Race Report - Powerade Duathlon

In all honesty, after SUBIT last May, I have been slacking off. I've hardly been riding, and have toned down my runs and swims. The weather hasn't been cooperating since, and I have been finding reasons not to train. Over the last few weeks however, the pressure of Camsur 70.3 has finally gotten to me. It's less than 2 months away. HTFU Javy!

I was excited for this duathlon for several reasons. First, I had not done a duathlon since November last year. Secondly, I have been experimenting on a TT setup for my bike and I needed to test it. Also, I have not done a brick in months, so this would be a great workout. Lastly, the members of the national team would be present, as well as a lot of the elites of triathlon.

I racked my bike, setup my shoes and helmet, and I was set. Did a few hundred meters of warmup and I was good to go. Levy and I agreed to pace together. As I was not sure what kind of pace my legs would give me, I was planning on 4:30-4:45/km pace for the first 7km.

With one of my Idols National Team Member George Vilog

Run 1

The group started off at a frantic pace - of course, the national team members led the pack. About 2km in, there was some confusion and runners ended up doing a little loop. Amidst the confusion was our top National Duathlete August Benedicto, who seemed to have lost his way, and lost ground to the front pack. After clearing out some things with Coach Melvin and the Marshals, he continued on his way.

After about 4km, I found myself pushing a decent pace with Bombie of Tri-Clark. Later on, we caught up with Carlo of Timex and another Tri-Clark member Edward. I held on and finished the first run in 31:30 - right on target.

With Carlo during Run 1

T1 is never smooth for me. In almost every race, I screw up T1, and this was no exception. Right as I was mounting, I realized my cleats would not engage. I checked my shoes only to see my cleat covers still on - a rookie mistake! Note to self: Check shoes in transition :)

Bike

I didn't have much of a plan on the bike. As my setup was only days old, I just wanted to give it a good go and get a feel for it. The course was nice and pretty flat. Apart from a delivery truck parked in the middle of the bike course, it was a pretty good route.

With Deo of Tri-Pilipinas during the Bike Leg

I settled into a pretty good rhythm early. After a loop or two, I was in a pack with a tall kid and Edward of Tri-Clark. We took turns taking leads (not drafting). After the designated 5 loops, I checked my cyclometer and it said 25km. I didn't give it much thought, and proceeded to make another bike loop. The advertised distance was 7km - 30km - 4km, so I really did not doubt my decision. On my way back, I started noticing alot of people already on the run. That's when I realized that I might have made a mistake.

I entered T2 after 32km, and had averaged just a tad below 35kmh - well above my target. The setup seemed to be working! I racked my bike, slipped on my running shoes and visor, and off I went.

Run 2

The 2nd run was much simpler - it was an out and back. I settled into a pretty decent pace, and just thought of holding that pace all throughout. I was feeling pretty good as I tailed Joyette towards the finish line. I finished the 2nd run is just over 17mins, totalling 1:43.

I later on found out that I did, in fact, do an extra bike loop. Many other participants had made the same mistake. I'm not a loop counting person, so I rely on the accuracy of the information provided. Perhaps in the next race, I would be more diligent in asking the race director the exact distances of each leg, so that there would be no confusion.

Next stop, Camsur :)

*Thanks to Hannah for the pictures

Looking Back - Happy TRIniversary!

It's been a year and Oh what a year It's been.

A year ago today, I participated in my first triathlon. It was the Independence Day triathlon in AAV. It was a sprint distance, which I rushed into with only 2 weeks notice. I did everything almost completely wrong that day, apart from the fact I had a pretty decent swim.

Tapped out! @AAV Tri June 2008

I walked in with just a bottle of water, a borrowed bike and running shoes. I wore swimming jammers and a cut-away cycling jersey. No gu, no gatorade, no extra water bottle...WHAT WAS I THINKING??? I walked out of there beaten, yet happy. I was hooked.

@JalaJala

Since then, I've done a few more triathlons (including 2 Olympic distances), duathlons, aquathlons, long rides, a road race, a criterium, a bunch of half marathons and a whole lotta 5, 10 and 15k races. It's been a long and sweaty journey but a great one so far.

With my training buddies Drew & Mer

I've gained alot of new friends, and have been fortunate enough to be part of a great team (Team Super Ahem!), who not only trains hard, but also parties harder! Talk about balance :)

With Half of Team Super @ SUBIT May 2009

Making 'sundo' Hannah @ Condura March 2009

Look who's on a roadie!

It started off with a silly 5k...seriously :P

Happy TRIniversary to me!

Next stop, Camsur :)

I am Ninoy

Several weeks ago, my teammate and co-member in the IamNinoy Runners group, Jake de Guzman, delivered an inspiring speech at the MOU signing between IamNinoy Runners and the 5775 Reverse the Education Crisis.

With his permission, I have published it here.

Grab a box of tissue paper, and enjoy.

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I Am a Runner

My name is Jake de Guzman. I am an Entrepreneur, A Father, A Triathlete, A Teacher, and a Runner.

I started running in 2002 with a group of friends. I was about 160lbs, very pale, and lived a stressful work life without any exercise. I remember the first few runs were painful: my lungs hurt, my shins hurt, my lower back hurt, and all I could do was 15 mins until I had to walk.

After a month of trying to jog, I made it past the 15 minute pain threshold. And once you cross 15 mins, it gets easier to reach 30 then 45 then an hour. And then it starts to feel good. You breathe easier, you feel lighter, and there’s satisfaction that comes from working your muscles to propel yourself forward.

Driven by the need to measure your new found fitness or set a new motivating goal, we decided to join a 10 k race. And for someone who’s never run 10k, it seems like an impossible distance to cover on foot. I remember thinking, the race starts at 6 am, will I be done by lunch kaya? So I trained and ran and ran and the night before the race I couldn’t sleep: I had images of crawling on Roxas Blvd, my clothes tattered by the wind and sun, and me gasping for breathe and dying of dehydration.

I woke up on race day and realized I didn’t know what to eat. So I ate a bowl of cereal, an over ripe banana and 2 cups of coffee. By the time I got to starting line my stomach was rumbling and asking for some attention. All I can say is I had two races that day. One was 10k that I did in 1:08:38 and the other was a 200 meter sprint to the bathroom. To this day I’m more proud that I made it cleanly to the finish in that second race.

There have been many races since then and many more days of just running. Some days are good days and some days are bad. I remember my first 25k half marathon that I wouldn’t have finished without the support of the 2 friends I was running with. I remember my second half marathon that I proudly did faster than the first partly because I didn’t want to stay too close to Zorro. I also remember how my knees ached right after the race and I had trouble just standing up. I remember immediately bonding with a guy in the 10k run of the Subic Triathlon. We said no words but we pushed each other and gave each other strength. We shook hands as we reached the finish together .

I have run to mark special moments.

I ran before my wedding and cried and cried for reasons I didn’t understand. I ran after my best friends father passed and something about the distance I was covering and the constant rhythm of foot on pavement seemed to connect me to his loss and his grieving.

There are days when running seemed easy and the time and distance passed quickly. And there were days that you fight the voices that tell you to stop and you push yourself to just get to the next lightpost, or to put one foot in front of the next ...just to get to the finish line.

So what’s the connection between running, 5775 and the I am Ninoy?

The theologian Karl Rahner once said, “There are certain things that are understood once you have suffered through them.”

As Runners, we understand the power of transformation. No matter our size, fitness level, or experience... We understand how small things done in great ways can create change and be empowering. We understand how important it is to build a base in order to move forward or how nutrition affects the ability of the mind to understand and the body to perform. We understand how long difficult tasks can be accomplished by just putting one foot in front of the next. And we understand how together we give each other energy,motivation, and endurance no matter how long the day or difficult the task.

Another writer and runner, John Bingham, known in runner’s circles as the Penguin because of the way he waddles during a run, says it much better than I can:

“So many of us have changed our own lives through running that it makes sense we would want to change the lives of others the same way. We can take the drive, ambition, and dedication we used to transform ourselves from couch potatoes to athletes and channel that into making a difference for someone else."

When that happens, we'll truly understand the words of the renowned anthropologist Margaret Mead: "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."

Thank you.

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To date, the IamNinoy Movement has raised close to P500,000.

Sign up and be counted as a Hero.

The Toughest Race on Earth

I've heard and read the phrase 'The Toughest Race on Earth' many times, describing many different athletic pursuits. I often wondered, what really is 'The Toughest Race on Earth'?

You decide.

Here are some candidates, in no particular order:

1. The Iditarod - An Alaskan trail sled dog race wherein 'mushers' and their dogs race close to 2,000 kilometers in as little as 8, or as much as 15 days. 'Normal' weather conditions are way below zero, but when blizzards set in, racers have to endure temperatures as low as -70 degrees Celsius.

2. Badwater Ultramarathon - Dubbed 'The World's Toughest Footrace', this Ultramarathon (a footrace covering a distance of more than a marathon - 42km and above) takes ultra-runners 215 kilometers from Badwater Basin, through Death Valley ending at Whitney Portal. If running 215 kilometers wasn't tough enough, take into consideration the over 8,000 vertical feet (2,500m) which the runners have to ascend. And Oh, I forgot to mention, it's hella hot too.

3. Enduroman Arch to Arc Triathlon - 'An ultra-distance triathlon. The triathlon starts with an 87-mile run from London's Marble Arch to Dover on the Kent coast, then a cross-channel swim to the French coast, and finishes with a 180 mile bike from Calais to the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. The clock starts at Marble Arch, London and stops at Arc de Triomphe, Paris. Only five athletes have ever completed the challenge, the current record being held by Enduroman's Eddie Ette and currently standing at 80 hours and 5 minutes.' (Wikipedia)

4. World Deca-Ironman Championships - And you thought an Ironman was tough? What about 10 Ironman distances non-stop? 38 kilometers of swimming, 1800 kilometers of biking and to top it of, 10 marathons (420 kilometers of running) constitute a deca-ironman. Need I say more?


5. Le Tour de France - One of world's most popular cycling races, takes cyclists close to 4,000 kilometers in 3 weeks, around France. Over the duration of the course, cyclists climb as much as 100,000 vertical feet - that's climbing Mount Everest three times!


Not to forget, there are other multi Ironman distances like the Ultraman (2x Ironman), Triple Ironman and 5x Ironman distances. Who would have thought the Ironman is not enough?

Any takers?

*Photos c/o Google Images