Asian Duathlon Championships

It was the week after WRT and while reason dictates that I should be resting this one out, I guess I’m just a sucker for races  But seriously, I consider it real blessing to be able to do this sport and I try to get as many races under my belt for the experience and because one never knows what will happen in the future.  Tomorrow or the week after that, my body might just give up on me and then…..

Kap and I got to Subic Saturday afternoon just in time for the race briefing.  I was amazed with the number of foreigners milling about.  Talk about International Colors of Bennetton  As Coach Rick said in his email, the top duathletes of the world were present and we’re gonna do the same race as them.  How cool is that?  All of us were treated to a dinner buffet and probably the only damper was the news that the bike route was modified the last minute for safety reasons.  Instead of the usual hilly route past the airport, the participants are just going to do 2 20K loops of flat terrain.  Initially, I was disappointed with this development because I’ve always looked forward to climbing the hills at Subic.  But then, a flat and fast course would be an opportunity to set a personal best

Run 1: 46:58 (10K)

The athletes were sent out in waves with the age-groupers sent out last at around 6:15 am.  It felt cool that morning as everybody sprinted out of the starting line.  This first run consisted of 2 loops around the Events Convention Center.  I was able to settle in a good rhythm from the get-go but I was really astonished at the speed of my fellow racers.  I knew I was doing a sub-5/km pace but it felt really slow compared to the others.  People were passing me left and right  Soon enough, I found myself pacing behind Rune Stroem – only because he was out of shape  Later, it was Joyette Jopson who ran past me as another lady runner (Belle Grandinetti) and I took turns setting the pace.  As it turned out, whatever pace we set was enough for me to churn out my first-ever official sub-50 10K time.  Woohoo!  One lesson I’ve learned is always to run your own race.  Don’t mind the others even as they speed up and run past you.  Sometimes, this is easier said than done because ego does get in the way — especially when getting chicked  Check that ego at the door.  Makes for a fun and a more satisfying race

Transition 1: 1:35

I ran past my bike.  Must be the adrenalin of that sub-50.

Bike: 1:09:56 (40K)

The bike route was flat and fast.  As I mentioned earlier, the route consisted of 2 20K loops.  First turnaround was the road just before Subic International Hotel and the 2nd turnaround point was at the Building that used to house FedEX before it moved to China.  I concentrated on maintaining a fast cadence of around 90 rpm.  Did I mention that the route was flat and fast?  Getting a sip from my Gatorade was such a chore and I was only able to drink during the turnarounds.  Otherwise, I tried my best to maintain a tucked aero position throughout.  Averaged around 33km/hr  for the duration of the bike leg.

Transition 2:  1:07

Wasn’t lost this time  Racked the bike, put on the visor, drank Gatorade, then off to run.

Run 2:  26:04

Just tried to maintain the same rhythm during the first run.  Other age groupers were too far ahead I guess because I hardly saw anyone throughout the 2nd run.  In fact, the leaders were probably finished by the time I began my 2nd run  Yeah, I remember them announcing George Vilog’s name as I exited T2.  My run off-the-bike in this race is pretty much consistent with the pace set at previous races.  Somewhere along the 5:05 to 5:10/km range.  Still a work in progress.  But I take solace in that, at least, it’s been consistent.  Eventually finished with a total time of 2:25:40, a personal best for standard-distance duathlon.  Now, I have a benchmark for the duathlon this December at Quirino Grandstand.  Another race which promises to be fast and furious as well.  I just hope I’ll be able to keep up

Just want to congratulate my team for a solid showing at the DU last Sunday.  To Kap for finishing first in our age group; To Tina for finishing first in hers; To Jupiter for finishing first in his age group as well.  To Monica for bouncing back from a disappointing Powerman Malaysia to a 3rd place finish at ADC (2nd among Asians).  Thank you to Gerard for sharing his home at Subic.  Congratulations to TRAP for another memorable race.

Cheers!

Next Stop:  New Balance Power Run.

Whiterock 2009

Swim:

- Water was unbelievably buoyant.  Minimal effort to propel forward.

- 3 loops counter-clockwise.  Advantage for those who breathe on the left side like me.

- Difficulty in sighting on the way back to shore because of the sun.

- Course may have been short by about 400 meters at least.

Bike:

- Out and back route.

- Spin at 85-90 rpm throughout.

- Even as the others passed me, focused on holding back the urge to speed up.

- Nutrition was adequate.  Consumed 2 and a half cans of Ensure as well as 2 bottles of Gatorade.  Threw my old bottle at the turnaround.

-  It was a fast ride going out to the turnaround but had to fight headwind/crosswind coming back.  It was getting a bit hotter at this point as well.

- Felt good throughout the race.  Maintained speed of about 33.3km/hr.

Run:

- Baby steps at the beginning.

- Hills began at about the 3km mark.

- Was able to run at a decent pace upon reaching Subic.

- Adequate aid stations offering Coke, Gatorade, water, bananas.  I especially liked the ones where blocks of ice were also offered.  Did not resist putting some inside my jersey.

- Weather was not as hot as it was at Camsur.

- On the way back, Fiona passed me at heartbreak hills.  Gotta love that running form.

- Stride finally opened up on the downhills.  Didn’t let go anymore till I reached the finish.

- Finishing time not important.  Experience is what counts.

Next Stop:  Asian Duathlon Championships

Cheers!

 

Tri N Tri

Last Sunday found me on the starting block once again at Alabang for this year’s NAGT series.  It was a special day as it was my Dad’s birthday and it also marked the third year since my first race at good ‘ol Narra Street.  Judging by the number of participants that day, it certainly looked like triathlon is here to stay  Raced without a watch again, so the times posted here are based on TRAP’s official results.  Here’s my report:

Swim – 17:44

Swam with the usual big contingent comprising the 35-39 age groupers.  At the start, I positioned myself beside Alfred Racho who is a strong swimmer with the intention of drafting off of him.  I told him as much  Alfred, for his part, positioned himself right behind Jon Rufino and David Verlee.  So, good luck to us  It was a wild sprint after the starting horn sounded, all of us with the same intention to get ahead of the crowd.  Was able to keep up with Alfred for the first few laps and settled into a good rhythm.  Maybe it was the thrill of competing in a race  or the adrenalin rush, but I found myself swimming harder than planned. Probably a level or two below threshold.  Comfortably-hard pace, if there’s such a thing.

Bike – 57:20

For the past few races, I put on my cleats before getting on the bike.  No more of those “attached cleats before riding” thing that I was trying out before.  I’ve always had difficulty to put my feet inside the cleats while riding anyway so why bother riding like a pro, right?  Anyways, I pedaled with Coach Jomak’s admonition in mind:  Spin faster, lighter gear.  So the run won’t suffer.  Initially, I thought that spinning at a lighter gear might slow me down.  Jomak told me otherwise and said that in fact, it would help me run better.  Guess what?  Lesson No. 1:  ALWAYS LISTEN AND FOLLOW the advice coming from an ITU Coach  Using the previous bike times/speed as benchmark, I pretty much maintained the same speed as before.

5 kms into the bike leg. Jon Rufino overtook me and soon he was no longer in sight  Gotta love the sound of those disc wheels as he zoomed past me.  At this point, I was glad I still managed to get a sip from my water bottle before it jumped out of the bottle cage.  Probably as a result of the numerous humps throughout the bike course.  I tried getting the water cups from the aid stations on the fly but I found it difficult to balance with one arm extended to get the cups.  ”Di bale na nga,” I told myself.  Thank God  this was a sprint distance race

Run – 35:44

Throat was parched as I got into T2.  Water bottle from the marshall saved the day for me  Headed out of T2 with the aim of establishing a good rhythm.  Nowadays, I consider a race successful if I’m able to get a decent run at at the end.  It’s not that I don’t value swimming or biking.  But the run will show if  I’ve managed myself well during the first 2 stages of a triathlon race.  Blowing up during the run usually means I fucked up earlier in the race.  Pardon the language  Either nutrition was not adequate or I might have pushed myself too hard on the swim/bike leg.

About a kilometer or two into the run, I was overtaken by Fernando Ferrer of Sunkist Tri-Hard.  Looking at him run, I knew I couldn’t keep up with his easy gait and long strides  But I was quite happy with the pace I have set although there was no Javy Olives to run with this time around  Another comfortably-hard pace again just like the swim up until the hilly portion beside the Country Club when I suddenly heard footsteps behind me.  Did not bother looking behind as I increased my pace.  But the footsteps were still there.  I think this went on for a good kilometer at least.  I remember thinking, “Oh no! This is now a race and somebody is gunning for me.”  What if he came up beside me?  I don’t know if I can match him stride for stride.  I just took comfort in the thought that whatever happens, I’ll just do my best  Pretty soon, a few hundred meters before the turns toward the finish, the footsteps were gone.  Tried to muster a snappy salute to my teammates from Team PMI who were kind enough to wait for me as I crossed the finish line.

Overall time: 1:50:48

Yup, Coach Jomak was right.  Ever since I followed his advice from the debacle that was Camsur, I was able to run better off the bike.  Run splits from the races that I joined since Camsur show that with faster/lighter spinning, I managed to maintain a 5:06 km/pace for a 3.5, 5 and now 7 km distance.  Probably, a loser pace for most triathletes out there.  But for me, anything close to 5 min/km pace off the bike is a winner in my book  Now, if only I can maintain something like that for a standard distance race, I can die a happy man  I’m really happy with this race only because as it turned out, my times improved across-the-board from similar races at the same venue.  That it happened on the day of my Dad’s birthday and my third year anniversary as a triathlete only made it more special.

This one’s for you Dad!

Cheers!

P.S.  Congratulations to Rachel Manglicmot (First Lady of Team PMI) for a solid showing in her first triathlon.  (Flat pa yan sa bike sa lagay na yan ha)

Next up:  Adidas KOTR

The DU at MOA

Sunday was the 3rd leg of the Powerade Duathlon series organized by Thumbie and Popo Remigio.  I was there for the first two legs, so I just had to be there to complete the threesome  Got my race pack the day before at Bike King so I didn’t have to be at the race venue before the sun rises.  My wife and I got to the race venue at around 6am and I noticed that the number of participants were not as big as before  The course for the 3rd leg is pretty much the same as the one that was used for the 2nd leg.  First Run consisted of 2 loops of 3.5km each making a total of 7K.  The bike leg was 6 loops with each loop measuring around 5 kilometers and change. 2nd Run is just one loop measuring 3.5K.  The course was flat, race is going to be fast and furious

The usual suspects were there:  Robeno Javier, August Benedicto for the men while Monica Torres and Mirasol Abad for the women.  Was glad to see Makoy DU-ing his first DU along with Mrs. Olives  (In the multisport world, Hannah the erstwhile rock star and vocalist of the band Session Road will always be known as Javy’s wife)

I thought I should mention that when I did the 2nd leg of the Powerade Duathlon, I did an extra loop of the bike leg.  Although I’m Chinese and am supposed to be good at math, I never liked counting loops.  Thus, when my cyclometer read 26kms after doing 5 loops then, I did another loop to reach the mandated 30kms.  It’s all good in any case because at least now I have a benchmark for this race when we’re really doing 6 loops of the bike leg

First Run

Before the race, I saw ULTRA training buddies, Norman and Julian, and we agreed to pace each other for the first run  It was really kind of them to accommodate me considering that I’m racing without a watch again.  Kinda like taking the bar exams without a pen   The starting gun was fired before 7am and we were off.  Norman and Julian set a pretty good pace.  These guys kill me at the track so I was quite ecstatic just to be able to keep up with them off the bat  As for Javy  (my supposed pacer for the 2nd leg), while I missed him this race, he’s in another league altogether  I was just drafting behind Norman and Julian the whole way and they didn’t miss a beat even while partaking of liquid refreshments at the aid stations.  As for me, I did not bother to drink anymore after the first aid station lest I lose any more ground to these greyhounds  Pretty soon, we were at T1.  I asked Julian what our time was for the first run and he blurted out 33-something.  Nice

Bike Leg

After the Camsur debacle, I’ve taken Coach Jomak’s advice to heart.  No more of those mashing the smallest rear cog, except during trainings  I was worried though that I might go slower using the 3rd from the smallest cog but as it turned out, power output was pretty much the same  No, I don’t have a power meter on my bike.  Just describing how I felt  Faster spin with less effort.  Was hanging with teammate, Ernan, during the first 2 loops of the bike.  One good thing about biking multiple loops is that you’re bound to see them pros/elite athletes up close once they lap you.  Right about the 3rd or 4th loop, it was such a thrill to see the likes of Jeff Valdez and George Vilog up close as they passed me  Got to T2 with my timer at the bike showing 55 minutes and change.  I was really happy to maintain close to 35km/hr. for the duration of the bike leg

2nd Run

This is the part that spells either success or failure for me during races – the run off the bike.  At sprint distances such as this one, the book says that it should be threshold effort throughout from the get go.  But, I still have a loving wife and 4 kids who are in elementary school.  Bottom line, I still want to live a bit longer  Yeah, I know, I’m making excuses  I have to work on this a bit.  A good effort would be to maintain a pace below 5min/km.  Watch or no watch, I know I didn’t meet the standard by the time I crossed the finish.  The effort was similar to the run at the UP Law Triathlon which was a little over 5min/km pace.

Ellet informed me that she timed my whole race at 1:49:06.  As it turned out, it was a second off the official results which had me finishing at 1:49:07.  My official splits were:  33:53 for the first run; 56:51 for the bike; and 18:22 for the run.  I’m happy that my second run was an improvement from the 2nd leg where I posted a time of 19:11.  Still, a work in progress nonetheless.  But I take consolation in that it appears I’m moving in the right direction

Didn’t stay long for the awarding.  But I would like to send my biggest to cheers to the following:  Solid performances for the first timers like Makoy and Julian and even a podium finish for Mrs. Olives, Javy’s wife Hats Off to August for placing 2nd overall (Men) and Monica for bagging first overall (Women).  High Fives to Kap for placing 2nd in his age group and Ernan for placing 3rd in his and also to Junie for topping her age group while Tina Reyes placed 2nd in her age group.  GO TEAM PMI!!!

Cheers!!! On to New Balance.

Whiterock 2009

It’s Rock and Roll time.

Visit www.extribe.com.ph

Registration is now open!!!

Cheers!!!

Running Blind (Also Wet) at Eco Dash

Incessant rains at the Metro this past week.  Still, I was looking forward to the Eco Dash, if only to escape the monotony of my usual long-run routes.  Got to the race venue at around 4:30am since the race pack stated that the half-marathon was supposed to begin at 5am.  But an announcement was made that the start of the race will be pushed to 5:30 given the inclement weather.  No worries.  It was a cold morning and the sun was not about to make any appearance that day.

At the starting line, I saw Gerard and Norman and we talked about the latest re: Whiterock.  Also saw quite a number of the Polo Tri peeps who were racing that morning.  I did notice however that there wasn’t the usual crowd of runners at the venue.  Perhaps on account of another race at MOA or maybe the rains discouraged some participants.  At any rate, I was still conversing with Gerard and Norman when the starting gun suddenly went off.  And off we go…

I don’t know if I had mentioned before that I do not wear my HRM anymore during trainings and/or races – and I found it liberating.  I’m no longer a slave to numbers and a gadget telling me whether I’m giving enough of an effort  Recently, the stopwatch I had been using this past year and a half got damaged.  So, I borrowed my son’s stopwatch.  Guess what happened next?  That watch too conked out.  The sporting gods must be telling me something….So, for the Eco Dash Run, I ran naked  Well, blind actually.  No HRM to tell me what zone I am in and no stopwatch to tell my time.  And as it turned out, the race did not have the usual kilometer markings to inform the runners about the distance covered at a particular point.  If the whole point about of ecology and saving Mother Earth is simplicity and going back to basics, it might as well apply to running as well

A few kilometers into the race, I found myself pacing with my former relay teammate at Whiterock, Dionne.  Actually, I didn’t realize it was her until we were making our way to Glorietta.  Too bad she got her Ipod with her, would have wanted to chat and catch up on what’s been happening with her since Whiterock.  I don’t know, I just tend to be wary of people who wear Ipods, it’s like flashing a “Do Not Disturb” sign to us friendly dudes  Uy, friendly daw o, hahaha….

Anyway, my plan for this race was to try to maintain proper running form and technique as taught by Coach Jomak.  So, I was consciously telling my body throughout the race to push the knee forward while trying to imagine a tiny hurdle in front of me so as to incorporate a bit of a skip in every stride.  Also, the rolling terrain at the Fort is all too familiar by now, so the plan was to conserve enough energy to attack the hills and coast during the downhill portions.  Yup, no shuffling this time

Well, I don’t know if I maintained the proper form but I was quite happy with the effort I gave at every incline  Weather was just perfect, even with the occasional downpour.  I won’t be surprised if a number of runners set a personal best at Eco Dash.  There were ample gatorade/water stations throughout the route.  Remember my initial observation about the low turnout for this race?  I’m glad I was wrong about that one when I saw a huge pack of 10 and 5K runners as I made my way back to the Fort and onto Bayani Road  It was quite a good turnout after all considering the weather.  I hope it banishes the myth that one gets sick running in the rain

Norman tapped my behind and zoomed past me just before the McKinley intersection.  I tried to psych him out by sprinting past him immediately  But Norman was running a strong and solid pace and soon enough, he was out of sight.  I decided to pick up the pace after the McKinley intersection and held whatever pace I was on till the finish  Didn’t see any big clock/timer on display at the finish, so it really was a blind run from the start Thus, I don’t know what my finishing time was.  I was informed later on that there indeed was a timer at the right side of the finish line banner.  Oh well….

There wasn’t much of a queue for the Gatorade drink at the finish and I was thankful for that.  Didn’t bother to line up anymore for the freebies.  I was just so happy to run the entire distance again after the disappointing walk/stroll at Camsur.  Eco Dash Run was a no frills race that lived up to its billing.  Simple, back-to-basics run invigorated with a shower from the heavens.

Cheers!

Maroon Weekend

Nothing like 2 fun races to wash away the sting of that bitter bonking at Camsur  Last weekend, I joined the sprint triathlon races held at UP Los Banos on Saturday and UP Diliman on Sunday.  What can I say?  I am Levy Ang and I am a triathlon addict.

Costume Tri

I’ve always thought what it would be like to race in my Spidey outfit.  Thanks to the Trantados team, I just found the perfect race to don my superhero costume.  This was a beginner’s race: 400m swim, 15K bike and 3K run.  Indeed, there were quite a number of participants tri-ing for the first time.  As for the supposed veterans like me, I’d like to think I’m also a beginner in a lot of ways.  I still get butterflies in my stomach at the beginning of each race; I still can’t get my nutrition down pat; I mash way too hard on the bike and run like a lug off of it.  But what I hope to have with me always is that beginner’s spirit of approaching each race/training day with a sense of wonder and excitement  And I believe last Saturday’s race at Los Banos helped me rediscover some of that fun

Was already in my spidey outfit even before the start of the swim as I got curious stares from my fellow participants  And as I learned later on, most of the other ‘veterans’ put on their costumes before they got on the bikes.  There was Ian Castilla as Batman, Omar as Darna.  Joker was also there together with Mr. Incredible.  It was hilarious  It wasn’t too difficult to swim in my Spiderman outfit.  Of course, I wasn’t wearing the mask then.  You know, I just might use Spidey as an alternative trisuit in some of my future races

Like Camsur, I especially liked the bike leg at Los Banos.  Lots of children were lined up at certain portions of the route.  However, instead of “Go, go Ironman” all I heard was “Go, Go, Spiderman”….Go figure  Ran the final 3K in 14:04 and was quite ecstatic about that.  Now, if only I can maintain such a pace in the longer races….

Pretty soon, the race was all over and I clocked at 53:53 by my watch.  Good times and good vibes all around.  Too bad, I was unable to join the other participants as they jogged around the oval in their costumes.  My calves cramped up after the race and it was just too sore to move.  Thanks to Ian and the Trantados team for such a fun, fun race.  See you guys again in October for the NAGT.

UP Law Invitational Triathlon

This race was a last minute decision when I learned that Junie, Kap and Potch were also joining.  But then, this is the first time a triathlon race was going to held at the Diliman campus and also the first time that I’ll do an official sprint distance triathlon (750m swim – 20K bike – 5K run).  Add the fact that I graduated from that other school in Katipunan, I was psyched

There were about 50 participants in this race.  Like Los Banos, lots of first timers also in this one.  I was particularly glad to see my former teacher, Bobby Guev, as one of the participants  Participants were divided into 4 waves.  Race finally began around 9am.

Maybe it’s because this was my third race in eight days, but I felt swimming in a crowd doesn’t bother me as much anymore  Yeah, I still get kicked in the face and my legs get pulled but I don’t mind.  2 and half years into triathlon, it’s only now that I can safely say that I feel comfortable swimming in a pack  So, if there are any newbies out there – remember this adage “patience is a virtue”

Got out of the swim in 15 minutes and change and commenced a looooonnnng run towards T1.

Bike route consisted of 8 loops around the oval.  One thing I hate about multiple loops is that I’m bound to lose count somewhere along the way.  This race was no different.  Sure enough, 20 minutes into the ride, I could no longer tell if I was on my third or fourth loop.  Good thing I have a speedometer on the bike and I just decided that once I hit 20kms, I’m going into T2.  There were lots of humps along the route and the road reserved for the race was a bit too tight for comfort.  I’m just glad there were no accidents during the race.  It was great to have Coach Jomak shout out advices to me during the race (i.e. keep it light, spin at 90 rpm). Yup, mashing during races will be a thing of the past from now on  It was almost 21kms when I got into T2.

I felt good as soon as I got out of T2.  Probably because it was my first time to race at UP  Just concentrated on maintaining good form and making larger strides.  Around the oblation area, I got passed by 2 or 3 army men.  The last army man was within sight up until the last kilometer and I tried to catch him and see if I could engage him in a sprint finish.  When I saw the red arrow pointing left from afar, I made a go for it.  I already caught him at the turn but then the thing is, instead of the finish line, what greeted me was another road leading towards the oval.  OOooops! Wrong mistake  Huffing and puffing, I let him go and eased my way to the finish.  Ran 5K in 25:12 by my watch (25:24 official).  Total time: 1:25:07.

Congratulations are in order for Kap and Junie for finishing first in their respective divisions  Their names are going to be etched in the Dean’s Cup as the first ever winners!!!  How cool is that?  Was glad to have finally met Rico Villanueva in person (Sheerwill).  Also glad to see the ultramarathoners (Neville, Hector and Jeremy) do a triathlon    Thank you very much to Eric Pasion (Passion Runner) for organizing a successful Dean’s Cup Invitational Triathlon and Fun Run.  I just hope the day will come when Ateneo will host its own triathlon race

Cheers!

Tanso Boy

Oh man, where do I begin?

Circa 2006

Junie Santos became a colleague of mine at SALIGAN.  When I heard that she was into triathlon, I knew it was time to check “Triathlon” off my bucket list.  Back then, a workout for me consisted of jogging for 20 minutes, 3 times a week, plus the occasional swim.  Junie invited me to do the swim portion of her relay team for Whiterock that year, I readily agreed.  I still remember the race like it was yesterday.  I nearly puked in the ocean just 15 minutes into the swim.  What kept me going was the prohibitive registration fee and how Junie (bike leg) and Dionne (run leg) will be pissed for not even racing only because I gave up on the swim.  Eventually, I finished the 2k swim in 54 minutes and then I ran off to Pancake House and devoured pancakes/waffles galore.  After getting my bearings, I went back to the race venue and watched the proceedings.

The scenes at the finish line were a sight to behold.  There was Rey Agapay breaking into tears as he crossed the finish.  Ge Santiago raising her arms in triumph after completing her first long distance triathlon.  Jenny Guerrero immersing herself in a bucket full of ice to cool herself down.  Ige Lopez still having the energy to dance at the sidelines.  Jojo Macalintal barely able to catch his breath as he related his difficulties at the finish.

Little did I know that almost three years down the road, it was my turn to try the distance.  I was hooked.

Camsur 2009

Team PMI left for Camsur the night of 20 August.  When we arrived early morning Ninoy Aquino Day, I could already feel the buzz the moment I stepped out of the bus.  There was a tarpaulin welcoming the participants and a huge Timex watch counting the hours to the big race.  I bunked in with Rizz at her wooden cabin and we had breakfast soon thereafter.  Participants were trickling in by the minute and even then, we were already commenting/complaining about the heat slowly building up.  And it was only 7am then.

On our way back to the cabin, we spotted Cameron Brown going out for his run.  While starstruck at the beginning, it turned out that this was going to be regular occurrence at the venue – them pros/elites going out for their training and mixing with the locals when the latter would ask for either pictures or autographs.

The team agreed to join the bike out at 10am.  It was supposed to be a slow and easy ride but I guess the adrenalin was already pumping as the pros out in front sped away.  On my part, I was too busy checking the road condition and making a mental note of cracks in the pavement.  Right about the 16km juncture, I turned back and that was my ride for the day.

I officially registered in the afternoon and became participant number 221.  I was asked if this was my first Ironman and giddily said Yes, which led me to Doc Kit’s medical booth to obtain the necessary clearance.  I couldn’t stop laughing at how Doc Kit was interviewing my teammate Czar who also had to get clearance even though he’s already a veteran of many triathlon races.  Doc Kit mentioned that he could easily tell I was a first-timer because I had a handycam with me.  Of course, I want to document everything.   I ran around the big lake in the afternoon and that was it for the day.

Swam at the big lake the next morning just to get the feel of the water and sight possible landmarks.  I immediately noticed that the water felt warm.  The swim leg was divided into 2 parts.  First part, around 1.2K in the big lake, then run a bit to the 2nd lake for the last 600 meters.  I was not apprehensive about the swim since it’s not possible to veer off course.  There’s always either a ramp or an island to guide you to the right path.  Needless to state, it was another hot day again at Camsur that 22nd day of August and I was getting worried about the race conditions the next day.  But then, the wifey arrived by way of Cebu Pacific right around lunch time and everything was right again in the world.  Checked-in my bags and bike at around 5pm and I was just awed by the organization of the whole race.  From the time that we checked-in to registering the athletes and then racking our bikes the day before the race – there was a smooth flow to the whole process.  I remember thinking, “So, this is how an Ironman race is staged.”

Race Day

As expected, I can see the stars clearly in the sky when I went out of the room at 4am.  Not a single cloud to hide them stars.  It was going to be a hot day.  Downed two powerbars and a gatorade by the time I had myself numbered and made last minute checks on the bike and the transition bags.  The vibe and energy of the participants under the starting chute was unbelievable.  Everybody was gearing up for the race and waving to the helicopters hovering above us.  I tried my best to keep still and concentrate on the task at hand.  My teammates were already kidding me about how I tend to shut out the world just before a race.  I guess they would have to blame Philip (Foreignrunner) for that as my days of enjoying triathlons ended when he came into the picture.  Kidding aside, I knew from the onset that it was going to be a long and hot race.  Have to save every ounce of energy and I guess that includes abstaining from the usual banter at the start of the race.  Different strokes for different folks.  I am weird that way.

The Swim

I thought I should mention that it was great that the organizers gave the participants the option to join the mass start as is customary with Ironman races or to wait 10 minutes after and join the wave of the relay teams instead.  It was a good gesture on account of numerous beginners who toed the starting line.  The pros/elites were introduced and they were lined up a good 20 meters ahead of the age-groupers.  What can I say?  Triathlons imitate life.  The rich get richer  Before I knew it, the starting horn sounded and the frenzy began.

Now, I don’t know if it was a result of proper positioning at the start.  But I didn’t feel as crowded  during the swim as before.  Subit was way worse and it only had half the number of participants than this one.  Well, I wasn’t about to complain.  Have to count my blessings when they do come.  When I came out at the end of the first loop, I glanced at my watch and it said 24 minutes and change.  I was on target.

The water on the 2nd lake was murkier than the first one.  The route was counter clockwise which meant that sighting was easier for swimmers like me who breathe on the left because we have the island as our reference point.  I came out of the water in 39 minutes.

Transition 1

Since this was a long-distance race.  I wasn’t planning on using one gear throughout.  I planned on using my cycling jersey for the bike portion and another top for the run part.  I took quite a time here because I have to make sure tire levers and a spare tube were in my pockets as well as adequate nutrition.  Probably took me 4 minutes to get things all set before heading out to bike.

The Bike

For me, this was the best part of the race.  Think Tour de France where the crowds lined up the streets cheering the competitors on.  In Camsur, school children were all lined up in the streets shouting, “Go, go Ironman” and holding out their hands for high fives.  I’m telling you this went on for the entire out and back course with just a few gaps in between.  What a sight  I still get goosebumps when I think about it.  August Benedicto passed me at about the 5 km mark and I wondered how he must feel to pass almost the ENTIRE field (except for the pros) during the bike and run portions.  I bet that feels AWESOME.  I was telling him after the race that he should do a Contador  (Tour de France champion known as ‘Pistolero’, his trademark of shooting an imaginary gun at the finish) after every pass he makes, hahaha.  That would psych out the competition.  But seriously, if August works on his swim, he’ll KILL the competition.  But I digress.

I was feeling good going out to the turnaround at 45K mark.  Plan was to take a salt tablet and a gel every hour and get hydrated as much as possible.  The plan was going great until I felt the initial twitches of a cramp coming along.  First, it was left quads and then my right one as well.  This happened somewhere along 50 to 60K mark and it was the first time my quads cramped up during a ride.  Good thing there were salt tablets to the rescue.  The organizers said that this was a flat course.  They lied  It was tougher coming back to CWC as there were gradual uphills on the route.  Not as steep as Subic but a bit of a climb nonetheless.  And all this time I thought I was riding strong until the turnaround.  Yeah, right.

It was getting warm as the ride went along and the cramps didn’t help at all as I was making more of an effort to mash the gears.  And I guess this was where the race went downhill for me.  Because you see, I have decided long ago that when it comes to cycling, I’m no Lance Armstrong disciple (fast cadence).  I think I’m built more to mash gears like Jan Ulrich (slow cadence).  That strategy has served me well, particularly in short-distance races.  But then Coach Jomak has been telling me to spin at a faster cadence during races so that I can run better afterwards.  That has been his advice ever since the Larazabal race in April and in Subit last May.  But I guess nothing like experience to serve a good lesson for a bull-headed person like me

Pretty soon, I saw Ge Santiago and when she asked me how I was, I told her that I didn’t think I’ll be able to finish the race.  I wasn’t feeling strong coming into T2 which meant I spent way too much effort on the bike.  Certainly doesn’t augur well for a half-marathon run at 10:30 am huh?

Transition 2

Changed into my original trisuit.  Put on the Ironman visor and went out on a prayer.

The Run

Do I really have to do this?  Tell you guys about the run?  I mean what run?  What happened was more like sightseeing and taking a stroll along Luneta  Even at the very beginning of the supposed run….yes, that portion where every triathlon race is won or lost….all the things/advice that Coach Jomak told me?  Out of the window….. I was running/shuffling like when I first started in this darn sport.  The run course consisted of 2 loops that will take the competitors to the countryside and people were cheering heartily like the school children during the bike leg.  But all I can think of is how can I bonk in a race of this magnitude?  At this point, I saw the easy spirit of Makoy and all the other participants enjoying the atmosphere of what really was an awesome, world-class race held at our shores and I wished I had the same attitude.  But I cannot help it.  All I wanted in this race was to run decent off the bike and perhaps a sub-6 may be within reach.  But now that I couldn’t even muster a decent push-off with every step, it was tearing me up inside.  I was so ashamed I couldn’t even acknowledge the cheers and words of encouragement of my friends.  I was a goner when the 2nd loop began.  Just looking forward to the next aid station to get a sip of gatorade and douse myself with cold water.  Right around the bend just before entering the big lake loop.  I just said to myself to have some pride and try to make an effort to run.  By then, sub-6 was long out of the window.  Yeah, back to the original wishlist of every Ironman wannabe “to finish and finish strong”.   So, right at the bend, before entering the big lake loop, I decided to just run and whatever happens, to not walk again.  Yup, I did run.  Nope, still no push-off.  Maybe the speed of a jog.  But a run nonetheless.  And buoyed by the signs lined up beside the route signaling that the finish was within reach, mustered even a bit of a sprint until I finally finished at around 6:11 according to the Timex clock at the finish line.

So there you have it.  My first half-ironman.  I could not recall if the announcer said, “Levy Ang, You are an Ironman.”  But I really hope not because (1) the race was a half-ironman; and (2) I didn’t particularly feel like an Ironman finisher that day.  I feel that such a greeting is only reserved for finishers of an Ironman race.  At any rate, I was relieved that the race was over and was so glad my wife was with me on this trip.  She made a lot of sacrifices just so I can pursue this insane sport and this journey is every bit about her as it is about me.  I just don’t talk about her much because this is my blog hahahaha.

Just want to thank the Extribe team for organizing out this wonderful race.  I expect a lot out of Extribe and I dare say they have exceeded my expectations.  Also would want to thank Mr. Uytengsu and Mr. Tan for bringing the WTC event here and making all of this possible.  All the volunteers, staff, school children, your support before, during and after the race were all invaluable, I can never thank you guys enough.  MARAMING, MARAMING SALAMAT.

Of course, I would want to personally thank my teammates at PMI for the friendship and camaraderie.  I mean why else would I hang out with you guys even though I live at the other end of EDSA.  Thank you for putting up with my idiosyncrasies.  Special thanks to Coach Jomak and Moni for all the advice/tips along the way.  BTW, Jomak placed 3rd in his age group while Monica bagged the No. 1 Female finisher in the local category.  WAY TO GO TEAM PMI!!! or Team Herbalife….whatever

Cheers! On to WRT!!!

Good Night

Ran the Kenny’s Open Urbanite Run last night.  This was then 2nd time that the championship chip was used , the first being the Globe Run last month.  While lots have been said about the benefits in using the chips during races (i.e. race analysis, accuracy in recording times), it’s quite unfortunate that should you lose the chip somewhere in the middle of the race, it would seem like you never existed at all  This happened to me during the Globe Run.  It’s a good thing though that I recorded my time using my stopwatch.  This time, I made sure the chip was fastened securely.  Truth be told, I was quite envious reading the analysis of my fellow runners.  :)

Got to the race venue at around 6:30 pm at the usual starting place for races held at the Fort.  I was the one who got the race packets of my teammates so I had to be there early.  Even then, I could already see quite a number of the ‘early birds’ warming up for the first night race of its kind in our country.  With Camsur  looming on the horizon, I was debating within myself whether to really go hard this race or treat it as a training run.  Considering the circumstances being a night race and all, I decided to compromise and just go for an “in-between” run.  Run at a comfortable level just below threshold and with an effort above an ‘easy’ run.  But then again, no run is ever ‘easy’ for a lug like me

Marc Nelson fired off the starting gun at around 8:30pm by my watch and we were off.  I waited for all the runners to go through the chute before finally running myself.  There were A LOT of runners in this race – all excited to experience a night race I’m sure  The race route is a familiar one except that it looked different at night  It was the usual 15K Mizuno route that was used last year which means going into Heritage Park and, of course, McKinley Hill.

It was quite dark once we turned into Bayani Road and was even darker in certain areas around Heritage Park.  Good thing I had company, otherwise, I would have been deathly scared running these portions of the race  Running at an even pace was a good decision since it enabled me to give an extra push once we got out of Heritage Park  and ‘attack’ the hilly sections – well, at least what I consider an “attack”

Attack = shuffling during hilly sections,  instead of running/striding.

The 15K runners merged with the 10K runners somewhere along Bayani Road.  There was more company once we got into McKinley Hill because of the 5K runners.  It was such a great sight to witness a sea of runners occupying the whole stretch of McKinley Hill   Again, lots of shuffling at this stage of the race until I got back to run at the Main Road and made a final burst towards the finish.  Unofficial time of 1:20:20 by my watch.  Lined up for hydration and loot bag afterwards

But the real story about this run was the festive atmosphere and vibe which I felt throughout the race.  There were people lounging around picnic-style around the grounds partaking either the urbanite meal or getting free shots from “The Bar”.  (I myself downed 2 shots to celebrate Monica’s 2nd place finish)  It was about people coming together sharing a passion and having a good time afterwards.  It was a really good night all around

P.S.  Yes, it was a good night even though the registration/pick-up procedure can stand further improvement.  I won’t comment on the process since much of what can be said has already been said.  I just hope that whatever negative experience some of us may have had last week were washed away with our run last night  Just chalk it up as part of the birthing pains in trying to bring a “world-class” race to our shores  Is it world-class right now?  Of course not.  But I’d like to think we’re moving in the right direction.  And if only for daring to push the envelope and raise the bar in races held in these parts, I am holding up a bottle and saying “Cheers!” to Coach Rio and Vince.

21 is the new 10K

Ironman 70.3 Camsur is still a good four months away.  But being a newcomer in the triathlon scene, I’ve got to put in the mileage.  It is quite fortunate though that this year I’ve got to join 3 half-marathons just to see where things are for me running-wise.  Early this year, there was the half at Subic, then the much-anticipated Condura Run and then today the half-marathon at Greenfield, Sta.Rosa.  

It was still dark when the race started at 5 am.  Not as congested as Condura but pretty good turnout nonetheless considering the distance from the usual venues for races of this nature.  

Ran the first kilometer on a well-lit road till it became pitch dark at the beginning of the 2nd kilometer.  While there were torches that were put up alongside the road, it didn’t provide much illumination.  I just tried to follow the runner ahead of me just in case there were potholes along the road.  Good thing there was none.  The torches provided a good touch though – felt like I was in a retreat and it did put me in a contemplative mood.  Particularly, I was reflecting why I put my body through so much punishment when I could be home asleep on a beautiful Sunday morning  

The course wasn’t really flat.  Up until the first turnaround, there were stretches where it was a slight downhill.  This continued until the 2nd turnaround 13.5 kilometers thereabouts.  You know what they say, what goes down, comes back up.  Thus, coming back to the finish was a bit of a struggle.  

Baldrunner (Sir Jovie) passed me around the 8-9 kilometer mark.  I knew that if I kept up with him, I’ll get a good time.  But 50some yearold ultra marathoner ALWAYS trumps a 38 year old lazy bum  Also got to see Xhi and Milan (Team PMI) doing the 10K when the runners merged at some point during the latter part of the race.  I thought it was sweet that Milan chose to pace Xhi this morning when he could have kicked ass had he ran his usual 10K effort.  Also saw Prometheus Cometh (Jay) after the 2nd turnaround.  He must have been late for the race.  Either that or he was just having his usual LSD runs.  Am forever grateful to Jay for pacing me at the Condura Run to a personal best  But I really miss Foreign Runner (Philip).  

Lots of water stations in this course.  And I thought the course could also be great for duathlon as well.  Could be good preparation for Camsur (i.e. heat training)  since shaded part only covered about 2 kilometers near the end of the race.

Finished 1:52:13 (unofficial).  Always a welcome sight to see Bullrunner (Jaymie) and JunC at the finish.  Had to rush home though to make it to Sunday Mass.  

Kudos to Coach Rio once again for another memorable race.  

P.S.  Truth be told, I’m already retiring from the blogging world.  No worries though.  I’ll be seeing you where it counts and where it matters – on the road and at the races (running/triathlon) in and around the metro.  Till then, enjoy happy hour….drinks are on me.  

- Levy Ang (Happy Hour)