Pre-Bawawaw (Antique 100-miler) Jitters

Here we go again! Another impulsive decision made. Due to a series of unfortunate events, I decided to chase after my 2nd bakol and it will be done in the province of Antique. I'm nervous because it is another freakin 100-miler! Subjecting again my body to almost 30 hours of pain and suffering is some serious stuff but I made sure that I did my homework again this time:

1. Instead of my "ultra madness" style of training last year, I switched my training plan to trails. Why the hell? Because it will target my least used muscle groups and make my legs stronger. Besides, I'm bored with road ultras and I always wanted to create my own adventure in a mountain, mossy forest or even a river as a setting

2. During the weekdays, I used the time-based program that I was promoting earlier this year to build my speed and endurance. Walk breaks are important especially when I'm tired. I hope that would be enough

3. I'm bringing along Harry (my lone support crew last WC 200 and BDM 102) to help me in this journey. I trust him well enough that he knows what I will be needing during the race.

4. I prepared my battle plan already. Similar to BDM 160 but modified it a bit to match my needs for this race. Plus I added butterscotch and piaya in my nutrition! Nothing beats solid food :D

5. This time it will be a different playing field. I'm going to monitor my pace and hope that I won't burn-out. But then again nobody knows what will really happen. I only can do as much as I can and let my heart run the rest when the body has already given up.

I hope God will be on our side during the actual raceday. I heard the blistering heat in the area from the RD but I know my passion to get what I really want will prevail. Syet na malagkit lang kung di ko makuha yun!!!

Good luck sa lahat ng 1st Antique 100-miler and 50-miler participants ngayon weekend. Tandaan ang sabi ni TLC, "walang tatawid ng boracay ng walang dalang bakol!"

(writing this while wondering how to get away from those miserable askals along the way...)

P.S. Please pray for our safety throughout this journey...

Event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/297121177097567/

Episode II: Four Lakes 100 km Trail Ultra

Exactly 5 days after that escapade in Bohol, I started my journey up north to run my first 100K Trail Ultra. The Four Lakes 100 km Trail Ultramarathon is a signature route of our beloved Michael De Mesa Jonel Mendoza in the settings of Kayapa, Nueva Vizcaya. I've done the 42K Trail Marathon here last April 1 (the April fool's marathon) so I'm quite familiar with some parts of the route plus I did enjoy the scenery and challenges this route has to offer.

We had a 6 hours trip to Baguio and 3.5 hours trip down to the municipal hall of Kayapa. We were greeted by the usual suspects (I was looking for BR) and a few new faces. A briefing was conducted shortly then a usual photo ops before we proceeded to the inn (the same inn where we stayed before). We had an early dinner of pansit, fried chicken and tons of extra rice (carbo loading) before we went to our room to rest and sleep.

We woke up at exactly 230 am. I prepared my stuff already and drop bags the night before. I took the freezing water bath (#&$*#&$% ginaw!!!) to refresh myself before I wore my gear. At the starting line, a short ceremony was done and we were released at exactly 4:30 am.

The first 24 kms was the same route as the marathon before. Though this time I had brought a trekking pole to aid me in the uphells and had to start slower to conserve the energy for the rest of the race. The route is still beautiful; now there were no dense fog and the sun is actually shining brightly. The mountainside is very beautiful and you can see some of the peaks peeking like islands on a sea of fog :).

I reached the baseline of Ugo in 3 hours. Same elevation, same #&*$*%&$ difficulty of climb. Upon reaching the summit, I asked the marshall to take my picture before heading down towards the Old Spanish Trail. This route is quite interesting because it was really narrow (single track) and one wrong step will send you rolling down the steep mountainside. I had a few close call because I was always checking my pace and time; thankfully I didn't fall or had a major accident.

At the end of the trail is a steep downhill where some of the marker flags were missing. I think we've lost 20 minutes here looking for the right path. Major Ron and Doc Toto had caught up with me here so I had some companions throughout the race.

Finally, we found the right trail! We ran towards the Kayapa Market Proper where the 3rd aid station and get our first drop bags. There was a feast of breads, eggs, hot noodle soup and even halo-halo to refuel. My good friend "Red Horse Runner" Rey Jimenez was the marshall in this station. I took some time to rest and eat up because we still have a long way to go before the next major aid station. Also, Rey warned us about the upcoming route: It's pure uphell!

At first I didn't pay any attention of what Rey mentioned. He must be kidding. But I took back my words, after the long hanging bridge, the #&$*%$&% route was a MAJOR UPHELL! No kidding! It's probably around 30-40 degrees incline of pure uphell. At this point, I can feel the cramps on my quads were already acting up. Since I'm with Major and Doc Toto, we agreed not to attack the hills and took time to reach the top.

That was the longest uphell of my life. Imagine, every 100 meters we have to rest and catch our breaths! Then we saw ate Che Bihag, cruising thru the uphills as if she was walking in a park! Life is so unfair! We were so chicked!

Anyway, it was good to know that the actual distance (5 km) was only 3 km before we reach a minor aid station. The Amelong Labeng Barangay hall served the sweetest sweet potatoes that I've ever tasted! We refilled our water bags here before heading towards the next landmark. It was actually around noon so it was a hot already.

Towards the next landmark, we have to traverse a wide dirt road. It was wide enough for a truck to pass thru though it was muddy. We call this trail as PAASA (paasa na sa susunod na liko, peak na!). It was a winding path where we felt like were circling the mountain! At this point, my cramps were becoming worst as it  attacks almost every 15 minutes. After a while, we were able to reach the summit. We were not really sure if there was a marshall at the actual cell site so we went near it just to found out that there are none. Better safe than sure!

I had applied some liniments on my quads and thighs already to recover from the cramps. It helped for a while as I was able to jog a couple of times going down the summit. I also remembered somewhere waiting for Major Ron to catch up with us so I had the liberty of lying down the grass fields to take some rest. It was actually funny because I almost dozed off to sleep :))

When Major arrived we continued our run-walk towards the highway. I had already consumed all of my water around 2-3 km away from the aid station so I was in panic mode. Damn, it was already hot but we continued walking and shortly, we reached the highway. We started to jog towards the Castillo Aid station (km 54) to refill and rest. I was already contemplating of downgrading to 60 km already at that point. The cramps and mental demon were too much but thanks to Doc Toto, he pushed me and did not let me quit. We took our time to rest and eat at that station. One by one, runners are popping out of the trail and joined us while we rest. I envy those who did 60K as they only had 6 km left and they will be done with their agony. After 20 minutes, we continued our trek towards the remaining part of the race...

The next landmark would be our first lake. And the inclines were again, killers! Why the hell would a lake be on top of a mountain #*$($*%#. I have no choice but to continue as we want to at least have a decent pictures while there is still some sunlight. It was a nice sight because a fog was on top of the Buaca lake. Talk about creepiness!

I noticed that the cramps were already gone and I think I'm on my way to recovery :). It was a good sign!

The second lake can be found at the bottom of a huge mountain wall. I swear it was so steep that one wrong move will make you tumble to your death. And a #&$*%(% kalabaw was blocking our way down! We managed to cross alive and trekked towards the Dayap school (which has #&*$&%$ incline again) which is km. 62. It was already dark so we wore our headlamps again and re-fueled big time!

The next landmark we need to cover would be the twin Nayao lakes which unfortunately we were not able to see since it was night already. The path was rocky and rolling, I swear it was the longest 12 km of my life! In between the route, we rested in a waiting shed for a few minutes while Doc Toto was recording a short video to document our experience.

There were sections in this route which is very creepy and you don't want to be stuck without lights. There were killer inclines, eroding edges and even a short river crossing. There was supposed to be a waterfall somewhere in the forest, we heard it but we can't see it because it was too dark. At the end of it is the Banaw school where Isko was waiting to serve us some hot soup, milo and iced tea! I was already too tired at this point and I requested him if I can doze off for a few minutes before heading out again. I did while being covered in a blanket near a fireplace! It was heaven for me as it helped me regain some energy. By the way, at this point, it was very very cold that we need to keep on moving to avoid freezing to death.

After 30 minutes, we started our journey back to the Dayap school. It was almost midnight and I was estimating what time should we be back in order to beat the cut-off. It was a long run - trek with us having short rests in between to recover. I even tripped on our way back since I stepped on a loose rock! I felt the wound in my knees and was scared that I was injured. I tried to walk to see if I was injured and after a few steps the pain went away. I'm too close to finishing this race to quit!

After 3.5 hours, we were back in the Dayap school. Again we re-fueled and refilled our water bags before we set out to the next aid station. It was rather a short run/walk when we reached the City border where I finally got my last drop bag which contains my secret weapon. It was the energy drink the yaya ambow gave me before I went to Kayapa. I took a few shots and gave doc some. I felt an energy rush so without further adieu, we started our way towards the mossy forest again. I swear I feel so refreshed after a while and I was able to climb that mossy forest in a very fast pace!

Last 8 km. We reached Bundao at exactly 630 am in the morning. The energy drink effect was slowly wearing away so we tried to jog it off a bit. A huge skin chaffing has built up in my thighs making it hard to run or even jog. I really just wanted to finish the race so I lived thru the pain and trekked the downhills. It was the same last part of the previous marathon so I know it was very near. I began counting down the remaining distance until the last 500 meters.

At last, after a grueling 29++ hours, I finally crossed that darn finish line! Man I cried when I finished because I can't believe how I survived that ordeal. I was even speechless in happiness and fulfillment. But what mattered most is I am done and I got that kick-ass running man medal! And that marked my first century trail ultramarathon!

Post Batanes post + Sick

I was supposed to be in Kota Kinabalu today but unfortunately I was struck down with the flu since we left Batanes. Too bad as I was wishing for a longer vacation; but I don't have any choice since I am in no condition to climb any mountain. Tsk...

On a lighter side, I've enjoyed my adventure in Batanes last weekend! Fun times with ultra buddies and new-found friends alike! :)) And it ignited my photographer mojo again too! :)) I'll post a more detailed report of my comeback ultra and escapade in the majestic province of Batanes soon (once I get a little bit better).

Oh and I'm officially switching off my off season button. Back to traini... naahhhh, I have to get well first :))

I'll be back soon :D

Resting and Off-season

After the dreaded experience in Mayon 360 last April 6, 2013 (High BP due to heat and bicol express), I decided to lie-low and take that much needed rest till my next ultra. I'm still training though but with lower mileage and intensity compared to how I prepared for BDM 160. I'm also suffering from achilles tendinitis which I also got from the Mayon 50-miler run. This was my wake-up call to take some time-off and enjoy the off-season.

Honestly, it's boring. But it made me realize a lot of things. Life is not just running alone, there are a lot of things that you need to do (and I mean a LOT). This break also gave me the time I need to plan ahead for my life and see what else can I do. Running is my passion but right now, I need to find another hobby while waiting for my training season to start in June. 

Folk dance maybe? :))

My BDM 160 Story (sa wakas!!!)

(WARNING: this post is really-really long!!!)

It was a day of reckoning. Redemption at it's finest. It was a hard-fought battle with a bittersweet ending. Those were few of the words that I used to describe the moment I crossed the finish line. Finally, after a year of waiting, I was able to complete a dreaded unfinished business that haunted me for a while. It was a triumph that I would never forget.

DNF

Tambalang Beep-Beep at kampuger

I wasn't able to complete my race last year. I was devastated because I knew I prepared well for it but Murphy really know how to spoil it. I experienced the worst type of cramps at km 69, vomiting for almost 10 km before I finally had the guts to quit at km 79.

Wasak na wasak!

 The culprit: I wasn't eating, I was bloated with water, gatorade, cola, etc. but I didn't have any solid food in my stomach. This caused my body to burn my fats as fuel but at a very rapid rate causing it to cramp and eventually, in the verge of collapsing. My face looked like it was zapped away with life (lubog!) and my eyes were really deep due to the rapid weight loss. I reported my case to BR and went to km 102 to say sorry to madam and BR. After that I decided to go home already as I'm really exhausted but when I woke up the following morning, I felt the deep regret on what I did and why the hell did I quit :(

The last picture before I got really wasted and DNF'ed :(

I vowed to do my revenge next year by being stronger and better. I will be more prepared and take the time to finish the race. But while waiting, I need to release my frustrations...

Ultracrazy

DNF can make you insane. Insane enough to register to every known ultra available in the calendar. I was so frustrated that I decided to release them in each ultra event last year. I did the following events:

2nd Tanay ultramarathon
2nd Mayon 360
1st Bohol Ultramarathon
Four lakes 100K trail ultra
50K Taklang Damulag Ultra
57K Nuvali Trail Run
50K Tacloban Ultra
60K Fort Magsaysay - Dingalan Ultra
57K CDO Dahilayan Ultra
50K Guimaras Ultra
50K Pinatubo Trail Ultra
1st West Coast 200 km multiday ultra
50-miler Clark-Miyamit Trail
80K Taklang Damulag
6 hour fat-ass loops

It still amazes me how my body can endure such punishment with an ultra almost every week. Though I have to admit that my goal of doing such feat was to train and learn how to do my races properly. From having support crews, doing it alone on longgggg trails and even running on self-support, I was able to survive. Those lessons are valuable as it fed me with info that I will use to prepare for my comeback run.

Despite that, I still succumbed in my attempt to complete the Miyamit 50-miler :( But that never made me quit my dream. I rested and consulted with BR on what I need to do to be stronger and be back on shape by January 26. He gave me a program which I called the Overhaul program which I detailed in one of my blog post. It did help a lot and I know physically, I was ready to do BDM 160 again.

Pre-race Preparations

I started my logistic preparation the week before the race. I assembled my support crew comprised of ultramarathoners who pledged their support for me months before the race:

My Crew! (From L-R: Jo-en, Mommy Eve, Manager JJ, Jestoni and Ariel)

1. Jestoni - pacer (I was supposed to finish with him last year same with what we did in BDM 102 last 2011)
2. Joen - driver (he was my driver/support during the 2012 BDM 102)
3. Ariel Aquino - driver/pacer (he wants to observe how I will survive a 100-miler as he will do BDM 102 in March)
4. Mommy Eve - support crew (I need someone who is very good with organizing my logistics and a female touch for my crew)
5. Manager JJ - support/driver beyond 102 and a relief to my tired crew during the night

Briefing (with the petchay boys)

I'm already set with my gears except my shoes were mauled by my dog. Luckily, Irene brought me a new pair which I used to break-in during the last fat-ass. Besides that, I didn't use anything new during the race (oh, I almost forgot about the TPPB singlet :D). All of my stuff were well tested before race day! :D

I did my grocery during the week and brought the hydration stuff (gatorade, water, buko juice) to avoid cramming. I even asked mommy Eve to do the grocery for the food and nutrition as I don't want to stress myself too much. I had fresh buko juice prepared from the market (I found it very effective during the last WC 200 as it helped in my fast recovery). Also bought a couple of gels and Fluid recovery drink for emergency purpose.

Supplies!!!

The only reason why I brought you Hulk!

I've booked our room in MC lodge. It is where we usually stay before any BDM races (it's located between km 7-8). This should give me ample time to get some sleep before the actual race but we all know how anxiety kicks hard during that time :))

We left Manila at around 5 pm and arrived at the Inn at around 8:30 pm. I was anxious as well because I get to see Irene for the first time since we became a couple! But I kept reminding myself that I have to rest because of the big race tomorrow. So I did say my hello and gave her some supplies before i went to my room and sleep (though anxiety at this point was so high that I had a hard time sleeping...)

To the starting line

2013 batch of BDM 160 participants (well some of us :D)

I wasn't able to get some good sleep so I decided to dress up as early as 2 am. I woke up my crew as well and asked them to prepare already as I don't want to be late at the gunstart. Before I left I checked if Irene was already awake and kissed her for good luck. I told her I'll wait for her at the starting line since she was still preparing :D.

At exactly 2:30 am, my crew were ready and we drove towards km 00. There were a number of support vehicles and runners there already when we arrived. I checked-in and had some short chit-chat with the other runners while waiting for gunstart. I also instructed my crew to leave 15 minutes before gunstart to get a good spot in km 7 else they will be stuck in traffic with the rest of the support vehicles. Right on the dot they left after taking some pictures and last instructions from me. Incidentally, that was also the time Irene arrived at the starting line and together we went to join the rest of the runners. A prayer, some final instructions then the national anthem before the RD sounded the horn at exactly 4 am... signifying the race had officially started!

Km 00-20

Breezing thru the first 2 km, I set my pace to 6:30 - 7:00 mpk max to conserve the much needed strength for the battle beyond 102. The cool temperature can really lure you to speed up but learning from my mistake before, I chose to maintain a relatively slow pace while watching runners passed me by. I applied the same and jogged/walked the km 3-7 steep part of the race (compared to last year where we were literally zooming the uphill). I religiously maintained the max 7:00 mpk pace thru the downhills and walked the uphills during the long rolling hilly section of this course. I had a chance to chat with some of my fellow runners to remove the boredom but I let them go ahead as I don't want to hinder them from their target pace.

This is somewhere km 18 (see those lights behind me, they are either some crazy runners or support vehicles :)))

Walked the uphills and ran the downhills, making sure that my quads will not get trashed before I reach km 102. I also monitored my heartrate to check if I'm going to fast; the faster the beat, the faster I might burn out. Thank God, I'm still on target. My crew also monitored my pacing as they knew I can easily get excited in every race that it ruins my plans early. So I decided to listen to them and ate whatever food they stuff in my mouth :))


Oh, I had a surprise at km 15 where my crew showed me a box full of paper stars. It came from Irene and her specific instructions were to open one star every 10K. Apparently, these stars contains random sweet messages and thoughts about our relationship... wow! it was really a morale booster! Though my crew always kid about it and screams "go go swagger boyfriend" or "his and hers". But seriously, that was a huge boost when I was already tired :))

Km 21-40

Tingaaaa!!!

Km 21 (I think)

This was the last stretch of rolling hills within the Bataan area. I was still feeling strong at this point, and carefully maintained a cruise pace of 7 mpk. I passed by Limay already and I was not used to seeing it in a busy day. A lot of people asked where we were going and I'm no longer surprised with their reaction whenever I gave my polite answer. I'm an eating machine, munching on sandwiches, eggs and boiled banana. I downed a gel already for emergency purpose and replenished my anti-fatigue capsule. So far so good.

Good morning RD! (still strong at this point)

Bunot muna bago kumain ng sandwich!

2nd star for the race :D

Taho!!!

When I reached km 32 (the last junction going to km 32), I took sometime to greet BR and check my condition. I'm still ok but I'm sleepy! I asked the team to prepare coffee on my next pit stop while I picked another star from the basket :D. I also bought some hot taho, the sugar rush from the caramel gave me a short burst of energy.

Started getting hot already (plus a callboy at my back)

Nanawagan po kami sa nakakakilala sa bangkay na natagpuan...

The sun started to punish us with the heat as early as 7:30 am! Man, it was hot! There is a cool breeze blowing but the cloudless skies amplified the heat. At this point, I wasn't able to finish my coffee since it was hot and my crew already applied towel dipped in the cooler. It was refreshing though I know the heat continued to rise as I left this pit stop.

Upon reaching Orion, I already started slowing down and walked my way towards the next pit stop. I knew if I ran this part, i'll be zapped and probably be wasted before I reach the 102 marker.

Km 41-60

The Jestoni Pictorials (monkey)

At this time, the sun was already high and I did a lot of brisk walk. My core temperature continued to rise so my crew still applied the cold towel while a drank a lot of fluid. I even drank gatorade with salt to replenish the sodium lost due to sweating!

I swear it was really hottttt!!!

My thoughts at this time was to continue moving forward and take enough rest in km 50. I feel exhausted already though I was able to jog a good distance while combining it with brisk walking. A few runner's has passed me by, I don't mind it as I stick to my plan. Finally, after 6:30 hours of running/walking, I reached the km 50 marker in Abucay

Finally some lunch!

With my personal band...

My crew parked the car at the gas station where it is shady and cooler. Since it's almost noon, the sun was at full blast already. A few runners had reached this point already; some of them were hurrying up and didn't bother to stop long to rest and eat. Me, on the otherhand, took my time to eat some lunch, rest my legs and change my shirt. I told Mommy Eve to put my TPPB singlet where it can dry as I'll be wearing it again towards the finish line.

My support crew at km 50

With the RD at km 50

I munched on adobo and ma-ling while I drank some coke. It was refreshing indeed (even if Jestoni is completely messing around with his bongo drums :))). I was checking also the other runners and saw a few made their way already. I was glad that Irene was pretty near as well, that was a relief :)). After I changed, refilled and refreshed, I continued my journey.

Mystical healing power from Jestoni

Pinalayas dahil makulit...

It was terribly hot. I thought of settling down the food in my tummy before I started running again but since the heat was unbearable, I switched to power walking. I had a chance catching up with a few runners before my next stop, asking their condition and how was the race so far. I think I caught up with Benj, CJ and Jigs at this point though they chose to run a bit to prevent from getting too bored with the route.

I asked my crew to stop every 3 km (instead of every 5). I was worried as well because at this point I can feel some twitches in my thigh which might result to cramping. So I drank a lot of gatorade and took some endurolytes as I notice my shorts have a lot of salt already (you can use it as dip for green mangoes)! That's how hot it was!

Km 61-80

Approaching km 61 (microwave sa initttt)

I was already anxious to see the national hi-way again. I continued walking and doing short jogs as I feel the possibility of my right leg to cramp up. I didn't want that to happen so I patiently walked to shake the cramping away.

Replenishing my sodium and water

Funny thing, I passed by a funeral march on my way out of Hermosa. Traffic was horrible :))

I reached km 69 (near Nissan Dinalupihan) at around 2:30 pm. It was starting to get cloudy thus the heat is slowly becoming bearable. But I know I'm still in trouble as the twitching was worsening (My short was full of salt!!!). I had to switch to my back-up plan and take more endurolytes while gulping my painkillers. I also asked Joen to prepare the Amino that JJ gave me the other night, I took it when I was at km 75.

Don Jestoni

Waiting at km 65 (for some petchay)

By some miracle, the twitching stopped! I felt good so I tried to run for a good 2 km. I feel sweat on my forehead again which means I was able to recover :D. Though I still have strength left, I didn't ran all the way because I'm still conserving energy. I was also reminiscing about my sad fate last year during this stretch where I was vomiting and cramping from my legs up. Thank God, I was still ok!

Sad sight at km 75

Pampaganang star!

And then I passed by my DNF marker. KM 79, the marker near the funeral home. I clearly remembered how I was delirious at this point, how painful my cramps were and how low my morale was. I shed a tear and look at the heavens, thanking the Lord again for letting me pass strong away from my waterloo. It was a good boost of morale and after a while, I met again with my crew at km 80. I told them to measure the stops based on the odometer because I knew the white markers are longer at this point.

KM 81-102

I still feel good at this point that I was able to jog towards the bridge going to Lubao. I paced with a runner here and told him to conserve, rest and never stop beyond km 102. I continued power walking towards the construction and jogged to the Caltex station at the junction. I believe I saw the Team Boring Pips here where they were supporting CJ. Fatigue was creeping at this point and I was getting cranky. It was past 5 km already and my crew was nowhere in sight!

I was cursing as hell already because I felt pain in my foot and my water bottle was empty. I was finally able to caught up with them at km post 85; cranked up because of stopping too far away from the agreed distance. I said I'm sorry, I was just tired before I sat down and ate some bread with ma-ling. There was an annoying guy at this point, begging for some food and coins. We already gave him some but he kept on annnoying us until I asked my crew to shove him off (normally I'm not like that but unfortunately, I was too tired to think). I picked another star (wow!) and off I go to the next pit stop.

Halo-halo break at Razon!!!

After being chased by a group of dogs, almost being mauled down by a jeep and squeezing thru the crowd in Guagua, I reached km 90 at around 6-630 pm. I sat down and told my crew that I was really sleepy (legs were still ok). I can also feel blisters forming in both feet, it was bothersome but I can still resist the pain. Papi Jet also psyched me up that I'm not tired nor sleepy while I gobble up my halo-halo! It was a nice treat after doing 90 km!

What the hell did you do to my car?!

I continued my walk towards km 95. I felt the burning sensation of "balisawsaw" and it was really uncomfortable. BoyP paced with me for a few 1-2 km until I told him to go ahead. I was becoming impatient at this point because of the combined fatigue and sleepiness thus at km 95, I sat for a while to regain my sanity. I drank a lot of buko juice to flush down the balisawsaw feeling :)) before I did my walk for the last 7 km

Last Star before going to km 102 :D

Fortunately, a group of runners passed by when I got up. Bong, Jigz and Merwin were power walking so I asked them if I can join so I won't get bored with the remaining few kms towards the old railway station. We vowed not to run or overtake anyone until km 102 which was known as "Pitpit-itlog" (papi's pacer group during the last TD 100 where whoever destroys the vow will have his eggs crushed at km 102). Wes joined us shortly at km 98 and together we were like a big gang walking on the road.

After 15:30 hours, we were able to reach km 102. JJ was already there waiting for me and told me that he left Jestoni some instructions that as soon as I checked-in, we will leave km 102 immediately (which we did). Jestoni was my first pacer and I told him I was tired and hungry (whinings). After I learned that we have to walk 1-2 km more before my scheduled rest, I cranked up but I had no choice.

Km 103-120

I reached the Shell station along McArthur Hi-way after 15-20 minutes. There I met with the rest of my crew where I sat to have my dinner, change my clothes and hoped for a few minutes of sleep. JJ asked my condition, I told him my legs and body are still ok, no pain but I was really sleepy. I also asked them to check the blisters under my feet which was slowly becoming irritating. Ariel taped my feet up to add further protection and I wore the socks that JJ lent me.

My crew preparing me up for the longgggg night run

I tried to catch some sleep but I was distracted by the passing cars and mosquitoes. Jestoni was holding on a yoga mat but I really can't get some sleep. We had a few stop-over along MacArthur highway, eating some hot noodles but still I can't sleep (10-30 minutes). I got fed up and told Jestoni that we should get going already as we will get nowhere if I still try to sleep so we continued walking and running towards Angeles city.

Somewhere out there (no sense of direction at this point)

JJ running up for some coffee?

I virtually have no idea how far are we or where we are because my GPS watches were already drained. I do remember stopping somewhere after the San Fernando fly-over to eat and try to catch some sleep. It was supposed to be 20 mins but again, sleep had eluded me again. Though I already ate some hot noodles at least to recover and warm my tummy.

I've set our next goal to be the Angeles City Arc. We had to traverse the dark and dangerous McArthur highway while keeping an eye on incoming traffic. It was crazy! There were times that tricycle appeared from our backs and we had to move away from the road. I had a chance to at least run a few km but I bonked out because of palpitation (blame it to the coffee). We just resumed our long walk toward Angeles before I succumbed to fatigue or boredom.

We arrived at the arc at around 11:00 pm. I still have no idea how far we were but I guess we were progressing. Again, I chose to take a seat here and try to catch some sleep but it is still to no avail :( We just decided to continue our journey towards the town proper of Angeles city.

Km 121-140

Angeles City was still alive even though it was practically late already. It has a very rich night life coupled with the gimikans and clubs along the highway. At this point, Ariel was my pacer already. Jestoni was already tired and I believe he needed to rest. We weaved thru the crowd of people, went away against some bar girls and did a few conversation to fight the sleep. We weren't running, we were brisk walking as I was still recovering.

I swear I don't know where are we at this point :))

It was a sign of relief when we reached the arc of Mabalacat. This means we are practically near the Bamban bridge which is at km 131. Ariel was keeping me busy with his stories so I was awake all the time. I tried to jog but I was really tired and getting impatient. I really want to reach the bridge and march my way to Capas.

After Mabalacat town proper, I rested before going to the bridge. I also asked about Irene because I know the route was already dangerous. I was glad to know that they were ok and safely walking in the San Fernando area.

It was around 2 am in the morning already  so I'm estimated my finish time. I can't think properly at this point :)) so I tried to sleep again. At last, I snoozed for around 10-15 minutes. It was so good and refreshing!

I also asked JJ to prepare my ACT concoction because I was really getting bored and I wanted to run. After eating a lone banana, JJ gave me the bottle. I sipped some of it and immediately felt a burst of energy! It was gooooddddd. I tried to jog and it felt nice, so without hesitation I ran with 5:00 mpk pace! It was really surprising because I swear I was already wasted before I took the juice. I think I left Ariel trailing by around 1 km and the support vehicle was closely monitoring my progress. It was around 2 km when I decided to slow down and wait for him (he was cursing me for what I did :))). At least we were near the bridge when I decided to walk again.

I asked Ariel to run because I don't want to lose our momentum. We ran as we cross the bridge and covered at least 1-2 km before slowing down for the support vehicle. I have no idea how far is Capas from Bamban so I thought it should be near. We sped up for a few more meters until I realized that the Capas Market is nowhere in sight. It was also re-confirmed when I saw the sign "Puregold Capas 6 km.". It was still farrrrrrrr!!!

Km 141-155

After seeing that @($*$(#$% sign, I decided to slow down and eventually brisk walking. I was disappointed because it was still far :(( The road was really dark and cold which made me more impatient. I was already cursing the route (P#*$(#*$ Mcdo yan, malayo pa ba?!) because I really wanted to finish. What calmed me down was the thought that I will finish this within cut-off and I don't want to sacrifice what I accomplished so far because of my arrogance.

After a while, I finally saw the "welcome to capas" sign. It boosted up my morale only to find out that the junction is at least 1.5 km away. My jogging attempt failed and still I walked through the market place. It was such a mental game at this point.

Then I saw the big Mcdo sign from afar. It was huge! I was so happy that I didn't notice I was already crying. Crying because I was still amazed on how I was able to survive 140++ km and still walking towards the finish line. Crying because finally I'm about to finish the longest race of my life! I crashed down to my seat when I arrived at the support vehicle. I tried to eat some sandwich and drink some gatorade but I still can't help myself from crying. I was really happy and I told my crew that we will finish this as soon as we can!

After that break, I started our long walk towards the Capas National Shrine. It was cold and dark again as we approach the town from the junction. Jestoni became my pacer again and we started to sing a few classic Rey Valera songs to entertain ourselves while we marched thru the darkness :))

As dawn approaches, I saw the field cover with fog! It was a strange sight as if they were planted dry ice  But what gave me more hope was when I saw the needle-like pylon from afar. We are finally approaching our last 10 km!

Finally, the shrine gate! Last 10 km!

I don't remember what I said to Otek here, but thanks pare!

We were greeted by Otek and a few more support crews as we move along the gates. It gave me a nice feeling because I'm 10 km away from finishing this darn race. But I still have to battle 5 km of uphills! I asked  Jestoni that we will take it slowly as I want to run the last 5 km. I want a strong finish.

It was a hard 5K. Fatigue was already creeping in plus the pain from the blisters is getting annoying. I was already counting km posts to distract me from the pain. I even told Jestoni my nga-nga moment where I can see the support vehicle at the turn-around point exactly 1 km away! (ang layyyooo!)

To The Finishline!!!

Turn-around point!

At the turn-around point, I sat down to rest for a while before I ate a banana and drank some water. I also wore my TPPB singlet again and my sahara cap. I downed the remaining ACT concoction and again, I felt the energy entering my system. One more star from the basket to perk me up and off we went towards the finishline.

I was so wasted here already!

One last star before the 5K sprint! :))

We had a very fast pace. I even asked Jestoni to increase our pace as I feel my legs were already lighter. He was also amazed that I can do a fast pace as if I did not do 155 km already. It was truly a miracle from heaven!!!

Nakaka-ngiti pa after 155 km :))

One last dash to the finishline!

And if it wasn't enough, I've heard that Irene was quite nearby. I asked each runner we've met on how far she is and they told me she was really close to us. At last, at km 116 I saw her still strong running with her pacer. I decided to approach her and plant her a kiss before speeding up again to our destination. It boosted my morale very very high :D

When we were near the gates, Jestoni mentioned that he will leave me already to enjoy the moment. I thanked him and from there I sped up as I saw the huge pylon in front of me. I was crying again, this time it was because of the sense of happiness. I felt a huge thorn lifted from my chest and a huge accomplishment as my legs roll like it was a race for my life. I wasn't tired nor in pain, I was just happy to see how my hard work has finally paid off, how the frustrations had disappeared and how my hunger for the buckle be fulfilled.

One last push!

Approaching the shrine gate!

At last, after running/walking/crawling for 27:55 hours, I finally crossed that damn finish line! I couldn't believe it and I was actually being teased by the crowd to cry. I did take a moment to savor the victory and looked blankly at the buckle. The sweetest revenge was finally done and over with! :D

Kaunti na lang!!!

Ayan na!!!

Man I was a cry-baby!

Moments...

Sa wakaaassss!!!

With one of my pacers, Jestoni!

I would like to thank my support crew: Joen, Mommy Eve and JJ for taking care of me and cheering me up thru the whole journey. My pacers: Jestoni and Ariel who never gave up on me and shared the last 58 km of the race. My Irene who was the greatest surprise and inspiration to finish the race (I love you!). My friends and supporters who believed in me and cheered me up all thru the race. And to the almighty God, who never abandoned me all throughout the race, protected me from harm and gave me the iron will to finish.

Sa wakas, natapos ko rin ang aking unang 100-miler na karera! Napaka-memorable niya talaga!

Congrats to all finishers of the 2013 BDM 100-miler race! Hope to see you again in future.

Credits to Tong Pascua, Paolo Navarette, Jobert Dela Victoria, Elaine Botabara and Che Bihag for the pictures