"on a shoestring"

 

I woke up excited for Sunday’s challenge. I hurriedly prepared some stuff that would be of help during the run. I arrived at our station (UPLB Main Library) 5 minutes before #6to6UltraSunday Challenge.

After Coach Nick reminded Sunday of what to do, we started to move. It was already 15 minutes pass 6:00am.

 

 

1^st10K Loop: 1:44:17 Warm-up

We had a very easy start. Around KM.7 Arvin had a knee injury that made us walk the remaining 3 kilometers. It was a nice time to get to know each other. I‘m also happy because its cloudy, just perfect for this running feat.

Time: 1:44:17

 

2^nd10K Loop: Faster

Gideon, our cyclist, escorted Sunday on his 2^nd and 3^rd loop. Gideon said, “Grabe ang ganda ng takbo ni Kuya Sunday sa uphill, swabeng-swabe at tahimik yung paa. Kung gaano kabilis sa flat ganun din sa uphill.” (Unbelievable! Sunday’s pace was nice even in uphill. It’s very smooth and silent. He runs the uphill the same way he runs the flat route.)

Time: 2:36:05 (10K Split time: 51:48)

 

3^rd10K Loop: Maintain

Sunday was maintaining a nice pace and should he continue to run like this he will finish more than 100Kilometers. During this time, it rained hard.

 

 

Time: 3:35:30 (10K Split time: 59:25)

 

4^th10K Loop: Heavy Down Pour

Sunday had an accident. He slipped at the railroad on towards the old downtown of Los Banos. Making him run-walk the rest of the course. He was limping and having a hard time running. He had an injury at his left foot.

Time: 4:47:30 (10K Split time- 1:12:00)

 

5^th10K Loop: Injury

Even with injury he doesn’t want to stop running. The determination was still there. He was limping and say’s that he is okay even if we know that he is in great pain. Maybe he doesn’t want to disappoint us.

 

 

Time: 6:12:38 (10K Split time: 1:25:08)

Lunch Break: 1:13 hours

 

 

 

6^th10K Loop: One Step Backward, Two Steps Forward

I joined him on the first 2 kilometers and he is still nursing the pain on his left foot. It was already hot so I offered to lend him my shades. Still he continued to walk-run-walk.

Time: 9:09:31 (10K Split time: 1:42:07)

 

 
Back at our station

We are already worried and talk to ourselves that we tell Sunday to terminate the challenge and find another day next week as the injury in his feet could only worsened the situation.

 

 

When Sunday arrived at the station, he was still smiling but I can feel the pain deep inside. It was a team decision to stop the run and come back next week more prepared.

 

Many lessons were learned- hydration-and-nutrition-wise, support crew and food intake.

 

Total Kilometers Ran: 66 kilometers

Total Time of Running: 9:09:31 (including 1:13 hours of lunch break)

 

DNF- Did Not Finish

We are discontinuing the 6 to 6 Ultra Challenge for now but we promise to finish this next week with better preparation and renewed strength.

We apologize for those people who we disappointed. Sunday wasn’t able to run 6to6, but he was able to run 66.

Thank you for those who monitored the run. Thank you Coach Nick for the sumptuous lunch; Arvin, for the superb support; Gideon for escorting Sunday and the water refill; Andrew for the motorbike service and the rest of the team.

 

Again we apologize. Pasensya na po talaga.

Until next week…

 

 

6am to 6pm, rain or shine

This Wednesday, August 24, 2011 starting from 6:00am til 6:00pm, Ultramarathoner Sunday Ombrog will attempt to run again and again on a 10K loop in the Barangays of Los Banos. Yes, non-stop run from sunrise to sunset (12hours), rain or shine.

 

 

Crazy? Inhuman? Whatda?!@$Y#!@*&!

I and Coach Nick will be his support crew and will be stationed at the back of the UPLB Main Library. Sunday is doing this as a preparation for something bigger before this year ends. This is also a call to Save and Protect Philippine Resoure Ecosystem. We are challenging him to run at least 10 loops or 100K. We believe that Sunday can do this, do you?

 

 

Live Blogging and Real-Time Twitter Updates:

I will be doing some live blogging (at http://running.journeyingjames.com ) during the entire project and live tweets using the #6to6UltraSunday. You can also see some photos I will upload on my Facebook Page: http://facebook.com/journeyingjamesFB

I hope you can follow updates tomorrow. Please do share this project to people you know will be interested, especially the ultramarathoners. Sunday will be very glad if you can post a comment, pray for him or anything you can do to encourage him.

 

Everyone is invited to join:

Should you want to join Sunday you can just proceed at the back UPLB Main Library before 6:00am. Or you can join him anytime between 6am-6pm. I will run with Sunday during the first 10K (6:00am) and his last 10K (around 4:40pm). You can also leave a comment below if you have any question/clarification.

 

I should be sound asleep because I will run 21K at United Run1 the following morning but I found myself cheering the 102K virgins and veterans as they start their travail on the 6th night of March, 2011. I was at the Bataan Death March Km.0 post to support my friends who are "crazy" to run 102 kilometers within 18hours.

The following are my tweets (in blue) during the loooooong and butt-numbing trip from Km.0 to Km.102. Along with pictures from Raymund, Banjo and Julito who are also part of the support crew for Alabang Snail Runners.

Also included are tweets from my hilarious runner/blogger friend Banjo of ULiKblog Runner (tweets in red and mostly in Tagalog). Please check hie site, a funny look on the Manila running scene. He also has a post about th BDM 102, you gotta read Part 1 and Part 2.

 

 

• just arrived at mariveles,bataan… ultrarunners are getting ready, i can feel excitement and "kaba" here

 

They are still smiiling here, let’s see what will happen after 50 kilometers…

• the travail to kilometer 102 just started. blinking lights, reflectors, headlamps line-up from km1-2

It was pitch black and a must to would-be 102ers to bring headlamps and reflector vest for safety.

• Nakalagpas na ang mga snail sa km.6 with killer uphills.. We’re now waiting sa Km 10..

Nice get up UltraRodel, you can serve as traffic enforcer afterwards…

• Update km 10: Ding, Sir Gil, Ambo, Xtian, Sir Toel, Vans and Rodel.. Si Sir Toel ang kulit gusto ata pumodium.. On our way to KM 14

Looking at the his watch, "Can I still make it to the top 3?" Peace Sir Toel

• the alabang snail runners just passed km32. the lead runner is 7k ahead. camila leads the women,followed by tin

Somewhere along the route, for support crew, you have to find ways to kill boredom. Or maybe the best time cam-whore, no we didn’t.

• the sun began to shine, most runners have crossed the 50th marker. weather is perfect, blue skies and cold air. atleast 1 DNF
• KM 50 na! All snails nagbihis at nakakain na ng agahan..

After this kilometer marker, legs began to be stiff, minds and hearts of runners will lead them to the finish line.

Look who leads the team? Follow the eldest, ayyyy, the leader pala.

 

 

• toel & rodel just crossed bataan-pampanga border. vans, ronald & ular of team boring 10mins behind them. temp around 36C. go ultrarunners!

 Massage. Massage. Massage.

The Support Crew of Team Alabang Snail Runners.

UltraToel & UltraRodel

UltraVans

• After almost 18hours on the road running, we salute 102K ultrarunnners Toel, Rodel & Vans

Wearing proud, the Survivor 102K Finisher.

 

• Tapos na ang race! Pauwi na kmi ng manila! Congrats SIR TOEL, VANS and RODEL for a job well done..
• on our way home… all snail runners finished the race within cut-off time, injury-free. ready for 160k next year?

Again, my congratulations to the 102K Bataan Death March Ultramarathon and to the Sir Jovie aka BaldRunner for organizing this one-of-a-kind ultramarathon experience.

Special thanks also goes to Run with Ronald Support crew, to Sir Jess and co and all the people who helped and prayed the team.

All photos from Banjo A. and Jojo P’s facebook albums. Salamat ng madami mga ka-suso!

Race Results can be found at BaldRunner’s site.

This back-to-back weekend has been a roller-coaster ride for most ultramarathon runners in the Philippines. Last week, I was wide awake in the wee hours of the morning just to see updates from Twitter and Facebook regarding the developments of the longest race so far in the Philppines- the Bataan Death March 160 kilometer.

Tomorrow will be a different story as 102K warriors will test their strength physically and mentally for a grueling BDM 102K.

This got me into researching of what really happened during the "real" Bataan Death March 7 decades ago.

Photo credit: APHistory

 

Before…

The picture above vividly describes the brutality that both Filipino and American POW soldiers experienced in the hands of the Japanese soldiers. I can’t just imagine the heavy boots treading the heat for 3 long days, sickness and fatigue overcame the weak and the lagging behinds are put to death by the bayonets. I can’t imagine the stench of blood and pus from wounds of the more than 70,000 marchers. Maybe at the  back of their minds, they constantly say, "Are we there yet?"

If one is seen to stop to fill his canteen, that would be death either by bayonet or a gunshot. According to the stories of veterans, some would intentionally soak their boots into the ditches along the way so as to wet their socks, this would serve as their hydration for the rest of the march. This is what we historically know as the BATAAN DEATH MARCH, happened the 9th of April, 1942. About 18,000 soldiers died of either fatigue, dehydration, starvation or murder making it one of the most grueling events in the history of wars.

Fast forward…

Almost seven decades after this toilsome march, Sir Jovie aka Bald Runner is staging the Bataan Death March 102 in honor of the soldiers that protected our country from foreign rule. This makes me salute the new warriors, the heroes of today.

The soldiers are wearing heavy boots before, the warriors are wearing their tested running shoes today.

The soldiers are dehydrated and denied of food, the warriors today have their own support crew, complete with hydration and food requirements.

The soldiers are wearing heavy pants, long-sleeved shirts, the warriors today are given the option to wear dri-fit shirts and caps/visor that will protect them form heat.

The soldiers who stopped or are seen lagging behind are murdered, the warriors who stops are given water or linament or massage for tired muscles.

I can enumerate a lot more to encourage the ultrarunners tomorrow. This is me hoping and praying for everyone’s safety, may you run your race well, run smart, run with your heart and come back with those 2 markers on hand. Stick to the plan, warriors! My salute to everyone of you on the starting line and at the finish line!

Photo credit: Dennis of RunningPinoy

 

Let me end this with a couple of quotes from Dean Karnazes, the Ultramarathon Man…

“Don’t run with your legs. Run with your heart.”

"Run when you can, walk if you have to, crawl if you must; just never give up. "

 

I was doing my heat-training in the hills of McKinley yesterday when i witnessed one of the most grueling race in the country: a 7-hour non-stop running on a 2.4km loop.

Here are some photos I took during the event:

FOCUS

DETERMINATION

COOL DOWN

PAIN

HAPPINESS

FIGHT

HIGH-FIVE

SUPPORT

STRENGTH

POISE

HELLO

BEAUTIES

APPLAUSE

TRIUMPH

More photos on my Facebook Fan Page: Rogin-E Last Man Standing Photos

For 5K amd 10K Race Results, you can check this Link: Last Man Standing Race Results

To all Last Man Standing Runners, saludo ako sa determinasyon ninyo!

Congrats Sir Edward and Rogin-E!