33rd Milo Marathon National Finals 10k

Calories Burned: 827 cal
Unofficial Running Time: 1:15:00

I haven't raced for sooo long; I couldn't believe how much I missed it -- missed the 4am rush, the smell of fresh unpolluted pre-dawn air, the hustle and bustle of other runners to warm up and get checked in, the excited atmosphere behind the start line, and the gun start.

I used to view running just as a tool to lose weight; now, it's a way of life. And the Milo Marathons have a way of bringing me back on my feet and on to the road than any race I've joined. It holds my first 5k, my first 10k, and my first comeback race -- this one.

The early morning rush of the 10k runners.

Just happy to have run and finished. Never mind the time. Well..

One of the doctors who gave great tips on proper running and how to avoid injuries. I actually consulted with him afterwards about my moving kneecaps.

33rd Milo Marathon 10k

Calories Burned: 755 cal
Running Time: 1:15:29

Most of the thoroughfares going to Roxas Blvd were blocked to the irritation of our taxi driver. He got surprised when we told him that there was a marathon happening at that time (5am). "Abot dito?" was his incredulous question when we were on Buendia Ave. Yup, that was how long it was: 42km total from km 0 and back.

But I wasn't gonna run 42km! 10km would already be hard enough for me. This was my longest race so far and I wasn't even prepared for it. I had wanted to prepare a lot and finish a 10km run on my own in PSC or at UP, but that didn't happen. My mom got hospitalized for a week prior to the run. The sleepless nights at the hospital was just too gruelling for me to try running. She got out on the Wednesday of the week of the run, so thankfully I was able to manage one 45-minute run in the PSC track. That run was the hardest: my legs felt like lead, and I couldn't find my rhythm.

When I woke up at 4am for the 33rd Milo Marathon, I knew that there was only one thing that I could do: try finishing my 10k.

There were hundeds of 10k runners. Wow! You know what, the energy streaming off them was probably one of the things that just kept me going after the starting shot was fired - 5 minutes earlier than scheduled.

RACE
Roxas Blvd was flat for the most part, except for one flyover. There were some parts of the road that were sloping towards the sidewalk so that I felt I was running at an angle. There were lots of marshalls and water stations serving not just water, but Milo and Gatorade too.

The real highlight for me though was seeing the long distance runners who were already on their way back. I wasn't even halfway through my 10k, when the first 42k runner passed! He was soon followed by a group of 21k runners. They looked so effortless when they run. Seeing them made me wanna run faster too, but all I could really do was shuffle along. Well, maybe in another lifetime.