1. At the Expo

 It was crowded but not chaotic. I was able to get my bib, race kit and get my Dtagged checked in less than 15 minutes. 

Trying on shoes you only see in RW was pure bliss. Lots of freebies too.

2. Schwag

Here are the stuff  in the goody bag and freebies from the Expo. 

3. Continental Airlines International Friendship Run

This was the run scheduled the Saturday before the Marathon. All international runners have been invited. Dingdong, Vicky, Doray and I decided to join the fun and so did a few thousand international runners. Since it was Halloween, a few runners turned up in costume. 

This 4K run was fun and served as a good test run for us. We ran the part of the marathon route in Central Park.  

Image source: www.bhf.ie

Waiting. Waiting. Waiting. Finally we heard an announcement that the corals for the 3^rd wave has opened. We trooped down to the starting gates. It was chaotic. We just followed the flow of runners. Vicky, Dingdong and I were in different corals so after a few minutes of shuffling together we said goodbye and wished each other luck.  

At the starting pen, I was lucky enough to be standing with a halfPinoy, Kim. We chatted while shuffling to the starting line. It helped to  keep me distracted. This is New York. My big race! I was heading towards the starting line and I wasn’t nervous. I was still in denial.

When we stepped on the on ramp of the Verrazano Bridge, as per tradition they started playing “New York, New York”. I checked again the 4:30 and 4:45 pace bracelets I was wearning, closed my eyes and said a little prayer. Finally, I looked up and whispered, “Hello New York, Goodbye Singapore”.

This is my redemption race. When I filled out my visa application, I said I will be racing at the New York Marathon. I did not say I will be running or joining New York Marathon. I said RACING and I meant it.

BANANASPLITS
 : Km 0 – 5 : Zoom!

Km1 – 6:45 | Km2- 5:51 | Km3 – 5:38 | Km4 – 5:42 | Km5 – 5:42
 

We hit the Verrazano Bridge to the tune of “New York, New York”. I hopped and skipped to the starting line. Finally, I was psyched about the race.

I just went with the flow and followed the footsteps of the runners in front of me. Going up Verrazano was steep but nothing like MKH. I didn’t want to be overconfident but I knew that my Sierra Madre runs would finally pay off.

The bridge as expected was windy and cold. I still had my fleece jacket on and I was glad I didn’t throw them away yet. Most of the runners threw away their jacket before we entered the bridge. It was so cold and windy I had to pull up the hood to give me extra protection.

They said that our wave had 14,000 runners. It was crowded and a tight squeeze! I needed a strategy to weave my way through the runners. I picked and tailed a runner wearing a red adidas tech shirt – let’s call him Stu. He was weaving aggressively between runners and keeping a good pace. I stayed with him and was able to negotiate the crowd at the bridge with ease. The only problem with Stu is that he prefers to stay on the side of the bridge. It meant more wind. Brrrrr. I just kept thinking, I can run faster if it’s cold. Less effort if it’s cold.

As we headed down the bridge, I took off the fleece jacket. It was still cold, I think, but I have warmed up enough and the temperature just turned from chilly to just perfect.

I stayed with Stu up to the Km5. I never overtook him so I don’t know his bib number. I had to finally drop out because he started running at 5:30ish when we hit the flats. I was on race mode but I did not want to run out of gas.

The cheering started the moment we hit the foot of the Verrazano bridge and it never stopped. We had people lining up the streets and cheering all the way to Mile 26.2. It was amazing!

In a lot of areas, specially in Brooklyn, performers had set up on the side walk and play their musical instruments. There were also numerous bands and church choirs performing. I only recognised a song or two but each performer powered me on and kept me running strong.

BANANASPLITS
: Km 6 – 10 : Pacing-Pacing lang

Km6 – 5:56 | Km7- 6:13 | Km8 – 6:21 | Km9 – 6:09 | Km10 – 6:14


After I dropped out of pace with Stu, I still maintained an average pace of 6:09ish. I knew that this was still too fast but I just kept telling myself that if I slow down my muscles would get cold and it would be hard to get back on pace.

At around km6, I caught up with 2 runners wearning Timex pace bibs for 4:30. Alison was running her first marathon and aiming for a 4:30 finish to get into the New York Times. Steve was running his 2^nd marathon and was hoping to improve his previous 4:38 finish. We decided to run together. We knew we were running a little faster than our target pace but we all agreed that its okay to bank a few minutes just in case we slow down towards the end.

We would check our time against the mile markers and pace bracelets we were all wearing and then check our average pace on our Garmins.

I knew that I was still doing fine even if our pace is a bit fast. We were still able to exchange stories comfortably.

at Km10.

My family (Kuya Lito, Ate Ann and nephews Joel and Eric) will be cheering for me a little before Km10 which is somewhere along Fourth Ave and 25th St. I felt an extra boost as we neared 25th. I needed to run strong and make my family proud.

BANANASPLITS
: Km11 – 24 : Tuned in to the groove and vibe of New York

Km11 – 6:16 | Km12- 6:17 | Km13 – 6:24 | Km14 – 6:31 | Km15 – 6:06 | 
 Km16 – 6:13 | Km17- 6:15 | Km18 – 6:14 | Km19 – 6:16 | Km20 – 6:26 | Km21 – 6:16 | Km22- 6:17 | Km23 – 6:24 | Km24 – 6:31

Km 11-24 was all in Brooklyn. I seem to remember uphills and downhills but nothing too threatening about this segment of the race.

Most of the time I had my eyes turned towards the sidelines. I was busy looking at all the  people cheering on the sidelines, the posters and all the performers.

 The marathon route took us to narrower streets and each area we passed was beautiful. Brick house with stoops. Trees with leaves turning golden yellow, red and brown. People waving different flags.

This segment of the race showed the cultural diversity of New York. 

I was too busy enjoying the festive atmosphere that my dreaded Km15 passed without a hitch. At Km 16 I took my second Gu. I was sticking close to my nutrition plan of taking Gu every 8km. I really hoped that this will help stave off the hunger. I also made sure that I don’t drink too much water. I stuck to drinking a mouthful every 5kms. I have practiced this at QCIM and it worked for me. It was sufficient.

At Km20, my family was again on hand to cheer for me. They were subway hopping and could meet me at our designated areas because they had a copy of the pace bracelet I was wearing. Seeing the Philippine flag and T2 banner gave me an extra boost.

I also saw another Pinoy flag before we went up the bridge. I yelled, “Pilipinas!” and they cheered for me. Sadly, that was the last Pinoy flag I saw apart from the one carried by my family. I envied the French and Mexican runners in my cluster. They had a lot of cheerers.

BANANASPLITS
: Km25 : 13:11 : Ngek!

This is the Queensboro Bridge. I don’t know exactly why my time was 13:11 at this km. Maybe because I lost reception was we were running on the lower level of the bridge.

I know I never walked in this km. I shuffled a bit though. This was one of the most difficult part of the race for me. It was narrow. It was cramped. It was hard to weave your way around. And it was a long bridge.

BANANASPLITS
: Km26 – 3o : Cruisin’

Km26 – 6:17 | Km27- 6:28 | Km28 – 5:39 | Km29 – 6:17 | Km30 – 6:36

After we got off the bridge, we entered First Ave. in Manhattan. This was long, straight and flat. There were a lot of cheerers on both sides of the streets also. I was excited to get to Mile17 as Philippine Star reported that Pinoys would be manning the aid station here. Not much excitement from the Pinoys here. I suppose it was hard for them to spot us.  

I was amazed that I was able to maintain my pace. I was beginning to tire but I knew I could keep on pushing.

This is where I caught up with Zofia Turosz again. I didn’t know her name then, she was just the strong lady runner with Polska written at the back of her shirt. I first saw her somewhere before km10. I underestimated her and sprinted to overtakeher. After a less than a km she already caught up with me. I gave up trying to overtake her and ran my own pace. You see, I thought, I could take her on. Zofia is 71. Good thing, I ate the pie earlier otherwise I would have eaten a lot of dust. (Note: She finished the race 4:46:58. When I grow up, I want to run like Zofia!)

BANANASPLITS
: Km31 – 35 : Uh-oh!

Km31 – 7:11 | Km32- 7:05 | Km33 – 7:19 | Km34 – 7:05 | Km35 – 7:06

Maybe I pushed too hard, maybe I was getting tired. Not sure. When I hit Km31, a side stitch started. Nooooo! I slowed down a bit. I checked my average pace and calculated. I could still hit the 4:30 – 4:45 target. It would be tight but I could still hit it even if I slowed down a bit. I slacked off  a bit and focused on my breathing. 

I have been running on pace so far and it would be heart breaking to drop the ball with 12kms to go. This was not TheWall. This was just a speed bump. Inhale. Exhale. I kept on running and shuffling.

I knew that this was not the time to come part. 

BANANASPLITS
: Km36 – 40 : Be not afraid

Km36 – 6:49 | Km37- 7:38 | Km38 – 7:00 | Km39 – 6:42 | Km40 – 6:50

After taking it slow for the last 5km, I decided to pick up the speed. My average pace was still good. I could still make it. And then when I hit Km37, the side stitch returned with a vengeance. I finally took a walk break. I kept repeating to myself, “Be not afraid.” This is a mind game for me now. I have never ran this long and on pace before. I started doubting if I could keep it up til the finish line.

I flashed back to the last 12km of Smart Subic International Marathon. It was dark and the runner beside me was fading away. She was dehydrated and her calf was killing her. It was dark and we couldn’t see 10 feet in front of us. But still she ran. Fast and strong. I started picking up the pace. Next I was transported back to a long run with a crazy coach who wouldn’t let go and leave me. He is urging me to take shorter steps and quicker strides. And then equally runcrazy officemate is whispering beside me, you can still run on pace even if you are tired. I have seen you do it. And so I pushed.

I was zonking out but I continued to push! If these people believe that I have it in me to finish strong, I just need to be brave and believe that I have it in me to complete this race on pace.

BANANASPLITS
: Km41- 42 : Not a walk in the park

Km41 – 6:12 | Km42- 7:19

When we entered the park, the runners beside me hit the gas and sped away. I started marking runners and chasing after them again. The last 2kms rolled and I just smiled everytime we hit an incline and kept on running.

I was on my way to finish the 40th New York Marathon. Redemption was 2kms away.

Official time: 4:37:51. 

Hello New York! Goodbye Singapore! 

I’m pleased to report that T2 rocked at the ING NYC Marathon! 

A 10:20 am gun time meant a drastic change in my pre-marathon routine. At home, I would wake up at 2:30am and have an hour to prepare and then head off at around 3:30am to be in time for the 4:30am gun time.

Last Sunday, the schedule is a bit more relaxed. I woke up at 5:00am to start getting ready for the race. My target time is to be at the Staten Island Ferry station by 8am.

Getting 7 hours sleep before a marathon is such a novelty. I was also able to have a leisurely breakfast. I needed a good and filling breakfast. The race starts at 10:20 so it means I will still be running during lunch time. Stopping for a bite to eat was not an option. I heated up some leftover adobo and rice. Sarap!

After last a minute check that I had everything I needed for the race, we headed off to the subway station at 73^rd St. We left the house at 6:30am and took the R train from Queens to White Hall St Ferry Station.

It was chilly (about 12 degrees) but at least the light rain predicted a couple of days ago was all spent from the previous night’s shower.

In each station we passed, runners trickled in. We would check out each other’s gear, bib and Dtagged shoes and exchange smiles. 

Arrived at the White Hall at around 7:15am. This gave me plenty of time to get on my designated ferry. Saying goodbye to my Kuya before I went in to the ferry station left like the first day of school. It’s a big scary world out there and I have to be brave and play nice with other kids.

I went in and waited for Vicky to arrive. Dingdong and Harry were allocated early bus rides to Staten Island while Vicky and I were included in the group of runners allocated the prime 8am Staten Island Ferry slots.

The ferry station was filled with runners. I tried to stay away from the huge Dutch group. They tower over me. I’m so afraid I’d get trampled even before I get to the starting line. I found a bench and waited for Vicky. After a few minutes Vicky arrived with her friend Rinna. At 7:50, we started to queue up for the ferry. The group of runners getting on the 8AM ferry was more than the usual number of runners we see at the usual races in Manila.

We got in the ferry with an Aussie carrying an ostrich costume. I turned to Vicky and said, “That’s our goal. We will not let AussieOstrich overtake us.”

On the ferry ride to Staten Island, we could see the Statue of Liberty. It served as a reminder that we are indeed part of the New York marathon. 

After 20minutes or so, we reached Staten Island. We transferred to a bus that would take us to Fort Wadsworth. This is the staging area for the 43,000++ runners. 

When we got off the bus, we joined the line going in to the fort. Marshals (lots of them) asked us to display our bibs. No Bib, No Entry. We turned right, entered the main gate and a sea of runners greeted us.

Since there were 43,000 runners joining the marathon, we were divided into 3 villages: Orange, Green and Blue. Runners are directed to stay in their respective village and wait for their Wave’s gun time.

Inside our village, runners are engaged in their respective pre-race activities: warming up, stretching, lining at the portalets, chatting with friends or having a bit of snack from the freebie tents.

Dingdong, Vicky and I were all assigned to the orange village with a 10:20 gun time. Vicky and I deposited our UPS bags first to the baggage trucks. Runners are only allowed to deposit the UPS bags given at the Expo. Our bags have tags that match our bib. Security. After depositing our bags, we found a place to sit and waited for Dingdong to join us. We had still had an hour before our wave start so we got some free bagel and had a snack.

Time to chill!

I left a few days ago.  

Bib number 51041. General start #3. Getting on the 8am Staten Island Ferry. 

Wish me luck!

Bananarunning is Two!

Two - Marathons I raced this year; Two also – Marathons I ran as my long run this year. Funny thing is that I did better on the marathons I did as “long runs”.

Two - Kinds of races this year: with water and without water … you know. I always bring my own hydration in races over 10K. Saved me a lot of times.

Two - Things I learned too late in life. You can use math in real life and sunblock is really good for you.

Two – My favorite running frills – BodyGlide and GU Roctane.

Two – Ways this blog helped me give back and pay forward 

• 1 – G and I picked a runner and we will be gifting the runner a new pair of rubber shoes and race reg at the end of the month. His grand gesture made me smile when I was really feeling down. Stay tuned. 
• 2 – To date, the 5 teams in Nike+ Human Race Ph Ambassadors Challege (Bananarunning, Steadylang, Reema’s Road Racers, Tatanka and Weekend Road Warriors) raced and raised Php 91,638 for Gawad Kalinga’s ‘Walang Iwanan’ program. This will provide relief and clean-up work for the nine GK sites ravaged by typhoon Ondoy.  

Special mention to all runners who signed up under Team Bananarunning! You guys rocked and racked up kms for a good cause. (Help! I would love to put all your names here but I couldn’t access the full list. Help!)

Two – Exciting things coming up this year. December and January stay tuned!

Thank you all for dropping-by. Many happy runs to all!

Village races are always fun. Here’s another one for you guys who are from the south and wouldn’t want to troop all the way down to UP on December 13.

Details details details

13 Dec 2009, Sunday

Assembly @ 5am and Race starts @ 5:30am

Start and Finish : The Village Sports Club

Categories : 3K, 5K and 10K

Club members are free, Non-members Php350. 

Flyer says register online but the website not yet up, I think. Interested parties may call 514 2211.

After my RotaRun-LongRun combo, I knew that my ITB would start complaining and become an issue. The left one is really tight. No knee pain yet but I could feel the tightness everytime I run.

I needed more than the usual massage. After getting my shorter leg fixed, I finally called and made an appointment with Coach Tito Salazar. Not for the usual torture – speedwork and drills – but for a different kind of torture.

Friends have gone to him for hilotmassage and with amazing results. His kind of massage is similar to trigger point therapy. He would find the tension knots and work on it. Hurts like crazy! Imagine how it feels when your therapist works on that knot on your back … then multiply it by 10. You can ask him to ease up but you know you want him to get rid of that knot so you can run again. Pain to get rid of the pain. Hay.

Did it work?

Two sessions and two cutback weeks later, I completed my first sub5 marathon at the QCIM. It definitely worked for me. Thanks Coach!

A group of us now gather for Torturefest Mondays with CoachS.

You may call/text him at 0920 5367038.

Racing in Manila is really predictable. The distance will likely not be accurate. At a Full marathon, if you are running at an average pace of 6:30-7:30minutes per km, you will probably see water stations but without water. Runner’s safety is 50/50.

I’m sorry to sound very negative today but after seeing a sea of dehydrated runners along SCTEX last Saturday, I’m beyond angry. *lumalaki na lang ang butas ng ilong ko*

I’m just conditioning myself to accept that the dream Full Marathon will remain to be a dream here in the Philippines.

Earlier on, I have learned the expect the worst at races. I always carry my own hydration and a lot of 20s to buy water and whatever I need along the way. During key races, we have also learned to provide support to each other.

Here are some of the things I learned while crewing in the last 2 races.

• Meet with your runners to discuss and set km checkpoints, pace, requirement per checkpoint, all logistics and admin stuff etc.
• Know the route backwards and forwards and plan how you will get to the km checkpoints. Vehicle or bike support is great but you can also commute to km checkpoints. Tiring but doable.
• Anticipate your runner’s needs and arrival time at km checkpoints
• For the truly OC, label or color code runners hydration and assign separate bags with their goodies
• Hand only opened bottles. The last thing they need is to struggle with opening the bottle.
• Gauge your runner’s conditions and adjust your plan accordingly (might entail adding km checkpoints or assigning a companion to your runner)
• Bring enough supplies for your runners but have a buffer so you don’t run out like the race organisers. Lotsa water, lotsa ice!
• Share. Share. Share your resources (ensure first that you have enough for your team) but as much as possible share your resources especially water. You’re runners are not the only ones getting dehydrated.
• Be courteous and polite to the police and marshals.
• Obey traffic rules. If you are locked up in jail, you cannot support your team. This includes wearing seatbelt at all times, not talking on the celfone while driving and crossing highways like SCTEX. If caught doing these, imagine you are picachu. Stare at the police … big wide eyed stare, smile a little, pretend it was an honest mistake, apologise profusely and slowly move forward and away from the coppers.  Promise it works … every time!
• Cheer! Cheer for everybody. They all need it. Or if they get irritated they will just run faster to get away from you. A truly win-win scenario.
• Bring food (for the support team), it’s always a long wait.
• If you run, wear your running gear. Sometimes, your runner might prefer rolling breaks and this mean you might have to run with them to give their stash. It’s is hard to run at 6mpk pace on flipflops. Also, if you are wearing your running gear, you can insert some speed repeats while waiting for your runners.
• Frozen gatorades in ice candy plastic is the best thing ever! (Thanks Ting and Boo for introducing this to us!) Prepare lots and lots of this one.
• Take pictures
• Offer your help when you can to other runners
• Consider learning first aid
• Give your runners positive reinforcements. Even if they look like crap, you have to focus on the positive to keep them going.
• If opting for vehicle support, use a car/van that is not a smoke belcher!
• Have a good meal with the team at the end of the race.
• Wear something colorful and distinct so that your runners can spot you easily. And you stand out in the background  ….

Happy crewing around!

To my crewmates – Kathy, Vicky, Dingdong, Alvin and Jackson – sa uulitin! To our ever reliable main crew – Gingging, Angel, Torio, Robert and Lito – maraming salamat ulit.

Well … the money goes to charity and not to you but isn’t that even better!

Straight from the Inbox: Here is an excerpt from the Nike Press release …

“This year’s run is elevated to a greater cause as it partners with Gawad Kalinga’s ‘Walang Iwanan’ program that will provide relief and clean-up work for the nine GK sites ravaged by typhoon Ketsana. Nike Philippines will be donating 10 PHP for every kilometer ran by a Nike+ Sportband user who joins the Nike+ Human Race Ambassadors Challenge at NikeRunning.com. On October 24, every finisher of the Nike+ Human Race 10K in the Subic International Marathon will automatically convert their run to a PHP 100 donation.

If you haven’t registered yet for the Nike Human Race Ambassadors Challenge, click here and register now. 

Team Bananarunning! We raised Php18,787.90 already for charity! Let’s keep racking up the miles. Eek! I’m supposed to be tapering but this is for a good cause! Will run later!