I just finished an 8k-race an hour ago and I’m still having this internal debate on which is going to be my most unforgettable race story: would it be my 1st race where I got a medal for last year’s 10k Milo Marathon or this 5th race where I pooped in the middle of the run! Shodishongkslongks ya! Hahaha the athlete in me could bear the embarrassment of uncovering this secret rather than taking the humiliation of finishing 5th to the last at a very slow pace hahaha whatda!
I didn’t hear it when my alarm went at 4am. I only woke up when Mr. Ocbeña was about to leave the house and while the thousand others were already at the Iloilo Freedom Grandstand. That panic mode affected my confidence level by 5 notches low. Worse, I missed my dose of dark chocolate and instead, drank my energy drink which was a bad bad move. Some people seem to remain hard-headed no matter how many times they have read about the dos and don’ts before the race hehe.
I started the race with a threatening tummy and the impact of running made it worse. The gravity finally did it when I ran down the fly over! I had to decide whether to finish or back out. So, I did a lot of deep breathing and managed to stay on the streets until I ran into Mr. Ocbeña and sir jun who were on their way back and told him to trace me back if ever I don’t show up at the finish line. Just a few meters away between them and the turning point I got sooo desperate that when I saw an open gate to a school I had to ran backwards and ask manong caretaker if I could pee (pee lang kuno). Oh phuleeeezzz.. don’t even bother asking what happened in the next 10-15 minutes! Hahahaha and more lols! I am sooo indebted and grateful to that school in Molo (I don’t wish to tarnish the name by mentioning it here hehe) and to manong caretaker, I lavya! (oh, and did i mention all the rest rooms were closed?)
This is the first time that I wasn’t able to get that finisher shirt!
To avoid this, please don’t be a hard-headed fool like me and get into actual practice these important rules before the race:
1. Avoid taking energy drink before the race!
The main ingredient in all “energy drinks” is carbohydrates or sugar. Sugar is the energy source all of our cells use to function...so the more we ingest, the better we will perform. Right? Not exactly.
A well balanced sport drink will have between 19 and 25 grams of sugar per 8 oz of drink. Research has shown that a concentration higher than 25g/oz slows gastric emptying. That means that the water which dilutes the sugar will not enter the blood stream, enhancing dehydration. Also, if consumed too soon prior to competition, a high sugar drink may cause gastric distress (nausea or vomiting). A drink too high in fructose (a simple sugar) may lead to diarrhea. Both of these side-effects can exacerbate dehydration. Energy drinks should also not be used as a rehydration source after exercise for the reasons previously mentioned. –sources: 2009 David Edell, onlymatch4u thru yahoo answers
2. Eat your chocolate or banana only few minutes before the race.
Ingesting high levels of sugar can also lead to a sugar high and crash. That is, the sugar enters the blood stream and provides a “blast” of energy, the athlete feels good and performs well. Once that sugar is burned up, usually in about 30 to 45 minutes, there is a sugar crash. The athlete’s reflexes slow, they may feel dizzy, muscle power decreases and performance falls off. –source: 2009 David Edell
3. Double-tie your shoelaces.
4. The rest you can find in the net..
Congrats to my cousin-in-law, alexandra ‘sunshine’ ganzon, for finishing 7th in 5k category. Many athletes like shine intentionally join in the 5k that’s why I don’t like running in that category :p
Congrats and thank you Iloilo Society Commercial, Inc. for organizing another running event in Iloilo. See you all on September 26 for the 34th Milo Marathon!
Happy 112th Independence Day, Philippines!
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