My Top Ten Runs in 2012

“You have to wonder at times what you’re doing out there. Over the years, I’ve given myself a thousand reasons to keep running, but it always comes back to where it started. It comes down to self-satisfaction and a sense of achievement,” Steve Prefontaine.

This famous quote has been guiding me all throughout the times I started running in 2011 up to the present. When I get hooked to this kind of sports, I found a new and different level of self motivation, physical strength and mental toughness. At this recent period of my life, running has become a way of life. With running, I discovered more personal intersections other than mountaineering, photography and traveling to places. There is indeed so much fun in doing things using only my feet as my carriage.

In this version of my blog, I would like to share to my readers the ten (10) most memorable runs in year 2012. 

Holy Trinity Run

10. Run Club New Balance Challenge, January 12, 2012 (12K). Still bearing the holiday hangover, I joined this 12K run as my first run of the year to basically jumpstart an appropriate physical activity in 2012 and to obliterate the fiend brought about by alcohol, cholesterol and everything that had been taken during Christmas and New Year. Slowly but surely I was able to survive, clocking in a total time of 1 hour and 24 minutes, not an ideal time for an average runner like me.

9. Holy Trinity Run, September 9, 2012 (16K). A run spearheaded by the Holy Trinity College in Davao City. I suffered minor left-foot sore upon reaching the turning point but managed to make it to the finish line in 1 hour and 49 minutes, 1 minute ahead of my running buddy Pare Dockie.

8. Marco Polo Fright Run, November 4, 2012 (16K). As an annual run conducted by the Marco Polo Hotel Davao, this run is part of Marco Polo’s unique Halloween celebration. It was a well-organized event with a very good route, an established water stations and with tremendous post-run refreshment. With minimal training, I completed the run in 1 hour and 44 minutes.

7. Timex Run, August 26, 2012 (16K). This was the first time Timex held a run in Davao City and was part of the RunRio series runs. Technically powered by Vantage Sports, I participated the run along with my good friend Pare Dockie Enot. With a very friendly itinerary that has long been very proverbial to me, I easily made it to the finish line and even dashed the last 150 meters. This run was also attended by Coach Rio dela Cruz and Team Pangilinan from Manila.

4th St. Joseph Run

6. 4^th St. Joseph Run, September 15, 2012 (10 K).  This is the only St. Joseph Run of the 3 legs conducted this year that I joined as a runner rather than an organizer. It was also one of the few 10K runs I made within the year. Running in a consistent stride together with my mountaineer pal Noel “Pawiks” Bartolome, we crossed the finish line clocking a total time of 59 minutes. For the record, the St. Joseph Run series is the only organized run in Davao del Sur held in Sta. Cruz, Davao del Sur for the benefit of the on-going construction of St. Joseph the Worker Parish.

36th National
Milo Marathon

5. 36^th National Milo Marathon Davao Leg, November 11, 2012 (21K). This is my second participation of a half-marathon initiated by Milo. The first time I ran a Milo 21K had me clocking 2 hours and 18 minutes. This year, I completed the run in 2 hours and 22 minutes. Fatigue factor used to clinch me as I had severe cough and flu during the run. My left foot once again suffered cramps three times when a approached the 17K mark. I was still lucky enough to have finished the run earlier than the cut off time.

Delo-Kadayawan
Half Marathon

4. Delo Kadayawan Half-Marathon, August 19, 2012 (21K).  This was a major run conducted in consonance to the celebration of Kadayawan festival in Davao City. With a new partnership forged between Caltex company and Vantage Sports Promotions, this run was started at SM Ecoland all the way to Corocodile Park in Buhangin via the strenuous Tulip Drive and Ma-a Diversion Road. I had so much fun running this half-marathon version of Delo because of the appropriate physical preparations I made. I gracefully traversed the time clock at 2 hours and 45 minutes.

3. Run with the Masters, April 15, 2012 (21K). Of all the 21Ks I joined in 2012, this is perhaps the most effortless run I attended. This was an independent run conducted by Vantage Sports in celebration of its Foundation Anniversary. Vantage Sports head honcho Kenneth Sai made sure the run would suit to the taste buds of Davao’s elite runners. The itinerary was a mixture of plain, uphill and downhill route from Crocodile Park to the junction of R. Castillo and Sta. Ana Streets to Lanang then back to Crocodile Park. I was enjoying my tread with running friend Michael Ryan Bajo from start to finish.

2. Davao Finisher’s Marathon, December 2, 2012 (28K). This is an annual marathon conducted by Holcim cement and was technically partnered by Davao Sunday Runners Club. It was my second time to join the run and my only 28k run in 2012. With a route that’s very varied, I enjoyed the run very much although I was the lone runner joining this event from Sta. Cruz.

Phoenix Marathon

1. Phoenix Marathon, March 18, 2012 (42K). The Phoenix Marathon was my most memorable running experience in my almost 2 years of running. It was a lengthy 42-kilometer run that saw me running barefoot after 28 kilometers as my feet endured a painful bruise until I spotted a store selling slippers along the way. I then crossed the finish line carrying my running shoes to the delight of my friends. However, this run completed my running life. Running a full marathon is every runner’s dream and only few can fulfill it. It’s a combination of physical and mental toughness that a runner should possess. From that memorable date until today, I am proud to be part of the elite group from Sta. Cruz who ran a full marathon along with Pare Oliver Dockie Enot, Michael Ryan Bajo, Jonas Florencondia and Noel Bartolome. The Phoenix Marathon was held as part of the Araw ng Dabaw celebration.