The long and short of my 35th Milo Marathon

September 3, 2011 by rundmd8 1 Comment

The calm before the storm: Dave, Toto, Tina & mang Vic.

I know, I know. This one is more than a month late. I apologize as clinic work has been very hectic. But my 2^ndMilo marathon was too memorable and eventful a run to not merit space in this blog. No narrative for this one but just the pertinent details last 31 July 2011.

with one of the ultrafast powerpuff boys, Beeps delos Santos...

Let the rains begin...

Team Kulit at the starting line (sans Chinx)

Rains – it’s not my first time to run in the rain. In fact, most of my rain runs, usually averaging 2.5 hours were most enjoyable and exhilarating. So when we parked at MOA that drizzling morning, I was confident it would be my best marathon performance, definitely an improvement of my 5:02 PR. Unfortunately, the rains coupled with bay winds were just beating too hard on the poor shivering runners. Two hours later, with feet soaked continuously in rushing street floods, I just wanted to bolt out and take a warm shower and rest.
wet, wet, wet...
Blisters out, PF in – this is my first run, blister less after enduring those little gremlins for months. You think those creatures would start re-emerging once the soles got soaked for hours, but no. Instead, it’s plantar fasciitis which takes over during the duration of the run. It’s not as bad as blister pressure but having them and just learning how to manage them can really make a pleasant race into an agonizing nightmare.
The Thrill of Victory, the Agony of D' Feet...
The accidental pacer – a marathon virgin, Rey (sorry forgot to get his complete name, even in the tally there’s just no Rey there) came out of nowhere when I greeted Rey Abenojar along the route at around 10 kms but he never left my side and in the process, pulling me at sometimes too fast a pace while hardly distancing from me when I would slow down to a near walk. Did I look like some kind of marathon guru ready to dish out some secrets in surviving a 42 km. race? Hardly. In fact, it was him who helped me get through the wet ordeal in one piece. The guy is a physical therapist so he guided me in relaxing and stretching when shoulder/back muscles have tightened and the arms fatigued. You could say he was my Simon on my way to Golgotha.
with unofficial pacer Rey...
Indian Runners – my partner Dave and I planned to run togetherup to the finish. Of course, this only happened in the first 8 kilometers before Rey entered the picture and whisked me away like eloping lovebirds. Expectedly, Dave, acting like some jilted lover, chases and even overtakes us at the Buendia Ave. area. At the BGC area, we catch up with him and run together. At the return route in the latter part of Buendia, he pulls ahead and we chase after him. I never caught up with my partner but I also never let him out of my sight even by 500 meters away.
Chasing David...15kms into the finish
The Finish – by this time, the rains have ceased, our bodies have dried up from the rain and sweat but the feet remained squishy and moist. Coupled with my worsening PF, running the final 10 kms. was like wading through an ocean of mollases. But seeing Dave disappear on the horizon, I had no choice but to sprint with whatever energy I have left and enduring all sort of leg pain all over. It’s the most grueling finish I’ve done in recent memory but I still managed to set a new sub-5 PR. So who’s to complain with 4:53? I ain’t…
struggling into the final 50 meters...almost there...