the day were already sold out. Oh well, some other time.

I decided to just use the time to walk around the almost empty NUS campus. I love the feeling of being in a university. It really brings back good memories of my own university experience.

So, that's it for 1 May.

10K run for the dreams of the Mitrataa girls...

It was a very sporty Sunday morning. Haha!

Woke up really early for "Run for a Dream," a charity run organized by the office for the girls of Mitrataa in Nepal.

It was a good run. Venue was at the East Coast Park. Haven't been there for a long time, so it was great being back.

Chris and I signed up for the 10K category.

I thought I did well. The weekly training runs at the NUS Bukit Timah campus with Ian, Chris and Sarge have definitely helped. We should continue having those weekly runs.

As soon as I crossed the finish line, I rested for a short while before boarding a cab to Kallang river.

At 10AM, we had our dragon boat training at Kallang Water Venture.

Though still tired from the run, I had to go to DB training. I just had to.

Thankfully, training that day focused more on technique rather than speed so it was quite okay.

Second half-mary for the year this Sunday...

The Safra Singapore Bay Run this Sunday is my second half-marathon for the year.

I was supposed to register for the run, but was not able to do so. A good friend wouldn't be in town during the day of the run so he just gave me his race pack. Hehe!

He's been running for quite some time now, and has had really made good time with his half-marathons.

This Sunday will be a new PR for him. Hehe! It will be his slowest. Haha! Sorry, Teh.

It's going to be an interesting run. From what I've read about the event, the Sunday race route includes 20 iconic Singapore landmarks. And there will be about 20 street-side festivities to make the experience even more fun.

I'm excited. I'm not well-trained for this one, but my goal for this is to just cross the finish line.

Good friend Ian will also be doing the run, but this is just going to be peanuts for him since he's been doing full-marathons and is a triathlete. Haha!

Let's do this! :P

My last half-marathon for the year is the Standard Chartered Run this December.

First half-mary for 2011 tomorrow...

Tomorrow, I'll be doing my first half-marathon for the year.

Two of my good friends here in SG and I signed up for the half-mary of the Marina 21K.

The run will be at the Bay East at Gardens by the Bay of Singapore. Not sure if I've been there. Hehe!

My first half-marathon for the year should have been the Condura Run in Manila, Philippines. However, I had to fly to SG during the weekend of the run.

Anyway, I'm quite confident that I will do just fine in tomorrow's run.

I've been doing short runs during the week, and Saturday morning have been dedicated to long runs so tomorrow should be just fine. Haha!

Let's do this.

Chillax Saturday

Saturday turned out to be just a relaxing day.

Morning, I headed to the East Coast Parkway for a long-distance run with Chris.

I got up around 5AM, since I'd be coming from the other side of the city. I texted Sarge as well, just to check if he's already up at that time.

Nice surprise, he replied saying that he was already up and that he was also planning to run. Woohoo!

I told him that I was getting ready to meet up with Chris for a run. Kaladkarin guy that he is, he said yes. Haha! We agreed to meet up at Tanjong Pagar, before heading to Eunos to fetch Chris.

A little past 7, the three of us were at ECP and getting ready for our weekend run.

I like ECP because it's just perfect for long distance runs. Unlike running around the city where you have to stop because of the traffic lights and you have to watch out for vehicles, the ECP provides a perfect venue for concentrating on the run. Hehe!

We ended up doing close to 15K (14.53K according to Runkeeper), and I was pretty satisfied with my time.

The knee hasn't been hurting as well, which is good.

In the afternoon, I headed to Holland Village because I know there is a CBTL in the area, and I haven't really had time to check out the area which I heard is quite nice.

So the rest of the afternoon, I just stayed in CBTL with my book and read and people watched. Haha! I like Holland Village.

It had a Manila feel. In particular, it reminded me of Alabang Town Center.

Afterwards, I met up with Chris and Sarge and we had HOHOL time at Sarge's new place.

It was a relaxing Saturday, and I enjoyed it. Hehe.

Happy working weekend...

It was a working weekend for me.

Saturday and Sunday were spent at the old Department of Foreign Affairs building. The company set up a free calling station for relatives of overseas Filipino workers in Libya. I had to go there to cover the activitiy.

Sunday morning had a little more extra work, but I was more than happy to go and cover the event especially after seeing the "guests" at the event. Haha!

I woke up at 3:45AM on Sunday. By 4:30AM, I was already out of the house and in a cab headed to Ortigas.

As part of the 25th anniversary of the Edsa revolution, the company and its sister companies sponsored the EDSA Run.

My manager asked me to cover the event since she knew I am (somewhat) into running. I was game for it because I haven't attended another run since the Greentenial Run. Ugh! Going to the Edsa Run would help motivate me get back on the road.

By 5AM, I was at the venue and I looked for my ever-reliable photographer John. While telling John the shotlist I had in my head, I heard that the Azkals was going to be part of the event.

I thought it was a joke, but come 5:15 the boys arrived and took their place among the running crowd.

Jeez, they must be pretty tired. The just came from Baguio for a training. (Haha! Feeling alam ang schedule?)

At 5:30, the 10K runners started with the race. A few minutes later, it was the turn of the 5K runners.

The runners have started arriving a little after 6AM.

I waited for the Azkals and when I saw them from afar, I asked John to take their photos already. I loved the photo of the group running. It really showed fun, solidarity and camaraderie.

The other highlight of the event was getting to have my photo with GMA talents Dingdong Dantes and Drew Arellano.

I wasn't sure if I could get my photo with them, but when the post-run program ended I saw them exit through a makeshift backstage. I asked John if he could go with me. Good thing he was game and good thing he knew Dingdong and Drew. Hehe! I was ready to show the security my somewhat all powerful ID but I didn't need to.

I just had to utter the magic words. Hehehe!

Good event, good event! :)

My first half-marathon for 2011...

And I missed it.

For good reason though. I had to be away over the weekend to take care of something. It was a bit difficult to decide to skip the half-marathon, but I really didn't have much of a choice. I'm hoping that choosing to skip the 21K would count for something, Lordy. Hehe! ;P

I did get to run though. Despite being away, despite having a very painful thing left ankle ("old age..." haha!), I chose to run. But I only got to do a 9K and my time was a PR... PR sa pagka-lousy. Haha! Blame it on the left ankle.

It was a good run though because I had a breathtaking view. Unfortunately, I didn't bring Hanschen with me, and I had no plans of doing a third round in that route because I was already hungry and I felt like chopping my left foot off already. Haha!

Will definitely go back to do more runs in that happy place. ;)

Shush please if you know where this is. Don't get me into trouble. Hahaha!

5K at the Greentenial Run...

Greentenial Run this morning.

Though this is just my first run for the year, I can already say that it is definitely one of the best runs for 2011 because of the company I was with.

My usual running friends from work were there - Moneigh (3K) with hubby Anthony (15K) and Engel (10K). Super, super, super good friend Tey was also there to show some love and support. She brought newphews Ken and Mich as well. The latter joined us in the 5K. Twitter friend Marl was there who did 15K. Last but definitely not the least, Nico who did his first 5K and his first organized run. Because he agreed to sign up for the 5K, I told him I would run with him.

Anyway, prior to the race, I slept at Tey's place so that we could go together to the Fort. We waited for Engel to arrive, and left Salcedo a couple of minutes before five. We met up with Nico and friends JV and Roan at the BHS parking lot.

The 5K group was scheduled to stary at 5:50. Uhm, I didn't get to check what time we actually started. Haha!

I was a bit worried that it was going to be a wet run. Saturday afternoon, it was raining. Ugh! I wasn't sure if we would see the sun today. The clouds have been nothing but dull and gray during late afternoons these past few days.

Thankfully, we were blessed with good weather during the run. It would've been awesome to feel the sun during the run, but I'm grateful already that there wasn't a drop of rain throughout the race.

It was still a good run, I have to say. I liked the race route. I thought it would be the usual 5K route which passes along IS, the British School and S&R. I didn't have the time to study the race route, so I was surprised when I saw that it took us to the Buendia flyover. Haha!

If I were to be asked what one of my favorite things about races is, it's when I get suddenly greeted by sunlight. Uhm, it's when I'm running along a particular segment of the race route without any view of the sun, and after making a turn, you suddenly feel the rays of the sun kissing your face. There's just something spiritual about it. Uhm, I won't explain further. Walang basagan ng trip. Basta iyon iyon. Haha!

Uhm, I think there was good attendance despite it not being one of the well-funded corporate runs. Hehe!

After Mich, Nico and I crossed the finish line, we looked for Tey, JV and Roan. As is customary, post-run photo ops were in order. I-vanchy, I couldn't help but remember all our crazy post-run photo ops last year. Haha! You have to run again.

Before parting ways, we all headed to MickeyD's at McKinley Hill for a well-deserved breakfast.

Good run, good run!

Up next, a half-marathon at Condura! Let's go!

First run for 2011...

Another running year has started. *crossing my fingers*

The Greentennial Run this Sunday signals the first of I dunno how many runs this year. Hehehe!

I'm looking forward to doing the run, especially since my last organized run was more than a month ago at the Standard Chartered Run in Singapore.

Have to admit, I miss the huge crowd of fitness enthusiasts, the energy even before the sun is up, the feeling of running on the road.

Uhm, I signed up for the 5K category. I was originally planning to do the 15K with Marlon and Matt. But after successfully convincing (forcing?!) friend Nico to do the run, I told him I'll join him in the 5K category. It's his first time to join an organized run, and I'm excited for him. Haha! Wouldn't it be amusing if Nico would cross the finish line way ahead of me (which I'm sure is going to happen... LOL!)

It's also going to be a nice run because friends from work and Twitter are going to be there - Work colleague Moneigh and hubby Anthony, JB, Marlon, Matt. My best friend Tey will also be there to show some much-needed support. Hehe.

I hope it'll be a good organized run. There were some issues with the registration, and I'm hoping that it's not a sign of how the actual run will be. Hehe! (I got the race kit and the medium-sized singlet is waaaay too small. Eeep!)

Just how excited am I for another year of running? I already signed up for the half-marathon at the Condura Run this February. It's expensive though. P1,150 reg fee for the HM. I only paid P900 for my SG run. Hehe! Oh well, I'm sure though that Condura will be a good experience. It has to be.

As early as now, I'm already planning to end the year with the SG run again. Maybe that can be a tradition. ;P

Here's to another year of fitness! :)

The SCMS 2010 - Truly a race like no other...

Alright, the Standard Chartered Marathon Singapore 2010 is definitely one of the many things that made my 2010 memorable.

Even before the start of 2010, I was already decided to sign up for the SCMS run. Initially, the plan was to do the Standard Chartered run in Hong Kong, but that didn’t push through. The one in SG was more achievable since it gave me almost an entire year to prepare. Haha!

When CebuPac had a seat sale in February, I took advantage of it and booked for a December 3 flight. Thankfully, the SCMS run sched was already available and it fit the schedule I was eyeing for the trip. I got a really good deal, too! P4,300 for a Manila-SG-Manila fare!!!

The registration for the run was set to open in May and was supposed to be open until September. Kamusta naman?! Within a month, all the slots for the half-marathon have been filled. Wow!!! It’s a good thing I was set on joining the run. Otherwise, I would have really bopped my head really hard. Haha! LA-based friend Jimmy was also planning to join the run, but there were no more slots by the time he decided to sign up. Ugh! Too bad. It would’ve been awesome to meet up with him in SG, since we always only see each other in Pinas. Haha! Oh well, maybe next time.

I was really, really impressed with how well the race was organized. Sure, I’ve had good experiences with local race organizers but I wanted to see how different SG will be. The SCMS race organizers didn’t disappoint. Except for the directions to the race pack collection area (which was a bit difficult to locate), everything went smoothly. The only registration was perfect. I got text messages from SG reminding me about the run. Race pack distribution was quick and organized. They even got the MRT to open earlier for the half-marathoners!!!

The SCMS 2010 is definitely a good start for destination racing.

The Preparations
I tried to follow a half-marathon training plan from Hal Higdon, but I failed because the training plan was devoted to running. I just couldn't give up Toby's spinning, Reagan's street dance and Lex's/Pio's yoga. Hehe! But the entire year has been peppered with runs. In addition to the hamster time on the treadmill at GG, I was able to join 10 organized runs prior to the SCMS run.

I started the year with a 10K at the Condura Run, then the 15K at the Green Miles Run, before going crazy and signing up for my first 21K at the Nature Valley Run. Initially, I wanted the SCMS to be my first 21K but after doing the 15K at Unilab, it seemed like it was only natural to sign up for a half-marathon. Two more half-marathons followed after - the PIDM and the Rexona Men - but I didn't pressure myself in both runs. Hence, the 3-hour run time. Hehe!

It was the last two runs before the SCMS - Unilab and BGC Run - that encouraged me to try to perform better at the SCMS run after achieving PRs at both runs. I wasn't even aiming for a PR, so the PRs were a nice surprise. Haha!

However, days before the SCMS race, I fell sick. The sudden change in Philippine weather gave me cough and colds. I was feeling feverish days before the run. I also got worried because I know how hot it is in Singapore. I was afraid that the hot/cold weather would make me sicker. And it did. I doubled my multi-vitamins intake. I drank lots of Biogesic.
And even if I was close to accepting that I would already have a 3:15 run time for my half-marathon, I was still very much determined to go. Hehe!

First, I am in love with Singapore. I will never tire of the city. Many would say it's strict and boring. Not for me. I love everything about it. Second, I have many friends in the Lion City and I have Manila friends who are doing the SCMS run. I realized that I already have several friends in SG when I started having a difficult time booking dinners and meetups. Haha! But I really, really had a good time seeing (almost) everyone. The fact that my Twitter buddies also flew to SG for the run was also a good motivator for me to just be happy with the run. We were all excited to do the run, and it turned out to be more than what we expected. Third, andun na ko, eh. Wala ng urungan. Wag ng maginarte. So deadma na kung ma-dead, but there is no way I won't be boarding the SG-bound flight of CebuPac on Dec. 3. Hahaha!

Other preparations were the usual - carbo loading two days before the run, energy gels for the race, my running getup, run playlist, and sunblock. Haha! I wasn't sure on whether I should bring Hanschen with me during the run. Having him with me meant slowing down because I would definitely stop to take photos. Not bringing him on the other hand might mean missing several good photo ops.

I chose not to bring Hanschen. There were many nice photo ops, but I don’t regret not having Hanschen with me.

The Race Day Route

I stayed with Twitter buddy/fellow half-marathoner Marl at his hotel the night before the run. It was Marl's first time in SG, and I sort of became his local guide. Hehe! Plus, I was too OC for the race details so I already studied how we'd get to the starting point.

We got up at 4AM. I had about 5 hours of sleep. It wasn't enough, but the excitement brought by the reality that I was going to run in a different country was more than enough for me to get up and get ready. Around 4:30AM, we met up with Migs outside the hotel. He was just staying at a nearby hotel. We then walked to the MRT station to catch the first train at 5:25.

I love how the SCMS organizers got the MRT to open earlier than the usual to transport the half-marathoners. I love how the departure and arrival time of the train at each station was indicated in the schedule. Haha! I was pretty excited when the train arrived at our station and saw that a lot of runners. You can tell who the Pinoys are because they are the ones holding a camera taking snapshots of everything. For a moment, I was sort of wishing that I brought Hanschen. Hehe! I quickly forgot about that when the train arrived at Outram Park and I was greeted by a huge volume of runners who were making their way to the red line to get to the Harbour Front station. Nothing could get you more psyched for the run. You could feel energy in the air. And when we arrived at the Harbour Front station, runners everywhere. We made our way to the starting line- Sentosa Bridge.

Our race started at 6:30. Compared to the Philippine races, this one had less fanfare. There was a DJ and there was music but it was different. A minute before the race, music was turned off and it was only the sound of a horn that

I have to say that the half-marathon route was the best!!! The first eight kilometers covered Sentosa and (drumroll please!) Universal Studios!!! I didn't get to go visit USS (no more tickets for that weekend, boo!) so I'm thankful that it was part of the race.

Things got a little more challenging when we exited Vivo City and made our way to expressway. The sun was up and if not for the few buildings along the expressroad which blocked the sun every so often, I would have fainted. Haha! It was just sooo humid! That's one thing (if not the only) I don't like about SG. Heck, even the marathon winner had the same comment. And weather has a huge impact on one's performance. I was taking more walking breaks, and I could feel dehydration. I didn't want to take too much of 100Plus drink too because I know it's bad for my uric acid level. LOL! I pushed myself again when we reached the 18KM mark. After the turn at Esplanade, I was happiest when I saw that there was just 1 more km to go. I slowed down a bit just to make sure I look proper when I arrive at Hahaha!

I called Kym who was taking photos of the event to tell him I was on my last 2KM. I didn't see him though when I approached the finish line. He didn't see me either. LOL! Marathon photos are available but it costs SG $40 for one photo!!! Haha!

After crossing the finish line, we were directed towards a queue where the medal was given. It's the most beautiful medal!!! I'm so proud.

I gave Kym a call to ask where he was and we met up for post-run photos. I am really, really, really grateful to Kym for being there for taking photos of the event! I met up with Marlon, too. Also met up with Edsel who finished the 21K, 42K finishers Jamie and Ian (JB was still running when I saw Jamie and Ian), and Sef who did the 10K.

After post-run photos, I headed home. The train ride was quite challenging not because it was packed but because I was just really tired. I already sat down on the floor of the train because I my legs were about to give in. Kym and I met up at Simei and we took the bus. We passed by the hawker food stall to buy some lunch. When we got home though, we were surprised to find that Jo Ann prepared a feast! Sinigang, steamed fish, hipon and chicken! It was the perfect meal after a grueling run.

However, there was another surprise for me when I woke up from my afternoon siesta. Haha!

The Post Run
Following the feast of Jo Ann, I went into the room to take a quick nap. As soon as my back touched the comfy bed, I was asleep. Haha! That’s how tired I was. I got up around 3PM when Jo Ann (or was it Rejoy) woke me up so we can head out and do some exploring. Haha! I was half-awake when I stepped out of the room. Rejoy was eating and when I saw a small cake, I asked, "O ano iyan?" I realized that it was afor me when when I saw the banner "Congrats Gelo Belo!" (Belo from Vicky Belo because allegedly, I lost much weight. Hehe!) They got me flowers, as well! I was really, really, really touched by the sweet gesture of my dear friends! It was just too sweeeet!!!

In the evening, it was part 2 of the post-SCMS celebration. It began with pre-drinks drinks with the Twitter gang. Edsel got a room at the Marina Bay Sands (Awesome hotel!!! The room, the view! Ugh! Super!!!) I invited Cyp and Jon to go to the pre-party party so I can introduce them to SG-based runners Edsel and Ian. By the time we left MBS, I had a good buzz (I think everyone did. Haha!) and I was ready for a night of dancing. From there, we headed to Zirca which apparently turns into a "happy" place on Sunday night. Had fun with the guys. We had so much fun, that we left the place past 4 in the morning, headed straight to the nearby Mcdonald's for breakfast before heading home!!! Hongsoyo lang.

If there is one word to describe the SCMS experience - EPIC!!!

I hope it becomes a tradition, and I could probably aspire for the Standard Chartered runs in Kuala Lumpur and the Hong Kong runs. Hehe!

It was truly a race like no other.

Rest of the photos are on my Facebook page. Hehe!

Gone for the weekend...

to run...

It's the Standard Chartered Marathon Singapore (SCMS) 2010, and I'm going to run the half-marathon.

Never in the past 30 years of my existence did I think I would be doing half-marathons.

I'm really excited.

SCMS is my 1st international run.
SCMS is my 4th half-marathon.
SCMS is the 11th organized race I will be joining this year.

Wish me luck, please. :)

The coming weekend is one of the highlights of my 2010.

BGC run was super...

The Bonifacio Global City Run yesterday just also made it to one of my fave runs this year.

I wasn't really planning on joining the run. I was decided that the Unilab Run United 2 would be my last run prior to the Singapore run. However, I changed my mind after Twitter buddy/running friend Marl asked me to join since he didn't have any company. Yes, I'm that easy. Hehehe! So while waiting for JB finish his errands the other Sunday, Marl and I headed to Runnr so I could register for the BGC Run.

Since I would be doing the 21K this coming weekend, I only registered for the 10K. Marl and his friend Matt also signed up for the same distance.

As I mentioned in my entry for Run United, I am beginning to notice the improvement in terms of endurance and speed in my running. I made a PR for my 15K in the Run United. I made another PR for my 10K in the BGC Run.

Prior to the start of the race, Marl and I were talking about our target times. He and Matt said they plan to finish at 63 minutes. I've done my 10Ks before and I said I'll probably finish at 70-75 minutes. Marl being Marl, he said I have to finish at 65. Hahaha! Me being me, I ignored him. Hehe!

So it was such a big and very nice surprise that when I was nearing the finish line, I saw the time on the clock was just approaching 1:07. That gave me the push that I needed to make a strong finish.

I crossed the finish line just before the clock hit 1:07. At least, that's what I remember. Hehe!

It was a really good run, and I have to say that the weather helped a lot in making me have a really good running time. Knowing that weather is a critical factor in one's performance during the race, I have to admit that I am fearing the weather in Singapore. During my visit there, I remember that I had to change shirts every so often because I was sweating a lot. You see, I have the most active sweat glands in the world. Haha!

I'm relying on the change in scenery/race course to be one of the factors that will help me stand the weather and give me the energy I need to finish the race well.

Going back to the BGC Run, this run was also one of my best ones because this has to be the first run where I didn't take many stops to hydrate myself. I think I stopped by a water station at kilometer 7. O di ba, ang yabang ko lang, di ba? Joke. Hehe! I'm just really happy that the training and gym time have really been paying off.

Another lesson learned: There is really no shortcut when it comes to fitness and losing weight. It took me a year to see the change and I'm just happy.

Okay, it's my last week to prepare for Singapore. I'm confident that I will finish the run. Hmm, I have a bigger problem more than wondering if I should target a 2:45 running time to complete the half-marathon.

It's whether to bring a camera while running. I'm such a freak when it comes to documenting events and the Standard Chartered Marathon is definitely one of the major, major (loll!) events in my life this year.

Hmm, what to do? What to do? If I bring a camera, I'm definitely going to sacrifice my time. If I don't bring a camera, then there's the big possibility that I just might have a really good running time.

Oh boy, decisions, decisions. So help me god. ;)

A PR at the Run United 2: Because I thought you'd be at the finish line

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!

From partying to running...

One of the things that I love about Twitter is that I've met people - first, online and then eventually, in the real world.

When I tell other friends that I've made friends from the online world, some of them seem amused. Hehe!

Anyway, the past weekend was spent seeing/hanging out with/bumping into Twitter and Multiply friends.

It started last Thursday. Multiply friend Alster said he's back in town. He texted last Thursday and we agreed to meet up soon. I didn't expect "soon" to mean the following night, but it's all good. Alster is a kaladkarin person. On the same night, I read that Twitter buddy MkSurf8 is flying in for work and that he'll be partying Friday night together with john_stan and _mikepogi_.

The good thing about this is that I-vanchy, Edsel, Tauf and I agreed earlier during the week to party on a Friday night.

Fast forward to a very late Friday night until the wee hours of Saturday, Alster, MkSurf8, _mikepogi_ were in the same happy place that I was together with I-vanchy and Tauf. Edsel finished late at work. john_stan was a no show. Hehehe!

At 4:30AM of Sunday, I was in a cab on the way to Diliman with Twitter friend fraktak. We were heading to UP Naming Mahal to go running with more Twitter friends - jamiedavinci, marcorenza, NYChase (whose SO I've met before), and fraktak's SO.

We did 5 round of the academic oval, followed by a fantab bfast at Chocolate Kiss. I wonder why outednarnian, jcfontsize, jaybeecc, Misterhubs, alponchi were MIA.

Afterwards, we dropped off marcorenza at Del Monte. jamiedavinci and NYChase headed to Makati after bringing me and fraktak to MOA. fraktak needed to go to his derma, and I willingly agreed to be dragged along. Hehe!

From MOA, we headed to Makati for a late lunch followed by dessert (gelato!) and a movie (The Town!).

fraktak and I live near each other (relatively) so we shared a cab going home.

It was a fantab weekend. I just realized how lucky I am to have met all these nice guys through Twitter, Multiply and so on. They keep me connected to that side of me. Hehehe!

Doing my first half-marathon...

I did my first half-marathon today. Nature Valley Run at the Fort.

Despite all odds (not having enough training, sick with cough and colds, the terrible humid weather), I managed to cross the finish line.

That's good enough for me. For now. Haha!

Deciding to do the 21K
How did I end up doing the 21K anyway? Early this year, my goal was to do my first 21K at the Standard Chartered Run in Singapore this December. I thought that the Singapore run would be a great way to do my first 21K. I wasn't really planning on doing a half-marathon before that, until the day I registered for the Nature Valley Run.

The two Sundays before I signed up for the Nature Valley Run, I did the 15K for the Mizuno and the 16K for the Earth Run. Before this, I did the 15K of The Green Miles Run.

For the Nature Valley Run, the distances were 3K, 5K, 10K and 21K. I intended to sign up for the 10K. But when I was already at the Timex store submitting the reg forms for me, running buddy I-van, and friends Engel, Monet, Anthony, and Nino, I found myself deciding to challenge myself by signing up for the 21K.

It's true what they say. Your body can tell you whether you're ready for something or not. I guess that includes running.

And then there's the ego factor. After doing a number of 15Ks, it just feels logical that the next step should be to take the next longer distance - the 21K.

Wait, does this mean that I'll be doing a full marathon anytime soon? No. That's for sure. The plan is to get used to the new distance first, and then let's see in 2011. Hahaha!

Race day
The race day didn't come without any panic moments.

Days before today, I knew my body's not that conditioned to run because of cough and colds. Blame it on the maddening heat that the city has been experiencing these past couple of days (weeks?).

It doesn't help that while it's scorching hot outside the office, it's freezing cold at work. Very bad combination. That sort of led to the cough and the colds.

Then, I didn't get to do much gym time. Two weeks before the run, I was able to do a 12K and some cardio on the following days. A week before the run, I was only able to do a 10K and that's it.

When the race day finally arrived, I was both excited and scared of it.

I was finding comfort in knowing that running buddy I-van would be there, and that I must cross the finish line because he and I would have our traditional post-run photo shoot. Hahaha!

But 20 minutes before the run, there was no sign of I-van. I was starting to worry. A couple of minutes later, I had accepted that I-van wasn't going to show up. First time. (To be fair to my friend, he was really sorry that his alarm didn't go off, and we just agreed to do another run. But I have to say I really missed the post-run tradition. Haha!)

After calling JB and asking him whether I could leave my stuff with him, I quickly walked to where he was parked and left my stuff in his car. (Thanks, JB! Sorry for the hassle.)

I brought out the shirt I bought specifically for this run and changed into it. I figured that if I'm not going to finish the run with a good time, I might as well look nice when I cross the finish line.

So during the run, in a sea of Nature Valley singlets and a couple of race shirts, I was a scandalous neon green shirt. Wahahaha!

The run
Gun start was at 5:15.

I got in the starting line five to ten minutes before the start. That gave me a few minutes to do some stretching and psyching. I think JB made his way to the front of the pack, while I chose to stay in the back.

The race route was shown onscreen, and afterwards it was time for the run.

I had a pretty good start. When I reached the 5K mark, I checked my time and I was happy to see that I was still well within my average time for 5K.

The downhill began after that. Hahaha!

As with previous runs, the Buendia flyover was part of the route. Having ran there before, I was quite familiar with how to handle that part of the race. What made it difficult for me during this run was the Buendia flyover was in the 8K-9K(?) leg of the run. This means that by the time I got there, the sun was already up and with no shade and hardly any breeze, it was really challenging. I just pushed myself to finish it quickly.

After surpassing the Buendia flyover, the next portion was the one leading to Bayani Road. I was having a really difficult time by then. When I checked my time after I crossed the 15K marker, I saw that I had already taken a little over 2 hours. Eeep! Not good at all given that I finish the 15K usually around 1:49.

But I was really tired, and I was coughing every so often. The result was me doing long walks. I'd run half a kilometer and then walk the other half. And if it weren't for some people who "inspired" me to keep on going, I would have probably taken longer walks. Hehe!

I was extremely happy when I crossed the 19K marker. I could do it. I knew I could. A little pushing, some good music, and I was soon nearing the finish line.

Seeing familiar faces really helped. I saw my HS classmate Joel, who finished way ahead of me. And then I saw JB and Sef who both gave encouraging words, "Finish strong. You can do it." I, on the other hand, gave my profuse apologies for making them wait. Hehe.

A little more, and the finish line was in sight. When I saw the time was already approaching the 3 hour mark, I mustered all the strength left in me and ran.

Originally, I planned on finishing the race in 2:45. But in the latter part of the run, I knew it wasn't going to happen so I thought that the next best thing was to finish under 3 hours.

If my computations are correct, I should have finished around 2:59 something. Hahaha! Super slow, but at least, I met my objective of finishing before the 3-hour mark. Hehehe!

The good thing about this is that I can keep on improving myself in this distance. So come the 21K in Singapore this December, I hope to finally meet my goal of 2:45 for the 21K. Or who knows, I may even finish at 2:30.

The good stuff
I really like the Fort as a race venue. Despite being familiar with the possible routes (which aren't that many), I always enjoy running around the Bonifacio Global City.

One of the super good things about the Nature Valley Run were the abundance of water stations. In fact, it wasn't just water. My fave sports drink 100Plus was also a sponsor of the run, and they served the drink at the drinking stations. There was a water station at almost every kilometer, and what's super about this is that they didn't run out of any drinks.

The freebies were quite good, as well. Aside from the Nature Valley loot bag (granola bar, towel, finisher's shirt, banana, running guide), all 21K finishers received a pint of Haagen Daz ice cream. Seriously.

As soon as I crossed the finish line, I went straight for the ice cream. Hahaha! But I found it too sweet. I only took a few scoops, and then I gave the rest to Jonjon and Engel.

My favorites were the Photovendo booth and the 21K finisher's medal. The good thing about finishing when almost everyone was done is that the line at the Photovendo booth was already short. Engel, Jonjon and I didn't have to wait that long to get our souvenir photos.

The finisher's medal, on the other hand, is a really great souvenir. I would definitely hang it at my office cubicle. Two years ago, I did my first run at the Fort, too. It was for the UN Paa-bilisan run, which was sponsored by the company I work for. I didn't think that I would one day be doing a half-marathon. And when I realize that, I just feel happy.

Lastly, the best reward for having completed the race was completely non-race related. Hahaha! Engel, Jonjon and I decided to head to Market, Market to have brunch. When we got to Serendra, Jonjon had to go to the restroom. Engel and I say by the bench near Sentro and waited for usual.

As usual, we people watched and checked out the crowd. Every so often, Engel would say, "Market ko yan," referring to a certain guy. From a distance, I saw this cute guy approaching. He was tall, wearing a pair of shades, and carried a long sleeved shirt. I told Engel, "Market ko yan."

The guy was heading our way, and when he was up close, that's when we saw that it was Akihiro Sato. Haha! Kamusta naman?!

I've been wanting to have a photo taken with him, but I haven't had the chance until today. I see him all the time at the gym, but I'm not stupid to forego my gym membership just so I can have a photo with him. Hahaha!

Anyway, when Akihiro approached the girl sitting a few feet away from us (his handler probably?), Jonjon and I approached him and shamelessly asked for his photo. Wahahaha! Deadma na. It was still early, and there weren't that many people in Serendra yet so we didn't have to worry about being judged. Hahaha! Besides, other people followed suit when they saw that these three guys were really kapal to approach Akihiro. Hahaha!

If all 21Ks would finish like this, please sign me up already for the next one. Haha!

That's it. Till the next run.

The HM is just 5K away...

I’m one kilometer closer to doing a 21K!!! Woohoo!

Last Sunday, I ran 16K at the Earth Run. This was just a week after I did the 15K at the Mizuno Infinity Run.

Never mind if I felt like my legs were still wobbly (or it’s probably just in my head). Never mind that my only practice for that run was one 10K run during the week. Never mind that I only had five hours of sleep the night before the run.

I just had to do it. (On a side note, may sense naman pala talaga ang Nike tagline na “Just do it.” I used to think na wala lang. They just wanted a tagline. Kidding. Haha!)

A little before 5AM, I met up with I-vanchy at our usual parking lot. After prepping ourselves for the run, we decided to head to the starting line to do some stretching and to do some eyecandy spotting. Hehehe! I shouldn’t have written that. But since I already did, I have to say I’m kinda bummed out that I didn’t see Boy Braso. Neither did I see him at the Mizuno Run. Boo!

Boy Braso is this non-work colleague, who I only see at the canteen during afternoon merienda and sometimes at noontime when I step out of the office with Tey and Engel for some sun. Hehehe!

Anyway, even with no Boy Braso in sight, I was still game for the run. I have to say I was quite excited because the race route included the Heritage Park/Mckinley Hill area. I’ve only ran in that area once, so I was looking forward to reaching that area.

We started the run at 5:30AM. I was really happy to notice that I seem to have been building my endurance. I was already at the Kalayaan flyover when I decided that I needed to slow down, get hydrated, before hitting the road again. Yey!

The run was nice. The weather that morning was much, much better during the Mizuno Run. It wasn’t too sunny, and there were certain parts of the run when a cool breeze blew into my face. I also enjoyed the route, even if the Heritage Park/Mckinley Hill area was a killer for the knees. Wahaha!

The best thing about the run was I did good with my time. The Green Miles Run | 15K | 1:52. Mizuno Run | 15K | 1:49. Earth Run | 16K | 1:52. Not bad, huh?!

The other really good thing about the run was the post-run photo op. Wahaha! It has already become a tradition for me an running buddy I-vanchy to head back to the race venue after we freshen up a bit to take some photos. Of us, of the gimmicks, of the eyecandy. Wahaha!

This has to be one of my fave photo op sessions. I liked the photos, particularly the one where we sat on the road with the arrow sign. But really? Would you expect anything less from an ad agency guy and a PR/CorpComm guy?! Hehehe! Ooops, just kidding, just kidding. Baka mabugbog ako. Nagbibiro lang po. Hehehe!

The definitely not good thing about the run was seeing all the plastic drinking cups from the race littering the stretch of the Kalayaan flyover. Ugh! Whattashet! I thought this run was for the environment. That’s exactly the foremost reason why I signed up for it. And then I see all these plastic drinking cups on the street?! Jeez! What’s up with that?

Moving on, if my running schedule will continue to be like this, I’m scared that I might be prepared for a half-marathon (Wow! Half-marathon! It feels so good to write that!) sooner than I might have expected. I’ve been planning to do my first HM at the Singapore Run this December. Hmm, I’m wondering now if I should go do my first HM here so that come December, I would (hopefully) do much better with my time.

Let’s see. Let’s see.