Bataan Death March 102 Ultra Marathon March 6, 2011

Pre-Race: March 5, 2011

The original plan to have 4 runners in a support vehicle was splitted into 2 with Yob Red going with me and Dok & Oli together in another car. I picked up Yob, Tony his brother & our driver, Jackie my support and Mizzy as Yob's support. The 'Running for Lolo Pedro Team' met up at Shell Nlex in Balagtas, Bulacan and proceeded to BDM Km. 00 in Mariveles, Bataan via the SCTEX. We got a call from the group of Laarni De Guzman & Tatax Almoro that their car just stalled past the Dinalupihan exit. We advised them to wait for the group of Mot so Arni the runner could hitched a ride to Mariveles. We arrived Mariveles about 6pm and the PNP runners were there already with Jun Cunanan. I thought I forgotmy headlamp so we tried to look for a replacement in the nearby tiangge. Fortunately upon double checking I found my headlamp in my bag. The team headed to the 'Seashore' resto for an early dinner. Each one got ready and dressed up after dinner while the supports were busy preparing for the hydration and food for the runners. We had a short walk towards the BDM Km. 00 beside Jollibee where the check in and starting line was. There was a pre-race briefing by the race director 'Bald Runner' Sir Jovie Narcise, the singing of the national anthems of Japan, America and of course Philippines.

Race Proper: March 5, 2011, 10:10pm

After the group photo ops the race started at exactly 10:10pm. It was an easy slow paced 3km flats before the killer 4km uphills. Yob and I were running alongside Dabobong Angeles a veteran ultrarunner. He ran the 160km just a week ago but had to dnf and now he is again joining the 102km. Some runners taking on the hills while others were just pacing up reserving their stamina. There was a flood of support vehicles after the hills as it was not allowed for them to wait for the runners along the uphill route. The 1st water station was such a relief. From hereon I took a steady pace mindful of potholes that might surprise me. It was totally dark in some parts and the headlamps was such a comfort. At about 15Km the runners were pretty scattered already and in some moments I was all alone running in the dark. Our support vehicle with Yob's brother Michael on the wheel and Jackie Vallejo an AMCI member was my personal support.
I reached the 50km mark in Abucay, Bataan before 5am and after a cup of noodles decided to take a 30min nap inside the car. After the refreshing power nap it would be a walk-run strategy from hereon and instructed the support car to stop at every km. I asked Yob to go ahead with his own pace. I was now feeling some tightness in my calves and soreness in my knees. I tied a tire interior just below my knees to lessen the growing pains. At about the junction of the Gov. Roman highway my legs suddenly froze and the cramps going past my knees. Manny Dela Serna of Timex team handed me a sachet of GU Roctane which I gobbled in a rush. I slowly walked after I packed ice behind my calves under my compression socks. It numbed my legs and I walked cautiously for a few meters up to the Dinalupihan junction. The sun was already slowly heating up and the long unshaded stretch to Lubao, Pampanga is about a 20km straightaway. I told the support car to stop and wait for me every 500m as they poured ice water on me to cool me off. Met up with some of the timex team members for a quick lunch and a change of shoes in Lubao town center. Most of us almost wasted from almost more than 12hours of run-walk. We're almost there but the heat was almost unbearable. We hit the roads again heading to Bacolor. From there I started to gradually picked up my pace for about 6min/km. And from nowhere the thought of being almost there carried me thru to run without stopping for hydration the last 7km till the finish line. I changed into our green uniform just a few meters to the finish line where the 'baldrunner' was patiently waiting. I headed straight to where the team was huddling for water & anything I could eat. I was called back to the finihs line for the handling of the finishers trophy - a miniature replica of the kilometer mark of the Bataan Death March. 17hrs of non stop action testing one's resolve both in body & mind. BDM102 - Checked!!! Next goal - BDM160. Will give it a very long thought. LOL!