My Quest that was the Quezon City International Marathon (QCIM)

Running a marathon is addicting. Oftentimes you hear a marathoner (someone who had already finished a marathon) talking about his last marathon and ending the conversation with a plan to run another marathon in 2-3 months. James Go, a running addict, even wears a singlet that says "Running is my natural high". As a physician, I have absolutely no idea how this sport can be addicting. It will strain your entire lower extremity almost to the point of injury and get chafed, cramps, joint pains and muscle soreness for days. And yet we do it. Running the actual 42 Kilometer Race is the fun part. The torture lies in the training or preparation that occurs 3-6 months before the race. Early morning runs at 3AM. Long Slow Distance (LSD) runs on weekends. Interval and tempo runs on weekdays. Weekly Mileage increased from a recreational jogger of 20-30 Km/week to a determined Runner of 50-60 Km/week. 

I started training for the Quezon City International Marathon(QCIM) around 1 month after I ran the Milo Marathon Manila Eliminations. Because It was already my second try at the marathon I was expecting a better trained body and an even more determined mind. I ran 50-60 Km/ week with frequent uphill runs to Busay. After a few weeks of higher mileage, I noticed that I was getting faster even though I never did any tempo or interval runs. I quit joining weekly fun runs and only raced in the Runs with a specific category for Doctors. 

I was astonished when my 10Km personal record (PR) of 49m:47s (March 2009 - DocFit Run Manila) was reduced to a 44m:20s finish which landed me in 3rd place Doctor's Category (August 2009 - CDUH 4th University Run Cebu). I had cut down my 10Km PR by 5mins after training for the Milo marathon. I read in a running article that a marathon finish can be predicted by multiplying your 10K PR by 5 or your 21K PR by 2 plus 10 mins. Both these formulas predict a strong 42K finish of 3h:50s. This was my basis for the 4h:30m:00s finish during the QCIM. I had expected ample supplies of food, water and support for the QCIM because it was organized by a well established Running Org and because it was Quezon City's first International Marathon. I was wrong. Not only did they have inadequate water, fluids and food, they also planned out a "Marathon from Hell" as Pres. Jessie Taborada of CERC described.

The route was hilly with steep uphill climbs and without WATER!!! A lot of my co-runners (including me) from Cebu experienced cramps, excluding runner Haide Acuna who was used to running the Hills of Banawa. I finished the race only 10 seconds better than my first marathon and endured almost 20 kilometers of running with cramps. I kept repeating "When your legs hurt, Run with your Heart" (my singlet design) as well as "Suck it up!!!" during the last 5 km of the race and this helped me ignore the excruciating pain in both my legs. After almost 5 hours of "FUN", I did it. I finished the "Marathon from HELL". No medication can replace the instant pain-free feeling of being rewarded a FINISHERS MEDAL after a marathon.The sight of a 42K Finishers Medal after a race like the QCIM will surely make a runner ecstatic. Despite the 4h:55m:47s finish, I was elated. It was not an easy route. The support was injurious. But I persevered. I went home happy and ready to race another marathon. This time, the Cebu City Marathon in January 2010.