Marathon #6: Melbourne Marathon - 12 October 2014

Melbourne Marathon: Run as One

I decided to participate in the Melbourne Marathon again, a week after I finished the Great Ocean Road Marathon in May 2014. I ran my fastest marathon yet at the Melbourne Marathon in 2013, and since it has one of the easier race routes that I've run on, I thought I can try for another PR this year. 

http://melbournemarathon.com.au/

The Training Plan

I set my training plan through the Adidas micoach app, with a finish time goal of 4 hours. I know, this was a little bit ambitious, but I wanted the extra challenge thinking that by training harder, I'd be able to train my body to sustain a consistent fast pace for the whole duration of the race. I wasn't really gunning for 4 hours, but if I can finish in less than 4 hours and 30 minutes, I'll be a happy camper.

Aside from the running training plan, I also signed up for the "8-week program for Busy People" of Fitness Blender. It's a 6 times a week workout program that only takes up 30 minutes or less of your time. It is run by a married couple, both of whom are professional personal trainers, via their youtube channel. The way they do it is they write up the whole program and reference the free youtube videos in the book which you purchase and download. For just a very small amount ($10), you get 8 weeks' worth of coaching which I found very effective since I can do all the workouts from the comfort of our home without any other extra fees other than the amount I paid to download their book - this was worth every cent I paid. And at the end of the 8 weeks, you can do it all over again without paying anything extra - how cool is that?

Marathon #5: The Great Ocean Road Marathon - 18 May 2014

The Race on the Great Ocean Road

"The Great Ocean Road is a 243-km stretch of road located on the south-eastern coast of Australia" (Wikipedia). My first visit was in May 2013 and although the weather was a little bit dreary then, you still couldn't help but notice and appreciate the spectacular coastal views you get as you drive along this piece of road.

I learned about the Great Ocean Road marathon when I ran the Melbourne Marathon in October 2013. One of our pacers told me about it and how it was 3 kilometers longer than the standard marathon distance. Having been on a road trip along the Great Ocean Road, this piqued my interest and kept it at the back of my mind so I can reconsider this at a later time.

It was in February 2014, as summer was about to end, when I finally decided to run the Great Ocean Road marathon and began my training. A month later, I officially registered for it.

Solo Training

Training alone for a big race is a huge undertaking. You need a higher level of discipline and self-motivation so that you don't fall off the bandwagon.

Having been spoiled back in the Philippines with the availability of very affordable coaching options, I hesitated on getting the same services here in Australia. The good thing is that there are applications available that can proxy for an actual coach, like the micoach app by Adidas.

Run 42 full marathons before I turn 42

I'm republishing this post which I accidentally deleted. The original post was published on the 24th of May 2014. 

Hey there! I'm Mavic. Some people also know me as Bekkie.

I've recently finished my 5th marathon and I got inspired by a lady I met during the Great Ocean Road Marathon.

Her name is Erica King, and she's the founder of Running Divas. While running the last 10 kilometers of the race, she shared her story that she had been running for 13 years and that she was trying to finish 1 full marathon each month this year for her 50th birthday. It was also then that she mentioned that she founded Running Divas in order to empower women and help them reach their running goals whatever they may be.

While still on the road, she gave me this bracelet that had an inscription on it that says "Marathon Woman. Fearless". Erica said that it came from Kathrine Switzer, the first woman ever to finish a full marathon in 1967. I didn't even know who Kathrine Switzer was that moment she told me about her, but I suddenly felt so inspired about both their stories.

I took on running 4 years ago. Why? Well, to be honest, because I was bored, and I felt that I needed to do something physically challenging to keep me busy and distracted about the very trivial things I constantly worry myself about at the time. Also, I felt I've been inactive for a long time, I just needed something to get me off the bed, the couch, or any other comfortable surface where you'd usually find me then.

School of Run

I am republishing this post which I accidentally deleted. the original post was first published on the 24th of May 2014. 

In September 2010, my life was about to change completely.

Milo Philippines, in collaboration with APEX (Advance Performance Enhancement Training) founder, Coach Jim Saret and Bonifacio Global City, decided to launch a new running school. Being the pilot season for this running programme, they offered it for free! It was well-received and over 200 people signed up for its first offering. Each aspirant was given the freedom to choose which specific program they want to join depending on the race distance they want to finish, either for the first time or within a shorter time namely, 5K, 10KM beginner, 10KM advanced, 21KM beginner, 21KM advanced and 42KM. The Milo APEX Running School will run through about 12 weeks and ends just in time for the Milo Marathon races.

The Milo APEX Running clinic was first launched in September 2010

Each group has a pair of dedicated coaches, all of whom are among the fastest elite runners in the Philippines. Coach Jim Saret designed the overall program and each coach will guide their respective groups through the exercises with varying difficulties, again, depending on which group you were a part of.

This group of elite runners in the Philippines formed the coaching team with Coach Jim Saret (4th from left) at the helm

I originally signed up for this to get proper training and avoid developing injuries just because I didn't know what I was doing. I wanted to keep active, and since I didn't need to pay anything for the education, I was more than willing to try it out. Joining races or getting competitive about racing didn't even enter my mind until much later.

Finding the Right Spot 

I initially joined the 5KM group thinking that since I was a beginner in running, that I should take it slow first. After the first session, I requested to be moved to the 10KM beginner group. After the 2nd session, I requested to be moved again to the 10KM advanced group, to join a couple of friends who I

Marathon #4: Second Attempt - Melbourne Marathon - 13 October 2013

Second Chances

In June 2013, I got confirmation that I will need to travel back to Australia again for a temporary transfer assignment. I will stay in Melbourne for at least 15 months, which opened a lot of possibilities for me. 

After my failed attempt to finish the 42KM event at the 37th Milo Marathon Manila Eliminations, I made up my mind about joining the Melbourne Marathon that year. When I was in Melbourne in April and May, I already knew about the annual running event that is held in the city during the month of October. It was just perfect timing! I've already been training for a marathon, so I just need to continue with that until before I leave for Australia in September. After that, I'll have a couple of weeks to train by myself before the actual race.

So on Tuesday, after the Milo Marathon, I was back at Ultra eager to get on with my training under Coach Sid's tutelage. For the next 8 weeks, I would religiously be with Coach Sid at least 3 times a week to get myself ready. I wanted redemption and I wanted it really bad.

One weekend in September, in order to add a little bit more intensity to my training, my running gurlfriends (Team Runbow Brite) and Coach Sid decided to drive up to Baguio City to get some altitude and hills training. Baguio is a city 250 KM north of Manila. It is nestled up in the mountains, at around 2000m above sea level and most people go there to escape the heat and humidity that's prevalent in the low lands. 

It was cloudy and rainy when we got there, but we braved the unpredictable weather anyway, running on both Saturday and Sunday mornings. The thin air at this high altitude made for a challenging run, and the hills we ran on were a killer! I particularly remember a 150m ascent, on one of the entry ways to Camp John Hay, that had a 70-80 degrees incline, you were almost kissing your knees as you make your way up!

Marathon #4: First Attempt - 37th Milo Marathon Manila Eliminations - 28 July 2013

Sometimes in life, there are races that you finish, and there are those that you need to abandon. This, by far, has been one of them, and I hope it's going to be the last one.

The Run-up

I decided to run the Milo Marathon again as a follow-up to the Subic Marathon and also to hopefully set a new PR (personal record). However, the universe had other plans for me, yet again. 

I got another out-of-country assignment which started in April in Australia, this time, for 8 weeks. This meant I needed to begin my training in Melbourne and then continue in Manila when I went back there in June. 

Well, work got really hectic especially during my last 4 weeks in Oz - I needed to do early days and late nights that I was only able to put in a full weeks' worth of good training, and engage in sporadic long weekend runs throughout my stay. I wish I could've done more running around in Melbourne, but my drained will power was not up for it. When I went back to Manila during the last weekend of May, I promised myself I was going to make up for the lack of training for the next 8 weeks leading up to race day. 

Run United 3

The following weekend after I got back in Manila, my running girlfriends and I joined the 32KM race during the 3rd Leg of Unilab Active Health's Run United series. We kept each other company from the start till the end. 

Marathon #3 - The Subic Internation Marathon - 27 January 2013

The Subic International Marathon (SIM) has one of the toughest road race courses in the Philippines. It is held within the vicinity of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA). It starts in the center of town right in front of the fairly new Harbor Point Mall, goes past the Subic Airport then goes through the forest where you make a U-turn right outside Ocean Adventure and go all the way back where you originally started from.

Subic Marathon 2013 Course Map

Sounds easy enough, but once you enter the forest, you will need to go up steep ascents that can go on up to 120m and that seemed never-ending. 

The Preparation

By this time, I've learned my lesson about getting proper training before taking on these long-distance races. So I signed up for the 5th season of the Milo APEX Running School.

Milo APEX Running School Season 5 42KM group

I also joined several races like the 8KM Immuvit Challenge in Nuvali which was a semi-trail, semi-obstacle run (much like the Tough Mudder)

Marathon #2: The 36th Milo Marathon Manila Eliminations - 29 July 2012

The Milo Marathon event is the longest running and, by far, one of the cheaper races you can join in the Philippines. In the last 2-3 years, when RunRio took over directorial duties for the race, the volume of participants during the Manila elimination leg have dramatically risen. Race organizers have had to quickly cope to be able to accommodate a very large group that can reach up to almost 40,000 runners who've signed up for one of these events: 

• 3K (for kids below 18 years old)
• 5K
• 10K
• 21K
• 42K

An seemingly endless sea of runners in the 5KM event

Every year, starting in the month of June until the month of December, Milo hosts an elimination leg in several major cities around the Philippines. Except for Manila, all the other provincial legs don't have the 42K as a running event.

In the provincial races, runners who finish the 21K race within the qualifying times set for their respective age groups, get the chance to run in the 42K finals happening every 2nd Sunday of December. Since 2012, runners in the Manila eliminations leg can run either the 21K or the 42K to get qualified for the finals. Before then, you can only qualify if you run the 42K in Manila.

Proceeds from all the Milo races help fund their advocacy to distribute new pairs of shoes to children who attend school in marginalized areas. In 2013 they were able to give away a record-breaking 34,200 pairs!

Milo Marathon's advocacy

Take Two!

After having run my first marathon earlier in 2012, I felt unsatisfied about my finish time. I knew I can do better, especially if I run a race on my own. Since I was still very much part of the Milo APEX Running School community back then, I decided I will run my next marathon during the Manila elimination leg of the 36th Milo Marathon and also sign up for Milo APEX's season 4 to prepare for

Marathon #1: The Bull Runner Dream Marathon - 18 March 2012

If you're a runner in the Philippines, you would have heard about a lady named Jaymie Pizarro, also known as The Bull Runner.

Jaymie and Jim Lafferty thought up the TBR Dream Marathon and brought it to life in 2009. It's a marathon designed for first- and second-time marathon runners. They've developed a 5-month long training programme to prepare aspirants for their first full marathon. Getting a slot in the race nowadays is a test of patience and very fast fingers because they run out in a matter of minutes! The number of participants are limited to the several hundreds so that the training team can make sure that everyone get the most out of the preparation and the experience of their first ever (or second) full marathon.

The Dream Marathon has only one event: the full marathon. And it's the only race in the world where everyone who crosses the finish line is a winner. You are very well taken care of from the moment you receive your training kit until race day - and when I say, well taken care of, I mean very well taken care of. 

Having heard about this running event within the running circles I belong to, and having convinced myself that I should try marathon running, I couldn't think of a better venue than TBRDM. The race also has a leisurely cut-off time of 8 hours, so there's not a lot of pressure, considering that I was able to manage to finish all of the half marathons I ran in under 3 hours. 

So on one fine day in September, I was glued to my computer, waiting for the exact time that reservation opened and signed up for the race without blinking. Several days afterward, I got

The Beginning

I started taking running seriously in 2010. I didn't mean to when I started trying it out, but it... grew on me.

I've been an athlete for most of my life and running is usually part of our training programme so I didn't think much about it. So I didn't quite understand the growing fascination about it. You see, that was the time when the running craze in the Philippines was brewing (it would eventually explode within the next two years). So my initial thoughts were that I was going to get bored of it easily and will quit it after a short time. Well, I was very wrong in thinking that wasn't I?

The First Time

I think it was around February of that year when it occurred to me that I was spending too much of my spare time doing mostly nothing. It was all getting into my head and I just needed a good distraction or else the inactivity will eventually drive me crazy.

So I unearthed my old pair of rubber shoes (those weren't even proper running shoes), put them on, and went out to run. And it felt good.

I ran from the condominium I was staying at until the entrance gate of the compound and then back - that was around 3 KM. I would do it again in the morning in the following days and try to beat my time