Camp Run 2: My First 10K

10 k run seemed to be insurmountable just 4 weeks ago but here I am at Camp Aguinaldo for my first ever 10 k. I have joined fun runs before but this is my first outside of Lucena City and my first shot at 10 k. Even in my morning jogs I've never ran that far and registering for an expensive 10 k would push me to go that distance.

The Cost
Entry fee with free technical shirt of 600 PHP is just about ordinary rate this side of The Philippines but the extra costs of travel, food and shopping make for an expensive fun run.

The Venue
Camp Aguinaldo at EDSA. Sunday, 7am, November 27, 2011. The place has good parking lot right beside the starting line. Military Band provides a nice aural background. Portalets are placed nearby. Military vehicles for photo ops are placed rear and center. Starting line looks unique but the clock is not big. Trees line most of the route and a feeling of calmness and exclusivity is all around us. Hydration stations are adequate and race organizers are where they should be. Obstacles are too few, I only remembered the last one where we have to duck and almost crawl.

The Run
I started slowly with my running mate Atan. There are only about 60 runners with numbers for the 10 k. Approximately 200 military runners don't have numbers on their shirt. After the first kilometer I felt gas pain in my stomach but kept going. Lots of uphill and downhill throughout the course make for an interesting run but still strangely I felt sleepy at one point during the race. At kilometer 7 my stomach pain went away and it's time to cover some ground at a faster pace. We overtook a lot of runners and finished at 15th and 16th place but didn't break the 1 hour mark by 20 seconds.

The Rest
Loot bag contained freebies and my favorite is the dog tag (cool). The band is still playing as we crossed the line. Photo ops with the army on a tank is one of a kind.

This run is so memorable to me for many reasons and I'm glad it benefits the children of our fallen heroes.