GMA Eleksyon 2010 Na, Tatakbo Ka Ba? - 10k

I've just finished the Tatakbo Ka Ba 10k run. I think I was able to set a PR of some sort because my best time for a 10k run has been 1:05. I finished the GMA 10k in 0:59. This is the first time I've gone below an hour in a 10k run. Too bad I don't have any souvenir pics from the run. As usual, I ran by myself - no entourage (i.e., my wifey, Bambam) waiting to take my picture at the finish line, no running mates. It sucks to be me hahaha! But hey, I couldn't be happier because my time for 10k has been improving steadily over the past couple of weeks. Next time, my target will be to shave four or five minutes off my time and clock in at 0:55.

Those army boys are something else! In all the runs I've been in so far, a military-looking dude has always made the entire pack eat dust. In this particular run, it was more like a platoon of army boys. They all sported crew cuts - 4x5 white side walls - and wore uniform singlets. When I ran into them at the first loop near Market! Market!, all I could do was think to myself - "papunta pa lang ako, pabalik na sila." Hahaha. Wow. Hats off to them.

For some reason, the race organizers decided to let ALL runners - both for 5k and 10k - start at the same time. The result? The starting line felt like a mad dash for the Eat Bulaga studio (can't use Wowowee, it's a GMA run). It was really packed and all the runners were sweating from their warm-ups. You can just imagine what it felt (and smelled) like in there. To make matters worse, the presence of Kapuso stars (hehehe) attracted hundreds of non-runners to the starting line. One of the Sex Bomb girls even led the stretching exercises. Geez. The whole thing felt more like a noontime show, not a running event.

Finally, the gun went off. Thank God for that. At first, it was difficult to run at my usual gun start pace because the crowding was just too much. Eventually, the throng thinned after the 5k runners were diverted into their neck of the woods, and us 10k runners took to our own route. I got into the flow after "Way Away" by Yellowcard started playing on my iPod. Yellowcard always gives me a huge lift. The run went very smoothly from there and I started feeling good about joining this race. I felt really strong. After I crossed the finish line, I kind of felt sorry that it was all over. I could've gone for five kilometers more and I still would've felt strong. I've never felt this good in any of my past runs and races.

Next up for me is the Ayala Malls Eco Dash on September 13. I signed up for the 10k run, and I'll be chasing another PR in that one. This run will be the start of my build-up for my first-ever half-marathon later this year (hopefully in November). I'm also looking forward to running for the first time up the Buendia fly-over and onto the Ayala area. I'm sure it's going to be a hell of a run.

Can't wait to get back on the road!