hmmm. how and what should i write about this? the most i remember about
this event was that it was soooooooo humid, and that i suffered. yes, i suffered. and i did not have that feeling that i could go another mile after the finish. i finished it, but there's this 'BUT' feeling. i'm not looking for any excuses, i just wanted to do it again to redeem myself from this 'BUT' feeling.
this was the biggest event i've ever joined, so far. from their website, there were close to 20,000 participants, with 16,336 finishers. this was a very well organized event, from the pre-race packet pick up and expo, to the post-race festivities. there were fluid stations every ~1.5mi, and plenty of bands and cheering squads (it's a rock-n-roll run isn't it?, so note to self - run without the shuffle next time).
i had everything ready before the race, from the shirt with the bib on, to the shoes with the chrono timetracker on, the night before. the forecast was mild on the day of the event. i knew i was well prepared for this (or so i thought :)). my 'support crew' and i walked to the start area from the place we stayed in. it was a good mile-and-a-half walk, but they did not complain. they settled in at a location with a good view of the start, and off i went to my designated corral (corral #6). the race uses a 'wave start', with the wheelchair participants go first, followed by the elite women, then by the elite men, and then each corral every minute or so. i hit the start mat 7+ minutes after the gun. i started a bit fast (which added to my suffering in the end). at mile 3 (this is where i noticed the high humidity), i was already sweating hard, and before mile 6, i was literally soaking wet, shirt, shorts, socks and all (i never experienced this in my previous events). my feet started to bother me because of that squishy feeling every stride i made. after i hit the mat on the 10k mark, i stopped and walked (YES, I WALKED! - another first). i just felt so heavy. after about a 2min walk-break, i started again, but this time i've started to lose my stride. by 15k mark, i was just jogging with so heavy feet. and i stopped and walked again. and then, that bridge! it felt like going over a mountain with a full camping gear on your back going over that bridge. and i stopped and started to walk again. a woman passed by, tapped me on my shoulder and encouraged me to go on. thanks - i needed that. and off i went again with that slow and heavy pace. fast forward to the end, because there's really nothing exciting to tell anymore unless you wanted to hear more of my suffering...
i hit the mat at 2:13:05, with a chip time of 2:05:38. it's a decent time, but way off my target. maybe i aimed so high that it frustrated me to not even be close to it. or maybe if i did not stopped and walked, i would have hit under 2 hrs. or maybe if i just took my 'soaking wet shirt' off and not worry about my bib not showing while i run. now you understand the 'BUT' feeling?
my crew saw me at the finish. i was still in the runners' area. got my commemorative medal, cold towel, post-ride drinks and snacks, and a good foot massage. race over, time to hit the beach. yes, it was a memorable run.
- #6287
- mizuno wave creation 8
- garmin forerunner 305
- shuffle with arriva earphones
redemption - that's what i felt as i went past the 12mi marker. for i know that even if i had to walk the last mile to the finish, it would still be in under 2 hrs. redemption - from my abysmal performance in the vbhm08 event just 3 wks ago. and with that, a reward the moment i hit the finish line mat - 1:51:42 - a personal record.
i decided to do this event for several reasons: (one) because i just wanted to run again after vbhm. (two) because it's close - just an hour drive from home. (three) because i would score an extra medal for running this, plus vbhm. (four) because i really wanted to run again.
packet pickup was not as easy and convenient as vbhm. i would say the participants were pampered in vbhm, with free and ample parking, spacious and sponsor-filled expo, lots of freebies. in pdr, i had to pay for my parking, 5 blocks away, after going from one-way street to another trying to find a metered spot close to the expo. and the expo was crowded. at one point, i told myself that this is the first and last i'm doing this event.
i felt ok came race day. i set my mind not to go fast the first quarter to half of the course, to just do it on a steady and moderate pace until i get into a rhythm i could keep throughout the course. and somehow i managed to keep a pace i was comfortable with till the end of the course. the course was flat overall, but with some sections where the road banks to the right or left and you have to find the right spot to run so as not to affect your stride. it was scenic, and peaceful (yes, peaceful). they said it's a rock-n-roll event, with plenty of bands playing along the course, but i think i've only noticed three or four bands. it turned out ok for me because i had a peaceful run, focused only on the road ahead (and always happy to see the next marker). i also did not put on my shuffle, which helped (i think) because i was able to listen to and control my breathing. as promised, there were plenty of fluid stations, plus powerbar gels on the 8mi mark. i had my own sports drink in my hydration belt so i didn't have to stop at every station to hydrate. plus i had some endurolytes, where i had 2 at the start, 2 at the 10k mark, and 1 at the 10mi mark.
overall, the race-day experience overshadowed the packet-pickup experience, and i might do this again next year (plus vbhm09).
btw, this event coincides with the other events i always wanted to do: (one) hillier than thou, (two) pumpkin patch pedal. and i chose this one over the others. hopefully, next year they will fall on different dates.
