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
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| An seemingly endless sea of runners in the 5KM 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!
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| 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
the race. Most of my running friends were doing the same thing too, so I will be in good company and will be better prepared for my 2nd full marathon.
... or so I thought.
Life Happens once again
In May 2012, just before the next season of the Milo APEX Running School was about to start, I had to take a business trip to New York City.
For 9 weeks.
Well, there goes my plan of joining Season 4. Bummer.
Good thing one my coaches agreed to train me remotely via SMS. He'll send me my running goal each day then I'll text him back my results when I've finished.
So off I went to NYC. I caught the tail-end of Spring when I got there and it rained every single day during my first 2 weeks. I started my training when the weather got better and I've had the chance to get my bearings around the city.
Running at Central Park
The apartment I was living at during my stay was in midtown Manhattan, just several blocks away from a lot of iconic places like Broadway, 5th Ave. and Times Square. When I arrived in NYC I knew immediately that I will do most of my running in Central Park so I didn't feel surprised that I felt right at home when I went there for the first time to run.
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| Happy running at Central Park! |
Thank goodness for the internet and technology in general, I was able to figure out which routes would fit into my plan. There's also a lot of information available online about which loops within the park to take to be able to complete a certain distance. Soon enough, I blended into the crowd of regular park visitors.
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| A corporate race inside the park (wasn't part of it) |
Dealing with ITBS
One fine afternoon in the park, my run was interrupted with pain that started growing more intense no matter how much I wanted to ignore it. It was coming from the left side of my left knee and the pain became so intolerable I was left with no other choice but to stop running. I was on a gravel path at the time so I moved to asphalt surface and tried running again. The pain was still there. I tried running on grass, but it still didn't go away, so I called it quits for the day and walked, painfully, home.
I sent an SMS to my coach about it and he told me to put ice on it that night, and then a warm compress the next day. I later on found out that I had ITBS (Iliotibial band syndrome). I tried to continue my training, but without proper consultation and treatment, I couldn't complete a single day's training if it requires me to run for more than 30 minutes. My coach advised me to put off training for the meantime until I go back to the Philippines to get treatment.
Well, if I'm anything, I'd be stubborn.
I ran anyway - whenever I could and for as long as I possibly could. I was even able to manage a running con site-seeing tour with a friend I met in NYC. The route took us through Battery Park, and we made several stops at the iconic sights like The Sphere and The Bull in Wall Street, then ended up in Brooklyn Bridge. The run was pleasant for the most part until I started to feel the dreaded pain again, but thankfully we were near Brooklyn Bridge by then. I originally planned to run back to my apartment but since the ITBS acted up again, we took the subway back to Midtown.
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| Battery Park |
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| The Sphere in the background |
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| The Bull's got balls... I know, this is very tacky |
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| The Bull of Wall Street |
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| At the Brooklyn Bridge! |
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| Still smiling! |
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| That's our train! |
Getting Treatment
I was back in the Philippines in July and signed up for the last few sessions of the Milo APEX Running School. On my first weekend back, our group's weekend run was on the trails of the La Mesa Eco Park. I did not only get my almost new compression pants torn because I slipped on a slippery part of the walkway while looking for the toilet, I was also only able to run 6KM out of the planned 25KM. After that disastrous weekend, I finally decided to seek professional medical attention.
The doctor ordered a total of 9 sessions of therapy 2-3 times a week, and warned me about not running for the meantime.
What? No running? That's not going to happen... I'm stubborn, remember?
Race Day
Without telling my doctor about it, I made my way to the race venue at Mall of Asia in Pasay City very early in the morning on the 29th of July 2012 and joined the other thousands of runners who were getting prepped near the start line. The race route for the 42km event takes runners through major thoroughfares that traverse 4 cities: Pasay, Manila, Makati and Taguig. Gun start was at 4:30am.
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| Milo Marathon Manila Course Map |
I was able to run the first half of the race without a lot of drama. It wasn't until I was running up the Kalayaan flyover, about 30 kilometers into the race, when I started feeling a throbbing dull pain. I tried ignoring it but it didn't go away, so I started to walk. After a few meters, I tried running slowly until I reached the next drink station where I tool a longer break to stretch, hydrate and take in sugar. I then proceeded to execute my plan of running 1 kilometer, then walking 1 kilometer, then running the next one and so on and so forth. It not only helped manage the pain, it also helped sustain my energy levels. The rain that poured down for a few minutes also helped cool down our body temperatures.
I decided to run the last 3 kilometers straight. I just kept thinking about reaching the finish line to keep me distracted from the pain, and surprisingly, that worked!
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| Focused. Just a few meters away from the finish line! |
I was able to keep my feet moving at a steady pace and went all out in the last 100 meters and crossed the finish line at 5 hours, 26 min.
That's 2 marathons down! Woot! And I recorded a personal best too!
I now understand why most people say that marathoners are crazy. I think I proved that by running against the doctor's advise and despite knowing that I will go through an enormous amount of pain. I did it anyway, and I'm not any less proud of myself.
I was hobbling for a couple of days after that. I did go back to the doctor afterwards to finish my therapy sessions.
I was back on the road again and planning for my next race soon after.
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