Fit and Run.Info

Even up to the last minute when I was already at the venue at The Fort for the ING Running 20 road race, my fourth race since I started running, I was still having second thoughts of going the 5K distance fearing that my knee, acting up for the past training runs, which I later think, well, all symptoms point, to runner’s knee.

Blas, who ran the 20K, called me a week before to ask if I would be interested to receive a free 5K race kit for this specific run and I said yes. Before the start of the race, Rainier handed me the pack before his 10K run.

With the kit at hand, I said to myself, bahala na ang sakit (pain). will deal with it when it comes and opened it, affixed the race bib and headed to deposit my bag. I stretched and keeping in mind to do it well especially my legs as I was suspecting that the pain in my right knee might have been caused by tight muscles.

The race was okay: flat roads, ample water stations except that what I saw were mostly water and the energy drinks were rather few.

One thing that the organizers failed to do, and this is a major thing, the turning point for the 5K was unmarked that many runners continued with the wrong route. I was just lucky that when I was near the turning point, one person was berating one marshall, pointing out that the 5K racers need to turn at that point.

But what can he do? He didn’t seem to know and, horror of horrors, there was no tarp to indicate it was the turning point. No 5K winners were announced.

As for my right knee, I was quite happy that it didn’t act up. The stretching might have helped. Whenever I sense that a slight pain is starting to develop while running, I have to slow down or walk. I finished the race in 33 minutes 52 seconds (unofficial as no 5K results were published).

Is this enough to get back on track with my 21K training? I doubt it. I have to do this one slow. It’s either the CCM or my knee.

Check the ING Running 20 gallery.

I’ve raced again and took photos after. The ING Running 20 gallery will be up within the day as I process the RAW images that I took, about 600+. Stay tuned for it anytime today.