Time constraints - I haven’t been able to blog that often lately with marketing works overflowing in prep for the season (only thing I hate the BER months). Good thing that I am still able to run
adequately. Adequately – because I do
reach the 20k+ weekly kilometers to sustain my level, but is not done
intelligently. I do that in two runs –
intervals and long runs. However, even
with that meager training plan, I still managed to meet my target time for my
first HM.
Yes, I reached it, but I was really beat up, wasted on the
last 2 kilometers of the race. That
shouldn’t have happened if I trained accordingly. That’s the kind of output that I always
avoided, remember the free race entry I got for the Skyway run? I knew that I was not ready for it, so I did
not push it.
There is a boom in the running community. In the recent Milo Marathon, there was a
strong 4,000+ registrants for the 21k category, this, considering that there is
a cut-off time of 2.5 hours. Gun time,
there was 1,600 who made it to cut-off, the rest of the 2,400+ runners? I don’t want to drill down on statistics as
its past the cut-off, so it doesn’t matter anymore. My point, it is amazing how everyone just
signs up for a half-marathon with a strict cut-off time set in a whim.
I’m don’t have anything against those 2,400+ runners who
didn’t make it, I believe that some of them really exerted effort to train for
it, but there is close to 50% of the total runners who timed at 2 hours and 40
minutes up to even 4 hours to finish. I
think 10 minutes over the cut-off is a little too far to “see” if you can make
it.
Again, I think running for a half-marathon is still way
better, than not running at all. I
believe that running is a social thing for some as well; and the notion applies
– it is not the destination, but the journey.
I’m just pointing out, that my experience with the Milo
Marathon is a very humbling one, and it is there that I saw that many fast
runners, doing their best to qualify for the finals. I believe that the Milo
event should be run by runners who invested and sacrificed time better than
others. Of course there’s also the issue
of running safe and avoiding injuries.
There are quite some deliberations about wearing finisher’s
shirts during trainings, races or even casually. Others find it as yabang (show-off) and others say that it’s only right to be proud
of being a finisher. My take – whatever
rocks your boat, baby! But if I’ll wear
one, I’ll make sure to write my time in it, even invest in a printing service
to make it more presentable. That way,
whoever sees it, will have to be faster than that before saying something. I'm only joking, of course.
My time in the Milo HM is 2:10, doesn’t matter if there’s an
extra 500 meters into it, but my place is at 564th place over 3,448
listed in the result. And I’m proud of
my accomplished time, and while I will not brag about it to just about anyone,
I will be proud to talk about my 21k race and my journey towards it – all the
invested time and sacrifices (and pain) that it took me to have the guts to be there on actual race
day.
So if anyone asks me, yes, invest time in training, before
signing up whatever distance. You’re
having time constraints? Then adjust,
there will always be a race next time.
And if you can, try to be at par.
It’s a lot more meaningful if you finish in that fashion.
