The Aboitiz Half Marathon

Before the start of the race, I already decided to run this race on a relax pace. The flat route would have tempted me, so was the cool weather due the the rain hours before the race. For many of my fellow runners and friends, this race was a test whether they would meet the Milo half marathon cut-off time of 2:30 two week later to receive their medals, a rare occasion that their giving one for a half marathon. That should be translated to around 7 min/kilometer of running. For me, its not something I should be worried about knowing that I usually run within that pace on my LSD runs without much difficulty. I should have been more worried that my calf injury and left shin splints might flare up again. Thankfully it has not since I've shifted for running in ovals and treadmills for the meantime.

Popoy de la Pena and Me @ 8k mark

Except for a late start, (5:30 instead of 5:15) everything went well with the race. My brother Harold, Gerry and Doc Marc were at the starting line talking to three runners on VFF and commenting how it is to run on them. I saw many familiar faces too. The weather was a runner's delight. No sun; just cold, cloudy weather. And so like hundreds of eager mules packed in a cordoned area, we were released without even hearing the gun pop. At one kilometer, i checked my Garmin, it says a speed around 6:20/kilometer. Without getting winded, I knew it was the relax pace I needed to maintain. By the 3rd kilometer, I bump into Popoy, a fellow daily miler trying his first 21k race. He was also following me and thinking that this was too a nice pace and so we paced each other. By the time we reached SM which was around 8k, we already saw the kenyan runner on his way back!

Richard Ho and Me @ 20.8k mark. Happy Runners!

By the time we reached half way, I saw many of the familiar faces again on the turning point and bid the usual waves and hi. This time, Tytsbogdo runner Richard Ho joined us. We talk and talk and talk while maintaining the relax pace. By the time we had almost finished our conversation, we were back at SRP already. Time flies so fast when your busy talking.hahaha I didn't bring my hydration belt and by the time we hit the 18k mark, I felt so thirsty after we passed a couple of water station than ran out of them. It was at this point that we lost Popoy to cramps. Luckily the last water station had still in them. And so happily both me and Richard ran towards the finish with fellow Tytsbogodo runner Richelieu Ho took the picture you see above. It was a disappointment though that they didn't install a timer at the finish line. My chip time was 2:16:31 good for rank 123 out of 246 runners or top 50% of the field.

Its was a nice race overall. It was the first time to to meet DM's and runners from Tytsbogdo. Congratulation to Popoy for his first 21k and Marc for his 21k under 2:30. The next two weeks I'll take it easy before the Milo half marathon. See you on the roads!