The mind is a powerful thing, ultra-runner Jonel Mendoza said in an almost conspiratorial whisper that carried across a room full of stunned runners.

If you think it, you can probably do it.

Preparing to run 100 kilometers takes more mental preparation than physical readiness, said Mendoza, ultra-runner and Frontrunner publisher and editor-in-chief.

Jonel MendozaJONEL MENDOZA, ultra-runner and publisher of Frontrunner, talks to the ungo runners in the Sun.Star Cebu newsroom. CLICK ON PHOTO TO ENLARGE. (PHOTOGRAPH BY ALEX BADAYOS)

“Huwag na tayong magbolahan dito. Hindi ko sasabihing hindi masakit, dahil masakit. Masakit na masakit (Let’s not kid ourselves. I won’t tell you it’s easy because it hurts. It really hurts),” Mendoza told a group of runners gathered at the Sun.Star Cebu central newsroom last Friday. With that, the room fell into stunned silence.

For a newbie runner, it’s hard to take in the idea of running 42 kilometers—the distance from the Capitol to Carcar.

It positively boggles the mind to cover that distance, come back to Capitol and continue running to Talamban in Cebu City, then Mandaue City, then to the old bridge and ending somewhere in Camella Homes in Barangay Pajac, Lapu-Lapu City.

That’s the distance Jonel and scores of other ultra-runners, including Atty. Haide Acuña and Bro. Carlo Bacalla, ran in the Bataan Death March (BDM). One hundred two kilometers.

Jonel has run the 102KM BDM route twice. He is set to run the longer BDM next year—the 151-kilometer category. This Sunday, he’ll run 100 kilometers in the TNF trail run.

How do you prepare to run more than 100 kilometers? It’s all in the mind, Jonel said.

Jonel Mendoza with the ungo runners of CebuUNGO RUNNERS of Cebu pose with Jonel Mendoza outside the Sun.Star Cebu office prior to running the weekly Friday Night Run to Banilad Town Center and the IT Park. CLICK ON PHOTO TO ENLARGE. (PHOTOGRAPH BY ALEX BADAYOS)

He said that in the previous TNF trail run in Baguio, he was more than physically ready to complete the race. He was in a much better shape than running the BDM 102.

“I already completed 102 kilometers. What’s a hundred, right?” Jonel said. But then someone started to talk about drinking the night away and sleeping. Jonel’s mental defenses against the rigors of running long distance crumbled. He failed.

This Sunday, he’ll be running after redemption in Baguio.

Of all the secrets Jonel shared that night with the ungo runners, a group that runs every Friday night from the Sun.Star office to BTC and the IT Park, one thing stood out because it was very counter-intuitive—take regular walking breaks.

Jonel said that like most runners, he used to scoff at the idea of walking breaks. But his ultra-running experience has made him realize the effectiveness of taking regular walk breaks.

FRONTRUNNER. Jonel Mendoza, me and Ray Abenojar during the Friday Night Run from Sun.Star Cebu to the Banilad Town Center and IT Park. CLICK ON PHOTO TO ENLARGE. (PHOTOGRAPH BY ALEX BADAYOS)

“Take walk breaks even if you’re still not tired, you’ll benefit from it at the end of the run,” he told the runners, “I love taking walk breaks to enjoy the scenery, to enjoy the run.”

Last Sunday, I followed his advice and took walk breaks for the first time and set a personal record in the 21K, breaking two hours for the first time. I finished 21K in 1 hour and 58 minutes, sprinting to the finish line with fellow ungo runner Anthony Gabriel Tuldanes. Other ungo runners who attended Jonel’s talk also did well. A few were able to finish their first 21K race while others improved their time. All said they took walk breaks.

Why run? Jonel answered with a quote from ultra-runner Dean Karnazes “I run because it always takes me where I want to go.”

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