i2runner

3:57'30" Newbie Marathoner – I qualified the finals!

Yesterday was the worst and best race experience of my life. (Pictures courtesy of Doc Marvin, Argonaut, and Beth of takbo.ph)

My dad, girlfriend and I had to go to Luneta before 4AM in the morning, but before leaving the house, my diarrhea returned. It seems all those carbo-loading the night before just went down the toilet. So I remembered to take Sir Jovie’s advice before a marathon to take some “immodium” pill despite my dad’s and Dr. Lyndon’s advice not to do so. When we got to the starting line, the immodium pill actually worked! But I felt like I needed to pee again, but I read in the big book “Lore of Running” that the runner’s hematuria, the urine with blood, was likely caused by running long with empty bladders, so our bladder’s walls would rub against each other thereby bleeding itself. The book advised to enter the race with a half-filled bladder, which I did, and after the end of the race, I no longer had any bloody urine.

The race started earlier, at exactly 4:25AM rather than 4:30AM. So thanks to Vener, he informed me in advance that the marathon race actually starts earlier than 4:30AM. When the gun starts, everybody still started too fast, I was surprised because I know all these runners are all experienced, yet they don’t know the proper way to start a marathon. Almost all sprinted fast like it was a 5K race. Well I didn’t, knowing that my muscles were still cold, I tried to keep my pace at a slow 9:30/mile pace. But after 1 mile, I got a 9:13 split. It took another 2miles before I actually felt my legs warm-up and my breathing getting the rhythm. But after that 2miles, I was already sweating a lot, even thought the sun wasn’t up yet, so I knew it was going to be a hot marathon, that I couldn’t run a 3:45 like I trained and wished to, and I will just have to try to manage a 3:59.

I managed to get below 9minute mile pace most of the distance, enjoying every moment of it. I could no longer feel the bruise of my right calf. I was in great mood, and was singing Michael Jackson’s “I’m Bad” song

At the Kalayaan flyover, I met Sir Jovie, I saw he was wearing some cool looking racing shoes. However it looks like he wasn’t in condition to run another PR marathon, the condition was very hot, he encouraged me to chase down the sub4hours. Thank you Sir Jovie!

However at mile 15, my right Quadriceps began to feel sore, like it was going to cramp. So I really had to slow down the pace a bit. I thought I should have run more hills to strengthen them. The course was really tough. Lots of killer fly-overs, and the hills along Lawton Avenue, Bayani Road, till C5, were familiar to me yet they slowed me down. Then I met 2 runners who said they knew my website, so although I was flattered, I was pressured to run a fast marathon. One of them had to really slow down later due to cramps, and the other one, his name was “Jojo” ran with me most of the course.

Me (in black #431), running with “Jojo” (#72), and tigerboy in white.

Then at Mile20, I was really in pain, my legs were really really fatigued. When I saw the 10K marker and my Garmin displaying 21miles, I thought OH NO! The finish line was still far and I thought my garmin was wrong and I was already so tired! But I would later find out that the marker was wrong, and my garmin was right. I then have to do a lot of walk breaks especially at the water stations. When I started running my legs felt so heavy. All along the way, Jojo waited for me. But when we reached Roxas Boulevard below the Buendia Flyover, I really had to walk so I told Jojo that he could now leave me because I was so tired. He did, and I had to walk for about 100meters until resuming my run.

The worst part of the race was the whole of Roxas Boulevard. It was very hot and humid, there were no more water stations, probably been drank by the shorter 5K and 10K racers. Then the worst was no wind at the Manila Bay! Oh no! Then finally there was a station with some water cups, I tried to take some, but my stomach was complaining. My body could no longer absorb any water. I don’t know why. The whole of the Roxas Boulevard was Hell for me, each mile seeming to last longer and longer, which means I was really slowing down but all of the effort was the best I could do. Good thing I still managed to run around 9:30/mile pace, probably due to my harder training, even though I’ve hit the wall.

Just in front of the Children’s Museum, Dr. Lyndon and his family were cheering at me, they even sang “Happy Birthday to you”. It cheered me up, but my pace didn’t increase a bit. I was so tired.

When I reached 0KM milestone in front of Jose Rizal, I was already thinking of stopping, maybe I wasn’t fit to be a marathoner. Maybe I should just go back to 5K and 10K races. The marathon is just too much!!! When I reached the front of Manila Hotel, the guys were cheering me, saying you’re going to make the sub 4hours! You’re going to qualify!!! Then just at the corner I saw my girlfriend Beth jumping and cheering for me! It was a great motivation. Then when I saw the signs 5K, 10K, 21K and 42K, the official told me 4minutes to go!!! You know what, I screamed like hell, I felt my adrenaline pump, then sprinted like an animal. I ran really really fast those last 100meters like a sprinter. The guy in front of me looked back and his face really looked scared like he just saw a lion or something. His face really looked scared it was funny! I overtook him the last 10meters and I was so high with joy and adrenaline and I couldn’t explain the great feeling of finishing the marathon strong despite hitting the wall.

Preparing for the final sprint. Check out my muscle legs!

At the last 100meters, I broke the wall, and finished 3:57′30″ according to my Garmin. I’m so glad I qualified for the Finals. It was the best race of my life!

Yeah!!! I’m BAD… you know it!!! But how come the official timer says 3:56′28″?

Sub 4hour Newbie Marathoner

Here’s the Garmin Link of my race: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/7966395