Tabal reaches target mileage in Milo marathon training

Cebuana marathoner Mary Joy Tabal is a week away from entering the tapering phase after completing her mileage for the 42nd Milo Marathon National Finals set on Dec. 9 in Laoag City.

“It’s my last long run today (Saturday, Nov. 24). I still have workout loads or short runs left for next week before tapering,” Tabal told SunStar Cebu.

For the past weeks, the 29-year-old Tabal covered a total of around 100 to 150 kilometers per week to complete the training program’s long distance mileage.

“I’m now 80 percent ready,” said the 29th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games gold medalist. “I just wish to stay healthy and injury-free.”

Tabal is not just only eyeing an unprecedented six-peat in the women’s marathon but is also aiming to make it sweeter by breaking the women’s record time that she currently holds.

Tabal set the record twice. She shattered the record of Jhon-an Banayag in Pasay City in 2013 before resetting the benchmark to 2 hours, 47 minutes and 44 seconds in Iloilo City two years ago.

“Actually, we applied the marathon pace on my training this week. Part of my goal is to break my record time,” she said.

After her long distance run yesterday, Tabal rushed to the Liloan Central School in northern Cebu for the monthly meetup with her grassroots students. /