Milo 21k 2019: Betterer

Run CTL: 23
Weight: 168 lbs


Milo Manila has been one of my panata races for several years now, with keen interest on the 21k distance.

The sub-2:30 cutoff has always been a good challenge yearly to see how my fitness is in meeting this goal.

The 2019 version of this race proved to be successful for this 46 year old wannabe endurance athlete.

The race started at 3.30am on the dot (as punctual as all RunRio races are), with me having some difficulty reaching the start line as there were preliminary checks prior to entering the starting corral (which the organizers eventually let go seeing that there's still a long line and that the race was a few minutes from starting).

To cut it short, I was able to meet my target 7:00/km pace except for two instances:

• One was at the start, when I had to walk 200m to the start line when the gun was fired. Lap 1 clocked 7:30+.
• And the other was when the traffic marshals had to prioritize vehicle traffic over us (paying customers, hehe) for about 30secs. Another 7:30 lap.

Gels taken at the start, km 6, and 12. Half a banana at km18. I think this, along with my training, kept me from bonking (compared to last year's version when I started to feel sluggish as early as km 13).

What kept me motivated were the ballooned pacers, particularly the 2:30 guy who I managed to keep at bay (side note: he may have finished outside 2:30 as he couldn't see coming after I crossed the finish line).

Yes, my very few readers (hehe), I was able to meet the sub-2:30 time limit.

Garmin time: 2:28:42.

Official chip time: 2:26:47.

I managed to beat my 2018 Milo21k by 2 minutes! 😀

Really happy with my outcome for this race as I was able to train (somewhat) well coming into race day. I guess if I keep my focus on meeting my (self-) prescribed workouts, I will be ok when the gun goes off.

That and managing my food intake, hehe.

What's next? Well, it's another panata race: the BikeKing SCTEX duathlon on Sep. 8.

See ya! :)

#RoadToMilo 21k Update

Just dropping by for a quick update on my training for the upcoming July-28 Milo 21k in Manila.

Training has been doing just a little below alright, with key long runs done these past 2 Sundays (a 16k last week and an 18k this morning). Comparing my long runs leading to Milo this year vs 2018, I am better off now as I only managed to do one 16k long run last year as my longest before the race. This should be a big confidence booster coming in 2 weeks before the race.

What bothers me is how I am in terms of meeting my target sub-2:30 pace. I know that I have the endurance, but the pace to go under 2:30? Hmmm, this is a bit of a worry that I need to address on this taper period.

I will have to do more race-pace workouts to get my body familiar with this type of efforts ---on longer periods--- so as not to be shocked come race day.

I'm still biking, mostly indoors, via the Trainerroad Low Volume Sweet Spot program. It's a good complement to my weekly runs to keep my endurance levels high with less impact to my body and at the same time keeps my bike form/fitness in check.

But priority is still with my runs so I am ok to skip the ride for the day if it means more rest for me in time for the next run workout.

After Milo, I'm still dilly-dallying on whether to sign up for another BikeKing Dua (6-60-4) or try my luck on a small scaled tri. The latter could be a challenge as I've NEVER done any workout for the swim....

...ever. 😀

Race Review: Sunriser Run 10k

THE GOOD

1. RunRio organized the race so there was no worry. Aid/hydration stations were aplenty ---even when the max distance was only 10k. Race marshals were all around as well

2. Modest loot bag

3. Challenging route of Bayani Rd AND Mckinley West

FOR IMPROVEMENT

1. Race distance measured 9.7km only

MY RACE

Run CTL - 19
TSB - 4
Weight - 167lbs

Original plan for this was to race at 10k pace but, seeing how my recent training logs went, I had to adjust to half marathon pace. This was good as I will see how much I will fare at this speed if I were to carry it up to my Milo HM in July.

My race went from serious to pleasant as I ran with my officemates. It was chikka pace but we knew it had to be decent (without us saying a word about it). Nobody walked (except for 1 who we had to leave due to injury) which meant nobody taps out unnecessarily.

The route was all too familiar (Bayani Rd to Heritage and back) but added with the start/end inside Mckinley West which had its share of small climbs. Thanks to my regular training I was able to cope well, finishing with my officemates in 1:08. Not fast, but not slow either. Just right for a Sunday run. Note that I didn't take any gels which meant I am getting used to this distance with probably no need for mid race nutrition. This will obviously not be the case for a 21k race where nutrition is (always) critical.

I didn't go all out which turned out ok as this means I didn't force it needlessly (no injury) towards my real goal: Milo HM in July. However, I learned that I have to build some more if I want to finish sub 2.30 in my "panata" race, one of my A-races this year. I will probably need to incorporate more HM pace laps in my long runs to get used to it along with longer long runs (I have yet to run a 16 AND a 18k run, oopsies).

On another note, it feels good to join a running event after a long while. The running community is still alive and well thanks to these races that motivate us for better health.

As always, back to training....

Race Review: PruRide PH 2019 60km

Good:
1. Good race route that is Subic. I heard people were complaining of the hilly route not meant for GFs but I think if you trained well for it, it won"t be that bad.

2. Nice medal

For improvement:
1. Not enough water stations on the return route. No bananas or Gatorade especially for those dying with cramps.

2. Bike jersey of poor quality. I guess that's what u get for 850 bucks. Still wore it though during the race. Hehe.

3. Medals for the finishers still WITHIN cutoff had to claim their medals from the booth. It would've been nice if all that climbing was rewarded with the medal being hung around your neck just after the finish arc.

MY RACE:
Weight: probably 166 lbs
CTL (bike): 23
TSB (bike): 3

I really didn't "race" this one as I had to accompany my high school batchmates throughout the route who were all but 2 of us riding with MTBs. Thus it was more of a fun ride, if you will, for me and my mates as we encouraged each other to finish the 60km leg.

The route was not my usual whenever I stay in Subic with the family (my route is from the Lighthouse to OceanAdventure which is probably about 30k+). The elevation didn't disappoint as there were monstrous climbs (around 3 apart from the usual 1 that I ride) that tested how far I've gone in terms of getting stronger on the bike. Good thing for my Trainerroad sessions, I was able to pass those climbs with flying colors. Note that we had to stop once in a while for our mates lagging behind which made me recover just before heading to the next climb.

Forgive me, but I had to applaud myself from not suffering from cramps, nor walked the hills, nor withered due to lack of nutrition throughout the race. It just shows that if one trains consistently (and correctly!), you will reap the rewards on race day. I had to stay though with my MTB friends since, as a unsworn pact of brotherhood, we mustn't leave a man behind. Again, no biggie as I treated this race as a friendly group ride.

Finished the race around 5.5hrs which was well within the 6hr cutoff. Glad to report as well that all 4 of us batchmates finished.

Maybe, when I get back to Subic for a non race weekend, I *may* try that 60k route again. Hehehe...

Race Review: Clark Dua Classic 2019

PROS:

1. Clark has always been a great venue for racing. So good job on organizing this race here.
2. Good job on the race marshal work. Lots of signs and marshals abound by the race route.
3. Sufficient hydration.
4. Accurate Run1 distance.

CONS:

1. Bike leg was short 2kms. 
2. Run2 leg exceeded by 0.6km
3. My apologies, as I didn't like the post race meal. Ineng's would've been nice.

MY RACE

Racing weight: 167lbs (lost about 5 lbs since early March)

CTL: 49 (after 2 weeks of taper, concentrating on high intensity but shorter workouts)

FTP: 177

Pre-race meal: Mcdo Cheeseburger Meal 😁

Drove from QC to Clark for this one in the early morning, arriving an hour before gun time which was sufficient time to claim my race kit and setup my bike and other gear.

Race strategy was to pace 6.30/km on Run1, then 27-28kmh average on the Bike, then hold on for dear life with an "ideal" (more of "hopeful") pace of 6.30/km as well. This should make me finish just outside the 3hr mark ---near my 3:02 PR.

The number of participants totaled 400+ as per the race emcee, which made for an "intimate" setup compared to other races I've been to. The race venue had a "local, close knit" feel to it which made the whole race very comfortable for me (in terms of non-grandeur). I didn't feel a tinge of race nervousness as I've done this lots of times (although my last Standard Dua was last 2016), and add to the fact that I put my trust on the weeks of training that I did coming into this one.

"You've Got This" was going to be my mantra for this one, I thought.

You've Got This.

Run1 went smoothly as planned, finishing the 10.1km distance in 6:31/km average. Gel at km7.

This was good, I thought, as I went into the transition to get my bike. As mentioned on my last post, I'll be racing with my new BMC TMR02 frame which will have to prove itself on this semi-technical, "wall" laden course.

Left the transition after 2.5min transition and pedaled off to the bike course. The TMR02 made its aero-ness felt on the flats and descents, letting me cruise above 30kmh with little to medium effort. Surprised that I was at this rate up to the U-turn which started the trek up to the dreaded "Wall" which I estimated to be 4-5kms of gradual to semi-steep gradient.

This was where I had to recall all my indoor rides which I suffered. I just buried my head, embraced the suffering, and pedaled sub-FTP effort. It was one of the longest (10-15mins probably?) moments in the race that I wanted to end. The climb subsided to a descent and then flat to complete the loop...

...then we had to it all over again. Hahahaha....

Yup suffered again on that long climb, and just saying my mantra all over in my head:

You've Got This.

You've.

Got. 

This!!!

After 1 hour and 26mins, I was back in the transition area for Run2. Gel taken at 17mins and 1hr 10mins during the ride.

One question did enter my mind as I was changing to my run shoes: "Did I push too hard sa bike? Do I still have enough for Run2?"

I opted not to take a gel prior Run2. A gamble on my part, yes, but I learned that any gel taken at the time, for a 5k run, will not be "cooked" in time for my energy consumption. I will just have to run this with all the fat stores remaining ---which for my overweight self would be aplenty. Hahaha...

Onto Run2, I suffered as expected but not as worse as my previous duas since I was pacing somewhat well at 7:00/km (I usually expected it to drop as low as 7:30 to even 7:40 on previous races). I was able to analyze why this was after I looked into my bike numbers: lower watts, higher cadence but at the same speed as my 2016 races. I was in a better condition coming into Run2 (di kasing pagod as previous). I guess the TMR02 (and my Trainerroad training sessions including bricks) have helped me a lot. Hehe.

I was taking short 5-10 sec walks (especially at the hydration stations) to recover but just willed it to run amidst aching thighs. Looking for other races up front (and those chasing at the back) as targets to keep me motivated to run (which worked, mind you). 

Finished Run2 at 7:08/km which was outside my 6:30/km but still respectable in terms of previous duas (as earlier mentioned).

Total race time was 3:17 and change, which was a far cry from my 3:02 PR. To my defense, that PR was in Subic where the Bike leg was on Raceway which was mostly flat. No climbs such as "The Wall" to defer any PR chances.

Comparing this 2019 time to my 2016 dua on the same venue, however, was a different story as I improved by 11 mins. Yehey!!!

Food for thought though is how I finished within my Age Group (45-49). I finished 19th out of 29 and ranked on the different segments as below:

Run1 - 26th of 29 (opted to start from the back para no pressure or pakikipagunahan)

Bike - 17th of 29 (Aero Frame + aero bars + Trainerroad indoor sessions, baby 😀)

Run2 - 14th of 29 (it was 16th but there were 2 people which did only 1 loop as I analyzed. Yeah, so drop 'em! Hehe)

You just have to admire at how fast these duathletes (at our age ha!) are in spite of all the training I did ---kulang pa pala!

Transition was not on the race results so I probably dropped considerably to 19th due to slow transition time. Need to improve on that one too, I guess.

Well, I will take this week lightly to recover (my Garmin 920XT said I need 4 DAYS to recover, hahaha) so I am DEFINITELY following that. Hehehe...

In closing, this was a great result considering the training I did. I guess the amount of training done is really commensurate to the race result so I will have to put in more (volume) coming into succeeding races, be it duas, bike races, or run races if I want a better result.

The "You've Got This" mantra really worked. Hmmm...maybe I should get a sticker for it to put on my bike's top tube for motivation. Hehehe...

😉