Globe 10K: Tale of a Podium Finish

Winner's Verification

The race was all over and another one was just starting. I was fighting for the 3rd place on the Winner's Verification booth of the Globe Run for Home race event. Why did I end up there? Long story.

Anyways, I was there. A little young guy in his early twenties assisted me and made me follow him back to the finish line where the race organizers took charge of giving out the Winners IDs to the top three winners for each race categories (gender and race distance).

S'ya daw yung third sa 10K (He claims he was third on the 10K). And I never really liked the tone of his voice which was somewhat both doubtful and accusing.

The manual list says I was 4th. It was listed by a girl on the finish line who waits for the top 10 fastest guys for each category and records their names on a sheet of paper. Somebody else was listed third. I knew I was third for I held that spot from the 3rd kilometer up to the finish line. So I just wanted to verify if I was really 4th as the manual list says or I was 3rd as I knew I should be.

They checked the chip times on their database and printed the Top 3 Finishers for each race category for the awarding ceremony. I waited until they checked for the Men's 10K. And a guy manning the race records on a laptop looked at me and smiled.. Yes you are 3rd!

Waiting For the Awarding

My running friends and I were gathered near the stage waiting for the awarding ceremony. They were happy for me and I was so delighted to have won. My first ever top 3 finish.

Then the gorgeous Reema Chanco called the winners names to go to the Winner's Verification booth just beside the stage for the awarding ceremony. I tapped my running friends' hands just before I went there. Thank you guys for staying with me until this time of the day when most other runners have just gone home and probably taking their breakfast or have gone back to sleep to rest and recover.

There at the back of the stage, I talked with some of the winning runners. I met the 5K Winners and the 10K 2nd finisher. We shared our stories. We laughed together and expressed our joy and happiness. It was a glorious moment. A whole new experience. Something I want to experience again. Something I know I have to work hard to re-experience. It was magical, unbelievable, superb feeling.

I was like talking and daydreaming at the same time. It might never happen again. So I might as well enjoy it for as long as I possibly could.

The 5K champion won it in 17 minutes. He said he was thankful the much faster guys were not there on the field. He told us how he finished another 5K race last week at almost the same time as his winning time today. And yet only finished that race on 12th place. I feel the same way. Against elite competition, I would not be here right now. We were just lucky to have this opportunity. And maybe we all deserve this after all, because we fully took the chance and did our very best.

The 5K second placer was a bit more jolly and much more excited talking about his running experiences. He said the first time he raced on a Barangay Level, he was mocked by his friends. He was told he would never win a race (Tanga! Hindi ka mananalo!). He was a construction worker once upon a time and also a janitor. He loves to run though. And by looking at his old torn shoes, I bet he has been running a lot and been using that pair of shoes for the longest time. It might have been his first shoes ever. I believe he is just on his early to mid twenties. He told us how he tried to chase the champion but saw the gap between them only to become longer and longer. He finished his 5K in about 19 minutes.

Then the 10K second place finisher came. I remembered his face all too well. Not just because he overtook me from the 3rd kilometer and never relinquished the 2nd spot from then on. But because I also competed with him a week before on the Pocari Sweat Fun Run. He was 7th. I was 6th. Today though, he beat me by a 2-minute margin. He is in his mid thirties I believe. He has very strong legs and very bulky arms and shoulders. He does not have the runner's lean body type. He runs more with power than with efficient running strides. He told me he has been running since he was in high school. And that he often registers for races on foot! He usually trains at the running grounds around Mall of Asia and at The Fort. To register for race events, he would just don his running suit and shoes and stride to the registration areas usually in Makati or in Taguig. He trains a lot. He should have been in the 21K race but the registration for that category has already been closed. I told him it turned out for the better, he won!

The 10K champion said he was looking all over from the start of the race for the faster guys and found none. He finished it in 40 or 41 minutes. He led the 10K runners from start to finish. He was lean and he looks every inch a fast running guy. We all ran the 10K distance but against the hilly and treacherous Kalayaan flyover and the 500 or so meters in excess of 10 kilometers.. I believe his time is truly competitive enough on the 10K distance. He would have finished an exact 10K race on a flat route in about 36 to 37 minutes.

Talking with these runners was all worth the wait. Winning is not everything. It is just a happy treat and a great reward for those runners who work so hard and train so hard for what they like to do - their chosen sport. We won, yes. I think we all know we were not really the best there is.. But this day, on this race.. We just happened to be the most hardworking runners who just kept running and kept running until the finish line.

My First Ever on a Race Awarding Ceremony and Receiving a Huge Check

We waited for the awarding at the back of the stage. Lots of people cheering and clapping. I received a huge P3000 check. I was all smiles in front of the cameras. Moments like this does not come every so often. Might as well enjoy my moments.

I even remembered giving a thumbs up on stage while looking at my running friends Athan, Aiyan and Jir. Yehey! Just unbelievably unexpected. I received P3000 cash prize, a P2590-worth Timex Ironman watch, a Globe backpack, a Habitat for Humanity black cap, Alaska milk loot bag and a complimentary certificate worth P850 for an Athlete's Massage from Blue Water Spa. Yehey again!!

I was also interviewed for the globe.com.ph/run/ video streaming. I was asked my name, my finish time, my usual 10K time, the race beneficiaries if I was aware, how would I spend the cash prize and if I ever expected a win. I did not get her name but she was pretty, very professional and fun to talk to. The interview went smooth and though I was sweating and felt the sun's heat all over my face, I was not nervous at all. Just happy to talk about running that day. (Check it out on 2:10 - 2:11 hours part of the Race Video.)

I treated my running friends who waited and supported me during the winner's verification, the awarding ceremony and the queueing for the cash prize. They waited for a long long time so they deserved the breakfast treat. And that was my first Win so we did celebrate. Yahooo!

How did I spend the P3000 cash prize? First, our group's McDo breakfast. Next, it was my hon's birthday. I bought her a birthday cake, a teddy bear with three red roses and a simple sign that reads I Love You. Thank you for all the support as always. Happy happy birthday!

Neriz, the birthday girl, with my birthday gift

Run for Home Ramblings

"Vision without action is a daydream. Action without vision is a nightmare."  – Japanese proverb

The Event

I could not help but be all psyched up and emotional leading to the upcoming Globe race this Sunday. In many ways than one, this race is an all important milestone of my second running season. This is it. It is fast approaching and it makes my heart stomp like an elephant.

First up on my ramblings.. The Preparations. When I took a long slumber from running, having a bad right knee after my maiden marathon last year, I took all the time to retreat and rethink. What would I do to come back stronger? What would I want to achieve in running? What would take me to the next level? What would motivate me to keep my legs on the road under the heat of the sun and over the hills and flyovers and bridges?

I came up with my dream Boston Marathon. There's no other way around my fears of another running related injury but facing it and planning to get better. And there's no other more thrilling and more demanding for me than taking little steps to tackle and hopefully qualify and run the prestigious Boston Marathon.

I filled my proverbial drawing board with plans and strategies. With obstacles and limitations. And with all that, I finally am back to running and road racing in 2010 with one single vision - Boston!

The Boston Qualifier Plan

How does the Globe race relate to Boston then?

We will use a 10K race to gauge our future performance on the Milo Marathon Eliminations this coming July. Doing that, we will hit three birds in one stone.

1. We will gradually train for the Milo Marathon by preparing for a 10K race first. Gradual training will help us build our running mileage. No rush, no injuries.
2. We will be able to predict our future marathon performance much earlier than actually running a marathon. Thus, we could adjust and improve as early as possible. If we meet the target finish time, great. We will just continue with our training methods. If not, then we need to reevaluate and rethink our methods.
3. A 10K race should help us improve our speed. That's a major boost to our qualifying chances. In short, we will be doing lots of speed training first before we jump on to our full marathon training.

So from January 1 up to March 18, I was in training mode for the Globe 10K race. I had this race marked on my 2010 calendar as early as December of 2009. I was locked up and focused on conquering this particular race. This is one of my major stepping stones to Boston.

My Training Log says I had run 358.5 kilometers this year. 27 Strength Training sessions and worked my core muscles for 19 different times since the first day of 2010. Looking at my Speed Table since Day 1, I can't help but bit my lips and utter This is all I've been waiting for.

The 10K Training Plan

I did my homework. My road work has been tough, tiring, tedious and tactical. I covered all my thoughts and plans for a sub-40 10K in Chapter 2.2 A Turbo-Injected 10K Race Plan.

Boy was it tough?! For so many early mornings, I remembered myself standing up while still half asleep. Or in my hometown in Cavite where I just had to keep running for kilometers and kilometers of long runs. Or in Velazquez Park where I was really running like crazy to record my fastest 400s and 800s. Or in races where I was all out and done only to find the heart and the courage to keep running and keep my Boston dream alive. It was never easy even with those so called Easy Runs.

But Oh Boy was I having fun? When I first ran this year, I was screaming and thanking God for healing my injuries last year. I'm back. I'm really back. I love the sweat and I love the road and I love just being myself and doing my stuff and being someone I really am. At the road running, I feel like I'm the king of myself. Nothing's complicated. Nothing's too hard. Everything's so simple. I have a full grasp of who I am and what is life.

I celebrated when I got my sub-20 5K at the race and then once again on a Tempo training run. I was telling and narrating to Nerissa how I was so happy to break that barrier. And we shared the triumphs. I want to have those smiles and hugs and celebrations and stories after my sub-40 Globe 10K race. I could just feel it under my feet and I could see it in my eyes. I had that vision and come Sunday's race.. It's all coming down into fruition. I just can't wait.

a.k.a. Suicides

1. 8x400 (400m recoveries)
2. 6x800 (400m and 200m recoveries)
3. 5x1K (200m recoveries)

They call them Interval Runs. After I did run them, I might as well call them Suicidal Runs.. Suicides. I love running with the speed and feels like The Flash from the Marvel cartoon series. But those were the 400s. When I did the 800s and the 1000s, it got a lot tougher. And tough may not really be descriptive enough of this punishing workout run. I would gladly admit that I really not am The Flash, I'm nothing like him in terms of speed. If only that admittance would relieve me of all the physical sprinting punishments.

I remember a dear friend named Katherine and simply called Kage. She used to always say What does not kill you only makes you stronger. And Suicides are just that. It tries to often kill me in training.. and though it only failed by a narrow margin.. it does makes me stronger.. and a lot faster too.

How? First, as was told by the more scientifically inclined men.. High intensity intervals raise our maximum oxygen threshold higher. It increase our anaerobic capacity. For us laymen, the interval runs make us adapt to high speed running longer than the untrained runners. So even though my stomach turns upside down after my last interval split, at the end of the day.. I just got faster than I was prior to the interval training session.

Second, the longer interval runs (800s and 1000s) do pushed me to my cardiovascular limits. They do leave me with an empty tank after a few minutes of running in full speed. It is crazy. Insane maybe. But Suicides did teach me one important thing about sprint running - speed control. After the 400s, the 800s and the 1000s demanded a lot more from my lungs and legs. At my first 800s, I gave up. I could not run at full speed for the entire 800 meters.

And that was the key. Failure leads to drawing solutions. And the next time I did the 800s and 1000s, I knew how to conserve my energy and control my speed and still be able to run my fastest interval splits. The suicides taught me a valuable lesson about energy conservation. After the 400s taught me about my top speed, the Suicides taught me to control them.

What really is control? I believe it is about knowing your full (100%) speed limit and going at about 85-90% of it which is the sustainable speed over long distances. I learned that painfully after consecutive unfinished and failed attempts to conquer my 800s at full speed.

Third and last, Suicides taught me to run efficiently. Speed is only about half of long distance running. Stamina and strength fill the other half. As we already know, we could only generate limited strength and power. Our energy aint bottomless. We have our own different energy thresholds and so we get fatigued and tired and stop and crash. To help slow down fatigue and run longer at our top speed, we must efficiently unleash our energy. Use as little of it as possible in every stride so we could sustain our top speed over much longer distances (See Applied Sprinting Techniques for more about running efficiency).

Tempo Run: Our Expense-Free Road Race

With road races getting more and more expensive these days, I appreciate Tempo training runs more and more. Tempo runs are my wallet's best friends. And they keep me sharp too.

Jir and I train together and I run with him around Velazquez Park for 3 kilometers. He finds the 5:00 min/km his current speed limit for that distance. And I do race with him at this pace so he could be familiar with the speed and adapt it on race day.

On my own morning Tempo runs, I do 3Ks in 3:59 min/km pace. And later on, as I get more comfortable with the pace, I did 5Ks in 3:59 pace. It's almost as hard as the Suicides since I get to run much longer with no recoveries. But that's how races are suppose to be right? No timeouts.

The Race: Did We Meet the Target?

Pre-Flyover: I got the 2nd place on Men's. 4th overall. Nice start. I felt the short uphill climb on Greenbelt park. Thereafter I gave it a strong fast run till I reach the Kalayaan flyover.

Flyover: Was I ready? I thought I was. For the most part I was. Mentally, I just gave in to fatigue and the difficult uphill climb. When I slid down to 3rd place on Men's and 5th overall, I panicked.. I lost composure and it was a heart breaker and mental break down.

Post-Flyover: I was trying to catch up and regain the 2nd place. He was just about 50-75 meters away. The more I chase, the longer the gap becomes. So I was tired a little faster than I used to. At the halfway mark, I ticked my Nike Triax Fury in 22:10 minutes. I doubted the sub-40 10K finish.

My hydration strategy did not work. I'm not used to drinking Powerade and it choked me twice. First was right after I passed the 5K point and then the next was on the 6th hydration station at The Fort. After that, I decided to just pour cold water atop my head. After all, I'm used to hydrating late on my runs. As matter of fact, I trained myself to run without any hydration for my 10K runs. I drink after my run.

I also got my shoelace untied. Coupled with my minor Powerade drinking problem and the mental pressure of being unable to chase the 2nd placer, the shoelace problem was irritating. And for a few seconds I could not bring it back to how it should be tied. I gave up and just placed the laces inside the shoes. And then I got back to running again. I found myself at 4th place.

From the 6th to the 9th kilometer, I was side-by-side with another runner fighting for the Men's 3rd spot. He was talking to me while at race pace. Hehe. Unbelievable. I could just utter a word that is either a Yes or a No. I was breathing hard and I'm getting tired with each step of the race.

Then a Kenyan overtook the two of us at the flyover. I know we were sent out full 10 minutes after the 15K runners and here he is overtaking us at about 7kilometers into our 10K race. What speed!

A much shorter Filipino runner was chasing and fighting for the top spot against that Kenyan (Willy Tanui). The fighting Pinoy chasing the Kenyan inspired me to compete at a much higher level. This is racing at its best. You just lay it all on the line and fight to the finish. So on top of the flyover, I stepped on the gas and accelerated. I made a move to get past my competitor and head to the finish line for a solo 3rd.

At the last kilometer, I was running fast and I was able to break away for the solo third. Or so I thought. Somebody else was listed third. When all my running mates finished their races, we went inside the booths near the Ayala Trade Center. I went to the Winner's Verification booth to check if I did win the 3rd place. After all the necessary checks and back-and-forth counter checks from the Winner's Verification booth to the "Data Center" where the chip times were recorded in one database. I was indeed verified as the 3rd finisher with a finish time of 43:55 minutes.

No sub-40 for me yet. The 10K route was about 500 meters in excess of 10 kilometers. Moreover, the Kalayaan flyover was, is and will continue to be a leg buster for runners. Most of all, I really lacked the speed endurance for the full 10 kilometers. I felt strong all throughout my 5K runs. For 10Ks it was just not the case.

More training. More practice. Let's keep on running.