T -10 Days

I'm stoked.

Stoked that in the next ten days, I'll be running the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon. It would be my 2nd marathon, my 1st international race in a year. It has been a roller coaster run for the last six months. Saddled with an injury and having to cope up with being a father to my 2nd child, it had meant that I have to adjust BIG time. And big time I did from adjusting my sleeping patterns to enrolling in a gym. I gave up running CAMSUR marathon. I gave up watching TV. I gave up eating my favorite ice cream. This meant too that I have to run like a ghost in the night. I wanted this so I must as well suck it up.

The results were startling but would have been pretty obvious for a veteran. I lost weight. For the first time since my college days, I breached psychological 150 lbs. weight. I am running injury free and stronger for months. I can now ran faster than ever before.

Training for a marathon is never an easy stuff. The sacrifices is inevitable, more like part of the deal. In this months I saw myself making friends with a lot of people who like me like to eat asphalt for breakfast. There's the Dailymile (DM) acquaintances of all sorts from beer loving Rolando who runs a quickie 3:30 for a marathon despite getting drunk the previous day to veterans like Wayne Plymale, a Boston marathoner and a great motivator who have run marathons and races where only stuff of dreams are made of.

Then there are my friends in Tytsbogdo also known as TTB, a young group of runners who likes wearing tights during a run. These are one of the wackiest band of friends I've met. These guys take the bore out of the long run literally. And of course their are my staff in YYK which I did some pacer duties. Guys your as ready as ever. The road was tough but they made it all seems like were just having fun. To all, thanks guys!

Less I forget is my family, my inspiration. I know its hard for you all to see daddy going out in the darkest of the night just to run. Its a bit crazy but you have ever been supportive. I know you too had to adjust, that the road was tough too. I am thankful more than words can express.

This marathon would be a special one. God, you've thrown every obstacle you can less the kitchen sink and I'm still here standing. I am ready. I am hoping for a good, fun race. Let it be my success.

To all running the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon, Godspeed everyone! Don't forget to enjoy the race!

Spooked, The Citigym Halloween Half Marathon

Organizers are getting creative these days. The day of the dead is not even spared. Well, you've got a Halloween party all around so why not have a run? That's exactly what Citigym did. Aside from the usual costumes contest that is incorporated on the run, they get us to run around the Cempark. Yes, its the Cebu Memorial Park. Unless your too scared of the thought of the dead waking up and dancing Michael Jackson's thriller version, its a great place to run on daytime you guess. Quiet and flat, you'll can find runners here of all ages. That is you are happy running like a hamster going in circles and you don't mind running on hard cemented surfaces. The race was well organized and the Powerade drinks were a plenty, medals for 21k finishers but lacks the marshals for a safe race. Four stars for me on this race.

This was supposed to be my simulation race for Singapore marathon in December 5, meaning I was supposed to run my marathon pace of 6:30 minutes per kilometer all throughout. That pace plus some allowances for fatigue would give me around a marathon finishing time of 4:40, a decent time for a recreational runner. I was also supposed to test my ability to hold on to a slow pace and hold that pace until the 16k mark and push it a little more using my leg power. I guess I overdid everything. I did hold on to the marathon pace for about 12k but decided to push a little bit more. That little bit more was a fast one. It seems like I was spooked!

With TTB Runner Friends, most with PR times on this race.

I powered the rest of the 9k with a blistering pace of 5:15 and boy it felt good! We passed so many runners who were ahead of us that I was actually looking ahead for the next guy to pass. My staff was also there all the way, running toe to toe with me. They are almost ready for CCM. So fast was my pace for the last 9k that I almost broke my half marathon PR, just a minute more! No injuries, no cramps, no soreness. Not bad. Another hat trick? No I don't think so. Its still the training and its paying well. The next two weeks would be a play safe zone. No more racing, just building stamina and mileage. Oh I wish its taper time already!