Pain on the 8km mark – the Unilab 21k Race Report
The Unilab Run for Wellness 21k was my 2nd 21km race for the year. I signed up for the race trying to make up for a bad race feeling which I got from the Century Tuna run which I felt I was short changed. The race would also make me run parts of Fort Bonifacio that I haven’t gone through like going down and up Bayani Rd, and running inside Heritage Park (a memorial park). My target for the race was to make 2hrs 50mins. This would be better than my first 21k of 3hrs 4mins in Condura.
I was at the starting line 45 mins before the start. This gave me time to be relaxed, meet friends, and do the normal leg stretches. However somehow I forgot to do stretches for the back. hmmm. The start of the race I was pretty ok. I was maintaining a steady pace with some of the guys in the office. I was thinking if I keep this pace all throughout the race, I would probably make a 2hr 45min time. That will be great improvement.
On the 8km mark, somehow I felt my lower back starting to hurt. I gave a sudden yell, which prompted some runners to look at me. A few secs a runner was already approaching me asking me if I am ok. I gave the thumbs up saying I am ok and will be fine. So now that pain on the back bothered me from km 8 to the finish.
From that moment on the 8km mark, my pace slowed down, and soon runners were already passing me, some 10k runners were even swallowing me up. It would be the first time I would do a run walk strategy, and squeezing in some back stretches during the walk part. The plan to finish a sub 3 was scrapped, and the alternative plan was just to finish the race. I finished the race at 3hrs 4mins again.
Lessons Learned:
1. Do stretches legs and back every pre race
2. Drop that belt bag which includes a celphone. That bag probably added weight on my waist.
3. No more carbo loading the day before. I would end my carbo load atleast 2 days before the race.
Pictures below are courtesy of photovendo.
