First Marathon, a climbathon and a running clinic

How do you choose your first marathon?

This was the question posed by Angeli Cardinez who gave birth last year and is looking for ways to lose the baby fat. Angeli was inspired by Donna Cruz-Larrazabal’s (Marathon Mom) article about how she trained hard and finished her first two marathons despite having to raise children, running a household and being the wife of famous eye doctor and runner Yong Larrazabal.

The marathon distance is the same. It’s always 26 miles and 385 yards in the English system and 42.195 in the metric system. But deciding where to run your first full mary can be as crucial as training for the marathon itself. Choosing which course to make a marathon debut in is as important as hours spent on the road.

For the first-time marathoner, choosing the right course can be as overwhelming as the distance itself, simply because there are lots of options available to the newbie marathoner, especially those with travel money to spare.

The Marathon Foodie says a newbie marathoner should only stick to these three factors in weighing her options: 1.) Do I go local or abroad? 2.) How much time for training do I have between now and my target marathon? 3.) What kind of training ground do I have in the next 3 to 4 months before my target marathon?

Many newbie runners like to mix traveling and running a marathon. Like hitting two birds with one stone, the runner has run a marathon whilst discovering a new and exciting destination.

Gail Kislevitz, a veteran of 20 marathons and author of First Marathons, a book of personal accounts says this may not be a good idea. "Traveling adds another level of stress to an already difficult event. The number one thing people do is underestimate what it takes to run a marathon. Running the miles is not enough. When choosing a marathon, keep in mind how and where you are doing your training, and try to simulate what you’ll find on the course. The ideal situation is to pick a marathon close by where you can train on the actual course."

Apart from a familiarity with the race course, running in your own turf also allows you to harness your own local fan base that can provide you with material and moral support when you need it most at the crucial points of the full marathon (from 25KM till the finish line.) Sure, big city marathons like New York and Chicago have their big crowds, but there’s nothing like seeing the familiar faces of your family, friends and loved ones along the race route and when you cross that marathon finishline for the first time.

Before the Cebu City Marathon, runners aiming to run a full marathon for the fist time had to race in Metro Manila or Subic . If you’re a runner based in Cebu or the nearby provinces looking for a marathon debut, I suggest you make the Cebu City Marathon in January 2011 your goal. It is home, so logistics and hotel accommodations need not be a problem, the roads are familiar and the cut-off time of seven hours is generous enough even for the slowest of runners. More importantly, the CCM has proved itself to be an excellently managed race making your marathon debut as pleasant an experience as possible, despite the inevitable muscle pain that marathon running brings.

And speaking of cut-off time, the more generous it is, the better for the first time marathoner whose first and primary goal should only be to finish the full marathon regardless of time. The oldest running event in the country which is the Milo marathon has a cut-off time of 5:00 for the full marathon, so the Manila eliminations set this July 4 may not be the wisest choice for a full marathon debut, unless of course you are as gifted as Marathon Mom Donna Cruz- Larrazabal, who finished her first full marathon in 4:48:45 in Macau, which like Milo has cut-off time of five hours.

Mt. Manungal Climbathon

The Municipality of Balamban will commemorate the 53^rd death anniversary of President Ramon Magsaysay, Jr. with a climbathon at Mt. Manungal on March 20. 2010.

The climbathon is open to all professional runners and weekend warriors. The race starts at the Welcome Arch of the Municipality of Balamban at the Transcentral Highway all the way to the crash site in Mt. Manunggal . The race distance is 17KM for the men’s open and 13KM for the women’s category and executive division. The race route consists of a mix of concrete roads, dirt roads and mountain trails. So it might be a good idea to leave the racing flats at home and wear all-terrain shoes for the climbathon.

Balamban dumptrucks will be picking up trekkers as early as 5Am in JY square in Cebu City on March 20. There will also be a pickup point in Balamban for local trekkers. These same dumptrucks will be ferrying trekkers on Sunday back to Cebu City and Balamban. For inquiries you may call 3332190 or 4650455 local 115.

The Marathon Foodie has one observation. Women runners have been running far longer distances since the 1960’s. In this age of gender equality, why do women have to race the shorter distance of 13KM in the climbathon while the men race all of 17KM?

Free Running Clinic

Take advantage of Runnr Academy ’s free running clinic on “Optimal Running Technique” with three-time Philippine National Triathlon champion Arland Macasieb at Ayala Center Cebu’s Active Zone on March 5 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. and March 6 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.

Macasieb will discuss common running errors among recreational runners; the attributes of elite runners; correct running posture; Running tools, drills and skills for speed.

Macasieb is an exercise physiologist and holds a masters degree on exercise sciences from the Montclair State University . He was the Philippine National Triathlon champion in 2001, 2005 and 2006. He is also a 6-time Ironman finisher.

Seize the road!

(Email: haide.acuna@gmail.com)

Pain Pain Go Away

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"Agay!" Marathon Foodie gets help from running friends Madelyn Carter, who placed 2nd, and sleepless call center agent Paul Zafico who placed 5th. Congrats Guys!(Photo courtesy of John Mark Lim Causin)

Pain has a purpose. -Chief Justice Reynato S. Puno

In all of Cebu’s road races, only CDU’s University Run can manage to gather more than 3,000 participants. Never mind that many of the kids (students of Cebu Doctor’s University) were there for extra credit. The more important thing is that young people are exposed to the great sport of running and hopefully take up the sport more seriously someday, even without prodding from a PE teacher.


Because the University Run is one designed and organized by prominent Cebuano runners – Dr. Yong Larrazabal and Dr. Peter Mancao, the Marathon Foodie had high expectations, and they did not disappoint.


The Start/ Finish Area with the Turtle Runners Club


The start and finish area was big and expansive occupying all four-lanes of the road fronting CDU campus in Mandaue City. This is important when you have more than 3,000 runners and participants. However, the organizers missed the inclusion of a holding and check-in area, which delayed the start of the race.

The organizers also provided a courtesy booth where runners could leave their things. For those who did not know about this, the courtesy booth was located near the CDU swimming pool and was ably manned by student volunteers. The Marathon Foodie thinks that all organizers should include this in their race plan and logistics.


The water stations did not run out of water and cups and there were student volunteers who not only handed out the cups to runners, but cheered enthusiastically as well. One thing about the volunteers at the water stations though, they were sometimes in the way, standing on the runner’s path. This is dangerous to both the volunteer and the runner. I guess the volunteers needed to be briefed to just stand at the side of the road and not in the middle of it, when handing out water.

There was food at the finish line. (Yey!)

Cesar Montano, Sunshine Cruz and Donna Cruz made the University Run a star-studded event, but it was the Atan Guardo Runners who stole the show and “brought the house down” (even though we were outdoors). Wearing their Cory tribute singlets and short-short running shorts, Guardo led a cast of all-male runners in a surprise dance number – Nobody But You by the Wonder Girls. (Click here to see video)

Just like in the Run for Sight Series, the organizers used the same two loops of 5-kilometer asphalt roads. The race course was flat, fast and free from vehicular traffic. It was so fast in fact that many runners broke their PR’s. In fact, the Marathon Foodie clocked 59:58 despite running with an injured foot. This was my fastest 10K run, my best time being 1:01. There were concerns about the race course being a bit short – Garmin wearers noted a deficit of 200 to 500 meters, which confused the Marathon Foodie since this has never been an issue in the previous Run for Sight Series which has been using the same route for five months now. I

In any case, this should not diminish the effort of the runners and the organizers, although the organizers should address this.

Frankly, the Run for Sight Series and the University Run distinguish itself for being two of the regular running events in Cebu where runners (especially the new ones) can be assured that the organizers truly care for the welfare of runners. Maybe because Drs. Yong and Peter are runners too and they know exactly what it feels like on the road. Congratulations to the organizers and Joel Baring who directed the technical aspect of the race.

Marathon Foodie and Drum and Run a.k.a Carlo Serrano of Takbo.ph meet Donna Cruz for the first time. Donna placed 3rd while Carlo recorded his first sub 60 finish in a 10K race (57 mins).

The 4th University Run will always be memorable for me, not because I finished 10K below sixty minutes for the first time, but because of its valuable lessons about pain and foolhardiness.

For about a month prior to race day, I’ve been bothered by a nagging pain between the heel and arch of my right foot. I would later learn this to be plantar fasciitis. I ignored the pain and told no one about it. I thought, I needed to hit my mileage goal for the week and will run even in pain if I have to. I just adjusted my stride and form in order to hide the fact that I was running in pain.

Then on Thursday prior to the race, while Coach Precing and I were doing intervals at the track, the pain transferred to my forefoot. The pain was sharp, like a hammer striking my right forefoot every time I hit the track. Suddenly, there was no hiding the pain. Not only were my strides much shorter, I also limped when I walked.

The track workout was cut-short and Coach had explicit orders for me to rest the foot and if possible, skip the University Run. But I told myself I was strong and can deal with all kinds of pain. Besides, I really really wanted to run 10K below 60 minutes. And so against Coach Precing’s advice, I still ran the University Run.

In the morning of Sunday, the Marathon Foodie took 500 mg Ponstan SF, which dulled the pain a bit, but did not totally eliminate it. The hammer strike on my forefoot was no longer as sharp as it was on Thursday, but my heart was beating fast, not from exertion but from fear. Each time my right foot struck the pavement I had this graphic imagination of my running shoes exploding with my ligaments and bones on the right foot smashed to smithereens.

Throughout the race the Marathon Foodie ran and did not walk. While I was resigned on not breaking my PR, I was also determined not to DNF, even if I had a perfect excuse for dropping out of the race. But it was such a slow and agonizing run. All the while I was kicking myself for not taking the day off. After the race, the Marathon Foodie could hardly walk and hobbled to and from work like an old lady on Monday and Tuesday.

Pain has a purpose. It is often a signal that something is wrong. "The key is to have a sense of when the pain is just soreness or a signal of something more serious. Good indicators that something isn't right include a sharp, localized pain that doesn't improve as your run progresses, and any ache that alters your running form," says Kara Goucher, the current rising star of American marathon running.

Mary Valero, Arlene Acuna, Cattski Espina and Marathon Foodie.

I know runners try to run even while in pain, hoping that it would just magically go away. But for new runners who have very limited experience with injury, ignoring the pain may lead to more serious injuries. What we can do is try to understand what caused the pain and seek (professional) help if you have to.

The Marathon Foodie learned that resting for a day or two or even a week from running is not a mortal sin. Training schedules are not set in stone. A week or two off is much better than not being able to run for three months because of an injury.

It was such a foolish decision to run while injured. Although I hit my target of running below sixty minutes, it still felt hollow because I was not one hundred percent on race day. Who was I trying to impress anyway? I know I will pay dearly for this. I just hope it won't cost me my dreams of finishing the QCIM or SCHKM.

Next stop: Cebu Doctors Rehab Med Dept.

P.S. Congratulations to Dr. Raymund Reel Bontol a.k.a. Reel Running for placing 3rd in the Doctor's 10K Division and to Abby Ponce for shaving 8 minutes from her previous record at the Run for Sight. It's not the Lunarglides Abs! Thanks to Drum and Run for the Photographs.

Come Hell or High Water

Remember that if you don't go to the starting line, you will never view the whole course with all its possibilities. And you will certainly never see the glories of the finish line.

-Amby Burfoot, The Runner's Guide to the Meaning of Life


The sound of a thousand horses galloping on the roof woke up the Marathon Foodie at 4:30 in the morning of August 16, 2009. You would think that the sensible thing to do would be to curl up in bed and enjoy the rain on a lazy Sunday morning. But no, it was the day for Rock and Run -- a race organized by the Spa and Wellness Association of Cebu to cap the province’s 440th Founding Anniversary.

It was all dark and gloomy and wet. A perfect day for running!

The Marathon Foodie was running in the 10K category and I wondered whether this rainy and gloomy Sunday morning would be a good day to finally finish under one hour in a 10K run. The Marathon Foodie’s best time is 1:01 set last June at the Kapamilya Run.

Cattski and Mary on their first 5K race.

It was also a big day for my friends Mary and Cattski as they would be running in their first 5K race. The week before, Mary and Cattski had burned rubber soles at the I.T. Park, and experimented with how music and beats per minute can be a tool for setting your race pace instead of the split times on a chrono watch.


When my posse and I reached the start/ finish area at the Cebu International Convention Center in Mandaue City, the rain was as fierce as it was at 4:30 AM. It was already 6:15 and the race should have started 15 minutes ago. We were afraid that the run would be cancelled due to inclement weather, but the runners who showed up were all willing to wait another hour for the rain to stop. And it did stop at 6:45.

Starting time and race course

All three categories – 3K, 5K and 10K all started at exactly 7:00 in the morning. The Rock and Run used a fast and mostly flat course traversing the North Reclamation Area, Plaridel Street in Umapad, United Nations Avenue leading to Super Metro Mandaue, part of MC Briones and back to CICC where we all started. The runners ran under heavy overcast skies and a light drizzle. The road was slippery, but there were no known mishaps during the entire race.

Road Marshals and water station

I’ve been hearing stories about how the Traffic Enforcement and Management (TEAM) of Mandaue is uncooperative when it comes to road races in their jurisdiction, but for this particular race, the road marshals from TEAM did a good job of manning traffic making sure that runners are given right of way at busy intersections, regardless of whether the traffic light was green, red or yellow. Maybe it helped that the motorists were behaved and mostly gracious during the Rock and Run. Yes, there were still tricycles (a permanent fixture in Mandaue City traffic), but there were no tricycle drivers from hell. Nope, even the notorious D’ Rough Riders bus drivers were behaved on that day. Except for one water station located along Plaridel St. right after the traffic light at U.N. Ave., all water stations had ample supplies of water and water cups.

There were just a few things that the Marathon Foodie wasn’t too happy about. The organizers could have done better with the singlet. It was atrocious. A woman runner wearing it would look indecent as it was too see-through, almost like wearing a net bag.

Also, I have yet to see a local race organizer provide a place where runners could securely leave their bags and change of clothes. This is the one thing organizers always miss out on -- not all runners have cars where they can leave their things.

All in all, the Rock and Run met all the minimum requirements of a well-managed race.



To entertain ourselves, we held our own aero dance party at the CICC parking lot. The organizers set up a kickass sound system for the mini rock concert, which was canceled. Disco music was blaring instead. Kinahanglan ug photoshop ako pits!

The organizers had originally planned to feature a mini rock concert at the finish line to entertain the runners after the race, but it was canceled due to bad weather. But trust runners to have as much fun with or without a mini concert.

That plan was all well and good, but personally, the Marathon Foodie thinks that they could have done better if the organizers (spa owners and wellness entrepreneurs) played up to their strength and expertise, by providing free hilot and massage at the finish line for let’s say, the first one hundred finishers.



Stuffed with pancakes

So how did the Marathon Foodie fare in this race?

The Marathon Foodie treated the race like a usual tempo run at the track. Slow start at the first two kilometers, moderate speed at the next four kilometers, faster at the 7th, 8th and 9th kilometer till the finish line. I only found my kick at 1.5 KM to go. Maybe I should have pushed harder.

The Marathon Foodie clocked 1:01 with an average race pace of 6 minutes 10 seconds per kilometer. Exactly the same length of time it took me to finish 10K at the Kapamilya Run last June. I would have wanted to register a time of 59 minutes or less, but it was not to be. I wanted to race Donna Cruz, but she was way too fast for Marathon Foodie. Donna is such a beauty on the road and makes running look so easy. Donna Cruz placed 6th while the Marathon Foodie placed 10th.

My BFF Mary Valero did much better at improving her time. Her previous record for a 3K is 38 minutes. At the Rock and Run she finished 5K in 42 minutes. Although the distances are different, her average pace greatly improved. Cattski, Cebu’s rock goddess, finished her first 5K in 37 minutes despite her constant sleep deprivation.

"This is the size of your stomach. You eat more than this, you're overeating." -- channeling our inner Cynthia Alexander

We capped our morning with brunch at Bo’s Coffee Club at the I.T. Park. We drank coffee, ate pancakes and omelets and contemplated on the size of our stomach.

Next race: 4th University Run on August 23.

Photo credit: All photos are courtesy of Mary Adrienne Valero-Lood