BDM102 Ultramarathon

March 1-2, 2014
Bataan Death March 102k Ultramarathon

This will be my 3rd Ultramarathon for this year. This race is a tribute to the soldiers who suffer from the death march in 1942. This race will cover around 102k from the municipality of Mariveles, Bataan all the way to San Fernando Pampanga. This will be the 6th edition of the BDM102 which started in 2009. This batch had a total of 300 runners. 

When we arrive at Mariveles, Bataan we do a short stop over at the starting line which is the Bataan Death March Shrine where the kilometer marking of BDM starts. After visiting the starting line we visit Countryboy Tugade in his inn just a kilometer away from the starting line to take a nap.

Eventually when we reach the inn, the inn keeper is insisting us to pay a visiting fee of 100 per head. Thanks to the convincing powers of my friends so we will not going to pay that visiting fee (thinking that you just visit your friend in the inn and you have to pay 100 pesos?)

Around 1800H we left the inn after we took our rest and prepare ourselves to run. We took a souvenir photo before leaving the inn.

 

Team RUNIT (left-right): Tugade, Jade, Renz, Argie, Fer, Greg, Mark, Jazz

 We arrive at the starting line around 2000H and take some dinner at Jollibee. My support crew the Running Photographer team/ Team USB is still on the way to the starting line when we arrive so I have to carry my things until they arrive. My support crew arrive around 2130H. Thank you Sir Rj, Caryll and Rian for the support.

Reach km55: 0540H

The race starts about 2200H and the runners starts running to San Fernando, Pampanga I do my own pace, i don't care if some runners pass by me along the route. I remain in my easy jog-walk pace. In km3, there is a continuous uphill to km7, hence we have a 4km uphill, I have no choice but to walk in the 4km stretch route, I do some jog when the road is flat. I reach the 14km around 2350H and reach the km22 around 0120H. I continue my jog walk until I reach km50 around 0450H (almost 7hours after the gun start) with is the halfway and time to change clothes, eat breakfast and alike. 

 

 After eating some bread and resting my tired feet I continue my race. I reach Orani, Bataan around 0600H which is 6th Municipality from Mariveles and 5 more municipality before San Fernando. Since it is almost morning many of the runners are eating their breakfast, supported by their respective support crew. 

Runners taking their breakfast

Reach km 68: 0800H

 After km 68, it will be a long stretch of National Highway where trucks and bus are passing by, thanks that there is a service road where we can run without any hindrance. Also, at this rate, the sun is shining brightly and we will be much slower at this rate because of the heat. We have to cool our system using some showers and ice treatment. Also, I have no choice but to seek help with other support group along the route. I seek for some cold shower, cold drink and alike. I reach km83 around 1020H, at this point only 3 municipality are left, Lubao, Guagua and San Fernando. Around 1135H i arrive at km88 where I took my lunch, eating pork adobo with egg (yum yum yum). Sir Rj, Caryll and Rian brought me some rice for lunch, thank you for the support. After my lunch, I continue my run toward the finish line, only 14km left before the finish line and I am still doing my jog-walk pace. As I do my jog walk, I pass some runners as well as the km marking telling me that the finish line is near. From km90-91-92 upto km97. After km97, I know that only 5km left until finish line. My feet are tired and I want to finish this run, and to take a rest doing my jog-walk pace until I reach km100. I reach km100 around 1305H and only 2km left until finish line, I am so happy that I am very near the finish line. I reach the finish around 1320H in my clock but the actual time that I get is 15:13:32 finishing with the rank of 80 getting a silver medal from BDM102 (You will get a silver medal if your time is between 13-16hours).

Final Message:
BDM102: Firstly I would like to thank my family for the support, sa pagluto ng mama ko ng baon kong adobo at nilagang saba, sa support crew ko Running Photographers and Team USB (manong Rj, Rian, Caryll, Jayson) salamat sa support at sa pagkain after ng run at pagsabay sa akin pauwi, sa secondary support crew ko Team Run IT (Greg, Rence, Jade, Mark, kuya Argie, Countryboy, Fer) salamat sa pagsabay ninyo sa akin papuntang Mariveles at sa support, sa tertiary supports (support crew ng mga runners: Snail Runners Alabang, kuya Jojo of Ayala Triads, sir Ragde support crew, Blue and company support crew, mam Jackie and suport crew, support of 94&96, road eaters,vertex runners, team running buddies, runner 38 support crew, runner 158 support crew, anyday runners and sa ibang support crew maraming salamat, hindi ko siguro matatapos itong run na ito kung hindi sa tulong ninyo. sa mga kaibigan ko sa paniniwawalang matatapos ko ito, at higit sa lahat, kay God na hindi kami pinabayaan at binigyan kami ng lakas upang matapos itong takbong ito. Thank you po!

Luneta to Tagaytay

February 9 2014
UltraMarathon 63km Luneta to Tagaytay

February 8, Many runners formed at the Raja Sulayman Park in Malate Manila. I arrived at the venue 10:30pm from my classmate's wedding in Quezon City. Lots of runners prepare, conduct stretching, chatting with other runners,  others are preparing for the run. When I arrive at the venue, Lj and Noriel are already at the line for the checking of bib and Lj fall in line for me (Thanks Lj for that). After that I decided to buy my reflector vest that I will be using on BDM, hehe, and left my bag at the baggage counter. 

Busy park at Raja Sulayman

Around 11:30pm me and my buddy Noriel decided to go to Luneta park since it was the initial starting of the run and not Raja Sulayman. 

Luneta Park

After we go to Luneta, we decided to return to Raja Sulayman for the official Start of the race. Total of around 700 runners will be running along and going to Tagaytay, the street will be a street party, lots of runners, support vehicles of the runners and organizers will be conquering the road to Tagaytay. At exactly 12mn of February 9, the gun start started and runners start running.

Idol Loyce on the run

Sole Diva Runners

 At 10km, we refill our water with the water station prepared by the organizer. But on the 20km we found no water station and decided to buy at the convenience store that we saw. Thanks 7 11 for the water, food and softdrink that we buy. Some runners also use the convenience store as stop over in their run. ^^

Around 2:20am when we arrived at Imus, Cavite. The Christmas Capital of the Philippines.

Around 3:50am when we arrive at Dasmarinas, Cavite.

Around 5am, my buddy feels sleepy due to no rest a day before the run. So we do some short rest and advise him to drink some soft-drinks with caffeine to woke him up. Around 6:30am we found some coconut vendors on the sides of the road and decided to buy some coconut.

Around 7am, my buddy already feels his blisters in his foot and decided to rest to pop the blisters (ouch). After resting, we continue our run, we saw some support vehicle offering aids and water spray and alike (Thanks for that). Around 8:40am, we are near Olivares but we will not pass Olivares and do a left turn at SVD road all the way to People's Park, Palace in the Sky. It's already hot and we feel the fatigue because of the long run and when I saw the Taal lake & volcano it gives me another energy to continue telling me that we are near the finish line.

Taal Lake and volcano

Around 9:30am we feel exhausted and we walk since the road has a uphell route until the finish line. We finish around 10:14am. Luneta to Tagaytay! Conquered!

 

  

Congratulations to all the finishers of Luneta to Tagaytay. Til the next run!

Route Map and Elevation

7 11 Run 1000

As a celebration for its 1000th store 7 11 will be having its 2nd Cavitex Run this coming January 19, 2014 at Aseana, Paranaque City. Category for the race are 3K, 5K, 10k, 16K and 21K. See you in the one of the awaited run of 7 11 where runners gets a lot of freebies from the different booths in the venue. 

Event:       7 11 Run 1000

Date:        January 19, 2014

Venue:     Aseana Avenue, Paranaque City

I will be running 21k. Race kit include: Singlet, Bib with Timing Chip, stub for Drink, Bag, and Finisher’s Shirt (found on the Race Bib). I receive my race kit this January 7.

7 11 Run 1000 is my 1st run for the year 2014. I've been waiting for this run because of the freebies that i receive last 7 11 run 800. This time 7 11 is celebrating its 1000th store in the Philippines. I registered for 21k category. Gun start of half marathon is 4:30am. I reach the venue around 3:30am, 1 hour early from the gun start. Lots of runners already at the venue doing some picture taking in the different areas and booths. Also, some booths are already giving freebies to runners as early as 4am. When we hear the gunstart, we start running along the Cavitex.

7 11 Run 1000 became a hit to runners because after the run runners will be enjoying the freebies given to runners. Free flowing of drinks like Gatorade, Pocari sweat, Soya milk, Slurpee, Nestea, San Miguel Drink to name a few. Food like ice cream, san marino corned tuna, fitbar, diary milk and etc. Not only food and drinks, there are other freebies given to runners. Runners enjoyed the run as well as the booths prepared by 7 11. The only problem is the long lines before you get your free food or item. Kudo's to 7 11 Run 1000 see you next year for another 7 11 run.

7 11 Run 1000 21k Medal

Congratulation to all the Finishers. Til the next run.

Ternate LSD

January 18, 2014

Saturday, Its a nice day to conduct a weekend LSD. 

Today LSD will be on Cavite-Batangas but this is not an ordinary LSD since we will we will be pass by Mt. Pico de loro Traverse (yup, we will be hiking/trek along Mt. Pico de loro traverse trail).

We started our training around 5:20am at the Ternate Bus stop station. We left some of our things at one of the carenderia there.

The route is a hell of a kind uphill challenge. We run to DENR for almost 1hr 30mins. We rest for a bit and we saw a group of people (doing a company activity at Pico de loro). Ternate bus stop to DENR distance is 9.2km. After eating boiled egg, bread and banana (breakfast) we continue our LSD but this time we do some trek since we will be going to Mt Pico de loro.

TAPIK Trail Runners at Pico de loro

We do the trek upto the campsite of Pico de loro for another 1hr 30mins, we do some photoshoot. We also saw Martin at the campsite and rest at the store there, drink some Mountain Dew, eat some trail food that we brought at the DENR. After doing some photo shoot at the campsite. We decided to climb the summit and did some photo shoot at the summit. We climb the monolith of Pico de loro afterwards (We do some rock climbing Yey!). After the monolith climbing, we continue the traverse of the Pico de loro upto Nasugbu. Martin decided to come along with us since he will be doing his solo Nasugbu Trilogy. Along the way to Nasugbu, we encounter a group of mountaineers that will be doing their nasugbu Trilogy also. We told Martin to join them so that he will have some acquaintance to Talamitam and Batulao. Pico de loro traverse distance is 9km.

We reach the Nasugbu road around 11am. We rest again for 10-15mins then starting running again to DENR. This time the route is not that easy since it will be a heat training. We will be running under the heat of the sun (hot). Along the road we took a rest at one of the store to drink some Coke. After drinking and do some fast rest we continue our run to DENR. When we are near the Kaybiang Tunnel we saw a woman at one of the corner of the road selling dirty ice cream (com to think of it, at the middle of the road a woman selling dirty ice cream, she said she was from Ternate and went there to sell dirty ice cream). After the ice cream moment ewe continue to run to DENR and we will be passing the Taybiang Tunnel which is almost 400 meter long tunnel. After the beautiful tunnel experience we continue our run upto DENR. We reach DENR around 2pm, distance from Nasugbu to DENR is 11km

Dirty ice cream moment with ate Julie

Kaybiang Tunnel

Exhausted Runners at DENR

     After resting at the DENR, we continue to run for the last 9km (Yes!). We will be going back to the Ternate bus stop running downhill, after the uphill in the morning, we will be running downhill in the afternoon. We reach the Ternate Bus stop around 3:30pm our total time is 10hrs. Its a 10 hours of run walk hike LSD. Congratulation to my fellow Ternate LSD Jullius, kuya Argie, Lui and John(Countryboy Tugade).  Total distance 38.3km LSD.

Ternate - Pico de loro - Nasubgu, Ternate Route

Ilocos 160 and Ilocos 102

Ilocos 160K (Vigan to Pagudpod) - January 25, 2014

Ilocos 102K (Currimao to Pagudpod) - January 25, 2014

This coming January 25, BRC Events organize its Ilocos 160 and Ilocos 102.

160K Ultramarathon from Vigan City, Ilocos Sur to Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte.

102K Ultramarathon from Currimao, Ilocos Norte to Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte

Cutoff:    160K - 36 Hours
              102K - 21 Hours

Gunstart: 160K - 3AM Provincial Capitol, Vigan City, Ilocos, Sur
              102K - 4PM INEC Office, Lang-ayan, Currimao, Ilocos Norte

 

Support Vehicle/Crew: Recommended but not required. There are many 24-hour Convenience Stores along the route.

Water/Food Station: Besides the mobile hydration, there will only be one water/food station - it will be located in Laoag City.

Pacers and Walking Sticks: Pacers and Walking Sticks will only be allowed from Laoag City onwards.

NO CASH PRIZE! NO LOOT BAGS! JUST PURE PAIN AND FUN! 

Color Manila Run 2

Color Manila Run 2

The most colorful fun run of the year. Its great to start the year with wonderful run at Colors Manila Run 2. The event was composed of 3k, 5k and 10k category. Different ages and nationalities join the most epic run of the year as they was splash with powdered color as they run in the road. Thousand of runners participated in this epic run. Runners start their run with white colored shirt and run in the road and must pass by some color booths. Different colors that runners must pass by are pink, blue, yellow, green, orange and violet.

Each color booth has different theme, they have castled themed booth, festival booth, superheroes booth etc. to add up the excitement in the run.  This is one epic run of the year since runners are not contented by the powder that the booth marshal throw, they get some and throw it on their friends, some roll at the road to gain colors, some lay down in the colored road.

Runners lay down on the colored powder

5K U-turn slot

I was assigned as a marshal in the yellow booth, I arrive at the football field around 2am since it was the said calltime and we must wear yellow shirt and must bring a mask (i don't have a mask) but our leader told me that it is ok if i don't have mask, just wear yellow shirt. When we arrive the area, we waiting some time waiting for the signal of the coordinator to bring us to our booth location. Around 4:30am, we arrive at our booth location, our location is at the u turn slot in the 5k category.

Yellow Flag at the yellow booth

 

Only the 5k and 10k category pass our booth, you can see the happiness of the runners while running at the road. You see their shirt with different splash of colors. Even if we are returning to the venue using a truck, runners are willing to be splashed by our yellow powder. Runners want to get their shirt colorful as they could, combining different colors and leaving no trace of white in their respective shirt. Runners don't care about the ranking, all they care about is being dirty with colors with fun and excitement.

Runners after the run assemble in the field, as the host count from 1, 2 and 3 runners throw there colored packet and VIOLA! Cool colored powder painting the air.

Photo from Running Photographers Facebook page; photographer:RJ Knight Runner

It's a nice experience to join and participated in this one of a kind epic run of the year. Kudos Proactive for organizing this run. Til the next Color Run (Night Run at Alabang, this February 2014).

Affinitea Run

December 14, 2013
My Last run for the year

"Affinitea Run for a Cause" is for the benefit of Tahanan ng Pagmamahal Children's Home Inc., organized by Affinitea, one of leading milk tea store in the country. This was held at CCP complex, Pasay City.

This run has 6 category, 3k, 3k barefoot, 5k, 5k barefoot, 10k and 10k barefoot. 

For this Fun Run, I registered for 10k, I do the barefoot way, yup, I run 10k barefoot category. Excited to do barefoot again, at the start of the race, I feel something stuck into my foot. Something aching my sole and I'm trying to feel it and remove it but I can't, I continue the race and finish the run. When I returned home and try to figure out what thing stuck my foot, I saw a fragment of staple wire that stuck into my foot, luckily I was able to remove it to avoid complications. But I say to myself that I will not be a hindrance being a barefoot runner. ^^ Til the next barefoot run ^^

Congratulations to all the Finishers of the run. Also, I would like to congratulate Affinitea for the successful run this year. Til the next run for a cause. 

Meet the winners of Affinitea Run for a Cause