It was my second 5K race and my first time to run in Quezon City. Along Commonwealth Avenue, no less! What seems to be a flat route was, in fact, like rolling hills. And for someone whose training was sidetracked by typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng, it was difficult for me to keep a good pace. Because my aunt was always a few meters ahead of me, it was only my ego that kept me going. (She jogs around the village everyday while I, uh, never mind.)
I wore my new Nike Structure Triax, which I had barely broken into, during the race. Halfway through the 5K, I felt like I was about to get blisters. Luckily, my feet were generally okay after the race. I’m happy to have switched to a pair of stability shoes because my knees didn’t complain, not even a whimper, after that 5K run.
I finished the race with an unofficial time of 59:38. A part of me is very disappointed with this time. It is no improvement from my Kenny’s Urbanite time of 53:27. But another part of me still gives me a pat on the back for crossing the finish line. The moral lesson? Train, train, train!
As to how the race was organized, here are some of my observations. Registration was seamless! My husband and I registered early at Nike Park BHS and we were able to get the race kits immediately. It appears that the race organizer, Finishline, has learned its lesson from previous races (Globe-Ayala Run for Home and Kenny’s Urbanite Run), where claiming of kits became a riot.
The race was well-attended. Thousands came wearing their QCIM singlets. The route was good too, I believe. Although motorists wouldn’t feel as positive because of all the heavy traffic the race caused. Close Quezon City Circle and all roads leading to it and you can just imagine. There were ample water stations and road marshalls along the route as well.
What pogi points the race organizers had for pre-race preparedness, they lacked in post-race. As of this writing, Finishline has yet to release the official race results as well as the individual run report. It has been a complete two weeks since the race — I wonder what’s keeping them that long. The Photovendo site has also been down so there’s no way to see actual running photos. I’ll just have to contend with these shots in front of the Quezon City Hall. Hehe.
Partners in Crime
Marvin takes a photo of his mom and her bestfriend
It's a family affair!
