INQUIRER Sports

MANILA, Philippines ? Carbo-loading was necessary but for some of the runners who signed up for the 102-kilometer Bataan Death March ultramarathon, it was about preparing themselves mentally.

Most of the runners have done marathons but have never officially joined an ultramarathon before so preparing for it entailed running more than usual.

?I tried increasing my speed but it is more about increasing my mileage,? said Caloy Nobleza, who started preparing for the race as early as November last year.

Nobleza previously joined a 51-kilometer ?run about?, which served as a trial run for the Bataan 102. ?It was a leap of faith for me,? he said with a laugh.

?But other than the distance, we try to prepare ourselves mentally because after some time a marathon really becomes a mental race,? he said.

Carbo-loading, meanwhile, happens a few days before the race.

?It was a lot of pasta and rice. We also increased our intake of vegetables and also fish and chicken basically to repair and give strength to the body?s muscles,? Nobleza said.

His friend and running body Jay Sabido added: ?You?re going to burn of calories so you really need to carbo load. You also need to make sure you have the proper balance of electrolytes in your body.?

During the race itself, both were carrying hydrated belts loaded with water, Gatorade and power gels or energy jelly beans.

The race also attracted a number of female runners. Odessa Coral, a swimming instructor, likewise shared she increased her mileage during practice runs. She was part of a big group that ran the race.

?Our strategy was to break it (102 kilometers) down into 10-kilometer segments with breaks in-between. Because if you think of the entire 100 kilometers, it will make you feel it?s too hard to finish,? she said when interviewed minutes before the race started.

?I don?t like feeling nervous before a run. I just think of it as one of my normal long runs. The air is a bit cool since it?s nighttime so that helps,? she added.