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| 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. ;)
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. ;)
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| Post-Run Recovery Food: Tahoooooo!!! |
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