Run BGC: A Level Higher

Sometimes I get really frustrated with myself for not running as fast as I did earlier this year. It’s been six months since my elbow dislocation forced me to stop all physical activity for six weeks, but despite returning to training I haven’t broken the 50-minute mark for a 10K since then.

At Run BGC, I made another attempt to approach my former personal best. Or, at least, I was supposed to. The day before race day, I had a case of the sniffles caused by a depressed immune system since I had done a long run within the week and hadn’t properly recovered from it. I was wavering about participating in the race at all, since I didn’t know if physical exertion would depress my immune system even further.

Thank God when I woke up that Sunday, I felt well enough to go (with a little help from my friend called “Decolgen”). I made it to the starting line early enough, despite driving to Bonifacio High Street by mistake. When I didn’t see any race arches set up there, I realized the starting line was near Mercato Centrale.

Run BGC felt like a subdued affair after my experience at Run United 3, but I appreciated the intimate feel with fewer runners and a smaller event area. I was able to secure a spot at the front of the 10K starting queue, so when the gun fired, I could quite clearly see the lead pack and pace myself accordingly.

There were numerous turns in this race since it didn’t utilize the Kalayaan flyover into Makati, so I always had to be on my toes about where the next sign would send us. My confidence was greatly boosted when Luisa Raterta, one of the lead females, told me I was in 3rd place as we crossed paths at a U-turn. So when I saw that the next female was significantly behind me, I took my foot off the figurative gas pedal and just cruised to a finish.

That’s when I was told I’d come in fourth. The first-place woman was an Ethiopian who had come in third overall after the two lead men. Crazy fast! Oh well, I can’t win them all. It was great shaving my 10K time back down to around 52 minutes. Next time though, no relaxing until the race is over!

Race in Review

• Route: BGC is familiar territory but that doesn’t make its rolling terrain any less formidable. Low but steady uphills and winding roads could definitely take the wind out of anyone’s sails. However, it was nice seeing how the new addition to Bonifacio High Street is taking shape, and the way in which the route was put together entertained me enough to keep me interested until the end of the race.
• Traffic Management: Very clear turn signs and marshalling had all runners going where they needed to go. Perhaps what is needed is to remind walkers to keep to one side and walk two abreast at the most so they don’t block the way of runners.
• Hydration: Powerade and Viva were available at the hydration stations. I’m so impressed that whenever I felt I needed a sip of water, there was a station on the horizon.
• Package: The D-tag enabled fast publishing of the Run BGC race results, and the singlet material was light and sweat-wicking. I’m sure plenty of people were hoping their raffle entry would be picked to win an expense-paid trip to Australia and free entry to a race there, but of course there can only be one winner. (It wasn’t me.)
• Freebies: I remember that the post-race kit had medicines and vitamins from Unilab and a copy of Soul BGC (the free events magazine for BGC). There were also booths at the event area for photos and food, which you could use to while away the time while waiting for the raffle winner to be chosen.

I’m glad I got up to run this race; I was able to push myself and hopefully this will help level up my speed back to the way I used to be. I give this race FOUR KIKAY PINKIE FINGERS out of FIVE.