Last April 30, 2011, I  was one of the 50km trail race  crazy’ participants of TNF100 in Camsur.  The craziness  didn’t stop there, as it was a  decision not planned, nor a choice. The initial  plan was  to register for  21km  just to experience trail running in Camsur  while our friends Chinky Tan and Ronnie and Elma Gabriana would do 50km. These 3   have done quite a few 50km trails  so  another 50km wouldn’t shock their nerves.

 Thought everything was set smoothly until one morning while having  breakfast buffet with my friends,   Berns Tan teasingly   popped the  question which turned out  be a statement,  “bakit hindi na lang tayo mag 50km?/! ”.  Since I assumed it was a joke, continued savoring   the food but was stunned with the positive reaction of Candy Lee and Charit Agana.  The two were supposed to be my allied in dreading trail runs, so what happened? Simple:  both just wanted to try doing an ultra trail race, that’s just it.  What’s left of me then is history.  Berns, Candy, Charit, Fiona, Reylynne and I registered for 50km while Chinky, Ronnie and Elma upgraded to 100km.

 Reylynne could have zoom fast me as she was  physically capable to  do such,   but opted to hang on  all through out the 15 ++ hours.  Below is the link of Reylynne’s  blog featuring my struggle  in conquering one of  my greatest fears : fear of the trail!!

http://runvocate.blogspot.com/2011/05/i-am-not-elite-nor-pro-nor-above.html

I forgot to blog, until recently. But that doesn’t mean, I forgot to run too. I’ve been running regularly. Though as  an average runner, I knew I needed help. Never asked for one but my dear friends Berns  and Jade, who may have been  Samaritans in their past lives, offered  that I train with them. So I did. The reason  why I always finish strong, uninjured   and beaming. I have yet to master sprint and the freshness they exude after each race, a knack I truly admire. Our  training was crazy, but worth the exhaustion.

 Things were normal, then came the  removal of Berns and Jade’s name from a supposed  remarkable race  due to an alleged cheating. This episode  will definitely leave a mark in the  running community.  The 2 are  consistent participants in road races for the last 2 and a half years, like Condura, Milo, Adidas, Botak, to name a few. Already joined  2 international marathons -  Standard Chartered Marathon in Dec 2010 and Great Wall of China early this year.  Berns and Jade  never cheated in the race. What made me say so?  A sane person  will not spend, nor even travel by land for   12 hours  only to cheat in a race.

 I have a very few close friends, by choice.  Call it a  cliché   but  I go by my parents’ anecdote of  “telling  who my friends are and  will surely be told of I am”.  When one values parents wisdoms   in their decisions,  how  would one go  wrong?  So I chose the circle I am now, where Berns and Jade are part of.

 In running,   Berns and Jade

Start with strategy.

Endurance is their forte    

Coolness   is their  charm

 Things have been said and done. Runners and even non-runners shared  piece of their minds, objective and subjective.  What’s left of me then.

 So NOW

I cry .

I cry because I cannot bear seeing my friends suffer from an offense they never committed, nor ever think of committing.    

 I plead.

I plead for the truth to come out.  I plead for the essence of running to prevail : sportsmanship, camaraderie and  peace.  And I plead  that the issue does not  die a  natural death. 

 For those who started it all, can you face yourself in the mirror and  honestly say that you are happy for what had happened only because of running, or sheer competition? Are you happy that the dignity  of 2 innocent   individuals have been tainted because of what you have done? Can you proudly face your family and say that you have done the right thing? Can you still sleep tightly?  If YES, then

 I PRAY.

I pray for divine intervention.  I pray for your souls.

If there’s penalty for not blogging, I should have already gotten one.  Don’t ever think that I have stopped running.  Never will I do that for as long as my feet are strong enough to stride, I will continue running.  

Its just that since our running group decided to join Standard Chartered (FULL) Marathon in Singapore come Dec 7, been busy practicing. We have been running everywhere, from Fort to  Makati Business District, Fort to NAIA, Fort to MOA, to name a few.  We have been running under a heavy rain and extreme heat. Of course, it was documented, not in my blog, but in my facebook. oppsss.  I’ll try to post some photos of our practice soon, what’s important is that I am already back,  ”B-A-C-K”   to blogging.  Watch out!

 

 

42 is not my age, yet,  not even the size of my waist line, nor my house number. This is the kilometer race that I plan to join come October.  October 2009 marks my 14^th month anniversary in the running arena so just thought that maybe, just maybe if Gods will, its  about time that I go to the next (or final??) level  : full marathon!

I know I can’t do this alone so before I finally  decided,  asked Jonas and  my running buddies if they were  ready to take the plunge.  Though not everybody confirmed as some are still facing running syndrome,  the fact that I know I have my friends to practice to and share the thrill and dread is enough for me to focus on this goal. Its only July 5, so have almost four month to prepare emotionally and  physically for the final countdown.

Call it a runners’ whim, but this supposedly inexpensive activity turned out to be otherwise. In preparation for the 42km, I thought a new running shoes would truly motivate me. My choices were either new balance or Newton. My New Balance 726 has been very friendly to me compared to my Asics Gel-Kinsei 2. I never had a Newton yet so might as well try one.  But the reviews and advertisement I witnessed for  several  weeks made me drool for  this new Nike running shoes. And yesterday evening, after attending the anticipated mass in Sanctuario de San Antonio, we visited Nike in BHS, scrutinized this  well publicized shoes called Nike Lunarglide, and I so liked it. What  happens next is history.  This morning, I excitedly put on my size 8 maroon Lunarglide Nike shoes and headed for a 10km run in UP with Jonas.  Jonas would always  ask how was my Lunarglilde, what do I feel, etc. etc. Hearing a positive upshot, he cried with envy and rushed to BHS to get a pair for himself. 

Just the same  42km here I come…….Lunarglide, be good to my  feet and Jonas’ too.

mine

 

 

Jonas'

Blame it on genes, on foods, on lifestyle.  For quite a number of years, I have been a victim of this mania until I woke up one morning detesting what I saw in the mirror.

Me at 150+++ lbs in April 2007

 

 

Let me briefly share with you some significant details on my yoyo weight for the last 10 years from 140lbs (as I already forgot how I lost my post pregnancy weight of 10 lbs)

Year 1999

Tried the famous Xenical for about a month but stopped taking it due to discomfort every time I take this. Pounds lost: 5 .Weight when i stopped 135

Year 2000

Was lured by Bangkok pills. I was ecstatic when my appetite was suppressed by  2 or 3 pills I took before each meal, disregarding the dryness in my mouth and frequent peeing.  This was followed by a very quick effect on my weight loss  and in a span of 2 months, I  lost  25 lbs. However, on the 3rd month, noticed that the pills no longer had an effect on my body. In short, got immune with it so decided to stop taking Bangkok pills.  Pounds lost – 25. Weight when I stopped : 110

Year 2001-2004

These were the years where I was totally baffled on what to do with my weight. Worst, I regained the 25 lbs lost from Bangkok pills. Tried all kinds of fad diets from hearsay, tv advs, magazines.  Several diet pills like Xenadrine, Hydroxycut, Lesofat and the last was  a color orange box with a ballet dancer on the cover  ( hay couldn’t  really recall the name !!) entered my body .   Diet shakes didn’t escape my eyes too. While on and off with diet pills and shakes, I enrolled in Slimmers world for 1 year as advised by a former officemate. Summarizing my weight gain and loss (or otherwise) :  

                  2001-2003            gain  25lbs     –  ended with    135 lbs 

                  2003                      lost    9 lbs       –  ended with  126 lbs

                                                gain   5 lbs         – ended   132  lbs 

                   2004                  0                            -   132

June 2005-May 2007

Jonas surprised me when he enrolled me in Fitness First Fort.  The first group exercise that caught my attention was the spinning class which since then have  become my  favorite. Once in a while I would inject diet pills and other fad diets into my system, not to mention my  erroneous eating habit like preferring  deep fry bread (2 tuna cariman for lunch ,super yummy!!)  and iced mocha over real meal.   My  addiction to all kinds of chips and cornik was then unstoppable. I was enjoying my 1 hour spinning class of 5 to 6 times a week plus other group exercises such as body pump, body combat and body balance , for almost 2 years when I was struck by deep depression as my weight reached a whooping 155lbs. Panicking. I visited Marie France and after few minutes of  listening to their sales pitch, I immediately enrolled in their FMS  (Fat Mobilization System), it was then followed by Physique Inch Loss where I lost 5  pounds  in 3 months. Here is the summary of my yoyo weight:

                     Sept 2006                gain  23 lbs   –      155

                     Oct-Dec 2006        lost  5 lbs       –      150            Marie France

                     Jan-May 2007      lost    3 lbs      -       147 lbs    Consistent work out 

June 2007-  July 2008

Intrigued by the poster that I saw in Fitness First about weight management , I immediately contacted one of their consultants Arvin Carina who is also a licensed physical therapist.  After telling Arvin my history on weight struggle, he required   me to religiously adhere to the weight management bible of  naturally losing weight, meaning though that I would have to throw my fad diets practices.  Few of the many things that I have learned from weight management :

1) Daily adherence to  5+2+2+2+2  (minimum servings of 5 carbs, 2 protein, 2 veggies, 2 fruits, 2 milk).  Of course, this practice was personalized based on my lifestyle and  daily activity as suggested  by  Arvin.   For starters, keeping a journal of your food intake is suggested.  

2) 3 hours interval on food intake. This way you wouldn’t starve yourself and avoid the tendency of overeating

3)  Trying outdoor sports like badminton and  running

4) Eating my fave foods, like  donut, cakes, pizza, chocolates and chips, in moderation

5) Eating rice and burger is not fattening. Eating lots of rice and burger is fattening. In short, eating more than  what your body needs is really fattening.  

6) Taking a day or two of rest from working out.  

7) Regularly (preferably weekly) weighing yourself to know your improvement.

8) Don’t panic if you gain 2 lbs in a week (once in a while) as it can be blamed on your body system. 

9) If you feel that you are no longer losing weight with your  current exercise (program),  try to stop doing the same thing for          about a week and resume  the following week.  Its like  rebooting your system.

 

November 2008 at 130lbs after losing 17 lbs from strict weight management

August 2008 todate

In August 2008, our gym buddy Joey and Rhoze  Lim invited us to participate in Mens Health marathon  relay of 10km in The Fort as its  proceeds would  go to charity. We happily joined the said race and even wanted more. Before joining succeeding races, we first convinced  some of our gym friends to run with us as Jonas and me believed that marathon  would truly be enjoyable if you do it with friends. From then on, our group has become a part of the weekly races from  Bahaginan, to Adidas,  New Balance, Botak, UP Ictus, Condura and many more. In addition to my regular gym work out,  running outdoor and indoor is now  part of my activity . I don’t run fast, I just enjoy every stride I make, every panorama I see and every  movement of my whole body.  My  addiction to running now pave the way to losing 18 more pounds.  Todate, I have already lost 43 pounds.

Thanks to Fitness First weight management coach Arvin Carina  for guiding me to a healthy lifestyle, to Joey and Rhoze Lim who opened my eyes to  marathon and my running friends  who have been  making every marathon exciting and truly worth looking forward too. 

What triggered my quest to healthy living

1. When  I kept on buying size Large and Extra Large clothes
2. When I  could no longer fit in my   size 28 pants and my size small and medium blouse/tshirts
3. When I  was forced to wear Jonas’ size 32-34 maong and Tshirts
4. When my former boss asked me if I was pregnant (arggghh)
5. When I was too scared to step on the weighing scale

These 5 items were now part of my past as I am now enjoying this body:

and this:

me following weight management bible with regular gym work out and my new love: running

Addict as you may call us, but despite the heavy to moderate rain we still proceeded to Mckinley Hills for the 16km Earth Run, dressed for the race but not ready to run. Proof of which,  didn’t  bring the foot pad of my polar watch. Honestly, I was hoping though that the organizer would cancel the race so we can go back to enjoying the bed weather in our room. With  the influx of runners and with the very  slight improvement  in  weather, the race proceeded but 30 minutes late from the original time of 5:30.  No big deal for all of us, I believe, as the only reason we prefer an earlier starting time is the avoidance of the extreme heat.

Since I didn’t have any choice then but to really join the race,  I just decided to do a very careful and  easy run as I was too scared of the slippery road.  It was a good decision to run.  My initial negativity on the race was then replaced by  delight.  I enjoyed every stride I made. Even if McKinley Hills and  Bayani Road  have become our  playground (as what Bards of Banana Running mentioned to me before), I just couldn’t help but be  endlessly mesmerized by its  panorama.  The route was perfectly planned, waters were placed in a small cup which was just enough for us to quence our thirst every 2km, and freebies were cool.

True enough I carefully and successfully finished the race in 1:38 , but  without any photo as Jonas left his celfone in the car, arrgggh.  Generally, Earth Run was an organized event.  My  appreciation for Earth Run should have been forever had it not been for  their  oversight to post my race result. I  contacted  Mary Anne Rigor,  of vAds Event. As per my advise to her in June 11 email, I will just post our communication in my blog  as  she confirmed that I truly finished the race in 1:38:19  rank #163.  Hope she can immediately amend the race result.   Below is our communication via email which started last June 6.

From: Shiela Compendio <shielacompendio@yahoo.com>
Subject: Contact Us Form : Earth Run
To: maryanne.ringor@yahoo.com, maryanne@i-manila.com.ph
Date: Saturday, 6 June, 2009, 5:05 AM

I joined earth run  16km last may 31 with race number 1238. my time based on the Timex was 1:38.  apparently, i couldn\’t find my name is your list.

Hope to receive your reply the soonest. thank you

Shiela Compendio
shielacompendio@yahoo.com

From: Mary Anne Ringor <maryanne.ringor@yahoo.com>
To: Shiela Compendio <shielacompendio@yahoo.com>
Sent: Tuesday, June 9, 2009 9:03:26
Subject: Re: Contact Us Form : Earth Run

Hi Shiela!  Sorry for late reply.  Your official time was 1:38.19, rank #163.  I will revise the results.  My apologies.  Thank you very much.  Maryanne

From: Shiela Compendio <shielacompendio@yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: Contact Us Form : Earth Run
To: “Mary Anne Ringor” <maryanne.ringor@yahoo.com>
Date: Thursday, 11 June, 2009, 12:29 AM

hi maryanne,

i checked the earth run result earlier and this is what i saw :

Rank     Race No

162         1116                  Pitt, Brad                      1:38.18 

 163         1441                 Garcia Theresa             1:38.20 

 

contrary to what you mentioned to me on your June 9 email.

 

truly hope  you will immediately revise the result.

 

 

rom: Mary Anne Ringor <maryanne.ringor@yahoo.com>
To: Shiela Compendio <shielacompendio@yahoo.com>
Sent: Thursday, June 11, 2009 8:40:06
Subject: Re: Contact Us Form : Earth Run

 

Dear Shiela,

 

I sent you email because I had the results double checked manually, and found your ranking.  We had technical difficulties with the bar code as most of them were smudged in the rain.  With regards the posted official list, I said I will revise.  Please note that I will do that personally, but just can not attend right away due to commitments and business meetings.

 

Be assured that I will revise.

 

Maraming salamat po.

 

regards,

Mary Anne

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Its my  2nd red day and  since we have been experiencing bed weather for a couple of days or more, running under the heavy rain was beyond my plan so I was dilly dally if I should join Mizuno or just enjoy bonding with my  girls  on a Sunday morning.  Obviously, the first option prevailed. 

For whatever reason( or blame it to the red day thing?), I requested Jonas to run beside me all throughout the race which he blindly agreed. That means though that he was prepared to finish the race 10 to 25 minutes slower  than  his average PR. As expected, Jonas was coaching me on running stuff  such as proper breathing, speed technique, endurance etc. etc. etc. I tried to follow but hardheaded as always, I just did what I felt was convenient for me: easy run. I knew I won’t be able to get a good PR when Jonas’ garmin says that our  5km was more than 30 minutes, more so  our  10km of past an hour. Didn’t really feel like exerting too much effort which again could be blamed to my red day.  The only consolation I got was that  I finished  15km in 1:34:01, 10 minutes faster than my Happy Run’s first 15km run in January.  But if we are to compare Mizuno result to previous Sunday’s 16km  Earth Run of  1:38:19, I was a little slow. Argghh. Guess that’s all for now as there’s no use crying over spilled milk.  I just hope I can do better next time.  

with Charit Agana few minutes before the gun starts

 

I finished the race in 1:34:04 while Jonas in 1:34:06. First time that I beat him by .02 seconds and first time that he finished the race with a slow pace of 6:17 and definitely first time that he was forced to run all throughout the race with me in a flat road (our first was in TNF 20km trail run in Sacobia, Clark) .I can only thank him for being a good husband, father of my kids for the last 14 years, and now for being my patient running buddy and coach for the last 10 months. 

proof that I finished the race ahihihihi

While we were leaving The Fort, got the chance to briefly meet  Ronnie (a.k.a.  Runnerforchrist)  whose blog I am great follower of.  We wanted so much to meet  up with him during the Ultramarathon in March but situations just didn’t allow us to. Good thing though Mizuno run bridge the way for us to finally meet.  See you around Ronnie. 

2FORdaROAD meets RunnerForChrist

Of course, a marathon race is not (and will never be) complete without enjoying a yummy breakfast whom Jonas requested :Tapa Queen at TAPA KING.

jonas had Tapa Queen while i settled for hard boiled egg and Pepsi light as I already had Frap Mocha in Starbucks earlier

Several weeks ago or months ago or I think  even before vacation started, I had been planning on a 3 days 2 nights getaway with the whole family to celebrate our 14^th wedding anniv.  Our choices were Bora, Pagudpod and Bohol. Apparently, in April I already went to Bora on an all girls  escapades followed by Laia Batangas’ company outing where I got so tan until now. So had to scratch the first choice. In Pagudpod, I made a reservation in Hannah’s Beach  resort for May 18-19  after watching it in Mel and Joey, but eventually cancelled it when I found out that Cebu Pacific has only night flights. Jonas prefers morning flights on places we haven’t been to. In Bohol, failed to expound on my  research until I totally forgot about it only to find out that our wedding anniv was almost near. The truth of the matter  could be said in a tagalong phrase “ kung gusto me paraan kung ayaw me dahilan”.  In short, an out of town trip was beyond my plan as I was so engrossed with our regular  running activities especially with the coming TNF trail run. ahihihihihi.   Didn’t   wanna to miss a thing kung baga.  What kind of a wife and mother am I ?

But when I saw the disappointment in the eyes of my girls and my dear hubby, my heart melted, so immediately   google on nearby beach resort for a day tour.  Subic came in first but long travel time meant that we had to leave as early as 6am, and worst, giving up my 7:30 am RPM class in Fitness First and going home very late which could also affect my Friday (following day) work out. Ace Water Spa  in Quezon City was suggested by Chinky as she knows I am a spa person, and I definitely like the place.  Jonas wanted a bigger place where the girls can roam, so he thought of Club Manila East in Taytay Rizal, 20 minute drive from home. Been there 4 years ago that’s why  I refused first but eventually agreed as the girls love the idea.

May 21, Thursday, our 14^th Wedding anniversary.  After my early morning workout at Fitness First, around 9:30am, we  left for Club Manila East (CME).

 Club Manila East has immensely improved compared to 4 years ago. (www.clubmanilaeast.com).  The long road going to the resort and  within the vicinity is also a good place to  run.  Guess next time I already know what to add to my swimming stuff when my girls request  to go back to CME: my running gear.

 Brought my laptap so  I could do my thing while Jonas and the girls enjoy swimming.  The sun was angrily showing from  10am till about  3:30pm so waited  for the heat to truly subside before I finally dip into the pool.  Still have the bora  effect on my skin that’s why I was extra careful in doing the same mistake. Once in a while I would go out of the Cavana to take photos, buy food stuff and do brisk walk (while thinking of TNF) just to keep my body moving. Today, I was a doting  wife and mother,  I did what my family wanted me to do without complaining. Tomorrow would be a different story.  Humanda silang tatlo hahaha.

 It was an inexpensive and  time saving 14^th  wedding anniversary. We spent a total of Php 4000 for club manila east entrance with cavana cottage, food and gas.  More so, we were home by 6:00 pm. Fair enough, right?

 

                                                                                                                               after 14 straight years of marriage

 

my 2 girls with their yaya of 9 years

Without bating an eyelash, we decided to register for TNF 20km trail run on May 24 at Sacobia, Clark. This is  our first time to do a trail run since we became hooked on running. To somehow test  our limits on the actual race, Berns Tan facilitated a practice  at the La Mesa Nature Reserve at Quezon City on Saturday, May 16. 

THE TRAIL PRACTICE

A brief intro about the La Mesa Nature Reserve was conducted prior to the actual run coupled by what to expect on the trail and some do’s and dont’s to make the practice danger free.   As expected, the first 3km was  challenging as I  was extra  cautious  in my strides especially on muddy  downhill.  Jonas was convincing me to just let go of my fear of slipping  as my adidas adiStar Revolt with 3D ForMotion   fully adapts to the trail  and will definitely  keep my foot stable no matter how uneven the terrain. Hardheaded as I always am, ignored him and continued with my own pace.  Once in a while. Jonas had no choice but to patiently clutch me on mud-covered path. The rest of the kilometers were tolerable as my legs were already warmed and ready for the long run.  Berns,   a seasoned hiker  and a leader-by-heart, was very consistent in guiding us and really checking on each and every one. The weather on the other hand was very cooperative as the sun was lovingly smiling at us. 

 LOST

Jonas was the only guy among the group, so he opted to stay behind while Berns positioned  back and forth for safety reasons. While everybody was enjoying their respective strides, Carol Ibanez  had to back off upon reaching 9.5km as she felt  pain in her knee.  Apparently, she did a one hour treadmill the day before with a maximum speed of 9.5. Knowing how it felt as we were all victims of  running injury, Jonas, Rhoze Lim and me stood by Carol.  We continued following Carol’s pace until we realized that our 6  friends and the guide were all gone. Based on the briefing earlier, we just followed  the directions of color yellow or orange (can’t recall). Obviously, we headed on the wrong direction.  Several exchanges of cellphone calls transpired as to where were   we/they, where did we turn, did we see that arrow etc. etc.  until the signal of both parties went off.  I  knew that  Berns and Candy were already worried as  all they wanted from the start  was  for us to  run as a group, and not otherwise, for security reasons.   We reached a “kubo” where we  met with 2 marshalls. They tried to contact the guide but the latters’ radio was busted.  As advised by the marshalls, we just waited for the others in the “kubo” as everybody will pass that way. Good for Carol as she really had to rest her legs while Rhoze was patiently  cheering her up. I decided to run/jog within the vicinity so as to keep my momentum and to also check once in a while the others.  True enough, the rest of the group arrived 45 minutes later. Turned out that we missed 5km of the 23km run. After few minutes of pitstop, didn’t waste any more time and finished the last 20 minutes of the trail with a big smile. This big smile connotes that we are all ready for May 24 Trail Run (ahihihihihihi). Sacobia here we come. 

A HAVEN IN THE MIDST OF THE CITY. If not for the TNF trail run, we will not discover that, indeed, there is a haven in the midst of the city. This made me realize how God truly loves us by showering us with  breathtaking nature such as La Mesa. 

 

Excited

 

 

attentively listening to the briefing

                                                          opppss pose muna 

we got lost upon reaching 11km

 

La Mesa Dam

                                             Jessica Lao and Carol (prior to the leg pain)

I have no  throbbing experience to share on this event.  Didn’t shed a sweat, didn’t go through excruciating pain, didn’t face near death experience. Why?  Because I was  not an ultramarathoner, nor a pacer. I was there with Jonas and Japol to witness the first event  that now created a significant  mark in the  Philippine history of  running: testing the limit of 82 men and women for the 102k ultramarathon.

Couldn’t help but revisit history that would at least help me connect with the 1st Bataan 102k Ultramarathon. Guess everybody will agree with me  that  the real Bataan Death March  in April 1949 was truly a dreadful occurrence, a far cry from the  April 5, 2009 event.

                                                             Few photos I researched  …..

                                                              so horrible……….

                                                                …and callous

However, to voluntarily  run, jog, walk, for  straight  10-18 hours  in memory of the  1949 Bataan Death March victims  and heroes was a shot truly worth granting a salute.   I’d like to single out  3  ultramarathoners  whose blog I have been religiously  following especially prior to this event:

*Ronnie (Runnerforchrist), he  dedicated the 102k   to 10  different individuals who made  him who he is  today.     His passion for running for Christ   is incomparable and sincerely admirable. 

*Jonel (BugoBugo85). He has a truly interesting blog which I would like so much to comment  on  several months ago  but was hesitant due to the brawny and a  desperado-kind-of-character  that his blog conveys only to find out that he is the very  warm, friendly and funny  guy whom Jonas was always talking to in Ultra and other races. His story of ultramarathon touches my heart.

* Bald Runner (Sir Jovie). The architect of this event, whom Jonas and I truly admire from the moment we met him in Ultra in 2008. His dedication to running  (and blogging) is commendable. 

Stories will be told by the ultramarathoners themselves. Please read them by heart . I just did and will continue to find out the stories each of them experienced.

Some shots that we took.

 

 Had to follow this car as we’re not familiar with the place.

 

      Japol giving waters to runners. Our very simple way of  expressing support to these brave runners.

 A very familiar figure is approaching….. the Bald Runner!

The “all-for-one one-for-all” team of Runnex. “Walang iwanan”. A pose with our friend Mel Severino

 

Willie 

 

 

 

 

 

 

the finish line. still waiting for the others.