My Way of Living:
health

G ingerbreadman closed his email with a weird feeling in his stomach. No, it wasn't that. It was an invite. To a presser. What an honor. Thus, in spite of his heavy workday which included a marathon 3-hour meeting, being suspected of being a student insurgent at the Malacanang gates and giving a 2 hour speech to 500 people (only one is made up, and it's not what you think), he went on to Megamall to roll the dice, eagerly anticipating the thrill of a fresh experience in his life away from the corporate bustle.

ADB Avenue, 6:10 pm
Oh boy. So the secret's out eh. They've been mumbling about this for like a month now. And now it could be said. What the big deal? Here's the big deal, and I've been getting snippets of this here and there. Apparently, it's called the Kenny's Open 2009 Urbanite Run. U rbanite? Urban? Hmmm. Nite? They need a copy-editor. Maybe they could hire me. But then again I hate copy editing. So this is THE event. In partnership with Takbo.ph of course. The one we've been hearing for like... forever. Oh boy Jinoe made me a moderator. What an honor. Ranks up there with the time that I took 3rd place in our quiz bee as a 4th grader. So what if only three showed up! There was a big storm that day and... Oh crap the MMDA dudes are flagging me down for coding. Goodbye 100 bucks.

Cool!

Not Cool!

GBM arrived at the designated venue 5 minutes early, still smarting from being divested ofP100 by the very people who were tasked to make our streets a better place. The anxiety of being alone amidst the more senior members of the runner/ blogger community dissipated as he saw a familiar face in Doc Lyndon aka Malmonmd. He remembered how Doc had warmly welcomed him at the Condura CLP as a newbie, made him feel like he belonged. I'll pay homage to the gesture one day to a nervous newbie when I'm in a position of seniority. But at this particular juncture, at this precise time and place - he was the newbie once more. Doc's amiable demeanor jostled him from his daydreams. Queenie is there. BR was there awhile ago, he just went out. Go inside and make yourself comfy. BR? Bald Runner? THE Bald Runner? If that was a portent of things to come, this was going to be a good night.

Doc Lyndon with his beautiful familyI am with Legends
Upon entering, a throng of familiar and not-so-familiar faces greeted his entrance. Looking around, he surveyed the scene in earnest anticipation as his underlying excitement was nearing its zenith. The venue isn't enclosed. I hope we could hear one another amidst this mad, rush hour dinner crowd. Friendly faces abound. Takbo.ph elite idol Vener,also known in blogging parlance as Run Unltd. was there. One day I hope to be as fast as him. Okay maybe not. But still, I appreciate that he was at that finish line when I finished that insane 50k Ultra. ( Editor's Note : Yes, I owe you an entry on that epic life experience and yes I'll get to it once I finish the things that I need to do. Things that, uh, actually pay me money. I need to feed my family, put food on the table. Or maybe I just need the money to buy running thingamajigies) Trail runner extraordinaire/overall nice guy/foodie connoisseur Sir Rene aka The JazzRunner was there, exchanging niceties and running stories as they eventually settled on being "seatmates" for the duration of the presser. A small group was formed at one of the tables., members of the running blogosphere no doubt. A quick glance showedthat one of them was Vimz aka Kulit on the Run . While he was always a fan of her site and layout, as much as he wanted to say "hi" his inherent Gingerbread nature dictated him to lean towards the "shy" end of the spectrum.At least for the first 5 minutes. There were also Roselle The Running Diva and Bards of BananaRunning sightings. From the Takbo.ph ranks, Coach/Mod Pojie was indisposed and couldnt make it. 5k pacer/motivational speaker Rico of Sheer Will fame was running late. Boss Jinoe was apparently stuck in traffic. But the real treat was yet to come. Two running luminaries , veritable legends in the field were in the house. And our protagonist was reduced to a blubbering piece of blubber.

Sir Rene and Vener

Queenie, Roselle, Vener, and Bards Unbelievable. I finally got to talk to the irrepressible Bald Runner . Sir Jovie himself. He's a really nice guy. You'd think he'd have a gruff military guy vibe. But he's really cool. Gave me a ton of tips on how to recover from an ultramarathon, and how to increase my speed. I'm glad he likes my work. That just inspires me to write more and spend less time on my day job! (alt tabs to "Communications Strategy 2009" as boss passes by) Whew. Anyway, another tremendous experience was to meet race walk legend /shipping magnate/big hearted nice guy Sir Amado Castro, who's also known for his popular Reinier6666 blog. Handshakes, warm exchanges ensued. I'm really touched by his kind words for our blog, as well as his unending support in helping our running community , the Takbo.ph Aid Station during the Botak ultra a prime example. Sigh, a good day indeed.

Photo-op to remember The Grub Before the Storm, 7:30 pm Without any trepidation, the Jazzrunner ordered a bountiful feast fit for a, er, hungry blogger. No further elaboration required.

Yum. Nuff Said. Presser Proper, 7:45 The briefing was led by agency rep/ DLSU alum Denise and fun guy/Finish Line head honcho Vince Mendoza. Coach Rio soon followed suit, presumably to help out with the question and answer portion. The concept was novel. The first ever night run with a disposable timing chip system is to be launched. Side events to follow. Coolpix capable. Glow in the dark bracelets. Refletorized bibs. Double the marshals.Free food when you register. Help out a wonderful cause. What more do you need to know?

No mic, no prob for Denise

There it is

Amazing how Vince does that hand gesture

Coach clarifying things during Q&A

This presentation is cool. Even without a mic! Oh there's a mic now! Just in time for the closing remarks! BR is asking about the security issues since it's a night run. It's been prevalent nowadays, you know. Oh god did I just do a Pacquiao. Anyway, it's admirable how Vince and Coach Rio handle his queries, and it's also admirable how Sir Jovie volunteered Team BR to help out with security. That right there is the spirit of volunteerism that we should espouse amongst oursleves, if only to give back to our community. Okay, so everything is working out great except that... oh lord I forgot to take notes! How am I supposed to write about this thing? Guesswork? Can I just make it up? Oh shoot. Hmm.. I know... why not we tap our ET running buddies from The Collective to get me back in time and get me that info. ... ... ... .. Okay that sure was fast. Run Strong and Prosper my preternatural friends. So here's what we got...

Now, Kenny Rogers is taking another leap forward in its dedication to health - one that is bound shake up a storm! It is with great pride that we present: The Kenny’s Open 2009 Urbanite Run ! On August 15 ^th at 8:00 p.m. , at Bonifacio Global City in the Fort, a truly one-of-a-kind run will take place. And as the name suggests, The Kenny’s Open Urbanite Run will happen at night!

With an advanced timing chip system to record runners’ progress and distances of 5/10/15 kilometers, the Urbanite Run is designed especially for the young and young at heart of the Metro. Participants 18 years old and above are eligible to sign up!

Joining is easy. Simply stop over at any Kenny Rogers Roasters branch or the new Kenny’s Roast and Grill restaurant at the Powerplant and purchase the Urbanite Run Ticket to Eat, Run and Donate your way to fitness! Registration can be done manually or via online & mobile through www.kennys.com.ph.

EVENT DETAILS:

1. The Kenny’s Open 2009 Urbanite Run will be held on August 15, 2009 (Saturday) at The Fort. Official call time will be at 8:00pm .

2. The run will a cco mmodate a total of 3,000 runners, 18 YO and above, with divisions of 5, 10, and 15 kilometer distances.

HOW TO JOIN:

1. Purchase the Urbanite Run Ticket

a. To join the Kenny’s Open 2009 Urbanite Run, interested participants must purchase an Urbanite Run Ticket for P600 at any Kenny Roger’s Roasters branch or the new Kenny’s Roast and Grill restaurant at the Powerplant.

b. Interested participants may also purchase the Urbanite Run ticket through the web or on their mobile phones by visiting www.kennys.com.ph . An electronic claim voucher will be issued to registrants to claim their Urbanite Run Ticket at any Kenny Roger’s Roasters branch or the new Kenny’s Roast and Grill restaurant at the Powerplant.

Urbanite Run Tickets will entitle participants to:

a. Eat: Bearers are entitled to an Urbanite meal from Kenny Rogers. Simply present the Urbanite Run Ticket at any Kenny Rogers branch to claim the Urbanite meal. Redemption period from July 15 to Aug. 15, 2009 .

b. Run: The Urbanite Run Ticket will serve as the runner’s registration voucher, to be attached to their registration form, if they register manually. See below for registration details.

c. Donate: Serve as runner’s donation to Hands On Manila Foundation. On the day of the run, bearers are to drop the “Donate” portion of their Urbanite Run Tickets at the designated box on-site.

2. Register for the Run

Registration will be from July 15 to August 11, 2009 .

Participants may register online or through designated registration sites. For other details, please contact Vince Mendoza at (632) 7031736.

a. Online Registration Process

a. Interested participants are to log on to www.kennys.com.ph , click on the “Events” tab, follow the Urbanite Race link, and register their details online.

b. Once registered, participants must submit their details and settle payment via credit card/ GCash or ATM.

c. An electronic claim voucher will be issued to registrants to claim their Urbanite Run Ticket at any Kenny Roger’s Roasters branch or the new Kenny’s Roast and Grill restaurant at the Powerplant.

d. Participants may also choose to have their race kits delivered at a minimal cost. Delivery address to be indicated in the online registration form.

e. Confirmation email will be sent to the participant’s email within 24 hours upon online payment.

b. Registration thru designated registration sites.

a. Interested participants must go to the available Finishline Registration booths at the four (4) pre-identified marathons:

i. 2 ^nd GIG Run, UP Diliman

ii. Milo Manila Elimination, Luneta Grandstand

iii. Robinson’s Fit & Fun Wellness Buddy Ru, NBC Tent

iv. Globe Run For Home on July 19 at The Global City, Fort Bonifacio , Taguig City

b. Interested participants may also register their details at Nike Park and Runnr and claim race materials on-site.

c. Manual registration will also be available to last-minute participants on the night of the run – within 1hr before call time.

EVENT DAY:

1. Call time

On the night of the run, participants must arrive at 8:00 pm. Assembly and gun start times of each division are as follows:

Distance

Assembly

Gun Start

5K

TBD

8:30PM (TBC)

10k

TBD

8:45PM (TBC)

15k

TBD

9:00PM (TBC)

2. Prizes

a. The following cash prizes will be awarded to first, second, and third place finishers of each division, to be awarded after the run finishes.

Distance

5 Kilometers

10 Kilometers

15 Kilometers

Male

Female

Male

Female

Male

Female

1 ^st Place

Php 5,000

Php 5,000

Php 5,000

Php 5,000

Php 5,000

Php 5,000

2 ^nd Place

Php 3,000

Php 3,000

Php 3,000

Php 3,000

Php 3,000

Php 3,000

3 ^rd Place

Php 2,000

Php 2,000

Php 2,000

Php 2,000

Php 2,000

Php 2,000

b. Employees of Roasters Group Inc., Bates141 Philippines, Zenith Optimedia including their relatives up to the second degree of consanguinity or affinity are disqualified from winning the cash prizes.

3. Event Activities

At the end of the run, participants will be invited to relax to a concert of Tribo Manila and purchase their Urbanite dinners at discount.

4. Security Measures

a. Stationary marshals at different points along the run route, approximately 100-150 meters apart or at strategic areas.

b. Roving marshals in motorcycles to tail and keep runners in line.

c. Police marshals and traffic enforcer group will direct traffic and to ensure runners will not be approached by onlookers.

d. Roving police escorts as added security measure.

e. Perimeter barricading at the start/finish line to keep runners assembled properly.

f. Roving security designated at the parking area.

5. Safety Measures

a. Runners to wear illuminated bib numbers and glow bracelets for easy tracking.

b. The marathon route will also contain “reflectorized” cones and signages to ensure the clarity of the track

c. Perimeter lighting will be placed around the run route every 50 meters or so.

d. In case of emergency, two (2) ambulances will be on standby with a dedicated first aid station at the event grounds.

e. All runners are entitled to insurance coverage worth Php 100,000.00 with Php 10,000.00 medical reimbursement.

The Takbo.ph boys full of ribs and chix So as the presscon drew to a close, new friends were made and old ones were reinforced. Close encounters of the running legend kind never hurt the Gingerbread folk as well. There was an air of great anticipation for this one-of-a-kind event. So as GBM started to head for the exits, he was stopped by a familair foil... .. Rico : Hey Gingerbread creature! GBM : Uh, hi boss. Rico: How are your knees? GBM : I can walk now boss... Rico: Great great. You owe me for that 5k. If not for me you would be frothing in the mouth in that unknown UP place! GBM: Mosr probably boss. No worries, if ever they do a bromance movie on my life, you will be the lead. Rico: How flattering. ANyway, business first. Where's my GC? GBM: What GC? Rico: Duh THE LEVI's GC for your fraudulent "contest" ! GBM: Oh yeah that... . Rico: I should report you to the blogging ADBOARD ! Shameless Blog Promotion! GBM: Uh, boss... Rico: Yes? What? I should... WOAH! YAY! It's True ! It wasn't a sham! My precious GC's! YEBAHHH!

It pays to be a Levi's wenner
Wonderful event. Great People. Good food. Come to think of it... It was a good night indeed.

Philippine Blog Awards Verification Text - PBA096339qor
Chateau Gingerbread, 6:30 pm

Gingerbreadman rushes inside his house on pins and needles, a late-ending event at his office coupled with the maddening rush of the sundown traffic resulting in twenty minutes worth of tardiness. The helpers are stirred by his spastic entrance, the elder Ginger folk jostled by the abruptness of his appearance. A week-long bout with the chills had the elders admonishing him at the mere mention of a run, urging him to err on the side of caution lest he meet the same fate of the 7 other victims from his alma mater.

Gingerbread Grandpa : Are you crazy? You are sick! Sick I say! You need to rest! And besides, it's raining!

GBM: It's not raining. That's the blender.
Gingerbread Grandma: Just stay home hijo I will make you some Spam and Eggs
GBM : Yum. How healthy. What's your BP again?
Gingerbread Doggie : Woof! Wooooof! Bark! Yelp! (Translation : I could care less if you're sick, but could I have the Spam and Eggs instead?)
GBM: How thoughtful. Now knock it off or I'll have you neutered.
Gingerbread Gal (via SMS) : Please don't go... . you're sick... .. I'll be sooo worried :( Don't go ...
GBM: Aww how sweet. Okay, because you deserve nothing less. I'll... text you when I get home! Xoxo!

Unflinching in his resolve to run despite the chorus of incessant protests received from the immediate brood, GBM nonchalantly went through a whirlwind version of his pre-run ritual. I'll be late for my own freaking run. How embarassing. Oh great the newbie guy texted, he's there already. I don't feel good at all, but what the heck. I'll just run it off. Someone please get the doggie off my leg!

Mcdonald's Pearl Drive, 6:50 pm

20 minutes late and counting . As he rushed into the world's #1 purveyor of high cholesterol, an unfamiliar face was waiting amongst the early dinner throng. Niceties are exchanged. Pio was the name. HR Consultancy was his game. On and off runner since 2005 with a max of 5k in a race. Even as running pals Rico and Bong Yu emerged from the woodwork, GBM could not help but wonder how the newbie could survive the projected 22k route. If he collapses, would that be on me? He looks like he has insurance... Hmmm... . Or better yet I could just blame Rico and Bong... .

GBM was jolted from calculating the ramifications of death via newbie when running buddy/risk manager Rico tapped him on the shoulder, reminding him of unfulfilled promises... .

Rico : Hey, where's my prize? GBM : What prize?Rico : You know, that Levi's Unbuttoned Contest thing you had going... .
GBM : Oh yeah, that!

Rico : I won you know... ..

GBM : Oh... ... .. Yeahhhh... ... . Umm, I left it in the office... ..

Rico : Excuses excuses, is this even a real contest?

GBM: Of course it is!

Rico: Looks like a cheap advertising gimmick to me!

GBM : Nooo... it's true! I just left it in my desk! I prooomisee!

Rico : Is it true that you rigged it so I could win?

GBM: Next question please... .

With everything in order, the group set out on their mission - a 22k LSD that would be the first step in their mileage building process for some, a huge running milestone for another.

And so it begins

Km 1.5 - Gold Loop Ortigas

The group was just getting into the groove along the busy alleyways of the Gold Loop that circumvents Pearl Drive. Along the way, GBM had to endure the hopefully friendly jeers of students reveling in his demystified state, his short shorts the complete antithesis of his formal,barong-clad persona. As they were about to hit the route where a squatters settlement was rumored to be intentionally razed, the foursome met triathlete Javy, of Tri'n Hard fame . On the last legs of his route, the affable road warrior shared a quip or two while traversing a single loop, his preparations for the upcoming Animo Tri nearing its peak. With the next leg beckoning, goodbyes were exchanged as the group was steeling itself for the pounding ahead.

Chillin' with Tri'n Hard

Km 4, Julia Vargas Ave

My name is Bong and I work in One San Miguel. Why I come along to these runs, I have no idea. I'm none too shabby a runner myself, I'm a 57 10k dude. I'm just too modest to tell anyone about it. But I wanna take it to the next level. I want to bring that speed to the longer distances. Maybe that's why I'm here. Boy, Julia Vargas sure is dark at night. Is the newbie still alive? He's nice. If something goes wrong, I'll just blame GBM. He organized the whole thing anyway. Why is he pacing us like a madman? Is he mad at us? Why is he subjecting us to this sort of punishment. Oh yeah, we requested this pace. Me and my big mouth. Ow! He almost got run over. What a psycho. Not the car. GBM! Why does he like running in the middle of the street? And he's taking pictures! Is that part of the training? Psycho.

Julia Vargas is fun at night
Km 6, St. Martin Hills

Pio is the name and HR is my game. Running? Getting there. So why am I here? Hey I'm down for anything. These guys are so fast. What's this tempo thing they're doing. Runner terminology. Ptooey. One day I'll drop one of these on an unsuspecting newbie. But for now I'm the newbie. I'll take my lumps. And... . oh lord what's with these people??? Are we seriously going to climb this hill? I take this on 1st gear with my car!!! What Psychos! Whaa... . *pant* *gasp*

Daunting indeed.

Km 7.5, Motel/Baby Gravy Drive

I'm known in running circles as Sheer Will. You know, the famous (ahem) blogger/ quintessential nice guy/kuya figure ? My closer friends call me Rico. People who make me feel old call me Boss Rico. People who don't know me at all ask me if I'm the basketball player from Ateneo. Yes, my name is Enrico Villanueva. No I am not the basketball player from Ateneo. Yeah, if I was 6"5 I would be dating celebrities and sipping iced tea at Manila Polo instead of killing myself here with these shmucks. If I lose a little more weight, maybe I could go back into my old life as a commercial model and just ditch this running thing altogether. So here we are, Motel Drive. So many happy memories here. Sigh. What? P520 for a room??? Are they insane?? During my time it was just P180! With electric fan and free soap already! Geez! What a ripoff! And they have hand signals now? Whaaa? What debauchery!Hey, these uphills are getting easier by the day. Maybe it's the view. I should train here more often.

Them hand signals are the best thing since Google

Km 12, C5. GBM.

Wow, it's amazing that the guys are still going strong. They asked for a sub-7 pace to get used to the Milo cutoff . We're running a 6:45 right now. Bong and Rico should get used to this in no time. I'm starting to feel woozy. Maybe I should have listened to the old people. Oh lord I tripped. Thank God no one saw me. Wa-poise! Is Pio still alive? Oh he's right behind me. Check! How does he manage? I'm in awe. Is he pulling a Tito Caloy right here? (To you reading this right now - yeah I'm talking to you and breaking the 4th wall right here - FYI Tito Caloy went from a 5k race to a 27k LSD. Just to put things into context.) It should be over soon... . cough. Cough. COUGH.

We should have just stayed in Motel Drive!

Need... replenishment... Sprite ... . Sprite?

Km 14, C5. Pio.

Gasp. I'm tired. But I need to show these kids a thing or two! This is one newbie that doesn't have quit in him! Do you read my singlet? 2005 baby! 2005! Respect! Although I haven't ran another race since. Still! Gasp. We're still fast. I am starting to dislike this Gingerbread character by the minute. I can't breathe! Must.. push ... . on! These guys are nuts!

2009 rendition of Edvard Munch's "The Scream"

Km 15, C5. Just after Eastwood. Rico.

Where the crap are we going? Why aren't we stopping? Where's the @#$% u-turn? I am starting to dislike this Gingerbread character. I'm tiiiiiired!

By Sheer Will he pushes on

Km 16, Turnaround Point. Bong.

Hoy! Malayo pa ba????? ( translation : Are we there yet?? Where the crap are we going??)

Shaider has a new hobby

Km 17, start of C5 turnaround point

The group has persisted on, GBM maintaining a sub 7 pace as they neared the 20 km mark. Traversing the narrow streets of Libis, they could see that their pacer was noticeably slowing down. Maybe it's his positive split thing catching up with him. But upon reaching the Jollibee branch near Acropolis for a much needed rest, they could see his eyes were glassy. He didn't look alright. Something was up. We can cut short the route man. The warm gesture was waved off with no hesitation. We came here with a goal, and we need to meet it. Deciding that the wide open streets bordering Green Meadows were a better alternative to the life-or-death game they were playing in C5, the steely foursome soldiered on.

Km 19, Green Meadows. GBM.

Crap. Now I'm really not feeling well. They will positively roast me when I get home. I can't pace anymore. Heck I can barely run anymore. I'm really dizzy. But to pace and then to quit... . I wouldn't take that. I invited them here, with a goal in mind. We need to meet that. We need to develop that warrior mentality. A fever will not kill me. At least not today.

Km 21, St. Martin Hills, 2nd Loop.

The group was ecstatic. Pio had just successfully completed his first unofficial half-marathon. He had pulled off a Tito Caloy with what seemed to be an effortless run. It's the very thrill of going past one's limits, or helping others get there, that keep runners coming back for more. GBM looked to be in horrid shape. The guy needs to rest. Psycho. A last push up the St. Paul incline and the group called it day. 22 .2 kilometers total. Whew. Longest run for Pio. Longest LSD for Bong as well. Covering GBM's weekly long run route ain't so bad after all.

Who da man? Who da man?

And the Rookie of the Year goes to.. .

Epilogue, Pearl Drive.
The goal met, the group retreated to Chiggy's Pearl Drive for some scrumptious after-run grub. GBM and Bong had Jumbo Liempo. Rico had Bulgoggi. Although completely unnecessary , man of the hour Pio footed the bill, a seeming rite of passage for a guy who had just defied all expectations by doing a Tito Caloy.Friendly banter. Humorous Anecdotes. A life's worth of running memories being built right there.

Yummy Liempo Place

Enjoying some after-run foodies
As the final piece of jumbo (they weren't kidding) liempo was consumed, there was one prevailing sentiment amongst the group.

This was fun... ..

And... ...

We should do it again.

I've been asked this question a gazillion times, it's a popular talking point. Most probably, you have been too. But really, within the realistic confines of work and training, do runners burn enough calories that they can afford to literally indulge in anything without the ill effects of a pudgy midsection? Let's take a closer look.

Can I get away with it?

Almost Impossible?
With all of the mileage that runners put in each day, one would think that there's no way that
we could get fat. Thing is, we tremendously underestimate the impact that excess calories could have on our body, and overestimate the amount we burn. For instance, do you know that just 100 extra calories per day equates into 10 lbs a year? That's like the mocha frappe you never should have had. In relative comparison, you need to burn 3500 calories to lose 1 lb. More or less, that's 100 calories per 1.6 k . A tall mocha frappe contains 290 calories. Thus, to burn it off, you need to run about 4.8 k. What fun.

This running thing isn't working for me
Hmmm. I guess we all have our little quirky eating habits. I did some research, and came up with these different classifications with regards to how runners eat. These inputs came from a New York study made on the eating habits of 50 runners of different skill levels. Read up, and see whether you fall into any one of these categories (aminin)

The Night Owl
For some crazy reason, there are those who barely eat anything during the day, then suddenly binge at night. This is much akin to loading up on a full tank of gas upon reaching your destination. Starving yourself during the day will more often than not leave you starving by late afternoon, resulting in a late-night binge - just when your natural metabolism is beginning to slow down. Slower metabolism + food binge = welcome to fat camp.

If you're an evening runner, it also messes up your energy supply and you would be more or less running on fumes.

Not eating = Binging
Tip : Plan two small snacks each day (a handful of nuts or some cheese and crackers) so that you're not going to eat like those competitive food people come meal time.

Plan your running around your meals (or your meals around your running). That means fueling up an hour or two before heading out the door and refueling within an hour of finishing.

The Train-hard, Party harder type.
Don't we all do this? We celebrate a good run or race by getting totally wasted at some watering hole in Ortigas or Makati. Totally acceptable? Perhaps. Health wise? Not exactly. A study in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise showed that serious recreational runners drink more alcohol than their sedentary counterparts--and the group surveyed was no exception. And don't think you could save up all those drinks for one all-out Friday night session, as research shows that it's better to just drink once a day than 7 drinks in one night (duh).

Tito Caloy is the ultimate drank rannerTip : Choose alcoholic beverages that are diluted for less impact. Instead of a glass of wine, drink a wine spritzer (do we even have this?)

Don't get drunk the night before the race. You'll be so dehydrated that you may end up throwing up on the side of the road. Saw one myself during a race. And sorry to disappoint, the guy who threw up wasn't internet legend/favorite drunk uncle Tito Caloy ( to newer readers, just google him :p) He's too world-class for that.

And finally, to somehow encapuslate the essence of this article, we have ... (drum roll please)

The Junk Food Machine

These are the people who eat whatever, whenever they want because they believe that running keeps them immune from fattiness. I used to fall under this category. Guilty as charged. As a result, I never really maximized the fitness gains even under a high-mileage program, just because I would eat like an obese person. Ice cream, cake, tons of rice, potato chips, chocolates. Name it, and my tummy had it. While not exactly tubby, my physique didn't exactly resemble that of a person who would run 50-60km a week.

My justification was "but I train my butt off. I can eat whatever the hell I want". I was a guy who was painfully aware of all those poor food choices, but in my unwillingness to change, had somehow convinced myself of this flawed mantra.. While it's true that distance runners need a lot of extra energy to fuel their exercise and could get away with a lot of crap, even high-mileage runners can't exist on junk food alone, since vending machine fare will never provide all the important nutrients needed to properly fuel runs and promote recovery.

Here's your 50k a week guy. How, er, fat este fit.
Junk + regular meals + more junk = A ton of flab once you get off that heavy mileage. Why? Because you're sooooo used to it. So fine, maybe you could get away with it now. But once you kick into offseason, those bad habits will get back at you. Guaranteed. I could gain as much as 15 lbs offseason once the burn goes away. And truth be told, it sucks. So don't fall into the fluctuator trap. Strike a balance between the foods you need and the foods you want. Build each snack and meal around at least one real food group and enjoy junk food at the end of a meal. Also, Never eat junk food on an empty stomach. It almost guarantees a binge.

See that fat guy in the picture? Heavy mileage is no guarantee if you eat like a sumo wrestler. Take it from me. Hope this helps. Eat healthy and see you on the road everyone!

You all know the story. We have heard the rants. Internalized the numerous streams of venom put forth by the angry masses. Admittedly, I am one of them. The lack of foresight caused 57 runners in my category to DNF, the scorching heat too much for them. We could only guess what medical malady befell them. The same lack of foresight had my friend overcome by heat stroke and hyperventilation 500 meters from the finish line, resulting in a 2 hour stint at Makati Med. Ironically, if only the course had been accurate he should have finished it straight up. If there's one saving grace, they released results which took into account the excess 500 - 600 m on the route. The resulting distance adjustment gave me a PR of 2:14:36, which I hazard compensates for the initial time lost. Anyway, here was my after-race take on the whole thing as posted on the Takbo.ph forums : As has been customary for me already (and the lack of a blog notwithstanding), here's a comprehensive post on my Botak 21k race. A fair amount of vitriol has already been spewed by Deo and supahatdog in the earlier posts, so I'll give you my take on it. The first warning sign for me was when I heard from the gang that the 21k start time was 6 am bigla. Only 2 days before I had called the Botak office and was informed of a 5 am start. So I was sort of weirded out by that. Everyone was getting conflicting information. So I decided I'll arrive at 5am just to be sure. I was alarmed because at 6am, people would be running well into the 8 am - 9 am range already. Would this be a portent of things to come? So we started at 6 am. 5:58 on my 305. Attempted to pace Sam for 5k, he fell back at 1 1/2 k mark. First k was 4:35, 2nd k was 5:02. He was the only guy I remotely ran with. 97% of the race I was alone

At 10k mark I was at 55:34 and liking my chances. Running in Rockwell was neat as well, kahit uphill siya. Coming off a pretty nice run the previous week at ATC, my goal was to significantly improve my Greenfield PR of 2:19 something. Then it happened. What happened? The heat happened. Yes, the heat. Good ol' 32 degrees with 66% humidity. I never knew what the desert felt like until awhile ago. It was crippling, debilitating, paralyzing (I'm running out of adjectives) to the point of hilarity. At the 10k mark I was maintaining a healthy 5:30 or so pace. By the time the race was over I had surrendered a full minute off that

So what happened to me from 10k to 16k? - Hookers in Burgos waved at me. I waved back. - Jeepneys in Burgos nearly sideswiped me. I couldn't sideswipe back. - The area near South avenue I got several seemingly innocuous comments of "Japorms" from fun bystanders. - I had at least 2 guys (21k dudes also) ask me "Bakit ang dami mong tali?" (Does this mean they either got lost or took a shortcut? Guess the race marshals took off for colder fronts) - I had agonizing km splits reaching up to 8:24

So sue me, I couldn't breathe anymore, it was like the oxygen was sucked out of the surroundings already. My original plan was to pick up the pace from the 17k mark onwards and "earn back" the pace I had lost. I was marginally, nominally successful at best. The heat and humidity were too much. The best I could muster with all my might was a 6:25, followed by mid 7's till the end. From the 16- 21 k mark these were the sights : - Runners fighting the people at the water stations because there's no water - Runners walking Kalayaan Flyover - Runners walking everywhere - Runners quitting and sitting on the curb to take a break. - "Ang init no?" entrenching itself as the unintentional comedy quote of the day. - An "elite" looking guy (crew cut, short shorts) paced by me at the 18k mark and asked, "May tubig ka ba?" in a seemingly imposing and authoritative way. So I um, gave him the Gatorade I was saving for my final push. He muttered what seemed like a rudimentary form of "thank you" and promptly sped off. Nice guy. With the sun in all its bedazzling glory, for the first time in my life I have felt how it was to run in a desert with no breathable air. My goals suddenly shifted from setting a PR to merely getting out of there in one piece. It was debilitating to say the least. A test of sheer will if you may. In the cornucopia of things that make up the runner's psyche, one has to think "Should I go for broke and risk collapsing, or should I just focus on survival?" I was feeling horrible, I thought I would pass out several times. Mentally, I was pushed to the very limit. The death zone from 19k - 21k had "QUIT" written all over it. In the end, prudence won out over glory. In spite of the crushing circumstances, I was somehow blessed to finish the race at 2:17:28 chopping off 2 mins and 20 seconds off my current 21k PR. I felt horrible. And to make matters worse, when I crossed the finish line a kid was running recklessly towards me, causing me to jump to avoid him. This in turn triggered a strain in my hammy I still feel as I am typing this. Final Thoughts? - I will never ever run a 21k race that starts at 6am during the summer. - Running with jeeps beside you is not fun at all - The course was 21.47 on my 305. That's nearly half a kilometer. A half kilometer that translates into 3-4 minutes lost on your time. Sayang naman. - I was super worried about Doc Roy, Doc Sherwin, and Coach Pojie for their 42k run, given the punishing conditions and no water support. I am so happy and proud that they finished it in one piece and got their medals Way to go guys! - Congratulations to Edu for setting a new 10 K PR taking it in 56 something and finally breaching the 57 mark! Good job! - I am proud that other 21k runners like Deo,Boss Rico, Tim, Bong and Sam among others fought through the punishing elements to finish. Lesser men would have quit.Your determination and will is something that makes us all proud.

Being a slightly overweight guy at the time, people kept on talking about breaking the sub-60 barrier for the upcoming race. That race was the now-infamous Men's Health Miracle Run (with the results still unpublished to this day, save for a couple of paltry 5k snippets). Singlet was nice except for the obtrusive Frenzy logo on the back. Great for shock value! Casually, I was dared by Takbo.ph resident 'coach' Pojie to pace with him if I wanted to beat it. For a guy whose best previous finish was a 1:08 with maximum effort, a sub-60 finish really seemed like a stretch, a veritable impossibility if I may add. But coach Pojie was determined to push me to the limit. Check out my thoughts at the time :

Thanks everyone!

Thanks master Pojie for the terrific pace! I was really, really pushing myself

Mali lang calculation ko nung huli, kala ko lapit na may mga 1 km pa pala hehe. I need to train more! Feeling ko also not drinking anything for the entire race zapped me during the homestretch. Wala ako hydration belt, tapos di ako magaling mangkamay ng tubig.

Lol with no hydro belt, awful form and even more awful shoes I finished in 57:40. Eternal thanks to now-marathoner/coach Pojie for giving me the jumpstart in the sport that I needed. And that was more or less where my story began... .

Editor's Note (as if there were one, just wanted it to sound cool lol) : This is coming out a tad bit late, ran into a combination of an extended blogging slump and a Bora weekend combined. Pardon the overall crummyness.

Racing in the South is always fun. Not too many people, fat chance you could even nab a podium on a good day. My too- few- and-far-in-between South races have always been pleasant experiences, thus joining RuNew in Alabang was somewhat of a no-brainer.

Not-So-Chump Change

Was looking for a race to test my knee out in a competitive setting, and I didn't really know too much about it except that it was sponsored by Asian Hospital and that it was for some charity. I thought it was a small-time race until I left with a bib, a timing chip, and P600 less in my pocket. A Rio race as it turns out. The timing chip instantly conjured visions of cash flying out of my wallet. Much to my chagrin, there was no singlet given but was instead promised a finisher's shirt. Grumble.

Babay P600.

Of Seguristas and Bratinellas
I came from the Subic International Triathlon with Ultramarathoner Abby the day before, just cheered on some friends while grabbing some multisport inspiration. Was dead tired as we made the trip to the duuurty South. Coming off my unacceptable tardiness at Nat Geo, I wasn't going to take any chances this time.

Got there with an hour to burn more or less. While trolling the premises, saw elites Junrox/Tigerboy and a healthy Alfred/El Kyoshi walking in the shadows. More walking brought this random soundbite from this nosy-looking kid emerging from a Portalet :

Bratty Kid : Ewww yuck so kadiri inside Mommy it smells like a tae!Mom : Anak don't say that!Brattu Kid : But mooom! I need to make poopoo na!Mom : Hay nako just hold it till we get home. I still have a race.Bratty Kid : Waaaaah!Mom : Wag na maarte, ano you want sa portalet or in the grass?B ratty Kid : Mommy the grass smells like a tae also!Mom : !!!!

What a brat.

In The Presence of Family
After being a veritable tourist over at the multisport arena, it was nice hanging out in more familiar surroundings where I actually knew someone. I ran into Takbo.ph power couple Jinoe and Que, a retro-looking Marvin along with Z paired with a rare PatCon sighting. Not too many people though. Distance? Price? Still, it was nice to be back in familiar territory.

Fun before the gun

An Outside Chance
Just before the gun went off, I was looking around. No familiar faces. As always, my competitive juices were flowing. Give or take a couple of elites, and with the stronger runners at 16k, I hastened to strive for a top 10 finish. And as the lead pack went off, I found myself at the tail end. Hey, I have a shot at this. Law of averages. I have to get it one of these days right?

Toe to Toe with Elite Gal

ITB woes exacerbated at the Nat-Geo race have prevented me from executing my master plan of doing "maintenance" 10k training before plunging into an 8-week program for Milo. In short, here I was blatantly out of shape, preparing to race a 10k on sheer guts alone. And as most of us know, oftentimes that just isn't enough.

As I was trailing the lead pack, I did the requisite headhunting to maintain pace. I ran smack into a strong lady runner who had nyort nyorts and that batak 5% body fat look. Hmm. She was impossible to shake off at 4:20 pace. Was thinking, no way she could maintain this. But then again, who said I could maintain it myself? Kapal ko talaga. (I would later learn she would take 3rd for the ladies) Lol. I told myself, I have to want this more than she does. With that pervading thought in mind, I made my move at the 3k mark and made her eat dust. Wohooo!

She ate Gingerbread dust... well, sorta.

On Gassing Amidst Those Southern Rolling Hills

Of course, that short-lived success didn't last long. A continuous uphill stretch and I was a goner a kilometer later, my elite galpal kicking stardust in my face along the way. No wind, no legs. I was gasping like a chubby fugu fish out of water. Fail.

Swim away fugu fish, swim awaaaay. Okay that was weird.

The Duel With MaselMan

Before the race began, I noticed these two buffed-up dudes who looked like Fitness First spinning class instructors with matching singlets to boot. Figured they were, er, best friends. Until they hugged each other good luck. Tightly. Anyway, at one point early on I passed bromance dude #1. During my mid-race fade, bromance dude #2 zoomed by me at what I reckoned to be near-max HR judging by his breathing. He would do a long walk break then go all out again. I surmised that redlining your HR in bursts and spurts would cause you to gas out later on (running strategists please back me up here).

So for about a 2 kilometer stretch, we would go back and forth at it. At least I had some sort of live metronome to salvage whatever remained out of my pace strategy. Nearing Km 7 in posh AAV, I decided to go for it when I sensed he was fading. Score one for the Gingerbread dude.

Bromance City

The Pain and the Agony

The adrenalin was pumping as a persistent foe was vanquished. Slowly hiking the pace back up to a decent (given the course) 4:57 pace, everything was on cruise control primed for an even stronger finish. By my estimate, I was at about 11th to 14th places at this point. Elite gal (who whooped me earlier) was actually within my line of sight. Then a particularly disconcerting sharp pain shot up my left knee. Dang. ITB mode. Ignore. More pain. More ignoring. Finally a stinger had me hopping on one leg in excruciating pain.
Dammit. No way. I worked so hard only to throw it all away. Just 2k to go! I had stretched this all week, even Salonpas rollered it so much to the point that my room already smells like my Lolo's CR. This sucks. Really does. I'll try to run it off. Aaaaaaaaah. Aray. Arouch. Mommmyyy. Oh great bromance dude just passed me. With a smile on his face. Someone kill me now. Maybe I can just roll to the finish line.

ITB Fail. More frustrated than hurt, I gingerly(no pun intended) attempted to jog to the line . I even ran into old buddy Gary who was on the way to finish his 5k. (Ayan nabati na kita bro. Burger ko. Smirk.) Totally dejected, I surrendered the final two splits at 7:40 and 6:41 en route to limping home with a 53:14. I would later see that this effort somehow managed to snag 23rd place in a lean field. Sigh.

Post-Mortem
Overall, the race was a lot harder than I had expected or prepared for, and most of the people who raced it would pretty much agree. The relative humidity was off the charts, people were sweating like a presidential candidate on a live televised debate. Most weren't too thrilled about the finisher's shirt though, saying it was "pambahay " quality (don't shoot the messenger). For a premium priced, chip timed race, I guess they were expecting more, given the absence of a singlet.

On a personal note, it's back to the drawing board. Not only was I out of shape, it's apparent that the ol' ITB is nowhere near 100%. A break is impending. Maybe I'll go to the beach or something.

But I guess what's more important is that I actually made it to the end of this article. Been in a terrible writing slump lately. If you're a basketball fan, I'm pulling off the equivalent of a 4- for- 21 effort. Guess this is a step in the right direction. Law of averages. I have to get it one of these days right?

Condura Run 10k - 1:08.30
Men's Health Miracle Run 10k - 57:44
Airspeed MOA 10k - 57:20
Greenfield City Run 21k - 2:19.33
ATC Southern Race 10k - 53:40
Botak Paa-Tibayan 21k - 2:14.36
Botak Sa Baguio 21k - 2:01:43
Earth Run 10 mile - 1:26.03
Mizuno Infinity Run 10k - 51:38
Botak Ultramarathon 50k - 8:40Fit and Fun Buddy Run 10k - 1:08.50
Globe Run for Home 21k - 3:09:59
Kenny's Open Urbanite Run 10k - 1:00:20
Ayala EcoDash 10k - 50:14
Rotarun 10k - DNF (food poisoning)
Octoberun Festival 5k - 22:51
Quezon City International Marathon 21k - 1:57:19
Nike + Human Race 10k - 52:01
Subic International Marathon 21k - 2:25:05
Philippine International Marathon 10k - 49:12
7th Animo Run 10k - 49:11
New Balance Power Race 21k : 1:54:01
Conquer Corregidor 10-miler : 3:04:12
BF Pasko Run - 48:33
Philstar Celebrity Run 21k : 1:51:05
Baldie Rizal Day 32k - 3:35:14

I have a confession to make. I suck at presscons. Absolutely suck at them. I am quite possibly the worst blagger to invite to these things. For some insipid reason or another, I keep on missing them. Either my car gets a flat, I'm assigned OT work or I have some family thing. There's always something going on. I have like a 10% attendance rate, and sooner or later I'll be declared persona non grata by race directors and PR people alike. I never get em goodies. Sob.

So you could just picture the smile on my face when they told me that the presser for the upcoming San Mig Coffee Bay Run Dash for Health ( okay that was long) was at Congo Grille at El Pueblo. That's like... .. two blocks from my house. Yessssss. Finally. No way I'm missing this.

I wonder who's that runner?

One more miss and goodbye presscons foreverrr.
Scheduled at 7pm, I cockily thought to myself, Nah its a 3 minute drive from my place. Why rush? Of course, in a move reeking of sheer time management genius I totally forgot that it was Friday uwian. Smart. So there I was , stuck in bumper to bumper traffic going to a resto that's roughly a kilometer and a half from my house. Great. I still have a Nat Geo hangover.

Oh the horror.
So after like nearly 20 minutes, I finally get to the place. And guess what? Much to my consternation evil manong guard curtly stonewalls me at the entrance with a "Ser, pono na poh and parkeeng dito. Weeting na poh dito, weeting." Weeting for parking would have entailed me adding to the already ginormous traffic jam. Apparently, Mr. Murphy has a secret crush on me and follows me around wherever I go.

Shunget ni koya.

So to make a long story short, I brought the car back home and tempo ran from my house back to the resto, a vain attempt to somehow temper my unexplainable tardiness. Of course, I had to run in jeans, leaving my poise on the pavement in the process. Good thing a lot of familiar faces greeted me when I came in, denizens of the running blogosphere in full force.

The faces behind your favorite blags

Que, Gail , and Vimz of Kulit on the Run with hubby Art
So let's cut to the chase. After having way more than my fair share of sisig and chicken, the presser proper unfolded. Takbo.ph first lady Que did the honor of introducing the GM of San Mig Coffee, and he gave the requisite welcome remarks. Kind man. I wish I had him as a Tito.

Que in the house!

Tito saying something about San Mig

Soon after, things were turned over to the comely Marketing Manager ( or so I think, the exact title eludes me) of the brand and she gave a quick primer on the product line. Three things I learned : 1. The San Mig Coffee "healthy" line is tops in its market segment 2. Good ol' Piolow is no longer their endorser, thus visions of a grand showdown dissipated into thin air quicker than it was conjured, and 3. Presenting to a rowdy, predominantly male blogger crowd is an exercise in restraint. Lol.

Deep breathly. I can do this.

Soon after, it was a pleasant surprise to see that Ian Alacar would be assuming Race Director duties for this race. Absent from the mainstream scene as of late, it was nice to see him around for a change. For long-time followers of this site, you may recall that Ian was the race director when I first conquered the ultramarathon distance at Botak awhile back. Fun guy.

Happy mems with Ian and Sideshow Bob

So what are the essentials you need to know about the race? It's going to be held on May 23rd, Mall of Asia grounds. But before you dismiss it as just another MOA race, hold your horses. It's being touted as the first race to have a route that actually cuts through the Manila baywalk. 3k and 5k distances cost P450 a pop, while the 10k and 15k races are at P550.

Race is actually bang for the buck, you get a fancy Unibersidad-made singlet that would probably cost as much as the registration if bought as a stand-alone. And the cool part about the whole thing is you could order your race kits over the phone, delivered COD by WWW.express. The number to call is 795-1777. Niiice.

For you freebie/perk hunters out there, I'd rather that you find out for yourselves what's in store for you during race day, but to give you a quick heads up there would be photobooths, bottomless coffee, loot bags, seminars, and dare I say, free massages?

So there you go. Registration starts April 17, 2010 to May 19, 2010, call the number I mentioned earlier for more details. If you've never run around the bay area, this is a good race to actually try out the local scenery. Hope this helped everyone, I'll see you on the road!

Requisite Gingerbread photo-op with Ian and Marketing gal.

Sorry, I couldn't resist. While trolling the morning paper, I ran across Philstar's comprehensive (and commendable) series on all the presidentiables along with their corresponding running mates. With elections being the hot topic nowadays, aside from the typical political posturing the feature actually delved into the otherwise mundane details of their daily lives.

While I'm generally politically neutral, I couldn't resist commenting on Makati mayor Jojo Binay's interview in the aformentioned feature. Part of the line of questioning attempts to ascertain the general fitness level of each candidate, presumably to reassure the general voting public that they wont just die on us in the middle of their term. To cut to the chase, what caused me to nearly spill my morning coffee ( okay maybe I didn't, but I needed some sort of dramatic effect) was this following excerpt of the interview :

At the STAR, Binay ate mixed vegetables (carrots, sayote, and cabbage), pieces of fish fillet, and no rice.

He said he can still run 10 kilometers in 43 minutes.
"That is equivalent to 4.8 - 4.4 (minutes) per kilometer. My weight is 145 lbs. from the start of my campaign. I can still run.

Jojobama is faster... .. than pretty much all of us. Sorry Piolow.

OMG. THAT'S... That's... . that's... .. faster than my time. Or Piolow's time. Or in plain and simple terms - practically all of us. Alas, the new barometer is no longer the hallowed Sub-Piolo ; it is now the Sub-Binay. Sob.

Gorilla is an instant fan.

Seriously though. Really? Haven't seen him around the running scene. Is he doing secret training at the University of Makati's swanky new track oval? What's his secret? 12 x Yasso 800's? 8 x 1.6 mile repeats?

It's fun to train when the track has your, er, face on it.

Hmmm. This additional excerpt from the interview may give more insights.

To prove that he is still healthy at 67, Binay joined editors and staff in climbing up to the fourth floor of The Star building where his interview was held. And although his blood pressure was recorded at 160/100 after the climb, he said his regular BP was 120/90.

Fine fine, so what if his BP shot up several degrees from climbing up four flights of stairs? Give the guy a break, he hasn't been able to train lately. Hard to factor in tempo runs amidst round the clock campaigning. To those who use HRM's, feel free to do the math.

He said that a 43 minute 10k is 4.8 - 4.4 minutes per kilometer. Actually, it's closer to the latter. To the uninitiated, you need a blazing 4:18/km pace to hit a 43 minute 10k. With those kind of hops, methinks he could easily dominate any 67- and above age group. Podium? Easy. Paging BR! Your thoughts please :P

So... ... . are we looking at the outspoken Makati mayor being a closet physical specimen? Or are we all merely being enraptured in political hyperbole?

I guess you should all be the judge of that.

I love to collect recipes, simple, delicious, healthy recipes for food that I might make someday and lovely sugar and fat laden recipes for deserts that I know I will never make, ever… well maybe? But Pinterest you are causing me problems, your gorgeous photos, and mouth-watering deserts, are making me fat. After all if I can’t immediately whip up a batch of lemon meringue cupcakes with marzipan frosting at 10:00 at night, I have to have something to make up for it don’t I? So that half empty bag of stale potato chips is the switch.

Or at 6:30 in the morning when I come across a photo of waffles, and whipping cream with dew fresh raspberries trickled down the side, swimming in a puddle of raspberry coulis, and I know that I am never going to pull that one off in this lifetime, what do I want to eat? Well it isn’t my boring plain rice cereal, and yogurt that’s for sure.

Here I sit at my computer with a ever growing pile of printed out recipes, beef and barley soup, chipotle glazed chicken with sweet potatoes… quinoa salad with dried blueberries, lime, cilantro, and crème fraiche.

Some I make, and they are delish, some I just drool over, but still I collect them and each day the pile grows higher. Pinterest you are costing me a fortune in printer toner, and paper, quit it!

No don’t… I haven’t the heart to stop you, keep those recipes coming.

The other day I was overcome with the amount of perfume a woman was wearing in a store, and I wrote this blog post titled Scents and Sensibility, describing how badly it affected me. It wasn’t that I didn’t like her scent, it was the rash it caused on my face. It struck a nerve, with many readers writing in to say that they too suffer from problems, allergies, and rashes from household cleaners, perfume, and chemical additives. Those of us who suffer these allergies, and problems are merely the canaries in the mine. We are the early warning signals that there is something wrong in the environment, in our food, in our every day world. Consider us the sentinels.

Miners used to lower a canary down into a pit to see if they became sick from toxic gases. That would allow them a chance to leave, or put on respirators. I first read about the practice in a Laura Ingalls Wilder, Little House on the Prairies book, and it has stayed with me since. We are the canaries, and the mine is the environment that everyone is living in.

Go down the cleaning aisle, notice how strong the scent is, if it doesn’t bother you, consider yourself very fortunate. Like many people I am affected by the mere waft of household cleaners in the air surrounding the aisle. In fact when I worked at my retail job, I had to ask special permission to be excused from stocking any shelves in the Housewares area, because it caused my allergies, and a rash on my face to be so aggravated that I had to leave the store.

I can’t use any commercial cleaners that you purchase from the store, I can’t eat certain foods, and can’t use most lotions, makeup, and soaps that you might not even consider a problem. This is a sudden turn of events, my life wasn’t this complicated a few years ago. But apparently years of working in a greenhouse, and chemical exposure has resulted in my developing a severe chemical sensitivity.

Be aware of what you are using to clean your house, try a more natural approach, there are many premade solutions on the market that are more healthy, or you can make your own. Look into skin saving shampoos, and conditioners that contain less harmful ingredients. Laurie from When the bough breaks is linking up with me and you might like to see what she has to say also. If you suffer from environmental allergies feel free to let us know what you have to do to cope with them.

Friday found us, both at

the Chiropractor, the L5? thingy, that place where your hips meet your back… Mine from vacuuming, see I knew housework wasn’t good for your health after all. Two most common reasons people hurt their backs vacuuming, and raking, the Chiro told us. Both which are in our immediate future, but what can you do. Maybe I can give up vacuuming?

It was slightly sunny, so we decided to hobble around the big block together… and call it exercise, I’m sure it’s a mile or two.

“You stop too many times” he told me… my reply “there’s a bird in the tree, I think it’s a robin, that would be our first official sighting.” I think of Connie from Far Side of Fifty and wonder if I should tell her about it. No, she is snowed in, wouldn’t want to make her jealous.

“My feet still hurt” I tell him, “I have Plantar Fasciitis… remember?” This is said to the man who runs 6 miles every other day, and never seems to feel pain. He responds with, I thought you got those shots in your heels…? "That’s why they hurt” I tell him, “slow down, this isn’t a marathon, I thought it was a meander, and isn’t that a pussy willow tree?” I limp down the steep banking, and yes indeed it is a pussy willow tree, life is good. Somehow despite the heavy camera, and sore back I manage not to fall into the ditch… now that’s a even better thing. It would be a long, wet walk home if I did.

We walk past one of my favourite red barns, no snow kitty today, and no cows. There are broken windows… I love old windows. Not particularly broken windows, just old ones.

It’s not quite spring, not quite winter… it’s the quiet moments in between, punctuated only by sweet trilling tunes of a blackbird’s song, and a breeze. Hobble along with me… the best is yet to be.

I had just come back from my Bataan fun run weekend and had been pretty much detached from humanity when I got an email from the Runrio gang inviting me to the "Runrio Trilogy Awards Night".

I thought to myself, showbiz na ba si Rio ngayon? Funny thing was, in my semi-vegetative state after my 160k jagging, I actually declined, thinking the event was Monday night. Hard to go when you're walking like a BT (bagong tule) sorta character. Much to my consternation, Runrio "Social Media Director" (hihi) Vimz would tell me that the staffers were aghast at such a lurid reply. Thankfully she explained that my brain couldn't be in one place after the weekend, my apologies for being souped.

Anyway, as I would only understand later, the event was meant to honor the runners who completed the Runrio Trilogy, in addition to a smattering of special awards. Open bar, buffet courtesy of Paul Calvin's,celebrity sightings... . the place had the feel of the Oscars.Okay maybe not, but you get the idea It was the perfect synthesis of giving back to a community who has supported his burgeoning enterprise, and an ideal post-marketing/good PR vehicle for his sponsors. No wonder our main man was in a wonderful mood last night. Here are some of my notes from last night :

Nice.

• If I'm not mistaken, this used to be Alchemy. Apparently, it died a natural death. It is now... . Decagon. Naman kasi, gigimik lang dati tabi pa ng Tiendesitas. Not exactly the place where you want to get the party poppin. You might see your Mommy buying Palawan chicken and Spanish sardines on the way out.

• In fairness, the place looks wonderful. Sosy. 5'11 carb-starved models abound, to the merriment of the ogling running denizens. Funny, but for some inane reason I suddenly waxed nostalgic. Why? I know it's hard to believe now with my shriveled nognog Gingerbread looks, but more than a decade ago me and TPB ultra bud Mark (we had the same "handler" for a time geez) were trolling like events called "ushering" in industry jargon for about P3,000 a pop in fun places that went by names from a bygone era like Mars, Euphoria, and Fat Willy's. Sigh how time passes. Wait, the line is moving. Move it Mr. Gurang mann.

• Grainy Photobooth pix upon entering. Too many reds on the hue. I'll take the free Photobooth any day though.

• Nice that people had badges identifying them as awardees. Nice touch.

• Rio is channeling David Ruffin today with his tux and glasses. If you don't know who David Ruffin is, igoggle mo na lang.

Man of the night

• He checks up on me and Abby after Sunday's gig, apparently he's just like you and me. You know, he also checks out pix on Facebook. The man is in the know. We chide him on his new Audi TT toy, just before we were leaving for Bataan we saw some frizzy haired guy in a roadster waving, turns out it was him. In typical self-effacing manner, he says "utang lang yan". With the way he's puling in paper, he could have went in and bought it like a quarter pounder from Mcdo.

Back to civilization for Abby and GBM

• No sight of my good buddy Piolow here. Pfft.

• Food was very good, good job Jay Em! Di bitin with the choices. They really spent for it, not the "para masabi lang" buffet.

• Funny how Endure Multisport teammate Pio somehow manages to wind up on a table with the two hosts (Tricia Chiongbian and the other dude, Coy?Boy/Bhoy Ramos. If he's famous or some sort of celebrity forgive me, I don't get to watch TV anymore), Venus Raj, and the current Rio girlpren. He somehow also manages to wind up on stage for a drinking game. Fun times.

• Practically everyone is an awardee, it feels like graduation. With my nametag saying "guest", does that mean I'm like the parent? Or the tito na napilitan and sumama for the kainan?

Happy awardee

• Jaymie sighting, and she later wins the Hyper Blogger award. Fun distinction, and I never knew that mild-mannered Jaymie and "Hyper" could be stuck in the same sentence. They should have just gave it to Sam the Running Ninja. Oh I forgot he's semi-retired.

• Majority of the people are having a good time. The ones who are really having a good time are those at the open bar. Wait, is that Abby?

• Philippine All-Stars steal the show with a sensational number. Whenever you brand yourself as such, you have to ensure you're pretty damn good. These guys never disappoint.

• In related news, Pedz the Running Atom was hypnotized when the All-Star gals did some rhythmic bellydancing. I'm not telling, just saying. :P

• Is it just me, or is Unilab Active Health Prez Alex Panlilio the long lost brother of Paolo Bediones? No homo, just speaking for the estrogen in the crowd.

• The little montages before the special awards were 50-50 on the funny scale.

• The AVP's were well made. Actually, the whole event was. It had that professional feel about it, apparently they have this whole event organizing thing down pat.

• Just when the crowd was losing energy All-Stars are sent out again to wake the people up. Why do I get the impression this was an impromptu number? It seemed like an intervention, the number was bitin. Still good though.

• Six Cycle Mind comes in, apparently they were commissioned to do the Runrio theme song. Rock Star vibe with matching shades indoors. Ooh.

• As part of their spiel, Tricia and Boy/Bhoy/Coy are incessantly prodding the running madlang people to well, er, get drunk and just make tomorrow "recovery day". Dead silence. Apparently, people take tempos over tequilas around these places.

• Finale is weird, as they try to pull the U2 vibe, yet people weren't really minding them. They were all glued to the adjacent stage where Rio was poppin' with the All-Stars to the theme song. He gives credence to the theory that runners aren't meant to be dancers. Of course, that's my own original theory and suddenly I don't feel so bad anymore.

At least he was down for it.

• All awardees get loot bags. Lame guests like me don't. Nice. Everyone goes home happy. After a trip to the open bar of course.

• That's it folks, overall was a good event and another first in the industry. Good luck to everyone running the 2011 series!

Each Thursday the Frugal Five write a blog post on Thrifty living 2012. With the economic downturn, and the cost of living rising, it’s good to have some tips on how to save, and be thrifty. Join, Brenda, Claudia, Elaine, Diane, and myself as we present our individual views on each subject. This week’s topic is Saving on Groceries. Food, I love it, but it costs the earth sometimes to buy. We Canadians can only look over the border with some sort of envy, it seems like Americans have such choice, and so many great prices that we can only dream of. Add in extreme couponing, stacking coupons, double coupon days… we can just dream on. While we do have store coupons, and sales, manufactures coupons, and rebates, I don’t think they come anywhere close to what US shoppers have available. Not to mention the wider variety of products that are available…

1. I buy in bulk, it’s simple if you have the space buy larger quantities and break them into smaller, easier to store amounts. We have Costco, and bulk stores, prices there are usually quite a bit cheaper when you don’t have to pay for packaging. If you don’t have the space, try splitting the food with a neighbour or friend. Spices are a great example, a small jar of dried mint would cost me $3.00 at the grocery store, at a bulk store it would have just cost me pennies. Transfer your bulk food into your own jars, and containers, label it, the extra time is well worth the effort, and think of the money you will save. 2. Train yourself to shop mostly the outside aisles of the supermarket, the freshest food is on the exterior walls of your local grocery store. Dairy, meat, produce, are all fresher, healthier, and less expensive then the prepared meals that are in the inside aisles. Sure it’s convenient to have some microwave dinners in the freezer, but you will pay more for them. The same goes for prepared foods, the sodium and fat levels are high, they have lots of preservatives, and they cost more. Convenience is the price you pay when you don’t cook from scratch. 3. Make it from scratch… remember homemade? It seems that we are all so pressed for time now, that convenience foods are the way to save a few minutes. Made from scratch takes longer, but it costs less. You can also make a little extra for lunches the next day, or freeze leftovers to have on a day when you don’t have time to cook.

4. Shop the sales, I go through the store flyers, and specials in each flyer, then I mentally plan out meals using the sale priced items. Lets say large packs of ground beef are on sale, I can cook it all and freeze it in smaller amounts for when I need it. If there is only one or two items on sale at a particular store that I need, and another store has lots of what I am needing I will skip the first store, because what I save on food, might be spent on gas. And that’s not saving at all. 5. Plan ahead, your grocery costs will be less if you purchase items when they are on sale, and before you need them. It involves a bit of thinking, and preplanning, but in the end not having to run to the corner store for bread will save you $$$$. Because you know that there is no way you are just coming out of there with a loaf of bread. If a item is on sale, take advantage, and buy more then one, if you will use it in the next little while, it’s worth it to stock up.

6. Eat seasonal foods, and veggies when they are in season. Every fruit and veggie has a peak time and that’s usually when they are the least expensive to buy. Buying blueberries in winter will definitely cost you more than when they are in season during the summer months. Fruit and veggies are expensive during the winter, try buying frozen, or freeze your own, they make a great less expensive alternative. 7. And last, don’t buy non grocery items at the grocery store, this hint has always stuck in my head. Deodorant, laundry soap, toothpaste, convenience items are usually more expensive at the grocery store then the pharmacy, because they know that you are not going to make a trip to another store, and will justify the extra cost because of time constraints. If you wait for a sale at the pharmacy, or bulk store you can save even more.

Put the money you have saved from these grocery tips into a daily interest savings account. When you have saved enough, you can send me a post card from the Hawaiian vacation the accumulated savings paid for. Stop by the other Frugal Five, Brenda, Claudia, Elaine, and Diane for more grocery saving tips.

"To describe the agony of a marathon to someone who's never run it is like trying to explain color to someone who was born blind."- Hal Higdon, running coach

As of this writing, I am still recovering from the effects, both physical and emotional, of my first-ever marathon. Yes, my very first full mary. The big V word. Surprised? Yes, your fun Gingerbread scribe was a veritable newbie at the Condura Skyway Marathon. Although not a stranger to the distance having completed a 50k ultramarathon eons ago (okay maybe it was just last year), this was my first stab at racing a 42k. So how did it go? Let's do a quick backgrounder first.

Always the running event of the year

"The will to win means nothing if you haven't the will to prepare." - Juma Ikangaa, 1989 NYC Marathon winner

Having never actually "trained" for anything before and content to do mindless Gingerbread jagging with more emphasis on pacute than pakondisyon , I had planned for Condura to be my debut marathon as early as October. Using a program concocted by buddy/masochist/monster Edward Kho of Conquer Corregidor fame (he threw down a scintillating 3:27 by the way) , I proceeded to immerse myself in the so-called science of the sport. Tempo runs. Intervals. Ladders. Hill Work. Yasso 800's. Things that had sounded absolutely Greek to me became staples of my everyday routine.

Much to my surprise,the effects of the program were immediate and remarkably consistent. Each race seemed to incredibly usher in the advent of a new personal best. By the time that Condura beckoned, I had chopped 6 minutes off my 10k time and about 37 minutes from my 21k. Brimming with confidence, I had high hopes for my debut marathon. Feeling as good as I've felt in years, this Gingerbread newbie was ready to conquer that breezy, mid-morning party in the southern sky.

Newbies have it hard.

"The marathon can and will humble you. " - Bill Rodgers , four-time Boston Marathon winner

I really had no idea what to expect. Certain "scientific" calculations had me primed for a highly aspirational time based off my 10k and 21k results. But I had my doubts. While my speed work was fine, I had been remiss on my Sunday long runs - a byproduct of increasing family and work demands. The longest runs I had put in were two 30k dingers, and even if I felt in my gut that this was lacking, my innate stubbornness was telling me that my training and heart would somehow bring me home. Misguided naievity? But then again, this mindset has somehow paid dividends in the past. Let's see how the whole thing unravels with my retro race diary,I'll even put in a time stamp so it's like we're actually there.

Retro Race Diary?

2:30 : I wake up in a dazed, zombie-like state, the anxious effects of having roughly three hours and 37 seconds worth of sleep written all over my face. As with most newbies, I could barely sleep the night before. Tossed, turned, then eventually settled on watching an illicit copy of Spirit Of The Marathon. Thank God for YouTube. Much to my chagrin though, I didn't cry. Sob.

3:30 : With no traffic to contend with, I had an unexpectedly easy time parking. Hydrobelt? Check. Ipod? Check. Condura 2009 "street cred" spare shirt?Check. Wallet and license? Um, er, gulp. I'm screwed.

3:45 : After spending about 10 minutes getting lost looking for the starting corral, I finally saw my running buddies. Admittedly, I'm tense. Tight even. Too many thoughts going on in my head. Strategies. Nutrition. Pace. That Yeng Constantino song that's always on Love Radio. Fudge, I give up. I have come to the realization that I have absolutely no idea what I'm getting myself into. P.S- I got some grief for showing up in white shorts. UGH.

Yeng Constantino Fanboy?

4:00 : Well-modulated (and perhaps well-paid) host leads a fun countdown that seemed half a second behind. He must have been sleepy. It's funny how he prods people that "we have a wonderful surprise for you ", when it's so obvious that he's referring to a fireworks display to open the race. Anticlimactic to a certain extent, but made room for some unintentional comedy.

Host : 3, 2, 1... .. and now here's your surprise!

(eerie silence)

Host: Here! Game! Now na! Now! Now!

Fireworks are always fun though, awesome start to any race.

I love fireworks.
4:15 : For some insane reason, I thought I could hang with the big boys on this. I started with a pace group that included Junrox, Totoy, Chris and Wilnar, all certified monsters. Why the uncalled for bravado? Once again, I have to reiterate that I have no idea how to approach this. I'm a serial positive splitter in the short to middle distances. So I guess I was sticking close to home for this. Also, the idea was to maintain a 5:00- 5:10 minute pace for the first 21k, something not completely unattainable based from my previous results.

Note to self : Every time I'm with Wilnar in a pace group, something crazy happens. For instance, this 10k race in BF the plan was to open with a 4:30 min/km pace. Race begins. Less than 5 minutes later I can't breathe. Glance to watch - 3:45. Yeah!
So here , less than 3k into the race, I was straining. Not so much, but noticeable. Glance to watch - 4:30! 4:30!!! Whatever happened to 5:10? Wilnar has done it again! With a rabid fear of bottoming out later on, I motioned to the speedsters that I would be falling back.

And with labored b reathing defining my every step, I was all alone once more.
4:51 : 51 minute 10k. 3 minutes slower than usual. I think am doing good. I feel the pressure. I feel.. like I'm fading. What? No way! This early? As I go down to Buendia coming from Kalayaan, people are starting to catch up with me. What is going on? Seems the ol' mental makeup is shaky today. Team Hardcore Ultraman/Frontrunner Magazine progenitor Jonel "Bugobugo" Mendoza caught up with me, and it was a tremendous blessing that he was there. The pleasant conversation towed me through the near-entirety of Buendia, and for awhile things seemed... okay.

5:15 : Entering the Skyway. Being a 10k runner last year, this was my first time. And it sure was awesome. Well, until the part that I couldn't breathe anymore. Gasp. What to do what to do. Not good. Hey, my first and only time to be on the Skyway for free! Yipee! Gasp.

Conquering... . is easier said than done
5:30: Ominous statement of the day from some random guy who kept on talking to me on the road - "You're going too fast, you're going too fast! We have to take it slow or we burn out right away". Sounds like my ex-girlfriend on our first date. Smirk.

Let's take it slow? 5:39: They say that too much thinking can kill a man. And it's true. I fussed so much about my strategy that I ended up doing things I never really do. I walked all water stations, ostensibly to save on energy. But each time, the person I was running with was so far off that I couldn't catch up anymore. I felt my heart rate plummet every time I stopped. Something was going to go awry. I could feel it. Jonel disappeared from the horizon. So did Takbo.ph buddy Kampugers (don't judge me, it's a term of endearment) when I took a break. Panic was setting in. I was going nowhere real fast.

5:59 : Halfway mark. 1:59. In the vernacular, tipid na tipid? At nine minutes off my regular time, the prevailing mindset here is that the energy I'm conserving will get me through. Celebrity sighting : Jaymie/TBR. She looks awful strong out there. I could have sworn she was running with white compression shorts model/Runnr guru OJ. Gave a lame, token attempt to run with them, and poof! I eat dust. Note to self : Buy white compression shorts.

Classic OJ here.
6:30 : Pain (p

n) - An unpleasant sensation occurring in varying degrees of severity as a consequence of injury, disease, or emotional disorder.
Pain. Yeah. At roughly the 25k mark, I was in a lot of it. The pressure, over-analyzation, and a glaring lack of long runs most probably caused a way premature case of cramps and wall-bonking. Really odd. At Baldie Rizal Day 32k, at around the same point I felt I could have gone all day. Here, I was spent. As runner after runner passed me, the prospect of a strong finish was slowly slipping away.

What was really happening at 25k

7:00 : Getting hot. Am starting to slip into a dazed, zombie-like mode. Oftentimes, I'd try to latch on to people I know, casual conversation helps take your mind off the pain. Oftentimes I'd stop. Mentally, I'm in shambles. I thought I prepared well enough for this.

7:15 : I just realized for the first time that hey, it's nice here in the Skyway. Awesome even. I was so engrossed with all this competitive running-related crap that I'm starting to forget the little joys of our sport.

Find the joy in it GBM!
7:25 : Badly fading toward the latter stretch, I saw Condura boss Pat Concepcion along with his pseudo entourage. In a terrible daze, I willed myself to run with their group if only to get towed a kilometer or two.With the cameras rolling, he must have been wondering who was this weird character running behind him, posing for pictures even with a weird smile. Aaah the joys of Gingerbread anonymity.

It pays to be part of the Patcon entourage7:30 : Sound bite from Milo National finalist Vener/Run Unlimited nearing 32k - "Musta newbie? Tara let's go konti na lang! Mag 6mpk tayo!" As much as I wanted to, my legs had already gone to some Carribean island sipping ice tea on the beach while I had to drag their useless carasses around. Hmph.

7:50 : Oh thank God for the Takbo.ph aid station! Having manned this in the past, I was never really able to fully grasp the value of this altruistic initiative until I was on the receiving end. While experiencing a level of pain somewhere in between "roasting over hot coals" and "multiple astral projections", there's no better salve than warm smiles from supportive friends with a side helping of healthy encouragement. I was so warped by this point that when I ran into moody buddy/podium regular Zinnia on her bike, I have reason to believe this following conversation actually took place :

Z : Just a couple more meters to the aid station! We have stuff for you there!
GBM : Grunt. Uuuuuuh.
Z: Hoooooooy!! Are you okaaay?
GBM : Uuuuuuuuuh

Z : Anyway, just go there! Zombie!
I was so overjoyed to have recovering speedster Mac and an unknown, muscular man we shall just call "Manong" massage my weary legs. I guess it's the only time I'll ever thoroughly enjoy a massage given by two , er, men. Que handed me a banana, and Sir Amado's snapped up some pictures. All these served as a welcome respite, and I felt like I was on a rejuvenated high entering the homestretch.

Manong's steady hands did the trick8:20 : Kalayaan Flyover redux beckons. Been a worthy adversary on so many occassions. I think I've solved it though. But... . not... . on... .. this... . dang I gotta walk. Kalayaan Flyover 7, GBM 6.

8:30 : So near yet so far. Nearing collapse, I am dazed, confused, and running completely on empty.

8:40: This seems to be the longest 3km stretch of my life.Oh my god. You have got to be kidding me. When is it going to end? Just as I am about to sprawl on the pavement, I run into running bloggers Vicky (incredibly running a marathon on a whim! Awesome!) and hot bod Rodel/Argonaut. We are all pretty much in the same boat, literally crawling. Peace by inches. Have... . to... .. gut.. this... out.

8:45: Trying to fartlek my way home, I almost collapse into Argow, "Kristo" -style. I have absoulely nothing left to give.

8:55 : One last stab at glory, no way I'm finishing this like a cripple. Months of training leads to one last tempo run. One last burst of speed to bring it home. Don't give up now!

Last shot at glory... 8:56: And it's DONE! Yeah!!!!! Was never happier to see a finish line. The most agonizing 42.195 kms of my life done in 4:56:03. I wanted to cry... but the tears wouldn't come. Must have been the dehydration. The marathon has chewed me up, spit me in pieces and brought me to my knees. Friends say I am pale, and a massive headache follows. I can barely walk straight.

I missed my goal in a bad way.

But you know what they say about marathons? When you cross the finish line, no matter how slow or fast, it will change your life forever. And I firmly believe that. As all of this was starting to sink in, a stark realization suddenly dawned upon me. I'm... I'm a marathoner now! A real one! I'm now officially part of the .1 of 1% of the world's population to have finished one! The time doesn't even matter. What matters is I crossed that line in one piece in spite of the overwhelming urge to just flat out quit. I felt like I have left my blood, guts, and soul out there.
And at that exact moment, at that time and place, in spite of the terrible physical beating I took...

I was at peace. And overwhelmingly happy.

Guess that's the spirit of the marathon for you right there.

p.s. I can't wait to get back out there again :P

It’s the month of love

with hearts galore everywhere pink red white, pale pastel colors and bright. We women are busy giving, and creating valentines for so many others that it’s easy to forget to look after our own heart health.

Do you know the symptoms of a heart attack? I’m sure we all know what they are for men, but do we know what they are for women?

A few years ago I had a issue while at work [a very large retail pharmacy] pain in my chest, and arm, sweating, and no one could clearly tell me if I should be calling a ambulance or not. It turned out to be nothing of consequence, but it could be, what I learned was that you have to educate yourself, and know the symptoms. Don’t depend on someone else to know this for you.

This is heart month, the heart you save could be yours, or someone you love.

Here’s a short, funny well made video about a busy Mom, who obviously puts herself last on the list almost to the detriment of both herself, and her family. Don’t be that woman. I’m having some trouble embedding the video, but you should be able to click on this link to watch it. If it doesn’t work you can Google Go Red for Woman, “just a little heart attack.” Save your heart.

Let's face it - we all run for different reasons. Some run for the obvious health benefits, some for the camaraderie, some for the er, girls (or boys). But for a certain competitive segment of the running community, the thrill of the sport has a lot to do with constantly outdoing your personal best.Oftentimes these runners are fast. Faster than you and me.In common running parlance, we often call them "monsters" or "halimaw" - non-elite yet highly competitive runners who take great satisfaction in continually redefining their limits each and every time they race.

This totally unofficial list aims to celebrate and recognize those who are engaged in this perpetual dalliance against time, and who put in the requisite blood, sweat, and tears en route to achieving their respective goals.The best part is - they're not dropping superhuman, Olympic-level times out there. They're ordinary folks like you and me, which means... it can be done!

So what do you get out of it? Nothing really. Pride? Honor? Bragging rights? Googability? And who knows, maybe a fun shirt down the line (hint) (wink) We'll be updating this as the data comes in, and I guess may provide you folks out there with something extra to shoot for.

Monsters are... fun.

As a purely-for-fun undertaking, there's one cardinal requirement aside from posting halimaw-like times - I need to have at least met you once in person, and a little sensible conversation never hurt :) Why? Well how will I get your time then with a certain measure of credibility if you're an, er, complete stranger? It's also in the spirit of fostering this fun community we have. I can't be posting sub-40 times from anonymous entries sent online, in the vernacular baka alamat lang ung PR diba :) If we've met, and your times qualify but you're not on the list leave a comment so I can update it, am not very good with numbers. I know several more who qualify, I just have no way to contact them. By the way, a ladies list is in the works as well so wait up for that as well.

P.S. - Ranking will not include elite runners, running legends or fun people :P Sorry Zorro.

I not happy at all.

So without further ado, here's the inaugural Totally Unofficial GBM Monster List, grouped by distance. Hope you have fun with it! :
5k Monsters :
1. Jon "under160" Trimble - 17:09
2. Graciano "Totoy" Santos - 17:20
3. Mari Javier - 18:xx
4. Edward "Conquer Corregidor" Kho - 19:xx
5. Chris Iblan - 20:00
6. Wilnar Iglesia - 20:36
7. Patrick Alcomendas - 20:58
8. Jixee Lagunda - 21:02
9. Mark "Mark's Vo2" Parco - 21:08
10. Junrox "Tigerboy" Roque - 21:42
11.Dennis "RunningPinoy" Ravanzo - 22:22
12.Natz "i2runner" Garcia - 22:30
13.Alfred "El Kyoshi" De los Reyes - 22:18
14. Jonel "Bugobugo"Mendoza - 22:xx
15.Mark "Running My Mouth" Hernandez - 23:04
16. Brando "Ace" Losaria - 23:33

10k Monsters
1. Jon "under1630" Trimble - 35:51
2. Graciano "Totoy" Santos - 38:14
3. Mari Javier - 38:xx
4. Wilnar Iglesia -42:04
5. Chris Iblan - 42:30
6. Alfred "El Kyoshi" De los Reyes - 42:47
7. Vener "Run Unlimited" Roldan - 42:xx
8. Edward "Conquer Corregidor" Kho - 43:16
9. Jonel "Bugobugo" Mendoza - 43:xx
10. Raymund "Reel Running" Bontol - 44:21
11. Jairuz Agang-ang - 44:25
12.Mark "Mark's Vo2" Parco - 44:43
13.Patrick Alcomendas - 46:53
14. Junrox "Tigerboy" Roque - 46:58
15. Natz "i2runner" Garcia - 47:33
16. Brando "Ace" Losaria - 47:34
17. Piolo "Idol" Pascual - 47:54
18. Dennis "RunningPinoy" Ravanzo - 48:38
19. Jixee Lagunda - 48:51
20. Mark "RunningmyMouth" Hernandez - 49:15
21. Elmer "Life Runner" Ching - 49:43
21. Mccoy Lontoc - 50:xx
22. Raymond de Pana - 50:xx
23. Jinoe "Manokan Runner" Gavan - 52:xx
24. Sam "The Running Ninja" Delena- 53:34
25. Rodel "Argonaut" Cuaton - 53:40
26. Bong "BZ" Zandueta - 54:30

21k Monsters
1. Graciano "Totoy" Santos - 1:21:32
2. Jon "under1630" Trimble - 1:23:41
3. Chris Iblan - 1:27:35
4. Mari Javier - 1:29:xx
5. Gian "Cartgian" Saquilon - 1:31:10
6. Edward "Conquer Corregidor" Kho - 1:32:49
7. Alfred "El Kyoshi" De Los Reyes - 1:39:25
8. Jerry "High Altitude" Karundeing - 1:39:29
9. Mark "Mark's Vo2" Parco - 1:39:38
10. Junrox "Tigerboy" Roque - 1:39:40
11. Jonel "Bugobugo" Mendoza - 1:40:xx
12. Wilnar Iglesia - 1:43:xx
13.Patrick Alcomendas - 1:44:xx
14. Natz "i2runner" Garcia - 1:45:04
15. Raymund "Reel Running" Bontol - 1:50:00
16. Jixee Lagunda - 1:50:23
17. Eric De Belen - 1:55 :xx
18. Bryan "Planet Trumania" Rivera - 1:56:35
19. Sam "The Running Ninja" Delena - 1:56:xx
20. Mark "Running my Mouth" Hernandez - 1:57:31
21. Dennis "Running Pinoy" Ravanzo - 1:58:40
22. Edu "Doods" Fabian - 1:59:xx

42k Monsters
1. Jon "under1630" Trimble - 3:09:39
2. Graciano "Totoy" Santos - 3:19:25
3. Mari Javier - 3:27:xx
4. Edward "Conquer Corregidor" Kho - 3:27:xx
5. Vener "Run Unlimited" Roldan - 3:36:41
6. Wilnar Iglesia - 3:38:16
7. Chris Iblan - 3:39:43
8. Junrox "Tigerboy" Roque - 3:45:06
9. Alfred "El Kyoshi" De los Reyes - 3:49:10
10. Jonel "Bugobugo" Mendoza - 3:53:xx
11. Gian "Cartigian" Saquilon - 3:53:13
12. Natz "i2runner" Garcia : 3:56:53
13. Mark "Mark's Vo2" Parco - 4:07: xx
14. Bryan "Planet Trumania" RIvera - 4:12:xx
15. Dennis "Running Pinoy" Ravanzo - 4:25:59
16. Patrick Alcomendas - 4:32:xx
17. Frederick "Gab" Gabriel - 4:44:xx
18. Dennis "RunningFatboy" Quepe - 4:52:xx
19. Raymund "Reel Running" Bontol - 4:55:57
20. Edu "Doods" Fabian - 4:58:xx
21. Rodel "Argonaut" Cuaton - 4:58:xx

Healthy eating isn’t cheap!

But being healthy is priceless. We all know that you can’t buy your health, and what we do to our bodies now, will be our results later. Ah potato chips you will forever be my nemesis. So in comes our juicer, we just got the shiny new stainless steel quiet as a church mouse juicer. In my mind potato chips are on one side of the teeter totter and Frankie, and the juicer are on the other side.

Some day’s I will allow myself to indulge in those crunchy treats, [just a small bowlful] and the tetter totter will drop towards the 20% not the best for you side, and the days I that I eat fully healthy and exercise properly, [that’s where Frankie comes in] the tetter totter goes up on 80% of the good stuff. Well it works for me… Frankie, and the potato chips.

Anyways I love juicing… and am experimenting with all sorts of fun combos of fruit and veggies… it’s just so expensive to get them right now, but like I said good health is worth it. So far we have celery, pear, green pepper, carrot, and apple, a fresh perk you up splash of healthy. Add some cucumber for a green flavourful treat.

Then there is my mid winter “I’m in love with this” dark tangerine colored mix of Blood oranges, beets, and ginger which is supposed to be the new super food, bug fighter, and immune booster.

It can be mellowed out with a bit of cucumber, sweet bell peppers, and carrots… for a totally yum drink.

So what healthy habits are you picking up lately… and are they starting to stick?

I was fortunate enough to be invited to the presser of this upcoming event held at ROX, a humdinger brought to us by the St. Jude Catholic School Alumni Association.

As always, we strode in late as the presser was already underway. The big boss of the event (who was very kind to me) was already deep into the thick of things. Greedily grabbing the snacks that were put forth, I just discovered that I eat chips quite loudly, the ruckus loud enough to distract the speaker. The cover of the sandwich pulled a Mr. Bean on me, making for some comic relief. I just had to be that guy right?
Essential things you need to know for this run - it's organized by my buddy Ian Alacar and Paul Calvin's Deli head honcho Jay Em, it's going to be held at MOA on Jan 30th, and it's a run that's designed to encourage kids and teens to run. Distances are at 3. 5, and 10k.

The Three Amigos behind the event. The slant is, their research shows that a typical runner demo is skewed towards the yuppie (is that term still even in use? lol my age is showing) and working professional market. The race aims to encourage the younger set to run in the hopes of perpetuating a healthy, sustainable lifestyle for all. In related news, even if the presser was attended by a select group of bloggers and press only, the guys behind the race really prepared for it, even having what seemed to be a Party Pilipinas spiel for the host. Which seemed pretty fun because it was in front of 20 people, not 20,000. Sorry OT. Anyway, it's really the only straight up road race before Condura, so if you want to bring family and friends along for what promises to be a fun, cozy event by all means do so. Here's a clip of Mr. Head Honcho Man (I'm horrible at names) giving some pointers during the whole thing. P.S. Is it just me or does he look like a classier, well more Chinese version of Jojo A All The Way?

Going back, as the article's header implies, we have a little contest thing going on. No race on January 30?Have no fear, just join this simple contest I have for you and you could be one of the winners for these two kits I'm giving away. One 5k and one 10k. Yum.

Yum.
Contest mechanics are simple. But you have to work for it. No such thing as a free lunch in this world , and I'll make you work. What do you need to do?

1. Like the Endure Multisport fan page on Facebook.
2. Ditto the Team Powerpuff Boys page.
3. Follow me on Twitter.
4. Leave a comment on this entry explaining why teenagers should run.

Finally, here are some pointers about the race I shamelessly copy-pasted from their press kit. I didn't even bother to change the font. Guilty as charged. See you on the road!

— Date: January 30, 2011, 5:30AM — Venue: Mall of Asia grounds (IMAX Parking) — Saint Jude Catholic School Alumni Association — Presentors : ◦ 100 Plus, Summit, Philippine Daily Inquirer, DZIQ 990AM — Co- presentors : ◦ SeaOil , Ford, Mazda, Davies, Ferna , Capasco , NutraSweet, Fujifilm, New World Printing Corp. — Registration Partners/ Sites: ◦ Chris Sports (SM Mall of Asia, Glorietta 3, SM Megamall, SM North Annex), ◦ ROX Bonifacio High Street, ◦ Ford Quezon Avenue, ◦ Suite 803 Tytana Plaza Bldg, Oriente St., Binondo , Manila ◦ 28 Purdue Street, Northeast Greenhills — Registration period: ◦ December 20, 2010 - January 28, 2011— Registration fees: ◦ PhP500.00 for 5K and 10K distances; PhP400 for 3K distance.

Hey everyone, how's it going? Been gone for awhile after that indomitable foe who goes by the name of "work" knocked me out for a couple of weeks. In an effort to curb the holiday malaise known as You-gained-ten-pounds-over-the-holidays-you-fat-pig , I subjected myself to 70 km workweeks, including the fun Baldie 32k which served as my year-ender.

As for meeting the new decade with a bang, my first race of the new season was the immensely enjoyable Cebu City Marathon, which was held in er,um, Cebu! Some have said that the wonderfully organized race is the new standard for road races, and I am hard-pressed to say otherwise. But if you're planning to travel more than 500k just to race, then you're missing the entire point. As good as the race is, it's the entire experience that would make it worth your while.

So without further ado, here are the top 5 things I enjoyed the most about my Cebu City Marathon weekend :P

Cebu = Fun :)

5. Foodie Mania Galore

I mean, this place seems to be built on food! Seriously! Everywhere I seem to look, there's a trail of food stalking me, imploring me to partake of their sumptuous goodness. For the first time ever the night before a race, I saw myself hitting the buffet lines! Oh my. The excess baggage must have chopped off a minute off my time the following day (x_x)

As I said on my Facebook stat line, I lost 1900 calories during the race... . but gained 10,000 over the weekend !

The buffet line is tempting... ..

Lechon to GBM : Life is too short. Sin a little. Oink.

Go ahead and succumb to the temptation... ...

Because as fighting it will only drive you crazy... .

What the heck, might as well right? :P
4. Meeting the celebrities
Being a tourist here, it was fun to see how vibrant the local running scene was. It was even more fun to meet some of the personalities who fan the flame over there, specially those who I've met through the general blogosphere. For one, it was a real treat to meet Haide Acuna, the comely lawyer/broadcaster/marathoner behind the popular Marathon Foodie blog.

GBM Smile plus? :PIn related news,while hanging around at the finish line waiting for Takbo.ph head honcho Jinoe to complete his maiden marathon... ..

I'm your #1 fan!There was a lady who created quite a stir by crossing the finish line in a Wonder Woman suit while holding a Sto.Nino statuette... .

Take that Zorro!
And faster than one could say "Marian Rivera", I was informed that the lady's name was Twinkle Ignacio, a local personality who continues to rivet weekend race crowds with outlandish costumes that she makes herself. None too shabby in throwing down a 6:06 full marathon as well! She promptly sobbed at the finish line while receiving a bouquet of flowers. Now that's something you don't see everyday.

I think I'm in love... ..
We also got to meet 72-year old "Mang" Reming Ylaya, a true-blue Cebu running legend who routinely beats runners who are as old as his grandchildren. Got to chat with him a bit, real nice guy. Was no surprise that he topped his age group during the race, if my memory serves me right he ran a 25 minute 5k. Woaaah!

Wala ka sa Lolo ko... .
Of course, hanging with our Manila-based celebrities outside of their natural habitat was a fun treat as well... ..

Takbo.ph founder Jinoe and the indefatigable BR chilling at the CLP.

Your Boy Piolow is goin down! :P Coach Rio ran a smokin' 1:17 21k for 7th place:)

3. The Skywalk Adventure
I go to Cebu about twice a year on business, and silly me I never knew that this thing actually existed. To the uninitiated, was is it all about? Located at the 38th floor of the Crown Regency Hotel, there are essentially several activites that are made available to you.

The first is the aptly-named Edge Coaster, touted as the only one of its kind in the world. How does it go? You're on a "ride" that resembles a detached roller coaster coach. The "edge" comes from the fact that you are well, literally on the edge of the side of the building. The coaster then goes around the building, and you can tilt the thing up to 55 degrees. Woaaaah. Can't picture it out? Here!

Aaaaaaah!

Gulp... ..Not satisifed with merely strapped to a ride? You can actually walk the side of the building! Strapped to industrial grade harnesses, fun guides bring you around for a variety of poses and stunts, like standing on one leg, sitting on the edge and looking down, etc. Awesome awesome.

In completely unrelated news, we just discovered speed freak/good buddy Wilnar (who churned in a yummy 3:39 marathon the following day) had a sliiiight aversion to heights. Smirk.

Not looking down not looking down Mommeeeeee

More or less 6 inches for a 40-storey plunge here (x_x)
We got the most awesome deal of all time. For P1,000 we got these two rides, a 4D movie like what they have in Enchanted Kingdom and a buffet dinner! You absolutely have to try it :)

2. The Girls!
You how they say that there are so many pretty girls in Cebu? Well they weren't kidding! It seems like every corner you look there's a "distraction" somewhere. Lots of times, you feel like you're in the SMB "Binibini" commercial. And the hot-blooded takbo.ph boys sure didn't let it pass... .

So while Jet was trying to score some points with the ladies with his smooth bass playing ... ..

Carlo and Joseph could barely make up their minds ... .

So who's the lucky Cebuana?

Hmmm... .

Possible... ..

Look good together... .
But alas in the end, the heart simply took over. So Joseph finally made his choice, and as friends we all support him 100% :)

Something's telling me it might be you... ..

1. The Race!
Without a shadow of a doubt, from top to bottom this is one of the most organized running events I've ever been a part of. The race packet distribution was quick, hassle-free and pretty straightforward. While not as big as the ones were accustomed to here, the corresponding expo had enough to keep the runners hanging around a bit.

Nice setup...

Fun booths, you could appear on the cover of Men's or Women's Health!

Very courteous and accomodating race organizers...

Everything was on the button.

They had a fun CLP going on at the swanky Ayala Terraces where for P150, you could choose a buffet from several higher tier restos. There was a band, some speakers, and they actually showed "Spirit of the Marathon" on the widescreen after. Value for money indeed!

All the runners were chillin'

Swanky stage where "Spirit of the Marathon" was showing on the wide screen

As for the race itself, oh my. If some races throw everything but the kitchen sink at you, this one came right back and got the bath tub. I was running the 21k here, my last competitive half-mary before Condura. The prognosis : Mostly flat with a sprinkling of deathly heat. Nevertheless , we were all uber optimistic with how the race would turn out.

I'll cut to the chase and wont give you a blow-by-blow, but this I have to say - it's one of my finest racing experiences ever, and you have got to try it next year.

Fireworks punctuated the starting guns of the 42k and 21k routes. Dancing people in Filipiniana attire. Marching bands aplenty. Screaming schoolgirls with banners saying "Run your own race" and stuff like that. An entire lane all to ourselves. No screaming, cussing motorists. Water and 100plus at times seemed to pop up every 1km. Bananas, wet sponges. A wonderful route that passed through what looked like a hybrid between Manila Bay and Kalayaan flyover. Spot-on accurate route with marshals teeming everywhere. Amazing how an entire city could come together for something like this. It could actually be done!

Fireworks are always fun... .

My race got interesting when I took a nasty tumble at the 10.5 k turnaround point. In tah-gah-log, natalisod. Gumulong. Ouch. I sprained my ankle (the mild basketball kind but nevertheless bothersome) bruised my knee, and my hydrobelt bottles were rolling all over the place. How embarassing. I was relieved I didn't know anyone there... . until I saw fun speed dude Mark Parco of Mark's Vo2 just behind me. Wah.

Tripping = FAIL.

Running on fumes, I somehow limped my way to a 1:50:43 PR on my 305. Decent time given the circumstances, but missed my sub-1:50 target.Doesn't matter. Had so much fun with this. Went back to the hotel after, showered, then went back and cheered on the rest of the gang. Among others, Takbo.ph boss Jinoe finished his first marathon, and Tina and Tiffin took 10th place in the 42k and 5k categories respectively. Wohoo!

Post-race barbeque courtesy of PR dude Vic. Yum.
With all of these things put into consideration, it only means one thing... .

You missed one heck of an experience. So don't let it pass next year! Daghang Salamat Cebu :)