My Way of Living:
the thought process

It has been a little over two weeks since 10 enterprising souls along with their gritty, dedicated support team went out with two vans and covered 250 kilometers covering Subic, Bataan and Zambales during the Chris Sports Epic Relay. By now, you have probably read all about it. Listened to the incredible stories. Heard out the grievances and lamentations. Reveled in the triumphs and cringed at the lows. As of this writing, the discussion thread that we had put together at Takbo.ph has generated 3,317 views, one of the most I had ever seen given that not too many people from the boards were directly part of it. A blow-by-blow feed on Facebook that I was painstakingly updating through my Blackberry even during the wee hours of the morning had produced an incredible 366 comments. Truly, it was a race for the ages, one that people would be surely talking about for months to come.

TPB rocks.
So why such a late entry? Nope, I haven't been that lazy mind you. It's just that with the contentious nature of how the race unraveled, I didn't want to come up with an article that was reeking of input from my hopelessly skewed left portion of the brain. With so much charged energy emanating from the after-race vibe, I thought it best to let things simmer down a bit lest I come up with material with excessive amounts of vitriol.

We'll keep it cool. Er, will try at least.

Given the relative "epicness" of the race, and the fact that I wasn't there personally for all of the legs, I guess it really wouldn't do justice if I gave a blow-by-blow like my BDM feature. We're currently working on a compilation of everybody's experiences, and if no publisher picks it up, we'll most probably post it online mwahaha. Wait on it!

So instead, I'll try my best to give you a microcosm of the race proper(there were 30 legs in all, subdivided into 3 main sections) with my personal inputs on my specific leg.

Legs 1-10
Spirits were high for our 12nn gun start as we embarked on the great unknown. Little did we know that this was to be a race to remember. Given the pace we had declared pre-race, we were bundled in the final, "elite" start wave. Some teams had already started as early as 5am, supposedly to even things out. As nervous energy abound, the teams that we were looking out for were Team Ponstan (supposedly loaded with strong, veteran runners), and a Kenyan-powered Team Runnerspeak. Much to our surpise, there was another team inserted into our wave at the very last minute- Team Timex. Through casual conversation, it was not outwardly stated that this was a sponsored team loaded with triathletes and elite runners. Dropping a faux name (Team Roundsprint?) and giving off a weekend warrior vibe, I guess this was gamesmanship at its finest. Or rather, more like a portent of things to come.

In high spirits... .

And yet anxious for what lies ahead...

As we were awaiting the starting gun, the organizers/sponsors had even put together a "showbiz" style intro, with what seemed to be a hastily organized Ponstan "Pep Squad" comprised of made-up teens gyrating to pop tunes ala ASAP while were baking in 35 degree weather . At the starting line, leadoff guy Mark/Beep Beep got into the action and showed off his "Disco" moves in the background.

Beep could give these teens a run for their money
As the starting gun finally sounded off, there was a palpable sense of nervous energy amongst the team. Extremely anxious, yet confident that our collective abilities will allow us to make a good account of ourselves. It was agreed upon collective during our pre-race prayer that we're not gunning to win at all costs. It's not the be-all end-all of our stint here. We're just going out to have a good time, soak in the experience, and anything we pick up along the way is gravy.

A prayer for guidance towards the right path

And so it begins. As I said earlier, I don't have the capabilities of doing an accurate blow-by-blow for the entire thing (it would take me forever to write it and you might get bored reading it), so I'll just recreate the first leg in detail while trying my best to faithfully recapture the rest of the legs, just to give your the overall vibe of the race at that given moment.

And so it begins... .(cue Olympic music)Land of the Lost and a budding loveteam
Beep Beep was our leadoff guy, probably the strongest sprinter on the team. A former Palarong Pambansa standout, we were banking on a solid opening salvo from him to help set the tone for the rest of the race. From the time that the opening gun was fired, we could see that he was already neck and neck with Kenyan supergal Susan from Team Runnerspeak. So off they went, and we merrily went back to our vans.

As we were heading to the van exchange point at the Pawikan Center (serves as the halfway mark of all three main sections of the race) , we noticed one big problem. The guy from "Team Roundsprint" was actually ahead. And the rotund Ponstan team captain was in 2nd! How could that be? How could they outrun a Kenyan and a 39 minute 10k dude? It could only mean one thing... .

It simply meant that they were... .

Apparently, they were so fast that they missed the turn. Quite mind boggling that the lead pack didn't have any escort to guide them. That's just so crazy. Anyway, Beep ended up going all the way back to the start line, and i think he finished his 5k in 35 minutes. By the time the dust has settled we were in 2nd place, our psyche reeling from this unexpected setback.

The Furious Chase Once Mark/Indorock was up for his leg, it didn't take long for the speedy trackster to bridge the gap between us and the first placers. Cheers abound in our van. Now the hard part. Roy, Bryan and Brando had their work cut out for themselves as they not only had to keep pace to hold off the 3rd placers, in the race for 1st place they were matched up against Cyborg-like counterparts on some of the most difficult terrain in the race. Brando was near exhaustion, and asserted that his stretched out, ridiculously incline-filled course was the hardest 8k of his life.

Early hero Indorock attempts a furious comeback

The Brothers Rivera put up a gallant stand

Brando was so tired that he wanted to go home, selling "scramble" for bus fare
Mark Hernz was up next. Was a short 4.4 k route, but his inclines would have put St. Martin to shame. In spite of the searing heat and technical difficulty of his leg, he gutted it,clocking in a solid effort in the process.

Mark gutting out the punishing inclines
Leg 7. My turn. By the time the baton (er, slapstick) was handed over to me, a 2km deficit was staring me in the face. What fun. I was amped beyond belief. The long wait at the Leg 5 van exchange point had somehow sapped my energy, notwithstanding the fact that we were working from behind.

Nervous dude right here
The amiable guy from the leading team (who even wore pink, I reckon in a sign of allegiance?) even gave me a high-five as he trotted out 10 minutes ahead of me. Once the exchange process was done, I was a man on a mission. Leg description was Recreational to Intermediate. Niiice. With adrenalin pumping, I rushed through the initial, extremely downhill stretch at about a 3:30 pace throwing caution to the wind. This lasted for all of 300 meters. Then I was stopped dead in my tracks. Suddenly, the downhills were gone, and was replaced with a slow, excruciating 6k uphill climb with lush foliage that made it very hard to breathe. Nothing Recreational about this. Cars were spewing smoke at you, and crabby doggies wanted to get a piece of you.

To those who are part of my Adidas Adination Ortigas team, the St. Paul- St. Martin Combo is about 1k not counting the downhill. So think doing 6k worth of that while trying desperately to hold 5:00 pace. I could have sworn I was hyperventilating. Pace was dropping by the nanosecond. By the time I reached the 6k mark, total pace had dropped all the way to 5:57 already. Eek.

Thankfully, what goes up, goes down. I'd like to think that all the uphill training I do had some sort of residual effect. At the risk of blowing my quads, I ran the final steep downhill stretch with everything I had at that point, crushing the asphalt at 3:45 - 3:50 pace. I was red-lining it. I HAD to make up for lost time. We HAD to get back first place.

Have... to get... . first place... .

All of a sudden, with about 1k to go, I saw the leading team's dude laboring heavily. I was ecstatic!! 1st PLACE WAS IN SIGHT!

He got tired
In hindsight, I was thinking his heavyset core typical of gym habitues would give out with those extreme inclines at some point.And it did. Blazing at a pace that I could never ever sustain without the concept of team dynamic in play, I passed him! 1st place was ours!!! The rush was unbelievable and unforgettable. As I passed the support van, I was screaming "WE'RE BACK IN FIRST!!! WE'RE BACK IN FIRST!!!" I think I heard Abby screaming in the van as well . Lol.

Now, there was so much momentum gained that I even sprinted the incline near the 10k mark. 10k mark passes. Gulp. No exchange tent! I was burning out pretty fast. Then all of a sudden, my extremities were going numb. It was going upwards already. My hands then started to involuntarily shake. OMG. I was freaking out. What the heck was happening to me? Still nothing. I was panting like a rabid dog in heat. Where was the tent??? Finally, 750 meters later it was there. I rushed , signed in, handed the slaptstick over to a totally juiced Jai, and he was off! TPB in the lead!!!! The team met me with raucous cheers. I was completely exhausted, but super happy. Given that running is an individual sport, having to do team time trials was awesome. We left the leg in high spirits, knowing that I just handed over the lead to one of the strongest runners on our team.

Happy but wasted guyLegs 8 and 9 went by like a blur. Speedy Jai was still fresh from his 3rd place finish at the TBR Dream Marathon, so the guy was in awesome shape. He turned the slight lead I gave him into a significant advantage, and powerful Ronnel padded more to it as the race was starting to drag on into the night.

Dynamic Duo powers into the night.By the time Ka Totoy came up, it was pitch dark already. Being our undisputed anchor and the closest thing to an elite runner on the team, we gave "The Legend" our most difficult leg - the dreaded 6km climb up to Mount Samat. His performance was simply scintillating. He left our mouths wide agape while tackling Kennon Road-level inclines at an unthinkable 5:30 pace. If I had done the same route, I probably would have walked. Being the consummate pro that he is, there were times that he would even wave us off, telling us to wait ahead of him. Running a ridiculous incline in pitch black darkness takes some cajones, and he taught all of us right then and there a thing or two about guts.

From the eyes of a legend... .

The scene that unfolded after seemed like it was taken straight from a movie script. As fast as Ka Totoy was chipping away at the mountain, a rampaging juggernaut was hot on his heels. The strongest Kenyan runner of Team Runnerspeak was blasting away at our nearly 30 minute advantage on them, and before we knew it, they were in 2nd place. Just FYI, this was the Kenyan dude who won Rock and Run 10k, and he runs a 15 minute 5k just to put things into perspective.

In a moment of sheer drama, the Kenyan came within 100 meters of Ka Totoy as he hit the runner exchange point. One last dramatic grasp, and the lead was turned over to Beep Beep who started sprinting like a madman for the start of the next rotation, his lady love Susan in hot pursuit. Incredible effort on the Kenyan's part, and pretty much all of us had a greater appreciation for "The Legend's" incredible running moxie after that sublime effort.

Cooling down after a performance for the ages
Whew. What an Epic! And guess what? We're only a third of the way!

But I'll have to stop there.

Because it was at this point that from a genuinely enjoyable race, everything seemed to connive against our success. Among others, I'd rather not discuss how I was stopped right smack in the middle of my 2nd leg ostensibly for "fast forward purposes" along with a totally moronic penalty by a high strung race director who wouldn't give the time of day to any opinion apart from his own.

I don't want to come out with unhappy memories out of this remarkable experience. I'd rather remember Beep and Susan's epic battle racing at 3:00/km pace down the insanely steep downhill of Mt. Samat in total darkness. Or how Brando valiantly tried to fend off "Cyborg" when he just popped out of the darkness. Or how Bryan's tremendous managerial skills established a semblance of order in our team.

One last comeback left in us... .

In a team full of competitive runners who usually duke it out over the weekends, I am proud of how the team came together to overcome adversity in making a concerted effort to go down on our shields with honor. I'll never forget screaming my lungs out when the team pounded out a last-ditch comeback effort, gutting out minute by painstaking minute culminating in Ronnel reclaiming the lead for TPB at leg 29. Truly, you can't make this stuff up. In spite of everything, we still had a chance to win it all at the very last leg. I have misty memories of how Ka Totoy, his body wracked in intense pain and battling 37-degree heat, ran with his heart on the pavement in overtaking the game PNP runner for 2nd place on the very last kilometer.

All for glory...

Because you see, this race meant much more to us than the figurative silver (thanks Mark Mulder) that we weren't even acknowledged for. It was more than the P360 finishers shirt, the P20 Pocari Sweat and P50 picture that awaited you at the line.

It went beyond winning or losing. It was about sticking to our guns when the going got beyond tough. It dealt with working within the rules even if they were seemingly be made to be broken. It was about getting back up and giving it your all after you've been kicked down incessantly to the curb.

Respect. Sportsmanship. Camaraderie. Ain't that what it's all about?

It's been a completely seminal experience for me. It's changed me in a lot of ways too.

To Beep, Mulder, Roy, Brando, Bry, Mark, Jai, Ronnel and Ka Totoy, it was my distinct honor to have raced with you guys.

To our wonderful support team Abby, Maan, Bea, and Doc Eire - thank you so much for sticking by us and sticking for us.

I am very proud of each and every one of you. I'm proud of TPB and what we stand for.

Because no matter what had happened in those fateful 23 hours...

I wouldn't have had it any other way.

TPB 2010 Baby!

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 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.

I don’t know about you, but when things get to be a little to much, the to do list gets toooo big, or there is just plain something I don’t feel like doing, I turn to Pinterest for a few minutes reprieve.

When the creative streak hits me, and there is nothing I can do about it, there is always Pinterest. I know that it’s not creating, but dreaming and imagining are just as important in the process as actually making something. And Pinterest allows me the space to do this.

Searching on Pinterest for me is like going to a huge craft store, home supply store, or maybe even a giant kitchen supply store. It brings back the enthusiasm, it sparks some sort of creativity in my mind, and that makes me feel good. So what if I don’t make something new each and every day, I dream, I plan, I imagine, and those parts of my brain need to be exercised also.

The curtains need to be hung, the paint color needs to be chosen for the kitchen, where do I put the new rug that we just got? In fact how do I clean the paint from the sink left by the last people. What’s for dinner tonight? I turn to Pinterest for a little inspiration, and most of the time it works.

We all need a place to dream sometimes. Through Pinterest I am planning my garden layout for the back yard, dreaming of new details to add to my house, and finding creative ways to organize that I had never thought about before. So they can say what they want about Pinterest being a time sucker, for me it’s a huge creative outlet, one that repays back more then the time spent. Now if you will excuse me, I have some pinning to do.

Friday, 10:38 pm. Sleep. As I write this, conventional wisdom would bring me an immediate, sharp rebuke. I'm supposed to be in bed already, resting up for what is shaping up to be the biggest race of my life. While most of my friends who will be likewise running are already comfortably holed up in their Bataan hotels, I'll still be in Manila attending to inescapable work commitments through the morning. Awesome.

BDM. Daunting.
Last year, just running this prestigious race seemed like a far-fetched delusion at best. Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think that it would actually be a reality this year. The Bataan Death March 102k Ultramarathon is without a doubt the longest individual road race in the country, and poses a daunting challenge to even the most seasoned runners. Just being in the company of these tremendous endurance athletes is already an honor in itself.

We're running in their honor.

Friday, 10:55 pm. Madness. Ask most people what they are doing this weekend, and you'll get a plethora of answers that range from "Movie lang" to "Kain tulog tambay". I can guarantee that "Running from Mariveles, Bataan to San Fernando, Pampanga for 18 hours" is an answer that is highly unlikely to crop up.

Common reactions range from :

"Bro, may problema ka ba? Want to talk about it?"

"Are you seryosss??!!"

"Pwede namang magkotse!"

"Pang baliw na yun ah!"

"Sana manalo ka!"

"Ang aga ng penitensya ah!"

Madness. Madness I say.

Friday, 11:06 pm. Anxiety. 24 hours from now, the biggest street party we'll ever be part of will commence. For the past few weeks, nothing has dominated my daily life more than this life-changing event. The word "BDM" seems to come out of my mouth every 30 seconds. I can barely function in the real world. Even if I tried to, I'm pretty sure it's a pretty bad acting job. Everyone seems to be getting sick from the anxiety, both figuratively and literally. My world is at a standstill, eagerly awaiting my day of reckoning.

I can hardly wait.

Friday, 11:30. Preparation. My thought process is gradually grinding to a standstill. Right now, so many things in my head that I can't think straight anymore. I don't even know if this article will be coherent anymore. But in hindsight, after nearly 14 or 15 hours of continuous running, I don't think anything will be anyway. In those moments of darkness, I know I have two marathons in two weeks to fall back on, an 8 hour long run, and running from 12nn - 3:30 pm in the scorching desolation that was the final 15k of the route. Would that be enough? No idea. But... . it has to be.

Of course, nothing like the real thing.
Friday, 11:45. Support. While my team mates have support crews stocked with runners, I have a crew with more experience in competitive drinking than running. It's led by the immortal internet legend Tito Caloy ( to newer followers of my site, check this out for clarity), my best buddy/de facto crew chief AJ (a former UAAP Volleyball MVP whose only running experience was this year's Animo Run 5k), and his friend that I've never even met before. Seriously, I don't even know the guy. I heard he's nice though. I had them agree to crew for me while they were all drunk and Pacquiao was pummeling Cotto like hell. Now that's what I call good strategy.

Dealbreaker question : Pwede namang uminom sa oto ung suporta mo diba?
Friday, 11:55. To a higher power. Getting really sleepy. Heck, I'm not even sure if you guys would even actually get to read this. But with just a few hours before the madness begins, I felt I've done as much as I could to prepare for this. I leave it all up to HIM now. For only he could give me the strength I need to overcome the tremendous physical and mental challenges I will be facing. There's simply no other way.

Saturday, 6:25. D-Day . I could barely sleep last night. Even listening to 98 Degrees didn't help. I'm giving a talk in an hour, and I haven't even showered yet. To help exacerbate nerves, for some reason I signed up for Globe's Superduo thing. Now I can call my crew one to sawa while out there without worrying about load. And I get a landline number that directs to my cel too. Cool.

Now I feel just like one of em' Sun people.
People often ask me, why do you do this? Why run 102 kilometers for 18 hours? Why subject yourself to this tremendous physical task? Same reason why people are so obsessed with summiting Everest. Because it's there. And as long as it's there, it will always bug me incessantly until I conquer it. Also, I was always curious if everyone really turns into cute, furry animals with funny names Km 70 onwards. Anyway, I'm running late. Enough said. Thank you all for the support, prayers, and kind words, I truly appreciate it. I think I could say I'm at peace already.

Now let's dance.

I've got a friend who exquisitely files and organizes everything. From her silverware, and dishes, to her paperwork. She is the Martha Stewart of my life, so super organized she can put her finger onto anything you ask her to produce, dishes, documents, and the warranty for any appliance, no matter how old.

I admire her organizational skills, and part of me is asking? How do you do it? Did you learn it, where you born with this skill? Is there a class that I missed, did I misfile the ability somewhere between lost socks, and the cat demanding lunch at 10 am? I struggle to organize my thoughts, to be able to put them on the screen in a manner that is readable and interesting. We know it takes time to write a interesting blog post, and that good content takes effort. You've heard the phrase,"time expands to fill the space available" it's called Parkinson's law. The more time I have available the longer it takes to write my post. It can take me all day if I were to let it, and it won't be any more organized. Am I the only person this happens to? For me writing a blog post is similar to making dinner from scratch. I might start with p lans for homemade pasta, Alfredo sauce, broccoli, consider those the outline of my blog post. As I try to write down my thoughts the butter burnt, the cream curdled, and we ended up eating store bought pasta, and jarred sauce, with over cooked broccoli. It tasted OK, but it's wasn't what I had in mind when I began. Learning how to transfer the jumble in my mind onto the computer screen is one of the hardest things for me. The seat of your pants style of blogging has been my default for much too long, and I'm trying to improve by being more organized. Writing posts ahead of time still feels awkward, I'm still writing the night before, but I know that if I make something a good habit, it becomes much easier for me.

I'd like to be able to write a blog post in 20 minutes like this but I am far away from it. Sometimes I need to trick my brain into using organizational tricks to get things done in time. I've been using these and they seem to be working.

• Writing standing up, sitting down encourages me to daydream, and we all know that it's wonderful.but not going to get that post written.

• Setting a timer, the more time I have the longer it takes me to write my post.

• Drafting out a post, writing a outline, going back and filling in the details afterwards.

• Retyping awkward sentences in CAPITAL LETTERS. If I'm struggling with a word, I will just type it in caps so I can find it later and fix it.

• Planning sheets from organized home they offer free printables, calendars, and to do lists that I've been using to organize my thoughts.

I'm in awe of bloggers who are able to write posts that flow effortlessly, the kind that make you wish you had written them. It's a journey, and each step we take to improve ourselves, brings us closer to being better bloggers. I need that on my wall…each step brings me further along my blogging journey… I'm always on the lookout for more organizational tips to help my blogging, so if you have any tips that help you organize your blog posts, please let me know in your comments.

The big move update: My move to Word Press is still a couple of weeks away, I've purchased my hosting, bought the Genesis framework, and picked a feminine theme I love. I'll let you know the exact date of the move when we get a little closer, things should stay almost the same on your end. I understand changes to our routines can be difficult, and I am hoping that you will hang out with me no matter what platform I'm on. I'm not changing who I am, or how I blog, what kind of shots I take, just where I do it.
Laura from I'm so Vintage is going through the process of changing her blog name, and URL, she wrote a post describing it here. In the end, although changes might not be easy to go through, they help us grow in our blogging journeys.
Thanks for reading!
If you enjoyed this post you might want to read this post also.

It’s a late posting today.
We are experiencing some interesting weather around here, never thought we would see thunder and lightening in February. But we did, and are.
It’s knocked the power out usually when it’s time to start dinner, that sounds like fun, until you realize that it’s pretty cold outside, and once you get cold, and hungry… Boo of course is all for snuggling into us, and stealing what little body heat we have left. Survival of the fittest, isn’t a joke around here.
Add to that the phones and the internet coming and going with no warning, one minute it’s there, and the next it’s gone, “there is a problem with the lines, the repair man is aware of it, and trying to find the source, thank you for your concern, we will get back to you… never.”
Returning comments, and reading your blogs has been a bit of a challenge, rest assured, I will persevere and keep at it, expect me in the next few days, once my cold fingers thaw out.
I’m deep in the middle of deleting old images from my computer, there was over 60,000 so it’s taking quite a while.
It’s been interesting to see how my photographic journey is processing, but you have to wonder what I was thinking a few years ago… who needs 16 images of blue muscari? Did I think a bulb catalogue was going to contact me to use some of my shots? And the Boo, talk about proud pet guardians… there are few shots of us, but so many of him.
No wonder our PC has been running slow. I am on my 2nd external hard drive, and looking at a 3rd one in the near future.
I have worked out a system that works for me, to process my multitude of shots,and have been diligently applying it to each new image that I download ever since. Along with now being a discerning editor of the bad, the poorly shot, and the blurry, it’s starting to keep the new image count down to a manageable level.
Now just to plough through the old 50,000 + images, and delete, delete, delete… and hopefully things will go forward from there.
Onwards, and all that, now just let me delete one more photo, and I will be right with you. I have a new to me “take me to the top button” on the lower right hand side… I love it, and honestly wish more bloggers had this button. Many thanks toBrenda’s Blog tips for sourcing the tutorial that makes it so simple to do.

I’ve been slogging through my old blog posts for the last little while.
Correcting, eliminating, labeling, sorting things out.
Yes, some of those posts are gone, they don’t all deserve to stay.
Some I am treasuring… I can almost see where I stretched, and grew.
It hurt at times, it made me cry at others… laugh, smile, and know that it was worth the effort.
It’s somewhat slow going, but it’s enlightening at times.
The wistful “when will these Muddy Boot dreams come true” posts, wanting so badly to be up here in the Okanagan living our new life, not realizing during my deepest doubts how close it was to happening.
The newbie posts where I was lost, and lonely at times, when there was a good reason to celebrate a extra comment, and another reader, bringing me up to the whopping total of 10 readers.
The times I was so excited and sure that I knew where I was heading kind of posts, only to change directions like a flag buffeted in the wind.
We grow, and change the more we blog, that’s good.
The ones where I found my voice, misplaced it, only to find it again.
This time I am keeping it close to me. It’s mine, it’s me.

The growth of my love for photography, when I finally discovered the manual settings on my camera, and how to use them. The fact that there was more to shoot then the flowers in the backyard.
If I could visit that newbie blogger once again, and impart something that I have learned in these years of blogging, I know what I would say.
To write a blog, and do it well.
To be engaging, interesting, and thoughtful.
To be full of energy, and surprises, to keep your reader’s attention.
To keep them wanting more, y ou must give more, think more, experience more.
You must open your heart more, plan more, decide more, share more.
And sometimes it’s just not a possibility.
To write, to think, to do.
To be positive, and charming, and thoughtful seems to drain even the best of us at times, it’s life. Just move forward through it, it shall pass.

Life is so full of experiences, things to be done, requirements of our time, stuff we must do, there will always be something to blog about.
Into each blogging life a little rain will fall, things will break, disappear, fall through… and you will lose interest, just as much as you are thrilled to discover something or someone new.
Learn from your mistakes.
Blogging is like a puddle of water, that dries up, only to overflow with emotions, thoughts, ideas, and images that we can’t get down fast enough at another time. Sometimes filling in the blanks, sometimes the blanks are left there for a reason.
Because life is always happening in the background.
And when life happens, we will blog about it.
And when it doesn’t happen, we blog about that too.
The one thing you must do when you blog, is not to take it too seriously.
Life goes forward, things happen, people come and go in your blogging life, keep moving forward.
Live life and blog, love life and love blogging.
Use spell check!
Make friends, form relationships, yes, these people are real.
Write nothing that you wouldn’t want your Mom to read.
Always leave nice comments, even when someone leaves a mean one for you.
You have friends out there in the blogging world, and you will find that out when you need them.
Don’t let the urge to check your stats or your followers dictate what and how you see blogging.
Treat your readers like gold, for they are the reason your blog exists.

Comparison is the death of all creativity, we each have set out on a journey to a different destination, sometimes those roads converge, sometimes they take off in opposite directions. It’s your journey, no one else's, take the path that works for you.
There will be shooting stars, those who come, some will stay, and some will go just as fast. There will those who slowly and steadily climb, and those who just plod along in the same space for as long as you know them, that’s all OK, it’s their journey.
Blogging is so personal, the journey is so specific that no one else’s will ever be like yours. It’s yours alone, you have fans they are cheering on the sidelines, they are your readers. Can you hear it, that’s the sound of someone leaving you a comment.
And just when you think that you have it all figured out, the rules might change… your direction, your theme, your thought process might shift, and you will see the world from a different perspective, and that’s fine too.
Because there are as many or more readers as there are blogs, and they will find you and stick with you.
Blog on newbie blogger, blog on. Please add any advice you would have given to your newbie blogging self in your comments, we all need to read those encouraging words no matter where we are in our journey.
And I hate to disappoint anyone, but these are old images of spring bulbs, we are a long, long way from seeing anything green around here.
Jane

Happy New Year everybody! I hope the holidays have been treating you well! Went on a short hiatus to recharge and conjure up some new material for another exciting season for all of us. Quick roundup of the week that was leading up to the dawn of the new decade.

• So what did you get for Christmas?While indeed it's the thought that counts ( I'd probably make the national team if "crappiest gifts received annually" was a sport). There are some years though, that you just plain hit the jackpot, getting something that's both aspirational and necessary. Just as I was still mourning over the loss of my beloved 305, Ultramarathoner Abby pulled a haymaker and dropped the bomb on me with a 310XT for Christmas! Thank God there's no footage of me screaming like a delirious fangirl. Just as I was grumbling over having to plot routes with my car odo, the perfect gift comes like manna from heaven. Apparently, the entire community save for Rio, BR, Zorro and Jinoe and Que's gwapo future Takbo.ph prince were in the know.Still hasn't sunk in, all I can say is that I'm one lucky Gingerbread dude.

20 hours batt life. Waterproofness. Yahooooo.

• Congratulations to TPB dudes Junrox Roque and Mark Hernandez for placing 2nd and 13th respectively at BR's recent Rizal Day 32k Run in veritable tour de force performances. The rest of the team who competed all placed in the top 30 if I'm not mistaken. Congratulations my fuchsia brethren, you all rock. It also means one thing - I need to get into running shape for 2011 to keep up with these guys!

Outstanding.

• Year-end totals : Swam 21k, Biked 2,090 kms, and ran 1,363 kms. Missed out on my running goal, was at around 900 before BDM, you see the disparity the rest of the way lol :) How about you, did you meet all your targets?

• I still believe paying P7,000 a pop to watch some band play on New Year's Eve countdown at some swanky hotel is the worst deal ever.

• The running moment of the year for me was when TPB overhauled a wide lead during Epic Relay 250's final middle stages to hand the lead over to Ka Totoy during the final leg. Sports drama at it's finest, straight out of a movie.

Sheer Epicness right here.

• From a solo perspective, crossing the BDM 102 finish line is still surreal. I don't think the feeling ever gets old. What's more surreal is that I get to do it all over again in less than two months, with 58 more kilometers just for fun.

• I resolve to avoid Mcdonald's Coke (it tastes better diba), or Coke in general for 2011. I feel that someday it will get back at me. In related news, Grimace just sent a hate text.

• According to Ultramarathoner Abby's Skinny Bitch Calendar, "you can't expect to get thin eating the same crap you've been eating right?". True, I'd just work my ass off twice as hard then.

• I want to at least break 20 minutes for 800 meters in a sprint Tri. Sob.

• This year we saw a record number of 21k runners emerge into the fold. Level up. Does this mean 2011 will be the year of the marathoner?

• Which has a better chance of happening, Rio shaving off his afro or BR growing one? Hmmmm :p

• A big sigh to all the talented running bloggers who hung up their laptop in 2010, most notably 09' Philippine Blog Awards finalist/speedster Natz Garcia (the original Takbo.ph mod, to those who weren't around back then) Your comprehensive and scientific posts will be missed my friend :( SCR would have been proud of you.

• Quick announcement, the GBM Report will have an FB Fanpage (shudder). Not that its meant to solely be a value-added service to my five fans, but I just want that cool sidebar that everyone has. Inggitero. Sige na, i-like na. Mga tropang napilitan. Smirk.

• Why do I have this sneaky feeling that multisport will be off the charts in 2011? Sneaky, sneaky feeling. Don't tell me I didn't warn you.

• While on the homebound stretch of an intensely tough 95k ride in Bugarin with the gang over stormy conditions, some crazy pickup impatiently overtook a tricyle and counterflowed into my lane. With my brakes at probably 30% operational capacity, I avoided certain death but lost control of the bike in the process. Was able to uncleat but the bike fell on me and I went flying right smack onto the middle of the national highway's downward slope. Heavily shaken, good thing the manong tricyle drivers got my bike and helped me up out of harm's way before I could get run over by some truck. Good thing top gun Erick went back for me and accompanied me the rest of the way even if I was at punerarya car pace.My left side banged up and sore, bikey took one on the chin too. Thank God I live to bike another day, could have gone awry a bad break here or there. Did I mention I am SUPER considerate to cyclists on the road now? You should be too.

• I think I'll stay away from the ice cream too. Yeah, bad bad.

Just a couple of days more and we'll be turning in the fat again on Christmas Eve. So while you're getting to ready for that big 6,000 calorie day, some final snippets for you to chew on before your culminating holiday activities.

• Just received the confirmation from Sir Jovie. It's final. It's mind boggling. It's the... Bataan Death March 160k Ultramarathon, the longest and most challenging road race in the country today. 28 hours of sheer guts and glory. But we'll be up for it. How do you train for 160k (or a 100 miler) anyway?While I haven't the slightest idea, maybe this rough plan could give you an idea of what it takes to finish one. No doubt about it, we'll all be extended to our very limit on this one. Off the couch, on to the road.

• Quick survey - would you ever attempt running 160 kms in your lifetime? Why or why not? Give me your thoughts.

The ultimate goal

• I have come to terms with the reality that if you want to look half decent being snapped up and tagged in a dripping wet trisuit, lose 20 lbs. Minimum. Cry.

• Some days I wish I could have taken a snap of my Oscar-worthy, PBA losing finalist smile.

• To that dude who emailed me, no I do not use spellcheck for my articles. It's a hit and miss.

• For all those who emailed and FB messaged on our recent Piolow cover story for Frontrunner, thank you so much for the support. I am very happy that you liked my article. I didn't sleep for two days working on it, subsisting on Cobra and pandesal. Yum. Seriously though, thanks a bunch. You guys inspire me to come up with even better material in the future. Cheers!

• What's fancy thing did you buy over the holiday? As for me, while I promised not to buy anything for myself anymore , I couldn't resist snapping up this cool pair of Aqua Sphere Seal XP fancy goggles courtesy of Ultraman/Ironman/VFF celebrity endorser Ronald Declarador. It gives you cool 180 degree vision in the water and seals in tight like a ziploc bag. Much better than the lame goggles I bought at the SM Kids Section.

New Weapon of War.

• Congratulations to everybody who finished the Corregidor International Half Marathon organized by my good friend Edward Kho. I heard from a lot of my ANR students that the race was one heck of a humdinger. I ran that last year, no way you could go around that without maxing out your HR.

Takbo.ph boss Jinoe finishes the course in record time. Record picture pace time :P

• Even if we didn't take home a medal, big ups to both LC Langit and Nikko Huelgas for placing 4th and 10th respectively in the recent Oman Asian Beach Games. They both broke national records for Olympic Distance in the process. The rest of the team did decently as well, Kim Mangrobang took 7th and Epoy Jurolan 17th in an extremely competitive field. These guys and gals are the future of the sport here in our country, there's simply nowhere to go but up for them.

A job well done.

• In related news, LC's 1.5 km swim split is still faster than my 800 m split. Que Horror. Gosh I suck. Time to hit the pool.

• I wonder who amongst the people we know would be joining the planned full Ironman Distance Triathlon this time next year? Hmmm... .

• I have seen more accidents this holiday season than any other. The funny thing is, what exacerbates the whole thing is the 20 or so seconds it takes for the motorists to make usyoso. I plead not guilty.

• Usapang Batalya. Carbon Fiber = Stiff. Titanium = why don't you just buy a car? And give me the change?

• Sorry to disappoint guys and gals, we weren't able to bring home the bacon this year at the Philippine Blog Awards Night. Thanks for all the support you gave during the process, you all rock. The award ended up going to that fine boxing blog Filipino Boxing Journal, well-deserved. Me and Ultramarathoner Abby attended the ceremonies last Sunday at the RCBC Plaza , first time to attend such an event. We got there a little earlier than expected, and that equated into having the benefit of having the cocktail tables all to ourselves before the mad rush of bloggers came in. Food was supplied by Angel's Pizza and Pasta, and in spite of their crummy logo (which may be the reason we have subliminally never went there), the grub was quite good. New fan right here, and I just learned to never judge a restaurant by it's logo. Yum. Got to chat with tech and video bloggers on two separate occasions, and they both went on to win.Either I'm a lucky charm or malas lang sila sa akin. Host Gabe Mercado was benta with his dry wit and candor. The fact that he strode unto the stage in pajamas and bunny slippers didn't hurt either. It was a bit of a downer that they announced the sports category first (which sorta made the whole thing anticlimactic), and the cool AVP they used to introduce it had Jaymieon it ( she was the last running blogger to win it in 08'. Speedy Natz' now-defunct site made it last year.) I have now officially mastered my "losing Oscar nominee smile". Smirk. We'll get em next year... if ever they decide to nominate me again :P I am I bitter? No. Did I cry after I lost? Yes. Inside.

Better luck... . next decade?

• Totally off-topic, I'm not digging that the new Seiko wallet radio spot pronounces "genuine" the correct way rather than the iconic "G-New-Wine" that made the whole thing famous. It just lost half its luster.Ulk.

• I still get nightmares about those Adidas Techfit shorts that were shamelessly stolen from me during ANR registration. Think of all the happy times we could have had together.

Sob.

• Good luck to all those doing the Corregidor International Half Marathon this weekend. Race Director Edward Kho is a good friend who made it worth everyone's while last year with a killer course. Those participating this year would no doubt get to partake of an even tougher experience. Tell us all about it.

• To the bike people out there, Ultegra 6700 + Christmas = Broke.

• Based off this perpetual question at the Takbo.ph boards, just wanted to know - are you a positive splitter or a negative splitter?

• Big props to my student and co-captain of my marketing team at UA&P Nicole Miller for giving a wonderful presentation at the PBA's. I'm pretty sure she gained more than a fan or two there.

Abby and Nikki prepped up at the PBA's.

• GBM BDM 160 Watch : 100% running. Just sent the confirmation of to Sir Jovie the other day. Here we go. No turning back now.

• Had a great time at the season ending NAGT Sprint Triathlon at UP Los Banos, hosted by their free-spirited hometown team the Trantados. While I'll reserve the rest of the details for the future story, here's what you got to know - the swim on the 25m pool was hella rough (more like Wrestlemania), with me having a bruise on my wrist and some guy who was panicking on the 12ft deep end grabbing on to my legs for dear life. Was 74th of 85 people out of the water, ended up snagging 38th place overall, 8th in my age group. Considering I did 39 minutes for 750m during my first sprint, I'd take my 30:11 official 800m split as an improvement. That month and a half with Coach Jose Arcega's TI techniques seems to be slowly taking fruit. From terribly horrible, I'm now just terribly below average haha.

Habol ng Habol... .

• Kudos to my teammates Noelle/Kikayrunner and Wilnar (yes, they actually made him a Facebook fan page) for their smashing performances during last Sunday's Milo National Finals. Noelle put in a spectacular 3:58, which would have qualified her last year even under the men's standards. Should we be calling it a Sub-Noelle now? Lol. Wilnar on the other hand dropped a somewhat routine (for him) 3:30 while no one was looking. I don't think it even excited him one bit lol. I'd also like to give props to TPB/Takbo.ph buddy Mccoy for pulling off a wonderful 1:41 21k as well. That's especially gratifying if only you guys knew that he has been battling debilitating injuries over the past two seasons. Some thought he'd never regain his speed again. But he's been tearing it up like a madman. He's the comeback runner of the year hands down IMHO. Someday, when I start running more than 20 kilometers a week again, I hope to one day do the same as these friends of mine :P
  

• The Cobra 2011 Ironman 70.3 actually opened early bird registration already. Cheap thrills, $200 only. Come February it's already $250 a pop. Factor in airfare and lodging, you're actually paying a considerable sum to inflict a considerable amount of pain on yourself. All of a sudden those P950 races we constantly whine about looks like chump change.

Worth it?

• Word through the grapevine is that there are concerns that the $200 early bird registration, exorbitant lodging fees (apparently, all CWC rooms have been booked already. Eight months ahead?? Wow.) and the specter of Extribe's world class organization ( this is their thing. I'm pretty sure KOTR dissenters would beg to disagree) being lost this year make for good reason to skip it altogether. Let's see how this holds true come August. Am I doing it? Hmmmmm... ..

Last Sunday, all roads led to The Fort as the heavily anticipated New Balance Power Race was finally coming to fruition. Ondoy's onslaught had postponed the race from it's original Sept.27 playdate, and this gave me an opportunity to get myself a slot. As some of you may know, much to my chagrin I had missed the original registration cut, which then compelled me to make the infamous "Hitler finds out he didn't make it to New Balance" video.

I approached the race with a lot of enthusiasm as I would be joining a pace group for the first time ever. This emanated from a conversation on the Takbo.ph shoutbox, which sort of went like this :

GBM : Target ko mga 1:55 ayos nako dun. 1:57 ung PR ko, medjo sagad na.
VVinceth: Kaya yan sub 1:50. 1:45 pa nga. Even splits lang tayo, 5:10 pace lang yan!jix_jixee : Uy ayos yan sama ako!markhernz: Ganun ba? Kaya yan! Game!
TheRunningNinja: Game ako kahit saan, walang inuurungan!GBM: !!!!!!

Meet the Gang
And thus, this ragtag pace group was born. I was hoping that running within a field of excellence, I would be prevailed upon to deliver a performance far beyond the realm of my capabilities. Hence, without further ado, let me introduce you to the members of my NB PAce Group :

Pat aka VVinceth/ The Running Safety Pin

With Bunnyyy
Our de facto anchor, Pat is easily the fastest and best-credentialed runner within the group. 45 minute 10k's and sub 1:45 minute 21k's are a relative walk in the park for him. It was with his relative optimism that we were actually enjoined to gun for a time that seemed to be way beyond my capabilities. Likes long walks on the beach and bunnies.

Jix aka Jix_Jixee
Another known Takbo.ph speedster whose relative pace is always about 5 minutes faster than my own, it is intended that his speedy ways would tow us to victory specially in the latter stages. His favorite movie is "The Notebook", and has an inherent dislike for Piolo that science alone could not explain.

He not likey Piolo either... Mark aka Markhernz/Running my Mouth
In just a few short months, this naturally athletic dude has not only jumped from a 5k to a full marathon, but has posted times most people only dream of in their lifetime. He has a penchant for not finding baggage counters, and is a full-blooded Lasallian (useless trivia)

Masel Man Mark
Sam aka TheRunningNinja
If other pace groups have celebrities like Jaime Zobel deAyala or Tessa Prieto, we have our own celebrity! And he is none other than... Sam the Running Ninja! One of the most recognizable faces in the blogosphere, it never hurts to have him around :P He likes fast cars, and doesn't like motorcycles, hospitals, and Gas station restrooms.

Celebrity Ninja

Starting Corral
Excitement was milling at the starting corral as the 21k runners were herded en masse. I was quite happy that Extribe was enforcing the "no check-in, no-entry rule", much in the same way that Condura does it. This makes for a much more orderly assembly. +1 brownie point to them. As Mark, Sam, and myself squeezed ourselves towards the front of the pack, we realized that Pat and Jix would be banditing the race. Sweet.

Brownie point!
Fun Starting Um, Horn?
As people were revving up for the starting gun, the runners spontaneously burst into laughter as the start of the race was ushered in by... a foghorn. Ooooh. Good vibes.

Foghorns = Quick Laughs

A Blistering Start
The first 10k was highlighted by Pat's even split strategy reaping dividends for our group, as we covered the first 10k below 50 minutes. This had me questioning my positive splitting ways, as I essentially achieved the same result - without feeling like dying after. We gradually lost track of Mark after the 6k point, and Sam was startling the crap out of us with his "fartlek-the-hills-then-grunt-like-the-Olympic-hammer-throw-champion strategy". Apparently, this primal act (like any other) zaps the energy out of even the best of them, and by the 10th kilometer turnaround our celebrity buddy had dropped behind, leaving Pat, Jix, and myself to carry the cudgels for our group.

Primal screams... are fun.

Surpise Surprise!

In a minor shocker, speedy Jix was fading badly at the onset of the Bayani Road inclines. When one of your best runners starts to labor with the route, oftentimes your thought process would get inundiated with self-doubt. Hey, if he's fading, I've got to be next. Which brings us to the next portion of this paragraph, the "Why Did Jixee Fade At NB" contest.

Could it be :

1. He had a hot date the night before who made him mutter "Running Sux" 100 times
2. His date promised him "favors" if he accomplished #1 while finishing an entire bottle of Patron in less than 30 minutes
3. In offering the proverbial olive branch, Piolo offered to hook him up with his Kapamilya friends if he stopped pacing this GBM character, if only to make his future 21k target a lot easier.

Send in your entries, correct answer gets a prize. I'll ask Jixee the answer... ... .tomorrow.

Piolo has done it again!

And Then There Were TwoWith Jix gone, it was up to me and Pat to navigate the course. Having ran with Pat numerous times in the past, including the Botak Ultramarathon, this was not unfamiliar territory. As pacers go, it's terrific to have someone like the Energizer Bunny to drag you along when you're starting to slack off. The heat was starting to set in, and I needed all of the help that I could get.

Keeps going... . and going... and going... .All By Myself... .
Heading up to somewhere around the 13th or 14th km, cruise control mode was suddenly jarred when Ultraman Pat said "Una ka na". I thought, this was bordering on absurdity. No way Pat could fade, I mean, this is a guy that eats 100k for breakfast. I comforted myself in thinking this was a ploy with deeper profound meaning. In retrospect, I should have kept in mind that Pat was tapering for his Singapore marathon the following week. But at that point, with the heat of the sun beating down on me, this took me off my game plan. I had my work cut out for me then.

What's up Master Pat's sleeve?The Exag Hills
From that point on, I would only see Pat one more time. He would fartlek to me, then fade back. Still no idea why he was doing that at the time. But i was steeling myself for the long haul. We had built enough of a cushion that I was on pace for a 1:49 or 1:50 finish if I kept my act together. But then... . the hills happened. Wow. These people know their stuff. What were they thinking?

Cut scene to Extribe Route Formulation Meeting over drinks

Extribe Person #1 : Why not at the end, let's add one loop around Mckinley?
Drunk Extribe Person #2 : Weeeeeh. That's sooooo generic. Make it two! Bwahahahaah.
Sadistic and Drunk Extribe Person # 3 : Whatever! I ain't running anyway! I hate athletic people! Make it three! Bwahahahahaahah!
Chorus: Bwahahaahahahahahahaha!!!!

Scene at Extribe before finalizing race routeSo to make a long story short, they saved the hardest part of the race for last. We did practically three loops around that hilly area in Mckinley stretching to the British embassy and Enderun. Ugh. Under the beating heat of the sun,I surrendered three fat mid-6ish splits towards the end, and our hard-built lead was gone. Thankfully, it was still still substantial enough to snag me a 1:54:01 finish, good enough for a new 21k PR and 111th place amongst a very tough field of more than a 1,000 half-marathon runners. If we had hit out target 1:50 or below, that would have been good enough for somewhere around 70th place. As I said, tough crowd... because at QCIM my 1:57 was good for 47th place. More training! :)

Exhausted Gingerbread folk near the finish courtesy of the irrepresible BR blog
Overall, kudos to Extribe for a good, albeit sadistic job on this race.Seriously though, I had no complaints whatsoever, this was as good as it gets in terms of race organization. Better known for their multisport events, Extribe is slowly building strong brand equity in the running scene. All of their races that I have ran so far have been very good. I know there was a slight snafu with the 10k route, a mystery that has since been solved.
With all things said and done, I'm pretty sure good ol' Hitler is churning in his grave now for missing one heck of a race. :P

Thanksgiving is over.
Nothing more then a jiggle.
on the hips, here in Canada.
We [ahem, hint, hint] have it in October.
It’s over, and Christmas is on it’s way.
I’ve got ideas, I’ve got plans.
I’ve got greens, and I’ve got pine cones, and branches.
Now, doesn’t that sound like I”m going to burst into song and dance… I’ve got rhythm… I’ve got blues… [and cold toes which doesn’t rhyme with cones, but what can you expect].
I think that’s from some musical or other… it’s too cold to think what it might be right now.

But I was looking at the calendar, and lo, yonder in my brain, there is a bright light, there aren’t that many days before Christmas.
My brain was whirling, like it is wont to do at times… and horary, it’s not even 3 am, my goodness this is unusual.
So I was thinking I need a theme for Christmas, something that inspired me to actually take more photos, and enjoy doing it at the same time. A continuing feeling, a sense of atmosphere, a thought process through the month of December that carries me along, making blogging, and looking forward to writing posts enjoyable, no more of that “honey are you done, the show is coming on any second, where are you?” stuff for me.
This should last a few days, or until the light drops too much to take photos
Hey, I’m a realist, but I try not to be.
We were out yesterday at the farm, gathering greens, it was beautiful, bright, the sun was shining, the temperature was cold below zero. There was hoar frost on the grass, fresh bear prints on the bridge, and a mist from the melting water causing the sun to stream through the branches.
The dogs were running around with such a sense of giddiness that they had to take a dip in the frozen creek numerous times… nothing like a hot dog, and a cold dip after a sauna.

Count the toes, yes there are more then 5, that my dears is not human!
My fingers were cold, the buttons on my camera seemed to stick, and each time I looked in the viewfinder I was worried that the LCD screen would get too frosty and not thaw out later. Got to remember not to breath when I take a photo in cold weather.but it was fun.
Gathering is fun.
Gathering sounds like a great theme to me. After all isn’t a great part of Christmas the excitement leading up to the day? The gathering of family, friends, decorations, food, gifts?

So I bring you my new Christmas theme… Gathering.
Make of it what you may…
Think of it as the 12 days of Christmas, spread out over 3 posts a week, Muddy Boot Dreams style. Hope that you will tune in as soon as you finish your turkey dinner, because I’ve got greens, and I’ve got pine cones… Now I just need to mull this over for a day or so.

I know, I forget that not everyone hears those songs in their head, see you Friday.

I’ve written this post so many times in my head. Hoped, and dreamed of endless skies, and new horizons, envisioned it to be true, thought about what it would feel like when I could finally hit the publish button and say it once and for all… we are moving.
It was always in the unknown future, that date, the time, when I could announce that our Muddy Boot Dreams have come true. When would it happen, how would it feel?
Well it’s true, our new future does indeed involve endless skies, and new horizons.
Pinch me, I can’t believe it’s true. We have sold, and all of our ties with White Rock are in the process of being undone. We are moving at the end of November. That gives us a two week turnaround, a kind of tight, kind of scary feeling, for a while there we were homeless, with a cat, and it’s already snowing up there.
But things are starting to really fall into place.
A new adventure, our dream… One that was Eleven years in the making.
Our Muddy Boot Dreams are coming true, and we are moving up to the Okanagan… I… still… can’t… believe… it.
Pinch me, I‘m serious. Now please wish us luck, and a smooth move.
Because I need to start packing.

Ebb and flow: Idioms, and phrases A decline and increase

constant fluctuations.

You know when it seems

that everything sparks a

new blog post, and you

have papers littered all

over the place, notes to

yourself, thoughts, ideas.

Each one feeding into the

other, pushing that creativity

so far that you seem to hum.

You’re being woken up at 3:00 am writing blog posts in your mind, and it feels like it will never end.

It does.

Abruptly.

But only for a while, and then it’s back again. It’s blogging ebb and flow, creativity creates, and the more you write, the more you create. The more you blog, the better you blog.

[And… I found out that the steroids I am taking for the eczema on my face are giving me this hyper energy. I kind of forgot that part… and being sensitive to them, any fluctuation in the dosage makes me hyper, or crash… great choices.]

Blogging sometimes seems like we can’t get those words and pictures out fast enough, we have so much to say, and other times there is almost nothing. I was joking around with Brenda from Cosy Inspirations that I had all of my blog posts organized and written weeks ahead, as if. And then right after that, I ebbed, or was it flowed? Total block. She has some great tips on how to inspire yourself when you encounter writer’s block, check them out here.

How do you inspire yourself, what encourages you to write that great blog post, to create, to share? Do you worry when you can’t seem to come up with post topics?

How do you kick start a blog block? Do you use images to start the process, or are you a written word kind of blogger?

Ebbing, and flowing…

Editor's Note : This is well, um, about a month late. By the time you read this me and the Quest boys are already on our way to the Tour of Subic, our final multi-stage race of the season. But hey, just read it and hopefully enjoy it nonetheless, I probably spent more time writing this than I have been training. Due to recent changes in my work flexibility, expect a steady stream of backlog features on my recent races trickle in with the week. In chronological order. Cheers.

Quest 825 recently competed at the Pilipinas Cycling League's Immuvit Race Against Time Tour of Clark leg, held in, uh, Clark. It was a three-stage humdinger spread over two days and the team acquitted themselves decently given this wasn't our "base sport" if one would call it that. Here's an inside look at the pain, the agony and the glory behind this particular bike tour.

Prologue

Executive Cycling is one of those "hobbies" that I had gotten into as part of my multisport training. While triathletes in general are expected to go on long training rides to augment their preparations, not everyone has the cajones to join these multi-day, multi-stage races that would require one to ride and latch on, Tour de France-style, to a peloton ( or in the simplest way I could explain it, a big bunch of skinny guys riding their bikes at full speed separated by about hair's width from each other). Why even bother going on to this blatant invasion of personal space, where the slightest human error can cause everyone to crash like a deck of cards in a chain reaction ? We are all familiar with how drafting benefits cyclists through blocking the wind, that's why it is outlawed in most triathlons. But try hanging out with about forty other guys as a big pack, and your speed and efficiency jumps exponentially. It is a highly taxing discipline that requires both aerobic and anaerobic aptitude. Obviously, the inherent risk factor is part and parcel of the whole enterprise.

Alas, a strong bike split race target usually necessitates either superior genetics (dream on) or a solid cycling background ( you have a shot). Given that I am sure I wasn't blessed with the former , I have thus embarked on a journey of self-improvement on two wheels. This is my first full season competing on the executive cycling circuit, having debuted last year at Bike King's Tour of Matabungkay and participated in several other one-day races and tours from that point. Given that Quest actually started out as an executive cycling team, our participation in this race was a no-brainer.

On the day itself, after a late departure from Shell NLEX at around 5:30 am the determined gang scurried off to Clark for the tour's first stage, a 47.7 km Team Time Trial race.

Stage 1 - Team Time Trial. Bittersweet Symphony.

The Team Time Trial event or TTT is usually considered the glamor event of each tour leg. Given that cycling is more of a team-oriented sport vis-a-vis the rest of the multisport disciplines, the TTT is taken as a consensus of any given team's strength and caliber. Such is the importance of the event that rumor has it that some teams intentionally rest their members through earlier stages to preserve their legs for this relatively short event.

According to a passage I blatantly stole from Wikipedia, "the main principle behind a TTT is that a few riders can ride at the front of the formation slightly above their aerobic threshold while others draft behind these riders. The riders then rotate, allowing some riders to recover while drafting behind fresher teammates. A rider who is riding at the front is said to be taking a pull. Accelerations require harder efforts, and therefore it is desirable to have a smooth, steady pace. Different riders have different power outputs, lactate thresholds and aerodynamics. In order to equalize the efforts in order to not burn some riders off too early, the weaker riders take shorter pulls and stronger riders take longer pulls, all at the same speed to minimize the change in pace. A rider finishing a pull usually rotates to the very back of the formation, and the rider who was formerly behind this rider takes over. " Hmm, sounds complex. But the idea is, the team who could sustain the fastest pace without burning each others guts out is the winner.

Over here at the local scene, the TTT event is usually dominated by powerhouse club Fitness First. As for us, the team had steadily improved from last season. To give you some perspective, these things are usually an hour or less of lung-busting, intensely anaerobic, invective-filled fun. There's usually a minimum of five riders and a maximum of nine with the fifth rider to cross for the team coming in as the time to count. Thus, in theory the more people you have on a team the better the chance for your team members to conserve their energy. The thing with our team was, we had more than nine eligible riders, so we split into two teams. I was bundled with Team 2. On my side was team captain Deo, team manager and Ironman 70.3 World Championships finisher James, Army Col. Bong, veteran endurance athlete Ronald, TTT newbie Karlo and myself. All were capable time trialists in their own right, and ultimately this stage would all come down to teamwork and execution. But the paceline was beset with problems from the very beginning... .

A Shaky Start

Right off the bat, we were beset by unforeseen problems. With some teams a no-show for Stage 1, our release time was pushed forward by several minutes. This was exacerbated by the fact that we arrived late at the venue. To make a long story short, we barely made it to the release time and Ronald was caught up with something, forcing him to ride with Team 1 who had a later release. Thus we had one less comrade to stifle the wind and down to five riders, we were left with no room for error. We had been in a similar position at last season's Tour of Matabungkay, and the pressure- wracked, nausea-inducing experience was not exactly one to relish.

Completely out of sync for starters, we struggled to maintain the paceline. With no actual practice but having a general idea of what to do, the team eventually settled down with our speed hovering at about 35-36kph. So all's well and good. Problem was, Karlo was straining under the frenetic pace and it showed through his pained look specially through the inclines near the Fontana area. Now, we all knew that it didn't matter if the four of us kept up this pace - it was the fifth guy's time that would count. So we had to slow down. Frustratingly enough, we were passed by about three teams while going through this process. But this was a team effort, and no man could be left behind.

Man down... ...

At about the 40k mark our paceline was terribly falling behind our target already and was pretty much broken apart. With no breathing room to spare, each of us weren't taking way-too-long turns towing the line and it was starting to show with the suka pace that we were maintaining. Captain Deo and James had valiantly went back to provide the needed support for Karlo, but the effort had gassed them out. With but a few kilometers to spare, we were all running on fumes. The cycling gods finally decided to spare us a break and with about 500 meters to go the entire team managed to get intact in crossing the line with a 32.14kph ave, good for 23rd of 25 teams. Apparently, Team 1 was beset by their own troubles in finishing with a 35.29kph average for 18th place, seemingly below par for their capabilities. These results in no way did us justice at all, and essayed that even if our individual riders were quite capable on their own, there needed to be a strong degree of teamwork at play to maximize our results. Having less riders also exacerbated the situation. Drained and searching for answers, the Quest gang all set off for a quick lunch at SM Clark before stage 2 was due to commence in a few hours. Yep, you read it right. A few hours.

Wasted, rowdy, hungry bunch after TTT

Stage 2. Circuit Race. Lost in space.

The Tower Burger I had eaten from KFC had not gone down yet, but we had to go. Once again, this proclivity towards being late had us on a mad rush. The dour weather conditions were not helping at all, conjuring visions of crashes amid slick roads. Stage 2 was a 60km circuit race, which true its name counts several loops across the same course. In a stricter sense, some use the term criterium interchangeably to describe similar races, although those are usually shorter in nature and involves removal from the race once you get lapped by the leading pack. As a newbie cyclist last season, I haphazardly joined one of these crits which was stockpiled with old pros and looked more like a laughingstock more than anything else. The manongs watching were heckling me miron-style as I trudged along as the last cyclist to be removed from the course.. I'm guessing the aero helmet did nothing to help my case. Oops.

Di halatang newbie.

A year and a couple more thousand kilometers under my belt, I revisit the concept of the circuit race. At the very least, I hope to get the helmet part right. Anyway, going back to the race. Massaging my still sore thighs, the peloton set off amidst a moderate climb in Fontana that was the highlight of the course. The climb was fine, but having to do it several times over at full speed zaps out your legs one way or another. The first loop was designated as a friendship lap, presumably to serve as a weird form of warmup. Once that was over and done with, the cyclists went on a mad dash that would require every bit of anaerobic juice (at least for lackeys like me) on you to keep up. So I was able to latch on to the main pack, albeit the tail end of it. Predictably enough, my suspect conditioning gave way and I splintered with a group of about five riders, by my estimation about ten seconds behind the main packing. And here's where the fun started. Just as I was gaining some semblance of a rhythm, the guy towing us along took a wrong turn, bringing us all along with him. In the fifteen seconds it took us to get back on the course, the lead pack was out of sight. Great. I was slightly perturbed by what happened and I was left with one other guy. So while rushing to get back in it, at an intersection the marshal was signaling to turn right. Or at least I thought so. Turns out his hand gesture was connoting a "stop" to the other cars (geez how could we mix that up. But yeah we did) and I was off-course again. This was a longer distraction, about 30 seconds. By the time the entire thing was sorted out, I was all alone on the course, deflated and demoralized at such an unseemly turn of events.

I thought of abandoning the race altogether, but then again I'm not a big fan of DNF's. Sot suffice to say, it was like riding an ITT over the final couple of laps, a lonely, solitary route that most would not even bother completing. I even saw a crash along the route, which as I would learn later on involved national triathlete Kim Mangrobang, who was due to compete at the Elite Under-23 ITU Asian Championships in two weeks. She would later share that one of those hyperaggressive junior riders cut her, resulting in a crash on those slick roads. Sort of reminds me that in order to be successful in cycling, you just have to be plain fearless in taking risks. I guess it's still something I have to learn over time.

Loner...

I eventually crossed the line in what seemed like forever, much to the bewilderment of my teammates who figured I'm slow, but not THAT slow. Adding to my chagrin, when the results were released I was mistakenly placed in Excutive A, registering as the last rider to arrive in the division of the strongest executive riders. Oh the horror. Once everyone was accounted for, we all headed back to our hotel to freshen up and reflect on the day that was.

The Lighter Side

After a hearty buffet dinner prepared by the PCL people, the team retired to our comfortable villa at Fontana. We later indulged in the company of veteran elite triathlete Rayzon Galdonez and top executive cyclist Makoy Almanzor. You often see these guys in the heat of athletic competition, and it was refreshing to hear them dispensing race advice in equal doses with classic wisecracks. Here are some of my personal favorites :

Rayzon : Yung nakasabay ko sa run na elite na foreigner na babae nung Camsur, tinanong ako, "Are you Okay?" Ang sagot ko, "No, I'm not Okay. I'm Rayzon. Rayzon Galdonez pleased to meet you what's your name?"

Makoy : Panalo talaga ang Red Horse. Pag sa Red Horse, puro Tama, walang Mali!

With hearty laughter resonating from our living room, I quietly retired to my comfy bed, knowing that we would be in for the long haul for the Stage 3 road race the following morning, the longest leg in the tour.

Yum.

Stage 3. Road Race. A Valiant Effort.

An early breakfast at the nearby Mcdo served as preliminary fuel for the 118 km race that would pretty much replicate the TTT route, only it adds a relatively tough stretch on the outskirts of town to make for several 23k loops. We even ran into my Team Powerpuff Boys buddy and ultramarathon star Junrox Roque ( who's starting to become a force to be reckoned with as well in the short-course triathlon scene) hanging with his executive club Aboitiz Power, a team loaded with strong, veteran riders. For one, at least we all have knack for sausage Mcmuffins early in the morning. Having had our fill amidst the friendly banter, we make our way back to the hotel to get geared up.

We're Late Again

As you may have noticed throughout this feature, this is starting to become somewhat of a recurring theme. For some inexplicable reason, even with considerable lead time, we somehow end up rushing towards the starting grid, making it with less than five minutes to spare. As the peloton was finally released for the conventional "friendship" lap, my thoughts were drifting towards the specter of somehow churning in a creditable performance with my thighs already beaten down from the previous two stages. Word was going around pre-race that last year the peloton took it "easy" during the first few laps because of the relative toughness of the course. With this in mind, I was thinking perhaps I had an outside shot at keeping up this time around.

The friendship lap was relatively brisk, and it comforted me that I was pretty much within the same line as the main pack. So far so good, the whole gang was in sight and I was getting a good feeling about this. The rolling course was not easy though, and I pondered on how I could keep up with the frenzied peloton once they released us. The rain had gone away and the sun was slowly starting to beat upon us. Long ways to go for this.

As my luck would have it, the peloton was released just before the Fontana incline. Great. The funny thing with cycling is that the barometer for success and failure is measured in seconds , seemingly indiscernible nuances spelling the difference between victory and defeat. About a second or two before the peloton was released, my mind inexplicably wandered to some mundane subconscious trapping. And before I knew it, poof. Everyone had at least a five second lead (a lot) on me, and by the time I managed to get my bearings I was speeding along at 45 kph in a vain attempt to catch up. I passed by our team captain Deo and screamed "Habol tayo Kap!!" knowing very well that the slightest let up and we kiss this race goodbye. I raced uphill with cajones-shrinking gusto, and before I knew it I was converging with a fairly-sized group who dropped from the lead group. The pace was frenetic, right around 35-36kph during the early juncture and my lungs seemed to be bursting from the sudden rush. As we stretched out into the highway, a familiar uniform pulled up next to me, and I was overjoyed that Kap had mustered enough to make it into the safety of the chase pack. Save for the TTT, I have been working mostly as a loner for the entirety of the tour so this was certainly a welcome development.

Hanging On

The middle laps saw the chase pack dwindle from a high of as many as twenty to roughly about eight or nine guys. The tough course was unforgiving and the heat and humidity were starting to bear down on us. On the flats we'd hit it in the 45's, then would be focused on the low 30's in a bid to conserve. Slowly but surely, we were getting there and actually putting in a creditable performance by our modest standards. As we were lurching towards the halfway mark , we were quite surprised to see Col. Bong struggling alone against the crosswinds. A strong, consistent rider, we were not accustomed to seeing him get dropped by the peloton . He hung around with us until the feed zone, at which point we just lost track of him. We would later find out that he dropped out of the race after feeling the aftereffects of flu-like symptoms from the week prior. With our reserves slowly being depleted and the sun beating down heavily, it was an interesting proposition to just drop out as well and call it a day. But maybe we had enough to still hack it out... .

Going Down Swinging

As we approached the final lap, our original group had pretty much dropped like flies one by one, and with roughly 20k to go it was just me, Kap and two other dudes. We would take turns on the trangko in a bid to conserve energy, but from this point out it was pretty much all guts and glory. Me and Kap would alternately fade out from the group, then claw back with every ounce left knowing that getting dropped at this point could pretty much mean a knockout blow to one's aspirations of a good finish.

With about 10 kilometers to go entering the homestretch, I felt like I was bonking big time. The other dude fell behind and Kap was still going strong. I told myself, I fought so hard to be in this thing all morning, why give it up now? I figured, might as well go down swinging. As your body bottoms out its reserves and gradually starts to shut down, that's where one's mental fortitude is taxed to its utmost. So with as much effort as one could muster, my battered body was somehow able to throw down 37kph for about a 2 kilometer stretch to catch up with Kap, who I gather didn't even noticed that I was gone. Crossing the line together in 4:06 with the last of the Mohicans was as gratifying a finish I ever had in a cycling event. Checking my race data, the finish time was a bit misleading because of all the long stops we took at the feed zone, and the actual speed we maintained was practically 30kph over a distance that mirrors a Manila-Tagaytay roundtrip. None too shabby I guess for someone with marginal, intermittent training at best. Yipee.

Made it.

Epilogue

Overall, the team had a very creditable finish. Erick stuck with the Executive A main pack in all the road stages, which is highly indicative that he is racing at an extremely high level right now. Cycling main man Julius showed his worthiness to be promoted to the "A" level by nabbing 2nd runner-up podium honors in the 35-39 division of Executive B. The rest of the team all showed traces of significant improvement from the last time we raced here, so we all went home happy. A somewhat unfortunate accident during the last stage marred our good vibes though as Wilnar crashed in a freak accident with only a lap to go, bringing down three riders with him from within the peloton. He suffered a nasty gash on his forehead, but in typical manner he played it down even if he looked like one of them WWE wrestlers who open wounds on their forehead with their hidden razors.

That notwithstanding, it was a creditable effort with tons of room for improvement. As for me, it's back to the drawing board on how to get back into top form. Maybe I'll grab a Red Horse while I'm at it. Puro kasi tama diba, walang mali. :P

Main Entry: sin·glet
Pronunciation: \ˈsiŋ-glət\
Function: noun
Date: circa 1746

1 chiefly British : an athletic jersey; also : a collarless men's undergarment for the upper part of the body

Mr. Webster looks good in his old-school singlet

Chiefly British. Hmmm. Why was I not surprised? Only those dudes could take the sando and make it sound so sosy.So you're a singlet Ho. Yeah, admittedly. As I was writing my previous piece on newbie gaffes, I had mentioned there that the Adidas KOTR's singlet had taken my fancy. It's much akin to what you could buy at a store for like 700 or 800 bucks, and under that prevailing logic not only can you get the fancy singlet for a much cheaper price, you get a free fancy race as well.

As far as I know, you can get the singlets at their Running Expo this Saturday and Sunday at Megamall's Megatrade Hall, some ginormous event with fashion shows, running clinics and seminars. Not bad for 500 bucks eh? But dang, I can't wait that long! UGH. Must ... . get... hands... . on ... . KOTR singlet... ..

I still likey. NOW.
Anyway, my thought process was jarred from its otherwise halcyon state as the ghosts of singlets past suddenly came back to haunt me. Singlets come in all shapes and sizes. Some are training-run worthy, some go straight to the bottom shelf cabinet for posterity. Others are spectacular, while most just plain suck. I've even come across some that are "large" but couldn't fit my younger sister if I had one.

With that in mind, I'll try to run you through some of the singlets that I have come across in the past, and how they measure up.

Takbo.ph
Well, for me its still the coolest singlet ever, and I'm not just saying that because Boss Jinoe will fire me if I dont :P Our unofficial uniform during Sunday races, it's the "legacy" limited edition singlet that was given during the Condura Run Carbo-Loading Party several months back. I bet the singlet would do very well on the black market :P

The Airspeed Run
Anyone remember this? This came from the era where Coach Rio was dabbling in the utilitarian, "tipid meals shut up and dont whine you only paid 250 bucks for this" style of singlet. I mean seriously, ask anyone. These were virtually unwearable in real life. Fabric was substandard, and even after losing like 30 pounds I still could not squeeze myself into one. Sigh, the good ol' days.

Men's Health Miracle Run
Still remains to be one of my personal favorites. Was well made, had a cool design, and was an upgrade over the shirt that came with the first incarnation. Everyone was raving about it.. until they turned the singlet and saw a big "Frenzy" logo there. So much for wholesome family running fun. Oh, and yeah I'm still waiting for the official results.

Auto Review Run

Did you run this? Thought so too. But this is where my singlet hoeness came to the forefront. Saw the jpegs, thought it was awesome, left the office to register even if I had absolutely no intention of running it. Was somewhat disappointed with its substandard material and weird fit. Tito Caloy had fun running the race though.

Botak Ultramarathon 50k
Milestone run for me, and wonderful, personalized singlet that elicited quite a stir at the time. I still sleep with it under my pillow at night.

Globe Run For Home
I remember. Everyone was so excited about this race.Including me. First mainstream disposable chip-timed race. I was so excited that I risked running this on no training and still in recovery. Blew out my ITB as a result . Anyway, just as excitement was reaching fever pitch, the Coach Rio version 2.0 singlet was released. And tadah! Amidst tremendously high expectations, collective jaws dropped. Nuff said.

So with all these in mind, this finally brings us to...

Adidas King of the Road
Yahoo! Yay! Prayers answered! It's the greatest thing since sliced bread. Fit is wonderful too! It rocks so much that I may very well ghost register someone just to get a spare, in case something happens to it. Haha just kidding of course. Yeah. Haha.

But if you do see me on Saturday or Sunday at Megatrade Hall, let's just make it our dirty little Gingerbread secret okay? :P

If you have any "vintage"singlets you may want to see the light of day, send me images through the Gingerbread Mailbox on the home page and lets do something fun with it :)

I've always wanted to go back to Corregidor Island. The bastion of our final stand against the Japanese conquerors of yesteryear emanates a certain sense of tranquility, indelible relics of a forgotten war amidst an austere setting seemingly frozen in time.

So much... history happened here.

The last time I went there, they were still showing Pinoy Wrestling and Takeshi's Castle on Channel 13 and Jestoni Alarcon was all the rage with his Golden Buddha movie. Back then, the likes of Rita Avila and Christina Gonzales did "ST" films. Nowadays, we just call them "indie" films.

The most famous mustache this side of Rudy Fernandez

Okay so you get the point, I haven't been there in ages. That's why when Takbo.ph boss Jinoe gave me the opportunity to actually visit "The Rock" of Bataan, I jumped at it. Parameters were simple, yet I somehow understated the gravity of the event I was getting into. I thought it was your typical, run of the mill media meet and greet. Little did I know that it would actually entail... ... running.

The Cast

Only a couple of brave souls actually made it to the trip, either because they were afraid of Jap ghosts or they were still nursing a hangover from Friday night. I was advised that I needed to be at the Sun Cruises dock before 7 am. Once I got there, I only knew one person and that was Marga, better known as the head honcho/creative brains/fun person behind Run Radio. Hosts Jaymie/TBR and Jay/Prometheus Cometh were conspiciously absent, apparently they had to attend to other matters.

As I was introduced to the rest of the group, I slowly realized one thing - I was in the company of athletic, good looking, smoking hot... ... ... ... men. Which would have been awesome. If were a screaming teenybopper fangirl. Attempting to somehow find a niche in this group whose chiseled jawlines were much more akin to a reality show cast, I strived to use my running "expertise" to hold my own. That eventually led to conversations like this one :

GBM : Oh yeah, actually I nearly broke 50 minutes during my last 10k, am so happy! Imagine, I missed it by just 15 seconds! 15 seconds! Would you believe that?You could do it too with the right training.

Hunk #1 : Yeah of course of course. I felt the way when I hit my first sub...

GBM : Sub 60? Oh yeah that's easy if you want I can pace you! You can do it! I can help you!

Hunk#1 : My first sub-40 ... ...

GBM: (x_x) !!!!!!

Or like this... .

GBM : Yeah yeah I'm actually an ultramarathoner, I did 50 kilometers. You know how people do marathons? I do more than that. That's so long, took me forever to do it . One day, perhaps when you're not too busy shooting commercials, you can try it out as well. But I'm warning you, it aint that easy to... .

Hunk #2 : Oh yes of course. When I did 100k in Vietnam, I almost gave up at kilometer 70. But I persevered and finished it!

GBM: (@,@) !!!!!

Oh God I'm such a poser. I'm with real pros. Hot, movie-star quality pros. I'm so lame next to these guys . And while I would neither confirm nor deny if these actual conversations actually took place, I soon realized that these guys were awesome.

In all seriousness though, Pinoy Ultra Runner dudes Joms and Carlo along with lawyer/blogger Raymund were such nice fellows. We met race organizer/coach Edward Kho, who among others is known for taking triathlete Javy aka Tri'n Hard to new multisport heights. In related news, he immediately clarified that he had no relation to the doctor of scandalous fame. Deadringer though, ladies take my word for it.

Corregidor Gang

The Start

Having come in at nearly 10 am, the heat was sweltering. After taking some welcome photos and leaving our gear, we went about our business in simulating the race route. Edward had mapped out the route 2 weeks prior, and this run was to primarily remeasure the distance in miles with GPS. Imagine. An actual race route which would cut through some of the richest historical heritage this country has to offer. My interest was particularly piqued at the prospect of getting an early look at this.

And so it begins... .

Awe-inspiring views

Marga is all revved up and ready to goSo as we dashed out of the projected starting line, we were all brimming with excitement. Speed was picking up, literally gliding through these paths marked by the ghosts of wartimes past. This would be a cinch. As I was thinking this would be an easy day at the office, we hadn't reached more than a kilometer until suddenly there was a collective gasp amongst the group. And we stopped. O... . M... ..G.

Are you freaking kidding me?

The Hills

Bolstered by the sudden onrush of adrenalin from our giddy start, we were stopped dead in our tracks as a severe incline stared down at us. It rivaled the toughest uphill I have ever encountered, which was when I ran the Botak Baguio 21k race. This made me realize two things - First, the race would not be a walk in the park. And second, woe to those who would suddenly sprint at the start only to be pitted against the veritable Sisyphus stone of uphills. After you think you have cleared one... .. there's more... . and more... .. and more to come.

This... . is... hard.

So long boys!
The Essentials
As always, I'll pass on making you use your precious time reading a terse mile-by-mile account of the proceedings. These are the things you need to know - we were tracking and remeasuring the route using our 305's, and the route was more or less 30% trail. The proposed distance is 10 miles, more or less 16 kilometers to those unfamiliar with that other measurement unit thing. If you want to see the race route, check it out here. Don't count the extra 1k though, that's me huffing and puffing my way back to the hotel.

The race is all set to go on November 29 at Corregidor Island. Registration will be limited to only 750 participants, with special packages that may include rooms and ferry transfers already. The reg fee is tentatively set at P1000, and this would be inclusive of a singlet, roundtrip ferry, island entrance fee, and lunch buffet. That is not a bad deal at all, considering some races will charge upwards of P600 for a singlet, timing chip, and a big dent to your wallet. So don't procrastinate on this opportunity guys, you want a repeat of NB again?

So why would you join this race again, given that these uphills are absolutely crazy?

Because of the views... ...

The trails... ..

And it's incomparable history... ..

In my opinion, this is actually a race that provides a unique appeal to a wide spectrum of runners. For the elites, the insane course could provide a pretty decent 10-mile warmup in a unique setting. For the serious runner, it would give a tremendous uphill/trail workout that would surely augment their current training program. To the recreational runner, this provides a wonderful opportunity to break away from the usual BHS-Mckinley-UP-MOA race routine, even for just a weekend. It could be a chance to hang out with you running buddies in a tremendous setting, take some awesome photo ops, and get in a good run/walk mileage builder in the process.

They say that oftentimes the ghosts of the past are oftentimes just that - ghosts. Ghosts that are relegated to the realm of the forgotten, disjointed memories that live on in the form of dinnertime anecdotes and fireside camping fodder. Truly, the heroes of Corregidor are but vestiges of a past that lives on through these seemingly tall tales. But as the essence of their sacrifice was forged through very real blood, tears, and an indomitable will to survive, surely they deserve something more... . fitting.

Perhaps by revisting the site of their greatest victory in synergy with the sport we love, the ghosts of wartime past would once again live on - if not for us, but perhaps for our children and their children as well.

History easily forgets. But people don't. See you at Corregidor everyone.

I’ve been spending time on Pinterest lately, down loading recipes with anticipation of cooler weather and winter setting in. Might as well get started on the cold weather insulation early, well that’s my thought process. When was the last time you had tapioca? Did anyone tell you it was really frogs eggs, and did you ever eat it again? It’s certainly a common tale, being told tapioca is made from frogs eggs, it’s a love it or hate it kind of dessert. My Mom was a real tapioca kind of Mom, she must have made it at least once a week. We ate it swimming in maraschino cherry juice, the cherry in the middle making it look like a desert island. Yes, that was the gourmet version of the 70’s, along with jello salads, and tang and I haven’t had any for decades.

I must be feeling nostalgic because I decided to make some with giant tapioca balls the other night, they are anything but instant, needing to be soaked for at least a hour before you make the dish. I entertained myself by watching Bootsie chasing down a giant tapioca ball the length of the kitchen, moving like a black blur, tail in air, and cat bouncing along. He was so cute I thought he would like some more to chase, which was great until someone stepped on them with their bare feet which was rather painful. It’s all fun and tapioca until someone gets hurt.

I am still searching for the childhood favourite recipe for chocolate covered cornflakes, and shredded coconut drop no bake cookies. I remember them from my childhood, boiling the chocolate syrup, mixing in the cornflakes, and the coconut, and then burning our fingers when we snitched a taste.

They were so good, I would love to have that recipe… Anything from your childhood desert list that you are nostalgic for? Sweet memories……

Before we even start with this, I'll be blunt - I was never really an Adidas kinda guy. My last Adidas shoe was the Kobe shoe shaped like a foot during the late 90's. Got injured bad with it. Thought it looked cool though. Thus I was armed with this intrinsic, subliminal (albeit unrequited) disdain as I entered the Adidas AdiZero presser.

Up for the challenge?My curiosity was piqued when Quincy of Greenbulb PR emailed me the invite, a hotwired "challenge" built in to the event. The spin is that the Adizero series is the lightest in its class, so bring your running shoes, if it's heavier than 265 grams they'll give you a 20% discount. By default you would think that they'd give you a discount if it were lighter, but hey we're getting ahead of ourselves. Just think of it this way - if these shoes would allow Takbo.ph head honcho Jinoe to beat Haile Gebrselassie in a 10k, they're worth giving a second look right?

Eat my dust Haile!But before the whole thing started... .. GBM (at the entrance of Greenbelt 3 fronting the pond) : Manong , where is the Adidas store located?Manong Guard : Ay wala na ho dito yan, nasa Greenbelt 5 yan.GBM: Huh, my contact person specifically said Greenbelt 3.MG: Ay wala na nga ho yan, matagal na. Dati nanjan ngayon wala na.GBM: Are you sure?MG: Oo nga, kahit pagbaliktarin mo pa to, nilipat na nga.GBM: Okay hmph , okay I'll take your word for it.

Crabby GuyGBM (at the Greenbelt 5 entrance) : Boss, where is the Adidas store located here?Fancy SG : Oh no sir, we don't have that store here. It is actually in Greenbelt 3.GBM (woah) : Um, seriously? The guy in Greenbelt 3 said it was here!FSG : I do apologize for that sir. It happens with the goofs over there. They have... slightly different training from us. Do you want me to personally escort you to the Adidas store?GBM: Oh that won't be necessary , you guys sure do things .. differently here in Greenbelt 5!FSG: You betcha sir! Have a wonderful day, and don't hesitate to approach me should you have any other concerns.GBM: !!!!

Greenbelt 5 guards are... differentGBM(Back in Greenbelt 3) : The guard at Greenbelt 5 said it was here!SG: Wala nga dito! Kahit saan ka tumingin dito, wala dito!GBM: (walks about 40 feet from entrance, sees Adidas store to his left, goes back to guard)So what do you call that ginormous Adidas store about 40 feet from where you're standing?SG: Ah, eh, um, Ehhhhh. Bago siguro yan! Bago! Ngayon ko lang nakita yan! Wala yan dati!Senior Security Guard : Ser, first day lang ho niyan pagpasensiyahan ninyo na... .GBM: !!!!

Uh, er, hehe, um SORRY ser?The Launch Proper Once I finally extricated myself from that mess a wee bit perturbed, I made my way back to the store. Among the blogging luminary sightings (:P) Takbo.ph bossing Jinoe , Jaymie/TBR, idol Vener, and sir Rene/Jazzrunner were among the early birds. Bromance buddy Rico/Sheer Will, Sam The Running Ninja, Running Diva Roselle and Jay/Prometheus Cometh along with Marga/Alaskadora got there a little bit later. Nice store, impeccably decked out. Was warmly welcomed by PR guy/erstwhile textmate Quincy. Turns out he was about 5 batches lower than me in DLSU. Oh the trappings of old age.

Yes it's lighter!

Dreaming of how it would be to run in these shoes... .

Jinoe and Jaymie hanging out before the "weigh in"

Sam and Roselle catch up with the gangThe Products Youthful looking Adidas marketing boss Xavier was on hand to explain the nuances of the different products. Touted as the lightest in their class, these shoes were the same ones worn by Haile Gebrselassie when he broke his own world record at the Berlin Marathon, the first sub- 2:04 marathon time in history. There are three main models in the series - Aegis, Tempo, and Boston. What do these have to offer? Let's take a look.

"Back when I was in college, which was like last year , I always thought Adidas was the best"Adizero Aegis

The Official Word :A faster, sleeker lightweight trainer which is designed with ForMotion upper and a ground-adapting 3D Formtion unit for smoother, more natural touchdowns at high speeds. Airmesh provides maximum ventilation. A moulded respEVA sockliner for greater step-in comfort while an extended Torsion System bar gives heel and midfoot stability.What that means : These are shoes which would provide the speed of a typical racer while providing much needed stability for midfoot strikers. The advantage? It's reputed to be lighter than anything else on the market within its class hence you'll be faster. Follow the logic?Adizero Boston

The Official Word : This is a competition long-distance running shoe intended for serious runners. Once again, the air mesh upper gives maximum ventilation while the dual-layer Adlite/respoEVA sockliner give great step in comfort, an extended Torsion System bar gives heel and midfoot stability, and adiPrene in the forefoot and heel provide max cushioning.What that Means : Essentially, it's the model in the series built for longer distance runs as it provides more cushioning and stability. Planning to run a marathon at 2:57 pace just like Haile without developing plantar fasciitis in the process? While that's pretty much unrealistic, if you're a competitive runner who's looking for an edge then this is the shoe for you.AdiZero Tempo

The Official Word Without a doubt the lightest in its class, the Tempo provides all the benefits of the two others in the series, only difference is that the midsole is built around two plastic heel plates that slow side-to-side movement, giving the shoe additional rearfoot support. A firm section of foam in the shoe's forefoot provides a solid base for toe-off.What That Means : Quite simply, all the benefits of an ultralight racer for the faster paced, high- arch people or for the neutrals who need a tempo run/speedwork day shoe. Very light, and provides enough stability for good measure. The Weigh In As niceties were exchanged, we were ushered to the main area by the emcee's well-modulated (promise) voice. The official "weigh- in" challenge was to commence. Among others, Jaymie put up her Lunar Glides and Jinoe his Mizuno Ronins to the test. Both shoes were , as the well-modulated guy put it awkwardly, "DEFINITELY Lighter" than the 265 gram challenge weight. Okay. As that made for some unneccesary weirdness, nice guy Xavier qualified the whole thing by explaining that the Ronins and Lunar Glides were classified as flat racers, and that their claim was only limited to within its class.

It's definitely lighter!

Not again!He explained that the Adizero Rocket would be the equivalent of these shoes. Much like P.T. Barnum playing to the crowd, the Rocket was propositioned for a weigh-in. Lo and behold, it came in at a Liliputian 190 grams, sending shocked murmurs amongst those present. I doubt if those present have ever heard of a shoe that light. The running denizens were definitely impressed.GBM Takes on the Challenge I brought my own size 12 NB 848 light stabs just for fun. It looked so um, big compared to the Adizeroes. How much did it weigh against the 265 gram standard? 375 grams. Eeek! :) But Rico pointed out that his shoes were even heavier, so I guess the Adizeroes really blow away all competition in the "lightness" genre. So if you're part of that school of thought who equate lightness = speed = better times, you know where to go.Adidas has an ongoing promo from July 17 to September 22, with their Greenbelt and Trinoma flagship stores involved. Three packages to choose from -

Package A- Get 15% off when you buy a running top + bottom and receive a FREE adidas marathon diary.

Package B- Get 15% off a pair of running shoes (includes mi adidas) and receive a FREE adidas marathon diary.

Package C- Get 25% off when you buy a running top + bottom + shoes (includes mi adidas) and receive a FREE adidas marathon diary.

I'll see if I could give you guys a more comprehensive review of the AdiZero line in the upcoming days. Watch out for it!

Epilogue

GBM (on the way out) : Boss, may I know where the men's room is?

SG: Ah wala hong CR dito, sa Greenbelt 5 pa ho ung pinakamalapit.

GBM : Oh Lord not again... ... ..

That's All Folks!

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