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. 

Marathon Rules are NOT meant to be broken

Finishing a full marathon is never an easy task. Running addicts may sometimes make it look easy but it never is. It takes courage to start training, determination to finish the race, persistence to keep running despite the pain and ,of course, a well prepared body.

Unlike some rules, following a few marathon rules will not only help you finish the race but will also prevent disasters from occurring. These rules include reminders before, during and after the race. These were learned through countless hours reading articles in the net, from lessons in my daily practice as a physician and most through my experience as a runner.

The first rule, I got from one of our lectures during the Cebu City marathon Clinic, is “Respect the Distance”. Never take the full 42 kilometers for granted. It will test not only your body but mostly your mind. As what Runner Millete Chiongban said “The full marathon will be 20% physical and 80% mental. She also said “Any person can run 30 kilometers, but its the next 12 that counts”. All runners feel pain on the 30+ kilometers. We may look comfortable but we never are. Long slow distance (LSD) runs will help you overcome this pain. Knee and Hip joint pains, muscle sore from the thighs, calves, legs and foot, and worst, cramps will start to test your body and mind at anytime during the marathon. Some refer to this time as “The wall”. Its a very unfamiliar time since you cannot train while in it but rather train to prevent it. I have personally encountered this wall during my second marathon. It was at KM 22-25 that I started feeling really weak and lazy. Every 1-2 minutes I would walk instead of just run slow and was constantly thinking of quitting. It was at that time that most of my co-runners from Cebu passed by me. In retrospect, the doctor in me thinks the dehydration could have pushed me to “the wall” but the runner in me kept reminding me that I was running faster than I should have and without water. It started with me being thirsty with no water stations in sight (If there was a station, It would also be out of water). I should have bought water/ gatorade / juice from the convenience stores open at that time but was I proud enough to not use unofficial support. This lead to my disaster. I finished the marathon in 4 hours 55 minutes with cramps instead of my target of 4 hours 30 minutes. But I was humbled after the event. I have learned that the distance will not only challenge my body but will also test my mind.

Goals are critical during events like a full marathon. Some runners fix themselves on finishing a Sub-5(under 5 hours) marathon while others focus on finishing at the top of the list. Goals are crucial in a marathon since it will determine how hard you should train or how fast you should run. The second rule is “Set feasible goals”. Frequently, the first marathon should have only one goal, and that is TO FINISH. A few may not follow this rule but most runners do. Runners become marathoners after they finish their first marathon thus it is vital that you finish it. “Forget the time, Finish the race” is what experienced marathoners tell first timers when they decide to run the distance. Setting a goal too high may predispose you to running injuries and prevent you from finishing the race. Personally, I make more than 1 goal before a race. “BEST GOAL” is a goal short of a dream, “GOOD GOAL” is a goal that can be achieved in the best circumstances like adequate water supply, ample food, perfect weather and a familiar route while an “OK GOAL” is a goal that you can accomplish even in the worst conditions and even with a injury. My goals during my first marathon were OK GOAL-Finish the race, GOOD GOAL-Finish a Sub-5 and BEST GOAL-NONE!!!. My second marathon was different. Goals were expected to escalate since I had experience and better training up my sleeve. My goals were BEST GOAL-Finish in 4 hours 15 minutes, GOOD GOAL-Finish in 4 hours 30 minutes and OK GOAL-Finish another Sub-5. With dehydration and cramps, I achieved only my OK GOAL but friends still commended my efforts. It was really a tough route and the support was very very bad. I ran too fast and too soon during the first half that I reached my wall at KM 22-27. This “More than one rule” helps me accept failures better and keeps me motivated to train harder and beat my last personal record (PR).

“To become the best” is every man’s dream. Athletes train rigorously everyday to achieve this dream. Competitions are staged to discover who is the best in every sport. Unless if you are a full time athlete, Ignore this dream. This brings us to the third rule which is “Run your own race”. Never try and outrun a Kenyan (unless if you are also Kenyan) in a marathon. Set your own pace. Listen to your body. No other person can tell you that you can do more or less than yourself. If you feel any discomfort or pain (no matter how minuscule), determine what is causing it and do something about it. Cramps are very common in distance or endurance sports. It is often caused by 3 factors namely (1) Dehydration, (2) Electrolyte / Energy Depletion and last (3) Unconditioned or Unprepared Body. The first two can be prevented by taking in water / fluids every 1-2 kilometers and gels / energy bars every 10 kilometers (my preference). The 3rd factor can only be addressed thru proper training and injury prevention. When cramps strikes, slow down, recover, drink lots of water and re-energize or replete your electrolyte stores. If this don’t work, then you may still be unprepared to run the race you planned to finish.

These set of "RULES" are only to help you in achieving your dream of finishing a full marathon. Although it will not guarantee a finish, at least it will improve your chances of realizing that Dream.