How to run your first 102 kilometer Ultramarathon Part 2

fitness

By Paul Pajo

4. Familiarize with the route – I was basically running the same route that we did when we ran the test run from Kilometer 50 to Kilometer 102 – so there were little surprises – by this time I was pleasantly surprised how I felt doing a 4-1 rhythm. It helps that the Bataan Death March markers practically dictated the rhythm of my runs.

5. Post to Post to Post – I bumped into Alden who abandoned his original 4-2 rhythm and was doing 4 posts – 2 posts. He was using the electric posts to guide him through the run instead of the 4 minutes run vs. 1 minute walk strategy. I tried it and it was more pleasant than my previous rhythm but I got my second wind somewhere along kilometer 83.

6. Don’t run on Gravel if you don’t have to - I made a strategic mistake once we were about to enter Pampanga – I decided to run on the right side of the road and therefore had to contend with gravel – gravel on your shoes, gravel inside your socks – gravel! gravel! gravel! I was monitoring my time and I was hitting 11 minutes per kilometers in some bad patches and it was a pain when my feet could feel the gravel underneath my shoes! And then I realized – I ran on the left side of the road in the previous run – why was I running on the wrong side of the road – when I switched to the other side – I picked up the pace! I must have lost about an hour and half being on gravel – I don’t think I’ll do that next time!

7. Chia on C2 - I read in Born to Run by Christopher McDougall how the Tarahumara was chia-powered – I got some chia seeds from my team mate Alden Meneses and I mixed it with apple flavored C2. The Tarahumaras mixed their chia with something that was like lemonade and this was my own version. Instead of eating every 5 kilometers, I decided to alternate eating with ingesting the chia mix – less time to chew and easier on the tummy – go chia power! I would prefer LifeMax because of the how they cut it microfine but apparently you can get generic chia seeds for a cheaper price. Your choice – but try chia on your ultras soon!

8. Go easy on the hills - I would normally maintain my pace on the uphill climbs and blaze down downhills but I chose to be conservative – if it was a short uphill I would keep the pace but if it looked longer I would walk it and save my strength. I would blaze downhill and try to get as much free kilometers on the downward momentum. I wasn’t as worn as I was when I ran the Last Man Running vs. the BDM102K because I learned to take it easy during hill runs.

9. Have a great support crew – good thing my support crew of Mon, Zanne, Rob, Cathee, Honey, Boyet and Rex had a sense of humor – I would try to joke with them every break just to maintain an encouraging spirit – it helps to have team mates running with you because there were five to six other vehicles that was cheering me on even when my own support crew wasn’t there – you should try running an ultramarathon with the Pace Partners – it’s a fun experience!

10. Pose for the pictures – I took time to have pictures take at Kilometer 73 (guess why?) and even Kilometer 100 – I was telling Ellie Cabiling that it was my excuse to lower my heart rate and rest a bit. By this time – my right shin was a little bit painful with every step – I think I got my ankle dorsiflexors confused and sored with my switching between Lit Onrubia’s chi running (more bend at the ankle, zero toe curl) vs. Patrick Joson’s toe curl technique – maybe I should be more conscious next time. I decided to break-in the Asica Kayano Gel 17 that grade school mate Jan De Leon gave me the night before race day and even had pictures taken (out with old, in with the new). Shin splints vs. blisters? I could live with the blisters so I decided to use the more cushioned Kayanos and said goodbye to the Mizuno shoes. And I was flying the last 5 kilometers! The pain was down by 95% and was almost gone when I was about 2 kilometers from the finish line – before I knew it I was finishing my first 102 kilometer ultramarathon, hugging Bald Runner, cheering with Team Real LIFE, kissing the ground and the 102 kilometer marker and thanking God that I could honor the memory of my late Lolo Jose Belviz who survived the original 1942 Bataan Death March! So, what are you waiting for? Run a 100 kilometer ultramarathon soon!