Men's Health All Terrain

I have been in a running hiatus for like 2 months already. I knew I needed to get back on my feet soon, and I would be more motivated to do so if I join a really great race. So, I’m returning to the sport by joining the Men’s Health All-Terrain Race on May 16. It will be Men’s Health 5th anniversary, and they will celebrating it with an all-new trail in Nuvali, Sta. Rosa, Laguna on May 16, at 5am.

Nuvali is an eco village being developed by Ayala Lands, and they have opened their territory for this exciting event. In this vast and naturally rich site, runners and bikers will get to experience running and riding on pavements, dirt roads and grass lands.

I wouldn’t be as enthusiastic as now if I wasn’t there to see a sneak preview of how the terrain will look like. Men’s Health was gracious enough to arrange a 6K trial run for us and the test run was fantastic.

The terrain in Nuvali comprises of 3 types as I mentioned earlier. Pavements, grass and dirt. Majority of the trail will be dirt. What this means is depending on the weather, the dirt could be wet and slippery, or it could be thick and uneven. For those who might be interested in running using an ordinary running shoe might find this doable, if the weather conditions are right. Also, runners and bikers should be prepared for a really hot weather since the trail is an open area. That means, you wouldn’t have the luxury of trees to cover you.

Participants may choose to run the 6-kilometer, 10-kilometer or 16-kilometer trail course, or ride their bikes on the 20-kilometer or the 40 kilometer route. But for those up for the challenge, there is also the option to do both the 10-kilometer trail run and the 20 kilometer bike ride.

Here are the registration details from Men’s Health:
Registration is now ongoing at Aktiv Sports and Lifestyle Centers in Trinoma and Festival Super Mall, ROX in Bonifacio High Street and at the Summit Media Office at the 7th Floor of Robinsons Cybergate Tower 3, Pioneer St., Mandaluyong, City. Deadline of registration is on May 7, 2010.

Oh btw, more prizes will be given out. There will be Top 5 prizes for each category.

See you guys there.

Urbanathletes get challenged at the 2009 Men’s Health Urbanathlon

Racers at the 2009 Men’s Health Urbanathlon held last November 22, 2009, Sunday, 5:00am enjoyed an all-new race course at McKinley Hill, Taguig City. Over a thousand participants of the famous city-based, multidisciplinary race integrating various urban structures as part of the race course had to go through five major obstacles: meter high MMDA barriers, a weave of metallic bars, a six-storey building, a chain of low crawls and an 8-foot wall!
Some personalities spotted racing down the tracks were QTV’s Ang Pinaka host and Amazing Race Asia participant Rovilson Fernandez, Ateneo Blue Eagles point guard and Unang Hirit host Jai Reyes and GMA entertainment reporter Nelson Canlas.
The top racers of the 2009 Men’s Health Urbanathlon who braced the course and obstacles with unbeatable speed and persistent strength were Regie Lumauag and Honeylyn Leonardo for the 5k run and Alvin Canada and Hazel Madamba for the 10k run.
Hosted by Magic 89.9 deejay and UAAP sportscaster Boom Gonzalez, the 2009 Men’s Health Urbanathlon was made possible by official sports drink Gatorade, Cecon, Frenzy, official festival sponsor Kenny Rogers Roasters, and the home of the 2009 Men’s Health Urbanthlon McKinley Hill. Special thanks to Timex, Fitness First, and St. Luke’s. For results of the race, visit www.finishline.ph or www.menshealth.com.ph for more details.

Urbanathlon 2009

If running races has always been your weekly morning ritual and it feels monotonous already, then the Men's Health Urbanathlon 2009 this 22nd of November at McKinley Hill Taguig is what you need.

This race will be extra challenging, but extra fun. I've signed up for the 10K event and this race would be something new. It will not be the usual lung busting running, but the race will test your strength and flexibility.

Since this will be my first Urbanathlon, then it will be very exciting. I saw the obstacles that will be used during the event last night and I should warn runners to be extra careful with their watches and heart rate monitors. I'm thinking of not wearing any gadget during the race.

Anyway I'm inviting you guys to come join me. You can register at RUNNR at Bonifacio High Street.

The Men's Health All Terrain Experience

I wasn’t really sure what to expect during the Men’s Health All Terrain race last Sunday. Sure I’ve joined the TNF100 last year and this year, but when I joined this one, it would really be my first to race it. The TNF last year was a “Hey lets just try it” pace, and the TNF this year was to accompany my wife for her first 10K Trail run. But the Men’s Health All Terrain would be my third race so now its time to give my all for this one.

I wasn’t sure how to adjust my pace in this trail race since there are too many variables involved. I was pretty sure racing on trails will give you a lesser time, but my biggest question is how much? But just to get me going, I gave myself a target time of 46-47 minutes which would be less than my normal road race time.

I lined myself in front of the starting line hoping to get a fresh start. When the race started the first 500 meters would be road. I looked at my Garmin as I reached 4min/km to 4:26min/km. Then thought I just needed to maintain a pace below 5 throughout the trail. However, contrary to what I expected the trail wasn’t really relatively flat. It was practically rolling all the way. The trail had also plenty of twist and turns. The pace slowed down to 5 to 5:30. Halfway on the trail I was pretty much drained and exhausted. It was kind of crazy that I was now running at a much slower pace, but my heart rate was shooting rapidly. So I slowly tried to regain my composure, slowed down a bit, and when it feels I can speed up again I’d go for it. As the last stretch of the trail approached I was, in someway hanging for dear life. As I crossed the finish line I knew this would be one of my most memorable races. I clocked 53:04 with a distance of 10.29KM according to my Garmin. It was funny I was targeting for 46-47minutes and the 53minutes almost took the lights off of me. Next time, I shouldn’t under estimate a trail again.

Thanks to Rio, Finishline and Men’s Health Magazing for organizing such a fantastic event. I hope there will be another one close within this year.

The results are also out in Run Rio. I was surprised to see myself to be in 9th place.

After the race, I had my photo taken and saw Tiffin well, who also had a unique experience at the 10K race. We waited for Mark to finish his 15K and we ate breakfast Sta Elena country club afterwards.

Men's Health All Terrain Race 2009

If your up for another trail running experience, we have one who's race date is closer than you think.

This is the Men's Health All Terrain! This is organized by Coach Rio and Vince Mendoza of Finish Line, so expect a great racing event. :)

Men's Health All Terrain

Are you looking for new challenges in your running career? Are you willing to hit the dirt, get all dirty? Then this race is for you. This coming sunday will be the Men's Health All-Terain race. This event is open for both runners and bikers.

[Taken from the Men's Health Website]
The Trail Run

The trail run is one of the things that makes the All-Terrain Race very unique. Instead of running on level roads, runners will be running on gravel, sand, and sloping hills. It’s not your typical running race.
Course Description Approximately 12 kms. The route is a mixture of dirt and gravel roads, singletrack trail and some cement road around Timberland Heights. The course features a lot of climbing, but most of all some spectacular views.
Suggested equipment Trail running shoes, quick-dry clothing, hydration packs (although there will be at least five water stations), caps, sunglasses, sunscreen.
Rules All participants will be released at the same time, regardless of category. The route will be marked using flags, bunting and banners, and directional & timing marshals will be placed along the route as well. Five water stations will be provided where racers can drink or refill their hydration packs and water bottles.

For more info, you could check the Men's Health Website at: http://www.menshealth.com.ph/atr/index.html