Last Sunday, I joined the New Balance Power Run in the 25km category, which is my comeback to this event after missing it last year due to conflicting schedule. I set a goal for myself this time. I had a target of a sub-3 hours finish so I was excited and raring for this.

Photo Credits: Pinoy Fitness

The gun start was at 4am. I started with a continuous run in an easy pace, veering from my usual interval strategy. I wanted to see how far I could run without walking. My only walk breaks were during quick stops at hydration stations, and even then, I would only take about thirty seconds before resuming my run. 

Halfway in the race, I started to feel my energy levels going down. Because of this, I felt the need to take more walk breaks. It was in the 16th to 17th km when I felt so exhausted that I slowed down. I tried to keep up for as much as I could but I know that I would be in a worse condition if I forced it. So I listened to my body. I ran whenever I could and walked whenever I needed to. I hydrated at every aid station. On the last kilometer, I felt a burst of energy that I managed to run as fast as I could until I reached the finish line. 
Photo Credits: sir Mon a.k.a Run S.A.

Overall, the event was very well-organized. This is why the New Balance Power Run is one of my favorite running events. I make it a point to join every year ever since I first participated in it way back in 2013. 

Unfortunately, I did not make it in my target time. However, I still managed to set a new personal best for the 25km distance. The last time that I joined this run was in 2014 where I finished 25km in 3:14:23. This year, I shaved off a few minutes from my time. I was happy with that but I promised myself that I would hit the sub-3 next year.
rank: 591st out of 1498 runners, official chip time: 3:07:38