Finally the result of the Nike We Run is out. Though I already know -- more or less -- how I fared in the race, nothing beats the joy of doing a screenshot of the official result and posting it here on my blog.

I must say that I am a bit disappointed that this is the only thing I found in the results page. You may access yours by clicking here.

The race used D-Tag for runners and it was hard to believe that the only thing I'll find here is my gun time and chip time. Last time I joined a race that used a D-Tag, which was during the third leg of this year's Run United, the results page had loads of geeky stuff I really loved. Check out my post here.

I hope that this is not the end of it. And that people are still working on our stats, not that mine is so good, but it's still my stats.

Other runners are also complaining that the ranking should have been based on the chip time, not the gun time. It is, they said in a web forum, unfair for those who were part of the second and third wave of the race. I must say that I agree with them.

But to be honest, it is hardly my concern. My take on this, and may I remind everyone that I am entitled to my own opinion,  is that I am not running to compete with others. First of all, I don't stand a chance. Secondly, I only need to beat my personal record. I don't need their official ranking. I just need to check my previous blog entries.

It wouldn't hurt, however, if I get my stats on the percentage of male runners I managed to leave behind. It gives me a sense of girl power. So please, please Nike people! Give us more stats!

Task completed.

Well, look who's back. But not in mint condition.

Photo is not mine. Courtesy of We Run for Good Health 

I must admit that I did not train for this run. It felt like -- hey, I already survived 21K why train for 10k? And of course I needed reminding that I was wrong during the race itself. I felt really really great during the first five kilometers. As soon as we hit the 5K marker, I checked my watch and could not believe my eyes because it said 35 minutes. That was one of my best 5K run, ever. I finished my first 5K run with 7-11 in 42 minutes.

But the next 5K turned horrible.

I was still doing relatively good until my seventh or eighth kilometer of the race. But I thought I would faint during my last kilometer. I thought I was going to die in my last 250 meters of the race. If there's anything I need to be thankful about is that Nike We Run is a buddy race and the self proclaimed Project Tikboy did not leave me during the entire race (even if he can).

With the self-proclaimed Project Tikboy.

As I have said, I admit that I did have time to prepare for the run. Three weeks ago, Typhoon Yolanda hit several provinces in the Visayas Region. And I volunteered to cover the aftermath of the storm. (There are no words to describe the devastation.) When I returned to Manila, I had to write the reports, among others, leaving me no chance to train for the race.

Another factor is that it was too hot during the race. While running, I could hear other runners complain of the humidity. I don't think I was hydrated enough for that kind of humidity. On normal days, I can run at UP Academic Oval for 11 kilometers without stopping, without the need for hydration in the middle of the run. But not last Sunday. I stopped twice during the run to refuel.

I also had difficulties with route. Though I appreciate that it was a new route and that the cheers of the children somehow rejuvenated me, many parts of the route was too narrow for the number of runners. We bumped on each other a lot. I was part of the second wave and a lot of participants started walking after a minute or so.

Enough said. It still boiled down to my lack of training. So to all my fellow running enthusiasts, please don't follow my footsteps. It's not a healthy one and it could even lead to a more serious situation, which, as of the moment, I don't even want to discuss.

Best 10K run so far

That being said, I must say that I'm still happy that I finished the 10K run in 1 hour 25 minutes. I am waiting for the official result and will post them here, of course.

Kudos to Nike for organizing the run. Too bad we did not join the after party. There were too many people and the humidity is not making the atmosphere any more favorable. Looking forward to my next run and I swear to the highest form of being that I would never join a marathon ever again without proper training.

For now, task completed.