virgin no more

people say that it's painful when you do it for the first time.

a lot of my friends have done it way ahead before me.  people have been telling since mid-2009 that i should already try to do it.  i've always thought of doing this when i feel I'm ready for it, to commit to it.  I didn't want to do something I would eventually regret.

doing this entails responsibility, and commitment, and would be really time-consuming.

 

let's begin with the end

when i started seriously running at last year's Condura Run, I never imagined thinking of ever running a full marathon in the near future. after that condura run, i started training for 10K races, then slowly leveling up to having LSDs and 15K and 10milers, and eventually had my first half marathon at Botak Paatibayan in May 2009. during that race, i witnessed how a not so "well-organized" full marathon that packed up everything way before the "cut-off" when the race didn't even have a cut-off to start with. with that in mind, if ever i decide to have my first full marathon, i would make sure that my first full marathon would have enough water supplies.

this idea started when Condura Run race organizers announced that they will be having a full marathon when i finally said to myself that's it about time.

training occurred, and eventually i was ready.

after running 32K rizal day run and having another 37K simulation run, i believed i was ready.

here are some images i had during my first full marathon.

 

"panatang makabayan..."   sumpa ng mananakbo?

picture taken at the takbo.ph aid station (early part of the race)

picture taken by mcoy lontoc

support banners created for first time marathoners

thank you guys & gals

photo by quennie (ata?)

this support was first seen in Subic International Marathon and was continued for all first timers 

(for full marathon and half-marathoners)

my view of the skyway (taken by my cellphone)

on my way back from the turn around point at the end of skyway bicutan exit

 

 kenkoyrunner on the skyway

(para may proof akong i was there sa skyway)

condura skyway hill # 2: i wasn't able to take a picture of the first part of the condura skyway"hills"

the first flyover was the 'end part' of the 'second' condura skyway hill, the floor i was on was the connected with the u-turn near terminal 3. but that's not the end of it ;) 

deo, kenkoyrunner, raymund, doc art at the skyway nearing KM.30

photo taken by quennie

on my way back, i encountered some of my other runner-friends, others had cramps, recurrence of ITBS, or blisters.

marie & timmy

i was able to meet up with the editor-in-chief of Runner's World Philippines towards Buendia exit

 

 

here are some pics from the Takbo.ph/ Reinier Pacific Aid Station

halata bang takam na takam ako sa saging ng Aid Station? when i was still with the other guys I told them that i wanted to have a banana, and so when i got there, sa station, i had my saging :) hehehe

from the aid station, i started my run again. i decided to continue with the run-walk strategy that i initially intended to do to finish the condura run. upon reaching the kalayaan flyover, i knew it would be supposedly around 5K to go. i never thought that it would be the longest 5K of my short running life.
 
i thought that was the most difficult part of this race. i was wrong.

as soon as i went down from the kalayaan flyover, i thought it was going to be an easy breeze, thinking that i've had raced that part a couple of times in the past but it felt a whole lot different when it was already the last 3KM of my first ever full marathon.

as we turned left opposite Market-Market, I've seen a lot of fellow runners telling me that "malapit na" the turning point. at this point, i was checking the time and no matter how "slow" i was, i would still be able to make it to the cut off time of 6 hours, so no worries. I was already walking with Team Papi (Neil, Pojie, Jet) and when we got the corner of Market- Market, we saw Rico, waiting for us. from the airport, he went to the race venue to help pace us first timers (thanks rix!)  another pusher at that point was Noelle's cheer towards the end of run.

despite the heat, and exhaustion, i was still looking towards reaching the end, to the finish line. before reaching the last turn, i was surprised to see tina, and tracy waiting at the corner. it was nice for tracy to come back for me (as what we say, no one gets behind).

upon seeing the finish line, it energized me. it somewhat pushed me to run towards the end for a strong finish.

here are some images taken by brando. thanks bro!

see the smile? i was just happy to finish my first full mary within the 6 hour cut off

the push til the end

at the finish line there were friends who were waiting for me, friends who were there supporting me from the start and til the finish.

 

and at the end of the finish line, other than the finisher's medal, 

i was rewarded by my girlfriend being there to see me finish my first full marathon. 

sa uulitin :)