Behind every successful man is a woman

This was proven true when I was tasked by my running club (CERC) to head the SRP tunnel water station. I did not have A woman behind my success. I had FOUR.

(Tara Rama)

(Me with Jo Cua and Jo Osorio)

(Irene Vildosola)

If it weren’t for these lovely and energetic ladies I would have failed in making the SRP tunnel a memorable and exciting aid station. Each CERC member was assigned one water station along the SRP while Steve Ferraren (my marathon running idol) was our over all head for the SRP stations. Dr. Alex Junia, Dr. John Aranas, Bro. Carlo Bacalla, Steve Ferraren and I were given a limited budget to supply entertainment and aid to all runners at the SRP stations. Last year, we were grouped in pairs. I was with Dr.Alex Junia during the 2010 CCM and assigned at KM 32 in front of the Grand Convention Center. This year, the SRP route was extended to include the tunnel while the Grand Con and Mabolo stations were discontinued. Luckily, Bro. Carlo was able to supply all SRP stations with at least 10 volunteers per station. How can I and 10 other volunteers / marshals prepare water and 100 plus drinks in glasses, slice bananas, direct runners to use the right lane and help runners get their fluids? I needed help.

I posted in my facebook page that I needed volunteers for the race and in less than a week, I had four replies (from my much loved UNGO Runners). Four gorgeous gals, willing to help all runners make their marathon dreams a reality, agreed to help me serve more than 2,500 Full and half-marathon runners.

I was at the SRP tunnel entrance at 10pm the night before race day to help Steve and Bro. Carlo close the SRP route. Participants start their day at 2am race day while organizers and marshals start our preparations earlier. Summit water and 100 Plus drinks were delivered. Tables, a barrel and 2 ice buckets filled with Ice, Route markers, sound systems and our motivational signs followed. Jo Cua was with me when all my supplies were delivered. She checked the SRP tunnel route by running the 1KM stretch at least 2x to make sure the route was “runnable”. After a few hours, an energetic Jo Osorio arrived. She was brought to the tunnel by husband and (now) Marathoner Dr. Orlando Osorio before he heads to the starting line at IT park to warm-up for his 42K race. Jo was also kind enough to bring a long piece of white table cloth that was supposed to be used to make our water station more presentable. She double checked my supplies and said “Doc, you should have told me that we only had this much banana, I would have brought more.” Thinking about her her husband and all runners when she said it. Then Irene Vildosola arrived. She brought a CD full of dance and Hip Hop music so runners can enjoy the tunnel more. Last to arrive was my pretty and tall cousin "soon-to-be-Ungo Runner" Tara Rama. When all of us were complete, we started to prepare our water, 100 plus drinks and bananas while our marshals started checking the tunnel route. In less than 2 hours, our first "customers" arrived. It was our 42K Lead pack runners. After that was a blur. We were so busy. We refilled water. We gave out bananas and bread. We massaged aching legs. We sprayed cold water to all our runners. We also forgot a few things. We  forgot to eat. We forgot to drink. And forgot to sit down. Near 10am, our legs were more sore than the runners. We were more dehydrated than the runners. We were more hungry than all the other race participants. That was our Sacrifice. 

(waiting for the next wave of runners)

(Dancing while preparing the refreshments)

(REFILL!!! Hurry!!! Here they come!!!)

(After 5 hours from the start of the race, liniments are as vital as water)

(Marshals and the SRP Security Guard helped to refill our supplies)

Thank you very much Jo, Tara, Jo and Irene. Your help is very my appreciated. We made the SRP tunnel station a memorable part of the race.

CCM 2011 Results OUT NOW!!! PICTURES too!!!

CONGRATULATIONS!!!

to

ALL PARTICIPANTS 

of the 2011 Cebu City Marathon

RESULTS 

(Click Here)

PICTURES

(Click Here)

(Click Here)

(Click Here)
(Click Here)

FINAL CCM Updates

I envy all CCM Participants. We, CERC, are now at our final preparations for race day. To make sure that ALL runners are taken cared of, CERC members are assigned water stations and responsibilities to help make the event a big success. We can NOT run our own race. That is our big sacrifice. The event starts tomorrow with the opening of our race expo at the Ayala Active Zone until race day at the IT Park on Sunday.

Congratulations!!! The Cebu City Marathon has attracted 1,100 42K runners from all over the world making it one of the biggest 42K races in the Philippines. Other distances have also increased with 1,400 21K runners and almost 3,000 5K registrants.

Race Expo Opens. The Ayala Active Zone will be full starting tomorrow as race packs will be released starting with the 42K and 21K registrants. 5K race packs will be released on Thursday. The expo will have booths from all sponsors and discounts for all the runners. Carbo-loading party coupons will also be available at the expo.

Carbo-Loading Party. To fuel up all the runners for race day, our CLP will be on Friday 6pm at the Ayala Terraces. It costs P150 only and is open to all. The first 300 CCM registrants and our pacers will have complimentary CLP coupons. CERC members will be there to welcome all the runners.

Route. Road closure along the entire route will start at 12 midnight but the SRP will be closed starting 10PM. A large part of the course will be at the SRP and will start at the Tunnel entrance all the way to the Talisay exit. A total of 7 water stations will be available along the 24K SRP route. Outside the SRP, another 6 water stations are in place. All water stations are spaced every 1.5-2 kilometers as promised. Water sprinklers are available along the route and especially at the SRP. Entertainment will be abundant as the organizers prepared sinulog music and dancers along the route. The runners will also be passing some of Cebu’s landmarks and will be properly labeled. Motivational Signs are also in place to help runners complete the race. Portalets and toilets are also available at the venue and along the route (Runners may ask to use the toilets at the Pump stations along the SRP).

Stations. Water and Medical stations are ready. COLD Water and 100 Plus drinks will be available in ALL water stations along the route. Forget about dehydration as a total of at least 1.5 liters of fluids PER runner at EVERY water station is prepared. Ice cold sponges and bananas are also available along the route. Medical stations are available at the IT park, Fuente Osmena Circle and at the SRP (Phoenix Water Station). An Ambulance at every medical station will be ready in case of emergencies. All Marshals for the entire route will be wearing white while CERC members will be wearing our CCM-CERC shirts.

Pacers. Our CCM heroes will wear uniform pacer singlets and balloons with their target time clearly visible. Two pace group leaders are assigned at sub-4:00, sub-4:30, sub-5:00, sub-5:30 and sub-6:00 finish times.

Photographers. Be ready with your perfect smile as official photographers are available along the route.

Rules. The organizers are implementing strict rules regarding wheeled escorts (Strollers, Cars, motorcycles and bikes) and unregistered pacers. Those caught with unregistered or wheeled escorts are considered disqualified and are not eligible to win. Unregistered runners are NOT allowed along the route (No Race Bib, NO Entry). In the event that a runner does not complete the course, the runner needs to approach the closest water station and surrender their timing chip. He/ she can still claim the goodies or freebies at the race venue but can NOT receive the finisher's medal. Honesty is what we ask of our runners. Runners should wear their race number with timing chip in front and should be  clearly visible.

Spectators. We urge all Cebuanos not running the CCM to please watch and cheer for the runners along the route. The race will start at 4am and will last until the last runner crosses the finish line. Let us help promote our city by making the Cebu City Marathon a big success.

Traffic. Roads will be closed so we ask all traffic to please avoid the race route. The entire Cebu City side of the SRP will be closed on both sides while the Talisay side will be open on one side. There is NO ACCESS to Cebu City from the Talisay side. We are reminding all motorists to please avoid the SRP as much as possible.

Congratulations Cebuanos and Good Luck to all Runners!!! See you on Sunday.GODSPEED!!!

Thank You 2010

"It's no use crying over spilled milk".  That's what my friend used to say when something wrong happens. I try my best to learn from my mistakes and move on. I have learned a lot from 2010. I am also grateful that I have achieved a lot.

Early 2010, I finished my specialty training in Internal Medicine at Cebu (Velez) General Hospital. Although I was not able to take my certifying oral exams this year, I will study hard for next year. I never do things without proper preparation. I never gamble. Never. 

During the last few weeks of my residency or specialty training, I was introduced into the world of triathlon by Noy Jopson. He convinced me that if I train hard enough, I can finish the Ironman 70.3 Philippines this year. And so I did. I started re-learning how to swim and bought a Tri-specific bike. I trained and started joining triathlon races and, surprisingly, made good time. Then started training with a team of executives whose one goal is "TO FINISH THE 2010 IRONMAN 70.3 PHILIPPINES". With Team Reborn, I conquered a dream.

Last 2010, I lost and gained. I lost weight but gained endurance. I lost my social life but gained a second family (Team Reborn). I gained a respectable blogsite. I gained sponsorships and endorsements. I gained a few medals from multi-sport races. I gained so many good friends from the Ungo Runners, Cebu Executive Runners Club, CVGH Runners, Sugbu-Tri, Physician Runners Club and Holiday Gym and Spa members. I lost so many but gained so much more. (During the Holidays, I lost my triathlon training program and re-gained my belly)

This 2011, I will do better. Better Doctor and Teacher. Better Athlete. Better Person. Balanced. 

See you on the Road. Or at the SRP Tunnel during the Cebu City Marathon.

PACERS... Heroes of the 2011 CCM

In the world of running, pacers are heroes. They sacrifice their own PR to help others achieve theirs. This coming January 9, 2011, Heroes will emerge. They will wear official pacer singlets on race day. These runners deserve not only medals but our honor as well. Thank you Pacers!!! 

Get to know your pacers!!! And don't forget to TAPER. Recovery is part of training too.

Perfect Time for HEAT TRAINING

As the Cebu City Marathon draw near, runners prepare for every aspect of the race including mileage, tapering, clothing and nutrition. You had just completed your last LSD run for the January 9, 2011 race. On weekends, you wake up at 3:00 - 4:00 Am to start your long runs and finish after running 25-30 Km. It takes a regular runner with a speed of 6 minutes per kilometer about 4 hours 12 minutes to finish a 42Km race. If you run slower then you will finish after 5-6 hours. 

The CCM 2011 42Km will start at exactly 4:00 Am. A regular runner finishes at 8:00-10:00 Am. Have you tried running at 8:00 Am? Have you felt the stinging heat of the 9:00 Am sun? If not, then now is the perfect time to do your heat training. 

Heat training is a crucial and yet often neglected part of race preparation. Intense heat makes runners perspire more and lose greater amounts of body water. Electrolytes are also lost together with sweat. So during intense heat, our bodies lose more water, sodium and potassium. What is the outcome? BONK. BONK. BONK. (Bisaya: LASPAG, LASPAG, LASPAG)

To prevent bonking out due to dehydration and electrolyte imbalance, do heat training at least 2 weeks before the race. Try running until 9:00 - 10:00 Am to feel the heat. Once your body has adapted to the heat, it will try to conserve sodium without affecting potassium stores. So you lose lesser amounts of sodium compared to water and potassium. Heat train 1-2x a week while practicing your nutrition plan for race day.

Always keep in mind that in a long race like the marathon, every aspect of the race must be considered. Preparation is Key.

See you on the road and at the SRP Tunnel Water station on race day. Good Luck!!!

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Belly

Merry Christmas everybody!!! Our (CERC) gift to you this season is the inclusion of the SRP Tunnel during the Cebu City Marathon. Aside from the road closure at 4:00 AM to 9:00 AM on race day, we finally made arrangements of using the SRP tunnel as part of the sights to see in Cebu.

Humba and Ice cream are my weakness. I have been eating a lot since last week and have gained weight. Less exercise with a bottomless pit of a stomach will definitely ruin a properly engineered training program. One of the biggest challenges of the CCM is to maintain race weight during the December days. Lucky for me, I can NOT run the CCM. Organizers and members of CERC have to take care of the water stations along the CCM route. While you busy yourself tapering and maintaining proper diet, I eat and rest. I will be assigned at the SRP Tunnel water station along with fellow Ungo Runner Dr. Alex Junia and Dr. Clifford Aranas. Please share with me you comments or suggestions on how to make MY ASSIGNED WATER STATION the most memorable. Email me at reelrunning@ceburunning.com.

Merry Christmas Everybody!!! And a Happy New Year!!! See you in 2 weeks!!!

CEBU CITY MARATHON 2011 UPDATES!!!

Registration to one of the best marathons in the Philippines is almost over. Cebu Executive Runners Club (Organizers of the Cebu City Marathon) announced to extend the registration period for the 2011 CCM race to December 22, 2010. If you are still undecided, you have 2 more days to go. We (CERC) hope this new CCM 2011 Finisher's Medal will persuade to go to the Ayala Active Zone Registration Center or log-in at www.cebumarathon.com to register.

If you are a Cebuano and are not running the CCM 2011, Please help us make the marathon more special to others by participating in the events. On race day, please watch and cheer for runners along the race route. Inspire, motivate and help runners achieve their goals. Thank you very much. 

The Excitement begins

The 2011 Cebu Marathon was just formally announced. January 9, 2011 is the date. Runners from all over the Philippines will flock the Cebu streets to witness the beauty of Cebu and our much awaited marathon. 

The 2010 Cebu City Marathon summoned almost 4,900 runners in the best race the Philippines has to offer. Given perfect reviews by celebrity runners Jaymie Pizarro (The Bullrunner), Jinoe Gavan (Takbo.ph), Jovie Narcise  (Bald Runner) and Haide Acuna (The Marathonfoodie) the Cebu City marathon was a big success. The secret to its achievement is simple. The Cebu City Marathon is a race for runners organized and supervised by runners. Members of the Cebu Executive Runners Club (CERC) manned every water station from KM 0 until the last turning point. Doctors, Entrepreneurs, Lawyers and other executives (all marathoners) made sure the race exceeded every runners expectations. 

 “This year will be bigger and better” promised Jesse Taborada the president of CERC since its early years. 

Souvenir Shirts. New Balance Shirts are given away to the first 4,500 registrants of the Cebu Marathon. As of October 28, 2010, a total of more than 2,790 runners have already registered thus leaving only 1,710 shirts up or grabs. New Balance will also offer a special 20% discount to all registrants wanting to buy new shoes in selected stores by presenting their Cebu marathon claim stub. 

Registration. Planet Sports, The Athlete’s Foot and other related shops will accept registration in selected key cities around the Philippines (Manila, Cebu, Dumaguete, Iloilo, Bacolod, Cagayan de Oro and Davao). The official website of the Cebu Marathon will be live soon and will accept online registration.

Out of town guests. Selected Hotels all over the metro and in Mactan will be offering special rates to participants. Since the marathon will launch the start of the Sinulog week, guests can stay longer and witness the sinulog festivities. 

Pacers. Yes. We will have pacers next year. We will have runners leading a group to finish at a predetermined time. Popularized here in Cebu by TEAM REBORN, pace group leaders will finish at sub-5:00, sub-5:30 and if possible sub-4:45. Recruitment is underway for these noble runners willing to extend their help to the less experienced.

Timing Chip. The next Cebu Marathon will have timing chips for all race distances. Yes, ALL. Runners in the 5K, 21K and 42K will all receive timing chips and will have their finish times recorded. 

 (From the Net) 

Route and the SRP tunnel. Negotiations are underway which will include the SRP tunnel in the route. It will pose as a challenge to runners as the route is almost a kilometer long and will be a different running environment. The route will still include the South Road Properties (SRP) coastal road and some parts of Cebu City. Starting venue will still be at IT Park. Organizers hope that all cebuanos support the event and help cheer runners during the race. We encourage everybody to participate during race day and wake up early. Like the Sinulog festival, spectators can hang around along the race route and greet all runners with an authentic Sinulog welcome. 

Medals. Like this year's race, the Finishers medal will still be given only to the 42K finishers. Sorry. The design? Wait and see. 

The next Cebu Marathon will also have running clinics scheduled this November and December to help participants prepare for the race. The Marathon Expo will be held on January 5-7, 2011 in Ayala Active Zone where all the race packets will be distributed. A carbo-loading party will be held on January 7, 2011 and will be free for the first 300 registrants. Restaurants in Ayala Center Cebu will be serving pasta at the venue at a reasonable price.

“All systems are go” said Meyrick Jacalan for the next Cebu Marathon. Runners have less than 11 weeks to prepare for the big race.

See you on the Road.