Last year, I conquered my farthest run with a distance of 11 kilometers from the usual 10k races I'd often join. This was during the first Gatorade 1122 Race, which offered 11k and 22k and was aptly scheduled on November 22.
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| I love the materials of the Adidas singlet and Finisher's shirt! Unfortunately, the medium size was too big for Gab so he had to wear my shirt from last year |
This 2016, my husband and I once more joined the run held last November 27 and were able to tag along our 21-year-old son who's also a barefoot runner like his dad. (Read Gab's own race review, here). We arrived at the Mall of Asia past 3AM but spent a lot of precious time finding a parking space no thanks to hundreds of other cars brought by the runners and the confusing rerouting around the race village.
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| More than 6,700 runners participated in the second year of the Gatorade Run 1122. The titular run, fueled by the world’s number one sports drink and organized by Runrio, aimed to promote proper hydration in the country’s fast-growing and active running communities. |
With only a few minutes left to spare, my husband had to suit up quickly and we only realized after the race that he had mistakenly pinned on our son's 11k race bib instead of the one for 22k. Still, he got to run in his category while Gab and I waited for our own gun start.
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| runners plucking their own finisher ribbons |
Finally, it was our turn and, as always, I ran at my own pace while my son pulled away faster from the starting line. I found the route nice because it was a deviation from the usual paths of other races held around MOA.
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| last kilometer to go! |
It was good to see a lot of hydration stations along the route so I was able to get refreshing swigs of Gatorade whenever I felt thirsty and needed a boost of energy. I also like how the organizers put up Finisher ribbons that runners can grab before tackling the last kilometer.
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| Far Eastern University (FEU) cheering squad |
To further encourage runners to finish the race, cheering squads from different universities were stationed along the road towards the finish line like they did last year.
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| Gatorade's roster of top-caliber brand ambassadors including Alyssa Valdez (2nd from right seated) and Alaska Aces’ Calvin Abueva (second from left, standing) |
I'm glad I got to finish the 11k faster this time around. One year's worth of practice runs and races definitely helped improved my endurance. I'm not yet sure though if I'll be able to have enough courage to do 22k next year but, hey, I'm not saying "No," just yet. For now, it's still "Maybe" and "We'll see." 😀
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| happy to have finished another race with my personal coach and running buddy |
* If you're interested to start your own running journey, do read my other blog post entitled, Five Tips for Newbie Runners From Someone Who Used to be One. It's my little way of encouraging my readers to also live a healthier lifestyle.
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