Celebrate A Race for LIFE

Celebrate Good Times

One week after the race, Race for LIFE released the official results of the 3 / 5 / 10 and 15 kilometer road races. And there were a couple of surprises on those results. Join me on a celebratory run this Tuesday night, Nov 3 on Velazquez Park Matati City. I will celebrate the following great achievements on the recently concluded Race For LIFE. For every great achievement, run a kilometer on easy pace. ;)

So let the celebratory run begin.

1. Run a kilometer Jayson, for completing your first 5K race after 11 months of road racing.
2. Run another kilometer for having set a 5K Personal Record (PR) of 21:30 minutes.
3. Run a kilometer for finishing the race within the Top Ten. A 6th place overall finish out of 1085 runners is a wonderful achievement.
4. Run another kilometer for being on the front page of the Real Life Foundation Race Results. Never mind the misspelled, as usual, surname! It was Jayson Deyna on Rota Run. Now it's Jayson Duena. My dear poor surname has always been murdered. Hey! At least Botak Race Results did not. They listed me as "Unknown"! :D
   
5. Run a kilometer for celebrating Women Power on road racing. I had the chance to shake the hands and congratulate the 17-year old Ms. Serenata Saluan after the race. The top female finisher who overtook me and made me eat the dusts left behind by her running shoes. Lady runners rock!
   
6. Run another kilometer to celebrate the young Michelle De Vera, an 11-year old girl, who almost beat me. She gave me the inspiration to finish strong. And she made me smile and have fun. Young runners are really fast and seem to be having a lot more fun and a lot happier than adults. Celebrate youth!
   
7. Celebrate a friend's 10K Personal Best. He had beaten his previous PR by more than 10 minutes I believe. Great job Yeba!! He will be running a few kilometers on the Philippine International Marathon to help me finish strong on my first marathon. Thanks! And this Tuesday, I will be running a kilometer to celebrate your successful 10K run. Try sub-60 minutes on 10K next time! Congratulations!
8. Celebrate the first 5K races of two other friends and colleagues by running a kilometer for them. Good start guys! Keep running.
   
9. Run a kilometer to celebrate another friend's tough run with an aching foot. I know how it feels to be running in pain. And it takes a lot of guts and "heart" to still finish with those circumstances. With that, I will also be running a kilometer for your tough achievement. 
10. Run the last kilometer of this celebratory run just because you have the ability to run. Be grateful. Have fun. Run!
    

I finished 6th with a 21:30 finish.

Michelle, the young lady in pink, took the 2nd place on Women's 5K

Race Results

• Top Finishers of Race for LIFE
• 3K Race Results
• 5K Race Results
• 10K Race Results
• 15K Race Results

Are We Fit 'n Right?

Running, Weight Loss and a new Fitness Workout

It is almost a year since I started road racing. Running has helped me lose weight and achieve a fitter and faster body. From the weighing scale readings and from my recent finish times though, I still have a lot of work to do to achieve my goals.

On weight loss, I am now at 144-149 pounds from 165. I have lost 20 pounds since I started running. Although I cannot seem to get below 144 any more even after more than 3 hours and 27 or more kilometers of Sunday long runs. The last 4 or 5 pounds are the hardest pounds to get rid off.

On my race performances, I have done well relative to when I started racing. Partly because I have worked my way to lose 20 pounds of excessive fats and partly because of the training methods and runs I have been routinely and relentlessly doing. The more I lose weight towards my optimal weight and the more I learn about scientific and better running methods, the better I perform.

And when I was invited to attend Del Monte's Dare to be Fit 'n Right fitness talk, I immediately jumped at the opportunity. One, Conditioning Coach Jim Saret of our National Basketball Team will introduce his F.I.T workout free of charge. The workout is suppose to burn 400 calories in just 4 minutes! Two, I might just have a clue on how I would lose those last 5 pounds off my belly.

The F.I.T Workout

Burn an extra 3500 calories a week and you will lose 1-pound of fat. This has been my target for the past few weeks to reach my target weight. To achieve this, I had to log 45 kilometers of running a week based on Runner's World Calorie Calculator. And I did lose 20 pounds from all those weeks and kilometers of running.

Conditioning Coach Jim Saret claims he knows of a workout that would be able to burn 400 calories in just 4 minutes. Wow. Imagine that! By just allotting 4 minutes a day, we already are close to burning that 1 pound of fat a week. Isn't that great? How?

The Dare to be Fit ‘N Right launch will be a bloggers event that features the revolutionary F.I.T workout by sports scientist and Master Coach Jim Saret. Coach Saret obtained his MS Sports Science degree from Brigham Young University in the US. He is a core training expert and a sports and fitness writer and lecturer. Currently, he is the Sports Program Head of the Ateneo de Manila University and the Strength and Conditioning Coach of the PBA, POC, and the PSC.

The F.I.T Workout or the Fast Interval Training is a four-minute workout that makes you burn at least 400 calories and continues to burn even when you’re done with the workout! Plus, you don’t have to be a gym buff to enjoy the workout. It doesn’t require much space and equipment. It’s scientific, very visual, designed for non-athletes, with measurable results and it’s easy!

The 4 minute workout consists of simple exercises like push-ups, planks, crunches, lunges, squats and jumping jacks. All of which uses our natural body weight and can be performed anywhere. The technique is just to do those exercises in 4 minutes. Have as little recovery periods in between exercises. After 4 minutes, your body would be burning 400 calories. Just 4 minutes.

At the workout demonstration, a relatively big guy around 180-200 pounds performed the exercises in 4 minutes. After which, the guy burned 96 calories based on his watch which could measure his heartbeat rate and calories burned. Yes, only 96 calories and not the advertised 400.

For a while, it seemed like a failed demonstration. And unsurprisingly on my part as I know that in 4 minutes, I could hardly run for a kilometer which would only burn around 75 calories. You really could not burn much on just 4 minutes, right?

Wrong! After about an hour more, while the guy sits on a stool doing absolutely nothing, he was still sweating continuously and now burned a total of 311 calories. Amazing.

Coach Saret attributes that to the post workout effect of the Fast Interval Training workout. Even after the 4-minute workout, our body will continuously burn calories. When his discussions on the FIT workout ended, the guy already burned 469 calories.

Speed Up Your Metabolism with Fit 'n Right

If you partner your F.I.T workout with your Fit ‘n Right fruit juice drink, you’ll see faster results for Del Monte Fit ‘N Right contains the breakthrough L-Carnitine that helps burn fat and B Vitamis 1, 6, 12 that help speed up metabolism.

L-Carnitine is a natural substance that is occurring in the body but can be supplemented for optimal health. It transports the fatty acids into the mitochondria, the “cell’s powerhouse” where they are burned into energy needed for a healthy heart, important body functions and physical activities. Supplementary L-Carnitine contributes to optimal fat oxidation, and along with a proper diet and regular exercise, promotes healthy body weight.

A clinical study done by the University of the Philippines through Dra. Leonora Panlasigui and company has proven the effectiveness of Fit ‘n Right. In that study, it was found that one can lose as such as 16.7% body fat in just 6 weeks with regular consumption of Fit ‘n Right, diet and exercise. There are studies that indicate that 1000mg per day is ideal in helping you lose weight along with proper diet and regular exercise. Each Fit ‘n Right bottle contains 300mg and the recommended daily intake is at least 3 bottles, at least 2 hours before exercise or physical activity to maximize the fat-burning benefit.

B Vitamins 1, 6 and 12 are known as energy boosters and they help reduce fatigue and increase endurance by facilitating conversion of carbohydrates, protein and fat into energy.  With L-Carnitine, B Vitamins can optimize metabolization of carbohydrates, protein and fat into energy.

Need I add more? I also had to get these results for Fit 'n Right Fruit Snacks as conducted by Gold's Gym. Mojo Jojo and Slick Rick faced off for an eight-week weight loss challenge. The Weight-Loss Face-Off consisted of workout exercises, diet and three servings of Del Monte Fit 'n Right Fruit Snacks daily for eight weeks.

FACE-OFF, Slick Rick vs Mojo Jojo

SLICK RICK

I have to say that I’m a happy- go-lucky guy, but of course there are times that I have insecurities about my weight and appearance. I envy the people that can lose weight really quick and I’m not part of that lucky group. With the Weight-Loss Face-Off Challenge, I don’t skip a day that I don’t have at least 2 or 3 servings of Fit ’n Right Fruit Snacks.  It’s my guiltless way to have something sweet. I don’t want to be the fat guy anymore. I want to be confident and not worry about my weight. With 20 pounds lost for just 8 weeks because of Fit ‘n Right Fruit Snacks and regular exercise, I would keep the weight off even after the challenge has finished. I’d like to show off to the public that if I can do it, they can do it as well. I’m a new person now, thanks to Fit ‘n Right Fruit Snacks for giving me back my confidence!

MOJO JOJO

When I was a teenager, I used to be quite athletic. However, when college came along, I found that my physical activities took a back seat to studying and hitting the books. Then when I started working, I really let myself go, no more exercise and I was not concern about what I ate. And with my metabolism no longer that of a teenager, shedding the extra weight became more difficult. When they weighed me at the beginning of the challenge, I was really shocked that I had ballooned to 183 pounds! It was a realization for me to really change my lifestyle… more so than the reason of “just looking good”—it was time to think about my health. Healthy snacking played a big part in my weight loss. Instead of chowing down fatty foods, I really got into the habit of eating Fit ‘n Right Fruit Snacks whenever I felt that snacking urge. Whenever listeners would call into our radio show and make comments about how much weight I was losing and that I looked better, it reaffirmed that all my hard work was paying off.

Dare To Be Fit 'n Right Fun Run

Details of the Fit 'n Right Fun Run

The fun run will be held at SM Mall of Asia on November 22. Great! That will be my first race at MOA grounds. P300, 000 will be at stake for the runners including a chance to win a Lenovo laptop to be raffled off!

Organized by CEMG and supported by the Manila Bulletin, Solar Sports and Lenovo, the 3K/5K/10K Men and Women Open Run will benefit the victims of typhoon Ondoy and Pepeng through the SM Foundation. So we will not only be joining the fun run for our fitness and health. We would also be able to extend our helping hands to our Kababayans affected by the typhoons.

Registration fee is P300 inclusive of singlet, race bib and Del Monte products. Participants can register at the following:

1. CEMG Office – Unit 3A Vernida I Bldg., Amorsolo St., Legaspi Village, Makati City (look for Marianne Tapales (892.5842/09155498282)
2. Dare to be Fit ‘n Right booths in Bonifacio High Street, Taguig plus SM Hypermart in Mall of Asia, Sucat, Pasig, and North EDSA
3. Fitness First branches on November 16.

Online Registration is also available at www.runningmate.ph/del_monte. See who's running in this Fun Run on the Race List.


A Personal Challenge

Will Fit 'n Right help me achieve my weight and running goals? Will it fit to my training schedule? Will it just be the right ingredient for me to finally reach that elusive optimal running weight? There's only one way to find out. Your friendly cyberspace lab rat is once again more than willing to put it to the test.

1. For 6 weeks, I will drink 3 bottles of Fit 'n Right each day.
   
2. I will continue with my regular running workouts.
3. I will incorporate Coach Jim Saret's FIT workout on my Core Training Days and Cross Training schedules.
   

At the 4th week of this challenge, on November 22, I will attempt to beat my previous 10K record of 51:19 minutes at the Dare To Be Fit 'n Right Fun Run. I hope to see you there guys. And finally at Week 6 on December 6, 2009, I will give an update on how this F.I.T workout and the L-carnitine in Fit 'n Right helped me to achieve my optimal running weight of 140 pounds.

Or better yet, you could try the F.I.T workout yourself supplemented by Fit 'n Right. After all, it doesn't hurt to try, right?

Race for LIFE: My Top 10 Finish

Race Day

Going into this morning's race, I had two goals in mind. One, finish under 20 minutes. Two, finish among the top 10. I woke up at 3:20am, took a shower, ate breakfast and a liter of Fit 'n Right, and then texted my colleagues how we would proceed to One Nation Building at The Fort.

Four of us will be racing, 3 for a 5K including myself and a 10K runner. We went there chatting, laughing with each other, fun stuff.. just relaxed and easy. I am a bit worried about my left knee though. I did not wrap it this time around hoping it has fully healed. Both my feet were wrapped so as to protect and stabilize the left foot. The right foot was wrapped mainly for balance. Despite this week's rest and rehabilitation of my aching left foot and left knee, I hoped for the best and wish to give it a 100% during the race.

We arrived early and took the time to warm up. I felt great and was practicing a little bit of the sprinting technique I just have learned from a set of training videos. Then we started walking towards the starting line. There was no program like a series of motivating speeches with background music. No national anthem. Just the busy checking of race bibs and then a gunfire. Simple as that.

The 15K runners were the first to be released. There were so very few of them, more or less 50. Perhaps most long distance runners are preparing for tomorrow's Adidas King of the Road or the Subic International Marathon.

Exactly 30 minutes later, the 10K followed. Will my colleague beat his 1:15 - 1:16 previous 10K finish time? I certainly hoped so, he will be my pacer for the last 8 kilometers of my November 8 marathon.

There were a lot more 10K runners than the 15K. The 10K distance of the Race for LIFE was my very first race last November 22, 2008. I finished it in exactly 56:00 minutes and was not able to walk straight nor stand erect for the following days. With no training and no race experience, I joined last year's 10K. Hahaha. Still, that race opened my eyes on the simplicity and beauty of running as a sport. Less than a year later, who would have thought I will be running a marathon. I am that active and addicted now.

Back to the race.. A few minutes more and we, the 5K runners, will be sent off. I told my friends that I will go ahead near the starting line as I will be running strongly from the onset. I am all fired up, I have a goal and it's all locked up in my head. I am focused and determined to finish as fast as I could and beat the 20-minute mark.

Off We Go

The huge Timex digital watch on the starting line reads 0:36:++ when the gun fired.

I started blazing. A few steps more and I find myself running only behind of 2 faster runners. Wow! That pumped me up. I was catching up with them for the first kilometer of the race. For the first time in my racing life, I was running just right behind the race security motorcade. "Weeh Weeh Weeh.." The sound of the security siren was incredibly raising my adrenaline to a whole new level. So this is what it feels like to be an elite runner huh? I dashed stronger.

Bad move! Big mistake!

After the first kilometer, I was third. After the second kilometer, I was fifth. I may have finished the 2 kilometers in a record 7:35 time but I was losing steam right there just at the second kilometer. The pace knocked me out of my comfortable pace. I was slowing down with every passing second.

The water station helped a little bit. I slowed down, drank more than a half of the disposable drinking cup, poured the remaining water on top of my head and then went on with the race. Four elite runners are about 300 meters away from me now and another one just right behind me. She is also an elite athlete as she was leading all the ladies on the 5K race.

On my stronger days, I would have taken her challenge. I would have hanged on and fought for the fifth place. This day though, I simply surrendered. I let her pass me by and I was content to follow her as long as I could. A healing left knee, a healing left foot and a big mistake on the start of the race led to my miseries. After 2.5 kilometers, I was now down to 6th.

How about the 20-minute goal? You have declared it as your target on at least one of your blog posts right? You did it 20:47 on a 5K training day Jayson, you could do it now.. come on. You even shared your training regimens and schedule on takbo.ph on a forum for a sub-20 minute 5K race, right? Push!

And I did. I was just unable to. My legs did not have the bounce they used to have during training. I was not this tired on my training runs before. But yes, I still want to finish a sub-20. So for a few meters I tried to speed up.

Then a guy passed me by and that completely crushed my spirit. My legs are now weakening exponentially against time. I did not even want to look at my timer anymore. I love to whine now, really. :'(

Then again, why should I be sad and whining? Slowing down or not, meeting a goal or not, injured or not, am I not happy just being on the road and being able to do what I want to do? I am now at 8th place. And it is just a little more than 1 kilometer to go, finish strong! 

Inspired by a Little Girl

From third, to fifth, to sixth, to seventh and now eight.. Doesn't matter. I am living my dream and I am running on my own pace now. Sometimes the time, the rankings, the pride of being overtaken plays a little nasty trick on our minds. Races are won by the fastest runners, yeah but winning is not everything. Pushing myself to my limits, whatever that limit is for this time being, should be my challenge. It was probably greed that threw me out of my thinking self. Really, my goals are set to be the best I can be. Not by beating the hell out of other runners. Had I stayed comfortably at a 4:10 pace, I would not be struggling like crazy now.

What will put me back into this race? A peaceful, happy, energetic and thinking mind. Just when I was busy correcting my mental flaws, a father and a daughter tandem passed me by just by the 4th kilometer mark. The girl was just around 9-11 years old. The father guiding her daughter for her best possible finish. I was now tenth.

With all my remaining strength, powered by the happy thought of this little young girl guided by her loving father and doing her best to finish her race, I pushed myself to finish strong. I finished unofficially at 8th place with 21:24 minutes on my Casio, 0:57:++ from the Timex (started at 36:++ for the 5K).

The little girl behind me took the 2nd place on Women's 5K Open

Photo courtesy of Anson's Site 

It took a young girl to remind me that running isn't all about winning, competition and finish times.. It's also about having fun.

A Happy 3K Run

Thoughts of having an injury really scare me. I had to rest for two full days. Better to be safe than sorry, right? Wednesday, third day after suffering from foot and knee pains, I am raring to run again but wasn't too sure if my foot and knee could take it.

At morning, I packed a jogging pants and a singlet just in case. Really made me feel a true blue runner now! I can't help but want to run. The passion to just go out there and hit the road.

Still, I had to make sure I would not aggravate the pains. So I wrapped the left foot with my boxer's hand wraps. Just around the top and the foot arch with the support from the ankles. But leaving the forefoot and the heels free to move. I extended the wraps upwards to the knees going around the calves. I then secured the wrap with a packaging tape.

I wore jogging pants to cover the not-so-good-looking wraps. I know I wouldn't be able to run as fast as with my Botak racing shorts but what the heck? I just wanted to know if I can run. I wanted to really tell if I could proceed with the 5Km Race for LIFE this Saturday. It's been only 3 days after my last run and I was dying to run already. I am missing the road badly. Period. (This is the part where you shout ADDiCT! :D).

I texted Hon of the plan. She told me to run no longer than 3Km and stop immediately if I feel any soreness or pains. I promised to follow her requests, just let me run. And so with her consent, to Velazquez Park I went after my work at the office.

It feels so great to be back at the road. I love the shoes, the singlet, the road. It's a great great feeling to be able to run again. I will surely remember this day and never forget to be grateful with every running day from now on. Run because I can. Feels great.

When I reached the park and started warming up, boy I wanted to shout in joy! Thank goodness I'm OK. The foot is secured, the knee is protected, run! I did not start the Casio Timer. I was just too happy. After a few hundered meters the sweat began to go out of my skin. I felt warm, I felt good to go. I thought "When I reach the end of the first kilometer loop, I will try to speed up."

And so I did. Pressed the timer and off I go on my second kilometer. Accelerate Jayson! See if the knee will hurt. Feel if the foot will crack. Know if you still has what it takes to go for a 20-minute 5K time on Saturday's race. I was accelerating very very carefully. And with the jogging pants, I could not free my legs to swing higher and longer. Even the shorter faster strides get problematic as the pants rub with my legs and with each other (left part rubbing with the right part of the pants). I felt tired after the first 300 meters. I know I was being cautious and cannot really go all out as much as I wanted to.

At the end of the loop, I was surprised to still finish at 4:18 minutes. Then I took the third kilometer loop as my cool down. No longer than 3Km Hon. (Hehe. I know you will be reading this post and looking up at my running logs.)

I walked my way back to the office and write this post happily. I still have a chance to finish a strong 5K this Saturday. More importantly, I am running again!

Never Run When In Pain

What could be the worst thing that could happen to a runner? Not that he or she failed to accomplish a target goal, but not having that precious chance to ever accomplish that goal in the first place. Running injuries come to mind. For a runner, that possibility could be very scary. You feel pain. You won't be able to run. Nightmare!

After a strong 35Km long run last Sunday where I finished in 3 hours and 27 minutes. I felt the usual muscle pains on my calves. No worries, I am already used to it and knows it will go away after a day or two after rest and recovery. The nipples were free of chafing thanks to the tape I used. Prevention is a lot better than cure.

What really bothers me are the pains I feel on my left foot, around the middle part on top of the foot and on the lower left part of my left knee. I immediately searched for the probable injuries I might have suffered. What did I do wrong?

• Violated the much safer 10% limit on weekly mileage increase. From 43Km of weekly mileage last week, I did 53Km this week (23% increase). From 27km long run last week, I did 35km this Sunday (30% increase).
• I thought I could run 35Km. I did!, but my body might have been a little overwhelmed by the sudden increase in mileage.
  

The potential injuries? 

• Tarsal Navicular Stress Fracture  Stress fractures are very small, incomplete breaks or cracks in a bone. Runner's most often get stress fractures in their feet.
  Stress fractures are caused by continuous stress on bones that become overworked. Common running errors such as building mileage too quickly, wearing shoes without enough cushioning, and running too much on hard, non-forgiving surfaces are common contributors to a stress fracture running injury.
  
  The treatment for a stress fracture injury is to stop running. Continuing to run will make the injury worse and could result in a complete break. If you know you have a stress fracture, take two weeks off from running while severely limiting other weight-bearing activities. If you have pain after you restart running, stop and see your physician. [Source URL] 

• Runner's Knee Runner's Knee or Chondromalacia is a softening, wearing away, or cracking of the cartilage under the kneecap. This softening and inflammation prevents the kneecap from riding smoothly over the knee. Pain typically occurs around or behind the kneecap and worsens when sitting with legs bent for a long period of time or climbing stairs.Runner’s knee is caused by several factors, including a high quadriceps angle, wide hips (female runners), and pronation of the feet. Most often, week quadriceps muscles will be the problem, as they do not absorb a sufficient amount of the impact or running, passing down the impact onto the knees.
  
  Common Runner's knee treatments include icing the area around the knee, using running shoes with better motion control, utilizing orthotics, and avoiding anything that requires the knee to stabilize itself (such as running on uneven surfaces, steep downhills and tight turns). [Source URL] 

Prevention might have been a little too late at this point in time. So I have to observe these injured areas, be extra careful, rest and hope for them to go away. The pains I feel right now might not be serious after all. I certainly hope they are nowhere near the serious injuries described above. From the same Source URL where I quoted the above potential injuries, I found these preventive measures:

Pay Attention to Injury Warning Signs
If you think you might be injured, immediately begin preventative measures in order to keep damage to a minimum and to speed your full recovery. Depending on the type of injury, this could mean using the RICE (Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation) method to enhance recovery, taking anti-inflamatory medication (aspirin, ibuprofen), and taking a day or two off of running to allow the injury to heal. Secondary running injuries often occur by continuing to run through pain, favoring the injured area, and thereby changing your natural running style.

Only Run Miles Needed to Meet Your Goals
Accumulating additional Junk miles is a sure way to cause a body to break down and for running injuries to occur. Run only the miles you need to meet your goals. Following the mantra, more must be better will lead to injury.

Make Use of Recovery Techniques
Take time to take care of yourself. Common recovery techniques can help you avoid running injuries. Some ideas for recovery from stressful runs and the cumulative effects of hard training include getting a massage, pouring cold water on tired legs after a long run or race, soaking your legs in a warm water whirlpool (wait two hours after a race or long run), going for a walk or taking an easy bike ride.

No need to be too stubborn now, must rest and recover and pay attention to these potential injuries. The 12 kilometer easy run for Tuesday should be changed, sadly, to a rest and recovery day. I have iced the left foot and the left knee. I also massaged them with an Omega pain killer to relieve the pain. Thankfully, the left foot feels perfectly fine as of Tuesday morning. The left knee is still a little sore though. No running for now unless the pains go away. Remember, Never Ever Run When In Pain. We don't want further injuries, especially with the Race for LIFE 5K just 5 days away and the full marathon coming up.

My Marathon Strategy Revealed

With endurance we conquer.

I am thinking about it a lot. And the more I think, the more I can visualize myself finishing the marathon with nothing left. I would collapse at the finish line just like Pheidippides did. I won't die though, I hope. I'll just leave everything behind the race and lay down in fatigue and exhaustion, and quite possibly be drowning in tears of joy.

That is the strategy right there. I will walk you through the details of this strategy. Let's move on.

As with any sound battle plan, to formulate a good strategy, we will need to know our advantages and accept our disadvantages. To maximize our chances of victory, we should carry the fight our way, with our style and on our comfort zone. We would want the fight to proceed in a manner in which we could apply our advantages to the fullest and to be able to exploit the disadvantages of our competitors, if any.

Guard your thoughts. Don't harbor jealousy or envy of other athletes. A marathon is yours and yours alone.

Know our advantages and exploit our competitors disadvantages. On my case, I'm not competing for the top spot. I am competing to be the best runner I can possibly be. So I will just focus on my strengths and my weaknesses and formulate a race strategy based on that. I know how elite athletes could finish marathons below 3 hours. At the world stage, Sammy Wanjiru, Haile Gebrselassie and Ryan Hall could do it under 2:10:00. Good for them, great athletes. I am not chasing after them though. As a cliche I have been repeating over and over, this is a battle against myself - to be the best I could possibly be.

What are my advantages then? Disadvantages?

Disadvantages First.

1. I am a first time marathon challenger. Zero experience.
2. Past 3 hours of running, my legs already feel the pounding like I have never felt before. Beyond 3 hours, it feels like I'm in a torture chamber taking all the punishments there is. Painfully difficult. Indescribable punishment.
3. No running buddy. I have always ran alone during long runs and during races. No pat in the back, no cheerful "kaya mo 'yan", no inspirational smiles, no nothing. Just me, myself and the road.
   

Advantages:

1. I have trained myself to run faster than I ever was. I could now run at 4:09 min/km for 5Km straight.
2. Physically prepared with careful and strategic planning and training schedule. I have interval runs, tempo runs, easy runs, long runs with uphill terrains, abdominal exercises / core drills, anaerobic training with boxing and basketball. My training schedule has been posted here long before I started my first marathon training run.
   
3. Besides conditioning my mind to stay on course on this marathon dream, I have Nerissa, my family, my friends and you guys reading this blog serving as my inspiration. I have always said I cannot run this marathon alone. And with the support I have been receiving from you all, I am more motivated to finish my marathon.
   

Like a piggy bank, every workout is a small deposit. Every deposit counts.

I have been training for a lot of weeks now preparing my body to last 42 kilometers of running. To be honest with you all, I am just around 50% ready at this point. Clouds of doubts still float all over me. The fear of a "Did Not Finish (DNF)" lingers. A race strategy could be pretty useless at this point in time where I am unsure of finishing the marathon distance. Physical training is the utmost priority. I could plan all month long, but without an able body to run with? I will just be spitting nonsense after nonsense here, right?

No worries, there is still more than 3 full weeks to prepare the body. This Sunday, I should log 35Km of long run from our house in Silang, Cavite to Tagaytay City and back. That should build my confidence or that should ruin all my plans and strategies. That's how important the run is. It's a gauge. Hopefully, a confidence builder.

And then more runs to follow. An interval run to prepare me for my first 5K race on the 24th of October. A little cut back on the weekly mileage to keep the body fresh and recover from the gruesome training sessions. And then a marathon race simulation run to rehearse the game plan - the strategy in action. Lastly, the marathon race.

Little by little we should conquer. Focus on the daily runs, confidence is built by continuous preparation. It has to be earned. And while doing so, there should be no rush to build endurance and confidence for the upcoming marathon. Both takes precious time. Focus today so we could be prepared for tomorrow.

Have Faith. Talk, Act, Plan and Think that you are going to finish what you started.

Three more weeks, I am going to finish my marathon. Hard work pays off. Perseverance keeps us on course. That is why I am letting out my strategy this early. It makes me accountable to everything I've written. It motivates me to finish what I've started. It allows me to follow the plan relentlessly despite any obstacles that come my way.

Michaelangelo: The greatest danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that we aim too low and we reach it.

I am aiming high. If you have followed my very first post discussing about a possible marathon, I wanted to do it under 3:45:00. A sub 4-hour marathon debut. Had I set my aim too low, I would not have been as relentless in my pursuit. Had it been an easier goal, I would not be having douts and fears of a DNF. Had it been an easy fight, there would be less victory to celebrate and talk about.

Train effectively. Challenge yourself.

How would you know if your training methods are effective? Have you challenged yourself enough to bring out the very best in you?

You must set a goal before you train. Plan before you act. Analyze your performance in relation to your goals. That is how I would know if my training methods are effective. I wanted to run faster. How would I achieve that? I researched for the workouts that would suit me and then adapt those training and workouts to my needs and goals. Then train as planned. Challenge yourself to bring out the best in you. And when the action begins, execute what you have trained for.

Strive for your best performance and personal excellence.

And now the strategy must be revealed. This is what I have been training for. And I do believe this would give me the best possible performance out of my current running capabilities. I have based this strategy from the knowledge of my strengths and the acceptance of my weaknesses.

Best Scenario: Finish @ 3:20:00
The Most Probable Scenario: Finish @ 3:40:00
Worst Scenario: Finish but suffer from exhaustion and severe leg pains beyond 4+ hours.

The Strategy:

• Divide the 42Km marathon distance into shorter familiar race distances. A half marathon, a 10K and then a 5Mile.
• Above 3 hours, I will feel the heavy pounding on my legs. The more minutes I run beyond 3 hours, the more suffering.
• Specifically, run the half marathon at 4:40 min/km pace. I have done this at Rota Run. This is also my Tempo training pace beyond 5Km. I might just know what you think now.. Pandesal Runner is crazy! He should be conserving energy from the first half of the race. The popular and more advisable strategy would be to run conservatively. That is precisely why I trained to be faster for the first two weeks of my marathon training. I have improved my 5K pace to 4:09 min/km so a 4:40 min/km for the first 21K could be manageable and enjoyable.
  
• After the first 21K, relax, stretch for a while. Jogging pace for the first 500 meters then slowly accelerate for the next 500 meters until I see the 22nd kilometer sign.
  
• Run the next 10K as if it was a 10K race - incidentally, my favorite race distance. I should be a little tired and a little fired up by this point. A little tired because I have just ran 21Km even with the 1 km recovery pace. A little fired up because this will be my chance to beat my 51:19 10K PR. From Km 22 to Km 32, run at 4:30 min/km pace.
• After the 32K, relax, stretch for a while. Jogging pace for the first 500 meters then slowly accelerate for the next 500 meters until the 33rd kilometer.
• Run the next 8K as if it were a 5Mile race - incidentally, I have never joined a 5Mile race. I should be a lot tired and a lot more motivated at this juncture. A lot tired as I have just ran 33Km, 31 of those at race pace. My legs would be a little shaky from this point on, the knees will feel the pressure and the calves would be hard and tight and on the verge of cramping. On the positive end, I would be a lot more motivated as it would be the last phase of my marathon strategy. The third and final chapter of a historic run in a personal level. Nerissa, my family and some of my friends will all be waiting for me at the finish line. One more determined push to finish the battle. The next 8K should be run at 4:30 min/km pace.
• To summarize, the strategy would be 21-10-8. The paces would be 4:40 pace for the 21K, 4:30 pace for the 10 and 8K distances and then a recovery pace of 7:30 for the 1km in-between race paces.
  

Develop a vision of victory - visualize your moment when crossing the finish line!

Three more weeks from now, and the strategy will be put to action. Meanwhile, I have been continuously training my body to adapt to the 42Km distance. As I've said, the strategy will just be thrown to waste if I don't have an able body to run with.

Mental toughness also comes into play. I guess joining this marathon is a good sign of mental toughness. I wouldn't be here if I wasn't tough enough. It could also be ruled out as being just crazy enough to be joining the marathon. At the last 10 kilometers of the marathon, the body would be very much willing to quit. It would be the role of the mind to take control. To remember why we joined the marathon and why we want to finish. To convince the body to stay strong and active until the finish line. To be aware of the needs of the body for hydration, stretching and a little massage for comfort. To know when to speed up and when to recover. And to always remember not to quit on everything we believed in from the very start. My friends, my family, my beloved readers, Nerissa, myself, we shall all share the glory of this marathon dream.

Mix it up. Go really slow for a change.

Wait.. Wait.. Wait.. I happen to know how to count Jayson. Your 21-10-8, that's only 41Km with the two 1K recovery paces in between. Will you NOT cross the finish line?

Thank goodness, you reminded me. ;)

I have been working all week and all month trying to be the fastest runner I could be at this point in time. Besides giving it all out on the  21-10-8 race strategy and with almost nothing left to give on the last kilometer, I think it's a very nice feeling to just go slow and jog the last kilometer and 195 meters of the race towards the finish line. Feel the energy of the crowd. Enjoy the surroundings. Show support and flash your genuine smiles to your fellow runners and marathoners - share the glory of all the sweat, time and blood invested on this marathon run. Dance to the music. Shout and giggle to celebrate the moment. Drop a couple of tears of joy. Embrace your friends and family waiting for you on the finish line. Just take your time and be grateful that you have the resource to train and run when more than half the population of the world are merely getting by and trying to survive. Take that last kilometer as my victory run. There is absolutely no need to rush.

This is my marathon run. I will see you at the starting line. Hopefully, you will see me at the finish line.

-
Special thanks to the Marathon Geek for the Twitter inspirational quotes.

Mervin Guarte - Running Boy Wonder

Mervin Guarte

Somebody take a closer look at this boy wonder. He is just flying over his competition. He has won the Rota Run 5K, the Octoberun 5K and now the Milo 5K event. And he is just 17 (.. and you know what I mean.. ok I'm old and you're too young Mervin for that song..)

Mervin Guarte took the Rota Run 5K title ahead of Roger Denolo, the Eco Dash 10K second placer. Mervin took 16:30 minutes to finish the 5K race, 28 seconds ahead of Denolo.

Mervin then finished the Octoberun 5K race with a time of 15:19, 4 full seconds ahead of 29 year old and veteran runner Jujet De Asis. Mervin was 19 seconds ahead of another fast runner and Rota Run 10K champion, Gerald Sabal. We cannot really say he was lacking tough competition. We could say he is just flying over his competition right now.

And the boy wonder from San Sebastian College is not yet finished with his onslaught of 5K race competitions, Mervin recently won the Milo Finals 5K side event with a time of 15:41 minutes.

Mervin Guarte reclaims the KL Overall Fastest Runner with a perfect 3 for 3, full 300 points. He beats Cresenciano Sabal from the ratings by a narrow 38 points. Sabal has won the 33rd Milo Marathon Finals, 2nd on the Rota Half Marathon and was also 2nd on the 10 Mile Octoberun. See the updated KL Fastest Pinoy Ratings here.

According to Rota Run 5K race results, Mervin is 18 years old. From Milo and Octoberun, he's just 17. Either way, this teenager phenom sure got the sky as his limit. The best of luck to you Mervin and make the Philippines be very proud of you someday. :)

Guarte at the Palarong Pambansa

A little research from Google revealed Guarte's dominance at the recently held Palarong Pambansa:

Guarte, a 17-year-old native of Calapan City, Oriental Mindoro, took the centerstage despite losing his protest in the secondary boys’ 800m run event where was allegedly elbowed thrice by competitors from Region IV-A that cost him of the pressure medal.

After reviewing the video tape, track chief referee Claro Pellosis said that Salvador Garin Jr. who eventually won the event and his teammate Don-Don Cartadio did not intentionally shove Guarte in the final 300m of the event where Guarte broke the Palaro record during the preliminary heat.

Unfazed by the protest reversal, Guarte dominated the 5000m run in 16:03.46 minutes, beating Ferdinand Corpuz of Central Luzon Region (16.11.50) and 3000m steeplechase gold winner Nickson Cuyom of Southern Tagalog-Calabarzon (16:16.83) who took silver and bronze, respectively.

Guarte, who impressed coaches including former national team mentor Jojo Posadas, returned in the afternoon action to win the 1,500m run event in four minutes and 7.94 seconds.

Source: Positive News Media

Ratings Update: Fastest Pinoy Runners - Milo Marathon Finals

33rd Milo Marathon Finals Result

Rank	Name	Age	Time	Pace	Titles	Total Points
1.	Cresenciano Sabal	31	2:32:56	3:38	33rd Milo	100
2.	Eric Panique	21	2:32:56	3:38		81
3.	Mendel Lopez		2:35:40	3:42		64
4.	Elmer Sabal	27	2:36:43	3:43		49
5.	Rene Desuyo	24	2:37:55	3:45		36
6.	Bernardito Desamito	43	2:38:50	3:46		25
7.	Roger Sawin-Ay		2:40:49	3:49		16
8.	Jeson Agravante		2:43:58	3:54		9
9.	Jujet De Asis	29	2:47:01	3:58		4
10.	Alley Quisay		2:48:30	4:00		1

Ratings Update
Cresenciano Sabal, 31, claimed the top position for the previously vacant 42K ratings. The top 10 finishers of the Milo Marathon Finals took their respective position on the 42K distance category.

Cresenciano Sabal also took the top spot on the KL Overall Fastest Runner list. Also moving up on the overall fastest list are Elmer Sabal, Rene Desuyo, Bernardito Desamito.

Mervin Guarte and Jujet De Asis both moved a notch down on their previous ratings due to Sabal's first place finish on the Milo Marathon.

Johny Espana, 23, won the 21K distance on the Milo Finals with a finish time of 1:15:30 hours. He is expected to move up on the 21K ratings list as well as on the overall fastest list once the results of all the Milo Finals side events are officially released.

See the updated KL Fastest Pinoy Ratings here.


Future Updates
A software application is now under development to easily track, update and post all these ratings changes.

The software will take a set of input files containing the results of the local races, create a database of all these data, computes the points based on the KL points system and then outputs an HTML file for posting on this blog.

This automated system should make the task easier, faster and less prone to human mistakes.

About the Author

Who am I?

A passionate competitive sportsman who loves to write. Passionate as having the heart to push through and tough it out on my chosen sports. Competitive as having the will, guts and hard work to train hard and push myself to my limits. I may not the best athlete in any sport I play, but you bet I always give it my all.. win or lose.

I work as a Software Engineer in Makati City, Philippines. I graduated from the University of the Philippines in Diliman, Quezon City with a degree in Bachelor of Science in Electronics and Communications Engineering. My hometown is the agricultural municipality of Silang, Cavite.

I write about the sports I play. Boxing, running, basketball and billiards. Though I really write a lot about the former two than the latter mentioned sports. I love to live up to my full name Jayson Tibayan Deuna. During one of my long runs in Silang, Cavite, a bystander smiled to me and said.. "Tibay!". He noticed me running on my second loop around the 7km Silang Oval. I thought to myself.. "Yeah.. That's my middle name!" Tibay is a Filipino word for tough. My middle name is Tibayan which means to make tough. My last name is a pretty harder name to live up to - Deuna which is taken from the root word una. In English, that means first. I can be tough, can I be first? The passionate and competitive sportsman in me just loves to live up to my name. It motivates me to train harder. It adds up to my will to win.

Why Pandesal?

Details of this could be found in the Pandesal Runner Adventures. To paraphrase it here, I am the Pandesal Runner because that is the purpose of my Sunday long runs. I will run from our house, 530am in the morning, to a bakery about 4 kilometers away to buy hot pandesal for our family breakfast. Pandesal is also my favorite carbo loading breakfast. So I also used it on my boxing blogs - The Pandesal Boxer Chronicles.


Contact Me
Email at jayson.deuna@gmail.com.

Thanks for visiting. I wrote this About the Author on my 27th birthday, October 12, 2009. Happy Birthday to me. ;)


More About My Running:

1. Name and occupation.

My name is Jayson Deuna. I'm 27 years old. I work as a software engineer in Makati.

2. How long have you been running?

I have been running since I was in college. I jog around the University of the Philippines academic oval since I was a freshman. But I only started to join and loved road racing since late 2008. 

3. Why did you pick running over other sports?

It's free. I can run almost anywhere and anytime. I don't pay membership fees, instructor's fee or any other gym usage and coaching expenses. Running improves my speed and stamina and it keeps me healthy, strong and fit. I don't have to go to the gym to keep my weight in normal range. Running is the natural sports for me. 

4. Tell us something about your first running experience.

Late 2008, my office boss invited me to join the Race for LIFE '08. It was for the benefit of the out of school youths. I was into jogging but I haven't raced before. I proudly registered for the 10-kilometer race. It was a totally new experience for me. At gun start, everybody sprinted and run as fast as they could. The energy and excitement of the crowd and my own adrenaline rush pushed me to run and go all out. I remembered breathing so deep and running too hard to finish that race. The following day, I could not walk straight. I had muscle pains all over my body. 

5. What do you want to achieve in running?

I want to qualify and run the Boston Marathon. That is my dream and goal right now.

6. What was your most memorable running event that you joined?

I would say my first marathon run. I ran 42.195 kilometers in a little less than 4 hours from 4:30 in the morning. It was at the Philippine International Marathon 2009. My parents together with my girlfriend and her sister, we all slept at a condo in Makati the night before. We all live in Cavite. They were cheering and clapping their hands for me when the marathon started. I was so excited and pumped up. I did prepare for 42 days for that one special day.
 
I started fast and strong only to have problems on my hydration belt and then I injured my right knee when I was only on the 16th kilometer of the 42-kilometer marathon. I was hardly able to walk. I was almost crying and limping in pain. They say long distance runs are a personal battle in which you find out a lot about yourself. I fought on and tried as hard as I could to continue with the race. It was all heart, guts and determination coupled with the inspiration I had with the support of my family and running friends.

I could not walk straight after that marathon and I had to rest my right knee for two months before I could run again. It was a hard marathon battle for me and that experience made me stronger and a lot eager to run a lot more.

7. What have you reaped from the sport, so far?

I was an overweight office employee for three years. I weighed 165 pounds at 5'7". On my annual physical examination early 2009, sponsored by our company, I was advised to modify my lifestyle and reduce weight.
 
I took running more seriously and after about months of continuous running, I trimmed down to 145 pounds. I am now well under the healthy weight range for my age and height. More than that, I feel stronger and faster because of running.

I met a lot of new running friends from the races I joined and from the Filipino running community (takbo.ph). I also write about my running experiences in http://kastilyonglapis.blogspot.com/ and have met new reader and running friends from it. I stay healthy and build friendships through running.

Picture Gallery 

Night befor my second marathon.

OK. We're up and ready..

Girls.. remember the race route please

They're having fun.

I'm still OK here.

The face says it all.. I'm in trouble.

Better luck next time.

Post marathon picture. Smile!

Loving my medal.. I walked at least 12 kilometers for it!

Post marathon meal.. Huling pizza ko yan!!!

Running and Weight Loss (20+ pounds and counting)

April 16, 2009
I went through an annual physical examination as part of the health benefit package in our company. I was diagnosed Overweight and was recommended to modify my lifestyle and reduce weight. At 5'7", I weighed a whopping 165 pounds. (Well, a junior whopper.. but still a whopper..)

I did not take the recommendation seriously. I know I'm healthy, just a few pounds over the limit. I do boxing. I play basketball. I jog. I even lift weights, so a few extra pounds don't matter.

Well, it still does matter. After a while, I asked myself "I have been doing all these exercises and I'm still overweight?." The belly fats tell the truth Jayson, wake up!

That is when I questioned the things I do and the food I eat. That is the time I had to analyze what is lacking and what needs to be improved. That is the time I started jogging and became more conscious of my food intake.

Two days in a week I jog for 10 to 15 minutes. Tuesdays and Thursdays I continued to do boxing. Sundays I did jump ropes and shadow boxing.

Regarding food intake:

• I slowed down on coffee because I can't drink coffee without sugar and sugar contains lots of calories.
• I needed more carbohydrates for my exercises so I chose Pandesal for breakfast.
• I began to choose vegetables over meat for my lunch and dinner. I still eat chicken and beef once in a while.
• I started to feast on fresh fruits and fish and avoided fatty foods, junk foods, ice cream and chocolates.
• I drink lots of water and started to stay away from carbonated drinks and commercialized juice drinks.
  

It's not a strict diet, just choosing the right kind of food.
You can also check this article from Runner's World: The Best Food For Runners.

Walking from the office to the canteen or food store around 200 meters helps. 400m back and forth. Additionally, walking from the condo to the office and back also helps burn fats. I take the stairs instead of the elevator to reach the 4th floor of the condo. Same goes when I go down, I take the stairs. It all starts with little adjustments and little lifestyle modifications. And those little things accumulate to help me achieve a much bigger goal.

July 16, 2009
After 3 months, I dropped from 165 to 157.8, I lost 7 pounds.
What exercises have helped me lose pounds? I have been doing boxing. It must have been the jogging and running exercises.

August 23, 2009
Slowly, I increased my running time and distance. From 10 to 15 minutes, I did 30. I stopped boxing but was still conscious of my food intake. I joined 10 kilometer races and a 10 mile race.
After 5 more weeks, I dropped 5 more pounds and weighed 152.

September 4, 2009
By now, running is already a part of my life and weight loss just comes naturally. I will also join a half marathon and a full marathon so I know I will continue to lose more weight and excessive fats.
After just 2 weeks of marathon training, I have dropped down to 149.

I love to go back to the boxing gym and be very fit to compete. At my target weight of 140, I'll be a lot more competitive. And since running has been integrated into my lifestyle, I expect to improve my race times and who knows? I might eventually end up winning a race. Hehehe. Probably not.

In any case, I have been enjoying my level of fitness right now and I am very well right on my normal weight range. As a boxer, runner, basketball player.. I always want to be able to compete and to give my best all the time. My weight loss slogan "To Compete, Get Fit" has been a very effective motivation and reminder when I'm getting lazy.

Right now, I am so thrilled to continue with what I have done physically and I could not be more satisfied.
Marathon here I come!!!

Sept 21, 2009
Training for my first half marathon, I continued to lose weight naturally. I did not change my food intake. I actually needed the energy to sustain my running workouts. Still, the excess weight comes off naturally. Training consistently burns the fats little by little.

After the Rota half marathon race, I dropped to 145.2 pounds. I came all the way from 165, now I'm just around 145. I am fully satisfied. And very happy. It has been a success weight loss story by discipline, hard work, patience and perseverance.

Oops, the battle is not over yet. 140 pounds is the ultimate target. I have set it as my year-end weight goal. I still have 5 more pounds to shed and it should be the toughest last 5 pounds. I weigh 147-150 pounds when I'm not training and then I drop to 143-145 after an intense workout session.

It is no longer a pressure to drop weight. I feel comfortable and confident during my runs. I know I can be at my best because I am physically cut for it. That was not the case two months ago. I thought I cannot compete being overweight because I still carried those belly fats. Now I can concentrate on being the best I can be. I may not outrun a lot of fellow runners but I have already conquered myself. And that is one motivation which makes me a tougher athlete mentally and physically. It's a different level of self confidence knowing you have what it takes now to compete at the top level.

Being fit however does not answer everything. It's just a tool to propel myself into a more competitive runner. Hereon, I must work doubly hard to compete against the best athletes out there. And it's not gonna be easy.







Nov 8, 2009
Will I drop all the way to 140? To be continued..

Oct 2, 2008(Left) and Oct 2, 2009(Right)..

Getting Ripped and Ready to Race.

Even the hair got ripped. Haha.

Ratings: The Fastest Pinoys

KL Fastest Pinoy Ratings

Disclaimer: KL uses a personal points system to rate runners from 3K to 42K. This system is not official. It has no significant value other than rating Pinoy runners and having a good glimpse of who's who in the Philippine racing scene. It's about time the fastest Pinoy runners get a dedicated page for their triumphant performances. Jump to the simple rules of the KL points system here.

KL will list the top 10 fastest runners from 3K to 42K. The points system started to cover the national races from September 1, 2009 onwards. It's the BER months, which runners are winning titles during this Christmas season?

42K Ratings: Champion: Cresenciano Sabal, 33rd Milo Marathon Finals
21K Ratings: Champion: Johnny Espana, 33rd Milo Finals
10Mile Ratings: Champion: Bernardito Desamito, Octoberun
15K Ratings: Champion: Hernanie Sore, Botak Baguio
10K Ratings: Champion: Marlon Bolivar
5Mile Ratings: Champion: Vacant
5K Ratings: Champion: Mervin Guarte, Rota Run, Octoberun, 33rd Milo, Adidas KOTR, Fit N Right
3K Ratings: Champion: Carlito Fantilaga, Timex, Race for LIFE

KL Overall Fastest Pinoy Runner: Mervin Guarte
Last Update: Nov 29, 2009

KL 42K Distance Ratings

Rank	Name	Age	Time	Pace	Titles	Total Points
1.	Cresenciano Sabal	31	2:32:56	3:38	33rd Milo Marathon	136
2.	Eric Panique	21	2:32:56	3:38		81
3.	Elmer Sabal	27	2:36:43	3:43		65
4.	Mendel Lopez		2:35:40	3:42		64
5.	Rene Desuyo	24	2:37:55	3:45		36
6.	Bernardito Desamito	43	2:38:50	3:46		25
7.	Roger Sawin-Ay		2:40:49	3:49		16
8.	Jeson Agravante		2:43:58	3:54		9
9.	Hernanie Sore		2:40:20	3:49		4
10.	Jujet De Asis	29	2:47:01	3:58		4

KL 21K Distance Ratings

Rank	Name	Age	Time	Pace	Titles	Total Points
1.	Johnny Espana	23	1:15:30	3:35	Milo Finals	164
2.	Eric Panique		1:11:41			145
3.	Crifrankreadel Indapan		1:10:05			117
4.	Alley Quisay		1:11:43			113
5.	Cresenciano Sabal	30	1:01:56	2:57		106
6.	Reynaldo Delos Reyes	21	1:17:10	3:41		106
7.	Elmer Sabal	27	1:01:56	2:57	Rota Run	100
8.	Rene Desuyo	24	1:14:40	3:34	Eco Dash	100
9.	Wilson Maningquil		1:16:28	3:38		81
10.	Rogelio Reli	29	1:04:26	3:04		64

KL 10Mile Distance Ratings

Rank	Name	Age	Time	Pace	Titles	Total Points
1.	Bernardito Desamito	43	0:51:16	3:13	Octoberun	100
2.	Cresenciano Sabal	31	0:51:16	3:13		81
3.	Crifrankreadel Indapa	24	0:51:29	3:14		64
4.	Darwin Lim	21	0:51:33	3:14		49
5.	Alquin Bolivar	23	0:51:49	3:15		36
6.	Rogelio Reli	29	0:53:21	3:21		25
7.	Jhonny Espana	23	0:54:31	3:25		16
8.	Reynaldo Delos Reyes	38	0:57:12	3:35		9
9.	Rodolfo Tacadino	46	1:00:09	3:46		4
10.	Jose Mari Javier	37	1:00:58	3:49		1

KL 15K Distance Ratings

Rank	Name	Age	Time	Pace	Titles	Total Points
1.	Hernanie Sore	25	0:50:54	3:23	Botak Baguio	100
2.	Alquin Bolivar	23	0:51:15	3:25	Rota Run	100
3.	Elmer Sabal	27	0:52:11	3:29	Botak Paa-Bilisan	100
4.	Jujet De Asis	29	0:55:12	3:41	Race for LIFE	100
5.	Johnny Espana	23	0:51:18	3:25		81
6.	Jerry Lindawan	25	0:51:35	3:26		81
7.	Bernardito Desamito		0:54:46	3:39		81
8.	Milbert Nabuab		0:55:57	3:44		81
9.	Modesto Madalang Jr.	36	0:52:41	3:30		64
10.	Raul Lamprea	27	0:53:17	3:33		64

KL 10K Distance Ratings

Rank	Name	Age	Time	Pace	Titles	Total Points
1.	Marlon Bolivar	22	0:35:34	3:34		162
2.	Darwin Lim	21	0:32:26	3:14		145
3.	Ferdinand Corpuz	18	0:33:28	3:21		130
4.	Ben Alejandrino					128
5.	Alquin Bolivar		0:32:45	3:16		117
6.	Gerald Sabal	24	0:32:22	3:14	Rota Run	100
7.	Rene Herrera		0:33:32	3:21	QCIM	100
8.	Christopher Ulboc		0:34:00	3:24	33rd Milo	100
9.	Jujet De Asis	29	0:34:28	3:27	Eco Dash	100
10.	Roldan Verano	18	0:35:01	3:30	Botak Paa-Bilisan	100

KL 5Mile Distance Ratings

Vacant.

KL 5K Distance Ratings

Rank	Name	Age	Time	Pace	Titles	Total Points
1.	Mervin Guarte	18	0:15:17	3:03	Rota Run Octoberun 33rd Milo Finals Adidas KOTR Fit N Right	500
2.	Christopher Ulboc, Jr		0:15:18	3:04	Timex Race for LIFE Botak Paa-Bilisan	300
3.	Regie Lumauag	34	0:16:53	3:23		190
4.	Jujet De Asis	29	0:15:23	3:05		162
5.	Roger Darwin Denolo	19	0:16:58	3:23		162
6.	Rene Lardera	18	0:17:12	3:44		145
7.	Carlito Fantilaga	26	0:18:06	3:26		142
8.	Gerald Sabal	24	0:15:38	3:08		128
9.	Justine Tabunda	18	0:16:33	3:17		125
3.	Roldan Verano	18	0:16:02	3:13	Eco Dash	100

KL 3K Distance Ratings

Rank	Name	Age	Time	Pace	Titles	Total Points
1.	Carlito Fantilaga	26	0:9:16	3:03	Timex Race for LIFE	249
2.	Jonel Riego	12	0:10:07	3:22	Octoberun 33rd Milo Finals	200
3.	Duncan Amarante	12	0:11:19	3:47		145
4.	Christian Dalida		0:9:59	3:20		130
5.	Norman Apolinar	12	0:11:47	3:55		116
6.	Michael Bacong		0:09:33	3:11	Fit N Right	100
7.	Patrick Gongob	17	0:09:50	3:16	Rota Run	100
8.	Manuel Apolinar	35	0:10:15	3:25		100
9.	Adones Lubaton	31	0:11:39	3:53	Eco Dash	100
10.	Wenley Maulas		0:09:37	3:12		81

KL Overall Fastest List  

Rank	Name	Total Points
Cheetah	Mervin Guarte	500
Pronghorn Antelope	Christopher Ulboc, Jr	400
Wildebeest	Carlito Fantilaga	400
Lion	Jujet De Asis	366
Thomson's Gazelle	Johnny Espana	361
Quarter Horse	Alquin Bolivar	335
Elk	Cresenciano Sabal	323
Cape Hunting Dog	Roger Denolo	292
Coyote	Elmer Sabal	265
Gray Fox	Regie Lumauag	265
Hyena	Gerald Sabal	228
Zebra	Eric Panique	226
Mongolian Wild Ass	Milbert Nabuab	211
Greyhound	Bernardito Desamito	210
Whippet	Rene Lardera	209
Rabbit (domestic)	Rene Desuyo	200
Mule Deer	Roldan Verano	200
Jackal	Jonel Riego	200
Reindeer	Reynaldo Delos Reyes	196
Giraffe	Alley Quisay	195

KL Points System

Here are the scoring rules KL uses.

i. For a given race, the top 10 runners collect ratings points. The champion for each distance category collects the full 100 points, the 2nd 81, 3rd 64, ... POWER(11-rank, 2).

ii. Only the top 10 runners for each distance category are posted on the KL ratings list.

iii. There is a special category, the Overall Fastest List which has the 20 top runners regardless of distances.

iv. To break a tie for the distance categories, the faster finisher gets to be ranked ahead of the runner having the same points.

v. To break a tie for the overall fastest runners list, the longer distance category gets to be ranked ahead. If there is still a tie, the faster finisher gets to be ranked ahead.

Some Considerations.

Q: Why not base the points system on the finish time rather than the rankings? Using this KL Points system, the slower runner could sometimes be rated ahead of a faster runner which seems not logical, right?

A: Finish times does not always tell who the faster runner is. Race distances are not always accurate. Unfortunately, race distances could vary for different races by several meters. Moreover, different routes also offer different running difficulties. A runner's ranking is a better measure of his performance than his/her finish time. Besides, a particular runner is not forced to finish as fast as he could if he is already winning a race by a large margin over his rivals. These are some of the reasons KL decided to give more value to a runner's finish ranking than his/her finish time.

Q: Why only start for September 1, 2009? Why not use the results of all the 2009 races to establish a much better ratings? A more comprehensive set of data?

A: Better late than never. KL used Sep 1, 2009 as the starting point. Hopefully, we could continue with the ratings from here onwards. So the best runners will eventually be rated where they deserved to be rated.

Q: What about international events? SEA Games? ASIAN games? Olympics? It should be considered right?

A: That is beyond the scope of this ratings. KL aims to recognize the runners from the grass roots and let them be exposed more to the public. The Fun Runs and local competitions are mostly participated by non-professional athletes who could be the next representatives of our country.

Q: How about a year-end award and some tokens of appreciation to the champions?

A: Boxing has that, "The Fighter of the Year". Basketball has that, the MVP of the season. Tennis awards the ATP champion. F1 Racing.. Every major sport has that, the best of the best gets to be awarded and recognized. What can I give? I am actually thinking of a silver necklace with a silver pencil (lapis) pendant to award the champions. I'll see if I could have some extra Christmas money to support that idea. ;)

For more questions and suggestions.. violent reactions and comments.. please feel free to use the Comments feature of this blog.

Thank you and more power to our Pinoy Runners!