Oh hello, 2012!

It's been a long while since I posted here! Why? Well, Hero's here! The past months have been a whirlwind of cuteness, eyebags and holiday fat. Chips is actually on this quest to get back into shape. But Hero is just so good at keeping him from going out to run (look at that face, who wouldn't want to stay in?).

We're pretty excited for this year. Especially since Hero can be with me at the finish line once she's big enough. And that would just fall around this year's TNF100 - summer at Baguio with Hero, how fun is that?! I'm also really grateful that BR has published his planned races for 2012 - at least I'd have a reference of when Chips is going to be gone.

So far, here are the runs he's chosen to join:

January 14, 2012—BDM 50K “Test Run” Mariveles to Abucay, Bataan (as support crew)

January 21, 2012—MOUNTAIN & TRAIL RUNNING 101 - TBC

February 5, 2012—Condura Skyway Marathon, "Run for the Mangroves"

February 25, 2012—MOUNTAIN & TRAIL RUNNING 101 - TBC

March 3-4, 2012—4th BDM 102K Ultra Marathon Race (as support crew)

April 21-22, 2012—TNF100 Baguio, 100K 

June 2, 2012—Taklang Damulag 50-Mile Mountain/Trail Run & 50K Run

August 25, 2012—2nd ILOCOS NORTE (Burgos To Pagudpud) 60K Ultra Marathon Run

That basically takes care of half of the year. Though really, I never know when another race decides to show up. Like with a free race kit or something. Hero and I will just be ready with our finish line outfits (swimsuits too, for the Pagudpud run!).

Happy New Year, everyone!

frontRunner's Run to the Clouds (also known as the fabled last race)

When the hubby signed up for this, he said it was going to be his last for the year. I guess it was silently qualified as the last ultramarathon for the year. Because yes, his running mistress managed to squiggle in yet ANOTHER free race (will post about this one separately).

The Run to the Clouds Ultramarathon was held last October 30, up in the Benguet Province. They hole up in Baguio City the day before, where the shuttle was going to pick them up to take them up to the starting line. So while we were dying from the humidity here in Manila, they were enjoying the cool and pine-scented fresh mountain air. 

The race starts at Ambuklao Dam. And finishes on top of this mountain where you see those big radars (in Sto. Tomas) if you're in Baguio City. So the place you'd like to reach after x-hours is actually literally, mountains away. 

photo by Runners Spotted

Anyway, he totally loved this race. A big thanks to frontRunner magazine for organizing it. He raved about the people he met, about the views they saw, about the challenge of the uphills and downhills. Yes, he raved like a madwoman who successfully conquered a super sale (oh wait, that would be me).

photo by Dabobong Delos Angeles

He had discovered the benefits of a ponkan while jogging uphill and of the soups he bought at roadside karinderyas to warm his insides. He also told me while smiling ear to ear about some Baguio locals he chatted up as they biked uphill (visualize: crazy runner beside pedaling biker going uphill). I listened as he laughed about taking a cold shower in some outhouse after he crossed the finish line.

Cold shower. It was 10 degrees. His breath turned to mist every time he exhaled. Yes, he took a cold shower. I would've totally screamed my head off.

photo by Stephen Lopez Felices

The biggie at the end of it: Chips so enjoys runs in Baguio that he says we'll have to take Hero there a lot. YAY. I love Baguio. I'll teach her how to ride a horse. We can be on the horse, ride up the mountain trails and be followed (or alongside) her crazy daddy. Who'll most probably be running along wearing his favorite trail shoes.

2011 Adidas KOTR Philippines

The running mistress, she found her way (and got it) - AGAIN. See, I already knew that the hubby was going to the frontRunner cloud race thing. I had braced myself to spend half of the super long weekend without him.

Then miraculously, the hubby got a free race kit for Adidas King of the Road. Oh, you running mistress your ways are cunning, yes they are! At least it wasn't a full marathon (consuelo). And he was gone for less than 4 hours. Okay, like I was awake anyway. But still.

 

Last race schmace. 

When the hubby returned home, I was ready to put on a pout. But then he had my favorite meal from Tapa King for breakfast. Oh he knows me so well. I can't help but love him and his blistered feet.

*Race Results from the Organizers still not available, but you could check for updates HERE.

Photos from A Runner's Circle and Team USB.

35th Milo Marathon - Garmin Connect

I think that this Garmin thing is so cool. Honestly, when the hubby showed me a photo of the watch I said to him, "It looks like a calculator." Well, it still does. But at least now I think it's a cool calculator.

Ever since he got it, they've been inseparable on runs. Even the shortest distance. Still need to wear it. Except for unfortunate instances (very few) when he forgets it or forgets to charge it.

He even wanted to try out its heart rate monitor belt-thing on my tummy to see if it could pick up our baby's heartbeat. If we get crazy enough maybe we just will.

so the hubby's not running TNF100

Remember the first time he asked for a really good reason to NOT run?  Well, apparently my concerns of him breaking a leg, falling or dying wasn't good enough.  It did though come to some point that I really did just want him to run, because I could feel that he really wanted to do it.

But then our little bean came into the picture.  So he's decided to give up his kit and not run this coming weekend.  

So the "I have to run TNF100 this year" goal is out for now.  Maybe next year.  The new goal is to do a sub-four in a marathon.  There are two coming up this June-July, and there's a 50k trail as well that's under consideration.  

But as of now, much of our excitement (as well as the grandparents-to-be) is on getting our bean healthy and well.   I'll have to get a nice chair for finish line waiting now.  Haha.

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dear Front Runner Magazine, thanks for giving my husband ideas.

Okay, I kind of mean that sarcastically.  Alright, who am I kidding.  I can't say I'm totally happy that he read that article.  And I can't say that I'm spastically bummed either.  Primarily because this now directly concerns - ME.  

We got this issue at the BDM 2011 Celebration Dinner.  It had Sir Jovie aka Bald Runner on the cover.  I think this is our second issue... or third.  I don't really pay attention to them, as they are dwarfed by the ginormous issues of Vogue and Harper's Bazaar.  Okay, cue in some little back story.

BACK STORY:

Watching National Geographic, I see this ad on an Earth Day Run.  I love the world.  I think it's the most awesome thing.  When I was a kid, wanted to be a planeteer.  I wanted to meet Captain Planet.  So I saw that there was  3K distance and I told the hubby that maybe I could run that.  I rally some of my friends to join (I'm not sure if they will).  And asked Chips if he could pace me again, like the last time.

Okay, back to now: the hubby I think is really excited.  And I don't know where this "maybe I could run the 3k" initiative came from.  I suppose I really love Mother Earth.  We all should, anyway.  

Anyhoo, where does Front Runner come in?  Zoom down into the little lower left corner:

One evening, Chips did a scurry to me while I was doing my calligraphy in our study.  He had the magazine in his hand, pointing to the bold sans-serif text.  Hey hunny, this is perfect for you.  Or something like that.  I look at him pensively.

This program is totally easy!  And it's really doable.  It's like what I do *pause* but with longer distances.

He shows me the article, which had a table under it.  It was divided into 8 weeks.  

We could just adjust it to the three weeks you have until the race.  You can stop here *points to a part in the table* because you're just racing 3k anyway and just...

I zone out a bit.  He asks me for the scissors, and I give it to him.  He then proceeds to cut the table and sticks in on our shoe cabinet (well it's a cabinet for clothes that we have filled with shoes).

I've been doing the program for the past 5 days.  Which is actually pretty manageable.  I think I pretty much surprised my otherwise inactive self a bit.  The first runs, though really short distances, really HURT.  Yeah I know what you're thinking, you serious runners you, that's the distance you actually just cool down with.  I know.  It makes me feel somewhat like a wuss.

The day after is usually filled with the inability to squat and reach stuff that are on the floor.  It also pains me to go down stairs.  Yesterday we ran again and I don't know about my body being deceptive or anything, but so far I'm not feeling so much pain.  I guess that's a good thing?

So there.  Thanks Front Runner, I am free from my husband's jeering at my once-a-week jogging ritual.  Let's just hope this keeps up.  I can't believe I even said that.

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BDM 102 2011: our test of patience

We started the post BDM 102 blogging with a rather emotional entry, and some photos.  And now here comes some kind of storytelling.  I'm sure there are a lot of other blogs out there already, so I'll try make this long read worthwhile :)

 

We got to Mariveles at around 7:30PM and unlike the first test run, there were already a LOT of people. So many support vehicles were lined up on the street.  This time, we were three in the support team.  We had a driver, so at least he and Cian could take turns resting.  

Given that we had already done the first 50k test run, we basically already knew what to expect for the first half.  But that really doesn't allay all your fears.  Something could still go wrong.  It was a new day. A different day.  It was raining, and I didn't know how that would affect things.  

Chips had a new race plan.  We reviewed it one last time, made some last minute changes and took our places.  Him at the starting line and us, ready to jump into our support vehicle once they're off and running.  

Up until the 50th kilometer, we were really making good time.  We even had a break at Burger Machine which was uber good.  It was looking on the up and up for the next stretch.

But then again, the universe will really test you.  There comes a point when it seems that a 5k interval would seem longer and longer.  And then you'd begin to question if you should've stopped 2 kilometers before, instead of really meeting him after 5 kilometers.  Maybe he won't notice.  I guess he wouldn't mind.  Better shorter than longer.

There was a part of me that wanted to stop earlier.  Especially when we were over 60 kilometers.  I feel bad for even doubting his capacity.  But as a wife, I would do anything to alleviate pain (I suppose this goes for all other support crews).  To make him feel better, to not have to wait and see if he'd make it.  Hard as it was, I shake this off and just really stop at our assigned marker.  Because you know, I just had to also believe that he really could do it.

The wait is AGONIZING to say the least.  And it gets much so when you're closer to the finish line.  The sun was scorching.  It's like it was screaming summer.  The memory of rain was totally erased from the night before.  It was so hot that we had to buy more ice for our cooler.  And we were even close to running out of his drinks and gels.  We'd park our van under a small shade and wait.  Every time, I would be too worried to even catch a nap.  I'd sit up even before my 10-minute alarm would ring.

Restless, I'd pop the back of the van and sit.  Looking on to see if the next runner would be him.  I don't know if those runners (those who turn out to be not him) would sense a hint of dismay in me.  I'd smile at them, say something like "just a bit more" or "___ kilometers to go".  And then it's back to waiting.  And then you really just think, it's so goddamn hard to be patient.

With less than 20 kilometers to go, it would also be a test of acceptance.  For Chips too, I suppose.  To already accept that the cramps would just not let him run.  We had to endure seeing him walk all that way, when we knew that he really, really wanted to run.  We'd say that it's going to be okay, you can do it.  Konti nalang, finish line na.

Amidst the whirlwind of juggling emotions, rationing what we had and the effort to put on a rainbow of positivity, we make it to the last stretch before the finish line.  We'd be spongeing Chips down with iced water every 1.5 to 2 kilometers just to help with the heat.  So for that last bend, I let Cian get off at the corner with the cooler and sponges.  Chips would like to still finish strong and he'll need that last bit of icy jolt.

I meet BR and other finishers and poise myself on the other side of the finish banner.  It is so relieving to see your runner finish.  So much that all the waiting, the worrying, the wild imagining of what-if scenarios... they all just poof.  Finally, you could really say to yourself that everything's okay.

Our BDM102 run is dedicated to our friend Patti's grandfather,

Dr. Norberto Samson, who survived the Bataan Death March of 1942.

what to do before the BDM 102?

It's the morning of the race and we're prepping the stuff to bring.  Change of clothes, Counterpain, bandages, medicine, sweaters and extra running shoes.  Making sure that the laptop and the camera are charged... making a list of additional things to buy, and prepping other stuff.

Make sandwiches for Chips and us support teamers.

Junk food, fruits, sponges, etc. 

Cooler friends.

Chips is cooking pasta for lunch, and I'm busy queuing my 365/day project since the weekend will practically be dead for us.  I can't wait till this is over, because it means we'll be celebrating with SISIG!

HK Marathon 2011: before, the day, and after.

The good thing about a shopper like me marrying a runner, is that I get to come along for the Hong Kong leg of the Standard Chartered Marathons.  Yey!  Perfect!

We arrive the day before the marathon.  The hotel we stayed at had free airport transfers, which was really convenient.  And it beats paying 300HKD for a cab.  The flight landed us in HK way too early for check-in, so we just left our bags at the concierge and made our way to Victoria Park, where the distribution of race bags was happening.

After getting the race kit, we make our way thru the little streets to find some place to eat.  We ended up in Electric Street, and were faced with rows and rows of noodle houses.  The first place that had english in their menu - we sat and ordered!  Cheap, yummy and just what we needed climate-adjusting on our first day.

The rest of the day, I spent with our friend Maggie, who now resides in HK.  She couldn't believe the route mapped out - it's practically the ENTIRE Hong Kong!  Tunnels, bridges... it's absolutely impressive how the organizers managed to close these thorough-ways to traffic.

The gun start for Chips' 42k wave is at 7am, which is the latest from our experience.  We make our way to Nathan Road early, because we also needed to find the baggage drop, which was on a different street. The organization of the event is really commendable, with security and traffic enforcers everywhere.  I guess the good thing about HK is that their MTR system is so developed, that people could live a day with main roads closed.

wearing the cheapo gloves I got him at Mongkok.  better than nothing!

interesting people at the starting line.

can you spot the hubby?

the only time I saw the MTR tunnel empty.

I had the luxury of sleeping for a bit (and eating tons of bacon at the breakfast buffet) before making my way to the finish line, which was over on the Hong Kong side.  This time, the MTR wasn't so empty.  Walking out of the Causeway Bay exit, I was greeted by a huge throng of people squishing thru the barricades.  For a moment I feared for us who were on the exit escalator, because there was no place to go and it's not like the escalator had a stop button.

Thank goodness the security guys immediately fix the routing of pedestrians, and the street could somewhat breathe.  I was extremely lucky that the street I ended up on was part of the actual race route.  I get myself into a space between the unused barricades and prep the camera.  Waiting and worrying for a good hour, I finally spot the hubby coming towards me.  I scream, but he was in some zone.  Didn't even flinch.  After I get my snaps, I run to Victoria Park to TRY to meet him.

for real?!?

dog spectator.

Chips with fellow Pinoy finisher, Nino Fajardo.

The thing about the hubby looking very Chinese, is that amongst 10,000 runners, he's practically impossible to spot.  I actually tried, three times, to find him within the recovering and resting crowd of runners on the main event area.  Until finally, I just decided to wait at our assigned "if we can't find each other, we meet here" spot.  That's where I finally see him!  YEY!  I had to skip and run and give him a great big hug.  Extremely proud doesn't event begin to describe what I feel for him.

To him, it was the most awesome marathon he's ever done.  They went through tunnels and huge bridges.  It was so cold that his breath turned to mist, and it was hard to grab his gels from his back pocket.  But the view from the bridge - both the horizon and the stomach-churning sight of the water, he says, was AMAZING.

Pinoy marathons have quite a way to go still, he says.  Runners in HK were so strong, that beyond 21k when normally they thin out, he still had so many people to contend with.  Including runners who liked broadcasting their music instead of using earphones - one was playing Kenny G and he unfortunately was at the same pace for a good five minutes.

the new PR.  yeaheah!

Right after the race, we have a second dose of hot noodle soup goodness from the same noodle house of the day before.  We then met up with Maggie again for a walk around Tsim Tsa Tsui.  And since the race is over, Chips can now eat evil food!  Yey!

Cheesedogs wrapped in bacon and deep-fried!
With cuttlefish japanese style, also deep-fried haha!

Peking Duck in oily goodness.

I'm already looking forward to next year :D

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Official Results: Standard Chartered HK Marathon

And we're back from Hong Kong!  It was a break from the warmth and humidity that is Manila, and for the first time, I actually get to wait at the finish line wearing a scarf and a coat.

A lengthier blog will follow on some anecdotes from the hubby and myself.  But for now, a big CONGRATULATIONS to Chips for finishing with a PR on one of the hardest Standard Chartered marathons!

You may get the official results here.

That's us on Nathan Road, waiting for the start.

I'm so proud of him.  Not only did he get to participate in one of the biggest marathons in Asia, he also got to do it in really good time!

Next up, Bataan Death March 102k.  Go Team Chips!

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Thrill of the Trail:TNF100 CamSur

"Hun?" he said.

I think we were watching Criminal Minds or some Discovery Channel show and I was eating ice cream.  

"I think I want to run the TNF100," he continues.  "Is that okay?"

"Okay," I said, "it's your choice... like I can stop you."  Which is true.  If he didn't do it, I can bet all my shoes that he's going to be bummed to the extremes.

"Well, like if there was a good reason for me to not run."

I really didn't know what to give.  Umm, you might break a leg?  You might fall?  You might get sick?  And the most honest one as my good friend Shiela would say, YOU MIGHT DIE?

I left that moment at that and knew that whatever health and safety concerns I may have, I'd have to reserve them.  We went to the TNF store and he told the lady he was running the 100K, even if registration wasn't open yet.  He was the masculine version of giddy.  There was a little girl jumping up and down within that tall shell.

Official Blog here.

So there it is, that's where we'll likely be on Labor Day weekend.  At least I'll just be an anxious, totally unnerved wife for just oh, 30 hours (or whatever cut-off time they decide to publish).  The rest I hope to spend lying on the beach with a recovering and hopefully not-so-skinny hubby.

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Condura 2011: Partial & Unofficial result

The hubby is 74 out of 1775 runners in the 21k category.  I'm no whiz at math, but I think that's a pretty good rank!  Yey!

View the partial results here.

That's the hubby in the red singlet.  Bubble got in the way.

I'll be posting more on the race later.  Cheers!

the BDM 50k test run.

A long-overdue post, but I'm a stickler for having all the pictures organized first.  Sorry guys!  Anyway, I'll try not to yammer and just get down to the details.  This documents one of the hardest (and yet most exciting) part of being married to a runner... scratch... an ultramarathoner.  That being, staying awake and alert throughout the entire run, for support.  These two days basically screwed up my body clock for the following week.

Team Chips for that test run (last January 15-16, 2011) comprised of myself and Chips' youngest brother, Cian.  We tried to get as much sleep possible beforehand, because we knew that the day would be extra long.  The groceries we had already done, and all that was left to do was get ice.

 

What we had:

• Loads of Pocari Sweat
• Coleman of water
• A couple of bottles of 100Plus
• Energy gels
• Peanuts
• Junk food (more for us, to keep us awake)
• Coke (since coffee makes me sleepy)
• Sponge and ice
• Bananas
• A folding chair
• Highly absorbent sports towel
• Chips' running and break plan

We leave Manila at around 4pm, just in case it was traffic.  None of us knew where the exact location of kilometer-zero was (except for the fact that there was a Jollibee right beside it), so we just had some allowance in case we got lost.  We arrived at said Jollibee at around 7:30pm, which gave us enough time to have dinner and digest, plus inadvertently listen to the nearby local perya band.

I'd call them all insane but they might trample on me.

Runners started to arrive and Chips then got a chance to get his number.  After a quick briefing by BR and a photo-op, everyone assembled for the start.  There were a lot of support vehicles, so at least we wouldn't get lost along the route.  When the horn blew, we made our way to our support vehicle and headed off for the first stop, which was 7 kilometers out, the landing after the uphill climb.

It was fuh-reeezing!  Good thing I was in leggings and had a jacket.  To think that Chips was kidding me about being so wrapped *sticks tongue out*.

Based on his running plan he was actually doing really good time.  Perhaps too fast for the actual 102k, I wouldn't want him to overdo himself.  We were doing a good pace as a support van too, I guess it's just instinct when you're close to a person... you kind of "sense" him coming round the bend.  When we do, we pop up the back of the van, ready his gels, Pocari Sweat to refill his sports bottle, and the Coleman for water.  

Icing the legs at the 42k mark.

At the later part of the race, we start bringing out the iced sponges and sports towel for his legs to prevent cramping.  Having the folding chair really helped as well (we didn't have that during the P2P).  At some point, we actually started to go low on water.  Good thing there were a lot of open bars and Burger Machine stalls where we could buy additional supplies.  I also make a mental note that I'll be sure to buy a burger (with egg and coleslaw) next time.

I would love to know how to help ward the dogs away.  Chips said he had to go mighty slow so this pack of dogs wouldn't run after him.  Maybe during the actual race I'll throw them a bone to distract them or something (if anyone has a better solution, they are most welcome).  By this time we were getting immensely sleepy.  The Coke and potato chips were getting tired.  The same way I cheer the hubby through the last kilometers, I cheer my senses awake as well.  It was SO friggin hard.

That's a five-zero for you.  Get it, get it?

By around 4am we finally reach the 50k mark (WEE!).  Learning for the actual race: don't forget bandages, bring jogging pants for Chips, and bring more stuff that will keep us awake for another 6 hours.  He's officially the 15th out of 77 runners!  That's like super great *proud grin*

Official results here.

Rehydrating at the finish line.

For the 102K day, we'll have to adjust the running plan.  An easier pace, so the energy could still be sustained (at least) throughout that crazy distance.  And a nap somewhere to recharge.  I also take notes on landmarks for directions, aside from filling up his "actual time" beside the calculated time.

The running plan by my OC hubby.

The anxiety for the 102k actually cannot be described.  It's like this bubble of excitement mixed with this ooze of worry.  I personally have no idea if I could will myself to nap during the stops, while I know that I should.  We definitely will need more awakening stuff.  And I surely will have a better camera.

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