Q & A by Bea Azcuna

fitness

By Paul Pajo

1. So you’ve just ran your first international half-marathon in HK – why did you pick HK as your first international half- marathon?

I chose the HK half marathon because it is the nearest, being 1 hour and 50 minutes away by plane (Singapore is almost 3 hours via plane) and my family just LOVE Hong Kong! I wanted to experience HK differently this trip. What also contributed to me choosing HK as my first international run is the fact that even (7) friends I run with also signed up for the same run, same distance category and same time. Running with friends makes the whole experience so much more meaningful.

2. How would you compare the Condura half-marathon with the HK half-marathon?

The Condura half- mary was much easier than the HK half-mary! In HK, the air was very cold (at 12 degrees celsius) and thin, the course was very challenging with at least six (6) steep flyovers that needed to be traversed from halfway up to the finish line along with the infamous 2K downward run inside Western Harbour Tunnel. Despite all the challenges, it was great running with people from HK, China and other countries. I found it simply amazing how strong the local participants were. They hardly stopped to walk and if they did, it happened within less than 10K from the finish line. truly admirable.

3. I heard that the HK half-marathon and marathon course is a very difficult course yet you shaved several minutes off your previous PR – how were you able to do that?

I am actually surprised I did much better in HK than in the Condura run! Despite the very cold weather that I am not used to running in, and the difficult course, I attribute my better PR from the extra “hill repeats” program and additional mileage I did religiously along with fellow HK half mary participant, Vanj Endaya. We both ran hard and made ourselves stronger especially in conquering hills, two weeks prior to the HK run. It paid off!

4. Any memorable moments during the HK half-marathon race?

I just loved the time we were walking together to the starting line. I couldn’t believe I was along Nathan waiting to run the streets of HK that more often I get to see while in the cab. I enjoyed running with so many people who are serious about running like me.

5. Any tips for people running their first international half-marathon?

- Check the marathon’s website for all information on the course, distance, fees to pay, requirement of VISA, where to stay and weather/climate on race day.
-Talk to other runners you may know who have done the races you plan to sign up for, get feed back so that you will have more or less an idea of what to expect.
- Make sure you are well trained based on the hydration stops that the race planners will set up. The HK half-mary had water stops every 5K, so others may want to bring a bottle of water/sports drink to hold during the run.
- Apparel / Gear. Bring the appropriate running clothes and shoes for the said run. During the HK run, weather was cloudy with chances of rain with temp ranging from 10-13 deg cel
- Hotel rooms usually have a card / match box that have the hotel address and telephone numbers. Make sure to put one in the pouch you will use on race day. You may need this for any emergency or when travelling back to the hotel after the race.
- Pack a cell phone and just enough money for your transport back to your hotel after the race.
- Do not experiment with food to eat and do not eat too much the day before the race.
- I learned this from our coach, Patrick Joson. He said that the regular marathon travelers pack their basic running gear in their hand-carry. I thought this was very good advice as it would keep it from getting stolen or lost. The last thing you would want is not to have your gear for your race.