Urbanite Race Pics and Results

Urbanite Running

The number of participants at the Kenny Rogers Urbanite Run last Saturday night once again validates how popular running has become in the past year. There were just so many people that night and it was such a sight to see.

I can’t help but compare my experience in my first race, the Adidas KOTR last October 2008 when I remember going to the race alone and leaving it early because I didn’t know that many runners then. This Urbanite Run was so different. I knew of at least 15 others from the company joining the race, 5 of whom are colleagues in my own department. I’m quite sure there were more. So right after the race, it was quite fun to meet up with that many people and comment on the experience.

Being a night race, I decided to eat a heavy lunch and try a banana and strawberry shake (which didn’t taste so good) that noon. I brought my family to a mall that morning so I was a bit concerned that I might tire out my legs right before the race. Anyway, I just took a light snack at around 6pm and brought a Gatorade to drink 30 minutes before the race.

I hitched a ride this time with Jen, one of my long time running buddies. We got to The Fort at around 7:30pm but due to the long lines at the parking areas, we were only able to enter the starting area around 5 minutes before the start of the race. Good thing I was able to do some stretching and warm up exercises before leaving for The Fort.



The race itself was quite challenging. I guess any race that involves McKinley Hill is challenging given the steep slopes in the area. The last time I ran in McKinley Hill was the 15K Happy Run last January 2009. All the races I joined since passed through Gil Puyat Avenue in Makati or were held somewhere else. Anyway, as I knew that I'd have to run through McKinley Hill at the latter part of the race, I started off slowly to conserve energy and only started to increase my pace after the 8km mark where I felt confident I could maintain it to the end.

Comparing this race with the morning races I’ve joined, I have two minor comments: First, there were times when I felt like I was inhaling all the fumes of the cars that were stuck in traffic. I think there are normally less cars in the morning and the air is usually fresher. Second, there were also times when I was quite worried about not being able to see what I was stepping on. There may have been cracks, stones, potholes or uneven ground, which could have led to possible injuries. Thankfully, there was none.

One very memorable sight for this race was running in the dark along Bayani Road with a hundred or so runners in silence with the occasional grunt of a few nearby. I think the glow sticks made the sight a lot more spectacular.

As for points for improvement, I guess on the top of my list would be a plea to other runners to please observe proper race etiquette. Please move to the side if you need to stop and walk. Also, for those that wear MP3 players, please try to be aware of the runners around you.

Overall, the race was great! It was a new experience and the race course was challenging. It was also great to see so many friendly faces this time. Hopefully, we’ll see each other again and again in upcoming races.

I’m still waiting for my official time, but unofficially, I saw the 15K clock at 1:41 as I approached the finish line. It’s not a PR, but I think I had a very good run. To the race organizers and sponsors, thank you again for pushing the envelope.

Rainy Run for Cory

It shouldn't have surprised me that despite the rains this morning, the UP Academic Oval had quite a number of runners and bikers. Quite noticeable was the fact the many of them were wearing yellow.

While normally, I would go about my run minding my own business. Today, I found myself looking at the faces of the people I would meet. I still remembered the story Teddy Locsin mentioned during the President Aquino's necrological services when Mrs. Aquino admonished him to look at the faces of the people you're waving at.

There were some I Am Ninoy Runners this morning and on two occasions, I said hello even if I was sure we didn't know each other. And they greeted me in return. Was it that obvious that we were both dedicating our run to Cory Aquino? I'd like to think so.

All in all I ran a good 4 laps around the oval at my regular pace. At first, I felt a bit stiff, but then I got into the groove and started appreciating the rain and the UP scene. For some reason, the runner's high I felt was even better than usual. Perhaps, it was due the feeling of camaraderie with the other runners who had also dedicated their rainy Wednesday morning run to the woman who stepped up to bring us together and give us back our freedom.