As usual, am late with my article (x_x) But heck, I'll still post it so let's keep it short and sweet (I'll try no promises) As you may or may not know, last year's vaunted Conquer Corregidor 10-miler race is back with a vengeance. But race director Edward Kho would be doing everybody a disservice if he came up with the exact same thing right? So this year, he made the course even harder, extended it a couple of kilometers, put in some cool events before and after, and voila - you have this year's Corregidor International Half Marathon.

Coolness.

The salient points of the race were explained during the fancy presser amidst a cruise around Manila Bay with the usual suspects in attendance. There was even a Bearwin sighting, good job in dropping something like 20 pounds. As the world-class sunset that practically no one ever gets to see came to the fore, I just realized that's it's been a year already since we did the inaugural test run as the race was still under conceptualization. Sigh. Time flies by so fast.

Beautiful.
You see, this isn't just some random race presser for me. This is special. My Garmin helped measure the distance on that original route. I even gave out TBR magazines to the people during the cruise going to the island (yeah Jaymie, I really did. Like some flight attendant dude. I was half waiting for someone to ask for more coffee or to fluff their pillow)

Been a year already?
Point is, in one way or another I somehow feel a close affinity to this race, and I can't help but revel in how it has come back, at on paper, better than ever. Some straight talk - this isn't an easy course by any means. "Hard" may be an understatement as inclines reach a 60 degree gradient, which renders St. Martin Ortigas much akin to the kiddie pool. If you're looking to set a PR with this race, better immerse yourself in the free training programs that Ed Kho would be giving away as a value added service. This course ain't for the faint of heart, but it's the perfect avenue for budding intermediate level runners to test themselves. The dramatic backdrops are but mere gravy.

Intense.

Learn to endure.
Rather than spoil the fun by giving you a history lesson, I'll tell you what to expect on December 19. First off, it's a bit on the pricey side. P2,500. Now that we got that out of the way, why in the bejesus are they charging you P2,500?

It includes your round-trip transpo. Just like last year, you can opt to do overnight or a day trip. For overnighters, you can do tours, ziplines, and there would be a nice carbo-loading party by a bonfire. For those who will make sulit the vacation by staying another night, you'll be rewarded with a victory party with top bands performing. Niiiice.

What fun.
It gives out a medallion. Not a medal. You heard that right. A medallion. Not your run of the mill tanso medal, but the real deal. Thick. Heavy. Eye candy. Can you pawn it? Shame on you.

Yum.
Even if you suck out, you still get something. No cutoff times, but there's a "curfew time" at the halfway mark of 1:45. Come on, a 1:45 10k? Of course you can do that. Best part is, even if you DNF, you'll still get a 10k "achievement medal". Because quite frankly, even just a 10k on that course is an achievement already.

Dri-fit Shirts. Who doesn't love drifit shirts? They're cool. They're comfy. You'll wear them during the race. And on the way home. And after your training run with your buds. And to the mall. And to the... you get the picture.

I like.RFID Timing Chip. Better than the "hula hula" barcode system. You and your buds won't have to debate about "ah kasi kaya ka lang naka PR kasi sobra ng 200 meters ung course, teka icalculate ko muna" Happens more often than you think.

Athletes Backpack. The only bag you'll be allowed to check in, lots of pockets and partitions custom made for runners. You even get to display a replica of your bib number for extra pogi points. Feeling Olympic athlete, kahit for a weekend lang diba.

Why didn't they give me this last year !

Personalized Race Certificate with Name and Time. Name me the last race that gave you a personalized finisher's cert. Yeah, thought so too. Your office mates will finally believe that you're a runner, hooray.

I can harp on and on about it, and you can whine and whine about how expensive it is, but the fact of the matter is, given the setting, difficulty level, an d vacation potential/Facebook bragging rights all rolled into one, it's a terrific buy. Slots are very limited, and last year there was a mad dash for race kits towards the end. I highly suggest you register as early as possible.

Here's the part where I shamelessly copy paste the registration procedure. Check it out.

Registration Venue and Period:all weekends (Saturday and Sunday only) of October and November, subject to slot availabilityRUNNR ( Boni High Street ) Saturday and Sunday, 2pm to 9pm
Second Wind (Maginhawa) Saturday only, 1pm to 6pm
Second Wind (Ortigas Home Depo) Saturday only, 1pm to 6pm
on-line registration facility (for participants residing abroad and outside Metro Manila) will be up on October 9, 2010Registration fee: P2,500.00 - until October (early registration)
P3,000.00 - until November (late registration)Race Registration inclusions:Roundtrip ferry to and from Corregidor
Full lunch buffet on race day
Race bib w/ RFID timing chip
Race shirt
Race backpack
Finisher's Medallion (or a 10k Achiever Medal)
Runners' Briefing (Dec 4 and 11) at ROX
Carbo-loading Bonfire Party (Dec 18, Saturday night)Victory Party with two top performing bands (Dec 19, Sunday night)Personalized Finishers' Certificate (complete with name and finish time)

Race Registration Procedures:
1) After completing registration for the race (manual or on-line), beginningthe following Monday, contact Sun Cruises at 8346857/8346858/5275555 loc 4511 0r 4512.

2) Indicate the desired trip schedule:
a) Overnight – departure on Dec 18 @ 8:30am (return trip to Manila ison Dec 19 via 2:30pm trip from Corregidor*)
b) Day trip – departure on Dec 19 @ 5:30am (return trip to Manila is Dec19 via 5:30pm trip from Corregidor*)
c) Participants with non-competing companions (non-competingcompanions will have to pay Php2,000.00/person; no race packwill be provided to them) will have to take the Dec 18, 11:30am tripto Corregidor (return trip to Manila is on Dec 20, Monday, via 10:00amtrip from Corregidor.
* for “a)” and “b)” indicate if attending the Solidarity & Victory Party on the night of December 19 to amend departure schedule to Monday, Dec 20 via 10:00am trip from Corregidor.

3) If applicable, make accommodations reservation with Sun Cruises (onlyregistered participants will be given reservations). Pay the appropriateaccommodations booking amount through the payment mode advised bySun Cruises.

4) On Dec 4 or 11 (as advised through email and text by the organizers) atROX, attend the Runners’ Briefing, pick-up the race pack, and claim theBoarding Pass and/or Accommodations Booking ticket from Sun Cruises.Ensure to bring the Acknowledgement Receipt issued duringregistration. No Acknowledgement Receipt, No Race Pack.

Race Registration Requirements:1) Properly filled out registration form (may be downloaded by Friday / available at the registration site)
2) Any valid ID (driver's licence, SSS ID, voter's ID, postal ID, passport, etc.) indicating date of birth
3) Proof of participation in a 10k race (during the last 2 months prior to registration) or 21k race (during the last 3 months prior to registration), or a full marathon (during the last 6 months prior to registration) or a doctor's certification of fitness to participate in an athletic event. For proof of race participation, a printout of the particular race result is preferable. In lieu of that, race bib will be accepted but will be subject to verification through the race results available on-line.
4) Applicable registration fee.Before we go, I'll leave you with some video snippets of what's in store for you.

Honor our heroes. Settle the score.

See you in Corregidor.

(hey it even rhymes)

Before we even talk about this... .

We need to know first if you... ..

Ain't running BDM?

Bunch of loonies... Are tired of breaking the bank for weekend races?

This running thing is pretty expensiveNot a fan of Lactobacilli Shirota Strain?

EwwwwwIf you answered in the affirmative for all and want a "cleansing and refreshing" option, then why not check out the Amazing Kidney Race to be held this March 7 at UP? In a nod to celebrating World Kidney Day (yeah, there's such a thing) , proceeds of the race will go to a kidney disease awareness campaign as well as for the treatment of patients. Hey if only for World Kidney Day, give this race a shot!

Save our kidneys!Interested? Kidney fever much? Here, read up more on it! :)

The kidney is one of the vital organs that make the complex and crucial body processes possible. As an acknowledgement of the kidneys’ amazing role in human physiology and in celebration of World Kidney Day 2010 with the theme “Amazing Kidneys”, the Philippine Society of Nephrology (PSN), in cooperation with UP Family Life and Child Development Circle, is staging a rare race event dubbed as “The Amazing Kidney Race.” To be held in the scenic and breezy campus of UP Diliman, “The Amazing Kidney Race” promises to give beginner and seasoned runners alike a unique and exciting racing experience.

Institutionalizing the humanitarian dimension of running and race events is what the PSN aims to accomplish in staging “The Amazing Kidney Race.” Proceeds of this race event will be used mainly for supporting the kidney disease awareness campaign of PSN and the operation and treatment of kidney patients, and partly for the UP Child Development Center. Likewise, this race is among the platform events of PSN adjunct to the global celebration of World Kidney Day.

As PSN aims to pull off a fun yet challenging race, “The Amazing Kidney Race” will have four event categories. There is the 15K Relay Race limited only to 50 teams. Each team shall be composed of 5 members who will correspondingly complete the 1k-2k-3k-4k-5k race distances to complete a total of 15 kilometers. Adding twist to this race category are the baton passing and challenges that must be met by the relay runners in the handover zones to complete transition. Then there is the heart-warming 2.2K Parent-Child Tandem Run especially allocated for Mom/Dad-Child team-ups. During the race, participants and spectators will get a touching sight of a parent egging on and encouraging her/his child who is determined to give his/her all. There is also the 5K UP FLCD Circle Challenge, a banner event of event-partner UP FLCD Circle, particularly catered to beginner runners or veteran racers who have the need for speed. And finally there is the centrepiece event, the 15K Eliminator Pursuit, where race participants will get an adrenalin rush as they negotiate UP Diliman campus’ best kept running course secret – the Heartbreak Route. 15K racers will get to know first-hand why it is called as such. And as if the route is still not inviting, all participants who meet the 45-minute half-way mark or 1hour45minutes finish point cut-off times will receive a Finishers’ Medal.

I likeyyy... ..

Both 15K and 5K solo race events will have MD and Open categories and subsequent male and female divisions. Top three individual and group finishers in all events and categories will be awarded with medals and certificates of achievement.

So there! I'll update this post as to where you guys and gals could register for this worthwhile event as the details come in. Have fun and run for em' kidneys!

With off-road events experiencing a sudden resurgence, enthusiasts both new and old alike may want to check out this upcoming series of events from Finishline, to be held against the scenic backdrop of Nuvali. With running, cycling and Now if only a house in the area weren't so expensive.

Here are the details, pretty much everything is there already.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS 1. What is In-Motion Series? In-Motion is the 3 part leg series of races per year hosted by Finishline. Each leg consists of a variety of single-sports discipline and multi-sports discipline. Each leg will begin with a running event as a jump-off point and culminate with a sprint triathlon. Refer to 2011 calendar of events for dates. 2. What is Road X Trail? Road X Trail is the launch of the In-Motion Series, that consists of 3 sports events: cycling (Dec 11), running (Dec 18), and duathlon (Dec 19). For each discipline, there are 2 types: road and trail. 3. What is Activate? Activate is a weekly training program to complement the In-Motion race series that aims to provide assistance in 2 ways: > Timed Training on your own time: Finishline to provide timing at running, cycling, and swimming spots. Weekday and weekend schedule shall be posted at www.finishline.ph > Train With a Personal Coach: Finishline coaches will develop a customized program, depending on the objective 4. What is MYCHIP?

MYCHIP is the first personal*, multi-sport** timing chip in the Philippines. *It is non-disposable, and can be used for a lifetime. **It can be used for running, cycling, swimming, duathlon, aquathlon, triathlon races hosted or timed by Finishline. MYCHIP price is Php 2,500 which includes, MYLAPS-ChampionChip Timing Chip, Neoprene Strap (for running and duathlon), and a bike clip (for road and trail biking). For more information on MYCHIP, refer to the leaflet or log on to www.finishline.ph MYCHIP owners avail of a Php 150 discount on registration fee for running and cycling fun ride, and Php 350 discount for other events. 5. Aside from using MYCHIP, how else can we avail of discounts? No discount on bulk registration. No discount for joining the whole leg. 6. Where can i purchase MYCHIP? For those who will register and will purchase MYCHIP, payment will be done at the registration sites, but race kit and MYCHIP will be delivered to the participant. Registration staff to write the complete delivery address beside the race number yellow box. 7. Do we have to activate our MYCHIP every time we join? No. MYCHIP owners are assigned a permanent unique chip code, which automatically registers as they cross the finish line. 8. Can we claim race kits on race day? No. For Running: Running kits will be available at registration sites on November 23 (Tuesday). For those who registered from Nov 15 - November 22, race kits will be delivered to them. Registration Staff to write complete delivery address beside the race number yellow box. For Cycling: Participants should claim their race kits at their designated registration site from December 6 - 10, using their race kit tickets to be given by the registration staff upon payment of participant. For Duathlon: Participants should claim their race kits at their designated registration site from December 6 - 10, using their race kit tickets to be given by the registration staff upon payment of participant. 9. What are the rules and regulation for winning? There are 2 ways to win: 1. Winners for each race category: Top 3 winners, Male and Female. 2. Winners for each age category per race category: 1 winner per age category, Make and Female. There is a total of 12 age categories: kids 8-11 yrs. old youth 12-15 yrs. old 16-17 yrs. old 18-24 yrs. old 25-29 yrs. old 30-34 yrs. old 25-39 yrs. old 40-44 yrs. old 45-49 yrs. old 50-54 yrs. old 55-59 yrs. old 60 and above Participant to cross the finish line must be a registered participant to qualify. Timers to confirm split and chip times before awarding winners. Each winner to receive special winners medals. 10. What are the prizes? No cash prizes to be given. GCs and Products will be given to the top winners. 11. What will non-winners receive on race day? Each participant will receive a finisher’s medal, MYRACE analysis, and drinks from the beverage sponsor. 12. Can we ride with our kids without joining the race? No. Only registered participants can ride/run. In case of minors, a signed waiver by the guardian/parent should be turned over to the registration staff. 13. If we join the race, do we get discounts at the nearby hotels within the area? Where? Yes. For inquiries, call Paseo Premiere at 049 5413089 to 94 . 14. Can we join 2 or more criterium race categories? Ex. Cycling Active Dirt Criterium at 6:30am and Fit Road Criterium at 9am? Yes. 15. What kind of bike can i use for each race? Only road bikes will be allowed on road criterium categories. Only mountain bikes will be allowed on trail criterium categories. Both bike types will be allowed to join the fun ride category. 16. When do we get the results of MYRACE Analysis? MYRACE results will be posted within 24 hours. Finishline In-Motion Series Launch Brief

DESCRIPTION

TARGET MARKET

• Primary : for the longer distance race categories, we are targeting regular participants (elites and intermediates) of duathlon, cycling (mountain bikers and road bikers), running (trail and road runners)
• Secondary: We will also target beginners and anyone interested in trying out new sports / muli-sports by offering shorter distance categories. Majority of them are either doing only running or cycling.

• To introduce other sports to those who are limited to joining either running or cycling events only but would like to try other sports or combination of both.
• To offer a multi-discipline event designed to appeal not only to experienced competitors but to newbies as well.
• To showcase different sports disciplines in an accessible and spectator-friendly format.

Check out the videos for a better idea of what the events are all about. Cool, nicely done.

I attended the presscon for this event last night along with Abby at Passion Restaurant at Maxims- touted as the country's only 6-star hotel at Resorts World Manila. Familiar faces abound, with both old and new bloggers in the mix. Vicky of 2009 PBA finalist Succulence Unleashed rode with us, and aside from the minor hiccup of being lost (we went straight to SLEX Bicutan from C5. Smart guy) ,we didn't encounter too much trouble aside from the fact that all three of us were veritable starvin' marvins.

This wasn't our first visit to Resorts World so I was pretty familiar with the place. Newport City, as the Marketing AVP put it, "is the best kept secret in Manila". It's hard to disagree, and I won't be surprised if the place would be teeming with people in a few months. Walking around, it has this international feel to it. Close your eyes, look around and you might forget you're actually in Manila. The fancy casinos are a given, but the sprawling complex boasts of an extremely fancy cinema ( with an on-call butler, rumor has it) and numerous shows for everyone's entertainment.I'm in no way a food blogger (although sometimes I wish I were), but may I say that the food at Passion was superb. The pansit was perhaps the best I had tasted all year, and the siomai, dumplings and prawn cakes all hit the spot.

It's a must try.While we were eating, some gals were passing around forms. Turns out we were to be given free membership cards with P100 worth of credits you could use at the slots. I won a miserly P50, which I then proceeded to lose in a span of 2 minutes. Stupid one -armed bandit.Anyway, back to business. The run coincides with Resorts World's Grand Fiesta Manila 2010 event, which celebrates the many facets of Filipino heritage in different forms. The run will be the first in the area, and boasts of 3k, 5k and 10k distances as well as a 1k fun run where you run like a madman in your best office attire. Nice.

Nice guy in a suit explaining stuff.

AVP man explaining all things Resorts World.

Our agency friend on the salient points of the race

Happy, casino-invading, blogging-type people I guess the cool part of the run would be the raffle (speaking of raffles, I won a P500 gift certificant for future use. My run of terrible luck with these things has officially ended) All runners are qualified to actually win an all expenses paid trip to Resorts World Sentosa in Singapore , where you'll be flown in by a private jet. Ooh living the high life.

Abby hoping she'll win the trip. I hope she brings me along with her.Race management is under the Leadpack brand, with Ian Alacar serving as the race director. So for those of you sick and tired of the usual race venues, you may want to check this out. It's P650 for all distances and you get a chance to be treated like a rockstar in Singapore. No worries about the accuracy of your times (and the incessant debates/extrapolation that happens after) as the race is RFID timed, with the results texted right after to the number you put in your registration.See you November 28! Race first before you hit the slots!Oh, and here are some FAQ's, just in case.

GENERAL QUESTIONS

What is the run?

The run is the Grand Fiesta Run 2010 which is part of the Grand Fiesta Manila Celebration

Where is the run?

The run will be held at Newport City, Pasay City (Across NAIA 3)

When is the run?

The run will be held on November 28, 2010

Who is the title sponsor?

Resorts World Manila

What is Resorts World Manila?

Resorts World Manila is the Philippines’ latest only integrated tourist hub where you can relax, shop, dine, and play. Resorts World Manila has a mall complete with the best shops and restaurants, movie theaters, a performing arts theater, hotels (Maxim Tower and Marriott Hotel), and a gaming area.

Are children prohibited from entering Resorts World?

No. Only the Casino and Republiq is restricted to ages 21 and above. The shops, restaurants, movie and performing arts theaters, hotels are all open to people of all ages.

REGISTRATION RELATED

How can I register?

You can register in the following:

Resorts World Manila Tourist Counter.

3 select Chris Sports outlets: SM Mall of Asia, Glorietta, SM Mega Mall

R.O.X. in the Fort

You can also call WWWExpress at 793-1777 (press 2 for marketing) or 852-7210 to register via phone and arrange for delivery. A delivery fee of P70 will be charged for Metro Manila deliveries and P100 for deliveries outside of Metro Manila.

1K Fiesta Rat Race category registration is at RWM, ROX and thru WWWExpress only.

Registration is from October 27 to November 22

Better to register early though as there are limited singlet sizes and slots per distance

Until when is registration?

Registration runs until November 22, 2010

Is there an age requirement or age limit?

Anyone can run as long as they deem themselves fit enough to participate. A liability waiver needs to be signed by every participant. Parents or guardians need to sign for entrants under 18 years of age.

How much is the registration fee?

P650 for all race categories

What is included with the registration fee?

Registration fee includes the race kit and a singlet

Do I have to be a member of Resorts World Manila to join the run?

No. Special privileges though will be given to Resorts World Manila members during the run. To win in the grand raffle, you also need to be a member. MEMBERSHIP IS FREE

Is there an age requirement for Resorts World Manila membership?

No. Although you need to be 21 and above to play in the Casino, Resorts World Manila members below 21 can still avail of special discounts and earn rewards points when they shop and dine in Resorts World Manila. AGAIN, MEMBERSHIP IS FREE

How do I become a member of Resorts World Manila?

To become a member, you must be 21 years old and above. Present a valid ID together with your Membership application form at Resorts World Manila Membership Counters. You may get an application form in any of the registration sites.

Do I get any special treats if I’m already a member of Resorts World Manila?

Existing Resorts World Manila Member may still present the RWM Gift Stub found at at the race bib to receive a Match and Play Voucher

What is a Match and Play Voucher?

Match and Play voucher is valued at P100. Present the voucher to the Casino Cage to get a certificate, the certificate together with a live bet of P100 can be used to play at specific gaming tables. Limited to the gaming tables that uses even bets.

Where do I claim the Match and Play Voucher?

Present the free gift stub along with your Resorts World Membership card at the Membership Counter to claim your Match and Play Voucher

What is the validity period of the Match and Play Voucher?

Match and Play voucher is valid until December 05, 2010.

RACE KIT

What does the race kit include?

The race kit comes with a singlet, timing chip, and race bib with loot bag stub, raffle stub, and an RWM gift stub

Can I transfer my race kit to another person?

No. The moment you register, your information is assigned to the race kit and is encoded into the system.

What do I get for the Resorts World Manila gift stub?

Become a member of RWM and present the stub to claim a Match and Play Voucher

What is in the loot bag?

The loot bag will contain items from Resorts World Manila and our sponsors

SINGLET

What are the singlet sizes?

The sizes are XS, S, M, L, XL, XXL.

Can I change size if it doesn’t fit?

No

Where can I get a size reference for the singlet?

The sizes are by Unibersidad and you can use their past singlets as reference.

Do I need to wear the Grand Fiesta Run singlet during the run?

Although it’s preferred, you don’t need to wear the singlet

DISTANCE

What are the race distances?

3k, 5k, 10k, and a 1k special Fiesta Rat Race

What is the 1k Fiesta Rat Race?

The Fiesta Rat Race is a special 1k category where registrants are encouraged to come in office attire (example: suits and rubbershoes) or fiesta-inspired costumes.

What do I get if I join the Fiesta Rat Race?

Aside from the all the fun and great photos of participating in a themed costume run, prizes will be given away to the best dressed, the most unique, and the wildest outfits.

Can I change distance after registration?

No

Can I register for more than 1 distance?

Yes, but you will need to register twice (and pay the registration fee twice)

RUN RELATED

How will the race track my time?

The race will be using an RFID timing system that will track your time. Timing chip must be attached to your bib at all times. Also, make sure to indicate the correct mobile phone number and email address in your registration form as your finish time will automatically be texted and emailed to you as you cross the finishline

When will I know the Race Results?

Your time will be SMS’d and emailed to you the moment you cross the finishline. There will also be a time-check station at the activity center.

Your place in the run in relation to everyone else will be posted at the Resorts World Manila website within 3 days of the race

What are the rules and regulations?

Participants below 18yrs old must have their entry form signed by a parent/guardian

Race Bib must be worn at all times during the race. It should be pinned in front of your running shirt to be placed on or a little above the waistline

Registration will be limited to the slots per category

Finisher’s time, including winners, will be based on RFID tag time results. No RFID tag, no race results.

All protest related to the results must be made in writing and submitted to the Race Director within 30 minutes after the official announcement of winners.

A protest fee of Php 1,500 may be collected for every written protest made.

What is the route?

TBD: The starting point is at the Newport Plaza. The 1k, 3k, and 5k route will take you around Newport City and along Andrews Ave (across NAIA) . The 10k route will take you inside Villamor Airbase.

What are the prizes?

Resorts World Rewards Points will be given away:

Men

Women

1st

2nd

3rd

1st

2nd

3rd

10k

20,000

10,000

5,000

20,000

10,000

5,000

5k

10,000

5,000

2,500

10,000

5,000

2,500

3k

6,000

3,000

1,500

6,000

3,000

1,500

1k

10,000

5,000

2,500

10,000

5,000

2,500

What can I use Resorts World Manila Rewards Points for?

You may use your points to pay for food bills, show tickets, claim parking tickets, food voucher and gifts up for redemption.

Can Resorts World Manila Rewards Points be used to play at the Casino?

Yes, this is a current promo of Resorts World Manila. For detailed promo mechanics, please call 836-6318

Will the run push through if it rains?

The run will take place rain or shine

Will water be provided?

Drinking water will be provided at selected points along the route

Will there be first aid stations?

Medical aid will be available at certain points via roving representative

Are pets allowed?

No. Not everyone is comfortable with animals and we need to be considerate to them. There are also some added hazards of pets being in the race as they might disturb or bite another runner, leaving their special “gifts” along the route, and runners tripping over the leash.

POST RUN ACTIVITIES/ ACTIVITY AREA

What is there to do after the run?

There will be an activity area where sponsors and will be providing activities for everyone

Where do I park?

All participants and other spectators are required to park their vehicles at the designatedparking areas of Resorts World Manila

Is parking free for runners?

No. Standard Parking fees apply

Will there be toilets?

Toilet cubicles will be available at the site during the race

Is there a place to leave my bags?

There will be a baggage deposit area from 5am to 10am

Will there be celebrities?

Although some have been invited, we cannot commit on whether they will join the race

Raffle Draw

What are the prizes to be given away in the Raffle?

3 Days, 2 Nights trip for 4 to Resorts World Sentosa, Singapore with free tickets to Universal Studios and a ride on the Resorts World Manila Private Jet. Note, the ride on the Resorts World Manila Private Jet is from Manila to Singapore only. Going back, winners will be given a one-way PAL ticket to Manila

Cruise for 2 from Singapore to Malaysia and back to Singapore in 3 days and 2 nights. Free entrance to onboard shows and entertainment and use of Gym and recreational facilities. Full board and meals (up to 6 per day). Note, the ride on the Resorts World Manila Private Jet is from Manila to Singapore only. Going back, winners will be given a one-way PAL ticket to Manila

When is the Raffle Draw?

The Grand Raffle Draw will take place after the Grand Fiesta Run during the awarding ceremonies (around 8am)

Can anyone win in the Raffle Draw?

To be eligible to win in the raffle you need to have finished the race, be a member of Resorts World Manila, and be present during the drawing

If I register more than once (and pay each of the registration fees), will that give me more chances of winning in the Raffle Draw?

Yes. But you will have to finish each race you register in and drop the raffle stub at the finishline. You can only win one major prize though and should you win twice, the prize of higher value will be given to you.

How can we be sure that the Grand Raffle Draw will be fair?

A DTI representative will be present during the drawing to ensure that the draw is fair

Hey folks, a quick Halloween (kahit tapos na :P) message from good buddy Edward Kho, the main man behind this year's CIHM. Once again, the perfect season-ender for all you running denizens out there.

All Treat, No Trick:

Early-Bird Rate for Corregidor International Half-Marathon is Back!

Halloween may be over but the party is just starting for all fans of Corregidor International Half-Marathon. Here’s the treat. All runners who intend to join the CIHM may still avail of the Php2500 early-bird rate through the following conditions:

(1) Register on-line via www.runnersrunner.com/corregidor2010

(2) Alums of Conquer Corregidor

(3) Wear your Finishers’ Medal from any of the race you have participated in during the year upon personal registration at Second Wind/Runnr on these dates: Nov 6, 7, 13, and 14

So what are you waiting for? No need to grab those long broom sticks to do the trick. Hit that keyboard or the road to your nearest registration center before the race slots quickly vanish in a snap.

Have more questions about the race? Here's a list of FAQ's for your perusal. See you in Corregidor!

Corregidor International Half-Marathon for Dummies

Make Your CIHM Participation One for the Books

Q: Is the Php2500 (early-bird rate)/Php3000 (regular rate) too expensive for a race in the Philippines?

A: Not so. Relative to the ever increasing registration fees of races in Metro Manila, the participation fee in CIHM is actually very reasonable, and almost a steal. Sun Cruise’s regular rate per person for a daytrip to Corregidor that includes round-trip ferry, a group-guided tour of the island, and a lunch buffet is Php1,900.00. The CIHM package, excluding the guided tour, offers all participants round-trip ferry, a full lunch buffet on race day, a genuine dry-fit race shirt, race backpack, race bib equipped with an RFID timing chip, a classic Finishers’ Medallion, access to the Carbo-loading Bonfire Party, and a ticket to a mercury-rising after-race bash that is the CIHM Victory Party.

Q: Does the registration fee cover accommodations in the island?

A: No. Accommodations, however, range only from P1600 to P2400 per night per room. A standard room could accommodate three persons comfortably. It may be arranged through Sun Cruises at these numbers: 8346857/8346858 / 5275555 loc 4511 or 4512.

Q: Is there any other option for accommodation if I were to go overnight?

A: Yes. CIHM participants may opt to camp out with their own tent. They only have to make a one-time payment of Php200 per tent to Sun Cruises. The camp site is at the parade grounds adjacent to the South Dock and facing the beach. Those who will camp out need not worry about their lavatory needs. Though spartan in nature, there are more than ample clean washroom and restroom cubicles that are very proximate to the tent grounds.

Q: Still concerning those going overnight, where could they avail of their meals ?

A: Sun Cruises operates Corregidor Inn where CIHM participants may dine out in a welcoming restaurant. Alternatively, there are several kiosks in the island such as that in McCarthur’s Inn where participants may check out other meal options.

Q: Will CIHM participants camping out be allowed to bring camping stoves?

A: Mini camping stove or similar devices that will produce a relatively minimal combustion may be allowed to be brought in by participants who will camp out.

Q: Are bikes allowed to be brought along?

A: Owing to space limitations in and weight restrictions of the ferries, CIHM participants are disallowed to bring along their bicycles.

Q: Will Corregidor be open to regular tourists on the day of the race?

A: No. The island will be exclusive to CIHM participants on Dec 18 and 19. This means that CIHM racers could totally enjoy a traffic-less and urban-nuisance-free race amidst a dramatic backdrop, and that is only in Corregidor.

Q: Where can foreign nationals, residing outside the Philippines, intending to join CIHM get information on Philippine visa requirements?

A: They may check out the tab “Philippine Visa Information for Foreign Participants” in the CIHM website www.corregidor2010.runningmate.ph or other veritable websites on the net.

Q: Can registered participants have their own pacers?

A: Yes but only if the pacer is also a registered CIHM participant. The race will strictly adhere to the “No Bib, No Race” policy.

Q: Will there be a sweep time for CIHM participants?

A: None. CIHM participants need not worry about being swept off the race course after a particular time. However, for a participant to finish the race, he/she needs to reach the half-way checkpoint on or before 1hr45min from gunstart. Participants who will be unable to do so, however, will be awarded with a 10K Achiever medal and will be brought to the Finish area onboard the Sun Cruises tranvias. All participants who will successfully finish the 21k distance will be awarded with the CIHM Finishers’ Medallion

Q: How many hydration stations will there be on the race course?

A: There will be 8 hydration stations, including one at the finish area, at 2km interval from each other.

Q: Will there be first aid stations along the race course?

A: Yes. First aid, actually, will be integrated with the hydration stations. Aside from this, a mobile paramedic team will also be in place.

Q: What is the unique selling point of Corregidor International Half-Marathon?

A: It is the idea that all CIHM participants will have the rare opportunity to run on sacred grounds and all their determined efforts will be cheered on by the glorious memory of heroism of our noble predecessors. Then there’s the bonus of an after-race Victory Party where participants could let their hair down to celebrate their achievement.

I know you guys have been hunting for updates on this for nearly a month now. So here it is! And to those worried that it would run right smack into the rescheduled New Balance Power Run, no worries it has been taken care of. So read on, and see you there! By the way, registration is limited to only 750 participants , with a contingency for probably around 250 for last minuted registrants.

CONQUER CORREGIDOR

The 10-mile island run Challenge

What’s your mettle made of? This may be the hardest question any seasoned runner can come across. But as if a fortuitous opportunity for every indefatigable runner, this challenge may finally be met come December 6. An island once a battleground for gallant men, now becomes a hallowed arena for daring runners to measure their speed, endurance, and grit. Set against a breathtaking landscape and an unforgiving terrain, contenders will get the unique chance of becoming part of a race in reclaiming a glorious past. And this race ought to relive the struggles and history-defining heroism of a noble generation will take place in an island known as the Rock of Gibraltar of the East, Corregidor.

What now serves as a moving memorial for the courage, gallantry, and heroism of its defenders may soon become a touchstone of ultimate running athleticism as Hypehouse Production Company and Sun Cruises, in partnership with Inquirer.net, Takbo.ph, RunRadio in NU107, TheBullRunner.com, Activelink, Second Wind, and R.O.X., bring “Conquer Corregidor!”. Set to fire off on December 6, “Conquer Corregidor!” is expected to thrill, surprise, and challenge, all at the same time, seasoned and amateur runners alike as it will test their mettle on all running terrains. The race route, covering 10 miles, will encompass a demanding combination of paved uphills and downslopes and intermittent segments of dirt trails. But what would really set apart “Conquer Corregidor!” from the usual running experience of avid runners is that it will exceptionally transport the race participants to key historical hotspots of the remarkable isle.

Right at the start of the race, the runners will experience at once an adrenaline rush as they zoom past the full length of the Malinta Tunnel. The exhilaration continues to unfold as the runners exit the tunnel’s west access en route to the interior of the atoll. The thrilling highlight of the race surges while the runners negotiate the tricky span of a thickly foliaged trail draped in rays of sunlight, culminating in a run along the rocky cliff of the island with a breathtaking view of Manila Bay, to dramatically finish at the south dock breakwater facing the vast South China Sea.

To highlight the distinction of “Conquer Corregidor!”, the island will be closed from regular tourists and will solely be allotted to race participants from December 5 to 6. Registration runs from November 9 to 29 at Second Wind in Maginhawa St, UP Village and R.O.X. in Bonifacio High Street. Registration fee of P1,000 covers roundtrip ferry to and from Corregidor, entrance to the island, lunch buffet on race day, and race singlet. Participants wishing to arrive a day earlier for the race may opt to book, through the registration centers, for a standard hotel room at a discounted rate of P1,500 a night. For further race and registration details, participants may contact :

Over-all Chairman : JP DEMONTAÑO 409-2948 / 0918-3582017

Race Director: EDWARD KHO 0915-9990187

Hotel and Ferry: KRISTINE CASTRO 527-5555 ext 4512 to 13 / 09178681762

“Conquer Corregidor!” will be an extraordinary opportunity for passionate runners to set new norm for personal achievement as finishing the race will be akin to recapitulating a fortress that is home to the resilient and valiant. A heroic legacy rests in a distant bygone. The hardest race of the year looms in the distance. One history. One goal. Conquer Corregidor!

Limited edition shirtsSo want to know who's running this? Any additional questions? Join the discussion over at Takbo.ph for more details :)Breaking News : To those who fear that registration is closed, not true. Roughly 150 slots left. So register for the last remaining slots! Here's the updated registration schedule :ROX : Nov 18,20, 22, 23, 25, 26, and 29 - 6pm - 10 pmSecond Wind Ortigas : Nov 17, 19, 24, and 26 - 2 pm - 5 pm .

Hi gang, been awhile. Hope you enjoyed the BDM series I put out for you, it was so crazy I thought it would never finish writing it. Believe it or not, I typed out the last part of that article at about 12 midnight at a Mcdonald's branch in a seedy part of Kuala Lumpur. The free WiFi was worth the "You want lady love you long time?" catcalls while attempting to grab a cab home. Eeek.

Anyway, I'm running this just because I felt so guilty for missing the presser, my car arrived late and so that's that . In a nutshell, wat's the spin on this? Out of town, flat course, sunset race. Nuff' said.

I wanna run this...

I'm hopeful that the ITBS injury I sustained during BDM would be completely healed by the time this race comes around. It sort of has sentimental value, as it was maiden race was my first ever 21k. You should have seen me. Check out this passage from an ancient blog entry of mine :

Get a nice Running Shoe! Believe it or not guys, after all these races I have been running on a 1998 retread cross trainer with the heel replaced by (gulp) Mr. Quickie. At the 14k point my toes and heels were burning, and who knows the crummy shoe may have been the reason for my injury. Mr Quickie! (shudder). Before kasi I'd just use it to run 2km outside my condo, no biggie. Never thought I'd be this hooked into running. Now, I need to buy! I feel I'm losing so much efficiency because of it.

With matching trucker cap, basketball shorts and weird shoes.How fast time flies. I think I finished my maiden half-mary at 2:28 that day, then I could barely walk after. Lol. Anyway, here are the details for the race. Seems pretty straightforward. And just in case you have never ever been to Enchanted or Tagaytay ( fun life you lead eh?), I put in a map of how to get there for good measure. Sunsets sound good. See you all there!

Greenfield City Sunset Run 2010
Sta. Rosa, Laguna
April 24, 2010
500m / 3K / 5K / 10K / 21K

Registration Fees:
Category – Slots – Registration Fee – Race Features
(Kids – 500m Dash) – 300 – Php100 – Finisher’s Kit (Kids are for 12 years old and below)
3K – 1,000 – Php 400 – Race No., Singlet, Timing Chip, PhotoVendo, Race Analysis
5K – 1,500 – Php 550 – Race No., Singlet, Timing Chip, PhotoVendo, Race Analysis
10K – 700 – Php 600 – Race No., Singlet, Timing Chip, PhotoVendo, Race Analysis
21K – 500 – Php 650 – Race No., Singlet, Timing Chip, PhotoVendo, Race Analysis, Finisher’s Medal

Registration Areas:
Regular In-Store Registration: March 22 to April 11, 2010
– Planet Sports – Trinoma
– New Balance – Glorietta and Shangri-la Mall
– Athlete’s Foot – Alabang Town Center
– R.O.X. – Bonifacio High Street, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig
– Greenfield City Sunset Run Booth – Paseo, Sta. Rosa, Laguna

Late In-Store Registration: April 12 to April 17, 2010
– R.O.X. – Bonifacio High Street, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig
– Greenfield City Sunset Run Booth – Paseo, Sta. Rosa, Laguna

It's sorta near EK and that cold place with Bulalo. Yum.

Our friends at Sunrise Events, Inc. headed by it’s President and Chairman and also Alaska Milk CEO Fred Uytengsu – the same people who have brought to us the Cobra Energy Drink Ironman 70.3 race in the Philippines for two years in a row has again brought to Philippine shores another world-renowned sporting brand. Xterra, said to be the “de facto world championship of off-road triathlons”. Cool stuff.

Xterra Philippines has just recently held it's initial offroad race, a biathlon called Putik Pare last month at Nuvali, Sta Rosa, Laguna. This January 30, 2011, Xterra Philippines is set to hold it's trail running race dubbed as Pang Rave Run, with venue at the Tagayay Highlands.

Don't you notice their penchant for fun kalog ( does anyone still bother to use that nowadays?) names for their races? First Putik Pare, now this. Must be a fun place to work at.

Anyway, here's the presser. To trail fans out there, this seems to be a can't miss.

Did you enjoy XTERRA’s Putik Pare biathlon (I didn't know there was such a thing lol )held in Nuvali? Are you in search of a different and thrilling run this time? Do you want to experience an extraordinary physical rush? If your answer is yes, then we bet you’ll enjoy even more XTERRA’s unique and rare Trail Run entitled “Pang Rave Run!” this coming January 30, 2011 at Tagaytay Midlands. Join the most enjoyable, root slipping, mud hopping, tree ducking and hill climbing race in the country today! Take the challenge of running on a mountainous terrain while enjoying the breathtaking view of Taal Volcano and feeling the cool breeze in Tagaytay. Exciting cash prizes awaits the winners for the Male and Female Categories! Register now, book your hotel and slip on those running shoes for the most action-packed trail race adventure! Travelling to Tagaytay Midlands was also made easy for you! Check out the shuttle service schedule below and reserve a seat now! Be raved! Be thrilled! Be fired-up! XTERRA’s “Pang Rave Run!” is definitely the kind of run that you’ve been searching for! RACE DETAILS: 1. REGISTRATION PERIOD: - December 1, 2010 to January 23, 2011 (both online and in-store registration) 2. REGISTRATION VENUES: ONLINE: http://www.xterraphil.com (MAJOR CREDIT CARDS ACCEPTED) IN-STORE: - RUNNR - Bonifacio High Street - SABAK SPORTS Unit 401 Auto Precinct, Westgate Center Filinvest, Alabang, Muntinlupa Cit - SECOND WIND uNIT 03A Ortigas Home Depot Julia Vargas Ave., Pasig City 3. REGISTRATION FEE: 10K - PHP 1,000 Inclusions: - Race Bib - Finisher's Shirt made with Technical Material - Buffet Breakfast - Loot Bag - Xterra Race Belt 21K - PHP 1,500 Inclusions: - Race Bib - Finisher's Shirt made with Technical Material - Buffet Breakfast - Loot Bag - Xterra Race Belt - Xterra Visor

Free stuff

I want one. 4. SHUTTLE SERVICE - A round trip bus service is available to participants for a minimal fee of PHP 250. Details of shuttle schedules: A. Pickup from Bonifacio Global City going to Tagaytay: 1st batch – 3:00 AM 2nd batch – 3:30 AM B. Leave Tagaytay back to Bonifacio Global City: 1st batch – 11:00 AM 2nd batch – 2:00 PM 5. ASSEMBLY and GUN START TIMES ASSEMBLY GUN START 21K - 5:00 AM 5:30 AM 10K - 6:00 AM 6:30 AM 6. OTHER NOTES: *21K Race Participants are advised to bring head lamp *for further inquiries, please contact: secretariat@xterraphil.com

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 :)

I have a confession to make. I suck at presscons. Absolutely suck at them. I am quite possibly the worst blagger to invite to these things. For some insipid reason or another, I keep on missing them. Either my car gets a flat, I'm assigned OT work or I have some family thing. There's always something going on. I have like a 10% attendance rate, and sooner or later I'll be declared persona non grata by race directors and PR people alike. I never get em goodies. Sob.

So you could just picture the smile on my face when they told me that the presser for the upcoming San Mig Coffee Bay Run Dash for Health ( okay that was long) was at Congo Grille at El Pueblo. That's like... .. two blocks from my house. Yessssss. Finally. No way I'm missing this.

I wonder who's that runner?

One more miss and goodbye presscons foreverrr.
Scheduled at 7pm, I cockily thought to myself, Nah its a 3 minute drive from my place. Why rush? Of course, in a move reeking of sheer time management genius I totally forgot that it was Friday uwian. Smart. So there I was , stuck in bumper to bumper traffic going to a resto that's roughly a kilometer and a half from my house. Great. I still have a Nat Geo hangover.

Oh the horror.
So after like nearly 20 minutes, I finally get to the place. And guess what? Much to my consternation evil manong guard curtly stonewalls me at the entrance with a "Ser, pono na poh and parkeeng dito. Weeting na poh dito, weeting." Weeting for parking would have entailed me adding to the already ginormous traffic jam. Apparently, Mr. Murphy has a secret crush on me and follows me around wherever I go.

Shunget ni koya.

So to make a long story short, I brought the car back home and tempo ran from my house back to the resto, a vain attempt to somehow temper my unexplainable tardiness. Of course, I had to run in jeans, leaving my poise on the pavement in the process. Good thing a lot of familiar faces greeted me when I came in, denizens of the running blogosphere in full force.

The faces behind your favorite blags

Que, Gail , and Vimz of Kulit on the Run with hubby Art
So let's cut to the chase. After having way more than my fair share of sisig and chicken, the presser proper unfolded. Takbo.ph first lady Que did the honor of introducing the GM of San Mig Coffee, and he gave the requisite welcome remarks. Kind man. I wish I had him as a Tito.

Que in the house!

Tito saying something about San Mig

Soon after, things were turned over to the comely Marketing Manager ( or so I think, the exact title eludes me) of the brand and she gave a quick primer on the product line. Three things I learned : 1. The San Mig Coffee "healthy" line is tops in its market segment 2. Good ol' Piolow is no longer their endorser, thus visions of a grand showdown dissipated into thin air quicker than it was conjured, and 3. Presenting to a rowdy, predominantly male blogger crowd is an exercise in restraint. Lol.

Deep breathly. I can do this.

Soon after, it was a pleasant surprise to see that Ian Alacar would be assuming Race Director duties for this race. Absent from the mainstream scene as of late, it was nice to see him around for a change. For long-time followers of this site, you may recall that Ian was the race director when I first conquered the ultramarathon distance at Botak awhile back. Fun guy.

Happy mems with Ian and Sideshow Bob

So what are the essentials you need to know about the race? It's going to be held on May 23rd, Mall of Asia grounds. But before you dismiss it as just another MOA race, hold your horses. It's being touted as the first race to have a route that actually cuts through the Manila baywalk. 3k and 5k distances cost P450 a pop, while the 10k and 15k races are at P550.

Race is actually bang for the buck, you get a fancy Unibersidad-made singlet that would probably cost as much as the registration if bought as a stand-alone. And the cool part about the whole thing is you could order your race kits over the phone, delivered COD by WWW.express. The number to call is 795-1777. Niiice.

For you freebie/perk hunters out there, I'd rather that you find out for yourselves what's in store for you during race day, but to give you a quick heads up there would be photobooths, bottomless coffee, loot bags, seminars, and dare I say, free massages?

So there you go. Registration starts April 17, 2010 to May 19, 2010, call the number I mentioned earlier for more details. If you've never run around the bay area, this is a good race to actually try out the local scenery. Hope this helped everyone, I'll see you on the road!

Requisite Gingerbread photo-op with Ian and Marketing gal.

I rarely write about these things, just because I try to avoid them as much as possible. But with the Philippine International Marathon already commencing tomorrow, I guess I had no choice but to troop over and get my singlet over at Kapamily a land in faraway Mother Ignacia, Quezon City.

I've been hearing some initial horror stories already, how the singlets were not delivered to ROX as promised, how much of a hassle the people from the South would have to go through just to go to ABS, et. al. I heard that Sam had engaged the organizers in some animated banter (okay, maybe more than animated) over the distribution of race kits for the Takbo.ph/Team Logan 42k relay team.

Apparently, it was causing a logisitical nightmare for everyone. End line solution was, to those who couldn't get it today a BIG tent would be set up very early tomorrow morning before the race. For the 42k people, that means um, 3 am. And we all know how pre-race distribution works out right?Right?

All of that notwithstanding, I was advised to go back Saturday morning for my race kit. So I got there at about 10:30, and this is the scene that met me :

So early, and yet there was a line already. Hot and humid , tempers were flaring already. Some conversations overheard from random people :

"Bad trip to, sabi sa ROX wala naman, Taga Laguna pa kaya kami akala ninyo madali!"

"Anong generic bib pinagsasabi ninyo? Ibig sabihin isusulat lang number namin???"

"Kaya nga ako tumatakbo para pangpatanggal ng stress, mas nasestress ako dito!"

"Nagcommute ako galing Paranaque, di daw mahanap ung sa akin. Pano na yan???"

!@#$$ Mga singlet namin!!So amidst the gripes and the tension, a very courteous staffer took my claim stub and took it upon himself to look for my singlet. Problem was, everything was off the floor. Which makes it... . harder.

If it's off the floor, it must be good!

Observing the staffers though (not sure if they're from RACE or ABS) , most of them were doing an admirable job amidst the flaring tempers. As a live case study on grace under pressure, most of them kept their nerve and still observed general, proactive courtesy even if people were screaming at their faces.

More random conversations with the people I was in line with :

Random Person : Sana andiyan ang race kit ko, tumakas lang ako sa misis ko sabi ko magpapacarwash lang. GBM: Ahh. San ho ba kayo umuuwi?RP: Sa Alabang... GBM: !!!!
Twenty minutes later, the guy finally handed me my singlet and race kit. I heard the singlets for the longer distances were nice. So imagine my complete and utter shock when I saw the 10k singlet, a result of what I think was a logistical rush to just get it over and done with. Done by Tin's Collection, I hereby put forth for your perusal my nominee for Most Unappetizing Singlet Of The Year :

Escaping from my wife was worth... . the singlet with no print in front.

At least there's a cute patch on the back... .

Hottest tailor of the season... .
Not that I would mind, I never wear it to the race anyway. But woe to the people who traveled from Laguna, or Paranaque, excited to get their singlets and receiving this piece of fabric that quite frankly only its tailor could love.

So after 45 minutes, my PIM/Kapamilya visit was over. Sub 50, not that bad. Now let's see how tomorrow unravels. Good luck everyone, and I hope you're all not too stressed to enjoy the race.

Quote of the Day :

"Ginawa mo naman akong SM saleslady eh!"
- Stern, boss-looking organizer to someone fussing over singlet size

Different Strokes for different folks. Horrible cliche, but when it comes to devising running strategies, training programs, shoe recos - you will get a plethora of answers that are oftentimes night and day in terms of theory and approach. The series would be dealing with the different strategies that runners utilize on race day, and the ramifications that arise from it. Hopefully, you will be able to deduce what is best from you.

The Runner's Taboo - Romancing the Positive Split The positive split. You hear it all the time around running circles in hushed tones, a seeming taboo approached with the same derision and mistrust as one would give the Illuminati. What's so wrong with it? Why do people view it with so much disdain? Let us take a closer look. Eat my dust, I'll see you later! - Newbie In plain and simple terms, a positive split entails that one would be running the first half of the race faster the second . C'mon, admit it. How may times have you see the relatively newbie-looking runner blast off from the starting gun, and you mutter "that won't last long" or something along those lines. Let's face it. There's an almost universal streak of vitriol against positive split runners. I always wondered why. If we are to continue using the boxing style analogy, the positive split would be the unorthodox, hard hitting puncher who is relying on that one big knockout blow to seal the match. It is most closely associated with being new and being amateur. Why is that the case? Under the Hood Most experts and experienced runners I know would recommend negative splits when running a marathon. Apparently, there are several things going on under your body's bonnet while running a positive split that you need to know : 1. You consume your glycogen deposits faster, meaning you'll be depending on fat far earlier in a race. As you may or may not know, this is far less efficient means of getting energy. 2. You hit your lactate threshold way too early, meaning you'll spend the majority of the race running anaerobically ( read: not good), meaning you'll hit the dreaded wall much earlier than usual (read: not good at all) 3. You'll have less margin of error to work around in case you overestimate your abilities on race day (happens a lot) What the Experts Say The experts aren't too crazy about it either. Running legend Sebastian Coe said in his book Better Training for Distance Runners that "deviating from your mean race pace by as little as +or - 2 % is metabolically more costly than remaining within this window" . In his book The Lore of Running, Tim Noakes categorically stated that "you should never listen to those who advocate running faster in the first half so you will have time to cushion your reduced pace in the second half. In fact, your fast pace in the first half is the very reason for your fade in the second half. It is always better to run the second half faster. It gives you the impression that your are faster than you really are. Bordering on the Controversial : My Take Okay, so the positive split was all but butchered by every Tom, Dick, Harry, and even Jane out there. However, as those who have raced with me know, I have a contrarian view on the matter. I have tried to neg split several times, and each and every time it hit me square on the jaw.Case in point - Botak Paa-Tibayan 21k. I had told myself at the time, okay why don't we try this negative split thing since it's a longer distance and everyone recos it anyway. So I ran the first 10k in 55:30, at a pace that is very tame in comparison to what I usually do. So no positive split there. So what happened? Did I break records? Nah. I totally discomombulated over the 2nd half. I had a finish time of 2:14, way off the sub-2 hour finish that I was targeting. At the time that I was supposed to pick up the pace, at the time where my bountiful glycogen deposits and lack of anaerobic effort should have reaped benefits, I had nothing more to give. I tried in vain to speed up, the best I could muster was a 6:30 effort, and even that I couldn't sustain. I felt like I would die at the finish line. So what went wrong? Why didn't the famed negative split work for me?

Nope, it didnt work. It's a mental thing So what happened? I'm guessing it's a mental thing. Perhaps I have a weird psychological makeup. Believe it or not, each and every race that I have run on a positive split led me to setting a new PR. I have honestly no idea why. As we know, the race is just as much mental as it is physical. Once you mind starts playing games with you, you're screwed. As for myself, I always felt more comfortable being ahead and hanging on to a lead rather than coming back from behind. I'd rather race the first half and make the second half a blood and guts game. I do a lot better from a position of control. Specially when there an inclines during the second half, coupled with the Manila heat I am unable to gain any sort of major ground. I would rather steel myself and hang on. Thus it boils down to : 1. You're tired, it's hot, your legs are killing you and you're protecting a lead OR 2. You're tired, it's hot, your legs are killing you and you're clawing your way from behind. Obviously, I choose the former. Mr. Coe said that even a 2% deviation from your intended race pace (if you start aggresively) will extract a "big cost" from your race. So why doesn't it work for me? Is it the debilitating Manila heat? Is that the "unintended variable" caveat that he put in when he wrote it? I just really want to know. Your thoughts and comments please? Let the debates begin.

8,000 runners. Sold out slots. You have to give it to Nike to whip up a frenzy in attracting a staggering number to participate in what's essentially "just" a 10k. The latter inference is a testament to the drawing power of the shoe behemoth's crossover appeal, compelling even casual runners to pay top peso for what essentially amounts to a short run that you and your buddies could bag in two hours easy. (with matching tsismisan at BHS)

Defying Expectations

Two years ago, the Nike + Human Race was held at Subic ( check out my feature back then, I painstakingly googled it in five seconds. Let it transport you to a time when people still actually commented on blogs) as a side event to the what would be much- maligned Subic International Marathon. To those who weren't around the scene back then, that race had hydration supplies run out at more or less the 25k mark and it was so dark runners couldn't see their feet. The angry mob and the collapsed Kenyan at the finish line pretty much summed up the sorry state of affairs for that race.

Manila was not an "official" city in what was supposedly a simultaneous run around the world by Nike users, and suffice to say response and participation were tepid at best. I was there about 40 minutes before the race and it didn't even seem that there was one going to be held, so much that I had to ask if I was in the right venue. Aside from "celebrity" ambassadors (yes, I will forever consider my good buddy Bards of Bananarunning one) and Sun billboard habitue Jaymie giving the requisite interviews, there was pretty much no action going on. It was around this time that pundits were saying that the running craze had hit its peak and that it would die a natural death like badminton, billiards, and Zagu.

Admit it, you fell in line before just like the rest of us.
Fast forward two years, and it seems that the doomsday naysayers need to eat their humble pie. The running community remains as robust as ever. BHS is teeming with runners even on a weekday, so much to the point that they were even given their own dedicated lane. UP is likewise packed as runners stride away till the wee hours amidst the lush foliage backdrop, and you see people running in places you never even thought were "runnable" if there were such a word. This notion is further reinforced as evidenced by the overpowering show of force presented during the latest incarnation of its signature 10k race.

A Newbie Once Again

The afternoon start time being a decent come-on given my hectic training schedule, I sauntered off to BHS in relative ignorance of where the venue actually was. I assumed it to be "the usual" starting venue ( if you're a runner who has actually joined a BHS race, you know what this means) but it turns out this race was more dynamic than others. It took me a visit to veteran Runnr gatekeeper Nikko to get to know that it was actually near the drive-thru Starbucks area. Well that's something new.

Feeling Noobie.
Quite ironically, while I've probably been running longer than about 95% of the populace present that Saturday, I felt like the newbie. I didn't know a single soul, not a single familiar face in the crowd as I trudged to the starting line. Arriving early in anticipation of the mad throng, I made my way to the "VIP Lounge" to presumably pass away time. I don't why they termed it as such, there was really nothing going on save for a few cocktail tables. I finally saw a couple of Takbo.ph buddies and old hands in the industry milling about, made for some decent catch-up conversation. Even good ol' Bards was there, haven't seen her in ages. A little-known but often overlooked fact is that the two of us were supposed to host the second season of Run Radio before it got scuttled due to unpublishable reasons. At least it makes for a good inside joke. Also got to exchange some niceties with Polo Tri friend Tricia Chiongbian-Concepcion, who I last saw while we were getting blown around at White Rock (watch out for my even more delayed article sorry na). She was hosting the show with sportscaster Anthony Suntay, an old neighbor and gym friend nearly a decade ago. I seriously doubt he still remembers me although he's too nice to admit, so I'm probably just the creepy guy who always says hi. Eek.

Let the show begin.

Wow. The atmosphere was something else. Having participated in multisport or cycling races for the majority of the year where the participants rarely even reach 400, being part of the 8,000-strong hive was a strangely invigorating experience. We were whisked to the "VIP" starting area which separated us from the rest of the runners by a burly bodyguard-manned cordon. Felt sorta awkward though, I've never been part of such and who the hell am I anyway lol. And with so many "VIP"' people there, I guess you could say it what somewhat of a misnomer in a sense. Speaking of real VIP's, the favorite presidential grandson (yes, I'm referring to Joshua) made a grand entrance with some buddies three minutes before the race was to commence. He was promptly greeted with spirited cheers (or jeers, depends if you're a Kris Aquino fan) of "Bimby! Bimby!" What fun.

Bimby pa din.

Moving Too Fast

With recent sports-car collector/race director Rio tersely walking around in the background, the countdown clock was rapidly approaching all zeroes after Fitness First gal did her requisite warmup set. Former Philippine Blog Award finalist, Milo Nationals qualifier and Team Powerpuff Boys teammate Natz Garcia was clowning around with a big Ipod strapped to his arm, apparently his Garmin broke down. Naturally untrusting of GPS, he even brought along a map.

Natz not taking any chances.It's no big secret that this is my first straight up running road race since Condura, so I think I got overexcited. I started off way too fast for my own good in keeping up with the main pack, about 3:45 pace for the first kilometer. The atmosphere was tremendous and the adrenalin was pumping. However, my adrenalin sort of forgot that given that I'm preparing for a full Ironman distance race, I didn't have any hops on me. Second, I just came off three hours on the bike trainer earlier, which rendered the race into a virtual brick workout. I tapered off considerably by the time I reached the 3k mark and was fading fast. Some schmuck overtook me and gave me a cheery pat to boot, and it turned out it was tridol Javy Olives of Tri'n Hard fame who was killin it with his teammates Drew, a guy who I could have sworn was Raoul Floresca and some dudes I didn't know. Tuhog City again. Oh well. My pace was dropping fast and I didn't have any anaerobic capacity to keep up.

Habol ng Habol

Kilometer Five upwards was a struggle for me on the surprisingly tough course. The effect of the brick notwithstanding, I haven't done any interval workouts since preparing for the Olympic-distance Subic International Triathlon earlier in the year. Obviously, my OAstart didn't do anything to help my cause. I was just trying to keep up with whoever was in front of me, and the distance was starting to feel like forever. Another TPB teammate Alex Mac passed me with relative ease, damn these guys are in shape grrr.

Huff, meet Puff.
At around kilometer 8, I saw Ultramarathoner Abby hanging around to cheer me on, she made it just in time to see me discombobulate lol . Legacy TPB teammate Ronnel was catching up with me, and so was ultrarunner and budding triathlete Carly. I even saw a bare-chested Adobo Run and CIHM head honcho Ed Kho scurry about. As the humidity level was slowly engulfing the crisp early night sky, I limped home across the line to a high five from Rio in a pedestrian 54:xx, a mid 53 on my Garmin as there was a nominal disparity of about 200 meters. Not exactly a performance I would be proud of, but a half-decent brick time I guess. I was targeting at the very least a sub-50, dream on brother. Interestingly enough, it was still good for 110th place amongst 8,000 and if I were to base it off Javy's time, a decent performance could have cracked the top 20.Not that it matters, but that's just the competitor in me aggravated at my lack of preparation although I was really just supposed to "take it easy". Couldn't resist.

Post-Mortem

Overall, it was refreshing to be back on the run circuit again after an extended absence. Nike and Rio did a yeoman's job in providing an innovative approach to this race (including a cool flash app to track one's results) as the market continually strives to look for something new. The custom-built route was challenging and the hydration was more than adequate. I'm guessing though that not a few were disappointed that a much-touted Nike Lunar Glide USB wasn't given, a snag attributed to supplier delays. Instead, the runners had to content themselves with drinks and a Nike poster.

In retrospect, why do runners shell out that much cash even if it's "only" a 10k? Furthering the discussion, how has the running sub-culture sustained itself even if some races border on redundancy and corporate profiteering? I've come to surmise that it's not just the branding or the freebies. Running, at least for the most part, is a shared social experience. It's the camaraderie, the competition. The water-cooler kwentuhan at the office the following Monday with your officemates, heck even your weird boss. The street cred with your friends (and the lack of it if they missed it). Social dynamics constitute a powerful, dynamic and sustainable force, and coupled with looming health benefits the formula for long-term viability is in place.

It's not Badminton or Billiards. Running is here to stay, whether you like it or not.

Let's drink a Zagu to that.

Just when I thought race organizers had pretty much tapped the well of ideas when it came to your staple weekend road race, my sentiments were proven wrong once more. Enter the Rogin-E Last Man Running Race, a surefire test of will, guts, and endurance.

This is actually a late post, I missed the presser last week because I have coaching duties for Adidas ANR on Wednesdays. Sucks. The food must have been good. Anyway, this race is brought to you by Edward Kho, best known for his able stewardship of the Conquer Corregidor/ Corregidor International Half Marathon series. Leave it to Ed for coming up with some novel plan to excite you running denizens out there. Anyway, there's a 5k and 10k run on this, with fun medals.

Nifty. But the centerpiece event is the Last Man Running event obviously. Only one winner. P50,000. Fancy Trophy.

Nice Nice. How does it go exactly? Here's the official word (that I shamelessly copy pasted from their powerpoint) All participants of The Rogin -E Last Man Running Race must maintain the corresponding minimum pace at the following portions of the race period: 1st 2hrs - 6min/km, 2nd 2hrs - 7mins/km, 3rd 2hrs - 8mins/km, last hour - 9min/km. This will be monitored by red shirt wearing pacers who will be running alongside the participants. All participants who will be unable to maintain the minimum pace will be swept off the course by roving as well as strategically located (at every 50m along the course) race marshals. Aside from this, the pacers will also be given the same colored strings at each pass at the checkpoint. Any participant who will be wearing one less string compared to the pacers and are passed by the latter will also be swept off the course. Now that's challenging. If only I wasn't doing BDM 160 a week after that I'll give this a shot. P50,000 ain't something to sneeze over. So if you want to test your limits and see what exactly you're made of, here are the steps to registration for this. § From January 7 to February 20, 201 1, customers who purchase a Rogin-E bottle at ANY DRUGSTORE will be entitled to join the Rogin-E Last Man Running event on February 20, 2011 at McKinley Hill, Taguig City. § T Mercury Drug

Walk-in must purchase a Rogin -E bottle at registration booths during the event. Once receipt is presented, customers must fill out the registration form which covers a waiver of liability. § For those joining the endurance run, an additional copy of a race result page of a full marathon (42.195km) or a race longer than a 42.195km marathon (held within the last 6 months prior to the Rogin -E event) indicating his/her name as proof or a certification from a physician indicating fitness to participate in an athletic competition is required. Are you good enough to be The Last Man Standing? That's for you to know and for us to find out.

Busy weekend for all of us! It's one of those weekends that so many big events were held concurrently. Running denizens were divided amongst the Cebu International Marathon, Subic International Marathon, Fat Ass 24-hour run, and the 2011 Bull Run. With a veritable smorgasbord of choices, let's see how everybody fared with these different runs.

• I wonder how SIM 2011 fared this year? Among the people I knew, only Endure Multisport star Erick Guieb joined this one, and last I heard he was gunning for a modest below 5-hour finish. But knowing him, he probably did it in 3:45. Lol.

• I was part of it in 2009, running the 10k Nike Human Race (where I placed 13th) and the 21k race (where I ran with Tito Caloy) Sigh, how time flies so fast. Internet Legend Tito Caloy has since gone back to the professional competitive drinking circuit, he missed it too much. Came in to the scene too late to know who he is? Google google google.

Those were the days...

Back to his first love.

• In related news, SIM was also memorable for me because I ran into Ultramarathoner Abby on the way there at Kenny Rogers along NLEX. It was the first time I had seen her in years. Who would have known... ... .. :P Uuuy.

Our first ever picture together hihi.

• Back to SIM , that was also memorable because we were doing support for the marathoners and water ran out as early as 18k along the route. A trip down memory lane : Craig Logan was pushing Justin and collapsed. Rico sacrificed his race and rushed him to the hospital. Argow was overcome with emotion as his first marathon was marred by a lack of adequate water.There was a screaming mob afterwards, as a result there was TOO much hydration the day after for the 21k race. Fun.

It's howkay, we got your back. Hug.

• As expected, the Kenyans dominated this year's race with Vertek opting to compete in the 21k, eventually winning it. When will we ever have someone else other than Vertek to chase down these dudes?Can Cris Sabal hold his own? Someone give me data please. Winning time of 2:23 probably wasn't even close to their best.

• Sometimes, I just realized that if I were a girl, I would be a very fast girl. A very fast, tall, and fugly one with hairy legs at that.

• Congratulations to all who joined Cebu. Wonderfully organized race, I ran the inaugural edition last year and gave it rave reviews . It was as if the entire city was in synergy for one dynamic event. Haide Acuna, Doc Bontol, John Pages and the rest of the Cebu gang no doubt contribute to the robust running community they have over there, and this race is a succinct reflection of that. Only downside - you'll probably have too much fun with it that you might end up getting drunk and messing up your race. Not guilty as charged. Pockets of Endure, ANR and TPB people were there, tell us all about how it went! I have no doubt it was an awesome race as always.

Last year with Cebu running celeb/BDM 102 batchmate Haide

Cheering on Takbo.ph boss Jinoe on his first marathon

• The Fat Ass Run has long been some sort of an urban legend amongst ultra running folk, and I remember when quintessential ultraman Atty. Jon Lacanlale started it a couple years back. Back then, it didn't really garner that much attention save for a few hard core crazies. I had always wanted to run this, but for some reason it always worked against my schedule. So I was pleasantly surprised that it seemed that 1 in every 4 people seemed to be headed to Clark for it. If I'm not mistaken, you can run in 12 and 24 hour increments. Damn right it's crazy. Among the notables, BR did a leisurely 54k in about 8 hours, Frontrunner EIC/ Hardcore chief Jonel did an inhuman 121k in nearly 22 hours, and Albert "Run2dmoon" Salazar emerged this year's Fat Ass King with nearly 140k over 24 hours. Wow.

Jonel overcome with emotion at his "graduation" after running for 22 hours.

• While I'm having the time of my life being a spectator/heckler here, I shudder to think that I'll be running 160 kms in a little over a month. Ayayay.

• Don't you find it ironic that the people who join Fat Ass don't have anything close to resembling a fat ass? In fact, I have a sneaky suspicion that after running for 24 hours, they may not even have an ass at all.

• Of the all the aforementioned races, the one I did join was the one closest t0 home, the 2011 Bull Run at BGC (yes, I'm hip like that. Fort? Ano yun?). Fresh from winning the team championship at Fort Running Festival, Team Powerpuff Boys (affectionately known as TPB or "those pink guys") decided to take a stab at the team competition once more with momentum on our side. I got to train once with the gang, and if before I felt we were on a somewhat parallel fitness level, their resolute dedication to training has reaped incredible dividends. Being engrossed into establishing some semblance of a multisport base, I simply couldn't hack the aggressive programs I used to pull off. The disparity was blatantly obvious. My guys (no homo) simply ripped the course apart en route to the team snagging 1st place in the team category once more. Our goal was at the very least 1:20, and everybody did way better than that. Notable performances included Chris Iblan running an inhuman 1:03 ( 3:58 pace for 16k??) and Brandow snagging a 1:13 (wild 4:34 pace) . As for myself, I served as the weak link, checking it a lame 1:21:15, 5:04 pace which ordinarily would have been fast but these guys put that to shame. I need to ramp up my running, the boys are tearing it up there.

TPB with, er, fans :P

Posing at the awarding "Bb. Pilipinas" style.

• Mary Anne Ringor usually does a good job at organizing, last year was pretty good. This year,epic fail at the 16k gun going off ten minutes early. It was supposed to start at 5:45 as was announced in the published material. We were at the corral already, and me Jix and Nick took a leak thinking there was more than ample time to get back. Much to our chagrin the gun went off as we were on the way back. We're vets at this, and it's really no big deal even if wading through hundreds of 10k runners and the back end of the 16k pack was draining. Still, it would be nice if we could keep to the published start times.

• Double fail to the drivers along the Makati ave intersection who kept on impatiently honking their horns. You see there's a race going on, a little consideration wouldn't hurt. Highly indicative of our mentality, in other countries people on the road would actually cheer runners on. Hay nako.

• Fail to Accel gels. Gu didn't have any chocolate variants, so we decided to give it a go. Tasted good, but I don't think it helped me one bit. In short, it was so bad that even the placebo didn't work. Shucks.

• Tip of the week : 1 pound lost = 12 seconds faster in a 10k run. Lose 10 lbs, that's 2 minutes off your time!

• Pilipinas Cycling League's season opener, a century race in Jala-Jala commences in Jan 23, Endure Multisport is competing. I'm antsy, haven't had a good road ride since my crash. Pray pray pray.

• It's BDM test run season, and I'm pretty much missing all . Why? For the simple reason that I plan to race Condura 42k. I have a friendly bet with bossing Jonel because he's doing the test runs. If he still manages to outrun me it's Mcdo breakfast time. Juicy. :P

Ever since I put the mailbag up, I have been pleasantly surprised with the creative input (or absolute crap, it's a love/hate relationship) you guys have been sending in. Haven't really had the time to compile this, but here is more or less what's fit for print :P I also just realized how many people named "Anonymous" hate my work. Haha kidding. Okay maybe just a little bit.

So here goes!

Q: I was hanging out at ULTRA with Sam the Running Ninja when some dude with a camera asks for a picture. I say, sure why not. As I'm about to pose, he promptly hands me the camera, to have his photo taken with Running Ninja dude. I have to admit, my feelings are hurt. What should I do?

- Cris S.

GBM : The solution is simple - stop hanging out with Sam! You don't even have a fighting chance. How many Men's Health appearances have you made? Sam 1, Cris o. Alas, that's the plight we have in the current running scene. Despite winning this year's Milo Nationals, a recent poll I ran showed only 1% would recognize you walking down the street, and that was probably Sam who voted. Heck, even I don't know how you look like, only because by the time I finish a race you're already done eating your post-race breakfast. We need to increase the public profile of elite runners like you, to serve as inspiration to a new generation of runners amidst the current boom. So if you need a comprehensive PR campaign to increase your public profile, you know which Gingerbread person to call... ..

Cris Sabal not likey Running Nin ja dude

Q : Why do you call yourself Gingerbreadman anyway? It sounds so gay.

- Anonymous

GBM : Um, because I like to stimulate those who actually read this, leaving a trail of thought for them to chew on - like gingerbread crumbs. Nice eh? Oh lord how I wish it was that profound. Sadly, I chose the handle because I could mimic the whiny voice of good ol' Gingerbreadman from the Shrek series. Busted, demystified. Hmm.Come to think of it, does sound a little gay... .

He's wearing a thong!

Q : So what IS your Zodiac sign?
- Paula S.

GBM : I'm a Libra, and my balanced, reasonable persona is telling me to never ever again implore people to ask your Zodiac sign. Unless you want to answer the same question over... and over... . and over again :P So this is how Dingdong must have felt when he ditched Karylle for Marian and had to pony up to the press.

We're just friends. We're just friends. We're just friends.

Q: I've been hearing about this Bataan Death March Run. How do we join?Are you running?
- Karlo A.

GBM : Hmm. It may be a wee bit more than a "run" my friend. It's actually officially known as the Bataan Death March 102k Ultramarathon, and obviously it is not for the faint of heart. Slots are not guaranteed, as applicants need to have at least completed a marathon or ultramarathon in the past As of today, there are already 132 registered applicants , and in response to your question yes I am going to temporarily lose my sanity for at least 18 hours on March 6th. If you need more info, go to Bald Runner's dedicated site on the race here.

In honor of these brave souls... and it will not be easy.
Q. Reading through the Takbo.ph forums, it seems you had a bone to pick with the Timex Run. You said it was expensive, etc. I ran it and thought it was the best race I ever ran this year. Sulit. Wala ka bang bilib kay Coach Rio?
- David L.

A. David, it's not that I have a bone to pick with Coach Rio. I have the highest respect for his body of work, his mainstream persona as one of the faces of running, and I have always looked forward to his races even before the Finishline era. Like most people, I had felt that the race was overpriced. I mean, P750 for a 21k? Seriously? With no differentiating factor save for a timing chip and Piolo's presence? (and that isn't exactly a come-on for hot blooded dudes like me) But if you were closely monitoring those conversations, my buddy Bong Z. gave a stellar argument - if you were only running 1 race a month, one would be willing to drop that kind of cash if there was the assurance that it would be executed to world-class standards and there would be so many value added elements to it. In an open market system people are entitled to choose the commodity as long as there is strong value perception involved regardless of premium pricing.

Of course, Coach Rio would later clarify on Run Radio why he had to price it that high, and he essentially reassured the public that he would be pulling out all the stops for this... .. and that's precisely what happened. Word on the street is that from a technical standpoint, it was smooth and well-thought out top to bottom. Sir Amado Castro even went as far as saying the race was " the standard of race events that future races will be compared and critiqued". Boatloads of value added goodies like post- race massages and quick results never hurt either. The most accurate barometer here is that I did not hear a single negative comment from both experienced and newbie runners. Congratulations to Coach Rio, Vince, and the rest of the organizing team, awesome job. With the naysayers (myself included) jaded from the recent spate of horrible races, this comes as a whiff of much-needed fresh air to the community. Only thing I didn't like about this race is the revalation that... . I eat Piolo's dust. *picks up ego from floor* (x_x)

Kudos to these two, they delivered!
Q. I noticed you don't have any Google ads, why not? Sayang naman. May site din kasi ako, may pumapasok din kahit papaano. Try mo din Adbrite bro. Keep up the good work btw.
- Arnel C.
A. Thanks for the kind words Arnel! The reason I don't have Google Ads is because of the site's name. Dahil dun sa "Gingerbread", a portion of the ads they run have a lot to do with baking equipment, ingredients, etc. Ang sagwa, so tinanggal ko na lang! I just think of it that it would help make the site less cluttered.

Q. That pic on your "About Gingerbread Man" page, is that in Pearl Farm? I could have sworn it is.

- Kaye S.
A. Hi Kaye, yes it actually is! Was nice to run there, even for a bit. Davao is a very beautiful place.

Okay everyone, that's all the time we have for this week's mailbag! Join in the fun and send your comments, inputs, and suggestions, reactions at the field on our home page or through this button. Will look forward to it! -

Murphy's Law (mur-feez lo)
- humorous adage or epigram that typically connotes a situation where anything that can go wrong will go wrong.

Murphy's Law. Sigh. Those dreaded two words have pretty much haunted mankind since time immemorial. Little did I know that it would apply to your fun Gingerbread scribe on a mundane Sunday morning race. Actually, I should have paid more attention to certain signs early on as a portent of things to come.

I not likey.
Prologue

Having been out of commission for nearly a month while recovering from BDM , I've been quite antsy to race again. The ITBS that plagued me in Bataan was all but gone, and I've been able to string together a couple of pain-free training weeks. I targeted the Nat-Geo 10k run as my comeback race, only because people were jumping up and down over its cool freebie shirt. Besides, the riveting (smirk) MOA flatlands should be good for my knees.

Then I realized they were charging 700 effin bucks for a miserly 10k.Hmmm... ..

No WAY.

Pricey.
Thus, I had to do some sort of rationalization to justify spending a day and a half's minimum wage on a 10k. And at MOA to boot.

But... . I really wanted that shirt. I really, Really, REALLY wanted it. So, 700 bucks equates to P300 registration then I just "imagine" I bought a cool P400 shirt plus the satisfaction of knowing that I'm actually "running for the earth" in a mall complex that was once, well, part of the sea . Makes sense right? What fun.

Never knew a runner who could turn down a nice shirt

Missed Signs

Maybe I just don't know how to take a hint. So I troll out to BHS on the last day of registration during my lunch break, was assuming the whole thing wouldn't take that long. To my horror, I was advised by the amiable manong guard at Nike Park (who incredibly knew which shirt sizes were still in stock. Promotion due.) that the Nat Geo person would come in at 1- 1:30 pm. Which meant an hour of sheer drudgery while waiting. Thus, I had no recourse but to troop to the nearest fancy coffee joint to burn time. Ugh.

He's better than some of the salesmen there.
An hour or so (and P150 poorer) later, I come in and find a mob scene. Apparently, the Nat Geo dude came in at exactly 1pm and people are jumping over one another. After I come in five minutes later to get in on the action, I am informed in the most glacial manner that they had just sold the last slots to the two ladies to my left.

NOOOOOOOOOOOOO.

As my blood pressure went through the roof, I attempted to explain that I was there before anyone, I just stepped out to grab some coffee. Guy wouldnt budge. Sorry ser huli na talaga yun eh. DANG. This needed drastic action. Several options that were forming in my head at light speed :

1. Use my Gingerbread pseudo-celebrity status by exchanging a slot for my highly-coveted autograph or photo op.

Inherent risk : Cold, icy stare followed by "Never heard of you, you deluded fool. Security!!"

2. Use my not-so- pseudo-celebrity sister as bait by promising a nice, all-expense paid date with her in any Palawan resort of his choice.

Inherent risk : The dude would actually say yes. Gulp.

You can disown me now Ate (x_x)
Realizing that both were not exactly feasible, I had no recourse but to go for the oldest trick in the book... .

And voila, I happily walk out with bib and shirt in hand. And yet, I should have taken this near-misstep as a mere prelude what lay ahead... ..

Raceday Sunday
Fast-forward several days and there I was anxiously putting on my gear on a hazy Sunday morning, a ritual that I have sorely missed over the last couple of months. As I was traversing an otherwise traffic-free EDSA, that 80's song "The Name Game" by Laura Branigan came on. And it drove me absolutely nuts. It was like I was under some hypnotic trance, unable to change the station for nearly 6 minutes. Should have taken it as another sign. To those who have no idea what I'm talking about, I couldn't find a clip on YouTube due to some copyright crap but I did find the original 60's one :

A Case of the Misinformed

Now, I went there under the pretext that the race would be starting at 6 am . Or at least that was what my good buddy/blogger extraordinaire/Milo Nationals finalist Natz told me. Being the original moderator at Takbo.ph, and one of the people who taught me a lot of running stuff as a 200 lb. fattie noob, I have immense respect for the guy. So I was there at 5 am thinking I had an hour to burn. This is where the fun starts. To sum it all up, this is how the next 30 minutes unfolded :

1. Guy waits 20 minutes for Lotto-like line to parking
2. Guy finally reaches entrance
3. "Ser, pono na poh eh sa kabila na lang"
4. Guy freaks out and endures several minutes of hair pulling
5. Goes to the next parking area.
6. With about 4 cars to the entrance, hears the siren and sees the 10k lead pack lead go out.
7. More hair pulling and a lot of Exorcist-like gyrations in car.

GBM lost his nerve

First time. Ever. I was at a loss coming to terms with the fact that I was actually late for a race. No freaking way. I was unnerved that I parked my car nearly diagonally much to the chagrin of Manong guard. I could really care less. So there I was, sprinting for the starting corral, and had to muscle my way through the throng of 3k and 5k runners. Quick check-in, and I was off. Nearly 10 minutes behind everyone else.

Quare mihi Murphy?
Yeah. Why me Mr. Murphy? So here I am, with no warm-up and stretching, attempting to hack out my 10k positive split. Que Horror. 1k split - 4:22. Okay, not so bad. I felt like I was in one of those racing video games where you get a nitro boost and are passing everyone left and right. Dang, thirsty already. Haven't done this in a while. I reach for my hydration and OH. I left it in the car. Great. My kind of day.

By the 3k mark I really had to drink already. Went for a stop at the water station and the water was ... . hot. Not lukewarm. Hot. As in, ready for afternoon tea hot. Another unsolved mystery of the universe.

Mid-race tea any one?

Alay Lakad anyone?
At the 5k mark, split was at 22:58. Decen t, b ut not where I wanted it to be. The lack of preparation and race rust was glaring. Nearing 6k, that's where it happened. I got stonewalled en masse by a throng of 5k runners who were walking the narrow roads of the course. Ugh. I was forced to stop at least three times by the Alay Lakad- like procession Ahhh, the dangers of starting at the back of the pack in a looped race. Flustered, I just saw my Sub-Piolo bid fly out of the window.

Stonewalled again.

It can't get any better than this
Reaching the homestretch, I attempted a last-ditch albeit demoralized rally. Splits were improving, then suddenly I felt a slight twinge at my ITB. Hopeless. It was apparent that it was nowhere near 100% . I just had to gut out the final 1.5 k with the lingering feeling that I could blow out my knee at any time. I gingerly hit the 10k split at 49:24 , nowhere near my best time. I then gingerly jogged the final 40om, because as MOA races go, the excess distance is becoming somewhat of a trademark already. My Murphy's Law race was finally over.

10k? Nah.

Post -Mortem
After the race, I barely saw anyone from the team. Seems everyone went to Earth Run. I couldn't blame them, that was like half the price of this race. Hung out with a profusely apologetic Natzter (who offered to buy me breakfast) and galpal Beth along with multisport dude Jason after. So was the race worth 700 bucks? For the shirt, maybe. It's an open market anyway, with so many races runners have their pick of the lot. It featured a lot of booths to keep the people busy after, and I had this feeling that a lot of people there had a feeling that they were running for a good cause. It's also an exercise in utilizing the power of a strong brand to reel people in. Case study for future mid-sized races.

Ran into officemate Dette. More people running yeah!

Bromance mode with th e Natzter

Fun at the Natgeo Video Truck

Natz and Beth pointing at some weird guy
As for me, it's apparent that I'm a long way off. The knee swelled up after, so im now in RICE and Salonpas roller mode. I'll give it another shot in two weeks or so. Take it easy everyone, stay away from Mr. Murphy! I'll see you on the road!

Last night I was invited to attend the presser for the 2011 Condura Skyway Marathon, and the good news was that the venue only changed around ten times (was actually holding on to see if it would somehow be shifted to Ortigas) Smirk. That notwithstanding,the cream of the crap of the blagging community was there, good times. That also pretty much means that you would have about 20 or so entries on the same event. So to save you the aggravation of sifting through mundane information you already probably know (because you have that unique ability to open their website) I'll just show you the highlights of the night. In bullets. Wooot.

• Nice touch to have every introduce themselves and add their blog URL before we started. When the mic was passed to Abby, was half expecting her to drop her wonderful site www.abbyjocson.com on everybody. She got shy though. I know her real blog, but I ain't telling.

• If you haven't noticed, they rebranded the entire thing by calling it the Condura Skyway Marathon, in a bid to have the race positioned as one of the premier marathon events in the 2011 Asian marathon calendar. I've ran every Condura race since 2008 ( the first one as a very fat mann) and have borne witness to its exponential growth. It used to be the MUST race every year. And the funny thing is, despite the glut of races that abound, it still continues to be.

• Calories gained from eating at presser : 1,000. Calories burned from writing this article : 1.5

• With Condura head honcho/overall nice guy Patrick Concepcion unavailable to make it to the presser, brother Ton Concepcion ( the other half of the Condura dynamic duo) was there to play host to us. While Patcon is a familiar figure at races, Ton is somehow more elusive. On a nice guy scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the highest, he rates a 10. Quite the amiable guy, makes a heck of a difference when the people behind an event are pure runners at heart.

Let's run for em' dolphins

• Team behind Condura 2011 - Rio De La Cruz and the SME Ironman 70.3 team. Oooh fancy.

• As you probably know by now, this race isn't cheap, with 42k maxing out at P1,250 if I'm not mistaken. 21k is at P1,150. Now, you've probably whined about it on some thread on Takbo.ph or amongst your buddies (everybody is griping about prices nowadays). Now, here's the score. First off, if there were such a thing as a premium road race here in the Philippines, then this would be it. It has long been the gold standard for races, and I don't see that changing anytime soon. Second, this is the only race in the country that passes through the Skyway. Do you have any idea how many gazillions the Skyway people charge for its use? Ultimately it's still a business, and at the very least you don't want to lose your shirt. If only to make the experience a more value-added one, it's freebies galore. For those competing in the marathon and pikermi distances, there's a 100 plus loot bag, Coors light beer, and an RFM Lootbag. Additional giveaways from Nature's Valley, Century Tuna, Cenovis Joint Guard, Lactacyd, Ponds and Clear. Also, everybody gets a big Hershey's bar upon registration. Yum

Kassy and Abby going gaga over Hershey's

• Everyone's using a D-Tag nowadays, this race is no exception. Suffice to say, have we seen the last of the timing chip?

• Condura's proprietary E-reg system allows anybody with a credit card to register from well, anywhere. I registered the same way for Powerman Malaysia. Of course, this pretty much opens the race to international participants. Cool stuff.

• There are two start lines (Ayala or BGC )and one finish line (BGC), which makes for less hassles with runner traffic. The 10, 16, and 21km categories will be releases in waves of 500 to avoid chaos.

• Oh yeah, I forgot. There's a new, 16k category for those who find 10k's boring but are still antsy for a 21k. But of course, you knew that already.

• As was last year, everyone gets a medal. Shorter categories get a fun 2 incher while the full marathon gets a badass 3 inch one. I want one.

• The onsite registration was a breeze and a joy to be part of. I think the whole process (of course depending on how fast you type) was over in less than 5 minutes. World-class stuff. We had the privilege of taking first crack at it, and the fact that you type in your own name means you can only blame yourself this time for your misspelled name in the results.

Roselle and Bards having fun with onsite reg More or less, those are the salient details for this blockbuster race. If you want to know more details that aren't here, just google my esteemed colleagues, I am not as industrious as them in posting hard details. I'll leave you with a short clip from the presser, which only took me an hour to upload. ISP Bonanza moment. Cheers everyone!

It has been a little over two weeks since 10 enterprising souls along with their gritty, dedicated support team went out with two vans and covered 250 kilometers covering Subic, Bataan and Zambales during the Chris Sports Epic Relay. By now, you have probably read all about it. Listened to the incredible stories. Heard out the grievances and lamentations. Reveled in the triumphs and cringed at the lows. As of this writing, the discussion thread that we had put together at Takbo.ph has generated 3,317 views, one of the most I had ever seen given that not too many people from the boards were directly part of it. A blow-by-blow feed on Facebook that I was painstakingly updating through my Blackberry even during the wee hours of the morning had produced an incredible 366 comments. Truly, it was a race for the ages, one that people would be surely talking about for months to come.

TPB rocks.
So why such a late entry? Nope, I haven't been that lazy mind you. It's just that with the contentious nature of how the race unraveled, I didn't want to come up with an article that was reeking of input from my hopelessly skewed left portion of the brain. With so much charged energy emanating from the after-race vibe, I thought it best to let things simmer down a bit lest I come up with material with excessive amounts of vitriol.

We'll keep it cool. Er, will try at least.

Given the relative "epicness" of the race, and the fact that I wasn't there personally for all of the legs, I guess it really wouldn't do justice if I gave a blow-by-blow like my BDM feature. We're currently working on a compilation of everybody's experiences, and if no publisher picks it up, we'll most probably post it online mwahaha. Wait on it!

So instead, I'll try my best to give you a microcosm of the race proper(there were 30 legs in all, subdivided into 3 main sections) with my personal inputs on my specific leg.

Legs 1-10
Spirits were high for our 12nn gun start as we embarked on the great unknown. Little did we know that this was to be a race to remember. Given the pace we had declared pre-race, we were bundled in the final, "elite" start wave. Some teams had already started as early as 5am, supposedly to even things out. As nervous energy abound, the teams that we were looking out for were Team Ponstan (supposedly loaded with strong, veteran runners), and a Kenyan-powered Team Runnerspeak. Much to our surpise, there was another team inserted into our wave at the very last minute- Team Timex. Through casual conversation, it was not outwardly stated that this was a sponsored team loaded with triathletes and elite runners. Dropping a faux name (Team Roundsprint?) and giving off a weekend warrior vibe, I guess this was gamesmanship at its finest. Or rather, more like a portent of things to come.

In high spirits... .

And yet anxious for what lies ahead...

As we were awaiting the starting gun, the organizers/sponsors had even put together a "showbiz" style intro, with what seemed to be a hastily organized Ponstan "Pep Squad" comprised of made-up teens gyrating to pop tunes ala ASAP while were baking in 35 degree weather . At the starting line, leadoff guy Mark/Beep Beep got into the action and showed off his "Disco" moves in the background.

Beep could give these teens a run for their money
As the starting gun finally sounded off, there was a palpable sense of nervous energy amongst the team. Extremely anxious, yet confident that our collective abilities will allow us to make a good account of ourselves. It was agreed upon collective during our pre-race prayer that we're not gunning to win at all costs. It's not the be-all end-all of our stint here. We're just going out to have a good time, soak in the experience, and anything we pick up along the way is gravy.

A prayer for guidance towards the right path

And so it begins. As I said earlier, I don't have the capabilities of doing an accurate blow-by-blow for the entire thing (it would take me forever to write it and you might get bored reading it), so I'll just recreate the first leg in detail while trying my best to faithfully recapture the rest of the legs, just to give your the overall vibe of the race at that given moment.

And so it begins... .(cue Olympic music)Land of the Lost and a budding loveteam
Beep Beep was our leadoff guy, probably the strongest sprinter on the team. A former Palarong Pambansa standout, we were banking on a solid opening salvo from him to help set the tone for the rest of the race. From the time that the opening gun was fired, we could see that he was already neck and neck with Kenyan supergal Susan from Team Runnerspeak. So off they went, and we merrily went back to our vans.

As we were heading to the van exchange point at the Pawikan Center (serves as the halfway mark of all three main sections of the race) , we noticed one big problem. The guy from "Team Roundsprint" was actually ahead. And the rotund Ponstan team captain was in 2nd! How could that be? How could they outrun a Kenyan and a 39 minute 10k dude? It could only mean one thing... .

It simply meant that they were... .

Apparently, they were so fast that they missed the turn. Quite mind boggling that the lead pack didn't have any escort to guide them. That's just so crazy. Anyway, Beep ended up going all the way back to the start line, and i think he finished his 5k in 35 minutes. By the time the dust has settled we were in 2nd place, our psyche reeling from this unexpected setback.

The Furious Chase Once Mark/Indorock was up for his leg, it didn't take long for the speedy trackster to bridge the gap between us and the first placers. Cheers abound in our van. Now the hard part. Roy, Bryan and Brando had their work cut out for themselves as they not only had to keep pace to hold off the 3rd placers, in the race for 1st place they were matched up against Cyborg-like counterparts on some of the most difficult terrain in the race. Brando was near exhaustion, and asserted that his stretched out, ridiculously incline-filled course was the hardest 8k of his life.

Early hero Indorock attempts a furious comeback

The Brothers Rivera put up a gallant stand

Brando was so tired that he wanted to go home, selling "scramble" for bus fare
Mark Hernz was up next. Was a short 4.4 k route, but his inclines would have put St. Martin to shame. In spite of the searing heat and technical difficulty of his leg, he gutted it,clocking in a solid effort in the process.

Mark gutting out the punishing inclines
Leg 7. My turn. By the time the baton (er, slapstick) was handed over to me, a 2km deficit was staring me in the face. What fun. I was amped beyond belief. The long wait at the Leg 5 van exchange point had somehow sapped my energy, notwithstanding the fact that we were working from behind.

Nervous dude right here
The amiable guy from the leading team (who even wore pink, I reckon in a sign of allegiance?) even gave me a high-five as he trotted out 10 minutes ahead of me. Once the exchange process was done, I was a man on a mission. Leg description was Recreational to Intermediate. Niiice. With adrenalin pumping, I rushed through the initial, extremely downhill stretch at about a 3:30 pace throwing caution to the wind. This lasted for all of 300 meters. Then I was stopped dead in my tracks. Suddenly, the downhills were gone, and was replaced with a slow, excruciating 6k uphill climb with lush foliage that made it very hard to breathe. Nothing Recreational about this. Cars were spewing smoke at you, and crabby doggies wanted to get a piece of you.

To those who are part of my Adidas Adination Ortigas team, the St. Paul- St. Martin Combo is about 1k not counting the downhill. So think doing 6k worth of that while trying desperately to hold 5:00 pace. I could have sworn I was hyperventilating. Pace was dropping by the nanosecond. By the time I reached the 6k mark, total pace had dropped all the way to 5:57 already. Eek.

Thankfully, what goes up, goes down. I'd like to think that all the uphill training I do had some sort of residual effect. At the risk of blowing my quads, I ran the final steep downhill stretch with everything I had at that point, crushing the asphalt at 3:45 - 3:50 pace. I was red-lining it. I HAD to make up for lost time. We HAD to get back first place.

Have... to get... . first place... .

All of a sudden, with about 1k to go, I saw the leading team's dude laboring heavily. I was ecstatic!! 1st PLACE WAS IN SIGHT!

He got tired
In hindsight, I was thinking his heavyset core typical of gym habitues would give out with those extreme inclines at some point.And it did. Blazing at a pace that I could never ever sustain without the concept of team dynamic in play, I passed him! 1st place was ours!!! The rush was unbelievable and unforgettable. As I passed the support van, I was screaming "WE'RE BACK IN FIRST!!! WE'RE BACK IN FIRST!!!" I think I heard Abby screaming in the van as well . Lol.

Now, there was so much momentum gained that I even sprinted the incline near the 10k mark. 10k mark passes. Gulp. No exchange tent! I was burning out pretty fast. Then all of a sudden, my extremities were going numb. It was going upwards already. My hands then started to involuntarily shake. OMG. I was freaking out. What the heck was happening to me? Still nothing. I was panting like a rabid dog in heat. Where was the tent??? Finally, 750 meters later it was there. I rushed , signed in, handed the slaptstick over to a totally juiced Jai, and he was off! TPB in the lead!!!! The team met me with raucous cheers. I was completely exhausted, but super happy. Given that running is an individual sport, having to do team time trials was awesome. We left the leg in high spirits, knowing that I just handed over the lead to one of the strongest runners on our team.

Happy but wasted guyLegs 8 and 9 went by like a blur. Speedy Jai was still fresh from his 3rd place finish at the TBR Dream Marathon, so the guy was in awesome shape. He turned the slight lead I gave him into a significant advantage, and powerful Ronnel padded more to it as the race was starting to drag on into the night.

Dynamic Duo powers into the night.By the time Ka Totoy came up, it was pitch dark already. Being our undisputed anchor and the closest thing to an elite runner on the team, we gave "The Legend" our most difficult leg - the dreaded 6km climb up to Mount Samat. His performance was simply scintillating. He left our mouths wide agape while tackling Kennon Road-level inclines at an unthinkable 5:30 pace. If I had done the same route, I probably would have walked. Being the consummate pro that he is, there were times that he would even wave us off, telling us to wait ahead of him. Running a ridiculous incline in pitch black darkness takes some cajones, and he taught all of us right then and there a thing or two about guts.

From the eyes of a legend... .

The scene that unfolded after seemed like it was taken straight from a movie script. As fast as Ka Totoy was chipping away at the mountain, a rampaging juggernaut was hot on his heels. The strongest Kenyan runner of Team Runnerspeak was blasting away at our nearly 30 minute advantage on them, and before we knew it, they were in 2nd place. Just FYI, this was the Kenyan dude who won Rock and Run 10k, and he runs a 15 minute 5k just to put things into perspective.

In a moment of sheer drama, the Kenyan came within 100 meters of Ka Totoy as he hit the runner exchange point. One last dramatic grasp, and the lead was turned over to Beep Beep who started sprinting like a madman for the start of the next rotation, his lady love Susan in hot pursuit. Incredible effort on the Kenyan's part, and pretty much all of us had a greater appreciation for "The Legend's" incredible running moxie after that sublime effort.

Cooling down after a performance for the ages
Whew. What an Epic! And guess what? We're only a third of the way!

But I'll have to stop there.

Because it was at this point that from a genuinely enjoyable race, everything seemed to connive against our success. Among others, I'd rather not discuss how I was stopped right smack in the middle of my 2nd leg ostensibly for "fast forward purposes" along with a totally moronic penalty by a high strung race director who wouldn't give the time of day to any opinion apart from his own.

I don't want to come out with unhappy memories out of this remarkable experience. I'd rather remember Beep and Susan's epic battle racing at 3:00/km pace down the insanely steep downhill of Mt. Samat in total darkness. Or how Brando valiantly tried to fend off "Cyborg" when he just popped out of the darkness. Or how Bryan's tremendous managerial skills established a semblance of order in our team.

One last comeback left in us... .

In a team full of competitive runners who usually duke it out over the weekends, I am proud of how the team came together to overcome adversity in making a concerted effort to go down on our shields with honor. I'll never forget screaming my lungs out when the team pounded out a last-ditch comeback effort, gutting out minute by painstaking minute culminating in Ronnel reclaiming the lead for TPB at leg 29. Truly, you can't make this stuff up. In spite of everything, we still had a chance to win it all at the very last leg. I have misty memories of how Ka Totoy, his body wracked in intense pain and battling 37-degree heat, ran with his heart on the pavement in overtaking the game PNP runner for 2nd place on the very last kilometer.

All for glory...

Because you see, this race meant much more to us than the figurative silver (thanks Mark Mulder) that we weren't even acknowledged for. It was more than the P360 finishers shirt, the P20 Pocari Sweat and P50 picture that awaited you at the line.

It went beyond winning or losing. It was about sticking to our guns when the going got beyond tough. It dealt with working within the rules even if they were seemingly be made to be broken. It was about getting back up and giving it your all after you've been kicked down incessantly to the curb.

Respect. Sportsmanship. Camaraderie. Ain't that what it's all about?

It's been a completely seminal experience for me. It's changed me in a lot of ways too.

To Beep, Mulder, Roy, Brando, Bry, Mark, Jai, Ronnel and Ka Totoy, it was my distinct honor to have raced with you guys.

To our wonderful support team Abby, Maan, Bea, and Doc Eire - thank you so much for sticking by us and sticking for us.

I am very proud of each and every one of you. I'm proud of TPB and what we stand for.

Because no matter what had happened in those fateful 23 hours...

I wouldn't have had it any other way.

TPB 2010 Baby!

Powerpuff Boys. TPB. The crew with the can't-miss singlet has steadily garnered a cult ever since a highly controversial runner-up finish during the inaugural Chris Sports Epic Relay 250 Race. In the months that had passed since their cause celebre' , the open-source singlet had become a veritable fan favorite amongst running denizens. Perhaps because of the fun color, but more so because a lot could relate to the scrapping, never-say-die attitude the team exhibited during its maiden campaign.

It's fuchsia.
With team running events few and far in between, not a few wondered when the men in fuchsia would ever don their proud colors again. Would they ever get a shot at redemption? Alas, a rare opportunity presented itself - The Fort Running Festival. 30 runners to a team, best cumulative time wins. The yahoogroup immediately went off the hook as the team scrambled to search for possible members, given that the original team only had ten competing members .

In the mold of the original team, the closest thing to a competitive sub-elite team was formed. These are dudes who may not be considered as "elite", yet showcase an advanced level of fitness in consistently placing in the upper percentile of local races. I guess people could relate because you don't have national -team level professionals , but ordinary working people with day jobs who have dedicated themselves to a committed healthy lifestyle. Weeks turned into months amidst numerous roster changes due to a laundry list of reasons. The final lineup comprised of a motley crew of marathoners, ultramarathoners, triathletes, mountaineers, running veterans, greenhorns, and one running ninja.
I had quite the experience with the team during our Epic Relay run, certainly one of the highlights of my year. Even if I was one of the central figures in our "controversial" finish, the goodwill generated by the entire experience overshadowed whatever bitterness ensued. That said, I couldn't wait to race with these guys again. Much to my chagrin, it was scheduled on the same day as the Speedo National Age Group Triathlon, which I had been preparing for. So I essentially passed for this race. In yet another twist, registration slots sold out like hotcakes three weeks before, which practically never happens. Thus, I was left without a race! Great. Blessings come when you least expect it though. Regrettably, someone had pulled out from the roster due to injury days before the race, and they were scrambling to find someone on such short notice.

While it's not exactly GBM saves the day, because I'm really just a roster filler, I was overjoyed at the prospect of donning our pink colors once more and just having an awesome time with the gang.

D-Day
The team met beforehand for a quick pep talk and to finalize all remaining logistical concerns. We also wore the Adobo Run promotional bibs that our buddies at Paul Calvin's Deli hooked us up with. To quote that dude in Ocean's 13, I felt like I was in a " field of excellence". Some of these guys I had never met before, but I was well aware of their running pedigree. The ones I did know, these were stacked with very strong runners, top-tier stuff. Original TPB members abound too, practically everyone from the Epic Relay campaign was there. As much as the atmosphere was light and relaxed, there was a subtle yet palpable feeling of pressure.

I had to deliver. I couldn't let these guys down. Not while wearing these colors.

And So It Begins
The gun went off without any warning, and so were off. I was particularly worried because I have been putting more effort into bike and swim training, and my supposed bread and butter running capabilities were pretty much non-existent. Got to pace with low-key original Takbo.ph moderator and Philippine Blog Award finalist Natz Garcia, one of the strongest runners I know. A past Milo National finalist, his season-long spartan approach to training manifested immediately as I could barely keep up with his machine-like pace. There was jostling on the route, some starting out crazy fast. I was a goner by the 7th kilometer. Gasp. Wheez.

Halfway Mark
Settling down to a more comfortable pace, I got to hang on with speedy TPB pioneer Mark Mulder, our short-distance specialist who was making his debut at the pikermi distance. Always helps to have someone act as your metronome, keeps you from slacking off. Entering Bayani and Heritage, we were hanging tough even as a mass of people from another race got us off-tangent for a couple of moments. Note to self: You should go inside Heritage Park more, it's actually beautiful inside. Ran into original TPB skipper Brian Rivera (who regrettably skipped the race due to injury) and Doc Eire there snapping up photos and mouthing words of encouragement to us.

Pain amidst beauty at Heritage for the TPB Boys
3/4 of the way

Last 15k. As me and Mark were laboring on the way back to Bayani Road, I was telling him that if we just gut out that last uphill at the Essensa area, we'd have it made. Silly me. They keep on adding these fun uphills in a never ending variation of all possible Fort Routes. Running on fumes, don't even know how I'm sustaining this. Mark is lagging back a little, from what I would later learn were shin issues. Just a bit more... .

Last Kilometer
Surprisingly, I still had some spring in my step, so I was pouring it on with Mark right on my tail. Strong finish, let's go for this. Only, the finish line was coming in too... early. Aww shucks. I clocked in at 1:43 on a 21.3 course, which would have meant a phenomenal 7 minute improvement over my personal best. Extrapolating that pace to the full distance (and there's no doubt in my mind that I could have held it, lowered it even), it would have come out to a high 1:46. Not bad,still a personal best. As much as personal records are nice though, this was one race where the team came first.

Near the chute Vindication, Retribution
Though this race lacked the inherent drama of Epic Relay, there still was a lot of suspense with it. As the TPB crew piled in one by one, we had no idea if the aggregate time of the team would be sufficient to win it. Further exacerbating our anxiety was the fact that Running Ninja Sam, a regular sub-2 hour finisher and BDM 102 veteran was racked with cramps somewhere along the route. Tough break. In our heads, our worries about teams making up the distance were only overshadowed by our worries for a fallen comrade.

Time seemed to stand still. Finally, we saw Sam limping through the line in a gutsy 2:30 effort. Cheers abound. Now all we had to do was wait for the official announcement.

I was chatting with Abby when suddenly I heard awards host DJ Chloe of 94.7 call out the winners of the team event ... .

TEAM POWERPUFF BOYS!

Oh my. Bedlam ensued. Suddenly, 30 pastel-decked guys were rushing the stage like a victorious soccer team at the World Cup. It was noisy. Very noisy. I honestly thought the stage would give way. Celebration indeed! It was particularly sweet for the pioneer Epic Relay team , who not only lost the championship under highly questionable circumstances, but also saw our runner-up finish completely unacknowledged . At least for one fine day, we were champions. Indeed, victory is sweet.

And in deference to a completely forgotten aspect of racing, something had slipped our mind, because it's usually reserved for the pros - we had won something! In this case, cash! A cool P15,000! Ah. The spoils of war.

Beep Beep can't take his eyes off the prize

We win at last.

Post-race breakfast at Paul Calvin's

Victory celebration at Joey Pep and launching of dri-fit TPB shirts

They say life goes around in karmic cycles. I guess this race is a prime example. Thank you to all those who have supported us through our ups and downs, we truly appreciate it. As for the team, it was an honor racing with you guys. I wonder where the next adventure will take us?

Wherever it may be, I'm pretty sure the boys in fuchsia will be ready for it.