Hey everyone, how's it going? Been gone for awhile after that indomitable foe who goes by the name of "work" knocked me out for a couple of weeks. In an effort to curb the holiday malaise known as You-gained-ten-pounds-over-the-holidays-you-fat-pig , I subjected myself to 70 km workweeks, including the fun Baldie 32k which served as my year-ender.
As for meeting the new decade with a bang, my first race of the new season was the immensely enjoyable Cebu City Marathon, which was held in er,um, Cebu! Some have said that the wonderfully organized race is the new standard for road races, and I am hard-pressed to say otherwise. But if you're planning to travel more than 500k just to race, then you're missing the entire point. As good as the race is, it's the entire experience that would make it worth your while.
So without further ado, here are the top 5 things I enjoyed the most about my Cebu City Marathon weekend :P
Cebu = Fun :)
5. Foodie Mania Galore
I mean, this place seems to be built on food! Seriously! Everywhere I seem to look, there's a trail of food stalking me, imploring me to partake of their sumptuous goodness. For the first time ever the night before a race, I saw myself hitting the buffet lines! Oh my. The excess baggage must have chopped off a minute off my time the following day (x_x)
As I said on my Facebook stat line, I lost 1900 calories during the race... . but gained 10,000 over the weekend !
The buffet line is tempting... ..
Lechon to GBM : Life is too short. Sin a little. Oink.
Go ahead and succumb to the temptation... ...
Because as fighting it will only drive you crazy... .
What the heck, might as well right? :P
4. Meeting the celebrities
Being a tourist here, it was fun to see how vibrant the local running scene was. It was even more fun to meet some of the personalities who fan the flame over there, specially those who I've met through the general blogosphere. For one, it was a real treat to meet Haide Acuna, the comely lawyer/broadcaster/marathoner behind the popular Marathon Foodie blog.
GBM Smile plus? :PIn related news,while hanging around at the finish line waiting for Takbo.ph head honcho Jinoe to complete his maiden marathon... ..
I'm your #1 fan!There was a lady who created quite a stir by crossing the finish line in a Wonder Woman suit while holding a Sto.Nino statuette... .
Take that Zorro!
And faster than one could say "Marian Rivera", I was informed that the lady's name was Twinkle Ignacio, a local personality who continues to rivet weekend race crowds with outlandish costumes that she makes herself. None too shabby in throwing down a 6:06 full marathon as well! She promptly sobbed at the finish line while receiving a bouquet of flowers. Now that's something you don't see everyday.
I think I'm in love... ..
We also got to meet 72-year old "Mang" Reming Ylaya, a true-blue Cebu running legend who routinely beats runners who are as old as his grandchildren. Got to chat with him a bit, real nice guy. Was no surprise that he topped his age group during the race, if my memory serves me right he ran a 25 minute 5k. Woaaah!
Wala ka sa Lolo ko... .
Of course, hanging with our Manila-based celebrities outside of their natural habitat was a fun treat as well... ..
Takbo.ph founder Jinoe and the indefatigable BR chilling at the CLP.
Your Boy Piolow is goin down! :P Coach Rio ran a smokin' 1:17 21k for 7th place:)
3. The Skywalk Adventure
I go to Cebu about twice a year on business, and silly me I never knew that this thing actually existed. To the uninitiated, was is it all about? Located at the 38th floor of the Crown Regency Hotel, there are essentially several activites that are made available to you.
The first is the aptly-named Edge Coaster, touted as the only one of its kind in the world. How does it go? You're on a "ride" that resembles a detached roller coaster coach. The "edge" comes from the fact that you are well, literally on the edge of the side of the building. The coaster then goes around the building, and you can tilt the thing up to 55 degrees. Woaaaah. Can't picture it out? Here!
Aaaaaaah!
Gulp... ..Not satisifed with merely strapped to a ride? You can actually walk the side of the building! Strapped to industrial grade harnesses, fun guides bring you around for a variety of poses and stunts, like standing on one leg, sitting on the edge and looking down, etc. Awesome awesome.
In completely unrelated news, we just discovered speed freak/good buddy Wilnar (who churned in a yummy 3:39 marathon the following day) had a sliiiight aversion to heights. Smirk.
Not looking down not looking down Mommeeeeee
More or less 6 inches for a 40-storey plunge here (x_x)
We got the most awesome deal of all time. For P1,000 we got these two rides, a 4D movie like what they have in Enchanted Kingdom and a buffet dinner! You absolutely have to try it :)
2. The Girls!
You how they say that there are so many pretty girls in Cebu? Well they weren't kidding! It seems like every corner you look there's a "distraction" somewhere. Lots of times, you feel like you're in the SMB "Binibini" commercial. And the hot-blooded takbo.ph boys sure didn't let it pass... .
So while Jet was trying to score some points with the ladies with his smooth bass playing ... ..
Carlo and Joseph could barely make up their minds ... .
So who's the lucky Cebuana?
Hmmm... .
Possible... ..
Look good together... .
But alas in the end, the heart simply took over. So Joseph finally made his choice, and as friends we all support him 100% :)
Something's telling me it might be you... ..
1. The Race!
Without a shadow of a doubt, from top to bottom this is one of the most organized running events I've ever been a part of. The race packet distribution was quick, hassle-free and pretty straightforward. While not as big as the ones were accustomed to here, the corresponding expo had enough to keep the runners hanging around a bit.
Nice setup...
Fun booths, you could appear on the cover of Men's or Women's Health!
Very courteous and accomodating race organizers...
Everything was on the button.
They had a fun CLP going on at the swanky Ayala Terraces where for P150, you could choose a buffet from several higher tier restos. There was a band, some speakers, and they actually showed "Spirit of the Marathon" on the widescreen after. Value for money indeed!
All the runners were chillin'
Swanky stage where "Spirit of the Marathon" was showing on the wide screen
As for the race itself, oh my. If some races throw everything but the kitchen sink at you, this one came right back and got the bath tub. I was running the 21k here, my last competitive half-mary before Condura. The prognosis : Mostly flat with a sprinkling of deathly heat. Nevertheless , we were all uber optimistic with how the race would turn out.
I'll cut to the chase and wont give you a blow-by-blow, but this I have to say - it's one of my finest racing experiences ever, and you have got to try it next year.
Fireworks punctuated the starting guns of the 42k and 21k routes. Dancing people in Filipiniana attire. Marching bands aplenty. Screaming schoolgirls with banners saying "Run your own race" and stuff like that. An entire lane all to ourselves. No screaming, cussing motorists. Water and 100plus at times seemed to pop up every 1km. Bananas, wet sponges. A wonderful route that passed through what looked like a hybrid between Manila Bay and Kalayaan flyover. Spot-on accurate route with marshals teeming everywhere. Amazing how an entire city could come together for something like this. It could actually be done!
Fireworks are always fun... .
My race got interesting when I took a nasty tumble at the 10.5 k turnaround point. In tah-gah-log, natalisod. Gumulong. Ouch. I sprained my ankle (the mild basketball kind but nevertheless bothersome) bruised my knee, and my hydrobelt bottles were rolling all over the place. How embarassing. I was relieved I didn't know anyone there... . until I saw fun speed dude Mark Parco of Mark's Vo2 just behind me. Wah.
Tripping = FAIL.
Running on fumes, I somehow limped my way to a 1:50:43 PR on my 305. Decent time given the circumstances, but missed my sub-1:50 target.Doesn't matter. Had so much fun with this. Went back to the hotel after, showered, then went back and cheered on the rest of the gang. Among others, Takbo.ph boss Jinoe finished his first marathon, and Tina and Tiffin took 10th place in the 42k and 5k categories respectively. Wohoo!
Post-race barbeque courtesy of PR dude Vic. Yum.
With all of these things put into consideration, it only means one thing... .
You missed one heck of an experience. So don't let it pass next year! Daghang Salamat Cebu :)