Tere and I agreed to run together and maintain a pace of 6min/kilometer.  I wasn’t that confident for this run as until Sunday morning, my thigh is still sore.  And on Saturday night, it did hurt bad when I went down a steep incline at the Metrowalk parking (Well, at least, it’s better than Thursday when I was practically limping).  I told Tere I’ll just walk if needed and she can go ahead.  I was just praying to be injury free and to finish the race while waiting at the chute and chatting with Team BR Classmates Iah, Jerry, Macky and Anne.

The race started at exactly 5:20am and the 21k runners headed to Paseo..

It was a bliss running through Makati streets: passing through the Greenbelt underpass and finding yourself exiting thru Makati Ave (where Coffee Bean is) — Just like a regular parking-dinner-movie-coffee route, but this time you’re passing through it with thousands of runners while everyone is still sleeping.   1st Kilometer-6:05

The route took us to Makati Ave then right at Buendia.  2nd Kilometer:5:24. This is too fast from our target pace, so we slowed down and maintained a 5:55 pace as we climb Buendia and go all the way down to Fort, turning right at Rizal drive and then the climb along 5th ave.  I can feel my sore thigh shouting for me to slow down.  At this point, pain crawled to my legs.  I slowed down a bit. We hit the portion at an ave of 6:54 pace.  Other than the slowdown, we must have lost about 30 seconds or more  at the intersection going to Essensa.  We were regaining speed and crossing when a white Pajero speed up.  He could have missed Tere and the other two runners by a few seconds.  (Foot brakes should be part of training now…).  The guy runner on my right stopped him.  We had to find a way to get out as another car followed and is right behind him.  We squeezed ourselves in between so we can get out quickly.  I wonder where those bouncers are when we needed them…

And, oh there they are-right by the water station, yay!  Oh well, the incident tapered my eagerness to start speeding up again as I know there would be downhills before the left turn and about 400m more after turning left.  We shrugged it off and went back on pace, 5:55 at kilometer 7 to 8. The 9th to 10th was at 6:18k given all the climbs up until we reach the Heritage entrance.  Heritage, here we come! I took one GU Gel as we enter the park.  The first kilometer in the park was easy, we are back to 5:55 at the 11thk.  The 12th kilometer was something new for me and it was all going up and up, pace is back to a slow 6:24 The view, the trees, the tranquility, the green grass — all breathtaking, but my breathing was getting harder.  (The last time I heard myself breathe like that was on my first 5K last year.)   I feel like I am being enchanted, just letting my legs do the rolling.  Then, I finally saw the exit and a water station with sponges.

It’s good that we were trained during speed workouts to meet certain pace (where your body almost feels separated with your soul).  It helps during times like this.  The leg muscles are doing the works.

I dreaded exiting Heritage as I know it’s gonna be an uphill battle again but of course who would want to stay inside that park, right?

We lost our target pace at this point.  Averaging at 6:20 to a 6:56 at the 13th to 14th kilometer.  As we turned right to 5th Avenue, I knew we are near.  I took some cold water and Gatorade and tried to gain back my speed.  It’s only 7k to go and the faster I get back, the faster I can rest my sore thigh.  That was the plan, speed up from that point.  Then I heard one female runner behind me and it’s not Tere.  My competitive spirit fired up and I thought – No way shall I be overtaken!  I increased my pace (female runner in blue is gone), then I saw another group of female runners and made them my targets so I wouldn’t have reason to slow down.  At kilometer 17, all of a sudden, there were just too many of them and they are walking (it’s probably the pack of the 15k runners).  I got confused and lost it.

Good that I saw Frank of the Elite Team and he ran with me to the Finish Line.  Finally, I can rest my hands as I’ve been carrying a hand-held bottle throughout.

Frank keeps on saying stuff which I do not really understand anymore.  He used some hand signals but I go right when he says left.  I need a wrist band badly! =)  Along Makati Ave, I saw Mesh walking back and Randy on his way back to the parking.  Crazy fast Bald Runner Training classmates!

Back to Frank, I remember him saying at the Paseo right turn “Parang speed workout na yan, last 400meters”  So, I increased my speed and then he said, “Uy may picture” with matching peace sign.  I wonder how I look like in that picture…

I stepped on the mat at 2:11 in my Garmin, 2:13 on the clock.

And, oh, where is my Partner?  Ugh, sorry Capt! I’ve always loved the last quarter of the race, I dropped all the plans (and oh, you know why…)  Tere clocked in at 2:17.

……………..It was the toughest, yet enchanting 21K run…………..

And my sore thigh, after massaging it with the cold mineral water bottle after the race – it was gone like it never happened!

Congratulations to all the finishers and to the organizers for a well-organized race!!!

except for the following, it was near perfect:

• Late delivery of race kits when I registered early
• Singlet not delivered (as they ran out)…If they are giving it to the first 6K runners – then I should have received mine.  Oh, and I paid an extra P100+ for courier to save me from parking, lining up and all the troubles.  All I got was a small claim stub asking me to claim and line up as early as 4am.
• Presence of the bouncers on places where they shouldn’t be and on places where they are needed
• Piolo’s absence