Image this for a moment. You're travelling to a strange country. It's eerily similar to yours, except that they speak a different language. Some of your friends didn't like their journey, others encouraged you, and there were some who said they were happy there.
You've researched, and know what would be needed for the trip. Life's a adventure to be lived, isn't that right? Arriving there, it's hot, and dusty, and everyone else seems to know what they are doing except for you. Even the directions don't make sense. There's a lot of wandering around in circles, and you're feeling a bit lost. Just as you start to wonder if this is all been a mistake, you remembered a guide book someone had given you. Cracking it open, you skim the pages and begin to pick up a few phrases. Marveling that the street signs seem easier to read, and that things were beginning to make sense. That's how my journey to Word Press has been.
I've been on Blogger for almost 7 years. It's a great platform, and I encourage you to stay there if you're happy with it. This isn't a post about WP versus Blogger, that's a personal choice for each blogger to make. We need to stop telling each other what to do, go, stay, leave, look for something else. I've read that moving to Word Press is a learning curve. There's no doubt there.
I went in circles for much of the day, things looked familiar, and then they seemed to disappear, and pop up somewhere else. But I am figuring it out, bit by bit. And to be honest, I'm loving the process of learning something new to me. "It's not hard, it's just different." For this blogger different is good. I can hardly wait to show you what I am creating for The Light Laughed, it's still a little while off, but it's coming along nicely. Would you, do you, will you, consider moving? Never, maybe, hmmmm not sure, absolutely not? It's a journey, that's for sure.
With the pressure of his gingerbread duties increasing by the day, Gingerbreadman decided just to go away from it all to chill out, lest he implode and flatline like a pancake. The chosen destination was Pearl Farm, located in the durian-infested land of Davao. Will he survive the travails of Northern Mindanao? Will he battle it out with the Abu Sayyaf? With running taking a back seat for the first time in ages, our tale unfolds in the witching hour of a dreary Saturday in Ortigas
Chateau Gingerbread, 4:00 am
*Yawn*. (u_u) Oh lord this is so stupid . Why did they ever create this thing called check in? My flight is at 7:30. Why do I need to get there 2 hours before? Must... sleep... .. sweet sweet bed... I'd wake up this early for race but for a flight? UGH. OH GOD the DOG gave me a LICK on the PECKER. His name is Stroganoff but I should have named him Yuckzilla or Slobbomania. I better get outta here... . Ptooey.
All I ever wanted was to be loved... ...
Somewhere in Edsa, 5:30 am
Tito Caloy : So what airline are you taking?* GBM : Cebu Pacific. Didn't I just tell you that before we left? Tito Caloy : What a crab. GBM: Why shouldn't I, you still owe me 350 bucks from that Mizuno no-show of yours Tito Caloy : Ohhhh, that. Ah, eh, I'll give it to you later, um, all I have are thousand peso bills and I don't wanna break them. GBM: ... ... ..
Tito Caloy : ... ... ...
(awkward silence)
GBM : Ugh,I can break it, I have change... .
Tito Caloy : Aaaaaah... . Yeah of course. Anyway, have I told you of that time when I dated Doc Vicky... ...
GBM : Sigh. This internet celebrity thing is really getting to him... .
* courtesy of Google Translate
70's Casanova here
NAIA Terminal 3, 7 am. Counter Girl in the Coffee Shop where the Chicken Sandwich was horrible.
Hi. You don't need to know my name. It's not that you guys would care . Okay okay for the sake of discussion maybe you could call me something. Call me... Chastity. Anyway, I'm the girl that works the counter here at the fancy coffee place here in NAIA- 3. And everyday, I see people flying out into the great unknown, fulfilling their hopes and dreams. Exploring hitherto undiscovered lands, savoring life to the fullest. How I envy them. Except for this chump. Yeah, the one in the baduy yellow shirt and oversized weird watch. Was never a Kris fan. I thought Phillip Salvador was cute though. What a freeloader. He bought a paltry chicken sandwich and he's been sleeping here for nearly 2 hours. What a loser. I am so tempted to record his snoring and turn it into the next novelty hit for Lito Camo. Oh, the king is awake. Finally going to get some peace and quiet here. But hey, at least he's going somewhere. ... .He just talked to someone on the phone, I presume it's his chick. His voice turned really cheezy. Sigh. At least someone cares for him... .. Pearl Farm. So that's where he's going. I wonder where that is. Hay. One day, I'll get my chance. I'll get my shot ... . Someone will love me and show me the world too... ..
It was so much better when he was seated there...
Boarding Gate. 7:20 am. GBM
Boy, that was the most emo counter girl I've ever seen. Freaky. Too much of that Jake Cuenca/Kim Chiu telenovela. Anyway, we're boarding now. Ouch the dude from Cebu Pacific tripped on the Indian guy's laptop charger. Indian dude is steaming. Which is weird. Isn't it supposed to be the other way around. Boarding time. So many people in masks. A single sneeze sets off an exponential series of leering looks. I should have taken that vitamin C Gingerbread Gal was giving me. *sneeze*
The Swine Flu got em all... ... .
Cebu Pacific Flight 5J750, 8:00 am. Kajo. Stop checking me out. Duh. Anyway, my name is Katherine Josephine. My friends call me Kajo for short. And yeah, I just looove being a flight attendant. I mean, you meet so many cute guys. And pilots! Oh I'm sooooo happy they put me in the same crew as my buddies from flight attendant school! They called us the Queen Bees because we were all prettier than the rest. Any else who disagrees is just jealous. As for the work, ugh I hate how these people think I'm they're nanny or something. Why do I have to be nice to THEM? So many questions! Requests! Duh! Duh! They're going to give me worry lines. Look at this old man. Help you with your luggage? Help yourself ! I'm like half you size DUH you expect me to help you? Can't you see my dainty hands? What's with these people? We're here to look pretty! Not carry luggage! Ugh. Unlike this guy. Cool shirt. Did you know I modeled for the I am Ninoy Campaign? I appeared on screen for 2 seconds! That's 2 more seconds than you'll ever get on national TV. Anyway, he ain't half bad even . But he looks crabby. Or sleepy. Or maybe I'm not his type. Hmph. That CANT happen. I'm EVERYONE"s type. If that's the case, he's on my X list for this flight. HMPH . I'll show him.
I'm going to give him the evil eye I swear Cebu Pacific Flight 5J750, 9:00 am. GBMOkay, flight's going okay, unusually high amount of pressure on my ears though. Are we traveling at a higher altitude? Guy next to me is leaning on my shoulder. He snores too. How sweet. And what's up with these flight attendants? They are soooooooo sooooooo crabby. They're frowning and they look totally unapproachable. They're sorta pretty, I'll give them that. Sorta. But they strut around like they own the place, and project a vibe of "I'm prettier than all of you". All these girls are so surly, it's like they took all the b___hes of their training class and put them in one flight. I mean why would they get into this line of work anyway? They could give my 4th grade Math teacher, the one we nicknamed "Groucho Marx"., a run for her money. It's awkwardness 101 here. I'll just sleep this off, I'm pretty sure those frowns will turn into wrinkles by the time they're 30. *snore* (to be continued)
I don’t know why you read blogs, but I read them like books, I read them for inspiration, for enjoyment, and for the sheer pleasure of drifting away into another persons world. For the joy of friendship, those whom I have connected with and are no longer considered just a fellow blogger, but a friend. Some make me laugh, some make me cry, and others make me think, wish, dream, hope, and create. There is nothing like the thrill of a new [to me] blogger that seems to speak to my heart. Be it a decorating/crafter blogger, a photographic blogger, a travelling blogger, or a gardening blogger, when I find one that is inspiring me it’s almost like having a little crush. Reading their first few posts gives me a thrill almost like drinking the first glass of lemonade on a hot summers day. Or maybe it’s like meeting a new friend, one that you just know is destined to become an important part of your life. It’s simply sublime when I open each new post, and feel a connection, a deep interest in their blog. That’s what I mean by a blogger crush’s. Reading the archives, getting a feel for who they are, it’s all good. If you are curious whom I read, take a look at my sidebar, I am sure that you will find some new fav’s yourself. There are blogs from all walks of life, some are new, some are old friends, all are cherished. And…if you are a reg, and you don’t see your name on the sidebar, let me know. For some reason some of the blogs are not showing up.Big whoops on my part.Jane
It’s a common enough question, “so where are you from,” that it makes me wonder if we have imaginary signs above our heads that read “newly transplanted.” Shiny, and glowing in our faces, the wonder of living up here must be easily seen by all the long timers we run into during our travels. It’s one of the first questions we get while changing address’s at the bank, the post office, the insurance agent, and shopping at the grocery store. “Where are you from.” Seems very few people are actually from up here.
I have lost count of the people we know are from the coast, but can count on one hand the one’s I have met that originate here. So far I’ve met a grand total of 4, born and raised in this small part of the world. Seems the first thing to do is leave, and never look back. But the rest of us are slowly making our way up here, some arriving decades ago and now considering themselves Okanagener’s. Here to stay, never to think of living some where else. Pretty amazing for a small part of the country where the jobs are scarce.
Most of the welcomes are friendly, but there have been a few subtle ones that made us feel as if we have to prove ourselves first, and then the welcome mat will be thrown onto the floor. Change is inevitable, and the influx of new people that happened over 20 years ago still smarts for some old timers.
I guess we should expect that, after all we are new, but it doesn’t feel like we are new here since we have been visiting so much over the years. All in all, it’s a friendly welcoming community that says to transplants, hey we are glad you decided to come and live here. And so are we.
I know that spring is coming early, I can hear it. It is in the sounds of the seagulls as they travel the few blocks inland towards my home. They never come all winter, but I know that spring is almost here when they wake me early in the morning. I can hear it in the moss, as it shakes off the dew.
I can hear it in the song of the birds, as they rise with the dawn. I can hear it in the slowly greening buds, as they open towards the day. I hear the sounds of spring in the voices that carry, as more people walk the streets in daylight. And in the cold, dark, wet, soil that cracks with the green sprouts. Listen, and you will hear soon the song of spring. Yours may be muffled by a deep covering of snow, but soon you will hear the melting drips, from a warmer sun.
ancient Chinese art of balancing the energies of a space. My friend found the cutest little book in her travels and immediately thought of me Titled Fang Shui, and written by Catfucius it comes with a cute little cat bookmark and some great feline wisdom. I left it on my desk the other day and noticed that it was covered in cat hair when I went back.
Use the energy of the earth to ensure a successful hunt, flatten your body, become one with the dirt. Feel it’s power flowing through you.
Seems like someone furry is checking it out. He has already adopted some of the practices in order to maintain and create the best Ch’i for himself.
Loud noises are disruptive to feng shui. Avoid vacuum cleaners inside the home, and lawnmowers outside the home.
Restore the spirit, when necessary by eating the right thing.Whatever is in the food bowl at a given moment is not the right thing.Sit and stare at the bowl. Eventually someone else will offer you something else.Sniff at that, and walk away. Eat it later when they are not looking.
The cat strives for grace and elegance of movement at all times.Failing this, act as though any inelegant gesture was intentional. It looks like Boo is a master at Fang Shui…
to being recognized by customers, even though I seem to lack a facial recognition gene that everyone else has, and didn’t have a clue who they were, they knew me. Long conversations with me fishing for some clue as to how we were connected and from where. Then my ever patiently waiting husband would query me as we walked away as to their identity, and he was always tickled to hear that I hadn’t a clue, but still had talked to them for so long. Funny, sweetie very funny… Up here I thought we were incognito… after all who would know us other then a few family members, and occasional friend. Not so… seems more people know us then we think.
When the repairman for Frankie [our treadmill] arrived the first thing he told us is that he knows the former owner’s of our house, and has been here many times. He recently visited them in their new place… That just feels… weird.
My hairdresser’s a former school friend of a niece, our Chiropractor treats acquaintances whom we are no longer in touch with. The lady at the grocery store chatting us up about the best olives to buy, is a former garden center customer from the coast. And the woman who looked at me oddly in the Wallymart line up didn’t want me to move faster she recognized me from our youth, my Mom and Dad were friends with her parents.
We are very careful what we say, and whom we say it too, small towns love to gossip, say hello to a cashier in one store, and have the greeting passed back you in the hardware store down the road. Talk is cheap, travels quickly, watch what you say, and have no regrets. That’s my small town motto. And wear a wig if you want to rob a bank and not be recognized,… recently a local person was caught cycling down the road after robbing the bank, because many of the tellers recognized her as a regular.
It’s a different light up here, less grey, brighter, and there is always a feeling of wide open spaces. This is the land of mountains, spectacular sunsets, and long drives.
For someone that’s lived in a condo with buildings all around her for the last 17 years, this is quite the change. Down on the coast I couldn’t look out my windows and see the sun setting in the sky, it was blocked half way down by a building across the street, with two more to be built beside it. Even when I drove beyond the city, I couldn’t see for miles like I can do here.
But it takes a little getting used to, all these wide open spaces, and I hope that I never lose that sense of awe at how much space, and land is out there. Distances are greater, and it’s nothing to have to drive a hour to get to a big enough city that has a Michaels, or a Home Sense. Those were stores that I could drop by and visit whenever I liked, now it requires a planned day of travel. One that I have only made once since we have been here. Beside a little mental lament about the “big” city not having a Chapters Indigo, I think that I have adapted well.
With sunsets like these, who needs a Chapters anyways?
Hey everyone, how's it going? Been gone for awhile after that indomitable foe who goes by the name of "work" knocked me out for a couple of weeks. In an effort to curb the holiday malaise known as You-gained-ten-pounds-over-the-holidays-you-fat-pig , I subjected myself to 70 km workweeks, including the fun Baldie 32k which served as my year-ender.
As for meeting the new decade with a bang, my first race of the new season was the immensely enjoyable Cebu City Marathon, which was held in er,um, Cebu! Some have said that the wonderfully organized race is the new standard for road races, and I am hard-pressed to say otherwise. But if you're planning to travel more than 500k just to race, then you're missing the entire point. As good as the race is, it's the entire experience that would make it worth your while.
So without further ado, here are the top 5 things I enjoyed the most about my Cebu City Marathon weekend :P
Cebu = Fun :)
5. Foodie Mania Galore
I mean, this place seems to be built on food! Seriously! Everywhere I seem to look, there's a trail of food stalking me, imploring me to partake of their sumptuous goodness. For the first time ever the night before a race, I saw myself hitting the buffet lines! Oh my. The excess baggage must have chopped off a minute off my time the following day (x_x)
As I said on my Facebook stat line, I lost 1900 calories during the race... . but gained 10,000 over the weekend !
The buffet line is tempting... ..
Lechon to GBM : Life is too short. Sin a little. Oink.
Go ahead and succumb to the temptation... ...
Because as fighting it will only drive you crazy... .
What the heck, might as well right? :P 4. Meeting the celebrities Being a tourist here, it was fun to see how vibrant the local running scene was. It was even more fun to meet some of the personalities who fan the flame over there, specially those who I've met through the general blogosphere. For one, it was a real treat to meet Haide Acuna, the comely lawyer/broadcaster/marathoner behind the popular Marathon Foodie blog.
GBM Smile plus? :PIn related news,while hanging around at the finish line waiting for Takbo.ph head honcho Jinoe to complete his maiden marathon... ..
I'm your #1 fan!There was a lady who created quite a stir by crossing the finish line in a Wonder Woman suit while holding a Sto.Nino statuette... .
Take that Zorro! And faster than one could say "Marian Rivera", I was informed that the lady's name was Twinkle Ignacio, a local personality who continues to rivet weekend race crowds with outlandish costumes that she makes herself. None too shabby in throwing down a 6:06 full marathon as well! She promptly sobbed at the finish line while receiving a bouquet of flowers. Now that's something you don't see everyday.
I think I'm in love... .. We also got to meet 72-year old "Mang" Reming Ylaya, a true-blue Cebu running legend who routinely beats runners who are as old as his grandchildren. Got to chat with him a bit, real nice guy. Was no surprise that he topped his age group during the race, if my memory serves me right he ran a 25 minute 5k. Woaaah!
Wala ka sa Lolo ko... . Of course, hanging with our Manila-based celebrities outside of their natural habitat was a fun treat as well... ..
Takbo.ph founder Jinoe and the indefatigable BR chilling at the CLP.
Your Boy Piolow is goin down! :P Coach Rio ran a smokin' 1:17 21k for 7th place:)
3. The Skywalk Adventure I go to Cebu about twice a year on business, and silly me I never knew that this thing actually existed. To the uninitiated, was is it all about? Located at the 38th floor of the Crown Regency Hotel, there are essentially several activites that are made available to you.
The first is the aptly-named Edge Coaster, touted as the only one of its kind in the world. How does it go? You're on a "ride" that resembles a detached roller coaster coach. The "edge" comes from the fact that you are well, literally on the edge of the side of the building. The coaster then goes around the building, and you can tilt the thing up to 55 degrees. Woaaaah. Can't picture it out? Here!
Aaaaaaah!
Gulp... ..Not satisifed with merely strapped to a ride? You can actually walk the side of the building! Strapped to industrial grade harnesses, fun guides bring you around for a variety of poses and stunts, like standing on one leg, sitting on the edge and looking down, etc. Awesome awesome.
In completely unrelated news, we just discovered speed freak/good buddy Wilnar (who churned in a yummy 3:39 marathon the following day) had a sliiiight aversion to heights. Smirk.
Not looking down not looking down Mommeeeeee
More or less 6 inches for a 40-storey plunge here (x_x) We got the most awesome deal of all time. For P1,000 we got these two rides, a 4D movie like what they have in Enchanted Kingdom and a buffet dinner! You absolutely have to try it :)
2. The Girls! You how they say that there are so many pretty girls in Cebu? Well they weren't kidding! It seems like every corner you look there's a "distraction" somewhere. Lots of times, you feel like you're in the SMB "Binibini" commercial. And the hot-blooded takbo.ph boys sure didn't let it pass... .
So while Jet was trying to score some points with the ladies with his smooth bass playing ... ..
Carlo and Joseph could barely make up their minds ... .
So who's the lucky Cebuana?
Hmmm... .
Possible... ..
Look good together... . But alas in the end, the heart simply took over. So Joseph finally made his choice, and as friends we all support him 100% :)
Something's telling me it might be you... ..
1. The Race! Without a shadow of a doubt, from top to bottom this is one of the most organized running events I've ever been a part of. The race packet distribution was quick, hassle-free and pretty straightforward. While not as big as the ones were accustomed to here, the corresponding expo had enough to keep the runners hanging around a bit.
Nice setup...
Fun booths, you could appear on the cover of Men's or Women's Health!
Very courteous and accomodating race organizers...
Everything was on the button.
They had a fun CLP going on at the swanky Ayala Terraces where for P150, you could choose a buffet from several higher tier restos. There was a band, some speakers, and they actually showed "Spirit of the Marathon" on the widescreen after. Value for money indeed!
All the runners were chillin'
Swanky stage where "Spirit of the Marathon" was showing on the wide screen
As for the race itself, oh my. If some races throw everything but the kitchen sink at you, this one came right back and got the bath tub. I was running the 21k here, my last competitive half-mary before Condura. The prognosis : Mostly flat with a sprinkling of deathly heat. Nevertheless , we were all uber optimistic with how the race would turn out.
I'll cut to the chase and wont give you a blow-by-blow, but this I have to say - it's one of my finest racing experiences ever, and you have got to try it next year.
Fireworks punctuated the starting guns of the 42k and 21k routes. Dancing people in Filipiniana attire. Marching bands aplenty. Screaming schoolgirls with banners saying "Run your own race" and stuff like that. An entire lane all to ourselves. No screaming, cussing motorists. Water and 100plus at times seemed to pop up every 1km. Bananas, wet sponges. A wonderful route that passed through what looked like a hybrid between Manila Bay and Kalayaan flyover. Spot-on accurate route with marshals teeming everywhere. Amazing how an entire city could come together for something like this. It could actually be done!
Fireworks are always fun... .
My race got interesting when I took a nasty tumble at the 10.5 k turnaround point. In tah-gah-log, natalisod. Gumulong. Ouch. I sprained my ankle (the mild basketball kind but nevertheless bothersome) bruised my knee, and my hydrobelt bottles were rolling all over the place. How embarassing. I was relieved I didn't know anyone there... . until I saw fun speed dude Mark Parco of Mark's Vo2 just behind me. Wah.
Tripping = FAIL.
Running on fumes, I somehow limped my way to a 1:50:43 PR on my 305. Decent time given the circumstances, but missed my sub-1:50 target.Doesn't matter. Had so much fun with this. Went back to the hotel after, showered, then went back and cheered on the rest of the gang. Among others, Takbo.ph boss Jinoe finished his first marathon, and Tina and Tiffin took 10th place in the 42k and 5k categories respectively. Wohoo!
Post-race barbeque courtesy of PR dude Vic. Yum. With all of these things put into consideration, it only means one thing... .
You missed one heck of an experience. So don't let it pass next year! Daghang Salamat Cebu :)
Our friends at Sunrise Events, Inc. headed by it’s President and Chairman and also Alaska Milk CEO Fred Uytengsu – the same people who have brought to us the Cobra Energy Drink Ironman 70.3 race in the Philippines for two years in a row has again brought to Philippine shores another world-renowned sporting brand. Xterra, said to be the “de facto world championship of off-road triathlons”. Cool stuff.
Xterra Philippines has just recently held it's initial offroad race, a biathlon called Putik Pare last month at Nuvali, Sta Rosa, Laguna. This January 30, 2011, Xterra Philippines is set to hold it's trail running race dubbed as Pang Rave Run, with venue at the Tagayay Highlands.
Don't you notice their penchant for fun kalog ( does anyone still bother to use that nowadays?) names for their races? First Putik Pare, now this. Must be a fun place to work at.
Anyway, here's the presser. To trail fans out there, this seems to be a can't miss.
Did you enjoy XTERRA’s Putik Pare biathlon (I didn't know there was such a thing lol )held in Nuvali? Are you in search of a different and thrilling run this time? Do you want to experience an extraordinary physical rush? If your answer is yes, then we bet you’ll enjoy even more XTERRA’s unique and rare Trail Run entitled “Pang Rave Run!” this coming January 30, 2011 at Tagaytay Midlands. Join the most enjoyable, root slipping, mud hopping, tree ducking and hill climbing race in the country today! Take the challenge of running on a mountainous terrain while enjoying the breathtaking view of Taal Volcano and feeling the cool breeze in Tagaytay. Exciting cash prizes awaits the winners for the Male and Female Categories! Register now, book your hotel and slip on those running shoes for the most action-packed trail race adventure! Travelling to Tagaytay Midlands was also made easy for you! Check out the shuttle service schedule below and reserve a seat now! Be raved! Be thrilled! Be fired-up! XTERRA’s “Pang Rave Run!” is definitely the kind of run that you’ve been searching for! RACE DETAILS:1. REGISTRATION PERIOD: - December 1, 2010 to January 23, 2011 (both online and in-store registration) 2. REGISTRATION VENUES:ONLINE: http://www.xterraphil.com (MAJOR CREDIT CARDS ACCEPTED) IN-STORE: - RUNNR - Bonifacio High Street - SABAK SPORTS Unit 401 Auto Precinct, Westgate Center Filinvest, Alabang, Muntinlupa Cit - SECOND WIND uNIT 03A Ortigas Home Depot Julia Vargas Ave., Pasig City 3. REGISTRATION FEE: 10K - PHP 1,000 Inclusions: - Race Bib - Finisher's Shirt made with Technical Material - Buffet Breakfast - Loot Bag - Xterra Race Belt 21K - PHP 1,500 Inclusions: - Race Bib - Finisher's Shirt made with Technical Material - Buffet Breakfast - Loot Bag - Xterra Race Belt - Xterra Visor
Free stuff
I want one. 4. SHUTTLE SERVICE - A round trip bus service is available to participants for a minimal fee of PHP 250. Details of shuttle schedules: A. Pickup from Bonifacio Global City going to Tagaytay: 1st batch – 3:00 AM 2nd batch – 3:30 AM B. Leave Tagaytay back to Bonifacio Global City: 1st batch – 11:00 AM 2nd batch – 2:00 PM 5. ASSEMBLY and GUN START TIMES ASSEMBLY GUN START 21K - 5:00 AM 5:30 AM 10K - 6:00 AM 6:30 AM 6. OTHER NOTES: *21K Race Participants are advised to bring head lamp *for further inquiries, please contact: secretariat@xterraphil.com
Ever since I have rendered service to you that fateful afternoon sometime 2008, we have been inseparable. Remember? You even brought me to the office and were bragging to your friends about your "fancy GPS satellite watch". I chuckle at the time that you got really mad at that slobbering excuse of a dog you have ( I'm referring to the fat one. the noisy small one with a name resembling a movie star wasn't there yet)
It's been a heck of a ride these past couple of years. I used to be kilig when we were still new, you were so sweet back then. You would bring me everywhere, wearing me at every single possible occasion. I gleamed with pride when you would defend me over my better pedigreed sister, that bratty, unreliable 405.
I appreciate everything you have given to me, and I'd like to think that I was able to make you feel that I was always there for you when you needed me the most. We were chums. I thought would last forever. I have had the distinct pleasure of seeing you as a tubby 205 lb slow dude, up to that time when you were obsessed with doing a Sub-Piolow and we would go at it in training for hours on end. Those were good times. Damn good times. And now you're into this multisport thing. I'm so proud! Sigh. I admit I'm jealous at times of that arrogant Strada on your bike, she thinks she's all that. I was hoping you would get that quick release for Christmas so I could experience it, at least once in my lifetime.
Perhaps the best part about it was being able to travel the entire country and even the world with you. I haven't quite soaked in the enormity of our career- the slopes of Sagada, the chilly hills of Baguio, stops in Dumaguete, Cebu, Bacolod, Cagayan, Davao, Boracay, Corregidor, Iloilo, I lose count. You even brought me all the way to Malaysia and Hong Kong, aweeesoooome!
And who could forget BDM 102? You knew I could only last for 8 or 9 hours. But knowing how important that was for you, I dug down deep and stretched it until 13 hours. That made me so happy, knowing how proud you were of me. I also saw you hold hands with some pretty but cranky girl, how you could manage to flirt with someone after 12 hours of running is beyond me.
Sob.As much as I wouldn't want to admit it, sadly age has really caught up with me. I'm sorry to have been really unreliable as of late, but it's something beyond my control. It's been causing me a lot of mental and mechanical anguish. I really, REALLY apologize for what happened during your big Malaysia race. I knew you were already stressed out with that stupid bike, and I failed you :( Believe me, having my buttons just wear out and my strap fall out moments before your race is simply mortifying for me :( I felt so bad that you had to hold me in your tired hands during both run legs. I felt like dying inside. :(
I'm broken :( Thus, as much as it breaks my heart, I firmly believe that now is the time to say goodbye. Yes old friend, relegate me to the junk bin. My time has come, the glory has faded already. I will be eternally grateful about the time that you tried selling me on Takbo.ph when you needed cash but deleted the ad within hours. You decided to stick with me to the very end. =,)
You can move on, no doubt. That athletic 310xt kid seems more suited to your needs now. As for me, I would be honored to take my place wherever you see it fit. I'd like to think I have served you well, even to the very end. Parting is such sweet sorrow, but indeed, nothing lasts forever.
Goodbye old friend, thanks for the memories. I'll just be here if you need me.
I rarely write about these things, just because I try to avoid them as much as possible. But with the Philippine International Marathon already commencing tomorrow, I guess I had no choice but to troop over and get my singlet over at Kapamily a land in faraway Mother Ignacia, Quezon City.
I've been hearing some initial horror stories already, how the singlets were not delivered to ROX as promised, how much of a hassle the people from the South would have to go through just to go to ABS, et. al. I heard that Sam had engaged the organizers in some animated banter (okay, maybe more than animated) over the distribution of race kits for the Takbo.ph/Team Logan 42k relay team.
Apparently, it was causing a logisitical nightmare for everyone. End line solution was, to those who couldn't get it today a BIG tent would be set up very early tomorrow morning before the race. For the 42k people, that means um, 3 am. And we all know how pre-race distribution works out right?Right?
All of that notwithstanding, I was advised to go back Saturday morning for my race kit. So I got there at about 10:30, and this is the scene that met me :
So early, and yet there was a line already. Hot and humid , tempers were flaring already. Some conversations overheard from random people :
"Bad trip to, sabi sa ROX wala naman, Taga Laguna pa kaya kami akala ninyo madali!"
"Anong generic bib pinagsasabi ninyo? Ibig sabihin isusulat lang number namin???"
"Kaya nga ako tumatakbo para pangpatanggal ng stress, mas nasestress ako dito!"
"Nagcommute ako galing Paranaque, di daw mahanap ung sa akin. Pano na yan???"
!@#$$ Mga singlet namin!!So amidst the gripes and the tension, a very courteous staffer took my claim stub and took it upon himself to look for my singlet. Problem was, everything was off the floor. Which makes it... . harder.
If it's off the floor, it must be good!
Observing the staffers though (not sure if they're from RACE or ABS) , most of them were doing an admirable job amidst the flaring tempers. As a live case study on grace under pressure, most of them kept their nerve and still observed general, proactive courtesy even if people were screaming at their faces.
More random conversations with the people I was in line with :
Random Person : Sana andiyan ang race kit ko, tumakas lang ako sa misis ko sabi ko magpapacarwash lang. GBM: Ahh. San ho ba kayo umuuwi?RP: Sa Alabang... GBM: !!!! Twenty minutes later, the guy finally handed me my singlet and race kit. I heard the singlets for the longer distances were nice. So imagine my complete and utter shock when I saw the 10k singlet, a result of what I think was a logistical rush to just get it over and done with. Done by Tin's Collection, I hereby put forth for your perusal my nominee for Most Unappetizing Singlet Of The Year :
Escaping from my wife was worth... . the singlet with no print in front.
At least there's a cute patch on the back... .
Hottest tailor of the season... . Not that I would mind, I never wear it to the race anyway. But woe to the people who traveled from Laguna, or Paranaque, excited to get their singlets and receiving this piece of fabric that quite frankly only its tailor could love.
So after 45 minutes, my PIM/Kapamilya visit was over. Sub 50, not that bad. Now let's see how tomorrow unravels. Good luck everyone, and I hope you're all not too stressed to enjoy the race.
Quote of the Day :
"Ginawa mo naman akong SM saleslady eh!" - Stern, boss-looking organizer to someone fussing over singlet size
You have got to be kidding me. No way. Inhuman effort at Nike Human? Goodbye sub-50 dreams. A steep incline seemed to be sardonically staring me down just as I was gathering momentum. I figured, yeah I'll ride it out and hang on, I have enough in the tank and enough of a pace bank. Little did I know, that was easier said than done.
But hey, what the heck am I talking about? For the sake of literary jurisprudence, a short backgrounder.
Strictly speaking, the Nike + Human Race 10k was originally conceptualized in 2008 as a relative point of convergence for runners from nearly 30 key cities from all over the world. The routes would pass through some pretty awesome sights, for instance in Istanbul you run across the bridge that connects Europe to Asia. Utilizing Nike + technology, a case could be made for the "the world is flat" paradigm as thousands of runners all over the world could log on to the Nike website and upload their times , essentially engaging in a virtual competition in a race that knows no borders.
Bridge between Asia and Europe is... Cool. To spice things up, there are different Nike Ambassadors assigned per country. The Philippines had five, all with teams under them that add up to the virtual tally board on race day. In terms of representation, runner blogger par excellance Bards Bathan of Bananarunning took up the cudgels for the general blogosphere.
Who was your ambassador?Even if Manila was not chosen as a key city for this year's event, the race actually took on a greater cause in the wake of recent calamities that have struck the country. For every kilometer ran by a Nike + Sportband user who took up the Nike Ambassador challenge, P10 would be donated on their behalf. In addition to that , finishers would have P100 of their registration fee donated to Gawad Kalinga efforts for Typhoon Ondoy victims.
So now that you know all about it, what exactly happened on race day?
Remy Field. Subic Bay Freeport. 4:00 pm. So I'm here at the impressive track oval of Remy Field, just a few minutes away from our hotel at Forest View. Some of the Takbo.ph gang have already gathered around, some of them running their maiden 10k's like Lorie and Bea/Notsquare .
As people were milling around aimlessly, there was a certain palpable degree of uncertainty over the whole thing. Why? If you are used to the whole "event-style" weekend runs as of late, roughly 30 minutes before gun time it seemed as though there was nothing going on. No fancy American accent DJ host blurting out ads and wittycisms, no hot Fitness First gal to do stretching, no Pia Cayetano giving words of inspiration, no Luke Mijares to sing "Love of my Life" (oops got ahead of myself there).
Sorry Luke, you're up for the next column I was somehow expecting a shtick of some sort, just because it was Nike. Nah. Not a few runners approached me and asked "Sir, tuloy ba?" . I really didn't know what to tell them. But hey, I could care less. I came here for the thrills, not the frills. Although frills never hurt anyone :)
Remy Field. Subic Bay Freeport. 4:25 pm. Out of nowhere, an emcee abruptly announced that the race would be starting in 5 minutes. I looked around, and by my estimate about 200-250 runners were there. Slated to run the 21k event the following day, my mind was fixated on a quick, flat run. A run wherein if I get lucky, I could nab that elusive sub-50 without expending too much energy. The utopian in me got a bit carried away I guess. Quick countdown, quick prayer, and let's see how this thing unravels.
Kilometer 1-2 . Resisting Temptation.
Positioned near the starting line, the lead pack of runners took off in a blinding burst of speed. I estimated though that there were about 30 runners running like there was no tomorrow, can't have that many elites around right? So I resisted the temptation of going at it guns blazing... and my calculations turned out to be correct. One by one their pace dropped, and by the time we got to Km 2, I had passed about 10 of the early birds already. Was cruising at 4:35 - 4:39 km/min, felt pretty strong at this point. I was thinking, if I can build enough of a big lead during the first half, I could hang on for a nice touch to my weekend. Turns out, the fates weren't agreeable with me today.
Hard to resist the temptation to go all out when people are passing you.
Kilometer 2-5 Better Luck Next Time.
Just when I was getting comfy, the incline that came into view took the wind out of my sails. An extremely steep, curving incline that instantly reminded me of those that I had faced in Baguio (I walked) and Corregidor ( easy run, I got really tired) . With no hill training over the past two weeks, I churned in a big fat 6:12 split over the stretch. My pace plummeted all the way down to 5:30 . I was getting more and more zapped by the minute. With my positive split strategy, no way I could make up that big of a differential in a diminished state. That was it. Game over. Better luck next time. Uwian na. But then again... .
Missing the sub-50 worse than getting "basted"? Kilometer 5-8 What Goes Up, Goes Down : The Final Stand I stopped for a moment at the 5k water station to get my bearings back. I traveled all the way here, spent a couple of bucks on a hotel, for what? For this pedestrian effort? C'mon quit whining and get it going. I made a resolute effort to give this my shot. If I'm going down, I'm going down on my shield. At the risk of blowing out my quads, I blazed through the downhill portion with splits of 4:08, 4:12, and 4:18. Gave it all I got . And yet again, this only managed to get the pace down to 5:02. Gulp.
Make it worth your time and don't go down without a fight Kilometer 8-10 . Accepting reality. Having brought down my pace to some semblance of respectability, I was fast fading. I was hoping that after my final assault, I would be at borderline below 5 minutes. Not happening. So the key is to be realistic, just accept that it isn't your day, and go on to fight another battle. But I still had 2 kms to reconcile. I had a bike escort with me, which was cool. The bike escort couldn't do anything about the truck fumes that were right in my face as we negotiated the route though.
As I was reentering the Remy Field oval attempting to chase down a powerful runner (I affectionately dubbed him Energizer Bunny ) who was about 20-30 seconds ahead of me, I suddenly realized that I cleared 10k much earlier! The distance turned out to be in excess of 450 meters, or nearly half a kilometer. Finished strong with a split time of 52:01. The reality was, I missed my goal. But given that monstrous incline, satisfied nonetheless
The reality is, I gave it my best. But my best wasn't good enough.
The Aftermath What a race! I enjoyed it, even in a masochistic sort of way. The buzzword amongst the finishers was "!@#$ na hills yan". Even Jaymie/TBR agreed that it was one of the toughest, if not the toughest 10k of the year. Somehow got ensnared in an interview for QTV along with Ambassador Bards afterwards, gak :)
What freebies did I get? An uber cool, exclusive Nike Human duffel bag (okay so it's the same thing they gave away at QCIM but it's still cool), one Pocari Sweat and one water. I heard beforehand there was supposed to be some sort of finisher's Nike bracelet or band, didn't really see anyone with it.
What could be improved for next time
Nothing to lose sleep over, but still noteworthy to mention for future considerations. Distance was in excess of 420-450 meters, matched this with mine and 3 other people with a Garmin. There were no water stations after the turnaround point, woe to the newbie runner or those making a jump to 10k. Also, the people kept on sticking around for the results, the emcee kept on stalling until after the SIM winners arrived to keep the people there. It was announced more than 3 hours after the finish, and by that time I had to leave to support the rest of the team at km34. Went back after the whole thing was over, and had to badger the ACSAT people for the results. Took 15th place out of 270 overall , my first time to crack the top 15 of any race, so hooray. :)
To conclude, the route itself provided a lot of thrills for those who ran. It was definitely not your typical weekend 10k. And knowing that P100 of my money would go to a GK project for Ondoy victims makes my screaming quads a whole lot happier. No-frills , lots of thrills, even more uphills. In spite and despite, was proud to have been part of this.
(starts writing letter to Nike making Manila a key city in 2010) :P
Yesterday just before the dawn, I went down to the beach again, I am being drawn towards it lately. The astounding quietness, soft darkness, and the glowing light in the east, that gradually increases into bright reflections.
And while the beautiful light is compelling me to get up and travel down to a frosty wake up call, it is the birds that really make me want to visit.
There is something amazing about the shifting light, and the bird's response to it. When the sun finally reaches over the mountains, and crosses the beach to the water, the birds react. Like a orchestra warming up before the concert they seem to be suddenly more active, their honks and whistles louder. Masses of them take off, wings whirring as they circle the wharf, only to land 100 yards away honking in some sort of satisfied way, that this spot is better.
And when the sun finally touches the edge of the water, their twitters, caws, and warbles send out the message that the concert has begun for the day.
The last two weeks have quickly passed by Priceless snippets of life resulting in more than a runner's high Gingerbread rendered stale because of the heavy load Allow me to compensate with this very simple ode
Time flies by so fast... It all started with a distance left untouched Oftentimes before it did not matter much As healthy curiosity led to the act of giving one's all A 5k PR was set at Octoberun Festival
Another year beckons to summertimes lost In the book of life another page tossed Birthdays are as constant as rising gas prices But it's still nice to savor all of life's little surprises
The quest for higher learning entails choosing the road less traveled Sleepless nights and lost weekends rendering you zombie-mode frazzled So close to quitting, to just breaking down and bending Entrusting it to a higher power will get you that happy ending.
Altruistic acts reign supreme in this time and place What with calamities invading our lives and private space Giving back to your community without an eyelash of hesitation I was happy to have peeled bananas at the Milo Aid Station.
C'est la vie is what the elders always say We laugh, we cry, we live to fight another day To survive life's intricate trappings surely takes all of one's cunning I'm just happy to share with you my life outside of running.
I seem to have a lot of junk in my trunk. Not my rear… ah, body parts, my car trunk. The items go everywhere with me. I had the best of intentions when I put them in there. Drop them off at the thrift shop as soon as I had a chance. Unfortunately the thrift shops don't accept any donations when they are closed, and their hours don't always coincide with mine. So after packing up the bags of donations, I put them in our spare room. Then when I finally get tired of tripping over them, I move them to the trunk of my car. And there they sit, the latest bag has been travelling with me for more than a year. We decided to take them to a drop off box near our house, and after putting all of the bags in the trunk, and driving to our destination, we realized the drop off box had been removed. And the thrift shops were closed. I was all for just leaving the bags in my car, but Gar insisted on finding another drop off."You just like driving them around," he exclaimed. My reply,"they like going places with me." I know the gas mileage goes down with any extra weight in the back of your car, and I know that someone could have used the items sooner. But I just never see a drop box, and I was not going to make a special trip to find one. After asking around and searching for ages, we went out of our way and finally found another set of drop boxes, and the adventures of the travelling bags are over.
The days are sunny and mostly warm the nights are cold. It’s not hard to imagine that winter is coming to visit when you get up in the morning and see the heavy dew sparkling like frosty diamonds on the falling leaves. Where do dragonflies go in winter?What happens to them, do they magically reappear in the spring? Do you ever wonder how something that was here before the dinosaurs, still flies on this earth.
We know that the birds fly south, some stay here for the winter, shivering, and cold. But where do the insects go? Do they travel to the pond, through the golden field behind our house, past the muskrat that slides down the wet banking into the water, do they hover over the black angus cows? Do they hesitate? Looking for just one more day of sunshine, or do they go early in order not to be caught in the frost.
I used to wonder if they hid among the bull rushes, caught on a flicker of sunlight, longing for warmer days? Or did they too fly away to a warmer spot. Did they bury themselves in the mud of the pond banking?
I’ve often wondered where the dragonflies went, and what their fate would be. Now I know that they don’t make it through the winter, this is their last summer… I liked it better when I didn’t know.
But there is good news, the nymphs will live in the pond for a year or two, little wigglers that emerge in spring as dragonflies… and the circle of nature is extended a ring or two wider.
So sad as it is that the dragonflies don’t go somewhere for winter, we must take our joy from the knowledge that in the spring their babies will be the ones that alight on our hands, and flutter through the breeze. Flickering in the waning sunlight…
It never ceases to amaze me how we bloggers have this magical ability to pull something out of nothing. Such as: Creating a blog post out of a inspired sentence, or experience that comes from… A conversation
That you might be having with someone. [Check out the great photo that Stephanie used a cool app on, with gorgeous results.] A experience And this all happens just in time, when you realized. That yes, you should have been thinking about writing this post waaaay before the last minute. But you were Puttering in the garden, taking down the beans, drying the sunflowers for the birds. Enjoying the flower’s last blooming hurrah before the first frost. And maybe. You should have been blogging Instead of walking in the glorious sunshine down country roads with your beloved. Taking time to refresh your creativity. Wondering if the sheep will be out in the field. And are there to be more cows in the red barn before the winter? Discussing whether or not the caterpillar’s wide stripe means a hard winter. Does a squished by a vehicle caterpillar mean that the stripe is wider, and thus a harder winter?
Maybe a post evolves from a experience Of dashing out of the house alone, in the early morning to take photos of fog patches that linger on the river. Catching the only moment of sun breaking through the clouds, bathing the mountain in light for the entire day. Score! Despite feeling uncomfortable being out there alone on the river walk path. Wondering if it was a good idea. One eye on your truck with your wallet locked inside, and one hand firmly hanging onto your “much to expensive to replace” camera. Hoping the that little town that you have travelled to next to yours was really safer at this time of morning than you thought it might be. Wishing that you had brought your husband along instead of going off on a whim. And being thankful that there was another person, who also was female striding towards you. After all the unseen threats couldn’t take you both on, could they?
Making new friends With her, while walking beside the gorgeous river and discussing it’s reputation for nature, and safety. Only to realize just how vulnerable you felt once again when you had to turn back, retrace your steps, now alone passing that man staring into the magnificent river vista. Despite his dog being beyond friendly, you still felt uncomfortable. He was so silent, and stern. The area has less then a stellar reputation that early in the morning.
But the views, the clouds, the mountains, the wild geese, and the ducks trying out their landing gear on the river. The absolute beauty of being able to see as far as your eyes could strain. The clouds, the sky, the glow from the hidden sun. Took only your breath away. And for that you were thankful.
Many thanks to all of you who take the time to read my blog posts, and to those who also leave a comment, even more thanks! I truly appreciate your time spent doing so. A tip, a tip! I’m just wondering if anyone else has encountered the jiggling, vibrating sidebars that seem to be happening to a few Blogger blogs… and thought I would share a solution that I found online. If you use Chrome as your browser, you might have this problem also. It may be the Google follower’s widget causing the problem, apparently it can be fixed by moving your follower’s button down lower on your sidebar. As a reader a quick fix to stop the vibrations would be to zoom in or out to a different setting… say 110% or even 90%. That seemed to work for me if I am reading a blog with a vibrating sidebar. And one more bit… If you have a Blogger blog could you please check that the list of blogs shown in your profile has your most current blog at the top? We are all so pressed for time, if you are a new commenter we might not know which blog is the one to read and comment on. Also for those who use a Google+ profile for your Blogger blog, please consider putting the link to your blog in a extremely visual place, maybe even more then once… less clicks for us = more views, and comments for you.
First of all, Happy Sunday. Secondly, I have to admit it is not a good idea to change colors and photos on my blog when I have a order deadline to meet. Not a good idea at all. Thirdly, there are a few issues on this blog, one being the colors, when I see my blog, the colors are nicely coordinated. Whe n I view it on another computer, well, let's say pea soup and Ritz crackers is the closest color combo I can describe it as. So please be tolerant, I am sure things will settle down after it has all had a chance to simmer into a great tasting soup.
Until then, enjoy some photos from the archives, and let's hope that they don't clash to badly with the background. Have a wonderful Sunday.
The boots will be coming back, they are my nephew's and live in Armstrong. I do have another pair of my old boots, not quite as nice, and they are travelling in the trunk of my car. As soon as I get a chance, I will do a mini photo shoot of them, and change the header.
Our little back porch is a darling space slightly crowded out by the BBQ, which is a big hulking cherished mound of stainless steel. [He says how could it possibly be out in the weather?] It needed a bit of outdoor decor in my mind, he thinks the BBQ is perfectly enough.
Garden tours 5 cents, see the
butterflies, and the birds.
There is more room beyond the porch, if you travel out onto the new patio that we created out of what we had, and a little ingenuity. It does us well for now, the steps are slight, and easy to negotiate. But what I wanted most was a sign to hang on the post that holds up the corner of the house…
It needed to have character, ours is a Cape Cod house, so a slightly traditional look is good. And I love the look of the graphite, and cream colored ASCP gives it a crisp edge.
Easily customized, I copied the letters out on the printer, and transferred them with pencil shading to the back of the paper.
Remember to shade the back of the paper first, and not waste time by tracing it all out without putting the pencil shading on the back. Did that one over and over…
Afterwards I distressed it with the sander because I wanted a faded worn look.
This is one of my favourite places to sit outdoor, we eat our dinner there many nights when it is balmy, it’s like a private cafe with a lovely view of the garden, the Boo, and my turquoise trickling fountain. Delighting in the garden…
