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Bacolod City, PhilippinesSaturday, January 7, 2012
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Runners brace for
Cebu marathon

CEBU CITY - Runners joining the 42K Cebu City Marathon tomorrow are bracing to snag a benchmark time in the race.

Aside from the attractive finisher’s medal, a goal accomplished will be considered as the sweetest victory once they cross the finish line.

Cesar Bordalba, the campus director of Lifebox Cebu, a youth ministry under Victory Christian Fellowship, had long been wanting to run a full marathon since his first 5K run in the 10-10-10 CCM.

”It would be a personal accomplishment for me. I set a goal and I need to get it,” said Bordalba.

He started his training last year in September where he did five runs a week with an average of 40-45 kms. each week.

In November, he had fewer runs, but they were longer, reaching up to 54 kms weekly until he reached the tapering period in December where he did on long run, an easy run and a speed workout.

Bordalba, 32, will be running with his training partner Dennis Savellano who, he admits, may be older, but faster than him.

Savellano, also a first timer, will be running the 42K barefoot. The two are also church-mates under VCF and they promised to pace each other in the CCM with the support of their friends.

”We’ll stick together,” Bordalba said.

Inspired by her ultra-runner mom Lorna, Kari Amor, 18, is excited to run her first marathon.

The second-year civil engineering student of the University of San Carlos in this city, who has been running for a year now, is confident on her preparations for the run.

”I joined just because I can. I’m hoping I won’t feel tired and will make it to the cutoff,’ said Amor.

Running is a family bonding activity for them. She finished a 30K run twice with her mom and dad who will also be running the 42K.

After finishing three half-marathons, 37-year-old Marissa Yap never thought she would run the marathon tomorrow.

But with more friends joining the run, she gave it a shot this time accompanied by her running mates from their group F1 Xtreme.

”It’s hard to train the 42K when you have kids. I will wake up early in the morning and my kids will ask me if I’m running again,” said Yap, who is a mother of two.

She started preparing with the club four months ago, and managed a 35K run every weekend. Now that they are in the tapering stage, they train twice a week and spend time in the gym.

There will be six runners from their group running the 42K for the first time and who followed the training program of their coach Jess Codino.

Yap, who started running after knowing her cholesterol was borderline, will be running the CCM with her husband who joined the 21K.

All of them will have the 42K as their longest mileage since they started running. They will make the majority of marathon runners who dominated this year’s CCM registration.*PNA

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