(Disclaimer: I've said it before and I've said it again - I do not consider myself a "real runner," so if my finishing times are laughable to you - please move on, there's nothing to see here.) 

Today I am gloriously sore.  

This past Sunday was the culmination of several months of training; I finally completed the Grand Rapids Half-Marathon in 2 hours and 2 minutes.  

Half Marathon Time

In truth, although my official goal was to try and finish in 2 hours or less, I've had the sinking feeling all along that I wasn't going to make it.  While training, although my longest long run peaked at 15 miles, it was essentially just plodding along at a 10:30 to 10:45 pace.  When I did my last "fast" long run at 10 miles two Sundays ago, the pace was at most just a little over 9:30.  And while I was able to sustain a 9:00 pace consistently for 4 miles or so, I just knew I wasn't going to be able to hold 9:09 for two straight hours.  

With that in mind, I dejectedly but unofficially reduced my "realistic" target time to somewhere in between 2:05 and 2:10.  Imagine my surprise at coming in 3 minutes faster and just 2 minutes over 2 hours.  

The race started out as planned, with me doing the first few miles at 9:45 and slowly increasing my pace by 15 seconds for every mile after the 4th or 5th.  Sound strategy (or so it seemed), as I did not want to come out too fast and "hit the wall" at around mile 10.  

Now I've heard about the "adrenaline" effect of running in a big race, but never having felt it before (despite the few 5- and 10ks that I've run to date), I didn't know if it was a myth or just something that "true" runners experience.  Imagine my surprise then when, upon reaching mile 9 with my pace at a healthy 9:15, I realized that I wasn't even close to getting tired.  Stealing a look at my trusty Garmin 305, I realized that I "only" needed to run the remaining 4 miles or so in 34 minutes to reach the magic 2 hour mark.  I decided to give it a go and run the rest of the race as fast as i could.    

On reviewing my splits, it seems that I finished the last 4 miles or so at a roughly 8:48 pace, which means that I could have completed a 5k in 27:20 - just 11 seconds shy of my PR - at the end of my Half-Marathon!  This is frankly something I didn't think I was capable of, and it makes me wonder if I shouldn't have started out a little faster and tried a little harder... although, as my battered legs can attest, I'm not quite sure I had any more effort left to exert. 

To be honest, this was not nearly as dramatic as it could have been.  There was none of that "pain is only temporary, but glory lasts forever" crap going through my mind, just a simple "Wow, I am really doing this, let's see how long I can keep it up" sentiment.  

I suppose that's what the "runner's high" that I keep hearing about really is - a sense of well-being that makes you go beyond your preconceived limits.  Unfortunately for me, it doesn't seem like those limits were meant to be crossed, hence the current inflammation of every piece of connective tissue from my toes to my butt, which shows no signs of abating at all soon.  Owwww.  

Still, what this makes me realize is that what once seemed like a pipe dream - that is, eventually running a full 26.2, may actually be doable.   For now I'll just have to subsist on a steady stream of Ibuprofen and wait for the pain to pass.  

I haven't committed to anything yet, but I'm already browsing for a full marathon in the spring.  Mayhap one will look interesting enough (and fit into my schedule) to join.  Target time: 4 hours.  Realistically around 4:15, but we'll see.  

Ever the supportive wife, Gianina bought me a "13.1" magnet to stick on my car a few weeks ago, which we finally got to put on.  I hope to be able to put a "26.2" on there soon. 

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This year i finished The Greatest 5K Ever in 29:09. 

JB Time

I realize that this year's finish is 5 seconds slower than last year, which marked my "breaking" of the artificial 30-minute barrier.  However i do have an excuse in that i ran while pushing Adrian along in a stroller.

Running in the "stroller division," i mistakenly thought that i would have a chance at placing... unfortunately i finished fifth out of six, and the only one i beat was a lady just lazily walked through with a Maclaren.  Argh!  At least when i try to manually look for my overall place it looks like i'm in the vicinity of 170/296.  I guess i'll just have to take comfort in the fact that i still outran almost half of the field while "handicapped."  I must admit that i did feel a twinge of schadenfreude whenever i overtook someone. 

JB and Adrian

Anyway, i wasn't really looking to PR, but rather just to gauge my level of readiness for the upcoming half-marathon in two weeks.  I guess i'm somewhat fit now, as breaking 30 minutes didn't bring me as close to death's door as it did last year.  I still most likely won't reach the magical 2-hour mark, but i will try my darndest to get as close as i can. 

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So a few weeks ago i "sidegraded" from a Nokia N95 8GB to an iPhone 3GS (i can't really call it an upgrade because the camera downgrade to 3MP sans flash is *almost* intolerable).  Although i've almost completely made the transition over to this "convergence" device, one issue that i definitely had to figure out was how to go out on a run with it.  Previously i had used a neoprene armband with my Nokia (which was a good running companion because of its compact size, FM radio, and ability to play mp3 files), so i simply assumed that there would be a similar product for the iPhone. 

(Running with a phone is not a minor point for me.  Although i do take long runs with some regularity now, i am still fearful of a time when i could "hit the wall" right in the middle and get stranded 6 miles from home, twist my ankle, or get bitten by a rabid squirrel.) 

There are actually at least 3 reputable companies that manufacture armbands compatible for the iPhone 3G and iPod Touch 2nd Gen (which are about the same size).  Unfortunately their products all fit the phone pretty snugly, and since mine is always wrapped in an InCase Protective Cover, there is no way for me to put it in without the inconvenience of removing the aforementioned first and putting it back when done, which can be a royal pain given the rubberized texture. 

After some research, i finally decided to get an  Armpocket Sport 20.  Details such as the material it's made of, dimensions, yada-yada can be found on their website; what's important to me is that i can take my phone in and out without too much hassle and still be able to use the touch screen without being needlessly encumbered. 

Armpocket Sport 20

Side by Side with iPhone

Inside the Armpocket

Given the amount of stuff that i carry, flopping around is a concern, but easily remedied by just tightening the band around my arm.  Not much muscle mass there, so it's not uncomfortable. 

Of course i like to listen to podcasts and whatnot while running, so an earphone jack is a must.  The location is opposite where it should ideally be, but you can always just run the cord inside the case itself to exit the hole. 

Headphone Jack at the Bottom

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Mitchell's Run Thru Rockford 8-15-2009

It was an "anniversary" run for me as last year's Mitchell's Run Thru Rockford was my first time participating in an organized footrace.  At least i'm doing something right despite my recent disappointment with the Reeds Lake 10k, as i finished five minutes faster than last year.  At this rate, i'll finish next year's run at around 22 minutes, and in 2013 i should be able to break all records - not to mention some laws of nature - by finishing it in just 2. 

It's nice to see my age grade inching ever upwards.  Maybe in few more months i can break into 50% and be able to call myself "average." 

This is also the year that we welcomed my cousin Teena to the club.  I think this was her first organized footrace, and it seems that she's already eyeing a few more in the months to come. 

Mitchell's Run Thru Rockford with Teena

Another thing i did yesterday was finally commit to running the Grand Rapids Half-Marathon in October.  I've been hemming and hawing about it for the past few months but finally ponied up the $63 registration fee.  I have serious doubts about being able to complete it in 2 hours, but there's no harm in trying.  Another race that i'm mildly interested in is the Every Stride 10k, which appears to be the Michigan site for the Nike Human Race.  While the cynic in me believes that the event is only a thinly-veiled marketing ploy to sell Nike products, the wannabe-runner side is at least a little bit intrigued. 

Mitchell's Run Thru Rockford 2009 Shirt

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The end was anticlimactic, as i've found many endings to be. 

With neither family being a fan of long, drawn-out emotional goodbyes, we had a quiet dinner on the night before we left for the US.  As is usual for a first apo, Adrian was the focal point of the evening.  Eventually we did get around to snapping a full family picture, which - aside from a moderately informal one at our wedding - is the only one we have of both families together.  If i do say so myself - it does look pretty decent. 

Chongs and Guzmans

The actual trip back to Grand Rapids was nowhere near as exciting as the one to Manila; no delays aside from those expected at airports, and no surprises, and no more "accidental vacations." 

(As an aside, to the Filipino travelers out there carrying H1B visas, don't forget to obtain an Overseas Employment Certificate from your local Philippine embassy.  For the cost of $5, it'll save you a substantial amount of money in taxes and fees when flying out of NAIA.  I forget the exact amount, but rest assured that if El Cheapo says so, it must be significant.) 

Here's a few snapshots of the airport in Taiwan, and one from ORD waiting to fly back to GRR:

We returned to Grand Rapids on May 18th, 2009.  And the rest is history. 

EPILOGUE

It's been almost three months since we got back to Grand Rapids, and things have gone back to normalcy.  I've gotten back into the groove of working in the hospital, Gianina is hard at work trying to get into an MBA program, and Adrian is busy wreaking havoc in his usual fashion.  In unrelated news, i am dutifully training for my half-marathon this October and Gianina is addicted to 5Ks.  All is well. 

Reflecting on everything that went on during our nearly-three-week vacation, i am struck by how normal it felt to be back in the Philippines; how right everything seemed.  Despite the atrocious heat and humidity, the pollution, the ever-present traffic, and the rampant graft and corruption that always greeted me on the front page of the daily newspapers, walking on Philippine soil reminded me what it feels like to really belong. 

I don't remember exactly when, but at one point right in the middle of our vacation Manang Vi inquired of me (in Tagalog, of course): "So - when are you going back home?" 

"But where would we go?" i replied without missing a beat.  "We're already here." 

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When I first met him he was (at least in my estimation) "just" the studious guy at the top of the class.  I clearly remember that when he'd give reports in Araling Panlipupan, the question-and-answer segment would always be replete with prizes for the ones getting the right answers; cheap stuff such as candy and pencils to be sure, but decent enough spoils for fourth graders.  And of course, he was the son of Mrs. Matic, one of the most-feared teachers in all of De La Salle-Zobel.

As time went by and we became constant classmates every year - from sixth grade all the way through Medical School, our friendship grew.  We learned to play the guitar, went to various UAAP games with the Dedma Boys, lifted weights on-and-off (but still ended up flabby), pioneered Human Biology in DLSU, became "Histology Majors" in college, started a car "footwash" (a step below a car "pool"), tried to start a garage band, completed innumerable class projects,  wasted countless hours playing Battle Realms/Starcraft/Warcraft 3 when we should have been studying for Evals, and lost a good friend to cancer.  The list goes on and on, but suffice to say that short of homoerotic experiences, we've gone through almost everything.

One central "theme" to many of our interminable conversations was always the opposite sex.  Of course, we started getting interested in girls in early high school... and of course, those early years were equal parts awkward and traumatic.  How to do ligaw (courtship)?  What was the proper diskarte (technique)?  Where to buy cheap but not cheap-looking flowers?  Where to go on a cheap but not cheap-looking date?  Where to buy cheap but not cheap-looking presents?

(Obviously another central theme was how to save money.  Unfortunately we were not as blessed as some of our classmates with overflowing coffers and parents eager to disburse the contents thereof.  If you detect a little bitterness in my tone, rest assured that it's not just "a little," but that's neither here nor there.)

One spark of "brilliance" that we hit upon was the concept of a ligaw company.  I forget the details, but I think there was talk of sliding scales for specific events, such as a standard date vis-a-vis the Junior-Senior Prom.  We wouldn't be cheap, but we would be full service - from providing you with the appropriate script to ask the girl out to actually purchasing a nice corsage to tie to her wrist (the ones you pinned to the chest were allegedly passé).

In retrospect, it seems like the kind of idea that only some nerdy kids in high school would cook up, which is okay because we really were just nerdy kids in high school.  Still, despite our bumbling efforts, we seem to have hit on some good ideas, because we are now both happily married - and not to each other. 

Not being a person who frequents weddings (in fact I've missed two important ones - Francis' and Jerome's - which I will regret for the rest of my days), I'm not a good judge, but I think he managed to pull off a rather nice extravaganza.  The wedding ceremony was at the recently-renovated Magallanes Church and the reception was at the Manila Peninsula.  The only wedding I really have to compare it with was mine, which - while I am undoubtedly proud of it - was practically DIY.  But more important than all the guest lists, all the presents, all the speeches, and the final bill however is the fact that my best friend is beginning this new chapter in his life, a grand adventure into forever with his new bride. 

Here's to Marwin and Cathy - I wish them all the best.  Mabuhay ang bagong kasal!

The Chong Family at the Wedding

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This is disappointing. 

Reeds Lake Run

Considering that my last 10k was at least 3 months ago, i expected at least some improvement.  Granted, i may have been asking too much to shave a full minute off my PR, but to actually come in SLOWER by 25 seconds... yeesh.  At least i can still do it under 60 minutes. 

Since the moment i crossed the finish line i've been coming up with excuses, which i will decline to mention here (i am trying to teach my son not to whine, and the best way to teach is by example).  The bottom line is that i wasn't able to reach my goal and i have to train a little harder (with a focus on speed) for the next race.  More hills!  More lactate threshold workouts!  More tempo runs!  Fartlek! 

One thing i wonder about is whether or not this signifies that i'm past the n00b phase.  I've been running consistently for almost a solid year now (sporadically for around 2 years) and apparently am not deriving any more benefit from the bara-bara (anything goes) approach to running.  I absolutely refuse to believe that this is my personal plateau; while i'll never qualify for Boston, i do hope to to 26.2 at 9:00 at some point in the future.  Let's see if a few months of planned workouts helps.  I've got a few more races (albeit 5Ks) for the season, and hope to hit my peak with the Grand Rapids Half Marathon in October. 

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If everything had gone according to MY plan, Day 3 would have consisted of the Honda Bay Tour.  Unfortunately the resort manager apparently had another plan that was communicated neither to the clients (us), nor the person who was supposed to take us.  FLASHBACK: when we sat down for lunch at the hotel restaurant on Day One, the manager introduced himself to us and asked whether or not we had already gone to Honda Day.  Upon telling him that we didn't know we were supposed to, he asked whether or not our driver had told us, and we said no.  Eventually he offered to have us go snorkeling instead on Day 3; i replied that it would be fine, as long as it was financially equivalent.  Chuckling, he said that it was actually more "expensive" and acquiesced.  Now why a half-day snorkeling tour would be more expensive than a whole day tour of Honda Bay (which includes snorkeling and lunch) is beyond me, but i wasn't there to argue... 

At any rate, we got on a bangka early in the morning and proceeded to our first snorkeling destination.  Before any diving, we were required to sign-in at the local tourism office which also doubled as a pawikan (sea turtle) farm of sorts. 

Gianina and the Baby Sea Turtles

Here's a closer look:

Sea Turtle Up Close

Unfortunately there's not many pictures of our actual snorkeling "adventure," as i don't have an underwater camera.  I keep wondering if i should just have sprung for the $50 gfm waterproof camera that i saw at meijer; would it have taken good enough pictures?  I guess we'll never know. 

Gianina Snorkeling

This is my third try at snorkeling and Gianina's second.  I do find it somewhat enjoyable (except for the little stings i get on my skin when i pass by a patch of seaweed) and it whets my appetite for something more.  Mayhap one day when we're living lives of leisure we'll take up actual scuba diving.  For now i'm content to enjoy the sights in the shallow parts of the sea. 

On the way back we passed by a waterfall which serves as the main water source for the town of Sabang (which is where our resort was located).  If the weather had been more cooperative we would have kayaked there with a guide. 

Waterfall in the Background

As it was, we just contented ourselves with kayaking within a few hundred feet of the resort.  This particular experience i enjoyed immensely; i didn't realize that the waves subside (or at least start breaking) the farther you get from the shore.  Sitting two hundred feet into the sea, there's a peace that just settles on you... as if there's nothing wrong with the world, and i can appreciate how some people can get addicted to sailing. 

Here's a video of Gianina kayaking, subtitled for the non-Filipino-speakers among us:

Gianina Kayaking

 

For people who have never been on a bangka, here's a short video of what it looks (and sounds) like also:

Bangka

IV

The main event for Day Four was the City Tour. 

First on our itinerary was lunch (of course - no Chong ever goes hungry).  One of the more famous restaurants in Puerto Princesa is called Ka Lui's (Brother Louie's).  I'm no architect, but they seem to have constructed and decorated the place in the native fashion.  Their "gimmick" is that there are no shoes allowed in the whole restaurant.  Aside from keeping the floor clean, i guess it projects a little bit of local color.  The food was good and relatively inexpensive... and we got to try some STINGRAY!  There was the weird picture in the bathroom however that seemed out of place (it's the last picture - do not click on it if you are under 18). 

Next up was the "Crocodile Farm," although the official name of the place is obviously much longer. 

Crocodile Farm

Inside the museum proper there's the skin of a sixteen-foot crocodile that's been hung out to dry, as well as some assorted odds and ends from local wildlife.  There's also a nature park where you can see "wild" animals that have been caged for all to see.  But the big thing is the crocodile "farm" itself. 

For thirty pesos you can have your picture taken with a baby crocodile.  In this picture, Gianina is genuinely enjoying herself while i am getting ready to pee in my pants:

Handling the Crocodile

A short drive away from the Crocodile Farm is the Iwahig Penitentiary, which is a weird tourist attraction in that it consists only of a large prisoner settlement where the low-security prisoners are actually allowed to roam free.  We have no pictures of the place as i found it equal parts depressing and creepy; the less that is said about it, the better. 

The third stop was the ranch of the late great Congressman Ramon Mitra.  The place looked deserted, but the security would let us through the gate; i guess someone still lives there.  At least we could frolic in the garden and enjoy the spectacular view. 

Half a mile down the road is "Baker's Hill," where we picked up some local hopia.  Seen from the road, it looks like a simple stall in someone's garage where they sell pastries.  It's a lot more when you walk inside the property, though.  It's hard to describe, but it's something like a cross between a sculpture park and a zoo for exotic animals, with a fancy snack bar.  The pictures do it absolutely no justice. 

There's a big house on the property which i assume is the owner's residence.  If he's really a baker, then i wonder if i got into the wrong profession. 

The Baker's House?!?

(As an interesting aside, another half-mile from Baker's Hill is a big house with a big sign announcing that it's the residence of a certain retired Commodore.  We asked our driver if it was open to the public, and he replied in the negative.  Why the heck would you want to advertise who lives in a house if you don't let visitors in?) 

The last destination of the day was the Butterfly Garden.  The name is pretty self-explanatory.  We spent the better part of a half-hour chasing around butterflies and i was able to snap at least one decent picture.  Not bad for a dinky little point-and-shoot, i think.

Butterfly in the Garden

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Ulugan Bay

Daluyon Resort in Context

The Underground River is actually only navigable until a quarter of the way in (or half for the intrepid traveler who is willing to take the time to obtain a special permit), and consists mostly of looking at interesting rock formations, and avoiding accidentally drinking bat or bird urine (we were advised to keep our mouths closed when looking up).  Not really much for the casual tourist, but interesting enough if you're into geology or even history. 

The short stretch of forest you have to walk through is also a nature park of sorts where monkeys and monitor lizards abound.

Kalabaw Ride to the Mangrove Forest

(That wasn't all the Mangrove Forest grew... with pockets of mostly stagnant water abounding, it was also a breeding ground for mosquitoes.  For some reason i had a major brain-fart and forgot to apply insect repellant before the jaunt, resulting in tons of bites.  We are still currently taking malaria prophylaxis.) 

 

This part of the trip was actually somewhat poignant.  The tour guides are volunteers (i'm not sure if they have day jobs, and i was a little afraid to ask) who have been doing these for years.  When they talk about the Forest, one gets an appreciation for the love they feel for it, but it also makes you wonder - who will keep doing this once these men have passed on?  

Yoga by Sunset

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In the past year i've become quite fond of running.  I like the challenge of trying to beat my PR, the time alone to collect my thoughts, and - every once in a while - the endorphin rush of the "runner's high."  I was actually looking forward to increasing my mileage in the Philippines and possibly even racing one or two 5Ks during our three week vacation. 

But then reality came up, slapped me in the face, gave me a suplex, and kicked me while i was down. 

Upon awakening at 6 in the morning on that fateful first day, i checked the weather: eighty-seven degrees fahrenheit with 60% humidity.  The run started out as planned (i.e. joints and muscles in good working order), but within five minutes i was sweating bullets.  Although i didn't need to walk at any point, it felt like i dragged myself for the entire TWO MILES that i ran. 

And the hills!  I don't think there was ever a stretch of flat ground where we lived.  It's something i've never noticed before which becomes painfully obvious after a little while.  I guess that's why the place is named "Hillsborough."  Serves me right for training mostly on flat ground.

I suspect my problem was mostly the weather.  In the past six months i've acclimated to running in the cold, West Michigan climate.  Even with temperatures routinely below fifty fahrenheit in the week prior to our departure, i was regularly finishing easy four-milers with just one layer of clothing.  In fact i was running in shorts and a t-shirt at mid-fifties (to those who know me well, this is in fact a HUGE deal for me, as once the ambient temperature hits fifty degrees i already go out in longjohns).   Being a person who prefers warm weather, i thought it would be a simple matter to just transplant my routine to the Philippines.  Big mistake. 

Subsequent runs were not much better.  At least after a few days i found that i could still complete a sub-30-minute 5K (albeit with much difficulty) and finish a 4-miler. But my dreams of running a 5K in the short time i was there went down in flames. 

From a techincal standpoint i wonder what i should have done better.  For one, i realized that i need to incorporate more hill training into my runs.  For another, i guess i need to adjust my fluid intake based on ambient conditions.  I know should be obvious from the get-go to any random fool... but of course i am an exceptional fool. 

At least GPS tracking works.  Here's the run that i did for my 4-miler:

Hillsborough Route Close-up

This was in Muntinlupa City, which is just south of Manila.  For a better view:

Hillsborough Route Longview

Since we're zooming out, it's interesting to see how far that is from where i usually run:

Hillsborough Worldview

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