Of course, I haven't done any new preparation for this race. My running mileages decreased and I just came from a sickness. Now I hate being sick. Before the race, I was already dreading the Commonwealth route, thinking on how to run the stretch given its crazy elevation.
Gunstart came and we all started running inside the UP Diliman campus, I thought it will utilize the whole avenue but of course I was dead wrong, the race only utilized 15kms. And I forgot to mention that I was already warned of Comm Ave, IT IS HARD. The whole avenue is not straight, the whole stretch is a set of uphills and downhills. Craaaazy really.
Before I ran this race, I tried planning my mindset on how to run the stretch. But planning doesn't always work if you don't have enough training. This is my biggest mistake on this race. I came on the starting line thinking I can still make it given my pace. Expecting I can maybe finish it at 2:38. I was totally wrong, I declined the fact that Commonwealth is not an easy route to take.
Given that it is straight, it wasn't as easy as it looks. As I've mentioned earlier there was the crazy set of uphills and downhills. Then there's the width, it doesn't have enough tree to keep my body temperature down, add up the humidity and the heat on that day. Before I ended the race the sun was already on my back, I would really love to finish the race asap that time.
Good thing I've learned three things, I have to prepare properly, lessen Hydration stops and I have to keep my body temperature low as I run. Preparation should be scheduled, I really really should not slack off. I have to do not only the mileage but also the speed work. I only have a week before Milo and I have to do what I can do as of the moment. Keeping my body temperature low was something I just learned on this race, I noticed that when I try to speed up I get this feeling that I am about to faint. It scares me. I figured that it must be heat, so I used my water to cool my head and body. And I think it did help.
I've read in one Sen Pia Cayetano's articles that one of her roadblocks was staying too long at hydration stations. On the last Tetra Pak run, I've stayed too long on almost all hydration stations. So I figured, in order for me to save a couple of minutes, I will be bringing my own hydration so that I can continuously run. Now as I am writing this, I have thought if that was a good idea. Since, before I am stopping I can gather air and hope for my second wind. In this race, I wasn't able to do that, as I checked my speed mileage. I got slower starting the 8th km. And it was excruciatingly slow, I was running way past my 8km/hr pace. On my three races, I can run a km in less than 5mins then pace will decrease at the 10th km. So that is kinda weird, I don't know if I did it right by bringing my own hydration, but will try it on the next run. Let's see.
So that's the technical part of my running, I really have to have a watch that can check my pace from time to time. I only get to feel my pace based on how I run, but that's not exactly correct. My own perception is different from the right thing. Because of this I am thinking of checking my phone every now and then while running just to check my own pace.
Another common mistake I have been making in all of my races was the friggin shoelaces. I don't seem to get them tied up smartly. I have to do something about this since it is taking 15 seconds of my time and momentum.
Running a hard route plus simple mistakes could really take a toll on your run. Especially for me, in every run I always strive to beat my previous run but I always fail because of these simple mistakes. I hope I never repeat them and I really really want to get that Milo Medal next week.
PS:
I finished at a horrible time of 2:47 and I think I will never get that Milo Medal but I will still try. :(
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| Me and my fellow racers - I really feel smelly hehe.. |
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