February 21, 2010, Sunday. After a few attempts, I was able to run my first official 10k race. My first attempt was during ADMU’s Big Blue Run which I failed to be at on time (EDSA traffic at 4 am?). I was really nervous at first because my “dry run” for the 10k a few before clocked at a very disappointing 1:30. It was a very leisurely run though.
For this run, I woke up earlier than before fearing that I might get stuck in traffic again. I was at the venue at around 5 am and I must say that Century Tuna did a great job of organizing the event. The Start/Finish area was made up of large LCD displays together with some nice audio instructions. It makes you feel you’re more on a hi tech race rather than a running event.
The 10k run started at around 5:30 am and I was able to finish it in 1:08. It’s a decent performance I guess compared to my trial run but still, It would have been great if I broke the 1 hour mark. I felt i still have a lot of energy in me when I crossed the line.
Overall, I felt great before, during, and after the race. I now have a better idea on how to pace myself next time and I am confident that I can break the one hour mark in two to three races.
For hardcore runners, running a 10k is an ordinary feat but for me, this is an accomplishment. For now, I will enjoy this week and aim for the UNILAB event in March.
February 7, 2010 is the date. I can’t believe it’s already been a year since I started joining races. It was around January of 2009 when I decided to join the Condura Run with some friends. Being a novice to running events that time, I played it safe and ran 3k, leisurely walking at some points. The result, 29 minutes!!! I had no idea what 29 minutes on a 3k run (or walk) is. What is important was that I started something I liked. It was fun and great. That day jump started my addiction to running events.
No wonder I felt this rush of excitement when I saw the Condura Run at Takbo.ph’s race calendar a few months back. I can’t believe it’s almost a year since I started everything. I have started running 5k’s that time and was looking for my first 10k race at the Big Blue run at Ateneo. Bad luck (EDSA traffic at 4am!) prevented me from testing the waters at 10k that time and the holiday season came. It’s not that I can’t run 10k. It’s just that I want to be competitive at it.
Fast forward to February 2010 at Bonifacio Highstreet and I am faced with a big decision. Do I run 5k or 10k? With the weight I gained during the holiday season and lack of activity the weeks following that, I decided to play safe with a 5k. 10k can wait next time. =)
I was at the site earlier than last year and I was able to see the start of the 21k race. This year’s event was more festive than before with fireworks display before the start of every race. The 5k race started at around 6:00 am and I crossed the line more or less 30 minutes later. It was a great race although I walked for a few meters at the mid and towards the end part due to poor pacing. I ran a 3k sprint a week before to get a feel of myself since I’ve been having side stitches during my last few runs. My goal was to finish decently… something I had no idea till tonight.
After seeing the results online, I was so surprised to find out that I finished the race in 31:18 minutes with a pace of 6′16 min/km. My Nike + result showed 32:52 mins with a 6′34 pace. The difference I guess is with the time I started the application.My result showed that I placed 278th out of 2279 racers! It’s not super fast but good enough for me considering I was not able to really prepare for this one.
Overall, I had a great race and there is no better way for me to start my running year than this. I am now looking forward to my first 10k race at the Century Tuna Superbods run. I just registered last night so I guess there is no turning back. For now, I am happy and thankful for a year of great runs.
I got my car back. finally. I am well aware that I am not the only person who had his car turned amphibious by Ondoy. I am just very lucky that my computer box still worked. Still, my cd player, side mirrors, horn, trunk switch, and a few other small electronically controlled stuffs inside the car won’t work. As long as I have my AC ok and the car runs fine I’m good with that. =)
I also found out that surplus computer boxes have already run out at Banawe and Pampanga. Car owners now are left no choice but to buy the expensive CASA boxes or have them repaired for 10k plus. I know this topic has been discussed countless times before but I would still like to share the things I did to minimize the effects of flood to my car.
1. Disconnect the battery as soon as the water subsides. If given the chance, remove it before your car decides to swim. Electronic gadgets usually get damaged when electricity flows everywhere caused by water.
2. Do not start the engine. Period. Even if the engine looks OK, do not. A neighbor started their INNOVA 3x. It amplified their bill 3x too.
3. Flush out the oil and other liquids inside the engine bay. If you think it will take days for people to tow your car, you should immediately do this on site.
Last September 26, 2009 was one of those memorable days of my life. For the first time, I have witnessed a flood that submerged the whole of our barangay and the rest of our town. As of now, I just came back from the shop where I towed my car to. I have received text messages of another typhoon coming. I just hope what happened last Saturday is already the last.
I am still happy that we are fortunate enough to still have our home and suffer only minor damages. I hope those who were devastated by Ondoy find the courage to move on and start all over again. This is a tragedy that chose no one. Rich and poor, everyone were equals. I just hope everyone learned from this experience.
10-24-09 is the date. I will sign up for this one which will be held at The Fort. I haven’t ran a 10k yet because I don’t think I can drive back to Bulacan after one but this one is hard to pass. Just knowing that people around the world will run with you on that date is good enough motivation for anyone.
There is news that Sega will be releasing a Sonic game in 2010. I know Sonic games are not that rare for the past few years, even after the demise of the Dreamcast and Sega’s exit in the console market.
What makes this game exciting (for me at least) is that it’s gonna be in 2D!!! Last time I played a 2D Sonic game was back in the 90’s. This is going to be a fun trip back to my kiddo years.
So please Sega, don’t break my heart again…
The trailer for NBA 2K10 just came out. I can’t wait for this game to come out. Final date is October 10, 2009. Realisticaly speaking, I see myself grabbing a copy around the end of October. Same waiting time I had with Killzone 2.
For comparison’s sake, here is the trailer for EA’s NBA Live 2010.
I have been a 2k fan since the Deamcast days. I prefer 2k’s realistic approach as compared to Live’s arcade type game play. Lucky us we still have a choice.
That is very true that’s why I found myself in a seminar yesterday at the Oasis Hotel in Clark Base, Pampanga. Working in a school setting is very difficult because you are expected to juggle alot of priorities at the same time. Add to that the fact that the people in school acts as the students’ parents on their stay there. I found out that this is more than just a saying but has legal basis too.
The seminar lasted from 8 am to 5 pm which was facilitated by Atty. Ulpiano “Ulan” Sarmiento. I have been hearing his name for years now and this is the first time I have attended one of his seminars. He is also currently the representative of A Teacher party list.
To say that he is good and entertaining is an understatement considering that he was able to keep me awake and listening for more than eight hours. I was praying that morning that I be given more than the usual attention span because I know the importance of the topics to be discussed.
Atty. Ulan did not dissapoint me and the rest of the attendees and with this I can say I got more than I paid for. Now I am left with two thick books, a thick handout and a few pages of notes on my laptop to review. On tuesday, I will have to share this experience with the rest of Admin people. I just hope I do not miss any important details.
Four days after the run, the results are finally out! This is my first race using the magnetic timing chip and I must say I am impressed with the detail and information it provides. I ran the 5k event which I believe I finished decently. So what does my stats say?
Overall results
Thirty five minutes and seventeen seconds. Not bad but still has a lot of room for improvements. I did not run all out and walked when I got tired on this one. Instead, I chose to pace and finish running instead of walking through some parts. The downhill part at McKinley was the easiest for me which makes the uphill climb hell. I’m still glad I had the energy to run on that segment.
Position
578th in the entire field, 431st in the male category and 175th in my age division. Overall, I was among the upper 50% of the runners who participated which I think is good enough considering I was not able to run seriously for a few weeks before this race.
Fatigue came into play during my last kilometer due to the McKinley climb. That was the time when the seasoned runners gave it a go and released everything they can. I was overtaken the most on this stretch and all I was able to do was watch and breath heavily. It was a very fun experience still.
Also worth checking out is the fact the 16% of the girls who joined whipped my a$$ there. The top finisher is also a girl named Aileen Tolentino who happens to be in my age category too. Congrats to you Aileen!
The map above shows my current location when our division winner crossed the line. I know, he crossed the line even before I reached halfway!!! It’s either he’s so damn fast or we’re just so damn slow.
I ran at an average pace of 8.5 kph with the uphill part being the slowest.
My Nike+ results show a different picture though. It registered 6.39 kms which I think is either caused by the uphill and downhill portions. I think I should recalibrate my kit to be more accurate next time.
Overall, I believe that the event is a big success. Not only is the number of participants the only indicator but also the festive environment before, during, and after the run. Being at night is also enccouraging for everyone to stay on and finish the program unlike a morning race that becomes uncomfortable as the sun rises.
I hope other organizers also adapt this format. I am looking forward to the next Urbanite race next year. I enjoyed this one so much and I hope I perform better next time.
race results are available at http://kennys.com.ph/
A few days left until the Kenny’s Urbanite Run in The Fort starts. I am yet to get my running kit at The Fort later but as early as now, I feel excited already about the whole run.
First of all, it’s at night which is favorable for me since I won’t have to wake up early. Second is that I am more in the mood to run in the afternoon to evening as opposed to morning. In fact, I only ran five times in the morning (except for races) and that was during Christmas break of last year.
Although my last run was last week which was only for 3k due to time constraints, I am optimistic that I can perform better here than last time (IE Run) were I slightly ran out of steam on the last part.
Although registration costs Php 600, it already includes a singlet, timing chip, and an Urbanit Meal coupon which I think costs Php 200.
I also get the chance to donate to charity. =)