My CDO-Dahilayan 55k Trail Ultramarathon

CDO City Hall

“Congratulations, pre! Ultramarathon virgin no more,” this text I received from my good friend Gifford, an ultrarunner, uplifted me as I was traversing the long stretch of gradual inclined trail leading to Dahilayan. I was already way past the ‘wall’ of the marathon distance of 42.195 km. Where I am was in the ‘death grip’ of the ultra. 

I had registered a month before for the Cagayan de Oro-Dahilayan (in Bukidnon) 55k Trail Ultramarathon, the first and longest to be held in Northern Mindanao and the first to use timing chips.

Pre-breakfast Pastel

I started the run in the back of the pack with 10 or so runners behind me. The bulk of the participants easily climbed the first of unending uphill climbs starting at km 2. My strategy was to finish the race within the cut-off time of 12 hours by running 3 minutes and walking 1 minute. At this rate, I could arrive within 10 hours with 2 hours to spare for any eventualities. I walked all the uphill climbs and ran downhill as planned.

I was also taking in the scenic route. Taking pictures along sleepy towns and barangays as my support vehicle leaped frog me every 3-5 km or so in between aid stations.

Brgy Kil-og

There were downhill trails I could not run lest I sprain an ankle this early as my headlamp provided only little illumination along the path.

Massage midway through an uphill

When the sun rose, I was at a mountain barangay where people greeted me and children gave me high fives.

I stopped often to take in the view. There was one stretch of trail where there was not a whimper of a ghost. I had heard that Bukidnon was a rebel infested area so I ran this course as fast as I could. I did not know that barangay tanods and policemen were strategically placed nearby.

The Municipality of Libona, Camp 09 and Camp Philips were just a glimpse. A spectator in the race in a small town called Agusan Canyon asked me in tagalog if I was from Manila. “Taga Agusan pod ko, manang. Pero Agusan del Sur”. That elicited laughter from her friends.

I was enjoying the run.

Km 20 spectators

But at km 48 and almost 10 hours of running and hiking, I was feeling rather fatigued, down and sleepy. The crunching sound of gravel and stone underneath my running shoes were becoming a sickening thud. I could see nothing but rows and rows of pineapple fields under the heat of the noontime sun. 

Hours earlier at km 40, my Garmin (GPS watch) had run out of battery. I had no idea now how far to go and how much time had elapsed. That disappointed me a lot. We were only using my support vehicle’s odometer reading to get an estimate and it said 48.

Trails!

At one point, I told my crew I was going to take a nap for 5 minutes but then they let me sleep for 10. When I woke, I was energized once again.

I reached aid station 50 at the end of the field. 5 more to go, I thought. I gathered my strength and power hiked the rest of the way as I could no longer run for more than 20 seconds at most due to fatigue.

After what seemed like forever, I asked a local on horseback how far yet to Dahilayan Adventure Zone and her answer was around 5-6 km. What the…! I could not believe it! A fellow runner came up to me and said they made a mistake in the sign posts. Tough luck!

Downhill portion of Camp 09

More trails!

After more walks, lunch and rest, I came around a bend and saw km 55. Yes 55! But I was nowhere near Dahilayan yet or where the party was. I hiked for more. Another sign said “850 m to Dahilayan”.

Pineapple fields of Del Monte

That was probably the longest hike I have ever felt. Rain poured down on me and mud cakes were forming everywhere. It was quite slippery to run and my shoes were carrying mud, excess weight to a tired runner. My support vehicle was slipping and sliding as it went past.

At Km 55 with 2.5 more to go

I persisted and climbed on fours as the rain intensified. Finally at the top of the hill, I saw the big letters of the word “FINISH”. I raised my arms, stood for a few moments underneath and contemplated how I managed 55 as I heard the clicks of SLRs everywhere.

I made it! Yes, ultramarathon virgin no more!

Click to enlarge ultrarunner :-)

The advantage of finishing at the back of the pack is that everybody else is lined up to see you arrive.

Elevation profile 40 of 55 km

Map from my Garmin up to km 40

I’m thankful to my support crew for staying up with me. Without them, I wouldn’t be able to make it.

F1 (Ultra)Runner

To my families and friends who kept texting me words of encouragement that I can make it;

To my fellow runners and adiks in dailymile and Facebook who motivated me all those months during my training runs;

Thanks a lot! See you on the road… and on the trails, my friends! 

Conquering my Everest: The Cebu City Marathon

"Pain is inevitable, suffering is optional." -- Haruki Murakami, Japanese author.

Indeed.

The culmination of the year's training runs came to a close. Last Sunday I ran the full marathon distance and joined less than 1% of the world's population who have run it. Who gave me that statistic? Beats me.

42.195 km is not an easy distance. Go ask everybody else who did their own virgin race topped off with the infamous heat and humidity in the SRP (South Reclamation Project)-- 22 km back and forth pan-fried by the unforgiving sun.

34 km. Photo by the master, Estan.

My race recap can be summed up in one word: 
S U F F E R I N G.   

Due to an Iliotibial Band Friction Syndrome (ITBFS) on the right, I lagged behind in base training having failed to do LSDs (long slow distance running) and did a DNF (did not finish) in a 21k leading up to race day.

Too late to back out now. I was fine tuned for the marathon. 28 km was doable, perhaps 30. And the remaining 12?

So here I was on race day. I was already at the race venue some 2 hours before gun start. I made 4 restroom breaks owing to excitement. The roaming "taho" vendor curbed my hunger despite having a plate of pasta an hour earlier.

3.45 am: We congregated at the starting area. I finally met my elementary classmate after 28 years, JO from Australia. Chatted also with Coleen who was still nursing a fever (but did finish well). Saw a few more celebs from the Ungo group and TTB. Saw 5 Africans (must have been Kenyans) arrive earlier in a taxi and I was sure it spelled trouble for Cebu's elite runners.

4 am: Elaborate fireworks! Off we went, a thousand plus runners in the marathon. It was almost 2 minutes before my friend Kent and I crossed the starting line.

1 to 5 km: By the volume of runners, we were forced to slow down our pace. We saw the Marathon Foodie and followed her closely until YMCA when she upped her pace and never looked back. No, we weren't going to follow the ultrarunner. By my reckoning, I think she wanted to do a sub-5 while all we wanted to do was finish the race... smiling with our sanity intact.

6 to 10 km: I lost my friend, Kent, at this point. Traffic was at a standstill in the main thoroughfares as runners were given priority (sorry motorists). My planned splits were right on as I headed into the tunnel.

11 to 20 km: My Garmin went crazy having lost its signal in the tunnel. We came out into the SRP still dark. Some parts of the route had no lights so it was quite difficult to get your footing as I was in my Bikilas. I took my first potty break and like the typical Pinoy male, I made it by just facing the other side. Swisshhh! There were lots of water, energy drinks, chocolates, cookies, sponges, liniments, music and dancers along the way. The 5 Kenyans were already on their last 12 km when I was still in my first 12. Talk about fast! I could see other runners coming back from the U-turn near Minglanilla. Saw Jacob on KAI sandals streaming past and JO going against the sub-4 pacer. Saw my friend Salvdian. Saw Gifford's staff Larry, Arnel and Raj. Saw Katol on VFFs, too! Go brother! Saw mommy Phindy running her first 42 @ 42, Twinkle in costume (but of course!) and a runner from Manila dragging 2 tires from start to finish. Amazing! 

There were lots of spectators on the road but unlike the big ones you see in NY or Chicago cheering you on, people here see us runners as complications to their daily routine. There was a report of thumb tacs thrown on the road. Low point here. This was also where my demons started to come.  

Pain. Period. (photo by Abigail)

21 to 25 km: I felt something scratching the back of my left knee. I prayed it was not my ITB on the left acting up which surfaced 2 weeks ago. I stopped and unfolded my knee support and found out that I had chaffed a big part of my skin. It was small but was painful. My foot also started to hurt and I was crying. Crying due to the sun block I had applied earlier that was now pouring down my eyes. Surprisingly my calves were fine. Some of the runners were on grass. I took out my Alaxan pack and downed a cap. 2 caps.

26 to 34 km: I slowed down to a run/walk strategy. No longer could I maintain running as the sun was already high up and my ITB decided to say "Hi". Took out my music player and the upbeat 80s music helped a bit. I had long walks in the SRP as I contemplated my finishing time-- 5:30, 5:35 and 5:45 slipping by. I was passed by the sub-5:30 pacer, a platoon of police recruits, and the sub-6 pacer who was on a similar run/walk strategy. Not bad. So I resigned myself to follow him through the tunnel once again (thank God out of SRP!), Colon St and Osmena Blvd. I got so hungry this time I couldn't wait to get to McDonald's near Fuente Osmena where I've asked the missus to wait for me, not with a kiddie meal I hope.

Munching on my patty with Kent.

35 to 40 km: I was met by my wife at McDonald's with Kent, who surrendered his race bib to DNF at the 28-km point, injured too. I munched on the double patty  burger hungrily and felt good! Everything tastes good when you're running 35 km. Runners were passing me and looking at my burger. I saw one get inside McDonald's. I did not bother running just yet. I knew it was already hard to finish a sub-6 so I took my time and enjoyed the vehicular traffic, where not much is seen in the province. Run already! Haide is too far ahead of you. My wife said as I procrastinated with useless chatter. I did not want to continue truthfully. I was very tired and the vehicular traffic was a sight to behold. Really now.

Mango Avenue was busy. Again runners were given priority. I saw 74-year old Noy Rening on marshal duty who encouraged me, "5 km na lang, dong." May ka diha, ako kapoy na.

The sprint to the finish line. Oops, my wife missed the shot. :D

41 km and to the finish line: The sub-6 pacer and I kept passing each other as we both maintained our run/walk strategy from Osmena Blvd. and Escario St. While he maintained perfect form, I ran like Frankenstein dragging my left leg with me, favoring the right. But from UP Lahug onwards, I pushed and never looked back. I thought I left him behind until 200 meters to the finish line, the pacer suddenly appeared beside me. We were shoulder to shoulder as loud music and  rounds of applause greeted us. I saw my wife at the corner ready with her camera. With a burst of adrenaline, I suddenly sprinted the last few meters just to get ahead that my wife missed her shot as I suddenly streaked past. (Said burst of speed sprained my chest muscles in the process. Blah.)

I made it! I made it! 6:09:19 official time. Both me and the sub-6 pacer didn't quite get our target times but nevertheless, we made it! A girl handed me my Finisher's medal. I walked a few aimless steps before I slumped on the sidewalk, too stunned to move even forgetting to turn off my Garmin. The realization that I actually did cover the entire distance today made me teary-eyed for a moment. I actually did it!  

I. Am. A. Marathon. Virgin. No. More.

With my one-(wo)man support crew.

Goodies and looties!

  

And the medal was worth every mile! 

Shall I do it again? I'm too tired to answer and my legs are killing me. But ask me again in a few days time, and like most of my friends who finished with me, the answer is most definitely YES.

Running: 34th National Milo Marathon Butuan Elimination Race Review

Kudos to the organizers of the 34th National Milo Marathon Butuan Elimination. 

3.5/5 stars.

Pros:

• Very well organized race without the hoopla
• On time gunstart (for the 21k)
• Lots of water and Gatorade 
• Support crew (ambulance, police) in full view
• Kilometer markers

Cons:

• Abusive drivers on the National Highway
• No bananas, water sprinklers
• No music, festivity-like atmosphere along route
• Water and Gatorade on plastic wrappers, not cups

35, 36...37. My friend and relative, Cheche Pastor Plaza (the running nurse in OR scrubs), counted the total number of 21k runners. Wow, so few runners here! I looked around. Very few indeed. Of the 37, I was the only one in sandals and toe socks being gawked at by fellow 5k, 10k and 21k runners alike. Is this guy, kidding? They seem to say. Of the 37, only 1 was in compression tights and the rest? Well, they were wearing very short split shorts! These were competitive runners and we were mixed in with them!

With the RTC runners
L-R: Nemesio, my dad, Cheche, James and Ronnie

I was running today with Elvin Pastor, also a friend of mine, a cousin of Cheche, who I ran with in the Milo Cebu Elimination last Sept finishing in a blistering 2:04 for his first 21k. This time around, the plan was to pace Cheche all throughout her first half mary and finish within the cut-off time of 2 hours 30 minutes.

The gun started without warning and all 30+ runners were off to fast pace. I was still trying to start the timer on my Garmin when the frontrunners were already 50 meters ahead. Sick pace, I muttered. Spectators stared at us, maybe they were wondering why we were running so slow, if you consider 6:00 mpk slow. We were tempted to race but prudence and a calm head made us linger back to the planned pace. At 6:45 to 7:00 minutes per kilometer, we expected to finish within 2:30.

We unfolded our DOPMH Medics banner. We promised to run today for Dr. Luna, a fellow doctor of DOPMH, who succumbed to heart failure 2 weeks back. This is for you, Tatay, as we fondly call him.

We realized we were at the back of the pack, the nearest participant, a 50-something runner in an all-black attire, a good 30 meters ahead of us. We purposely stayed back of "oldie in blackie" as we had the same pace.

Water and Gatorade were aplenty but the only downside was that they were in plastic wrappers. Drinking from them was like a leap of faith-- Is it hygienic? Safe? Or would you rather be dehydrated?

With Elvin at the Butuan City Police HQ

At the 6k mark, oldie in blackie was slowing down a bit on the inclines so we overtook him and never looked back. 

Cheche, meanwhile, this being her first half mary, was starting to breathe and plod heavily, so I cracked up some jokes with Elvin just to keep her spirits up. I even tried to sing "My Way" and April Boy's "Di ko kayang tanggapin..." but the lyrics were lost on me. Thankfully, nobody was close enough to hear me, "... and did it my way!" It would have been bam, bam! Yikes!

We met the frontrunners at the 8k mark and they were not a happy lot. We tried talking to them, even encouraging them, "Bai, ayos ka!" or "Bai, layo pa ang turning point?" but it seemed that our merry running was confusing them. There they were running until their lungs burst out and there we were laughing our hearts out. The Visayan lingo "dili ma-drawing ilang nawng" suited them perfectly. 

One station had Bon Jovi's "In These Arms" in full blast so I sang along and mimicked striking a guitar to the amusement of the waterboys, medics and spectators. I don't know but I just felt... lightheaded and happy today. There was a slight tinge in my right knee where my ITB (Iliotibial band) was but I realized that when I run with my foot pointed straight, not toed out, the pain disappeared. 

I didn't realize Cheche was already in so much pain from her own ITB. Regretfully, after having lost so much time, she gave up, told us to run ahead as she rode the ambulance. It reminded me so much of my own humbling DNF. So Elvin and I were left to run the rest of the course which was relatively flat with four inclines that slowed you down. The Milo Marathon in Cebu was a race I would not care to remember. The weather was so unforgivable that day that not even water sprinklers could help dissipate the heat. But today, the sun was just right. Perfect for a half marathon.

In all its shining glory: My 2nd Milo 21k Finisher's Medal

Since we were the last 3 runners, me, Elvin and "oldie in blackie" a few kilometers back, an ambulance, a police escort and a mobile water station kept hovering over us, its driver asking, "Kaya pa po, sir?" Haha! Since we were running slow, they must have thought we were ready to give up! Well, not in this life partner.

My dad finishes his 2nd 5k. Not bad for a 66-year old. :)

Elvin and I felt like celebrity. We had police escorts and waterboys handing us Gatorade and water (in plastic, but of course!). Police motorbikes were in full sirens. Yipee! You will find something like this in Cebu if your name was Simon Losiaboi (where is the guy now, by the way?), we thought.

Lots of time, I told Elvin only to realize with a kilometer to go that we were actually 1 minute behind schedule. Arrghhh.... I miscalculated!

Cheche drags her ITBS-sticken L leg

So we picked up our pace, spread our banner once again, got a curious look on my sandals from spectators and halt traffic to a stop in Butuan City's major intersection. Good-looking runners passing through! Passing through! All  eyes were on us. Cameras clicked and we were greeted by applause as we crossed the finish line.

Time: 2:31:04. Man! I hope they will still give us our medals, I thought. 

But yes they did! 

My 4th half marathon in minimalist shoes while celebrating my 1000th kilometer in 10 months of running. Tripple whammy! Great day after all! 

Now off to the beach in Buenavista! 

How was your run today, runners?

 

DOPMH 10k 5k Fun Run: My own race report

It's time for Africa!

The day started with a deluge of torrential rain such as one common all year round here in Agusan. A search on online weather forecasts was not what I would like like to hear either. High chance of precipitation, thunderstorms from 5 am to 11am on Race Day.

Indeed it was. Rain splashed so hard on our roof a few hours before sunrise that I consigned myself we would be having one merry finisher's snacks in the hospital lobby mobbed by a hundred runners instead of a run.

Milo Race Report: Running in the nick of time!

“Puera visita! Puera visita!”  The shrill sound of the ship’s bullhorn jolted me awake. It was a dream, one that I knew only too well. I couldn’t help but be amused by the analogy of my recent (mis)adventure of the 34th National Milo Marathon just held recently in Cebu on September 5th.

The bullhorn was replaced by a pacer who shouted “1 more minute!” as a fellow runner and I sprinted the busy intersection of P. del Rosario St. never mind the impatient jeepney drivers. All traffic came to a halt as eyes bore on us runners hoping to finish the race on time.

Aboitiz Race to Reduce: Going Green

 

2am and it was raining cats and dogs. It didn't matter though, a fun run won't be cancelled on account of rain and a 21k was an event not to be missed. At least for those running the 34th National Milo Marathon Cebu elimination leg 21k on September 5th. Today's race was a gauge for runners hoping to finish their 21k in 2:30 or less-- and that included me.

Weeks of training for my second half marathon has come 2 weeks ahead of schedule. So treating this as one long run, I signed up for Aboitiz Race to Reduce planning to run this at 6:45 minutes/km pace to finish well within the 2:30 cut-off set by Milo.

Aboitiz had promised to plant a tree for every runner registered today. Despite my preference for yellow, today I am Green!

A friend of mine, Gifford, invited me to run with him at 6:30 pace but I declined knowing I could not maintain that pace (yet) for that great a distance.

I met Gifford and his brother Harrold at the preliminaries. I also met Salvdian and Jerry, a fellow dailymiler. We trooped to the starting line. We saw many runners in Vibrams Five Fingers, running shoes that mimick barefoot running so popular these days.

Without so much as a countdown, a shot rang through the air and off we went. I kept reminding myself to stick to my strategy, slowing down when I was running at 6:00/km pace and picking up the pace when I strayed near the 7:00/km pace.

You could tell runners who were prepared for long distance runs and runners who weren't (like me 3 months ago). These runners had heavy footfalls, breathed noisily and was streaking past other runners. Soon enough, you'd see them taking a hike.

The run through SRP was breathtaking. I wished I could have brought my camera with me but running and shooting just don't mix. The stillness of the ocean magnified the sunrise hidden behind a blanket of clouds. It was peaceful and I was reminded of the 1981 movie Chariots of Fire in which Eric Liddell explains to his sister on why he runs, "I feel His pleasure."

I kept ultrarunner Haide Acuna in plain view. She was about a hundred meters ahead of me. We were probably running at the same pace because neither she nor I gained distance from each other. If only I could keep up with Cebu's most famous running personality, then I would be ok, I thought.

Near SM at about 7 km+, Kenyan runner and missionary Simon Losiaboi was already on his way back, his nearest competitor a good 1 or 2 minutes behind. Unbelievable pace and stamina. I just wish our Cebuano sports writers could write an article about him-- how he trains, how he keeps up with his training, etc.

The real challenge was the climb from SM to the University of Southern Philippines. The distance to the 21k turning point was almost 2 km and there was no let up in the incline.

At Mabolo, we converged with some of the runners from the Silliman University Run. I saw my cousin, Van, one of the City Prosecutors, running this one and waved him on. Turning back at some point near IT Park, I saw Twinkle Ignacio struggle with her tree-inspired costume. I also met fellow Cebu Doc alumni Sander.

Lots of people recognized Haide on sight. The ABS-CBN broadcaster was still picking up the pace. As we entered SRP for the last 3 or 4 km, I realized I was nearer the ultrarunner now thinking I must have been running too fast. A check on my GPS showed I was on pace and I realized she was slowing down. I passed Haide and said a customary, "Good morning" and proceeded to tackle the bridge.

Right now, a stiffness on my ankles began to emerge but with just a few km to go, I ignored it and dug in deep. The last 800 meters seemed to take so long. I could not sprint it even if I wanted to. Salvdian, a friend of mine who I passed on top of the bridge struggling with cramps that started near SM, recovered his pace and easily passed me back.

There were cheers a few hundred meters to the finish line and you could not find a better cheering squad than Ungo runners egging you on. I did it! 2:23 unofficial time on my Garmin, well within the cut-off time of 2:30 (The official time from the timing chips will be published in tomorrow's Sun Star paper, according to the CebuRunning Facebook page). Thank God for the weather, thank God for great race organizers and thank God no injuries!

The real challenge is yet to come. Let's bring it on!

Running: The Newbie Runner

2010 came out with a blast as 2009 was a disappointment. This will be my first, and certainly not my last post, on a new interest I have undertaken. Running. 

I have just come to realize not only for the health benefits but the similarities of F1 racing and running-- its heart and passion that drives one that is similar be it a V8 2.4-liter Mercedes or a 4-chambered piece of soft cardiac tissue.

Every year there is a new resolution to break but I feel this year is going to be different. I feel it's going to bring luck to a recipient of a Tiger year, no matter what the soothsayer says. Tigers won't be lucky on a Tiger year. (But wearing a red underwear will surely bring fortune-- Chinese expert. I'm thinking...)

I started the year running. Huffing and panting, I must have been an embarrassment to look at on my first day. The sun was out and the need for speed got the better of me.

But out on the track, the hard pavement and my seeming inability to run a few meters without gasping like an asthmatic jolted me to reality. I must persevere or so I said.

I did it twice a week, never mind the wet socks and blisters and I gradually did it thrice a week running 3 and 4ks. The persistence was inspired by a childhood friend of mine, who I last saw more than 25 years ago, running his first marathon on the highly successful Sinulog Run last 01-10-10 in Cebu. (We still haven't seen each other yet due to our busy and conflicting schedules but we have each other's numbers.)

I am setting my own course for December this year to run a half marathon at an acceptable time-- 21k in 2 hours I gather.

6 weeks into running since January, together with a newbie runner friend of mine, we bravely registered and joined the 5k Fun Run organized by the Cebu Dental Society last February 14.

We clocked at 41:06, an acceptable time perhaps for newbie runners like us. We ran 5-7 minutes and walked 1 minute. We would have wanted to finish in 35 but the ascent to JY Square was a killer. The time, however, was an improvement of the 43:36 I clocked in one of my practices here.

Now I am setting my sights earlier than December on a 21k ambitious half marathon come April 18-- The Great Lapu-Lapu Run. To accomplish a 2-hour finish more or less, I need to train a total of 12 weeks running a combination of 8, 10, 12 and 15k weekends. Wow! The sheer running mileage is intimidating.

I'm not worried though. If I won't be able to maximize my training until then, there is the 10k I will backtrack to which I plan to run in less than an hour... hopefully.

I don't have the luxury of 12 weeks but I have 10 until April 18 and day 1 begins tomorrow. Hope the sun comes out.