"Sports Unlimited in Guam"
Aired October 10, 2007
By DYAN CASTILLEJO-GARCIA and MARC NELSON


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Sports Unlimited is pushing the envelope even more. We join over 600 runners from all over the world for a 20 kilometer co-ed relay race that goes all along the scenic West Coast of Guam. Here’s our Sports Unlimited Team: Dyan, Marc, Jackie and Corey. Plus, you may say you have been to a paradise island, but have you been to a paradise of pastries? We’ll show you what a totally sweet time we had on this trip.

On this trip, we decided to see the scenic west coast of Guam in a totally different way by running along it. Believe it or not, we signed up to join the 2nd Annual Guam Koko Road Race which is an early morning. Strike that. Make it a very, very, early morning 20 kilometer race. We entered as the Sports Unlimited Team from the Philippines in the 4 by 5 kilometer co-ed relay category. We need did not train at all for this race. Yes, you can call us crazy, but you know what, life comes at you fast, and we wanted to take on this challenge and keep up with life's pace.

We were not exaggerating when we said it was a very, very early morning race. Our starting time was 5:15 am, which meant we all had to get up way before the crack of dawn, and leave our hotel at 3:30 in the morning to be at the race venue by 4 a.m. Yes, we've gotten up this early before, but mainly just to catch a plane flight, never to run a race. My team mates Marc, Jackie and Corey are quick to admit that they really don't run at all. Getting up this early, before the sun was even up to run 5 kilometers is something they never would have imagined even in their fittest dreams. . But, to stay true to one of our show's motto's, there's a first time for everything, and running this kind of a race is definitely a first which makes us anxious but also quite excited.

It was 4am, about an hour before the race which meant we needed to start warming up, but who knew our warm up would be an aerobic routine in the middle of the street led by local aerobic instructors together with 600 other runners? This was insanely fun for me and another first. My partner Marc is not a morning person and although he is going along with this aerobic warm-up, I can't help but think that he is only doing it because it's really too early in the morning for him to really realize and process what he is actually doing. He's doing it for the team. Props to you for that partner!

Corey warmed up as well, and with him I'm thinking he is psyching himself out by just pretending that he is up this early to go surfing right after this warm up. The waves have power over Corey, that's for sure. Knowing my sister Jackie, in her case I'm assuming that while doing this aerobic warm up, she is probably just imagining that she is out on a Saturday night partying and having fun till the wee hours of the morning which it is.

The energy of everyone during this aerobic warm up was definitely what we needed to get our juices flowing and get us all pumped up for the race.

We arrived in Guam a day before the race, and we knew we had to prepare ourselves for the next day. But then we were told about a special event that was going on the night before the race that really sparked our curiosity. There was an event called. “Pastries in Paradise”. What could that be we wondered? We were told it was like a pastry marathon. Hmmm, marathon, that has something to do with running, so we decided to check it out though we said we would not stay long since we had to go to bed as early as possible. Famous last words! When we got to the event, we could not help but take our sweet time, and we sure did take our sweet time. Literally very sweet. How lucky are we to drop by this event where the best pastry chefs from the best hotels and restaurant establishments in Guam all got together to showcase the best deserts they could dish out and all we needed to do was taste and taste as much as we wanted. I tell you, if you have a sweet tooth, being able to go to an event like this, surrounded by all these mouth-watering creations is like heaven on earth. In Guam!

Jackie was our first runner. Before she started, and before we were brought to each of our starting points, we decided to give each other a pep talk and end it with a Sports Unlimited cheer. 5:15 a.m. exactly, runners for the 4 x 5 kilometer co-ed category race were off. .There goes Jackie. Since she was our first runner, her task was to set the pace for our team. Running in the dark although fully escorted and protected by cones all throughout the course has to be intimidating for Jackie. Then, right at the beginning of the course came the uphill climb. She definitely was not prepared for this, but knowing Jackie, she is the type who gets tougher when something tough confronts her. Jackie is known to be the joker in the group but right now you can't tell that at all. She is really struggling with the uphill part of this course, so she is really focusing intensely on her breathing so she does not loose her breath and has to stop and walk. Finally the road flattens out which is a great relief for Jackie. Now what she has to do is get her second wind, drink to re-hydrate, push her self to the limit and think of nothing but getting to where Marc is and pass him the sash. You can do it Jax.

I decided to leave my starting point and go where Jackie's last water station point was before she passes the sash to Marc just to give her a little sister encouragement and tell her she only has a little more to go. Finally Jackie sees Marc in sight and Marc is as happy to see her as she is. The sash has been passed, it's Marc turn. Honestly, this is the last thing you will find Marc doing, running but we have always known him to be an awesome team player, and we can count on him to always take on a challenge with everything's he's got for the good of his team. Marc starts at a fast pace and is thinking one thing and one thing only, just keep on running till you get to Corey.

After nearly running two miles, I can imagine that Marc now has to deal with the fatigue factor since he is running at a relatively fast pace. Remember, Marc may be buffed but he is not used to running continuously for this long, .he is now running more on sheer heart than with his legs. Jackie is now with our media pick-up truck following Marc and giving him moral support which is always very helpful. Marc has that look of determination in his face; he knows that Corey is not far away. At this point he is tired for sure but we have no doubt he will press on and give it all his got towards the end. Marc is down to the final turn of his leg and Corey is waiting anxiously for him. Marc gets to Corey and passes the sash. He's done his part. Well done partner.

If you did not catch our show about a month ago, we met up with Corey Wills in Pagudpud where he was surfing. Corey is notorious when it comes to riding the waves, and we also took a yoga class that he taught. Surfing and yoga yes, but running is not his forte. It was in Pagudpud where Sports Unlimited struck a deal with Corey. Come with us to Guam to run this race and you'll get to surf in Guam. Corey has wanted to surf in Guam for a long time. It was a done deal, so here he is, running.

Corey is not the type to pretend. Running is not his cardio workout of choice, mainly because of a previous knee injury that still bothers him when he runs, but looking at him now, you can't tell. He looks poised, posh and proud to be part of this Sports Unlimited effort to conquer this 20 kilometer course. Being a surfer and a long time yoga practitioner, Corey has all the attributes that a runner needs, mental toughness, strength in the legs minus his knee injury and stamina. Corey's leg in the race is the part where you run alongside the water, maybe that's where he is drawing his inspiration. Whatever works as long as he keeps on running?

Marc and Corey have a common denominator, they are both Aussies. Right now, this Aussie surfer is looking like a real runner. Keep it up Corey.

Just like that, Corey is nearing the end of his leg. Now that was not the nightmare you thought it would be, right Corey? Now pass me that sash. You've done it mate! Aussie! Aussie! Aussie! Oy! Oy! Oy!

Unlike my team mates, I like to run. After a long day's work, running relaxes me, so I would call myself a recreational runner. But this is a real race! By the way, did we mention that after three hours from the starting time the course will close, so if the last runner of your team has not crossed the finished line, the result will be that you're team did not complete the race. Now who could be relaxed running this last leg knowing that? If for any reason something happens to me and I can't cross the finish line, all my team mates efforts would have gone to waste. Now that takes away the relaxation part and is replaced by pressure on my part. I have to bring this sash home no matter what.

The sun is now out in full force and the weather is humid. That makes it a lot tougher for me. Now my whole team is in the media pick-up truck following me and cheering me on, hearing their voices really helps. It keeps my mind off the heat and the pressure.

This is what I meant when I said Marc is a real team player. Towards the last part of my leg I had a hill to climb, and although Marc was tired from his run, he runs beside me to encourage me and he reminded me to take less but bigger strides when running up hill instead of my style which is taking small and fast strides. That tip totally helped me, that's what partners are for.

Marc, Corey and Jackie are cheering me on and telling me that the finish line is oh-so-close. They were telling me I was doing great and that they would meet me at the finish line. Now I know I am approaching the finish line. I can see and hear the crowd cheering and I can see the sign that all runners in a race dream of seeing just a few more feet between me and that finish sign. I did it! I brought our Sports Unlimited sash Home!

There is nothing more rewarding than the feeling of coming through for your team although in this case, since it was a relay race and all of us had to run 5 kilometers each, all of us came through for each other. We did not by any means expect to win or even place in this race, our challenge to ourselves was to finish the race before the course closed and we succeeded, finishing almost an hour before the course closed, just a little over two hours. What a great feeling of accomplishment, this being Sports Unlimited very first international race.

After the race, .there was a great feast prepared for all the runners and we met up with a group of Pinoys who lived in Guam and are regular viewers of Sports Unlimited on TFC.

It's always nice to know that Filipinos here, although they don't live in the Philippines watch our show, and in some way, we play a part in bringing our homeland into their homes. That in itself made us feels like winners!

 
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