Look Who Made It To Runner's World Magazine...

Look who made it to Runner's World Magazine (Philippines)! It's my running buddies Dennis (A.K.A. Running Fatboy) and Per! 

They ran the Disney Marathon in Florida, USA. That's one of my dream marathons to run. Dear Universe, now that I've crossed the Angkor Wat marathon off my list (Thank you!), can I start planning my next destination run? *wink, wink* ;)

Wreck It Ralph with Running Fatboy & Wife

Runner's World PH July-Sept 2014

Postcards from the Temple Run (1st Angkor Empire Marathon 2014)

Siem Reap, Cambodia-- I couldn't help but take photos during the race (so distracting though. haha). Saying that I've immortalized this run would be an understatement. You simply cannot capture the full majesty of Angkor, but I hope that you enjoy "running with me" as you sit back and mentally plan for your (future) Temple Run. 

Enjoy! ;)

Disclaimer: Trigger happy runner. Bandwidths, please bear with me.

Philippines... Present!
L-R; April, Joel, Jinoe (of Takbo.ph), Roselle (Running Diva), and me. 

At the 42K starting line.

The city of Siem Reap at dawn.

En route to Angkor.

Cows to keep us company.

Evenly spaced out water stations.

Sweet green bananas at the fueling station.

First of the many temple sightings.

Photo op courtesy of a friendly runner from Hong Kong.

The heat is on in Angkor.

The Bayon Temple is awesome.

Right on.

Coffee break at the half way mark.

Jinoe (of Takbo.ph) running strong.

They say marathoners are crazy, border lining basket case. I agree.
(Now, where's that basket case badge of mine?)

At around this point, don't mind if I do!

Photo op here.

Welcome to the countryside.

Smiles and cheers from the kids of Cambodia.

Much needed cookie rush.

It's getting hot...

You can't help but slow down before you pass these entryways.

Long, dusty... takes your breath away.

The Elephant Terrace perimeter.

The Bayon Temple. A must. 

Elephants and runners crossing.

Almost there. Traffic!

Angkor Run Finishers! Hooray!
L-R: Joel, April, Roselle, Jinoe, me, and my sister, Jeanne (10K).

L-R: Me, Jinoe (Takbo.ph), and Roselle (Running Diva)

Saucony babies.

Read about my Temple Run race experience here. (BLOG POST TO FOLLOW)

Read about my Temple Run race kit redemption here. 

Temple Run Race Kit Redemption (1st Angkor Empire Marathon 2014)

At the EXPO in Apsara Angkor Resort & Conference

Siem Reap, Cambodia- The day after we got in (red eye flight), we quickly went about claiming our race kits to cross that errand out of our itinerary. The EXPO was held at the Apsara Angkor Resort & Conference Hotel. We knew how to get there, as we had seen it the night before on the way from the airport. It was around 20 minutes away from Firefly Guesthouse, where we stayed at. We then decided to just ride bikes going there instead of hiring a tuktuk. Our rental bikes were only USD $2.00, which you can use the whole day. The proceeds from The White Bicycles go to charity too. I haven't ridden a bike for years, so I had a lot of getting used to to get used to! Aside from the sun beating down on us (it was almost noon), getting to the venue was pretty much a smooth ride all the way. 

Since this was my first international marathon experience, I was looking forward to seeing how the EXPO would be. I was mentally setting aside a budget for race souvenir stuff like shirts or mugs. The EXPO, however, was just a straightforward race kit redemption area. No frills, not even a sponsor booth was in sight. The EXPO was held at a separate event center beside the hotel. It was a cozy area with intricate architecture. 

Our mode of transportation for the day.
$2/day for The White Bicycles bike rentals for charity.

Early Bird, No Lines.

This is it!

Chip Check.
Yup, it works. Now if only we can do the same for our feet on race day! ;) 

My Sister & I.
Temple Run Runners. 42K and 10K, respectively.

Angkor, all mapped out.

Paces & Places: Angkor Empire Marathon

7:05 A.M. Angkor Empire Marathon at Angkor Wat in Siem Reap, Cambodia.

Countdown to Temple Run

Countdown to the 1st Angkok Empire Marathon at Angkor Wat. Time to carbo load up! ;)

Paces & Places: 5:23 A.M. And A Cheerio Mornin' To You

Early morning breakfast outside the gate. My run buddies are running late!

I know that I should be on taper mode in preparation for next week's marathon, but it's been a while since I've woken up to the sound of a "nice day" instead of the pitter patter of rain, that I couldn't help but squeeze in a last minute run. 

Hope everyone's having a great weekend as well! :)

Rainy Days and Run Days (Tempra Run Against Dengue 2014)

Running for Dengue Awareness

Monsoon season is here and rainy days abound. It's been so hard finding the chance to run after work since it's been raining cats and dogs almost every day. Visibility is almost always zero. Fortunately (or unfortunately), this run, that was supposed to have gone on last week, was postponed to this weekend due to the typhoon. As luck would have it, my sister was able to register for me just the day before. So here I am! 

The Tempra Run Against Dengue is on their third year and counting. Their advocacy in creating awareness towards thwarting those darn dengue carrier mosquitoes is bigger than ever. And I think it's just apt that they use running as a means to spread it. I mean, after all, it's the runners who are mostly up and running in the morning when those dengue mosquitoes are out and about.

So in line with that, here's a friendly public reminder on the prevention of dengue for you runners!

Tips on Preventing Dengue (while out running):

1. Know thy enemy. The aedes aegypti mosquito, adorned in black and white stripes, is usually found in tropical climates. Watch out for stagnant water and the like. 

2. Cover up. Wear long sleeves, leggings/compression pants, or jogging pants when out running. But if you still prefer wearing shorts...

3. Use insect repellent. Or any insect-repelling paraphernalia like those mosquito patches or citronella wristbands.

4. Fight back. If and when infected, know the symptoms and start taking the necessary measures (e.g. Consulting with your doctor and drinking medicine to lower the fever right away).

Now, back to our regular post-run analysis...

I woke up to the sound of pounding rain sometime after midnight. Good thing the rain was all gone by the time I woke up for the run. It was still pitch black at the venue when I got there (that I couldn't even find where the assembly was). By 5:30, the race still hasn't started (10K was supposed to start at 5:00 A.M.), and I was getting a little bit impatient. It was still a bit dark, and I wanted to run before the sun came out because I forgot to put on sunblock!  

Apparently, there was a mugging incident somewhere along the route earlier, so the organizers decided to wait until the sun came out-- which was around 45 minutes later. Better safe that sorry, I guess. 

The race was off to a great start: the weather was cloudy and little windy; the 10K runners were sparse (Yeah, I liked that. I miss small runs.); and the route was flat and familiar. Starting point was the empty lot across Folk Arts Theatre, then headed towards Roxas Blvd., then to Buendia, turned right towards World Trade Center, then headed back to CCP area. Aaand repeat.

The first half of the race was nice and easy running. The second half, however, had us share the road with the 5K/3K(?) runners, which were mostly composed of student groups walking as a pack, like they were in a rally instead of a race! There were a few times that I missed out on some turns because the corners were blocked (by the pack). I had to back track a couple of times when I realized I missed the openings. There were no markers for the turns, and some of the marshals I asked gave me wrong (or rather unsure) directions. They probably weren't briefed enough. Or maybe it was too early in the morning. Which I can also blame for my missing the turns! haha. 

It wasn't really much of a big deal, but I kinda got bummed as I crossed the finish line and realized that I missed breaking my 10K PR (personal record) by a mere minute. Those were approximately 3 precious minutes that I could have shed off my time. Argh~ Although, record or not, it was still an enjoyable run.

Oh, and the best part in running in the CCP area (Viva Manila!), are the dime a dozen taho vendors roaming the streets. I treated myself to a cup of that muscle-recovering, superfood, soy, before heading home. You know, for almost (@!#%!?) breaking my PR. ;)

Post-Run Recovery Food: Tahoooooo!!!