Running... United

March 6, 2011
Bonifacio Global City

After a slow running time, it's time to bounce back with one of the biggest running events in the country. The Unilab Run United 1 is the first leg of the run rio trilogy. One of the biggest running legs in the country, to show how grandiose it is, there are around 12,000 runners that were competing that day.



Upon entering the event area, I'm surprised at the huge turnout of the event, the queue from the starting line is around 2 blocks long. Video monitors are stationed in the start area and at the back. The announcer told us that there were at least 4 thousand participants in our category (39++ to be exact). This was also the debut of the runrio song "Running for Love" Which is a great song, and as of present, can only be heard through Runrio events (Unless you look for the music video in youtube, but it has those testimonials that kinda killed the mood). To top it all of, a 3d animated Rio running like pacman on the a map showed us the route we were going to take.

After the gunstart, Running in this event was actually a lot harder due to the sheer number of people. You'll spend a lot of time and expend a lot of energy trying to overtake runners. The Lanes are really overcrowded especially when the slow 10k runners and fast 5k runners merge. It seems like wheher you look left or right, there is an eternity of runners around you. Good thing though, that around the 4k mark, the 2 categories split their ways. But since this was a "transition" race from 3k to 5k lack of base and fatigue started to build up, and was forced to walk for multiple parts of the race.

The result was 31:10 and ranked 319th out of 3,900+ runners in the 5k category. Surprisingly, falling in line in the heat of the sun for pics and freebies were a lot more tiring than the running event itself.

143 never go?

CouFebruary 27, 2011
Mall of Asia

143 go is a one of a kind run. It was a one of a kind run as we preffered to join the couples run.



My GF is not a runner so we just went by her pace and clocked in at the 36 min mark. I did not know if it was the starting time for 10k either

Sadly, the results never materialized. It took a really long time for them to release the results. And when they did, There were so many missing names in the results and the people in charge in FB kept passing names and email adresses to forward our concerns. So, a really bad job in processing the results.

Since I'd like to end this on a positive note, the run was well excecuted and freebies were a plenty.

Good luck to the patients of the Phil Heart Center.

Racing for Place

Jan 30, 2011

SM MOA Grounds


With a race experience under my belt , a couple of lessons were learned on the do's and donts when going on a race. While looking for some possible races online, I saw this one. Sure the singlet is kinda cluttered but seeing the race details, it doesn't look bad at all. First, it is to be held in the SM Mall of Asia which is a lot nearer than BHS (Plus it's the area where I usually train). Also, They are giving medals for the 1st 500 finishers of each category .Come to think of it, I haven't won any athletic achievement since my high school days with the tug of war. So, I went to the nearest Chris Sports Branch and registered.  

Race Day:

Luckily we got there at 4:30am with still plenty of time to stretch and relax. A Friend of mine, JR also joined the race with the 3k category.

Race Start
Knowing that gun time would be used, I immediately positioned near the staring area as soon as the 10k and 5k run went off. Knowing that most of the participants here are students, a lot of them seem to sprint their way from the start. There were around 300 who got past me in the 1st kilometer. by midway, there were around 50 left ahead of me. What is good in this race is that there were a lot of hydration stations. At least 1 per kilometer, a far cry from the bull run 2011.

So After the race, I got a new PR. 47th place out of 1,084 participants and my first medal in a decade.

It's Game time

Running with the Bulls

So, 2 months after training started, it had gone well. I lost 7 lbs and had my stamina improved.On my first few weeks I can barely run 1k but in the end I was able to run 3k straight.

So there it is, the date is Jan 9, 2011, My first run. Since BHS was very far from my place, I came in a bit late. Actually I saw the 16 k group already running into the streets as I am still in the vehicle (only to found out in forums that the race started way earlier than the written starting time). So there I was Running in the opposite side of the 16k runners towards the starting point. Luckily I made it, so I stretched and placed my dtag and number on the way of the starting point. At the starting area, the emcee announced that 5k runners are to start and the 3k runners should stand by. However, seconds upon the announcing of the 5k start, the 3k runners were also advised to start. Not even a countdown. Me, on my first ever race was surprised of this because I was still meters away from the starting area. This prompted me to run and hurry. Through the race I was just hoping to survive and finish my time record of 21 minutes and 35 seconds. Come the finish line, I was surprised to be 19 minutes and 37 seconds, and upon strider tag analysis the chip time was 18:34. My running friends told me to always stand by at the starting point. Lesson learned. Days later the results were announced. I was surprised to be at 55th place out of 675 runners in my category. For my first ever run, I thought I was even lucky to be at the 200th place. But 55th and besting 650 people? I was really proud of myself.

Running it is...

November 2010

A month into working out 2 - 3 times a week. My health has improved, not necessarily my weight but the interest in fitness and having a healthy lifestyle has started to spurn. I am more interested in it now and view it as less of a chore. My tv set is now glued to destiny cable's channels 30-36 espn, solar sports, star sports, eurosport & Btv. My magazine collection slowly getting filled by clearance back issues of metroactive and men's health.

Upon browsing magazine stands, I picked up a copy of Men's Health magazine, mainly because of the article that had "the smart gilas workout" After checking the magazine out, I gave it a 7 out of 10. There were some good articles in there. The Gilas workout could've been longer but it was quite decent nonetheless.

However, what eventually stood out, is a freebie magazine called Runner's world Philippines. I was curious at first, Just wanting to take a look at it for as a freebie magazine, but reading through the articles got me interested. Before I read the magazine, Running is one of the last sports I even envisioned myself to be in. Ever since grade school, I have been the one which was always considered to be big and slow. During basketball games, most of the reasons why I screw up in plays is because my stamina wasn't at par. Granted I run the treadmill 15 minutes per workout, but that was just an alternate between sprinting for a minute, then walking on the next.

Come to think of it,  I needed another sport. Finding weekend basketball games is tough when the christmas season is nearing. Also, It would be better to develop my stamina for basketball rather than developing my stamina through it. As the magazine I bought stated on one of it's articles "You train to play sports not train by playing them".

After which, It left me to ponder my last weight loss which was back in 2006. Back then as a fresh college graduate, I decided to take some time off and concentrating on working out and being thin. The staff at the gym were impressed and asked me to join their bodybuilding contest, with that in mind, I lost a total of nearly 40 lbs. By the time I reached my lowest weight, It was still not enough for the contest but I was satisfied. It even landed me a hosting gig for a cable channel.

After which work and career responsibilities have caught up to me and even with a number of workouts here and there, my weight slowly gained back. No matter how hard I tried, I really did not have the same weight loss I had back in 2006. Then I realized that the main reason that was so successful was because I was motivated. I had a goal, I was on preparation for a competition. There's something in a competition that fires me up. So yeah, I needed a sport that I can regularly compete. Not necessarily a team sport like basketball where it would be dependent on the schedule of your team mates and tournaments would be scarce. But a sport which has numerous regular competitions that can keep me focused and motivated with continuity.

So there it is, I finally found a second sport I can compete in, a sport I can get my motivation to.

Running it is.

Meeting with the Skywalker

October 2010

I have been invited to play at a local friendly game by one of the online jersey sellers that I am a customer of. The highlight/ guest of the day was the "Skywalker" a legend in Philippine basketball and  a former Fiba Asia champion. To put how legendary this guy is: During the 80's at an international basketball tournament featuring the PHL team and some international ballclubs, a Showtime era Lakers scout approached him and said that if he was a couple of inches taller, he could've made it to the league.


Moving on, It was nice meeting the man, Athletes of his generation remain humble all these years. I met another 80s star before,  the which was nicknamed "The Captain" and he was equally humble. Incidentally though, the biggest asshole that I met was some guy nicknamed Big Shot Rob.

So after Skywalker has left the building, The game has finally started. I have never played a game in 2 years and basically played only 2 games in the last 4 years prior. Sure I got a few rebounds and defensive stops here and there but the stamina wasn't there anymore. In the end, our team won by a mile. Even though I was tired, it awakened something inside of me that had been long gone since , the thrill of playing sports and an active lifestyle. Sure I was working out here and there. But working out is gets easily complacent especially if you don't have a goal. So there I have it. I finally find a new direction.