Thousands of runners joined the 21-kilometer race category during last week's Run United (RunRio Trilogy). While I don't have the exact numbers, it's the most number of participants I've seen in the many 21k runs I've joined in the past two years.
There were so many runners, in fact, that I had to literally slow down or stop at certain parts of the route because bottlenecks of runners have literally blocked the way. I was part of the second wave, so I imagine it was a bit harder for runners in the succeeding waves. Road construction along parts of the route didn't help either.
However inconvenient the bottlenecks were, they could only mean good things. First, it looks like runners in the country had "leveled up" from the usual 10k run to a more challenging half marathon. Second, it seems that hardcore runners recognize that if they want a good run, they better join a Rio-organized event. Or both.
There were many good things to love about this year's Run United (my first 21k of the year). The activity started on time; there were more than enough water (and energy drinks) stations; markers were very visible; enough portalets were set up along the way. There were plenty of race marshals, as well as police and traffic enforcers.
The race results were released just a couple of days ago. Interestingly, I couldn't find my name on the list. I don't remember my bib number either so I guess there's no way for me to check my official race time.
It's a good thing I had my Nike+ app with me. According to it, I finished my 21k run in 2 hours and 12 minutes. That's the strongest finish I've logged in any of the 21k runs I've joined. My usual average is 2 hours and 30 minutes. So yey!
It was a pleasant surprise to see my personal record improve, considering I wasn't feeling well the night before and was actually considering skipping the run. It didn't help that I only had barely three hours of sleep. This is not a good thing. I usually prepare well for my 21k runs, but there were things I needed to attend to. Don't you worry though, I slept like a baby the entire afternoon later that day and didn't wake up until around midnight. Ha!
Sleep or no sleep, I was surprised to see how strong I finished the run. Usually, I start praying for help when I reach the 14- or 15-kilometer mark. This time, however, it wasn't until I was at the 19-kilometer mark that I find myself struggling to reach the finish line (so near, yet so far!). This means I am getting stronger. Is this my body's way of telling me that I'm ready for my first ever full marathon?!?!
I have to thank Adidas and my friend Paul Chuapoco (@PaulThePRGuy) for inviting me to join the 21k category. The "Rio-Plato", a term coined my friend and running buddy Jason Cruz (@jsncruz) for the huge 21k finisher's medal, looks good. I'm looking forward to completing the RunRio Trilogy this year. I could definitely do with more Rio-Platos! :)
No comments:
Post a Comment