Dream On - 39th Milo Marathon Lucena Leg 2015

"Great things start with small beginnings. Run a Milo Marathon and let your Champion story begin."

While others were on their quest to physical greatness on their journey of achieving their dreams as a Runner or as a Race Director,  I too had my own share of story to tell on my quest of fulfilling my dream as a 'forever hopeful' runner. Yesterday was a weekend of so many races, UTMB in Chamonix, TMBT in Kinabalu, MURA's Malaysia Eco100 in Penang, Danang International Marathon in Vietnam, Mt. Balagbag - DLB Trail Challenge of  Pilipinas Mountain Running Series Leg 2, Team Malaya's Last Stand of Yamashita to name few. Mine was my continues quest to qualify to the finals of Milo Marathon,  the Lucena Leg of the 39th Milo Marathon. 

When I was short of 7 minutes on the full marathon on last July's  Manila Leg, I continued my 2nd year of dream to qualify  the Finals of Milo Marathon  at one of the Regional Races, the Lucena Leg. Trying my luck one more time, this will be on  the 21km category before I give this quest for this year a rest and move on to the next project. Whatever the result, at least I give my best. 

Together with my few Ayala Triads family, we traveled to Lucena City bringing with us high hopes and exciting spirits to go for what we are aiming for. Hoping for the best we stand at the starting line together with the rest of the 21km runners. Lots of familiar faces including my TPK dear dear friends. Just like my countless other run races, standing at the starting line always gives me mixed emotions no matter what the distance is. This time around, counting the few minutes left before the gun start while  listening to the opening program, it gives me a teary eye watching the video of the many runners' journey on several Milo Marathon in the past. Building dreams and each one's champion story is a very individual journey, a very inspiring one. As I continue to write my own story on this journey, I hope for the best and always reminded myself of what my Malaysian friend Hui Mathews told me the night before the race, 'most important u do your best and enjoy it!!' Even before the start of the race, I reminded myself again of that.

And as the count down brings to zero and all 21km runners were released, I run only to my own convenient pace. Most of my runner friends run fast ahead of me. As much as I wanted to zoom fast on the dark streets of Lucena, I also have to listen to my body, I do not want to push to much that might bring me to trouble. Reaching the first u-turn made me realize I am not too far from the lead pack of runners. The next long stretch that runs several kilometers in a  highway is a slow ascending part,  I slowly picked up my pace to a faster rate and I catch up few of my friends ahead of me early on the race. 

After the second turn around is already a downhill part. I still hope of making to my qualifying time so I run with all my might on the downhill stretch but towards the last 4km where I only got 12 minutes left, I know that will be too hard for me to reach within my qualifying time. I just reminded myself to just enjoy the beautiful scenery, the more green and open space as far as my eyes can see. Two more kms to the finish line,  one marshal told me I ranked 10th  among the female on 21km. I really did not hope much as most of the time I run really slow towards the last part  of the race. I will do my best to maintain my ranking and hope to catch up with the 9th female which I did at some part but she also catch up with me few meters before the finish line. 

I crossed the finish line 6 minutes beyond my qualifying time but  happy. I am always grateful and thankful that I finish safe and injured free and most of all for making me the 10th Female runner on this category. This may not be a big race like the races that  I mentioned above but for me this is a small beginning towards a bigger dream. What a sweet reward to all the training and sacrifices that I did prior to the race. It gave  me goosebumps when my name was called at the stage for I never thought I will be sharing the stage with elite runners much younger than me in age. Having to share the stage with Mommy Del (4th place) and Miss Rhina (5th PLace) is already a dream come true for me. 

There goes my story. I congratulate all the finishers on this leg of  Milo Elimination race. Salute to all the qualifiers. As I end my Milo quest for the year 2015 I will continue my speed training as I long to improve my speed and continue on to bigger longer races.

I'd like to congratulate all my friends near and far who race big races yesterday. My salute to fellow ultra runners who made it to UTMB, to Ige, Mia, Roland, George and Xerxes, Amy, Simon, Sang, Cynthia, Janet, Steve,  and those I forget to mention, you guys will always be an inspiration for me to continue loving the sport. I am one of the many who salute you all for braving yourselves to be even at the starting line. Congratulations too to all my RD friends who did a successful race as well.

Thank you Milo Marathon for another year of great running. For as long as there is life there is hope. I will never give up on you. I will continue my journey of becoming better runner  for I believe one day my name will be put on the List of  Wall of Qualified Runners on the Milo Finals. For now I have to move on to my next big race. On to the trails of Merapoh. 

Thank you Russel Hernandez for accommodating us and feeding us on our stay in Lucena.

A race powered by Altra Torin Shoes, Feetures Socks, Ash Be Nimble Running and Yoga Apparel, Trail Toes  Anti Friction Foot and Body Care, Coqionone and Rev3 and Tail Wind Nutrition.

Photo credit to Janina Valderas of iCloud Running Group, Miss Jackie Gutierez  and Runaholics. Thank you for capturing the moment.

Tough Human on Tough Race - La Ultra The High 2015 Edition

La Ultra - The High 2015 Edition - 333km distance

There are runs. Then there are long distance runs. And then there are brutal, cruel runs. Imagine running 333 kilometers across three mountain passes in the Himalayas at over 17,400 feet in three days. Unthinkable? But that is what some incredibly tough humans accomplish at the La Ultra, the cruelest run on Planet Earth.

Meet the elite athletes who participated in what seems to be an impossible race. How do they do it? Why do they do it? What lessons have they learnt? I hope I can listen to them and learn on the things that they will on how high performers live and work.

Sean Maley
Winner of 333 km at the 6th edition of La Ultra - The High in an time 64 hrs 3 min 35 seconds. Sean is an engineer who has taken year off to run some amazing races around the world. Earlier in the year he also won Joggle 2015, covering 860 miles (1384km) over 17 days. That’s averaging 50 miles (81km) each day! The route follows the classic journey from John O’Groats to Lands End and is all road.

Ferenc Szonyi
Ferenc is the first runner at La Ultra to have finished the Race Across America (RAAM) and Double Deca Ironman (20 Ironman Triathlons in 20 days). He started his ultra-running and ultra-triathlon career at 43, and has already run over 20 ultra-marathons and extreme endurance races.

William Sichel
William at 62, has run over 90 ultra-marathons, won 14 of them, and holds 153 world records in ultra-running. He recently ran the Sri Chinmoy 4,960 km race in New York. He has run 100 km in 7 hrs 7 min.

Mark Woolley
Mark has attempted La Ultra - The High twice before. He finished 222 km in 2012 and had to stop agonisingly 15 km short of the 333 km finish line last year. He's run Spartathlon thrice, the Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc seven times and more than 20 other ultras like Badwater, 100 km, 24 hour races etc. In his spare time he’s a schoolteacher who holds a PhD. He has unfinished business at La Ultra.

Darek Strychalski
After an accident left him partially disabled, Darek had to learn to write, walk and talk again. Today he is one of the finest ultra-runners in Poland and one of the brave few to take up the challenge in the Himalayas. He has completed over 34 marathons and tough non-stop ultras such as Badwaters 135 and the Spartathlon.

Time is Diamond

The path to greatness is riddled with thorns and potholes. Then, there's the constant fog that hides the rest of the road. Too often we see no further than just a few inches ahead. And in these times, when we have walked too far, we look ahead and begin to wonder 'Is there even an end at all?"

"Why did I even walk this path? And why do I keep going?"

Of the few who chose to take the road, only a handful keep walking on. No end in sight, nothing to hold on to but a vision. A vision that one day, the road will end and the sun would rise between the mountain peaks.

And when the night is darkest, they raise their eyes to the sky and see the clearest blue!

The night is over; tomorrow begins now!

#timeisdiamond