Nike We Run Manila 2013

Last October 31st, me and my buddy registered online for this one of the most awaited year-end running event.

Nike We Run Manila 2013 is part of the Nike We Run Series . This year marks the 5th anniversary and it continues the celebration by inspiring athletes around the world with races in 26 cities. It kicked off last August 31 in Prague, Czech Republic and will conclude on December 15 in Jakarta, Indonesia.

Nike’s We Run races range from 5K to a full marathon. From Sao Paulo, to Seoul, to Singapore, runners will be moved to action through a series of unique experiences. Last year, they had Nike We Run Manila 2012 10K in MOA. (But me and my friends didn’t made through in the registration last year due to all slots been taken.) Thankfully we made it this year and be able to experience a new challenge which is a buddy run for this year.

It will be a exciting run as the event will have the Marikina route which is new to me and maybe its a bit better from MOA. (It’s always good to run on something different than the regular routes.) 😉

The Nike We Run Manila racekit

Nike We Run Manila 10k
When: December 01, 2013 @ 4PM
Where: Marikina Sports Center, Marikina
Organizer: Runrio

Inclusions:

– A slot in the Nike We Run Manila 10K race
– An exclusive Nike We Run Manila 10K Tee
– D-Tag
– Nike Sports water bottle
– Nike tote bag
– Cut-off time: 2 hours and 30 minutes
– Nike We Run Manila Faqs

P.S. -The Nike tech shirt is really nice and comfy, better than last year I think. This time a better dri-fit race shirt.

So hope to have a great run with my buddy. 😉

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The 6.25 hour Companionship

I just finally had my first marathon last October 6th 2013 and though I didn’t manage to train hard for this running event,  still finished strong and happy. With less training because of being busy on many things, I decided to run as a pacer for my friend so I just end up of three goals for this run. One is to stay with my buddy, second is endure with my buddy and third is finish strong with my buddy.

I’ve been all positive on the race having it as my first time and I had also strive to be encouraging with my running buddy. On the whole marathon, my focus was always been with her really checking up on many things like posture, pacing or steps, hydration etc. As  my first time to do it being a pacer, it had excite me at the beginning of the run but when we were already in the middle of the marathon up to the last kilometers there I felt the pressure of being a 1st time pacer.

U-turn at Luneta Park Manila – 25 km mark.

Expectations are fading and carnality had risen on the horizon as running with a buddy. Pushing somebody’s limit or challenging them is not that easy as I’ve proven specially in this marathon. There were times on the race that I felt I just go ahead and run fast to get a better time for my first marathon leaving my running buddy behind. But  one thing that I’ve learn in this run is to forget our selfishness and focus on others needs. My buddy had  experienced a big challenge specially that she had clogged nose so that made it hard for her to breathe naturally and it end up with an asthma attack in the 30 km mark. But I was so thankful that we promptly treated the problem with the medical team along the road to get some oxygen as first aid.  At first thought she’s going to end up just declaring it DNF (Did not finish)  but much to my surprise that she still wants to continue and finish the marathon. Seeing her eyes beaming with courage and determination, I just smiled and say OKAY let’s do it. After spending thirty minutes on the ambulance, my buddy finally recovered and was ready to crush the last 12 kilometers with a strategy of WRW (Walk-Run-Walk).

So we did bare to finish the race in that strategy but on the last 6 kilometers we end up removing the RW and it was just W (walk).  But it is indeed a very FAST WALK and we even overtaken others who are jogging along the on the last 6 kilometers.

Along MOA as the last stretch to the finish line.

For the last stretch to the finish line, I told my buddy to run and give all that we got to finish strong passing the finish line. So  we did and we truly felt so happy about it that while we run towards the last 400 meters to the finish line, people started to cheer for us along the route.  Though I ended up dragging her a bit because of my excitement towards the finish line, still she truly finish strong with me. After passing the line,  staff in the event approached us and put our big  medals around our neck and we just had our big smile just having the great feeling of accomplishment enduring and finishing strongly for  our first marathon. I was so thankful and never regretted that even though it took us so long to finish the race, I gained a very wonderful and unique lesson of fighting selfishness and just enduring to the end. Striving to be an encouragement unto others was big test for me in this kind of event but I really enjoyed. We ran the marathon for hardly six and twenty-five hours , but for me I might say I ran for a 6.25 hour companionship, the best run that I’ve ever had!

Marathoners Podium Finish with my running buddy.

 

P.S.

Thanks for the organizers: Unilab Active Health, RunRio and others for putting up this event and be able to experience it. Wishing all the best!

Barefoot Running in the rain

Just this Sunday August 17th, I’ve been able to get out from Manila and head to Angeles city Pampanga to attend a barbecue afternoon with my very special friends and family.  But from the past days, the country particularly here in Luzon had been experiencing a lot of rains so we really ended up getting together indoor but though it was still an awesome gathering.  After the wonderful activity, I decided to squeeze a quick 30 minute run under the rain. But I didn’t laced up with my shoes because I decided to run barefoot thinking that it would be fun and wanting to experience the feeling of running naturally with my barefoot. At first it was really hard to go fast and I was really having a slow pace but after getting used to the ground, I’ve started to enjoy after five minutes of running. I was also really cautious to with my steps always watching if I would be stepping to any little object or land mines (Animal manure).

It was truly a unique experience for me specially under the rain as I didn’t got tired that it was just like a very easy run. But I didn’t like the experience of accidentally stepping unto small stones or pebble on the road as it is painful though I did bare some of it. It was also amazing that the body can react so quickly whenever your foot steps on a hard or rocky surface, changing the center of your gravity making your steps light enough. Indeed, our feet was amazingly & perfectly designed by our Great Engineer and Creator who is also the author of the vast limitless universe.

I look forward to dare myself running in barefoot in a fun run.

My running route under the rain. 2.66 miles

http://barefootrunning.com/