Yoly Pantig's Staging Area

Got in through the lottery FIRST TRY! What can I say but the lottery gods were smiling on me.
I applied and was selected to represent my motherland, the Philippines and I was honored to be part of the NYCM Opening Ceremony Parade of Nations. Awesome expo. Very organized race. Spectators were cheering from start to finish. I think there were only a couple of quiet moments and they were pretty much on the bridges where spectators were not allowed. I should’ve trained more for this race but I didn’t. I was also told to just take it all in and enjoy the journey….so I did. What an amazing experience! Star #2…..here I come! Berlin or BUST!

I told myself when I finished my first 50 miler at Headlands that it was a one and done. I lied. Well, sort of. I don’t know why I upgraded from 25M to 50M but I think it was because I ran a few strong 50Ks months prior and felt that I could do the 50M. So despite the challenging and terrible conditions with rain, sticky mud, slippery trails, and basically ‘s-crewed’ (no crew/pacer), I PR’d!
One big disappointment from this race was the fact that they changed the jackets and we got gipped!! In prior years the swag was a Patagonia jacket. In 2018 we got a brand-less fleece jacket. Sad.

This was my first time running the Maui Oceanfront Marathon (MOM) and it it happened to be their 11th anniversary. I registered because a very good friend of mine, my best buddy, and co-RaceRaves am-badass-ador, Mike Beckwith posted about it on our Brazen Racing FB running group. Registration was about $109. I thought about participating in this event because I’ve always loved going on runcations (a running vacay) and even though I have been to Hawaii several times in the past, I have never participated in an event there.

Months before Marathon
The race director sent emails like it was their only job. My email account was flooded with “NAG” emails. Some were informational but it was also entertaining.

Days before the Marathon:
I learned from the MOM race timeline they had posted on their website that the Valley Isle Runners have practice runs on Wednesdays. I decided to do this a few hours after landing to Maui. The run was led by Jim Lynch, a very nice dude. I learned that he’s the author of the book called, “One foot over the other.” He is also the co- race director of Maui Marathon. Glad I got to meet him and hope to come back to Maui again in the near future to run with him and the group of runners from the Valley Isle Road Runners.

FALSE MISSILE ALERT – Yes…It happened and it happened the day before the marathon. Yes, it was scary and crazy. I’m happy it was a false alarm, but it got me worked up mentally and emotionally for sure. Whether or not this was a factor on race day performance….possibly?

Bib Pick Up: We decided to pick up our bib on Saturday at Pioneer Inn in Lahaina. It’s a very small expo and the bib pick up was effortless. You get your bib number from the list posted outside where they also sell merchandise. You then go inside, show your ID, and you are given your bib and shirt.

Race Day:
A 3:30 am shuttle bus took us from Lahaina (where our hotel was) to the start at Wailea. The race starts at 5 am, hence, the reason it was advised to us to bring headlamps. I’m glad I had mine. There was an option to start earlier. Upon looking back, I should have taken this option. The course was deceiving. It didn’t have steep elevations but what made this difficult for me was the heat and humidity. I didn’t finish at the time I had hoped because I had a problem with my left foot. I may have wrapped the tape on my toes a bit too constricting than usual and the Injinji socks I had on didn’t help. I’m sure my feet were swollen from the heat and that didn’t help. I pretty much walked and hobbled the last 8 miles. This is definitely my worst marathon finish time. As a positive, I’m glad I finished and didn’t drop. There were a few times on the course I thought I may not make it because of the heat, but I persevered. I”m glad that I brought salt tablets and my ice bandana. Luckily they had ice at the aid stations and that really helped me with the heat. At the finish, I saw that my best buddy already showered, cleaned up, and was sporting his flip-flops. He ran with and filmed me the last couple of yards to the finish. I got my medal and didn’t bother to see if there were food or snacks. At this point I just wanted to get to the hotel to make sure my foot was ok. When I took off my socks and shoes it felt a whole lot better. The next day I was able to walk just fine.

Things I did right:
Brought my handheld hydration, headlamp, salt tabs, ice bandana, hat, and sunglasses. Glad I did not worry about bringing plastic bags and rubber bands to put on over my shoes and to take off after, just to run on the sand for about 3 minutes due to a detour we had to take on the beach because of road construction. The key to running on the sand is to run closer to the water where the sand is packed, not loose.

What I learned from this race that I would do differently if I were to run it again:
Take the early start option; it’s not like I’m going for an age group win. Drink/hydrate. Don’t tape my toes to tightly and give them room to expand because of the heat.

This was Runcation at its best!
First time I heard about this race I was told it’s a hard one to get into as it sells out in mere minutes. I was lucky to get in this year. Months after registering, lulu sent the official Seawheeze shorts in the mail. This is a pretty cool thing as I am used to receiving race shirts not shorts and usually on race day not months ahead.

-Seawheeze Showcase/Expo/Bib Pick up
I got a lulu mesh duffle bag with water bottle and snacks inside. The showcase store is ridiculous! Hard core lulu fans even camp out days/night before to get exclusive and limited merch.
Expo is one of the best I’ve been to. There’s lots of pampering involved to get runners excited and ready for race day. There’s free stations for hair braiding, hair cut for men, temporary air brush tattoos, mani (nail polish only in lulu colors), photo/video booths, and sunset yoga.

-Race course
Pretty much mostly flat from Downtown Vancouver to Stanley Park. Views are pretty nice especially by the water. Course was marked clearly in kilometers. Pacers called pace beavers were present for those going for time. At the finish you are greeted with a nice clean cold towel, water, and a huge medal. Free catered boxed breakfast were also provided. We also got a free lululemon baseball cap/hat and some free essential oils in a travel pouch from Saje.
Other post race treats are foam roller stretching area, free massage, and free alignment from chiropractors at the finish expo area.

-Sunset Festival Party
Another perk and a perfect way to end race day is a yoga session and concert at Stanley park . Free shuttles are provided to and from this event from downtown.

Overall this is one race every runner should check off on their running bucket list. It really is a run yoga party. I’m really happy, satisfied, and very impressed with how Lululemon organized this event and would love to go again.