New Power found @ NB Power Race ‘08

Little did I know this Clark race would be so much fun!

While I think runners’ blogs shouldn’t sound this cheesy, then again I cannot help but state the events as they unfolded.  With my MPG runner-friends and the local running community invading Clark, this weekend’s New Balance Power Race ‘08 had been so whackily fun!   This is definitely one of my best races, if not ‘the best’, this year. 

Kudos to the organizers for the systematic setup and procedures, for giving plenty of freebies, and for choosing a very nice venue!  They were twice lucky too for affording to offer racers a nice cloudy weather that made the running experience a little more pleasant, and bearable to some.

MPG @ NB Race:  Jihan, Carla, Myself, Dree, Romel, Mox, and Ryan  (Not in pic:  Bless, Francis, & Ami)

I was thinking the weather condition should have been a big help especially to those who ran 25K -  and also to those who took up 10K for the first time.  As for me, it was my third 10K race and I am happy to get myself a new PR!  Don’t be fooled to think it’s something worth the notice.  Truth is, I am really sloooow as a runner but I am inspired to see I that am improving anyhow. 

New PR for me!  (But I seriously want to get rid of the number 7,  tsk!) 

This time, I finished 10K at the NB Power Race in 71 minutes (unofficial record) -  which means I shaved off 6 minutes from my record in OctobeRun.  I should be saying ‘Yahoo!’ now for at least getting myself a better time, only that I had honestly aimed for at least a sub-70 minutes record.  At the turnaround for 10K, I clocked in 35 minutes and I cringed at the thought of having to muster a negative split in order to get a sub-70.  But I had tried, you know. 

You’d be laughing if I tell you I was really working hard at it that I was doing alternates of sprint and walk in my last two kilometers.  In fact, when I was sprinting and was able to ran past a coach and his trainee who were running together, the coach perhaps was taken aback with my unusual speed that he shouted, “Oh, that was fast!”.  That’s one of the many comic turns for me in that race -  major Hahaha!  because in no less than two minutes, the same coach would see me walking and gasping for breath with a loser’s face.  Ha ha ha!

Another comic story took place on my last half-kilometer when I was back at the Parade Grounds.  All my friends who ran 10K were faster than I am and they had all been out of my sight after the turnaround.  So in the last half KM stretch I got surprised to spot Ryan just close ahead of me, and that’s when an evil intention formed in my mind as I cooked up this plan of sprinting really fast and overtaking him at the finish line.  Hahaha, naughty me!  But the good heavens forbid evil intentions to materialize.  Apparently Ryan was also doing the same -  sprinting the last few distance!  And my friends were all laughing when I was telling them this story during the post-race breakfast.  Ryan, on the other hand, joked that I’d always finish a minute later than he does in all the group’s races -  which had been the case, by the way, in three races we both joined including this one.  Now what a challenge is that!

I was also gladdened to have met in this race two runners from Takbo.ph, Queenie and Rene.  Apparently there were more Takbo.ph people who also ran this race, and were able to spot me! as they said the forums (ang daya!), but I was not able to meet them.  For one, some of them ran the 25K and I left the race venue before most of the 25Kers finished as my friends and I went rushing to find a place where we can grab a bite. 

I have to mention that Rene was gracious to give me a Runnex singlet (he’s a member of the Runnex club) and I am most inspired by the move.  I felt it was a formal welcoming for me into the local running community and it makes me want to run more and inspire others to do the same.  Rene, thank you thank you – and you’ll see me running soon in that Runnex singlet!

Let some of these pics tell you more story about our funfunfun NB race:

 

This is how the Saturday race, for 1.2K (kids) and 5K looked like.  Three MPG runners – Carla, Ami, and Bless -  did the 5K so most of my gang (including myself) were already in Clark last Saturday afternoon to support our 5Kers.  Dree and Ryan’s families and relatives also ran the 5K race, all of them first timers in a race.

Posing with some of our 5Kers:  Dree’s mommita beside here, Carla in her bandana look, and Dree’s aunt – Darang Edis.

New @ MPG:  The Saturday 5K race was a baptism race into the MPG gang for Ami (leftmost in powder blue shorts) and Blessie (in pink bandana).  They so loved their first race experience I am almost sure now they’ll be running more races with us soon.

The 10Kers turn:  Bless took this pic while we were in real stretching mode prior to 25K and 10K races Sunday early morning.  Seen in this pic are Francis, Ryan, Jihan, Myself, and Dree.  Mox and Romel were missing in action, perhaps already easing their way to enter the assembly area.  This time there were seven of us already in the 10K category -  the relatively new ones are myself, Frans, and Dree.  Among the seven 10Kers, I finished last and that should explain why they call me the MPG president.  I want to get faster soon just to get rid of that title, hahaha!

True to its name:  So MPG naman!   While somebody kept on announcing over the megaphone that competitive runners should stay infront and the ‘not so’ at the back, my friends insisted that we stay right at the very front of the starting line.  Serious runners would squirm at this, but there we were occupying the first row as can be seen in this picture.  Set your gaze at the light from the lamp post and right below it you will see myself in white headband.  Right next to me on my right is Ryan and on my left are Jihan (with black collar) and Dree (in blue bandana).  Mox, Romel and Frans were in the third row, still mastering how it is to be MPG.

‘Winner feeling’ with the finisher medals on!  Among my friends, Mox finished the fastest runner in the group that he, in fact, got a loot bag that’s given out only to the top 20 or 30 finishers for 10K.  You are no MPG man, you are real!  That’s why you don’t get emals from our egroup, fake MPG!  Hahaha!

Post-race stretching:  Funny how we seemed to be doing different things here when the fitness instructors on the stage were demonstrating only one type of stretch at a given time.  And somebody looks absolutely funny here, but I won’t tell, hehehe.

‘Chill’ mode:  We were unstoppable in photo-ops!  This shot was taken while we were waiting for Ryan to get the car to bring us to the nearest resto where we can grab a bite, or two.  Needless to mention, we were all tired and HUNGRY.

Yumyum!  This is what you call carbo-REloading the MPG way.  Hearty breakfast and lotsa laugh trips at Rumpa resto in Clark.

Acknowledgments:  Thankyouthakyouthankyou to our hosts Ryan and Dree (who are both Pampangeños) for serving as our gracious hosts in this NB race.  Now we found our North Luz headquarters for the MPG runners.  I should take care of our South Luz HQ, hehehe!

Runner-turned-sirkera @ Mimosa

After Bicol comes Mimosa in Clark.  Nope, it’s not like these two areas are adjacent; they’re not even near to each one.  But the past weekend until yesterday, I shuttled between Manila and Bicol, and then coming back from Bicol, doing a quick one-hour stop in Manila, and then shuttling forth to Clark.  Okay, I know I’m the adventurous type but this isn’t a ‘trip-trip’ thing.  The Bicol weekend was for family affair and last Monday I had to catch my group for our team planning in Mimosa.  I had previously planned of just following them and commuting alone to Clark as I wouldn’t be sure what time on Monday I’d arrive in Manila from Bicol.  So I was prepped too for that adventure. 

Saved by coffee.  But since we arrived in Cubao at around 4:30 AM – much earlier than I expected -  I figured I could get to UP in a few minutes, repack my backpack and freshen up a bit in 30 minutes, and be picked up by my team at SM North at around 6:15 AM.  Sounded just right.  So these things I did and things went on pretty well, except that when afternoon came I felt too drowsy already that I finished two cups of coffee to perk me up so that I can still be useful in the discussions. 

Mimosa run!  One of the things I was looking forward to in this Mimosa planning is to get try a different route for a morning run.  This too, I/we did.  I had already commissioned my officemates to join me do this morning run while in Mimosa, and they happily complied.  So the youngsters in the group (us), just sang a few songs during the videoke get-together on Monday – and munched plenty of chips and nuts! – and by 10 PM, we bid goodbye to our boss as we told her we were getting up early the next day to jog/run. 

More rituals.  By 4:30 AM, all the five of us in the house - Ian, Jec, Joanne, Joyce, and myself – were already up.  They, too, were excited to get to roam around Mimosa that early time of the day.  I realized I had more pre-run rituals as I was the one who took the longest time to prepare.  I was still fixing the stuffs inside my beltbag and carefully applying sunblock while all the four of them were already downstairs, clad in running clothes but idly watching television and bearing that sort of face that says, ‘you know I’d really prefer staying on this couch while channel-switching than running…’  True enough, they told me exactly this when I finally finished my rituals and I went downstairs to join them: ‘Cathy, nood na lang tayo ng TV, kakatamad…”   I went GRRR! jokingly and then I prodded them that we step out of the house and begin our run.  That was 5 AM.  It was still dark outside.  And I realized we were such ‘bibo kids’.   Wahaha!

Discoveries.  Running became kinda difficult as these people weren’t into jogging – and weren’t even sporty.  Then again, I like the idea of influencing people to try sports and learn to love it.  At first, I tried to pace Joanne and Joyce since Ian and Jec stood firm about doing just leisurely walk.  Anyway, as anticipated I had to run ahead most of the time and then I’d run back to where they are, just to end up running ahead again.  We covered the long straight roads in Mimosa and then after about 30 minutes we discovered a track oval right outside one of Mimosa’s side gates.  I think it was a track oval inside the Air Force City in Clark.  I was sooo happy that we saw it since there were plenty of other runners, joggers (ok, I just know by now how to distinguish one from the other.  don’t ask how, i just know) and American and Filipino military men doing their training in the area. 

Anyway, here are some of the pics:

 

 At Acacia St. in Mimosa right infront of our house.

 At the Air Force City track oval.  There’s Joan & Joyce (the nearest two human figures facing back).

PAGOD, all caps.  Taken after I challenged Joanne race with me for a short-distance sprint.  This girl has quicker feet than I have, and she almost beat me here.  I had to counter her quick feet with my longer strides.  Hehehe!  Wais!

Post-run photo op.  With Joanne here, infront our house in Mimosa.

Who’d think we’ll do Amazing Race as team-building activity that same morning!  Because of the morning run, I was all prepped and my team won it!  Yebah!  This pic was taken before the physical challenges.

Turned SIRKERA.  Traversing a rope while elevated from the ground 3-storeys high.  Wew!  My knees were all trembling here.  Promise I’d rather do a 10K in MAK8 than do this again.  Hahahaha!  Scary!