Thursday, August 07, 2008 Himamaylan runners undergo high altitude training
MEMBERS of the Himamaylan City marathon team who have booked berths in this year's National Milo Marathon Finals slated November 30 in Manila are undergoing intensive high altitude training in Barangay San Atonio, Himamaylan City, in preparation for the national Milo event.
"We do road run here in Bacolod regularly usually after classes but there's no substitute for training in the up-and-down terrain of Barangay San Antonio since it helps us build our resistance," said Iloilo Milo Marathon leg champion Anthony Babiera, a member of the West Negros University varsity athletics team.
Babiera said this is why Bacolod leg champion Eric Panique, fourth placer in last year's national finals, still has the edge compared to the other leg winners from Himamaylan City because he trains regularly in the hilly terrain of Barangay San Antonio.
"If he continues to train in San Antonio until November while we remain here in Bacolod I think there's no way we can beat him in the national finals," Babiera told Sun.Star Bacolod in an interview Wednesday.
Julius Sermona, the Himamaylan City native who won the national Milo Marathon crown in 2006, once said he foresees Panique "will one day win the national Milo title due to his talent, discipline and dedication."
Sermona, a Philippine Air Force enlisted man, skipped this year's National Milo Marathon eliminations in favor of campaigning for the country in the Asian Athletics Grand Prix international competitions as the RP team's bet in 5,000 and 10,000 meters.
Himamaylan runners have secured seven slots to this year's Milo Marathon national finals. Aside from Panique and Babiera, the others are Bacolod leg 21K second placer Rowel Hulleza, Iloilo leg second placer Raden Vergara, Roxas City leg third placer Romel Hulleza, as well as female runners Allyn Grace Salas, who finished second in Bacolod and former Iloilo leg winner Irene Apuhin, who finished third in Iloilo this year.
The Himamaylan marathon squad is mentored by Hernani Bolivar with 1982 National Milo Marathon titlist Rodolfo Rizalde as trainer.
"We are proud of our runners and we are committed to support them as a translation of our avowed commitment to youth development through sports," Himamaylan City Mayor Carminia Bascon told Sun.Star Bacolod in an earlier interview. (HCV)
