10.19.08 Botak Paa-Bilisan Road Race Series: taking pictures during recovery

Lito Saberola seems floating in Cloud9 few meters before reaching the finish line.

IceOne in his final push, then after crossing the finish line...

BroJ in his best running form. Not bad for a 1:06 10K.

Adidas KOTR: Endurance to finish

not even an aching knee can stop me to finish this race!

"impossible is nothing..."

Adidas KOTR 10.11.2008: Determination keeps me going

I have been thinking of not joining this much-anticipated race even if I registered early because of my knee injury, but my inner self is thinking otherwise. Prior to the said race I was injured due to my speed workout in MKH two weeks ago. Sh_t happens! Especially for us runners who wanted to run too fast and too soon. I applied cryotheraphy and never run again hoping that my injury will be gone. It worked! as I thought.

The Adidas KOTR 2008 was one huge race. Thousands of runners joined the 5K, 10K and 21K events. IceOne and I arrived at the event just on time and we separated immediately as he was registered for the 5K while I am bound for the 10K. As I entered the long queue of the check-in area, I saw my officemate and running buddy Bro J. We positioned ourselves in the middle part of the assembly area and after a few minutes the starting gun fired. I started with a very slow pace, I paid attention to my right knee. I told Bro J to just go on his pace and will just meet him at the finish line. I felt good in the early kilometers so I increased my pace gradually. It was a smooth ride until hitting the 7.5K. My injured knee started to ache and I was already in the brink of quitting. I slowed down until I reached the top of Buendia flyover. I was tempted to walk but I was thankful that I borrowed my son’s iPod. It helped a lot and it kept me going. I have also been praying to just let me finish this race and I promised to take a break until the end of this month, have myself checked by an orthopedic specialist so I can resume on November. I am satisfied with my unofficial time of 1:12:28. God gave me the chance to finish the race. I know even if I felt bad, I have to fulfill what I promised. I will not register for the two upcoming race events to be able to recover.

I learned a lot from this experience. Determination, trust and will power are the key to finish what you have started. Injury is not a hindrance for you to be able to finish the race.

See you on the road!

with IceOne

My XT

I’m better in running and tending to my kids’ needs than in composing articles… For a working mom like me, it’s so hard to fit my schedule altogether. The early hours of the day is usually devoted to household chores before preparing to go to work. I can only fit my running workouts in the afternoon, jogging home after work. Since our house is only about 2.5 kilometers from our office, this is enough distance to satisfy my running needs. Of course I have to run first inside our office grounds before hitting the road home. In that way, I can save datung to buy a running shoes in time my present pair of shoes worn out. Hehehe. Saturday, is a different day. After a longer run in the morning, I have to undergo cross-training. This is where I can workout my upper body. I have to chisel my biceps and triceps. I also have to strengthen my core muscles. The abs and shoulders will likewise be fortified. I love my cross training. Bye the way, time to end this post. It’s Friday and I forgot to buy a Tide Bar for my cross-training. Yes! 5 piso na lang kada putol. Bye….

my award !!!

BroJ gave me this blog award...thank you buddy...

THE NIKE HUMAN RACE: Blessings, pure luck, or coincidence?

1. I thought I would not be able to join the Nike+ Human Race because I don’t own a Nike+ Kit or even the Nike+ sportband. But just for fun, and with the dire need to really have it, I joined Photographer on the Run’s Photo Essay Contest. He will be giving 5 Nike+ sportband for those who would please him with their running stories. I submitted my running story, entitled “Running Mom” and waited for the result for almost two weeks. Three days before the race, I would be able to hear one of the biggest surprises of my life! I won a Nike+ Sportband. So I headed to BHS to claim it and eventually registered for the race.

2. A day after I got my sportband, I discovered that my unit was defective. And it took me two more days to decide if I was going to inform or I was just ignorant to use it. Hahaha! I headed back again to Nike BHS on Saturday night to report it to Ethel (?) the good lady in the registration booth. So Ethel got my number and reported it to Mr. Ben Chan aka Photographer on the Run. I got home worried if Mr. Ben would replace my unit, otherwise, I would not be able to join the race the following day. I just prayed to God. Sabi ko bahala ka na po magdecide kung ano po ang plano nyo.

3. Race day. My cellphone rang and received a message from Mr. Ben Chan saying: “ Gud morning. I have ur replacement nike sportband. Please pick it up at d PHOTOVENDO booth n d race start. :-)” It took me few seconds before I realized that I would be able to join the race. I texted back Ben and said thank you.

4. Although I didn’t beat my PR because of the hilly course, I enjoyed the race. Coach Rio, The Nike Team, Photographer on the Run and the rest of the sponsors did a good job. My Nike+ Sport band worked well. It registered my run and I was able to sync in my data at the counter.
with running buddy and officemate BroJ

5. And what was the best thing that happened to me that day was this…. While Brother J and I were falling in line at the PhotoVendo, the announcer suddenly called my name and race number. I was shocked to know that I won the 7107 Islands Cruise Gift Certificate! A 2nights/3days island hopping in Coron, Palawan! Wow!!! Is it a blessing, pure luck, or just a coincidence?

Keep on running a perfect race… God Bless!

My Story

i would like to share with you my story on how i started in the running world...

Running mom

I thought running would not be able to squeeze on my busy schedule as a working mom with three teenage kids. Through the encouragement of my officemates, I started running sometime in 2002. But I never joined official races because I was afraid then that I would not make it to the finish line even in the kiddie 3K or the easy 5K. I was just able to run during our athletics time in our office every Tuesdays and Thursdays at 4 o’clock in the afternoon at the Philippine Army Grandstand. Back then, I cannot even finish a single round of the approximately 800-meter loop. Until in 2005, my son who was a fifth grader then showed some interest in running, so I asked my officemate Georgieboy who already regularly runs in 42k to coach my son. My son registered for his first official race in the 29th Milo Marathon for a 3k event. I accompanied my son to the race and from there I witnessed how exciting and overwhelming joining in such event. My first official race was the AFP-DND Gintong Pangarap Marathon on November of 2005, but no photos were taken because out of excitement we forgot to bring our cameras. After one hour of finishing the 5K , I was challenged to improve my PR from every race that I will join.

My second official race was the Manila’s Finest Brotherhood Run (5K) held in Rajah Sulaiman Park in Manila on January 15, 2006. Underneath a singlet was a cotton shirt because I was still conscious of my flabby arms!

I never thought that running would be addictive, especially when after the race you will meet someone famous like Senator Pia Cayetano. When I registered in the 1st Pinay in Action held at the NBC Tent at The Fort on March 16, 2006 I unexpectedly won 2nd place in my age category 30-35.

From then on, our team joined different running events and fun runs including the New Balance Running Clinic held in Rockwell, Makati City on April 16 to May 21, 2006. The sessions paid off, since we have learned a lot to improve our running.

I am not a long distance runner but running became my outlet especially during stressful times at work and at home. I just don’t run because I want to compete. I run because I love doing it. Hope there are more running moms out there who would also find the many benefits of running. John Bingham once said that it is not the miracle of finishing the race, but the courage to start it. See you on the road…