Dr. Vicente Verallo and I spoke yesterday. It was 12:02 p.m. (noon) here. In New York City, where Dr. Vic was at, it was 11 at night. Thanks to Viber, we chatted for 14 minutes.
Together with over 50,000 others, our top dermatologist ran the world’s largest 42K race last Sunday. “It was cold!” said Vic. The morning started at 4 degrees Celsius and, though it warmed when the sun rose and Vic’s group started at 10:55 a.m., there was one factor that made it chilly. “The winds were strong,” said Vic. When he climbed the Verrazano Bridge (which I kidded him can now be called “Verallo Bridge”), it was strongest. “It was running at 45 miles per hour, which made running difficult especially when crossing the bridge especially if one is running with a cheap, loose jacket intended to be thrown away.”
Ever the joker in our running group, Vic added: “I could not, however, throw it away since Verallo is a true-blooded Filipino who could not stand the cold.” Four layers of clothing, plus a hoodie and gloves, enveloped Vic.
How does this compare, I asked, with the 12 other marathons that he’s completed? The crowd was plenty and they cheered plenty, said Vic. Close to two million New Yorkers flood the streets to motivate the runners. “You will never find this kind of crowd support elsewhere,” said Jane-Jane Ong, who, together with her siblings Andrew and Nica, ran NYC in 2010. “People line up the whole route (except for the 5 bridges) calling out your name and cheering you on and pushing you every step of the way until the finish line.”
(Lucas Jackson/Reuters)
Dr. Verallo noticed one item. “Security was very tight,” he added. Dogs sniffed all belongings and, when the participants rode the ferry towards the start (in Staten Island), every bag was checked. “We were not allowed to bring any back packs,” he said. “Only the transparent plastic bags given to us.” Even family members were not spared. Given what happened to Boston last year, the well-wishers at the finish line had to wait at a distance. “In Central Park, where we finished, there was a ‘Family Reunion’ area that was far.”
During the race, Dr. Susan Verallo, Vic’s wife, was able to follow her husband’s pace. “The nice thing is there is an app which you can download for free,” said Vic. “With it, one can track us down during the whole course. Susan didn’t have a problem locating me. She could see how fast, or most of the time, how SLOW I was progressing. The whole course must have wifi signal!”
Dr. Verallo timed a very respectable 4 hours and 48 minutes. The sad part? “After running for 26 miles, Susan and I had to walk another three kilometers to the hotel!”
He was happiest about what transpired the night before. At St. Patrick’s Cathedral, doctors Vic and Susan heard anticipated mass. At the end, the Monsignor called all the runners up front. “Usually, there would just be a handful,” he said, “but yesterday, we filled up the whole front portion, all of us runners, and we were blessed and sprinkled with holy water.”
DUKE FRASCO. The mayor from Liloan, Vincent Franco “Duke” Frasco, also completed the NYC Marathon — his first 42-K. I received this email from the Liloan mayor:
“Hi John! It was extremely cold and windy! The wind made it even colder! In short, an amazing experience! My 21k was just a little over 2hrs so I was making good time. It wasn’t until mile 20 that my legs started to cramp up and it was like that until the finish! I finished with a time of 4:38:35 – pretty good for my first marathon ever and since my target was 4:50-4:55. The crowd was incredible all the way from Brooklyn to Central Park! The 45min walk in the cold after the finish wasn’t very nice – but, was just extremely happy that I did it and to represent Liloan, Cebu, and the Philippines. I ran from the start with a Philippine flag tucked in my shorts! I pulled it out and raised it for everyone to see in the last 100meters all the way to the finish! If I had a picture, I would hashtag it with #FilinoPride! Hehe.”
Checking the official website, a total of 138 Filipinos finished. The fastest, with a 2:55 time, was Felipe Sajulga III.
WOZNIACKI. Speaking of celebrities, the focus was on former No. 1 tennis player, Caroline Wozniacki.
Usually, marathon preparation includes long runs that stretch from 25-K to 32-K. But the Danish netter had no time to train long-distance. The other weekend, I saw her with my own eyes, playing a semi-final match at the WTA Finals in Singapore. Leading 5-4 in the third set against Serena Williams, she served for the match — only to lose. She was busy smashing balls instead of road-running and had not run more than a 21-K. Worse, she joined a Halloween party a few nights (or mornings, as she went home 4 a.m.) before race day.
No training and no sleep? No problem. She clocked a speedy 3:26! Even riding his golf cart, I bet Rory can’t run that fast.
(Andrew Savulich/New York Daily News)
