PSE BullRun 2008 - nth attempt

Today it feels like.........

I'm on top of the world!!!!!!!!!

Got up at 350am. Did the usual routine. Everything was set the night before and I even wore my singlet already just to make sure I'll be able to be On Site, On Time! hehehehe Just trying to cover my grounds here.

I sent an SMS to coach when I left at 4:15am. This early bird, got lost! hehehehe I forgot where the usual starting grid was. I ended up getting there by 4:45am already. Time in which most people are just about to leave Embassy.

I skipped the chat session with the h@ppyFeet folks and did my usual warm-up exercises just to make sure that I don't injure myself again. Coach finally arrived and joined me in my exercises. Seems that I got too eager to push again and slightly pulled my left quad muscle. (the curse of the left leg!!!!! argggghhhh!!!!)

I then got back to slowly stretching my legs specially my left quad. Coach prompted me to continue stretching and to keep it warm.

CLANG!!!!! CLANG!!!!!!! CLANG!!!!!!

3km fun runners were sent off at around 6:10am.

Then we assembled at the side of the start line ready for the 5km event start. The usual group started fast but not as fast as when we were in Clark 2 Sundays ago. :) We took the first 500m easy and just maintained our pace. By the next incline we started to push up the pace and soon found a new running mate. Gary ol' Pal! (an elite runner, also a regular in Ultra). He wasn't able to register and so just decided to help Coach push me around what's left of the 5km event.

The strategy was...... there's no strategy! Just run hard on the uphill, and run even harder downhill.

"itapon mo sa harap!" - I think I heard this line 3 thousand times. :)

By the time we got to the turn around point (2.5km mark) I didn't miss checking my time 9:32!
Looks good! All I need to do now is to maintain my pace and try to run harder just to make sure I don't fall prey again to my 2nd half walk syndrome.

I knew the course. I knew how many hills left. I got to the second to the last one and tried to reserve some energy for the last uphill and all the way downhill portion of the course. I managed to squeeze just enough juice for the last uphill and half of the downhill portion. The problem was that I didn't have enough left for the last 150m sprint to the finish. I threw my arms up front, tried to maintain my stride and just hold on to dear life.

Thank you Gary and Jo for the pace! I clocked in unofficially at 19:50.1

It was a really tough race for me. I know I'm still a long way from the pro's but I always utter this line..... "little steps...... little steps......"

Next attempt UP Rundevious. See you all there!

::::::::::::::::::::::::: Visual Aid ::::::::::::::::::::::::::
as requested by: the bull runner (get-well soon)

mark - keep on training mate! we'll both get what we want for the year.

the _champs : Coach JoAr and Coach Rio!

drew with a brand spanking new tatt. :)

nina, wake up early next time :)
joms doing the pose
here's our senior division champs(h@ppyFeet) oKnoy, Eric and John.
oKnoy and John just did the full 26.2 miler Subic Marathon last Sunday.
Congrats again to both you!

smith was early this time. no injury (wink! wink!)

Coach Rio with Sen. Cayetano

another teammate named Mon (mizuno run club)

miss maui after the 10km event. still dashingly pretty!!!! :)

joms with best-bud aljo. again thanks Aljo for taking care of the team in Subic.
miss monica! no more dance shoes! hello NB's!

ok let's play a little game.... spot the not! who do you think does
not belong to the group? well aside from Sen Cayetano. :P

training buddies