New Balance Power Run 2015

New category, new trail and a whole new level of confidence!

I ran my first 10-kilometer race last November 8, 2015 at Vista City, Daang Hari and I must say, I did pretty well than I expected.  My target time was 1 hour and 30 minutes with an average pace of 10 min/km, but I finished the race at 1 hour and 20 minutes with an average pace of 8.37min/km!  I did slightly better than my average pace in the last marathon I ran and that even had a shorter distance.  This just means my performance is improving and it motivates me to do even better! I also did not have a hard time during the race, in fact, surprisingly, I ran in most parts of the race.  My friends scared me about the 10K category saying it was really difficult.  Because of this, I really trained hard for it. The only complaint I have is that I felt really hungry after the 7th kilometer.

Below are some of my comments on the race:

Vista City, Daang Hari
Positive:
Wide and clean road
There were trees and plants around
Good view

Negative:
Dead cat
Dead dog
Smoke from siga

New Balance Singlet
Positive:
Cool design
Very comfortable material
A lot of available sizes

Negative:
I would prefer a sleeveless singlet

Route
Positive:
I liked that there were a few uphill and downhill parts.

Negative:
None!

Race
Positive:
Well-organized
Water and Gatorade were available
Registration was convenient
Fee was acceptable (P750 for 10k)
Freebies were okay (wristband and headband from New Balance)

Negative:
None!

Start

Finish line

Companion:
The best!

Thank you to my reliable running buddy who never wants to leave me behind during a race even though he is way faster than me.  There is never a race I have been to without him.

Overall, I enjoyed the race except for the stinky dead dog.  They should have disposed of the body instead of just throwing it on the side.

Preparing for my first 10k!

This Sunday, November 8, 2015, I will be joining the New Balance Power Run 2015 race in the 10k category.

Its going to be my very first 10k race!!!

I am both excited and nervous at the same time.  You don't know if you're going to get injured or dizzy in race.  I am prone to getting dizzy after a race actually.  To train for the race, I have been doing at least 8 kilometers a week; 5k twice a week and one 3k on a weekend.  I'm just hoping that's enough for me to survive my first 10k.

I have been running in Filinvest City.  The road is flat and made of concrete with no cars passing by.  If you want a little elevation, you can make a turn towards the Palms Country Club.  Its good to run there because the environment feels safe and there are a lot of trees for some shade and fresh air. A lot of seasoned runners and beginners run at Filinvest City.

During one of my training sessions, I bumped into some friends who motivated me to run my first 10k.  The first one is Ms. Ruth Floresca, she is a lifestyle blogger(mommywrites.blogspot.com). I met her through work and since then have developed a friendship. She actually inspired me to join the 10k category. She has been joining marathons under the 10k category and told me that I can do it too, and even blog about it! Hence, the birth of this blog.

(Photo c/o Ms. Ruth)

The second one is Ms. Mae Sarcia, who used to be a client of mine in my former job. Ms. Mae is a teacher in one of the private schools inside Ayala Alabang. She is bubbly, cheerful and apparently, has an active lifestyle. She's already joined a full marathon(42K) and several other special marathons like the one in Caliraya and Sagada. I was amazed. Ms. Mae told me things I didn't know yet about running like proper breathing and foot assessment. Apparently, I need to get my feet assessed first! She also told me that the 10k category would be very easy for me and I believed her. That sealed the deal. I'm ready for my first 10k race!