My First Milo Finals

Woke up by 2:25am and took a quick trip to the bathroom for a shower. Took my red Alpha1 singlet from the cabinet which already had the 42229 bib attached to it. I am not sleepy any more which is a good sign. I wore my orange Mizuno Ronin shoes and headed to Ministop @ Dela Rosa Makati for a quick breakfast.

I ate a small Sotanghon Supreme and a slice of banana bread. And then walked to Buendia Avenue to take a bus to SM Mall of Asia. The Milo marathon finals starts at 4:00AM. I would only ride the bus up to Roxas Boulevard, from there I would jog my way to the Mall of Asia starting line.. about a kilometer of warm up run..

Eugene, Wallen and I met at the starting coral by 3:30 AM. We were all warming up, greeting running friends and wishing good lucks to each other. 454 qualifiers from all around the Philippines and the world (Kenya and Ethiopia included) were supposed to run this Milo Finals. I am just proud to be a part of it. Winning P300,000 and a trophy would be a huge bonus! Hahaha!!!

My race plan was to cover the first 10Km in 4:45 pace, recover for a kilometer, then shoot for another 4:45 pace on the next 10kilometers. That was the strategy for the first 21kilometers of the race.

True to form, I reached the halfway mark in 1:42:05 hours, an average of 4:51 pace. Including the recovery kilometer, I am right on my target pace at that point of the race. A sub 3:30-hour dream finish is starting to unfold into reality.

sexy ng shorts e - sabi ni Misis

I was very happy. This is almost exactly how I pictured myself at the halfway point. Compared to the previous Milo marathon run last July, I was inside a tent eating chocolates, drinking water with salt and taking a capsule of Advil tablet.. I was so tired at this same point the last time. For this marathon, no rain was in sight and the weather was all cool and fine. My legs were still fresh and my mood was fantastic.

Maybe I can smash my 3:43 marathon PR and go for a sub 3:30!

Training Flashback

I ran Tempo-Combos during Thursdays prior to the Milo Finals.

I started with 8K-5K Tempos. I was preparing myself for a consistent marathon pace strategy. My goal was to run the last 5K at the same or slightly faster pace than I ran the first 8K.

This training is aimed to train my mind and body to follow the planned pace all throughout the training run. After two attempts at the 8K-5K combo, I ran 8K-7K combos and then peaked at 10K-7K combos just two weeks before the Milo marathon finals.

Mission accomplished for 21K of the Finals!

Unfortunately, I thought the training would also prepare me for the second half of the race. I counted on my long slow runs during Sunday for my much needed marathon endurance. I ran 31Ks, 35Ks and peaked at 39K also two Sundays before the Finals.

Collapsing Little by Little Until I Finally Crashed

From 0K to 21K, - 1:42:05 hours (4:51 pace for 21K)
21K to 32K - 1:02:09 hours (5:35 pace for the next 11K)
32K to Finish - 1:32:25 hours (9:15 pace for the last 10K)

The very same problem that I tried to solve for this Milo Finals bugged me!

I am still unable to carry my speed on the second half of the marathon. I felt it right after I cross the 21st kilometer! Oh-oh! 

Eugene and Wallen overtook me as I tried to relax and perhaps recharge my body batteries.

I knew I was not going to finish strong when I was having trouble climbing up the Kalayaan flyover from Makati towards Taguig. The first three flyover climbs were easy. This one is taking a lot from my legs. Eugene and Wallen were pulling away out of my sight.

I got my second wind inside Taguig City. At the 28th kilometer turn around, I was rejuvenated. Although I only looked at my Timer at the 21st Km, I felt like I'm going to really break my PR by leaps and bounds based on how I feel at that same point as compared to the Eliminations last July.

This PR thoughts came crashing down on my way back to the long Kalayaan flyover. I am losing the power on my legs, I was feeling the heat and the fatigue.

Worse, the fighting spirit I had on the Milo Eliminations was nowhere near competitive level on this Finals. I started to succumb to exhaustion after about 30 kilometers!

From that point on, I was only trying to finish.. Looking back, that was the big difference between the Eliminations and the Finals.. that competitive and fighting spirit to finish strong despite all odds!

Trying to Finish by Running

When I reached 32K and timed at 2:44 hours, I was very very tired. 10K left, if I could just run at 6:00 pace, I would still finish within 3:45 hours -- the qualifying marathon time for the 18-34 years old bracket.

I maintained the 6:00 minutes per kilometer pace from 32K to 37K.

From 37K to 38K, I collapsed mentally. I have given up the fight and surrendered to exhaustion. I wasn't pushing my body anymore.. I was mentally beaten down. Most likely, it was from the frustration of living up to my planned strategy. I was suppose to be better prepared. I was suppose to be still strong at 5:00 pace right at that point. What happened?

That was all I'm thinking. What went wrong? I lost focus on the task at hand. When you've reached your limits and approached your wall, you are suppose to keep running.. to keep fighting. I kept on thinking why I failed.. And as the Good Bible says.. "As a man thinks in his heart, so is he." (Proverbs 23:7)

I decided to take a walk and rest when I reached Vicente Sotto road at the 38th kilometer.

And then when I started to run again.. I couldn't. The left toe is hurting. The body found a way to connect to what the mind is thinking. Every time I tried to push with my left toe for take off, the joint connecting my left foot to my left toe sends pain to my brain. Coupled with my beaten mind and spirit.. I found myself helplessly walking my way to the finish line.

4 kilometers remaining and I totally crashed!

People started to pass me by. Runners who have already finished their runs and were walking out of SM Mall of Asia were cheering me on with encouragement and sarcasm.. 

"Konti na lang, sir!" 

"Kaya mo yan!" 

"Sumali ka e, pangatawanan mo yan"

As I limped my way through the cheers, jeers and non-attention of people.. I tried my best to honor the marathon tradition. I trained hard for this marathon, at least give my full efforts to finish the race. At my worst of conditions, I gave it my best shot.

Even if my best at that point is slower than 10:00 minutes per kilometer!

When I reached the last few hundred meters of the race, I was greeted by claps and cheers of finishers and bystanders watching from the sides of the fenced finish line. Tears were almost falling from my eyes as I gazed at the clock reading 4:14:59 hours and still ticking..

That may not be my fastest marathon ever..

But that was the loudest cheer and the most number of claps I can recall of my three-year marathon campaign. What an eventful race indeed!

Chad, Noel, Bryan, Jayson, Billy, Eugene and Jessy

Things to Improve On My Next Marathon:

• Replace the overused Mizuno shoes already. Time for a holiday running shoes shopping!
• Try cycling shorts instead of briefs to avoid chafing (I got 4 huge reddish lines on my crotches!)
• Try training methods to improve speed endurance on the second half of the marathon
• Use liniment to combat tightening of calf muscles or use calf compression sleeves
• Focus and enjoy the race.. If the strategy is failing.. Just throw it out and have fun!
• Keep running and learn from previous mistakes. (Marami pang marathon!)