RockenRun: Hooked on Asphalt

I was fortunate enough to be given the opportunity to run the 2nd BDM test run even if I am not participating on the race itself. This is my first attempt at an ultra-marathon and I’m glad I tried it.

With the strong CAMANAVA Runners

50K in 7:56:40

When we arrived at the Bataan shrine in Mariveles, it felt quite different, considering that the first time I have been here , it was dark … because the 1st BDM strarted at midnight.

The 1st 7 kilometers were well, very difficult, most runners (me included) walked the up hills.  We were very lucky last Saturday that the weather was a bit overcast, because had it been sunny all throughout, I may not have been able to finish the race.

Now I understand what Isko says when he speaks about attitude and mental toughness … having completed a couple of full marathons, I thought that running for 8 more kilometers would be easy – I was wrong!

My easy pace became  difficult,  my target times – lost … I was worried that after 4 hours, I haven’t even reached the 30 KM mark. In fact, I had doubts that I will be able to complete this daunting task.

Then, it all came to me – the reason why we were all doing this :  to pay tribute to those brave souls who marched these same streets of death more than half a century ago.

After all, who am I compared to them? What is running a mere 50 kms compared to the distance our martyrs have traveled? Who am I to complain?

102 kilometers may just be a moment in a poet’s play, but for me this is as real as it gets.

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This is going to be a very short post. I know that I am not the only one who thinks that the registration fees are too expensive.

Pardon me for my un-educated question, but why is it that races tend to be more expensive when  there are brand sponsors ?

I mean, what is the point of having them if the runner pays for the entire shindig anyway ?

And honestly, how much really goes to the selected beneficiary ?

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I was able to squeeze in a few runs after the Rizal Day run; but that was just they are  – a few. So I decided to run around 10k today and 20k tomorrow.

I was supposed to do a single loop around MOA and then to CCP, knowing that the Black Nazarene was in Quirino grandstand and that there will be a lot of devotees there.

But then again, when I met Ian who was about to start his bike training, I changed my mind and eventually ended up going to the Quirino  grandstand anyway.

 I have been to the Quirino grandstand a lot of times before, but this is the only time that the atmosphere was so solemn.

Devotees on their way to the Quirino Grandstand - Most of them are barefoot

Mass

After running, I returned to MOA but ended up limping again, this was due to the blister on my left big toe. Since I didn’t anticipate a long distance run, I just used ordinary cotton sports socks when I should have used running socks instead. ( I only use them during races since they are a bit expensive).

The thing about running socks is that it provides proper cushioning (that is why they are left / right foot specific), it wicks away moisture and most importantly, they don’t have extra threads protruding near the toe area. – I think that was what caused the blister on my foot.

Nike Running Socks

Nike Elite Running Socks - No Show

Don’t get me wrong, ordinary cotton sports socks work for me for distances  up to 10 miles.

I was about to call it quits after 20km but I ran (pun intended) into Ian (he is running this time, after 60km of bike training)  who convinced me to do another 2km. He then treated me to some snacks before we ran our final kilometer together.

It would have been great if I could still accompany him for a few more kilometers but the blister won’t let up

All systems go for tonight's concert at the Mall of Asia

Ne-Yo's Poster at the entrance

Good luck to all the participants of the Cebu Marathon!

21 km, training 21 km, long slow distance, running

When I started running about a year ago, I ran my first race using my old Nike cross trainers and it carried me smoothly thru 10 kilometers of pavement so I thought that maybe, there really was no need to buy running shoes; but  since it was an old pair, I decided to buy a new pair of running shoes anyway .

My first pair was the Adidas Adizero Mana, it worked well for me. In fact, I still have it with me and it almost looks brand new since I wasn’t able to use it that much since I immediately increased my mileage  so that I could run the Condura half-marathon a few months after.

While training for my first half marathon until I completed my first full marathon, I was using the Asics Gel Cumulus Eight – for me, this was the perfect pair, it carried me through new heights during the Condura half-marathon in the skyway, the dust of the 1st BDM 102 while we were pacing Isko and finally,  the cool asphalt layers of the SCTEX during my first marathon.

.. and just like any other pair of running shoes, it has already reached its maximum mileage. After 10 months of sweat and pain,  I have retired it after running the Subic International Marathon – a fitting end for a shoe so great.

Since we were in Subic at the time, we decided to drop by the Nike depot and there I found my new running partner – the Nike Structure Triax 12  (and it was on sale!) .

I was so excited with this pair, thinking it will outperform my old Asics.  So when it was time for the Pasig International Marathon, I put on this pair with much gusto – it felt good at first; but after around 25 kms of running , I felt a pain in my inner foot, just below my right ankle.

After the race, I ended up with a very big blister in that area of my foot – an area that used to be blister free. I thought it was because I haven’t  broken it completely yet. But after almost 300 kilometers of running, the blister machine is still at it.

Don’t get me wrong, I think the new pair is an excellent shoe, except for its blister-creation mechanism.

I wonder if there are any other Nike Triax users who has the same problem ?

Anyway, this is how I feel when running with Asics:

Music Playlist at MixPod.com

running, shoes, training running, shoes, training

As I sat in ROC (a cafe inside Bahay Ng Alumni in UP Diliman) with one of my best buds, Joanne Ignacio, I came across the upcoming event that’s happening on February 21, 2010: The Century Tuna Superbods Run!

I haven’t had any training and running in awhile, and what better way to start the year right? By training and being fit and healhty! Derek Ramsey will be there, together with the Century Tuna Bods Finalists. A photo booth will be installed and serve as a go-see for interested participants who want to qualify as one of the next Century Tuna image models! If you think you have what it takes, then join in on the race and have your picture taken as well!

Century Tuna Superbods Run 2010

There will also be fun and interesting activities after the race, only happening at The Fort, Global City, with 3km, 5km, 10km, and 21km distances to be covered. Don’t forget the date: February 21, 2010, and don’t forget the event: Century Tuna Superbods Run 2010!

RockEnRun would like to thank RunnerSpeak and Century Tuna for their bag of goodies! Watch them on Sunday, January 10, on QTV, at 1445H-1515H for details. Also, check out Nuffnang’s post for more details or visit Century Tuna’s Official Website!

Here’s a good 90′s beat to jumpstart my training in getting ready for this run:

running, The Fort, training 21 km, century, half-marathon, roc, runnerspeak, running, superbods, The Fort, tuna

2009 was a good running year for me … I have joined a lot of races and have completed 2 full marathons before my 1st year running anniversary – a feat that I thought wasn’t possible due to the corporate-sponsored stress which was given to me for free.

.. and what better way to end it than to run two half marathons (NB and Philstar), an unplanned trail run and the Rizal day 32km run.

Happy new year!

21 km, marathon, trail running 21 km, long run, running