Men’s Health All Terrain Race 2010: Pushing the Limits

This year’s Men’s Health All Terrain Race was more challenging than last year.  Aside from the scorching heat, the road was rough and unpredictable, and plenty of river crossings.  Despite little training, Quennie and I signed up for the 16K just because of the medal we’d get once we finished.

The trail in Nuvali surpised us.  There was concrete, hardened soil, dusty roads, river crossings, steep climbs and tall bushes.  Here are pictures to show you what we have been through just to get a finisher’s medal.

We arrived early in the morning for the run.  We have met a lot of familiar faces from Takbo.ph, Alabang runners and the team from Marikina.

Men's Health ATR

With Doc Eire, Brian, Armand, and Noelle aka KikayRunner 

Runner’s from aNR Alabang.

Men's Health ATR

Runner’s form Marikina with Prince.

 

For this trail run, Quennie and I used trail shoes from The North Face.  I wore the TNF Voza while Quennie wore teh TNF Momentum.  Here’s how they looked like before the run.  Guess how they will look like 16kms after.

 

This shoes has been with us for almost a year.  This is the first time we’re

wearing them for a trail race.

 

The Trail is On

We started on a concrete road but after a few hundred meters we made a detour to a barren land.  The sun was just rising but the climate was hot already.

Men's Health ATR

Some parts of the trail is just a small path for runners.  We’d run single file.

Time to get wet

I didn’t have my Garmin and there were no kilometer markers.  I think it was about 3 or 4kms later that we met our first river crossing.  It’s not a wide river and there are rocks to step on toward the other side.  Some runners used the rocks to cross, while others just started splashing across.

My long legs were able to reach each rock and managed to move to the other side without getting my shoes wet.  Quennie, on the other hand, can’t reach all of the rocks.  She had to wade through the water to cross.  I gave an evil laugh.  Hehehe…

Trail Running

I thought it was the only river crossing.  I was wrong.  The trail run had river crossings.
It’s plural and the next ones cannot be avoided.

Quennie was happy to know that I would finally get my shoes wet.

River was just shallow.  It was clean and safe to cross.

Trail Run at MH ATR

Some parts requires balance.

 

Some part requires washing.  Sand and pebbles were inside my shoes and socks.

Running thru the river was my favorite part and I enjoyed it.
The entire run at the river is about 2 kilometers long.

Eat my dust 

After the river crossings, the next part of the race seemed to be the longest.  We don’t know what kilometer we are already and we don’t know how far we are from the finish.  Every marshal has a different estimate.  Quennie and I just kept talking and chasing other runners to keep us amused.

It was a hot already.  There were no trees to give us shade.  We just kept on running at a slow pace with several walk breaks.  Water stations are just enough.  We had a lot of refills along the way.

Trail Run at MH ATR
This must be around KM7.  Still cheerful after that river crossing.

Going downhill at about KM9, I guess.  We’re getting tired already.

It’s finally over

To get a finishers medal, we went through all those unusual terrain.  Quennie was tired and kept asking me why I got her to run a 16K without practice.  She told me she have to run shorter distances for now.

 

Trail Run at MH ATR

Here’s how the trail shoes looked like after the run.  It’s dusty. Better than it being muddy though.

 

Trail Run at MH ATR

Takbo.ph Class pic at the Men’s Health All Terrain Race.  Where’s the banner?

 

Trail Run at MH ATR

Chang winning 5th in the 16K race.

Noelle with Men’s Health Editor-in-cheif Agu Paiso.
Congrats to Noelle for winning 1st in the 6K category.

The Aftermath

When we arrived home, we wanted to sleep but we have to do some work first.  We had to wash our shoes to remove the dust and dry them up.  We have received hundreds of request for corrections and changes for the Runfest.  Quennie did the corrections first while I slept.  Then it was my turn to do the work while Quennie slept.  It’s like having a baby.

Quennie complains of a painful knee and she keeps blaming me for talking her to run the 16K.  My ankle hurts a little when I twist them from side to side.  Aside from using trail shoes, I think you have to train for trails too so that your feet will be used to the twisting and bouncing.

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