Mizuno Infinity Run 2010

This was my first ever Mizuno Race. That said, I wasn't pressured to beat any previous time from last year. It was also my first time to join a 15K distance run.

However, I still set goals for myself that day. And those were:

1. To run continuously. No walk breaks whatsoever!
2. To keep a 6:50k-ish pace.
3. To finish strong!

I am proud to say, GOALS ACHIEVED! The farthest I've ever ran without stopping or brisk walking was 12K. So this is a big deal for me. But to be completely honest, there were times my body felt like giving up. But my mind was stronger and it willed this mid-thirties body to keep going. I remember thinking of the words and phrases such as "Push" and "I love hills". These I got from my friend/coach/adviser, Carina. They really work wonders when said repeatedly.

From 11th Avenue, I increased my pace a bit coz it was just one more corner and it was finally the finish line. Alas, the race marshal screamed, "10K turn here, 15K go straight." I was like, "WHAAAAT?!" Darn it, I thought it was almost over. We were told to go straight on 11th ave., and make a u-turn near the end before turning to Lane O where the finish line was. I didn't expect that. Nonetheless, as I reached the corner of Lane O, I sprinted towards the finish line.

Official 15K Finish Time:

*Bow*

I was happy with my time! I think it also helped that I stopped only once to grab a cup of cold gatorade in one of the hydration stations. First time for me to also just do this and rely solely on my two small hydration bottles.

Which now leads to my only not-so-good comment for this race. There was a long line to get a cup of water after crossing the finish line. I wanted to faint, but it's ok. Patience. It's summer. A lot of people are more thristy now. 5 minutes into slowly inching ourselves to the water station, we heard some sighs and people saying, "wala nang tubig (no more water)."

I have already heard this kind of complaint before from other runners in other races. Personally, it has never happened to me back then but I did feel for them. Particularly those who ran the longest distance for that race! Can you imagine how thirsty they must've been? Now, I am exactly in their shoes, so I can now totally relate. Don't get me wrong, at the course there were a lot of hydration stations. I especially appreciated the 1 cold cup of Gatorade that I got. But I just want to point out that it is equally important to have an adequate amount of drinks at the finish line. Considering the summer season now.

Also, there was another long line for the finisher's shirt. I don't mind this too but it would be nice to be able to get the right size after standing in line that long. There was no more extra small or small size for me. Just medium. Great. But it's ok. Will just give it to my fiance.

True, I do not join these races for the water or for the shirt and other freebies. These constructive comments (and the comments of other runners) are meant to help improve our races and runs here in our country. I've heard how impressive these events are in other countries like Singapore and the U.S. And I believe we can reach that level as well.

I guess, in a way, I can liken this race to myself and my performance. We both still have a lot of room for improvement. But I'm glad I was able to achieve the goals I set for myself that day. And I know Mizuno was able to make a lot of runners happy too. Particularly those who won the raffle. I heard they gave away Suunto watches and Oakleys among other things! Props to Mizuno for that!

I trust and expect that next year I will perform better and beat my previous time. And from Mizuno, a new and improved awesome event that will be better than this year's.

As their caption says..."NEVER SETTLE."

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