"L" is for... (Condura Run)

{More photos from Run Unltd. Thanks, Vener!}

Late!

I have no excuse. I was in bed by 10.30, but had a hard time waking up and kept pushing the snooze button on my alarm. I guess all those late nights and 24/7 deliveries finally took a toll on me. Wrong timing! Argh~ It was torture to see all the 21K runners speeding past us, while I was still stuck at the traffic light (the loooongest ever) of 5th and 32nd, trying to kick myself within the confines of the car.

Leading the Pack
...of 10K runners, that is! I got a kick out of seeing the first 10K runners looking back to check out their competition-- me! haha. I'm sure they must be thanking their lucky stars that I was wearing a bright yellow race bib instead of the blue one.

Looking Up
I was off to a good start and feeling pumped up. I was even able to catch up to a half marathon runner as I neared the railroad track. Things are indeed looking up. The Skyway is right ahead...

Lifted Running
The Skyway route was great! I was initially thinking of backing out and just running with the 10K runners for a PR, but then realized that I might never get the chance to run on the Skyway again. I'm glad I did. It was such an experience.

Ligo
I loved the spray from the water truck. A much needed boost for the tired runners. I could feel my mouth curving into a wide, playing-under-the-rain kind of smile as I passed underneath the cool shower. Too bad I just went through it once, I was looking forward to my run back from the 21K turnaround, when I saw the truck drive by me. Aww...

Lady Gaga
I had the Skyway to myself and couldn't resist. And Lady Gaga kept telling me to "Just Dance". So I did. Hundreds of runners ran on the Skyway, but how many can say that they danced on it? For a few seconds there, I was Lady Mukhang Gaga. It was liberating. ;)

Lone Runner Lagging
I hit the wall at 14K. Probably because I forgot to pace myself the first half-- again! Oh, the pressure of catching up. I have to remember that sometimes running is a solitary sport. Funny how I run to lose myself in my own little world, but then always felt comfort when running alongside other people.

Lonely at the Top
The Buendia flyover (going back) was the hardest part for me. It was when everything simply crashed down. The exhaustion, the dejection, the annoyance (at myself), the piled up stress, the self-pity, the loneliness... Haaay~ And to think just a (few?) minutes earlier, I was feeling on top of the world.

Lifeguard
Spotted: Running Fatboy, with a water bottle on hand, who ran back the route to look for me (while adding miles to his marathon training). Thanks for seeing me to the finish line in one piece (There were times when I thought I'd swerve into incoming cars. All I could see were dots). You just gotta love 'em friends!

Lost Loot
I lost my loot bag. Boo. And I was so looking forward to the pink Vitwater inside too. Good thing my sister managed to get a copy of The Bullrunner Magazine as well as Men's Health (David Beckham!!!).

Lauriat
Chowking lauriat breakfast hits the spot. Especially if you have it with a halo-halo on the side. I had to make myself feel better. hehe.

To the Condura Race organizers: "L" for Lovin' it! A job well done. To think last year's run was one of the best ones, you definitely outdid yourselves. See you next year!

{Staying afloat at 21K}

{Mermaids}

{Back to Running}