FRONTRUNNER Philippines

my daughter’s semestral break was a legit excuse to go up and visit home-baguio.

and payback it was.

26 years ago,i tried but failed in a futile attempt to run a 21.so after all the waiting, yesterday was the time of reckoning.

having arrived late on wednesday night,i decided to rest thursday morning and hit the road at 4pm by following the milo21 route.

it was drizzling and burnham park was full of flower vendors and buyers but the drizzle did not deter me.there was no turning back.

i started my run along the very same route of milo21 and after the 1st kilometer, i felt my lungs trying to adjust to the altitude.fortunately, the lungs adjusted well for me to break a sweat after almost running for 20 minutes.by this time i was at the entrance of loakan road where there were less vehicles and smoke already.it was a relief to be breathing relatively fresh air and with pine trees surrounding me.and that was to be the view till i reached the end of the airport runway and onto the academy’s gate.based on joe’s info , i ran farther till philex road then turned back for extra mileage onto the road parallel to the airport runway.it sucks that they do not allow runners even in the afternoon when there are no more flights whatsoever.i am sure i am not that heavy to ruin the runway.anyway,i ran till i was back at loakan road and by this time, it was getting dark and you know there is this tale about a white lady along that part where there used to be a pine tree in the middle of the road.and it was drizzling.it felt kinda eerie when i was in that area but i made it a point to say a few words of respect.whispers were more like it.and so was the case when i pass those 2 cemeteries along the area.nothing untoward or ghostly happened till i thankfully reached military cut-off road where eventually i would hit kennon road onwards kisad road and eventually the Athletic Bowl where I started.I intended to run a few warm down laps at the oval but it was pitch dark and the oval seemed more like a carabao grazing land with all the grasses.Besides,I was alone and I did not want to get too brave.

and so finally,after 26 long years, I was able to exorcise the ghost of my failed 21 run which won’t haunt me from now on.it was a personal triumph.and will go down as one of my more memorable runs.

i may have been a failure but I have proven that I am not a quitter.

(25) FORT STRIDERS 10 @ BHS…..This was the most water-filled road race I had all year.Ice-cold and endless.It was a well-organized run with lots of marshals and directions well laid out plus a finish chute without the usual chaos.Astig.

I run my runs at BHS and it is hard to miss the FS group in the mornings as they are usually huddled together near Fully Booked. I knew they were a hardy bunch of seasoned runners but I never thought they would be this good at holding a race.I am looking forward to more FS runs.

This was my 5th October race. I had a personal agenda in mind but you know as they say, shit happens and the plan went awry.I was eyeing FZA as my pacer but man did he let me eat his billions of dust.Sooner than I thought,the orange faded well into the front.I just couldn’t get my usual rhythm.There was no oooomp nor aaaah in the legs.There was simply no bang in the wang.No amount of pushing nor prodding could make my pair go faster.Not even a promise of a happy meal could egg my seemingly stiff legs go.Fortunately, finish I did.I have done this route before so the familiarity of it was all that helped me keep my wits in check.In the end, I had a blister and a nasty gash at the back of the achilles area,no thanks to the rubbing I got from a Nike from yesterday’s easy 16 at Makati CBD.

After the usual post-race icing of the joints,I went to look for the gang who were itching for a take 2.There was Lester, George, Joerge Looney, and Markfb. We met up at Sir Jovie’s booth where he earlier gave the 1st 3 1000k club tees to Joe, Markfb and Bards-the only rose among the thorns- (break a leg people-congratulations!).Sir Jovie begged off from a take 2 as he did a 22k at U.P. yesterday.We waited for Jay but the wait was in vain and off we went.

And so there were just 5 nut cases that went all the way to MKH and banged its hills.We went inside the village itself if only to let them feel my hearbreak uphill.Joe kept sprinting the uphills like there was no tomorrow and that was with his trusty camelbak on his back to boot.We were lucky to get ourselves 1.5 liters each of ice-cold water from the water station along the way.Shampoo at sabon na lang ang kulang, puwede ng maligo during the race itself sa dami ng tubig.

Then back at the finish line for the 2nd time,we caught the program emcee wrapping up the event.

Thank you FS for making my Sunday. And thank you to the other 4 dudes for patiently keeping up with the old man’s pace (that’s me) for an hour in that take 2.

The agony of the feet was all worth it.I had my usual Sunday take 2.Sweet.Good times.

(24) Botak Paa-Bilisan @ The Fort 10k/19OCT2008

       The past weekend was way too generous for runners.There were road races on both saturday and sunday.It was like seeing double all the way.

       I was barely recovering from the wannabe bolt finish at Quirino GS last Saturday and before I knew it, I was hauling myself to BHS this time for Botak’s first serving of it’s Paa-Bilisan run series.

      With my usual Brod Feet gang (Me,Ilo,Celyn,Nico and Ann plus Joe this time), I started the race in a jampacked starting line.That was a not-so-bright idea to populate the usual starting area with tents and tents of sponsors leaving runners with less than spitting distance from each other.So close really that i shudder at the thought what i might have smelled had I taken a breath.

      And off we went onto Essensa and after a few meters made our first u turn.It was kinda chaos trying to get the first straw as there were just 2 marshals serving the onrushing 5 and 10k runners.Run,run and run some more till I found myself near the jollibee/shell area where we turned right towards snr and right again at serendra then right again near our start.I am sorry i am not good at recalling street names.besides,there is not much on bhs indicating where one is except for the huge B1 B2 signs.and so it was our 2nd loop to complete a 10k.Uneventful really.There was just the usual huff and puff and walking and strolling runners along the route.And the sun was starting to shine brightly.

As soon as I hit the finish line and got my loot bag,I deposited the same in my car and after relaxing and downing some stuff and putting ice on my knees and legs,I went back to the finish line and had a short chat with Joe,Mark,Vener,George,James,Jojo,Gigi and hubby and met for the first time,Wilbert,Markfb and Charlie.

 I went out to do a 2nd round of 10k with the intention of doing the same route twice again.But as soon as I was in the Essensa area I decided to just pull myself till I found myself at the edge of C5/Heritage.By this time ,the sun was really up and beginning to bother.On my way back,I met Bards having a 2nd serving herself.The trees along the route proved to be of big help.As soon as I was back at the finish line,it was almost 9am and I had to call it a day.I had my weekend fill.

I had a good time having 2nd servings this weekend.It was cutback week for me and subconsciously that must have been the reason I decided to push my luck and legs a little faster.I had a good time of 52 something.Nothing world class, nothing really to crow about and certainly not a reason to breast-beat ala tarzan but deep inside me,I had this sense of satisfaction knowing I can push it if I really want to pala.

But THAT ultra keeps playing in my mind.It is the mileage really and time spent on my feet that will matter in the end because it ain’t just 102 meters that I have to sprint insanely ala bolt.There’s a kilo somewhere that is hard to miss.

2 races in 2 days. 2 double servings in 2 days. 2 pr’s in 2 days.

Now ,will somebody please stand up and tell me if having a number 2 is bad?

no jay, it’s not about the one among them.

i meant today’s run against pain 8k run at quirino grandstand.my 23rd race of the year.

i decided to run this race as oppose to the takbong mayyabang run at aav because i read somewhere that it would be nice once in awhile to run odd-distanced races such as an 8k run if only to remove the monotony of running 5k’s,10k’s and 21k’s.true enough,bihira nga ang ganitong race distance sa atin.i hardly saw,ok,there was not a single runner-blogger i saw at the race but some regular and familiar faces especially among the elites.

it was drizzling when we arrived at the starting area but in true rudy biscocho fashion,the race started 7 minutes before 6am and off we went towards manila hotel and turning around near anda circle near the DPWH/CUSTOMS office.After that turn around,we went all the way to CCP/P. OCAMPO for the final turn then on to the finish line at QUIRINO GS.siyempre ang mga elite ang nasa unahan at kami namang pilit ay nasa likuran.

Following my plan,i went back exactly the same route, after downing a doughnut and pocari from the handouts of the volunteers, to do a replica run, only slower this time, to complete a 16 kilometer run or a 10 miler.i kinda burned rubber doing the first 8 as i registered 41:40 at the 8k mark according to my watch.there were 4 of us sprinting like crazy horses in the last 100 meters.siyempre pa, hindi ako ang nauna sa aming 4.pang 3rd lang.from the edge of my eyesight,i knew they were up to something as i sensed that they were using me as pacer and drifting behind me from aristocrat onto the finish line tapos ba naman eh naghatawan sa last 100 meters ala bolt.i enjoyed that sprinting finish at 20kph!well, no excuses, but i remembered the faces of the first 2 runners so the next time i will let them smell my rubber and nail their asses behind my back instead.it was a photo finish among us 4 bolt wannabes.

Running races under Mr. Biscocho’s organization is always fun.Adequate water stations/supply, marshals,clearly-designated finishing chutes and properly distanced.From now on,i won’t hesitate to join races organized under mr. b’s baton.

i was expecting to have an overdose of uppers and downers given the fact that many pharmaceutical firms were sponsors of this event.but too bad,i didn’t get to bring home a single bottle of cough syrup.

well,it was a nice run if only for a p.r. but more than that, it was cool to pound a sweet 16 so early in the morning.sarap to just let loose along the deserted and barricaded boulevard for ourselves to keep pounding and banging on with our rubbers.rubber shoes!

surely was a 10!

good times jay.

eversince sir jovie started posting about his l.a.and manila runabouts and after reading joe and jay’s versions,the idea tickled my feet.it had to happen.

as if yesterday’s kotr 21k wasn’t enough,i pulled myself out of bed by 3:45am and prepared to do battle along a new route that joe and jay and myself are planning to run together.i had to pep myself a little since i had doubts and fears about going through uncharted territories in relative darkness.i waited a little bit more till i thought it would be safer to run.

and so here i was,taking my new camelbak beltbag hydration kit for a spin.i started off at bhs where kotr started yesterday at exactly 5:12am then onwards to slex/villamor.had to hide my earphones here and had to look tough for obvious reasons-the tattoos and earring worked! this is the first tricky part as bards knows it(however,she puts it as nakakaaliw).it is like playing patintero with cars and people so be ready to stop,look and listen from the slex rotonda till after the villamor flyover construction.it IS dark under the flyover.had an unscheduled 15-minute slowdown as i was wearing my camel baliktad pala-dumb dumb.you know,first time.have to find the right holes man.daylight was on the onset.

onwards to the sleek naia3,world class from the outside.then on to andrews avenue,rotonda near old domestic then airport road.i unknowingly hit the good times district of pasay here.retiring bar girls, obviously ready to hit the sack, were infront of their establishments making kuwento with fellow workers about their previous night’s take.medyo soggy na ang mga makeup.then roxas boulevard near the baclaran church na.how to cross it,a question lingered in my mind-could i outrun those speedfreak bus drivers? i did!

on to snr then jetti then the church which was surprisingly closed at 6:30am.the presence of many bikers and runners was but a foreboding sign of things to come.as soon as i hit the bayside area at the back of moa,multitudes upon multitudes of people of all shapes,ages and size were scattered along the seawall.some holding hands,some just whiling their time away,some just gazing into the bay.2 big groups were doing calisthenics.and so it was to be the sight for at least a kilometer.maaaring may world war 3 na pero mga tao dito walang pakialam sa mundo.they were just by themselves.big human traffic here.

on to macapagal boulevard.at last,my feet were on the most expensive asphalted road.did not feel much different though.buendia loomed and somehow,milo 42 memories came back.didn’t do too much breathing workout here with the buses,jeeps and all providing the different kind of air you do not need. just too much to take. but what can i do? so, trudge on i did till it was the turnaround point of yesterday’s kotr at buendia makati side.tiyaga at tiyaga pa,eto na ang flyover. as if running for 2.5 hours so far wasn’t enough,may huling birit pa itong rutang ito.plod on.plod on.plod some more.now i know how jay felt about onrushing vehicles.i felt like an election candidate waving and waving for them to see me.

at last fort shell and homecourt-time to put the earphones back.turned right at jollibee after a quick stop at starbucks where i saw my motorcycle buddy and had a brief chat.onwards to bhs and following the route to the kotr finish line,i raised my hands in silent victory as i hit my imaginary finish line.25.75kms in 3:17.haven’t run this far since milo.where was the usual sunday crowd of fitness people?either they all ran yesterday at kotr or because it was a little past 8am na.bhs was pretty much deserted except for people dismantling the gawad area.plus a few bikers and 2 runners.

if yesterday was bliss,today was bliss-ter.had one.i noticed too that my singlet,rubbers,socks and ankle area were darker than usual from all the smoke belchers-that is how bad the polluton is around the roads.

the Lord was good today.the sun came out just as i was about to hit my finish.and the camel was good too,my water dried up as soon as i stopped.

and thank God for taper weeks,next week’s running sked doesn’t have a 3 hour routine.

coupled with yesterday’s kotr 21,my weekend adventure was complete.

i nailed a good one today and boy, did i suck this camel dry.

(22) ADIDAS KOTR 21k/BHS/ 11OCT2008….much of i wanted to say was already written by faster-on-the-draw running bloggers earlier.well,some trivial things i want to share.

arriving at bhs for the start of this highly-anticipated race, i saw multitudes of runners and so it was next to impossibe to chat with friends before the race.the forecast of cloudy skies was nowhere (no big thanks to pag asa).i was ready to run soaking wet,good thing the rains did not come.

gun is off and so we went our jolly way-me,ilo(running his maiden 21) and niko-conquer the roads and flyovers of makati we did in our own turtle way.along the way and back,i met dindo(DATC,for the first time) running along with doc joe(who is training earnestly for the bataan ultra with a camelbak backpack as his training buddy),sir jovie,mesh(bards’ buddy whom i met for the first time too) and at the finish line had photo ops with jay and dindo and a few other friends.i saw jaymie and marga as well.and bards (self-proclaimed aspiring photographer) too opposite the finish line area, in her usual happy self.i had to extend my run up to the starbucks area to make it a flat 21k as my watch registered a 20.73km reading only at the finish line.you know,it is kinda unfulfilling to prepare for a 21 and actually not complete it on d-day.

it was nice to be treated as royalty on the road by loads and loads of marshals and cops who stopped traffic along all major intersections,much to the discontentment of many drivers whose continuous honking i could hear again and again.it has been said many times but mr. rudy biscocho and his organization really do races way too cool.and on time.

to run along buendia and the flyovers sans traffic was pure bliss.

and so it came to pass,it felt good to be treated like kings and queens if only for a day.

thanks to the support group.thanks to mr. rudy b.

most of all, thank you adidas, impossible is ,indeed, nothing.

my weekend adventure was just starting to unravel…….

after finally getting through the race office number yesterday,this after finding out from the adidas stores that forms and singlets were extinct like the dinosaurs,the lady at the office told me to call back today at baka may additional printing of race bibs.

call i did and the guy said the plan to print addtional race bibs did not push through.the announced end date of registration on 09OCT2008 obviously ended way before due to the deluge of registrants last saturday and the days before.there are about 5,000 registered runners in all who will be crowding bhs this saturday so better come early.

if adidas which plays second fiddle to nike as far as market share is concerned can mount a VERY successful event like this,i do not see any reason why nike,the overwhelming market leader in sports gear,cannot hold a similar event like this with the same if not more success.sure,there was the nike human race but the prohibitive registration cost disguised as nike sportband and ipod kit was enough to deter thousands of other runners.the human race was enjoyable alright but where is the fun when others are idly watching by the sidelines?barya barya lang naman siguro sa nike ang magpakarera.

and so all you lucky souls who already have their kotr singlets and bibs,hold on to them for dear life.buti di pa uso ang scalpers sa road races.let us all have a blast!this is going to be fun.at least for an hour or so, we can all be kings (and queens) of the road.

come on nike, you can do it too.adidas just did it and maybe it is time you put your money where your mouth is-JUST DO IT-sans sportsband/ipod kit.

if adidas can roar mightily, will nike just purr?if adidas has its annual king of the road, what have you got nike?

bring it on.

p.s. i am a nike fan.still am.

(21) 05 October 2008 – Hope in Motion 3 @ AAV- this was a 10k no frills run for the benefit of S.O.S. Starting at the back of the pack,behind bunches and bunches of funwalkers,i did not have clear estimate of how many 10k runners were there.i met bald runner, sir jovie for the first time and jay,the pc,junc(first introduction as well) before the race as we were doing warmups.i also saw patrick(aka running shield), ben chan the fotog, atty. felipe dumpit of s.o.s/la union,the happy feet posse plus jaymie the bull runner(you seem to be on a winning streak lately,congratulations!) after the finish and her buddy annie whom i have yet to meet personally.met for the first time manokan express himself,jinoe.funny but we get introduced by our “road” names ,have you noticed? plus of course a few other familiar running faces.

the race started late at around past 6:30am that while chatting at the back with br,we got left behind by the pack and by then the sun was up.i was contented to run at a leisurely pace making targets out of the slower runners as an incentive to go a little faster.being a first-time runner of the aav area, the route seemed endless but the trees ,wide roads, light vehicular traffic and largely unpolluted atmosphere made up for a good sunday run.i was consciously preserving my energy because this was just a prelude to another round.

finally,it was the finish line in sight and as agreed before the 10k start,sir jovie,pc,lester and gigi(the fitmommy) and myself went out again to do a comfortable 10k run by doing the same exact loop.gigi begged off after a few minutes and so it was sir jovie and jay and myself together(incidentally,we are confirmed participants of the bataan death march 102k) with lester and his buddy charging ahead. knowing how seasoned these two companions of mine were, i tried my best to stay abreast and they were gracious enough to stay at pace with me till the end.it was my 1st time to run relatively late and under a sun that was beginning to really heat up everything.altogether,we had a good gang bang of the streets of ayala alabang.

another 20/20 weekend for me. i am starting to feel good about my training. still building on that endurance for the coming ultra.rest day for the running bones and rubbers today and tomorrow.

tuesday onwards is another running story waiting to be told.

it has been what-12 days since the last road race i joined,the pmi @60 10k run at u.p. last 21SEP2008.and it seems i can’t wait to scratch my feet.not even last week’s 82k run total filled my need for (turtle)speed.if i were a car, i’d surely be a full-sized suv guzzling up on all the fuel OPEC greedily produces.i just can’t have enough.now i know how dean k. feels.

it seems like eternity waiting for the next run at ayala alabang on sunday, hope in motion 3.it is a new,totally alien route to me so that is where the excitement is.

looking at the october run sked is like having the runners version of the oktoberfest beer festival of germany.there are lots of road races, simultaneous and even back to back on weekends.we will have a full dose of what we runners are looking for.it is good to be careful for what you wish for.october is going to be a fun run month.

iba pag training runs ,iba pag actual road races kahit pa nasa hulihan ka.there is the X factor that i don’t feel in training when i am in a road race. i hope it can’t get any crazier than this.

let’s go burn rubber!