With Javy. He just completed his first loop while I had just turned right from transition area to start my first. Photo courtesy of Javy O.
Photo with the strong participants. ( L-R ) Elmer Santiago and Javy Olives (Team Super), myself, Retzel Orquiza ( Team Xycos )
Finishing my first run. I wore my gloves too soon. Photo courtesy of Noel Padrigon
It was slightly drizzling around 3:00 a.m. of June 28, Sunday, which made it harder to get out of bed and prepare for the 2nd leg of Powerade Duathlon Open which was going to be held that day at MOA. I couldn't sleep the night before due to either anxiety or excitement about this race. It was my 2nd time to join and I was looking forward a better finish time, and with this some sort of pressure built up inside me resulting to lack of sleep.
I aimed on finishing the race in 2 hours and 10 minutes, almost 10 minutes better than my finish time during the first leg. My specific goals were as follows: Run 40 minutes on the first run ( 7K ), finish the bike leg in 1 hour ( 30K @ 30kph average ) and run the last 4K in 30 minutes. completing the whole race in 2:10.
At 4:20 a.m. I was off to MOA. The parking area at McDonald's, Macapagal Ave. was already full, so I had to park somewhere else and found a good spot near the registration area.
After getting body marked, I proceeded to the transition area to rack my bike. There were a number of participants already there. Had a nice chat with Arnel Castro, who belonged to my age-group and a brother in Christ. Going back to my car to get some more of my stuff, I saw Pastor Ernie Catanghal and Melody from CBF ( Christian Biker's Fellowship ) and fellow churchmates at CCF ( Christ Commission Fellowship ). Melody was not so sure about joining even if she registered as she was still recovering from a nasty bike crash which left gashes on her knee. A few chit-chats and I was back to the transition area where I saw MJ Beltran, Retzel Orquiza and Javy Olives, friends from Pinoyroadies.org. Also met with Jason Dela Rama and Jonas Gopaco from Takbo.ph. Transition area preparation was actually where the participants say their "HIs" and "HELLOs" to other partcipants, either old friends or new ones.
After checking my Hammergels and aero water bottle and spare water bottle, I was off to my warm-up. I planned on "eating" during this race to avoid the hunger which hounded me during the first leg. My plan: Eat a bar of Choco Mucho 45 minutes before the start, eat another bar after the first run, consume 1 sachet of Hammergel after the first half of the bike and another after. I stacked the gels inside my stem pannier bag and made sure I could pull it out easily. After munching a bar of Choco Mucho and stacking one more inside my jersey's back pocket. I ran off to warm-up.
I ran with Arnel Castro during warm-up and saw Pastor Ernie doing the same. A few minutes of running and some sweat, I began stretching.
At around 6:45 a.m., the participants were called in at the starting line, and at 6:50 a.m. the gun sounded off.
First Run: 7K
I planned on doing a positive split on the first run as I thought it was the best strategy I could employ in this race. Slowing down nearing the transition area will buy me some time to recover before I start hacking it out in the bike.
I started strong at 4:30 pace. After the first loop, I still felt strong. There was a minor confusion on the run route as the "elites" whom everyone was following made a wrong turn, and that error became the norm. We ended up running almost a kilometer more than what we should've ran.
After the first loop, I pulled out my cycling gloves from my back pocket and put them on so that I won't waste time at the transition area doing it. However, my plan was to put it on around 300 meters to the transtion area. 5K into the first run and I was already wearing it. Some of the participants might have been puzzled why my gloves were on more than 2 kilometers before the end of the 1st run.
I was at 5:00 pace on the 5th kilometer of the run and I thought I needed to slow down to around 5:30 just to be slightly rested before I started biking. At the 6th K, I slowed down to 5:45, thinking the transition area would be around 1K ahead. However, it wasn't. It was almost 2K down the road and I realized I slowed down too early. I tried catching up and increased my pace to 5:30 again. At around 500 meters to transition area, I slowed down to 5:45 again. Arnel Castro caught up with me around 300 meters to transition area. He had a nice running form and he looked strong. Way to go Arnel!
50 meters to transition area and I pulled out my Choco Mucho, opened it and started munching. The whole bar was in my mouth when I entered transition. Time check: 39.19 minutes. 40minutes first run target: DONE! With more than 40 seconds to spare. It took me more than a minute to change to my bike shoes, put on my helmet, gulp some water and run my bike to the mounting area though. I wouldn't want to do the bike leg with something not in its proper place.
Bike Leg: 30K
I felt strong when I started on the bike leg. Saw Javy making his first loop when I turned right from T1 to Macapagal Ave. He was zooming! I tried to shadow him a few meters back but had to disengage before the turn-around point as I was afraid I'd blow. He must have been doing 38-40kph, too fast for me and my strategy.
My bike plan was to average at 33kph, thus, completing the bike leg more or less in 53minutes. At first, I was averaging around 35kph. The bike route was almost flat and it was really tempting to hack it out to 40+kph. I controlled myself though. I stuck to my plan and slowed down to 33kph.
After doing my first 3 loops, I pulled out one of my Hemmergels and downed 1 sachet. I was at KM 13 at this point and was wondering why I was short on distance. I then thought that "maybe" the course was really shorter than 30KMs.
There was a mini-race among myself and 3 more participants on my 4th loop. We were doing between 32-35kph and would be overtaking one another in alternate succession. It was actually fun. One would go 37kph while the others would play catch up and do 40kph. It was like some sort of rotation among us and each one of the four of us had his time on the lead. While doing this, we were overtaking some of the slower riders. After reaching the turn-around point, 2 riders in our group proceeded to the transition area while the 2 of us left continued on with our 5th loop.
The 5th loop was when my confusion took place. My cyclometer only registerd 22K at the start of my last loop. I estimated that I would end up with around 26K only after my 5th loop when it was supposed to be a 30K course. I had to slow down and pace with other riders to ask them how much distance they have logged in. The problem was we weren't all in the loop, some were still on their 4th so I had to find someone doing his 5th loop as well. I caught up with a rider and asked him if he was on his 5th loop. When he said "yes", I was elated. I asked him how much distance he has logged in already, he replied "Sorry man but I don't have a cyclocomp...". Grrrrrr! I was about to panic at that point. We chatted a bit while doing 28kph and I told him I was on my 5th loop but the distance I logged in was short for a 30K bike course. He then told me that if I needed to make a "tough call" on whether to proceed to transition area after my "5th loop" or make another loop and lose time but brush off any doubt on the distance...Tough call it really was. In that instance, I did what I needed to do...PRAY. I asked God to give me wisdom...
God is really good. While I was getting confused with the distance, a runner shouted to his friend that the bike course was only at 26KMs. After overhearing this, I sped off to 36kph and proceeded to T2 after my 5th loop.
Time check: 49 minutes, 15 seconds. Total Race time: 1 hour, 31 minutes.
I took off my helmet, changed to running shoes and just threw my cycling gloves near my bike and then ran towards the run course again. I didn't eat another Hammergel anymore, I wasn't hungry and I still have some energy in the tank to last the 2nd run of 4K.
2nd RUN: 4K
A few strides into the 2nd run and I immediately felt a stabbing pain on my right lower leg...I was about to cramp. I pointed my right foot upward and ran awkwardly for the first 100 to 150 meters of the 2nd run. When I felt it was gone, I ran normally and realized I could actually finish in sub-2 hours. I had 30 minutes to run a 4K course and it was highly possible, barring any "bonking" similar to what I experienced during the first leg of this race.
I was at 1:36 after the first kilometer of the 2nd run, and I was almost sure I'd complete the whole race in sub-2 hours when one of my greatest running "foes" suddenly "attacked" out of nowhere, MR. SIDE STITCH!
I ran with Mr. Sidestitch hammering my lower abdomen. He wouldn't beat me this time around and I was bent on finishing in sub-2 hours. Upon reaching the first water station, I took a cup each of Powerade and water, and brisk-walked for about 25 meters just to see if Mr. Sidestitch would go away....NADA! He was still there and I said to myself "Okay, if you want to hang in there then do so, I'd finish this race in less than 2 hours even if you trying to slow me down..."
At the turn-around, I caught up with MJ Beltran, who was walking already. I egged him on to run and he did. We planned on "walking" once we reached the shaded water station and run after that to finish the race.
We ran after hydrating a bit, I was pacing MJ so that he won't lose precious seconds. Upon reaching another water station, he was falling behind already. I was running at 6:20 pace and couldn't slow down anymore as I was afraid I wouldn't finish in sub-2 hours. I waved off at MJ and went ahead.
I was less than a kilometer to the finish and I was at 1:51 already. I was at 6:30 pace and thought I'd finish in around 1:57. Arnel Castro and Jael Wenceslao passed by me in succession around 500 meters to the finish. It was okay, for as long as I have them in sight.
I was already thinking of Arnel, Jael and myself finishing in succession when two runners caught me by sprinting around 20 meters to the finish line. I smiled wryly and was asking myself why they were sprinting when they won't be winning anything and they'd be just ahead of my by 1 or 2 seconds in the results. Oh well, people really have different satisfaction thresholds.
I finished the race officially in 1:56:02, 24 minutes faster than my finish time during the first leg. My 2nd run was completed in +/- 24 minutes even with Mr. Sidestitch around. I thank God for giving me the strength and the wisdom to finish the race in decent time, better, in fact, than what I expected.
Nice seeing the Pinoyroadies.org guys headed by Bai Al. I hope to see the photos sir!
Race Summary
Powerade Philippine Duathlon Open 2nd Leg was a lot better than the first one held in March 28. The things they have improved on are:
1. The bike route
2. The start time
3. The registration and body marking
Things they still need to improve on;
1. Number of marshalls
2. Race distances accuracy
Over-all, it was a great race. The bike route really pumped me up and it was the first time I enjoyed racing on the bike during the race itself. The field was very competitive. Even Rowell Odonio of TeamTBB joined, but, unfortunately lost, which just shows how tough the field was. I look forward the 3rd leg in September.
Nice seeing old friends and meeting new ones. I hope our community increases!
You may check the results here:
From this point on, it will be all about Camsur 70.3.
Deo P.
