A Spoiled Sub-Piolo PR

The sub-Piolo PR has become a legend for 10k runners ever since Piolo Pascual scribed his record-breaking time of 0:47:56 on the 1st Timex Run 2009. For most of the runners, a sub-60, sub-55, or sub-50 minute is already a satisfying accomplishment for such road race distance category. But not until after the race result for the said Timex Run was released.

I myself had never thought about Piolo's running skill. I even answered confidently on the online Timex Run guessing contest that Piolo would take around 1:10.xx as his PR for the race. I thought that he was never trained, I thought that he's just one of those pa-cute celebrities trying to challenge the runners (lol). He has a well-defined body, though I never thought he'll become a runner's icon and a PR goal, but I was wrong and I am greatly amazed by his running skill!

So like the other runners, after the 1st Timex Run, I've been trying to achieve and beat that record in all my 10k races. And finally, a day after the Run United for Wellness event last March 7, 2010, I got so excited when the race result came out indicating my finish time at 0:47:06. That's 50 seconds faster than Piolo's. It was only after completing eight more 10k races that I thought I finally got to reach a sub-Piolo PR. So, I told to myself, I can now say goodbye to 10k distance category, and I can already move next to setting a new PR for a higher road race mileage (which I haven't done yet for more than a decade now).

But that happiness never lasted for more than four days when the official race results have been updated. My finish time result then yielded to an addition of 1-minute. I think all the 10k runners' chip and finish time were updated too. So it turned out, that my official finish time is actually 0:48:05. That's 9 seconds slower than Piolo's.

What confused me is how come would the timing chips' recorded time could become inaccurate when it's purpose is to record the runner's accurate time? The race result at the previous Century Superbods run was also updated after a few days but only the rankings were affected. While on this race, the rankings have remained, but the split time, chip time, and finish time were all adjusted for a minute.

Ok, enough with that! Now, all I can say is, welcome me back 10k races! I just realized, that I don't have to pressure myself to beat Piolo Pascual's 10k PR. Instead, why not just beat my own time in my every race?

Having realized that, there's still no goodbyes for the 10k races. It'll be much better if I would just give myself two challenges for this year's running career: 1) Increase mileage up to two full marathon; and 2) a sub-42 PR for... uhmm... ok no time limit will be set for that goal. I'll continue running the 10k's until I get to beat my own 10k PR which I have achieved thirteen years ago at the 1st Rotary Club of Baguio North Invitational Marathon. That's more satisfying than beating another runner's personal rank.

Sub-Piolo race result as of 08Mar2010 @ 12:21AM

Official race result as of 10Mar2010 @ 6:55PM

So, break a leg runners! See you on the road.