Home is Where Heart Is

Catching my breath after a strong finish

(photo taken by Pepsi using Argo's cam)

(RUNNR singlet given by Team Logan)

Being with family

It was not the timing chip. I have raced with a timing chip twice already. While I usually like the excitement of big races, I signed up for Run For Home primarily to be with friends. Specifically, to see Neil and Mike, key Milo support group volunteers, run their first half-marathon. I would later learn that other friends were also taking the 21k plunge for the first time – Carina, Vic, among others.

Up to the race start I had no clear race goal.

Do I race for a PR? I could already run short distances 2 weeks after my first marathon but I still had reservation about racing longer distance.

Do I pace a newbie? There are a couple of newbie-friends, but either they already have a pacer or their strategy/running style differs from mine.

Or do I pace with a friend for a relaxed run? Most of my friends happen to be faster than me even when doing a steady run.

Growing within the family

So there I was inside the 21K corral surrounded by friends but not knowing with whom to run. The newbies were already happy in their pace group while the faster ones were always raring to speed up from race start. I guessed I would just run my usual race - run at my steady aerobic pace of 7min/km. Hopefully, I would last long enough to finish the half-marathon at this pace. If I managed to maintain this pace, I might even improve my personal record.

Along the way I would meet acquaintances, chat with a few, and steadily greet or wave at friends. I was doing all these while cruising at my pace. The good things about being with your running family/community were that you were allowed to run on your own, explore the world, meet other people, push your limits if you want to, go for PR if you are up to it.

So run for fun or PR I did. If my recovering muscles would yield me a PR, that would be great. But whatever would happen, I would have fun - watching runners, running on the normally car-choked roads of the Makati business district, enjoying the weather, and rejoicing in the simple fact that I could still run a steady pace and long distance.

Rico happily running for Home (photo by Run Unlimited Vener)

With the exception of the uphill climb over the flyover and the climb back from Bayani road, I pretty much kept within the 7min/km pace despite my planned walk breaks at aid stations and steep inclines. After greeting running friends for most of 18kms and finally seeing the last familiar face come my way, I realized a 2:30 time might be far-fetched but a new PR was still within reach. So I took stock of remaining energy I had left and accelerated. My Garmin record would later tell show me how I accelerated the last few kilometers, and how for the last 500m I was hitting a pace of sub-5min/km! I could recall with fondness that last 500m sprint. It reminded me of my New Balance Powerrace finish in Clark. Your heart and mind leaping with joy in the fact that you were still running strong toward the finish, even overtaking a couple of runners, and of how that rush to the finish line seemed to be an affirmation not only of your love for running, but also the rediscovery of our innate ability to run.

I finished 2:32:51 according to my Garmin, almost 2 minutes of my Greenfields unofficial time of 2:34:27. I was happy with my easy run and my strong finish. I was happier with the thought that a sub2:30 was just a full muscle recovery away.

Waiting for family

Yes I was happy with my new PR but I was happier for the scenes I witnessed and was part of after my race completion. After a quick exchange of greetings at the finish line and a few minutes cool down, I retraced my strides and headed back to the direction of Neil and his pace group/mates. I would see and cheer loudly first-timer Carina looking very strong just a few meters from the finish line, Doc Roy very jolly as always, very pleasant running couple Eric and Ems, and a few hundred meters away there would Neil, Tita Caloy, their pacer Mar and impromptu cheerer Macoy. Neil and his group would actually reach the finish line ahead of me as I was also cooling down myself.

The Gingerbreadman Luis and Super Bong Yu being cheered by the crowds
as they triumphantly return from the Battle of (Half) Marathon
(Photo by Edu Fabian)

I was on my way back to the finish line when I saw Doc Lyndon calmly saying he would just get some oxygen. As he was closely followed by his sister and he looked alright, I figured he would just get an inhaler. Back on the finish line I heard about BongZ about asking about Luis, whom we all saw suffering from injury on the road. I told BongZ injured Luis was actually accompanied by Bong Yu, who patiently paced with him for a good number of kilometers to the finish, but it was still good idea to check on them. Only then did I remember Marvin. When I last saw him at abt km 18 he said he was still ok but it dawned on me just then that he was way behind his pace group and running alone. We asked someone to call Bong Z to also check on Marvin along the way. Doc Topher and I also made our way back to make sure. A few hundred meters before the finish line we saw Luis and Marvin with friends/supporters. It was a good thing Florence was able to go ahead to check on his childhood friend Marvin. Luis and Marvin were greeted by friends like brothers, even heroes, as everyone cheered as they crossed the finish line. Their takbo.ph friends saved them from not only from a possible DNF, but also from greater injury or mishap.

Before Luis, Marvin and company reached the finish line I noticed a familiar figure seated in the ambulance. Doc Lyndon who seemed ok a while back was actually inhaling oxygen from the ambulance and was surrounded by his family. With a history of asthma, lack of rest and minor flu that day, the good doctor registered an elevated heart rate during the race and had to slow down for this heart and breathing to stabilize. On hindsight he said he might have made a mistake doing the run under his physical condition at that time. But no one would have noticed that he was having a difficult run for he valiantly finished his race.

I was reminded of my Botak dehydration experience. I knew I was feeling different and remembered conveying to friends that I wanted to drink and eat something, but my friends would later tell me that they did not know how serious my situation was. Maybe I did not communicate well enough; maybe it was my pride causing me to hesitate to ask for more help. But one lesson I got from that, and all this pacing and being paced experience, is that to ask help is not to inconvenience a friend. It is to seal a bond of friendship.

I am glad to be a part of a community of runners who care. In their midst, one truly feels at home.

The family that runs together, takes photos together (photo by Edu Fabian)