As you know, we sometimes read and heard in the news some incidents involving participants died while racing in triathlon.  Coach Rick Ledesma of Firstwavetri, a tri community forum, initiated a collective information what causes the unfortunate events.

Coach Rick consulted Dr. Randy Molo on questions & theories that occurred in that moment. Dr. Randy Molo practices as an orthopedic surgeon, member of Phil. Center for Sports Medicine working with RP athletes and the Azkals, consultant for one shoe brand, and also a member of multisport team.

The interview made happen so that the multisport community will be more aware of the health issue that go with triathlon sport.

Here are some general information that Coach Rick asked.

1)     What are the check-ups necessary to ensure ones fitness capability before joining races…

First things first –the sport that we all love (Multisport) is categorized as an endurance form of sport. What that means is that it is designed for us to go Faster, farther, further by pushing our physical bodies and the processes it’s capable of doing to its limits. This limit is our physical and physiologic  threshold. This actually varies from individual to individual, hence some people are actually faster than others or why there’s huge performance gains in another while some are near or at their limit already. Our performance thresholds are more or less dictated by our genetics and the ability of our heart and lungs to adapt to the various demands of the progressively more difficult things that we do as we participate.

With this in mind, there is absolutely no single test that can be done to quantify or put into context what our actual threshold is. Indirectly, doctors can do various tests that give you numbers and exercise indicators like a STRESS TEST or a CARDIOPULMONARY EXERCISE TEST (CPET) but if you think about it, we never really test you to absolute exhaustion or to the point of inducing a cardiac event like a heart attack.

Doctors would like to think of it as a RISK ASSESSMENT or STRATIFICATION that would best identify red flags concerning medical issues and try to limit the unknown/unassessed medical concerns that can potentially put your multisport participation at risk. You are then classified as low , moderate, high risk or Class I to IV depending on your actual assessment.

At St. Luke’sGlobalCity– We are in the process of forming a team of Sports Specialists  (i.e. Sports Physician, Sports Surgeon, Sports Cardiologist, Exercise Pulmonologist, Rehab MD) who will make a thorough sports related assessment.

Actual tests may include a physical assessment, a pre-participation form that an athlete will answer, an ECG, a 2D-Echo. Other options may include a stress test, or a CPET…The tests are geared for sports participation and not for office work participation and are thus probably not part of an annual physical exam.

Once assessed, you may then know actual risks for participating in sport and that should guide you in your training and eventual participation.

2) What health signs should we be aware of that can be early detection:

    - during training

There is a free online available form from theAmericanCollegeof Sports Medicine called a pre-participation in sports form. It is answerable by yes or no. Generally, they cover for issues related to the heart and lungs like chest pain, dizziness, light headedness, difficulty of breathing. If you frequently collapse while training or racing it might be worthwhile for you to have yourself evaluated. Some things are not necessarily just caused by nutritional issues or exhaustion related events.

-      while racing 

as above. A safe guide to pull over is if in a particular circumstance

1.)  you think you cannot safely protect yourself as you participate

2.)  you think you cannot orient yourself properly  to time, location, and getting back to someone /some place where someone can provide help

3.)  you think that taking a 5-10min. pause or break does not improve a situation

4.)  When in doubt –use extreme caution and call it a day. 

3) Is a heart rate monitor a good tool for training/racing to avoid the unfortunate? 

A heart rate monitor only shows you 1 thing and that is HEART RATE (or heart beats in a minute). What’s more important as a source of cardiac events or medical issues is the rhythm of the heartbeat. Things like irregular heartbeats, pauses or fast and slow beats or even murmurs are not obviously assessed by a heart rate monitor. An HRMs use is therefore used to indirectly measure exertion as measured only by training zones calculated either in the lab or based on ones’ age. It may be used as physiologic guides for training improvement but not for looking for a cardiac event.

In fact most heart doctors sometimes will make you wear a bulky portable device called a Holter monitor that is essentially a portable ECG that you wear for 24 hours and records all heart rates and tracings over a 24 hour period. This is a helpful tool but obviously not practical and feasible for training and involves an interpretation by an expert.

4) How long is a good rest/recovery period between hard races?

Tricky question as this has to be individualized. Ideally and generally, people can cycle their recovery periods in macro or micro cycles depending on their genetics, physiologic thresholds and even an unquantifiable thing called race experience.

Think of it this way…once a person recognizes his/her threshold (I probably would define it as going at a pace that is comfortable –bordering on being uncomfortable already)….to make it as simple as possible—no one wants to race as uncomfortably as often and as frequently as this creates changes in the processes and anatomy of your heart, lungs, muscles etc. Sometimes these changes are actually creating irreversible harmful situations already.

If one races/performs at “SUBTHRESHOLD” or below discomfort level –then that should be fine as you can have a shorter recovery period in between races…Remember –YOU SHOULD NOT PEAK EVERYTIME—and at EACH and EVERY RACE that you enter. That is not wise and obviously, virtually impossible as it will lead to a drop in performance at some point

5) Should there be steps other participants can do to help when a co-participant that is down?

It would be very nice (but not mandatory) to have a personal initiative to have BASIC FIRST AID or BASIC LIFE SUPPORT (BLS) training as it’s a 4 hour course offerred by various groups like red cross. Dictum id, if you know what you are doing, then by all means offer help –but if not, then the next best help you can offer is clearing the way and calling for a person who is capable of helping a downed person.

6)As organizers:

6.1)   Should we require medical clearance before an event?

No such thing as a foolproof clearance. As with any event all over the world, the better word to use is a sports participation risk stratification.

That being said—it should be a personal initiative by the athlete to not take short cuts in their personal health and to devote  a reasonable amount of time to get themselves checked for an added “peace of mind” as they participate.

As organizers – waivers concerning medical related events are mandatory but as it is –there are no standards as to the veracity of medical “clearances/notes” as well as how and what testing procedures the athlete took to obtain the “clearance”

6.2)   If yes, how long is a medical clearance good (3 months, 6 months etc)

Ideally annual assessments are required as our anatomic and physiologic parameters can vary , adapt, regress in that period. Obviously any medical event or complaint does not prevent anyone from getting tested at shorter intervals.

6.3)   What should we require each ambulance to have at the minimum? (medicines, doctor on board or just nurse)

O2, AED (automated defibrillator), and most importantly –a well trained staff versed in endurance sport related medical concerns. Paramedics are fine but have to be supervised by a race medical director.

      6.4) Any red flag signs we as organizers should be aware of when a participant registers with a past medical history?

These should be part of the pre-participation evaluation submitted by the athlete with due emphasis on answering them as HONESTLY and as thoroughly as possible.

Please add any info you can share just to give a heads up to the multisport community.

Well , among the many known causes of Sudden Death in Sports –majority of them are tied up with the heart and they can include: Arrhythmias (irregular heart rates/speed/erratic rhythm); M.I. (myocardial infarctions thickened heart walls, poor blood flow and oxygenation to the heart etc); Blood issues – clots from deep veins, hypercoagulable (“thicker than usual” blood concentrations) situations; Emboli – things that can be thrown or travel from the leg vessels and lodge/block an artery to the heart or brain. These emboli can be clots or fat globules. Then again—people can have a stroke event due to various stressors. At the end of the day – -there is no single predictor who will get these issues and when —-what people are after is trying to catch the red flags associated with this issues and advise people accordingly regarding possible risks as they participate.

Dr.Randy Molo:

He is a graduate of UP College of Medicine and finished his Residency training in Orthopedics at St. Lukes Medical Center as well as his Fellowship training in Sports Medicine. He is interested in the Arthroscopic diagnosis and surgery for musculoskeletal disorders and sports injury. Currently he is the head of the Arthroscopic Section of the CMS-Asia.

   

LEG 1

RACE INFORMATION

Date, Day & Time of Event:
July 14, Sunday, 6am

Event Venue: Filinvest, Alabang

Race Distances: 6km Run, 30km Bike, 3 km Run

Race Categories:
Elite (Male & Female)
Age group:
- Male: 16~19 yrs, 20~24, 25~29, 30~34, 35~39, 40~44, 45~49, 50 & above
- Female: 16~19 yrs, 20~29, 30~39, 40 & above

Awards and Prizes:
Medals and prizes will be awarded to Overall Top Three in Male and Female Categories.
Medals will be awarded to TOP THREE in each age group.

Philippine Duathlon Series Championship:
To add a little more fun and excitement into this friendly competition, elite and age-group winners will be awarded points according to his or her finish position in each race. Current and former Triathlon and Duathlon National team members who are still actively racing are categorized as elite racers. Racers with the most points in their respective categories at the end of the series will be declared series champions! If two top racers finish on level points, the one with more victories wins. Series champions will receive trophies, special prizes and bragging rights! Racers are required to join a minimum of three legs including the final leg to qualify for the series championship.

Points breakdown:
1st: 100 5th: 60 9th: 20
2nd: 90 6th: 50 10th: 10
3rd: 80 7th: 40 11th – nth: 5
4th: 70 8th: 30

Registration: Submit filled-up entry form with your fee at Registration Center mentioned below.
Participants may also pay through:
- BPI (Anna Marissa Remigio, S/A No. 0429-3165-61), or
- PNB (Anna Marissa Nagtalon, S/A No. 1002-8030-0012).
Then, Email or Fax entry form and deposit slip (clear &/or enlarged copy) with name to Fax #: 932-9071
Keep receipt/bank deposit slip & submit during Registration.

Registration Centers:

Bike King at Bonifacio High Street , Tel. #: +632 -856-3362

Cycling Zone: Shell Pacific Gas Station, Alabang-Zapote Road, Muntinlupa
Tel.: 02-809-6736

Life Cycle Bicycle Shop: G-Strip, Greenhills Shopping Center, San Juan. (c/o Rob)
Tel: 02-5842862, 584-2442, 661-3424

Trinity Cycle Shop: 41 Commonwealth ave. QC (beside Hyundai and Nissan )
Tel.: 02-4426591

Velocipede Bike Shop: Unit B, Royale Place Arcade (Beside Ever Gotesco Commonwealth)
Tel: 02-3518488

Registration Fees/Schedule: (Inclusive of race packet, inengs barbecue meal, finisher’s medal, Dri-fit shirt, Timing Chip)

P1,200 (May 20-June 20)
P1, 600 (June 21- July 5)
Deadline of Registration: July 5, 2013

DISTRIBUTION/CLAIMING OF RACE PACKETS WILL START ON JUNE 20, AT THE STORE WHERE YOU REGISTERED. SHIRTS WILL BE DISTRIBUTED ON RACE DAY.

For Inquiries please contact:

Thumbie Remigio
Email: adrenalinemultisport@gmail.com
Mobile phone: +632-917-8486243

Popo Nagtalon Remigio
Email: popo_nagtalon@yahoo.com
Mobile phone: +632-908-9086621

The first time we learned about the 4th Globe Cordillera Challenge (GCC4), my husband and I really got excited. Personally, Baguiois a place close to our hearts. I can still remember in 2011, before Pyds and I tied the knot we biked from Tarlac to Baguiovia Kennon Road. It was a heaven and hell experience for me. But after giving birth to our first son, I think it’s about time that I add another feat on my list – the epic Ambuklao ride by GCC4! But this was an extreme challenge given that this was my come-back ride. Should I accept the challenge?

The first day Globe opened up its registration, we signed up. To be able to register or secure a slot, the participant must donate P1,000 which then will be used by Globe as funds to plant trees in the Cordillera mountain range. One cool thing with the said event was that the cycling jersey was made of recycled PET bottle. On top of that, the fee also included the bike transportation from Manilato Baguio and vice versa. Knowing that the GCC4 will be on Ambuklao, I felt scared with the downhill part of the route – it’s 18km of downhill trail!

A day before the event, we went to Riverbanks to meet our friend who was also a participant. We went to Baguio as a group, and planned to stay overnight with another friend. The night before, we prepared our gears needed for tomorrow’s ride.

We were up as early as 2am, suited up and had breakfast. We got our bikes and moved it up to our friend’s vehicle. By around 3am, we left Baguio City en route to our destination, Tublay Municipal Hall.

We arrived at the town hall around 430am. We went to the check-in area to get our jersey and bib number. After that, we did some last minute bike check and placed the bib onto our bikes. The program started with a prayer and then the starting horn sounded. It was already 6am when we were released. The first part of the ride was uphill. The uphill portion provided us with the bike ride’s warm up, like the uphill portion of Antipolo when you take Sumulong Highway. The weather was good, the sun shone brightly but the high altitude made the temperature cold. One of the main challenges in this section of the ride was climbing the uphill part, and after recovering from that, there were parts where you can smell chicken dung. Yes, chicken dung! They sell it as a fertilizer.

Bikers getting ready

After riding around 8kms, come the downhill part of the trail. I consider the downhill trail as my weakest discipline in mountain biking. The good thing with an 18km downhill trail, you need less effort pedaling and just “glide through the air”. There were sections of the trail where one must really need to be careful, some sections had tight corners and were too technical that one wrong handling will result to falling hundreds of feet below. Since this was just a ride and not a race, Pyds and I decided to slow down on some dangerous parts of the trail. We also took some pictures of the trail and just made the race/ride picture-pace.

One of the downhill portions of the 18km downhill trail

Pyds showing the downhill portion

After the 18kms of downhill trail, we finally ended up on the Ambuklao spillway. We stopped and took pictures of Ambuklao. There were some photographers who also took pictures of us with Ambuklao as our background. We moved on and at the end of the Ambuklao area, we were welcomed by the Baguio-Nueva Vizcaya Road.

Weeee!!! Downhill!

Ambuklao Dam

The Baguio-Nueva Vizcaya Roadis a paved road and starts on a rolling terrain. We had around another 3km-climb when saw other bikers who take a Halo-Halo break. We also stopped and bought halo-halo to fill up our tummy. After our halo-halo break, we got on our bikes and started to move on. Some sections of the remainder of the route were rolling; one moment you are climbing up, and another moment you descend. Things would have been different if this part of the route was not on paved roads. Along the route we also saw Pinkanjo, an eatery is famous to hikers who go up to Mt.Pulag. The remaining downhill brought us to Adunot Bridge.

Pinkan Jo Eatery, famous to Pulag hikers

Start of the 20km ‘uphells’

The Adunot Bridge Sign

After all the ups and downs we’ve initially encountered, I thought that it was done. I was wrong! The Adunot bridge was just the starting point of the most grueling point of the route – a 20km-continuous uphill segment similar to theTeresa Roadin Antipolo, while some sections were similar to the ever-famous Shotgun near Timberland. Add on to this was the fact that the sun was beginning to bear down on us. At that time, we were climbing up around 12noon from the lowest part of the route. Pyds told me to just take it easy and use granny to some point here I can rest a bit and take some time off to recover. Upon seeing a store, we decided to stop and bought some cold drinks. Refreshed, re-hydrated and re-energized, we started to climb again. We climbed, we climbed and we climbed like there’s no more tomorrow. Pyds always told me to use granny on some part but sometimes, he gets a bit annoying! We pushed harder until we reached Binga view deck. Then it started to rain. We stopped for a while to put on cover for our backpack and then moved on. After Binga, the roads were again downhill, thankfully still on paved roads. Weird weather as it was, the rain stopped and then it was sunny again. Thank God it’s downhill, or so I thought. After another set of 5km-downhill route, I thought that was it. BUT NO! Another set of uphill awaits us. We ENDUREd the heat of the sun, together with the long climbs. Pyds kept on reminding me that we must push harder to be able to reach the cut-off time. From time to time, he computed our expected time of arrival. With our speed of 5-6kph, I said to myself that it will be hard for us to end within the cut-off period. We did not want to be swept by the SAG, we already exerted too much effort just be swept away. I said to myself – “no way!” Instead of stopping to recover, we decided to just walk with our bikes and pedal again if we feel our energy is back.

The main peloton of the ride - cows

We finally (FINALLY!) reached the end of our perils as we turned right (or so we thoughtagain). The marshal then shouted that it will be another 500meters uphill and then the remainder will be downhill, a technical downhill! As we were processing all these, it started to rain, hard. It was so hard that we decided to stop by a sari-sari store. I knew Pyds was getting frustrated and disappointed by the situation. He really hates it when it rains. He prefers to be under the heat of the sun rather than singing its raining men. Fortunately, the rain stopped and we were able to move on. The downhill part was really technical. The road was under construction, and peanut butter-like mud warmly welcomed us. We were surprised with this part of the route, especially some peanut-butter mud portion of the downhill. There were additional sections of the trail that I had to walk with my bike; as these were happening, I can hear Pyds murmuring words. I know my walking with the bike really gets into his nerves. Water from the mountain flowed to the trails, making it more dangerous. While all these were happening, out of the blue, I saw a concrete road. Yahoo! We reached a gas station and then we took another right turn, which led up toHalsema Highway. Finally! A familiar landmark. “Push!” – The only word I can hear from Pyds. And yes, without even looking at his face, I knew his game face was on. Knowing him, if he is in this mode, he will hit everything on his path. A final stretch of the climb is on our way (Akala ko ba downhill nalang?), I can hear Pyds telling me “Bawal maglakad!” With all the remaining energy I had, I pushed hard, the hardest push I can give that time. And then the finish line!

We arrived around 4pm and a feast welcomed us. Their plates were made of banana tree/ trunk. They served menudo, nilagang baboy, adobong baboy and fresh garden salad.

This was definitely the best part of the challenge. And yes, we accepted the challenge and survived it

Challenge accepted and we survived it. The taste of my comeback ride – wooping 66kms of cross country.

May 19, 2013

Invidual

On-Line Registration Registration Form – Individual

Relay

On-Line Registration Registration Form – Relay

Onsite Registration, Open until May 16, 2013 on R.O.X Bonifacio High Street and Second Wind Ortigas

Race Course

Venue Location Map (Ateneo de Manila Grade School)

ASTC Day 2, April 28, 2013 (Sprint and Olympic Standard Age Group)

ASTC Day 3, April 29, 2013 (Asian Team Relay and Para Tri)

For concerns related to the results, please contact TRAP.

Prologue

I have been wanting to take my family to the Pico de Loro Beach and Country Club since I have been seeing pictures of my friends who have had corporate outings there.  Being an exclusive, members-only resort, access is limited.

I eagerly awaited registration to open for the 2013 race.  My excitement was short lived as I learned this was a by-invitation event.    I gave up any hope of bringing my family this year to Pico  and focused on an earlier race in March.  I did not count on this race getting filled up 2months before the race!

Thankfully, about 2 weeks later, my triathlon team, Endure Multisport received an invite to join the Pico de Loro Triathlon.  A week later, I had the funds and forked out the cash to Bike King.  I also made arrangements with the Pico Sands Hotel and booked my family a room.  I was in a near faint as I rarely  fork out that much cash in one day

My training was severely limited by all the demands on my time and it was my first time to have a road bike plus,  I didn’t have a bike trainer so I could only ride on Sundays.    Every Sunday became a brick session.  The rest of the week would be devoted to 3 days of swimming and 3 days of running.

Bong Z

I was worried  because I read about the numerous bike accidents that happened in the course last year.   I  bought my 2^nd hand road bike early this year and have had two minor falls already, all of which were due to wrong braking and bad cornering maneuvers.  It didn’t help any that people were warning me of the dangerous descents at Pico de Loro.  I tried watching videos on cornering and braking to allay my fears but nothing really beats experience and saddle time.  I increased my life insurance coverage and hoped for the best.

Come race day, I had a light breakfast at 9am.  I was hoping to eat a heavy breakfast as the race was at 2:30pm but race day jitters led me to lose my appetite.  I planned to eat again at 11am when I got to the resort but due to scheduling problems, I found myself at Pico de Loro just in time for the 12:30pm pre- race briefing.  I forced myself to eat a light sandwich at 1:30pm and hydrated myself with Buko juice.  The heat was terrible!   I remember on the news the day before that we were hitting 34-35C.   There were several emails and announcements by the organizers to hydrate properly.  I kept on drinking my tetra-packed buko juice as I discovered a week earlier that this had more sodium and potassium than my usual sports drink.

A kiss for luck from my family and I proceeded to warm up for the swim.

Swim

My last open water swim was in 2010.  This would be the first time I would be doing the freestyle in an open water event as I used to be a breast stroke-r.  I met up with my only teammate in this event, Gerard Cinco and we stayed well off to the left side of the buoy line and nearer the back.  At exactly 2:30pm, the starting horn blasted.

I walked/waded the shallow water with several other people until it was up to my waist.  When I proceeded to swim, I was met by the usual crowd of banging bodies and flailing arms and legs.  I reminded myself to breathe properly and not to sprint as this crowd would eventually thin out.  I could never be so wrong.  Several meters off I could feel people clawing at my calves.  I was worried that my timing chip had fallen off!  At some point I felt an arm on my back and proceeded to kick faster and pull stronger.  I must have fallen into a pace group of people of the same ability.  The good thing is we were drafting off of each other.  Problem started when I saw the person in front of me start to do the breast stroke.  I was pinned on my left and right side and was fast approaching the breast stroker in front.  A couple of days ago, I was laughing at a newbie friend who recounted a story of losing his goggles when he was kicked in the face during the last pool based sprint triathlon.   I was worried of divine karma as I have kicked numerous people in the gut when I was still a breast stroker.  At the last minute,  I decided to pull hard and  go over the breast stroker.  I tried my best not to be too obvious in pushing him/her under me and just swam over his/her shoulder.  I sure hope it was not a female swimmer.

When we reached the floating buoy marking the turn-around point, we all pivoted to the right.  I kept on bumping into the guy on my right as he kept on moving straight and I still wanted to move to the right.    After an elbow to my forehead, I stopped to get my bearings and was surprised that it was not an out and back course but a loop where we had to take two right turns to get back to shore.  Newbie mistake number one! I caught up to my pace group again and finished the swim well within my target time.

Bike

Exiting the water, and running out of the beach into transition, I saw people pouring water from two huge clay pots to get rid of all the sand from their feet.  When I got there, I saw that the water was all gone.   No worries coz I had a 1.5L bottle of water for exactly this purpose J

I sat down by my bike and took my time pouring water on my feet and head, hoping to cool down.   I was in no hurry to do the next stage that I dreaded.  This was also my first triathlon in bike shoes.  On go the socks, bike shoes, helmet, sunglasses, gloves (unnecessary but helped put me at ease) and race belt.

Starting up the “killer hill” – photo courtesy of Bike King

After leaving the transition area, we were immediately met with a monster of a climb.  I tried the climb at Canley Road/Danny Floro st in Pasig and was able to reach the top but this one seemed longer and steeper.  I later learned that it was a kilometer long.  About 25m from the top, I chose to dismount together with the guy next to me.

Walking to the top, he strikes a conversation with me, “Pinulikat ako, di ko na pinilit. Ikaw?”  Of which I answer “Hindi, pagod lang ako”.  And we walk the rest of the way in silence.

The walk of shame (photo courtesy of Ricky Ledesma)

Going over the top, I mounted my bike and allowed gravity to take over.  I saw the 40kph speed limit sign go by and I knew I was way over that – 61kph max according to the cylocomp.  My mind was flashbacking to the time when I was 12 and losing control of the vibrating handlebars,  and crashing and scraping my arm.  Thankfully I did not panic and was able to brake properly on the descent.  After what seemed like such a really long time, I was glad to have finally slowed down at the bottom of the hill.

I had a water bottle full of buko juice in the cage and a mineral water bottle tucked in the small of my back going out of transition.   That mineral water bottle was a newbie mistake that could have ended badly.

I remember seeing pictures of bikers tucking water bottles in the shoulders of their tri suit.  Newbie mistake 2: I placed the water bottle at my back when I mounted the bike.  I was surprised when I felt it slide.  Luckily, my race belt held my tri top in place so the bottle did not fall off.  It would have been dangerous to the biker behind me if my bottle fell into his path.

I wrongly assumed that there was going to be water stations along the bike route.   At about 25km of biking, I started to feel bad.  I already consumed one sports gel and the 500ml bottle of buko juice.  I saw that my heart rate was 30bpm higher than my usual biking heart rate.  I wanted to vomit and poop at the same time.    I pulled over in the shade by the highway, ate my last gel and drank the rest of my water from the plastic bottle.  I think it was a combination of mild heat stroke and lack of nutrition.  I felt better to continue a few minutes later but decided not to push harder.

This was my first time to bike out in the open as I usually practice in the streets around Pasig, shielded by all the structures and buildings.  So this was what a crosswind felt like.   The sound of the headwind was also deafening.   I negotiated the u-turns without falling and completed the 2 loops outside of Hamilo and went back inside the resort to conquer the climb back.

Seeing the climb I had to conquer on the way back, I accelerated and tried to build up momentum.  Halfway up, I downshifted all the way and tried to work a faster cadence to sustain my speed.  Right or wrong, I still ended up walking the rest of the way up the hill.

Cresting the hill, I was zooming back down, back to the beach club.  Nearing the turn to the right at the bottom, I started to apply my brakes.  I could see and hear people by the side of the road screaming at all of us to slow down.  Lady I’m trying my best!

Luckily, I reach the bottom without incident.  I get out of the drops and relax as I go round the condo units, pass the hotel and head back towards transition.  I shed a tear as I survived my ride unscathed.

I see a guy waving a green flag in front of me.  I see a line in front of him on the ground.  I rightly assume  that I should dismount before getting to this line.  I’ve been out of this for so long that I am such a newbie again.

Run

Bike on the rack, change into running shoes, off with the helmet, move the race number to the front and off I go for the “easy part”.   I got to the first support station about 500m out of the transition area.  I was so glad to have cold water to drink.  I saw the guys manning the station getting bottles of Gatorade from an ice chest full of ice and cold water.  I got a glass and proceeded to pour the ice cold water from this chest on my head, arms  and legs.  I was in heaven!

I soon saw Gerard stop by with his top fully open and looking all gassed out.  I was worried coz I didn’t remember how many loops the run was so I asked him “Ge, ilang loops run natin?”

And he answers in an exasperated tone “Second loop ko pa lang ito eh”

And I go “Oo nga, tinatanong ko nga ilang loops ba ito.  Tatlo siguro no?” and I leave him there.  Sheesh some people J

The run is a flat course around the scenic lagoon of Pico de Loro.   You get to see all of the condos, Pico de Loro Country Club and the Pico Sands Hotel.   I make a mental note to enjoy all of these tomorrow with my family.

“Jogging” by the lagoon path (photo courtesy of francramon.com)

I pass by my favorite water station two more times and always stop to bathe myself in the ice cold water.

Finally, after about an hour of jogging (or rather a stroll in the park), I saw the finish line arch by the beach.  I was finally done after three hours.  I only hit my target time for the swim and was way off in the bike and run but I was so happy to finish without a scratch.

Lesson learned? That I should better plan my nutrition and hydration.  I saw someone with a small ice chest in the transition area which seems like a brilliant idea.

Epilogue

The after race party buffet was pretty good but I was too tired to eat much.  I loved the slow cooked pork belly and the fruit platter.  During the race I was dreaming of bananas and fruits so I ate my fill of them during the party.  The Pico Sands Hotel was spartan but the lagoon view room was well worth it.

I’d like to thank the organizers, marshalls and volunteers for a great race.   It was such a beautiful place to race and stay overnight that my family is planning to return soon.   I’m sure to join again next year where I hope to finally conquer that killer hill on my bike!

H-Endures

For 2012, the men’s ranks were bolstered by the entry of two male K-Endures, Brent and Dale Valelo. Both are members of swim teams and actively participating in multisport events.

Brent snagged 12 medals: Alaska Ironkids Run – 1st place (2k run); Bert Lozada Swimtastic – 3rd place (team relay); Alaska Ironkids Aquathlon 1 – 1st place; Alaska Ironkids Aquathlon 2 – 2nd place; Wetshop Aquathlon – 1st place; Alaska Ironkids Triathlon – 2nd place; Alaska Ironkids Triathlon Championships – 2nd place; Cherifer Little League Swimtastics Championships 2012 – gold medal (team relay – freestyle) and silver medal (team relay – medley); Run BGC – 1st place (500-meter dash); ASTC Asian Duathlon Championships STK – 1st place (800m run, 3k run, 400m run); and Anvaya Cove Invitational Triathlon – 1st place.

Dale took 3rd place at Anvaya Cove, and 1st place at the ASTC Asian Duathlon Championships STK (400m run, 2k bike, 200 run). Between the two brothers, the H-Endure medal tally stands at 14.

Not to be outdone by the kids, the full-grown H-Endures also performed well. Jixee Lagunda warmed up for his maiden Ironman 70.3 last August by winning 2nd place at the Snails Aquathlon in May, and followed it up with a 5K 2nd place finish at the Takbo Para Kay Kristo.

Bong Zandueta’s only multisport event for the year was the Wetshop Aquathlon, but he finished in style with 3rd place in his age group (which shall remain a secret).

Melvin Pangan, who did the Timex 220 in Bohol in 2011, focused on ultramarathons and trail runs in 2012. His focus paid off with six podium finishes: Marriott Hotel Fun Run 1 – 1st place age group; Marriott Hotel Fun Run 2 – 2nd place overall; King of the Mountain 60K – 5th place overall; Unionbank U-Run – 1st place overall; Dahilayan Ultramarathon – 7th place overall; and Nuvali Trail Marathon – 3rd place overall.

The total H-Endure medal tally winds up at 25.

SH-Endures

ENDURE is proud of our ladies, who are some of our fiercest contenders. K-Endure Abby Vizcarra is a frequent podium finisher, and in 2012 she had a combined 11-medal haul: 7-Eleven Tour 700 Bike Race – 1st place (40K women’s open); Shimano 2nd Dirt & Play Mountain Bike XC Race – 3rd runner-up (women’s open); Wetshop Triathlon – 2nd place AG; Animo Triathlon – 2nd place AG; Run United 2 – 1st place AG; Gabriel’s Symphony Triathlon – 1st place AG; 36th Milo Marathon – 8th place AG; Alaska Ironkids Triathlon – 2nd place AG; Alaska Ironkids Triathlon Championships – 3rd place AG; RunBGC – 1st place AG; McHappy Day Fun Run – 2nd place A. Her win at the 7-Eleven Tour 700 bike race was against grown women cyclists!

Izah Sueño, a former La Salle varsity swimmer, added two medals for finishing 2nd place AG at Tri United 2-Long Distance in Laiya, Batangas and 2nd place AG at the Ironman 70.3 Philippines, Cebu.

Three more Sh-Endures added to the medal tally. Hanna Sanchez made her official triathlon debut at the Subic Bay International Triathlon by placing 3rd overall in the Sprint distance. Already an experienced swimmer (formerly of the La Salle varsity swim team), Hanna took 1st place AG at the Ateneo Aquathlon, 1st overall at the Animo Triathlon aquathlon, and 1st overall and 1st in her age group at the Yvonne’s All-Women Triathlon aquathlon. She is also an ultramarathoner, finishing 2nd overall at the CDO-Dahilayan Ultramarathon.

Noelle De Guzman, also known as Kikay Runner, took home 4 multisport medals  and 9 running medals: Ateneo Aquathlon – 3rd place AG; SuBIT – 5th place AG; Animo Triathlon – 5th overall; Unilab Active Health Duathlon – 1st place AG; Todo Responde Run – 1st place; Skyathon – 2nd place; BMAP Great Bank Fun Run – 2nd place; 36th Milo Marathon – 3rd place (10K); Men’s Health Urbanathlon – 2nd place; Midnight Run – 1st place; United Colors of 88 Run – 2nd place; Sunpiology Run – 3rd place; Race for Life – 1st place.

Also at the Race for Life, fellow Sh-Endure Ellen Encinares bagged the 3rd place on the podium.

This brings the Sh-Endure medal tally to… 32!

2012 Final Medal Tally: H-Endures 25; Sh-Endures 32

What a close competition! The Sh-Endures win the 2012 ENDURE Battle of the Sexes.

As the 2013 race season heats up again starting this summer, so too will ENDURE’s Battle of the Sexes.

• Aquaman Aquathlon | 800m Swim – 5k Run | UP Diliman

Registration Fees:

Aquaman Aquathlon | Duaman | Triman
Php 1,200

Tripack (Aquaman, Duaman, Triman Package)
Php 3,000

Entry is non-refundable, non-transferable and non-applicable to future races. Race numbers are non-transferable.

Deadline of registration for Aquaman Aquathlon and SBR.ph Tripack is March 10, 2013.

Prizes/Categories:

Top 3 for Overall Male / Female Winners
Php 5,000, Php 3,000, Php 1,000 and trophies respectively

Male Age Group 
• Trophies for Top 3 16~19 yrs, 20~24, 25~29, 30~34,35~39, 40~44, 45~49, 50 & over

Female Age Group
• Trophies for Top 3 16~19 yrs, 20~24, 25~29, 30~34,35~39, 40~44, 45~49, 50 & over

Finisher shirt and medal for all participants.
Refreshments before, during, and after the race.

Registration Centers:

Registration can be done via our official registration centers:

Second Wind Running Store (Ortigas Home Depot, Greenhills, Quezon City)
The Brick Multisport Store (McKinley Hill)
The Starting Line (Westgate, Alabang)

Online via SWIMBIKERUN.ph

1. DOWNLOAD REGISTRATION FORM (Click the link to download registration form)
2. Deposit payment to :

Carlos de Guzman
Bank of the Philippine Islands
3379-0967-69

3. Send completed registration form along with the deposit slip (with your name) to admin@swimbikerun.ph

4. Keep a copy of the completed registration form and the deposit slip for safekeeping.

Individual:
• 8, 1km
• 9-10, 1.5km
• 11-12, 2km
• 13-14, 3km Relay:
• 6-10 Mixed Relay, Team of 3: 3x400m
• 11-14, Mixed Relay, Team of 3: 3x800m

To Register, Proceed to R.O.X. Bonifacio High Street store or via Ironkids website:

For Race Maps, please view:

For directions on how to get there: