One Step Too Far With the Fingers in the Cookie Jar
A few days ago, I attempted to complete my first proper Ultramarathon and was rightfully smacked in the face. What happened and what did I learn from it? Let’s find out below …
Two years ago, my longest run was a half marathon during a snowy day in January and the first official competition followed early in December. Singapore was the chosen destination for race number one, which in hindsight may have not been the smartest of choices.
The very same can also be said about my latest attempt of figuring out my own limits as I had signed up for a 100km Ultramarathon in the Philippines. This time of the year is usually a mix of high humidity and monsoon-like showers with the odd typhoon breezing by. Some 63 runners signed up for the competition and gathered in Bacolod City on July 27 to go all the way to Sagay City.
My longest running competition until then clocked in at fewer than 45 kilometres and that was less than two months ago, also on the Philippines. With many races under my belt and rising confidence that this might actually be my thing, it never crossed my mind just how audacious the attempt might be especially considering how lacking my experience and preparation would be.
Only one week prior, I returned back to the Philippines after one month in Las Vegas for the World Series of Poker where record temperatures were recorded. My only “training”, if one would even consider it as that, was the “Running With the Devil” marathon in the Mojave desert some half an hour outside of the bustling gambling paradise. The race was okay and I missed my target time by around ten minutes, though the dry heat did not help.
For the entire four weeks, I was sick with a cold but it vanished just in time before I jumped on a 27h trip back to Asia across 15 time zones. The clouds had lifted upon my arrival but the following few days brought monsoon-like rain and heavy wins. Fortunately, Boracay was not hit heavily whereas Metro Manila and northern regions had heavy flooding and loss of electricity.
Organizers assured that the weather on the neighbouring island was still okay and I was able to squeeze in two shorter runs of 8.8km and 10km in between heavy showers. On the Friday before the race, I made the trip via boat, mini van, and ferry in what turned out to be more than ten hours from door to door. A nice Ramen for dinner and trip to the supermarket for race snacks were in order and I also briefly met with Von from Team Aklan, who had signed up for the event as well.
In total, there were four of us competing in the race and another two runners were from Boracay. Among the 63 contestants were also 15 women as well, which I thought was quite remarkable.
Two hours before the start of the race, several of us gathered near the starting point to prepare and check all gear. The grey rain clouds were creeping closer and it started to drizzle one hour before the kick-off, then things got gradually worse weather-wise. It wasn’t pouring down but the constant rain lasted for more than six hours, which in my case was until the half-way point of 50km.
By then, I was fairly certain to have caught a large blister and was very reluctant to stripe off the wet shoes and socks at the aid station. Sure enough, a fairly large one awaited on the large left toe and the medics taped it up entirely. At that point, my mind already told me it didn’t make sense to pull through until the end because the risk of getting injured further was quite high with fatigue coming into play.
The race route sent us through smaller cities and along highways with ongoing traffic, where we had to stay on the left side to see the incoming traffic and make sure our reflectors were visible to the drivers. With my glasses and the constant light sources approaching, I actually had a lot of trouble to see my close surroundings and probably need to buy stronger flashlights for the next night race.
Thankfully, I had a second pair of dry shoes and socks available for change and dragged my sorry ass out again to try and make it as far as possible. I even caught up to one of my friends and we joined forces for a while. It still felt as if I was walking on broken egg shells and once Von from Team Aklan joined up with me, we both eventually agreed to surrender at the next aid station.
“If I make it to 80km, I won’t give up anymore,” was what I told him but we didn’t make it as far. After around 71km according to GPS and aid station 73km, we called it quits and I was thoroughly gutted. In hindsight, walking it off for six hours from there on to finish around 17h total was certainly an achievable option but I was worried about the days and weeks after.
With several work trips ahead alongside long travel hours and four further confirmed marathons in 2024 alone, what price does my own stubbornness have to be? I hate quitting races and this was the first one I surrendered, knowing in advance it would annoy me a few days later. The choice was made out of precaution, because the blisters and blocked thighs were okay-ish.
“You can do whatever you want with your running, as long as you take care of yourself,” my fiancé from the Philippines always tells me. In this particular race, I simply wasn’t sure if that was indeed the case.
What lessons did I learn and what mistakes did I make?
- Yes, I can finish a 100km road race but no, I was not 100% ready yet.
- I definitely didn’t fuel up enough prior to and during the race and need to learn more about nutrition before going for 70km+ distances again. After 60km, my stomach was completely empty even though we had a hot meal at 50km!
- The weather was a sucker punch and I need a Plan B for my socks in wet conditions. My usual long distance socks for marathons only partially held up.
- The body is more powerful than you think, you just gotta believe in it.
- I am approaching two full years of entering running competitions after a long break since school. I enjoy the challenge and need to implement more core exercises.
- My biggest mistake was not believing enough in myself and trying to stick with groups for longer periods.
- The next race will be fine, because my muscle recovery has become very solid in the last six months.
Do I regret taking this shot to find out my limits? No, not at all. But I really gotta be more mindful given how unforgiving my work schedule and lack of proper preparation can be. It is certainly doable to finish races with a faster and more consistent pace, but my training needs to be ramped up significantly.
What I already know for certain is that there will be a next time. Perhaps, the next Ultramarathon won’t be 100km long but between 55–80km instead. And I am fairly confident to finish it. 53 of the 63 runners finished, next time I will be there as well.
For the time being, I am very much looking forward to the next races and especially the Sydney as well as Chicago Marathon. An entirely different experience with a lot of participants and tons of spectators makes for a thrilling change of scenery, and comes with a natural boost of motivation.
But first up is Leg 3 of the Hoka Trilogy Run Asia Series in Manila on August 4. I better get ready now, because the race starts at 2 a.m. local time ;)
P.S. What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. I will be back!