#rundanang

  Together with my friend Leeyhan Dizon, we went to Vietnam for the first time. It was an hour before Manila time and we went there as early as August 4. From Ho Chi Minh City (will share my experience there on Part 2), we flew to Da Nang via Vietjet Air.

Like the Mizuno Ekiden, I wanted to keep my international races a secret but whenever I think of the races, my nerves act up and my trainings give it away.

  I was actually looking forward to eating authentic pho, that helps me forget about the race. It will also be the first half marathon of Leeyhan, that is why we are really looking forward to this race. As per route, it will be a gradual flat race and just by the photos, it will be a scenic race.

We left Manila, Thursday evening and arrived in Ho Chi Minh City via Tan Son Nhat International Airport. Just a 10-minute walk away (maybe you can hatch a Pokemon egg! haha!) from the airport is their domestic airport. Our flight was 5:30 am so we made ala-Amazing Race and spent the rest of the early morning outside the airport.

We arrived in Da Nang and checked in King Finger Hotel, just 10 minutes away from the beach. The city of Da Nang gave that Boracay feel but this is a larger and more developed city. Vietnamese are generally friendly and we looked like them so often times, they tend to talk to us like we are locals. After a decent sleep, we went around the city and enjoyed what Da Nang can offer. Tip (thanks to Leeyhan): if you wanted to learn the country’s culture, eat in their local restaurants and you will definitely get authentic food: banh mi and their Vietnamese coffee.

The day after, we went out for an easy run to easily acclimatize and feel Da Nang’s weather: humid or hot? Guess what, as early as 4:30 am, the sun is already up!

We claimed our race kits that day and tried to stop moving to preserve our legs. Yeah we did rest our legs, but we couldn’t stop trying to sweat some of what we ate, haha!

Race Day!

D-Day and the street where our hotel is, lies part of the route so we walked a good 2km up to the starting line. It was the 3rd year of Da Nang to staged this IAAF-AIMS certified race. Several runners from different countries joined this event and we are so happy that we are part of the international delegation! It is the first international race of Leeyhan and his first half marathon, what more can you ask for?

We went a good 6:15 min/km for the 3 kilometers. As we turned left to where our hotel is, we took our first hydration stop and we took a quick walk then went back. As I was nervous of our performance, I wanted to make sure that Leeyhan’s first international race is injury free so we had our Galloway 4:1.

Da Nang is a place to behold. Not just of its promise of a good and peaceful vacation but also a scenic one. As we cross bridges, we couldn’t help but stop and take some pictures!

And as I crossed the finish line, the 5km and 10km fun run of Manulife started! I clocked in sub-3 (yeah, obviously I enjoyed looking at the sights not just the race!).

CONGRATULATIONS LEEYHAN!!!

Leeyhan prepared for this race. He logged in more mileage than I am and he followed our training program by the letter: from speed, to breathing, to shoes, to mileage. He crossed the finish line just a 8 minutes shy away from 3 hours but without injury and finishing smiling is something to really be proud of!

We left Da Nang that afternoon and returned to Ho Chi Minh. To the organizers and the locals in Da Nang, thank you very much for the hospitality and the cheerful atmosphere all throughout the race.

Scouring Saigon

We would have wanted to stay but returned to a surprisingly rainy Ho Chi Minh City. Vietnam is not Vietnam without the views of motorcycles everywhere! It was an amazing view how cars and motorbikes can go around smoothly without causing too much traffic (unlike here in Manila).

We stayed in Lan Lan Hotel 2 and just minutes away is the Ben Tanh market and street food anywhere!

The next day, we continued our tour and scouring the authentic dishes of Vietnam!

We went home with the rich culture of Vietnam and the memories of Da Nang and Ho Chi Minh. Till next time Vietnam, I hope to see you again and maybe run the marathon!

Thank you Pulse Active for making our participation in the race possible!