Barracuda Running

Hello World! It's A Reboot...

2011-01-19T22:42:00.002+08:00

Hallo World!

It's been more than a year since my last post, time to pick it up again.

First off, I'll spare you the long read. Most of my post from here on will be unrelated to running. If you're fellow runner who tagged me in your blogroll, feel free to untag me, no worries, you wouldn't hurt my feelings (well, maybe a just a little :-)).

This post will be my soft adieu to running blog. Will be back one day of course, but in the meantime, moving on to newer stuff.

Now that said, I'll still be posting a few running-related stuff here and there, but I haven't run in half a year, so there isn't much material for me to draw on.

From here on, I'll mostly be blogging random mundane stuff that will probably bore you to tears. Life, girls, cult TV shows Spartacus/Dexter, obscure arcane books by NN Taleb or RA Heinlein, Kim Chiu/Katrina Halili, OSX stuff, anything I find interesting really. Be warned, lots of crazy stuff on my head.

And then of course there is my new-found life philosophy I've recently picked up, which I hope to practice, gradually over time, slow and easy, "10,000-hour rule" and all that Malcolm Gladwell stuff.

And that boys and girls, is what this newly resuscitated blog is going to be all about.

And so, first part out of the way. Here's my second slightly-related post (I meant to post this separately and early on but got lazy so I'll just cross-post a shorter version here).

Here's my belated New Year's Resolution for 2011!

Primary Directive for 2011: Practice of Stoicism Philosophy

Seriously, this is something I'd really give a shot this year. I picked this up from reading one of NN Taleb's book. Although his writings are generally out my league (I have to read his books twice to understand half his points) I'm glad I managed to pick this up.

For the uninitiated, Stoicism is not an off-shoot of Catholicism, it's not some new religious movement. Hardly. Think of it as Zen Buddhism-lite. Surprisingly, I got hooked after researching it and reading some materials despite being predisposed to a (benign) hedonistic lifestyle.
Write. A Lot.

This is one of the soft-skill I'd like to develop this year, which partly explain why this blog is departing from it's running roots. If I had to limit my writing to running, I wouldn't be able to write anything.

Also, rather than writing a long narrative that reads like an essay from a grade school student, I'd like my writing to develop into a more concise, fast-paced and definitely more syntactically and grammatically correct writing. Hopefully, if I write often enough I'll develop more competency. Or at least get those pesky pronouns/past/present/future tenses right.
Develop some non-trivial Web Applications.

I've been playing with Google App Engine and Python last year, time to take that up again.
Develop some nice, warm and fuzzy romantic relationship. Actually, friends with benefits should be fine since I'm not really cut out for a mature/responsible long term relationship but you gotta do what you gotta do.

Happy Holidays Everyone!

Takbo.ph Support Group for the Botak 100K Ultra-Marathon

2009-07-01T12:43:00.018+08:00

Prologue: This was way overdue but the month of July was just unbelievably busy. Haven't run in a month, haven't blog in ages, haven't gone out in... don't know when, it's all been work and work and women all month long (hehe, work is for real, women in my dreams :-)) Anyways, I had all these pics stolen-uploaded-tagged already, shame to waste it. So just dusted it a bit, added some nice, unboring, witty comment and voilà!, my blog post for the month! (I still have to check out - or steal) some pics from the Milo Marathon event, will try to do that tomorrow.

So... what's the best way to give back to the running community for all those loves and gravy's I've been getting. Yep, you guess it folks, join a support group! So hook-up with folks from Takbo.ph and then went to UP last Sunday and do a supporting role for Botak ultra marathon runners. Since I wasn't running, I'll just post some of the pics taken at the event.

Hanging out with Takbo.ph gang of runners!

With Vener, the lovely Marga and the alpha runner for 50k Ultra-Marathon run (Bro, I didn't catch your name, but see ya on the races).

"... wish ko lang, sana kasama din ako sa mga ultra-runners... pero di bale, bawi na lang ako sa palakpak at moral support!"

Hmm... I wonder what are we waiting for?

The elite 100K ultra-marathoners (seriously, that's hundred kilometers) .

All eyes on fearless dear leader of Takbo.ph gang of runners! Mr. Jinoe!

Congrats bro! Mr. Main Man Luis with proud Dad and his faithful Tito Caloy. And this is a guy who haven't run his first marathon yet but already doing Ultra-Marathon.

At one of the pit-stop (Marikina River) for 100k. Now don't be shy boys, smile for the camera!

Contemplating life and why the pasture is always greener on the other side.

YEAH! dude. Hmm... Bro, you don't happen to be the long-lost brother of coach Rio, do you? My blood just run cold when I think some evil midwife with nefarious plan separated you two at birth. I swear to you, it would be my sworn duty in life to reunite the two of you and check who got the best 'do!

With the Man! The Baldrunner fresh from the States just a few days ago.

So where do you find all those wannabe ultra-marathoner? Why, in takbo.ph booth of course.

Marga honey, don't kill me OK? but love those handle babe :-)

Kudos to the organizer and sponsor for holding this event, you guys are truly deserving of all the good karma's heap upon you for getting this show/event on the road. Hope to see you guys again next year! And hopefully as one of the ultra-runner. Now for some constructive criticism (and I do hope you take it such). For an overwhelming feat of achievement, the finish line moment/s was seriously underwhelming. A little panache, a little more of drama perhaps, or just make it more lively/memorable, would go a long way. But overall, it was good event. A lot of the runners in community truly appreciate the work you guys did, you guys rock!

Checkout my Marathon shoes!

2009-06-16T09:32:00.000+08:00

Boys and girls, check out my new running shoes for my mythical marathon run in October! Yeah baby, fame and glory awaits!

Now of course, if I had been steadfast and persevere in my training I would have been running in Milo marathon by now. But as is the case, life happens, and that boys and girls, is how we roll.

Btw, here's putting in a good word for the folks at Runnr shop at Bonifacio High St (BHS). I was there last Sunday when I saw their video-gait analysis treadmill and thought I'd rock up to the place and ask if they can do one for me. They did, and very thoroughly at that. So now I know I'm running close to how the Etheopians does it. Naks naman!

After that I made some cursory comments on one of the 'light' shoes I've been considering and wasn't really expecting a response beyond a light-hearted "This sir is stability shoes, we highly recommend it". So imagine my surprise when I suddenly found myself in discussion on the technical merits of this particular shoes and why he strongly recommend that I consider the two other shoes with similar features and attributes _based_ from his own experience of trying them on. Whoa... that gentle boys and gentle men is kind of advice you're looking for when buying shoes. Color me impress to find folks at the store who know their stuff.

Now, I'm dense... Normally I don't feel the slightest compunction or guilt going into some swanky shop, wasting time or needling staff, or just trying everything on display and then leaving the store without getting anything. As long as I can afford it, of course, and make it a vague point to come back when I do need it (confidence, kiddos, has to be rooted in something, otherwise you're just being obnoxious customer :-)). But this one of one of few time I felt bad not getting anything from a shop, simply because I had great time talking to their staff and their pre-sales service. But I did tell them upfront though, and this guy Jessie I was talking to, was still paragon of an exemplary customer service.

So folks, next time you need a running shoes, check out their shop. You almost always want someone more experience and technical advising you on those not-so-cheap technical shoes without the baggage of being employed to promote one brand selection.

I didn't get the shoes at their store because they had 10% off at the NB shop at the Shang mall. I'm cheap, pero over five hundred box din yun, abah, laki din yun. But on my next shoes, I will.

Update 2009-06-22: Caught a nasty cold (nope, not that one) so had to skip training for a few days and had to take some medicine for quicker recovery. bummer.

Mizuno 15K Race - Third Time is the Charm

2009-06-08T04:37:00.019+08:00

Third time's the charm for Mizuno. After their last 2 disastrous race, things are finally looking for their race events!

But first off, a few nitpicks:

The race singlet was crappy piece of shirt, a far cry from the stylish and high-quality singlet they gave in previous races. I always associate cool singlets with Mizuno race. I'd even go as far as to say that that huge turnout could be accounted in part by expectation of another cool Mizuno singlets. Oh well, sponsors must be feeling the downturn and had to cut cost somewhere.

Also for the life of me, what's with the distributing singlets at the end of the race? It's not like it's something to die for. You would have thought that it was more logical to hand it out before the race (when you get your bib number). I'm sure they have their wonderful reason for doing it but next time though, it does make more sense to hand out singlets before the race, really, no joke. Some people like wearing the official singlet on race day, you know.

I love running in big races, but honestly, weaving through a huge crowd when got your game on and in the zone kinda spoil the mind-state for me. They had to merge 15k runners on their way back with the other shorter distance runners a few blocks from the Buendia interchange. Result? Well, a lot of the fast walkers in the race kinda constraint the 15k runners who by that time is already enjoying their endorphin shot and running on adrenalin.

Now that said, this is a very good and a well-organized race. Considering how the first two race ended up disastrously for the organizers (whether it was from the lack of water station or chaotic finish line) this race was a joy to run. Kudos to Mr Rudy Bischoco and his team!

I'm sure the guy have his share of horror stories and better-off forgotten races, but it must have been a long time since. All the races I've run that he's handle was nothing but! Even Mr Rudy's quirky habit of starting the race a few minutes early was kinda quaint :-) So sponsors and organizers, if you're having a string of bad luck in your races and you feel that the stars and feng shui are against you or perhaps you just don't want to leave anything to chance on race day, play it safe so to speak, call in the big guns.

Awkward quote of the day:

On my way back at the Buendia flyover, I pass these two pretty young lass chatting in their super-saucy, extra-loud and heavily-accented, collegiala Taglish (good lord! give me strength not pull these girls aside, and give them a well-deserved spanking for wilfully mangling two perfectly good languages). Girls, as cute as you are, drop the tone/accent/speak you acquired from your exclusive and sainted alma mater, I'm sure you wear it as badge of honor but it's pakking irritating.

Anyways, one of the girls suddenly blurted out, "Asan yung bib mo? Are you a bandit?". Heh, you could've heard a pin drop, fortunately for the other girl, she got her wits about, "Oh, they run out of registration for me at the store, I'm just joining you guys for my long run". You go, girl!

And stay classy, bandits!

By my watch, I clocked in 1:27:16 for the 15K run, that's 5.53/km pace for me. Officially though, I got 1:31:59 time. That's 4 mins gap but that's alright, since I came in late and all the runners have taken off when I got to the starting line. (a bit slow but w/o warming up I had to do 8.0/km pace first 3 kms).

After race pics:

While waiting for breakfast...

Yeah! As oily and as fatty as you can please!

Microsoft IE8 Run (8 Miles)

2009-06-04T11:20:00.009+08:00

Wuhoo! Who's your daddee?!? Yeah baby, got my game on!

I couldn't believe how fast I run this race, 8 miles in 1:13:54 time, that's like 5.32/km pace, beyond my usual 6.10 pace for my long runs and still wasn't feeling any knee pains. I even place at the top 113 finisher! Wuhoo, agasim that!
(that's an Ilocano word, in case you care).

Let's see... this is your usual weekend race, except for light drizzle the whole time, there isn't really much to tell. Uhmm, let see... nothing still beat a girl in black short shorts on top of flawlessly white long legs for that eu naturalle look. Hands down, best running form all female runner should strive for. Nothing against those who wear compression pants, baggy shorts or whatnot, but some things are inherently more pleasing to the eyes.

Hmm, what else... oh yeah, kudos to the organizers for well-organized race! And special mention goes to all the police and race marshalls who directed traffic (or rather, who bravely stop traffic at the intersections) while runners pass by. You're my heroes! Not easy to act coolly while drivers impatiently honk their horns at you. Next time though, just walk to nearest offending driver, tap on his window and just ask kindly and super nicely that he stop pressing his horns. Actually, better to just to walk to the driver, tap his window, move back a few paces, pull out your gun and yell... RACE MARSHALLS!! YOU TALKIN TO ME!

Hehe, joking :-)

That's it for my race recap folks. Just one thing though, I really got to workout some system where I get to pee a few minutes before the race, as it is, I was still queuing at the portalet when the staring gun went off. Nope, don't want to cut-off or lessen my water intake before the race, since that means stopping at one of the water stations to re-hydrate.

Pics stolen from meekrunner's blog :-)

Catching up with Ms Anna and lakay Jun after the race.

Market!Market Power Miler Run (10 Miles)

2009-05-17T14:50:00.018+08:00

After my disastrous 21k run at the Condura last March, haven't done much races, haven't had the heart for it really. But we all have to make our comeback sometimes, and so this is my getting back into the running scene!

Actually, wouldn't really missed this race for senti reason, this was my first race where I really got into running races, so this is sort of my anniversary run :-) And so I registered and made sure I got enough sleep going a few days before. So on race day, I felt strong, well-rested and rarin' to go.

Started slow at 8.0/km pace for the first two kilometer. This has been my strategy last few races, mostly because I almost always come late to the race and haven't have enough time to do warm-up/stretching so I compensate by starting slow and easy. Hay buhay, how things have change for me, it was just last year that I wouldn't be caught dead at rear-end of the race, but nowadays I mostly find myself bringing up the rear with one or two guys and it's all good.

Now, I don't mind bringing up the rear first few kilometers but I also don't want to finish dead last :-) So at 3Km, I gradually build up speed until I caught with the main body. At 10km, I had a breakthrough in my running. Normally, my knees would start to give in at 10th kilometer, I'd get this uncomfortably throbbing ache in my patellar tendon, not painfully so but enough to force me to a walk. But by Jove! I was still running strong at 10th kilometer. Wuhoo! Who's your daddy!?!?

And where do I attribute this newly-found, enhance running performance? Well, last 2 months, I've been slowly incorporating leg exercise in my gym routine. I hit the gym 2-3x a week but before I'd mostly do upper-body workout and skip any lower-body workout, reason being (which I thought sensible at the time) was that my running already serve as lower-body exercise. Hah! sometimes I pakking couldn't believe how I can be so nonsensical about my running. Yeah, well... experience being your best teacher and knowledge being your most powerful tool, I change my routine. So nowadays, I'd alternate between squat/leg extension/leg press before I hit the bench. I swear kumapal ang femoro-patellar tendon ko!

Anyways, for 10 Mile (16K) I clocked a respectable 1:32:43, so that's 5.47/km pace. And those are hilly terrain too, and no walking baby! Wuhoo! Who is your daddy!?!?

===

Runners are social animals and hell is keeping up with other people's pace, except of course when you run with the loveliest people. At km 11, I found myself running with Vener while doing the supportive-and-loving-hubby duty (ie. waterboy, cameraboy, moral-support all rolled into one) and his lovely better-half and marathon-in-training, Ms. Christy. One of the rare times I caught-up with Vener :-)

Overall, great race. Kudos to sponsors and organizers for a well-organized, well-provisioned (water) race. But best yet, I felt strong and pump during and after the race with nary a knee pain... at all.

Wuhoo! It's Bulls on Parade for the Running Barracuda!

Pics at the race:

Sis and Jessa

Sis and Apollo

Running with the divine Ms Christy.

Uh-uh, check out the third guy from behind. I think his life is flashing right before his eyes :-( See you in heaven sir!

Takbo.ph Carbo Loading Party and stuff

2009-03-21T11:20:00.017+08:00

One of the most anticipated and well-attended party of the year, the Takbo.ph Carboloading Party! Lots of freebies, plenty of food (help yourself to second serving if you're so inclined), great crowd and familiar faces. Here's putting in a good word for all takbo.ph crew. Jinoe and the rest of the team did a great job organizing this affair, well-done guys! Couldn't ask for more :-)

Well... except for one thing really...

What I was really hoping for in this event was seeing the takbo.ph's gorgeous website models doing an inspirational song-and-dance number, to something like a "Eye of the Tiger" that'll get us pump for the 21K race. That my friends would have been pakking awesome! (Actually, "Total Eclipsed of the Heart" would have more awesomer, but that's just me. And in case you're wondering whatever happen to that banner pic, the admin has since replace it).

Anyways, what we got was pretty boy Mark Nelson gracing the event (but san his dynamic duo, hmmm... you think something going on with those two?) Oh well, can't have them 'em all y'know. Hey Jinoe, next time... maybe...?

On the bright side, my running idol, the man himself, the Baldrunner! was there to give a speech. Boys and girls, when I'm older and wiser 50 years from now, I'd also want to look this cool in a casual body-hugging, hip long-sleeve shirt and jeans. People, this ain't the the grandpa of your Mom and Dad's generation.

Of course, this is same man who stole my date a few weeks ago (yes people, he just happen to ask the same girl out, easy as you please, while I sweat blood to fit in to her schedule). Not that I'm complaining really, since I got the most caring and ever so thoughtful "... let's do it another time gene..." evar!

*sigh*

Yes, my gentle, caring anonymous dear readers, in the perfect world of boy-meets-girl-and-date-happily-ever-after, some poor boy got his heart broken and carved into pieces and dating has never been the same.

Have fun and see you all in the race!

Pics from the party (taken from meekrunner's blog, mucho gracias!)

Finally, meeting the lovely Ms Anna and her better-half plus another fellow runner. Lakay, nu maminsan manin! kita-kits at the race.

Some of the loveliest running wives! Now Craig, if you don't mind, you're in the pic.

With the other runner-bloggers.

Pic of Day!

2009-03-19T18:37:00.006+08:00

Saw this shop in Pasig near my place. Hmmm, apparently they specialized in seat make-over, I thought it was the funniest hehe. Grammar nazis beware!

So if you have one of those love seats tucked in your bedroom that has seen some serious action and want to jazz it up a bit, you know what to do. And it look likes you could get a could deal too, better check if that leather comes with a whip.

Disney and Ocean Park Trip

2009-03-12T14:01:00.026+08:00

So I've got all these witty and insightful blog draft up but never got around to finishing. Yeah, haven't been blogging for a while. Nope I wasn't that super busy, just lazy. Procrastinating, boys and girls, is the bane of a productive man. Luckily, something fun came up last weekend, so consider this my slowly getting-back-to-blogging-world post!

It was my nephew Paolo's 7th birthday. For his birthday present, Mom and Dad brought him and his kid brother to HK to see Disney and Ocean Park. Since I've always wanted to hang-out with all those wickedly cool and ravishing evil step-moms in Disney stories, I tagged along for the ride :-)

Ocean Park was nice but not sure what exactly is the kind of experience will you get out of the visiting the place. The rides are too 'tame', the sea aquarium needs to be 'upsize' to be on the same class as Monterey Bay. And there's an 'different' feel to it, since half of the people visiting there seems to be senior citizens. But the pandas and the dolphins are cute and the view from above is just spectacular! (I think it was in the Lonely Planet's 1001 place to visit). So all in all, it was still nice.

Disney is definitely better if you ask me, the rides were also ho-hum (that's alright, I already had my share of crazy, stupid death-defying rides) but the shows are all world-class! I also got an appreciation how Filipino artist have become so ubiquitous in the Asean entertainment circuit. In some of the show like HS Musical, they got leading role, in some they work on the background. But either way, you can spot them among the cast.

The only bummer is I didn't get to meet any of the super hot evil step-Mom. I've seen plenty of princessess but those are lost cause :-( I mean I'm not prince charming, and no way I could possibly compete with those dwarves that kept the princess warm and fuzzy in those long and lonely nights waiting for their knights to marry them.

So if you're going to HK other than to shop, visit Disney, they got the nicest shows!

Pics or it didn't happen, right? :-)

The whole gang at the harbor.

Paolo and CJ with Mom and Dad at the hotel lobby. Mulan is that you?

Watching an outdoor show.

With my gorgeous sis.

On quest to save the wickedly hot evil step-Mom from the clutches of a clueless and beautifully boring princess.

Yummy! But for HK$120 two-piece, special chicken adobo meal, they'd better be! Or Mickey mouse blood will flow!
Boys and girls, take the time to find the food court.

View from the cable car ride at the Ocean Park. C'est Magnifique!

At the Ocean Park, watching fish turn into fresh tuna, serve hot!

Bruce Li meets Gene Li!

Fireworks at Disney! (still can't get the music out of my head)

Hey, did you know that Hong Kong have the highest luxury/sport car ratio per per capita in the world? You couldn't missed it when you walk in HK. Yeah well... Manila have the highest ratio of Orthodontic braces per capita in the whole world naman if you ask me.

Btw, small world, you know who I bumped into at Disney? It's Dindo, the RunningDATCom with his family. Bro, good to see some familiar faces from the running community :-)

Customizing the Layout of Your Blog Page

2009-01-28T20:52:00.021+08:00

Missed the Happy Run last Sunday, so I thought I'd write something useful (or something I found useful at least). This is a bit techie and not for the faint of heart but if this is something you've been meaning to do but never got around to doing because it's just so morbidly tedious, and could never figure out were to start, you're in luck my gentle readers and casual passersby, here's a step-by-step procedure on how to do it.

First a bit of background. You know how blog pages seem to be divided into 3 column? The middle column being your blog/widgets/bling-bling and the two other column besides it that are just gaping wasted empty space? Yeah, well, it's been bothering me of late. It makes my post look longer and imposing than it actually is. So I thought I'd dig in and click my way through into changing the layout of my blog. Surprise! surprise! Turns out the changing blog layout is a lot more complicated than it looks. And it ain't pretty boys and girls.

So if you're using Blogspot and wanted to change it, here's how you would do it. As soon as you log in to your account.

Click on the 'Customize' link on the upper-right corner of your blog.
There are 3 tabs there (Posting, Settings and Layout).
Click the Layout tab. Under the Layout tab, there 4 sub-tabs there (Page Elements, Fonts and Colors, Edit HTML, and Pick New Template).
Click "Edit HTML" tab, and you should now see the "Edit Template" and right below is the code for your blog web page.

Now this is where it gets nasty. Gone are the days when you simply edit HTML tags. Nowadays, you gotta know some serious CSS kung-fu if you want to get some loving out of non-trivial web pages like Blogspot. Now, I may not know enough CSS kung-fu but I'm a Ninja! "If there was a problem yo I'll solve it. Check out the 'hood while my DJ revolves it! Ice Ice Bebe.." Yo! Y'know what I'm saying Bro?!

Now CSS file might be beloved among web developers and can pass off as your regular, ordinary config file but it's not. It's a bane for normal people trying to take ownership of web pages freely hosted somewhere in the wholly wild world of Internet (hehe, define irony). It's cryptic, indecipherable and perilous to go near them. Fortunately, we only need to change a couple of the settings and not create one from scratch. So here's the basic format to keep in mind when changing the settings:

Selector { Properties: Values; }

The Selector is an identifier to certain part of your web page. The Properties are a way to control those certain part of your web page. The Values is of course the actual settings you change.

Below are the basic settings you need to change. The highlighted text is the modification you need to make. Your mileage might vary of course but so does our aesthetic taste :-) so play around till you get the right layout for you.

#header-wrapper {
width: 990px;
margin:0 auto 10px;
border:1px solid $bordercolor;
}

#outer-wrapper {
width: 1000px;
margin:0 auto;
padding:10px;
text-align:$startSide;
font: $bodyfont;
}

#main-wrapper {
width: 700px;
float: $startSide;
word-wrap: break-word;
overflow: hidden;
}

Change, save, refresh and voilà! Your newly customize layout, just the way you wanted it.

And now here's before and after pic. Happy Hacking mga kapatid!

PSE Bull Run (10K)

2009-01-18T18:16:00.012+08:00

First race of the year and almost missed it :-) In my usual jologs fashion, I went to registered at PSE in Ortigas at the last minute (uhm... actually an hour before they close shop). As this is the first race to be held in the metro for this year, you can imagine the pent-up demand for this race (think New Year's Resolution meet first opportunity). At the PSE office, they told me that they've already run out of registration form. Bummer... but never fear they're still accommodating runners who hasn't officially register for the race event. Bless they're heart! For runners who missed out the registration, they can still join the PSE Fun Run but sans any bib/singlets/office race time. Ok na rin yun.

So after over a month of slacking off, I'm running my first race of the year. The PSE Bull Run. The race was held at The Fort, a favorite among race organizers. The route used for the 10K run was an old and familiar nemesis of mine, the slopping terrain of McKinley Hills. The weather perfect for running and everyone at the starting line was in festive mood.

At the race, I started slow at 8.20 pace (that's practically crawling) for first two kilometers, then gradually pick speed to catch up with main body. For my next few races (and non-major races) I'll stick to this routine. The idea being to finish a slow/strong race (albeit slower than my usual race time) but recuperate faster. A normal race for me where I try to push it will take me 3 to 4 days to recuperate before I can hit the road again (I'm getting old, I know). But with this strategy I can hit the pool or gym/rpm the next day and run the day after and dispense with 3 to 4 days of rest. Good, no?

By my watch, I finished 1:00:12 for the 10K run at 6.04 pace. Also, by my watch 10K distance was 9.91km but what's a few meters between friends :-)

There's a couple of constructive criticism to be said about this race, but it wouldn't be my place to say so considering that they let me run for free and not be an ignominious bandit. So I'll leave the constructive criticism to others far more articulate than I and those that shelled out their money to join the race. Though I'd like to emphasize some of the good things they did at this race.

1. A separate Fun Run with no entry fee in parallel with the real PSE Bull Run (running in the same route). Now this is fairly new among the races I've joined. Normally, you'd be considered as a running bandit if you didn't pay for the registration fee, so the Fun Run but san any bib/singlet/official time, is definitely a good thing.

Just a few thoughts though. First, bear in mind that the vast majority of runners in race events are more than happy to pay for the registration fee, considering how very reasonable the registration fees are. _BUT_ what's reasonable to others might not be for others who's economic prospect is not as fortunate. It was a fluke that I got to run in the unofficial PSE Bull Run, it was ok but I'm not keen for a repeat in future races. I like the bib, having my name in the finisher list (even some of the tacky singlet) too much :-) Though it would be a great gesture from race organizers if they could implement something similar.

Kudos to the PSE Bull Run organizer for having this option!

2. Professional entertainers at the stage after the race. Far too often they have race organizers also acting as the entertainers, uhm... yeah. At PSE, they had this one dude name Lucas, he was at the stage working the crowd and then belting out some tacky Pinoy jingles. At first, I thought his comedy spiel was grating to the nerves, so it took me a while to warm up to the guy and realize that ... it's a jolog brother! Definitely in the mold of my old idol. The most awesome of awesome... Ang kilabot ng mga kababaihan Filipina... April Boy Regino! The Man! Anyways, the point being, leave serious entertainment to those who hone their craft :-)

Over all, there were some valid concerns that should be address by the organizer, that said, I'm fan of the sponsors/organizers of this race for their great gesture of lettings runner who weren't able to register to still run (unofficially) at the race. May your tribe thrive! Kudos to the folks that push this "public service", looking forward to next year's PSE Bull Run!

No pic for this race yet, I didn't have my camera with me but couple of the guys there did, so what's a jologs to do? Hehe, why ask of them of course :-) So as soon as Wilbert or Gigi post their race recap, I'll ask them.

... and so I've ask! Shout out to Wilbert and Gigi for letting me swipe their pics. Danke! :-)

Clockwise: Vener, Sir Ipe, Bobby, Gene, Jay (hidden), Wilbert's back. After-race at the Finish line.

Clockwise: That's me, Jay, Gigi, Bobby, Sir Ipe, Wilbert. Breakfast at Mcdo.

Fav Tools For A Richer Blogging Experience

2009-01-07T08:44:00.012+08:00

[Note: If you're having problems viewing the pictures, just point your mouse at the pic and click. If you're still having problems, leave a note and I'll check it out]

I've been using this Web 2.0ish online journal called Daily Mile to log my running and fitness regimen. Very nifty tool. First saw reference to it from runningdatc's blog. I thought I'd also share some of blogging tools I find indispensable or at least those I couldn't live without. It's always good to share something that other people might find useful, good karma points. So here it is boys and girls, 'hope you find it as useful as I do.

Web Analytics
News Aggregator
Google Alert

1. Web Analytics. These are tools that allows you to collate, measure and analyze data or 'hits' on your web pages. There's plenty of them around but I use Google's own analytic tool since it plays well with other Google apps. Here's snapshot:

Wordpress have a built-in but limited web analytics tools but for a richer set of data that you can slice and dice, go with a real web analytic tools. I had 3,589 page view for the last 7 months, using web analytics it allows me to mine my stats for some really interesting tidbits.

Example: One-third of my visitors came from outside Philippines (ie. US, UK, Singapore, Germany) and these are repeat visitors! (I didn't bore them to tears :-)) Of course I have to quantify that by saying that most of these visits abroad was source from other blogs, so a lot of it was referral. So for instance, half of readers from US were initially reading SFrunner's blog before heading to my site. Mucho gracias Wayne! Now for readers outside US, it's been mostly organic (via Google/Blogspot/direct). They somehow came upon my blog and came back for more (aw shucks). Now here is an interesting part, based from their network location/Internet gateway a lot of them are reading my blog at work! Hehe, how cool is that? :-)

Web analytics is good tool, use it track your traffic and get some really interesting perspective.

2. News Aggregators/RSS Readers. This topic came up briefly at the last Christmas dinner with runner bloggers/friends. From the looks of it, hardly anyone uses these tools (except for one or two guys), everyone either manually check blog updates or go to sites or blogs that have this small newsreel app that display brief headlines/updates of other blogs that the author follows. This is where news aggregrators comes in, it enables you to follow news sites, blogs and other RSS/Atom-enabled websites without using your web browser to check for updates.

Let me put it in perspective: When I started blogging I only keep track a small number of bloggers. Must read in my list are the rock stars (The Bull, The Bald, and Bards) plus a few other blogs, so that's a total of 7 or 8 blogs that I manually visit a week. Not bad. Fast forward a few months, a running boom and parallel jump in the number of people blogging their running experience. So now I keep track of close to 30 blogs. Now imagine keeping track this number of blogs manually... yeah not good. And that's where aggregators shines. It aggregates blog updates and pull them to your news reader to be read at your convenience. Really, this is more of a productivity tool than anything else although I'd hardly call keeping track of various blogs productive :-)

(Hmm... I'm starting to feel like I'm pontificating or something) Now, in case it hasn't sunk in how incredibly useful this tool is. Check this snap shot carefully.

Notice anything special? Yep, a single repository for all your favorite blogs. Blue means number of unread articles. Red means new post based on chronological order. How's that for productivity? :-) I use Akregator from KDE. For Windows check here. For Mac check here. Or just use Google Reader. Bonus points: you also avoid those bling-bling that bloggers are so fond of.

3. Google Alerts. These are alerts sent to you based on the search items that you've defined. Technically, this is not really a blogging tool, mostly just one of those tool you keep handy for some nefarious end (kidding :-)). So let's say you want to keep track of particular topic or update from any of the web sites, news, blogs or mailing lists (even video sites), this tool will track it for you. If any of these sites posted your "search items" an email notification is sent to you. I use it as personal tracker for any mentioned of my name in the web, you'd be surprise the things it can track and come up with. The little tool that could. So... wanna track your High School principal? Yep, this tool is badass.

New Year and Resolution!

2009-01-03T15:05:00.003+08:00

Ho ho ho! 2009 is here, time for your fav wish list/new year's resolution. As usual, I have accumulated quite a list (most of them being freshly recycled from last years' old resolutions) hmm... pero teka teka the problem with starting with a bang is that you're most likely to end up with a thud. So what I'll do is just list down the most 'manageable' resolution, nothing fancy or overly imaginative and just stick to it come hell or high tide.

Run 3x a week using the FIRST method
Do a marathon in 2009 (two if I can do the above consistently)
Blog more (5 or more post a month)
2009 is flat out going to rock!

There, it shouldn't be that difficult for a serial procrastinator jologs from the block like myself.

Happy New Year and Happy Running Everyone! See you all at the races!

Happy Holidays Everyone!

2008-12-26T09:29:00.004+08:00

Mga Kapatid!

Wishing you all Happy Holidays. May you have a joyous and meaningful celebration.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year Everyone!

Christmas Get-Together with Running Friends/Bloggers

2008-12-18T16:14:00.009+08:00

Last Monday was the get-together of the many runner-friends-blogger folks at Italianni's. Great food, great conversations, great fun, and great people! Since pictures can speak for themselves, here are the pics (mostly stolen from Wilbert, thanks bro! :-).

Vimz, Jaymie, Doray, Tiffin, Jaimie, Abby, Gigi, Que, Rio, Jun, Jinoe, Hector, Vener, Taki, Vince, Gene, Dingdong, Ben, Jay, Dindo, Bard, Philip, Vina, Bro J, Mark, Wilbert, Mesh, Mikey, Aljo

With Mesh, Gigi, Jinoe, Que and Taki

Two of the lovely ladies at the dinner party.

With Taki.

With Philip and his wife.

I'm a Ninja, I'm there somewhere.

Fun Run for Cancer Warriors

2008-12-12T20:46:00.005+08:00

Running dudes and dudettes, a bit last minute but if you're looking for race with a cause to run, check out this race.

Name: Rotary Club of Quezon City Circle Fun Run
Distance: 15kms and 7kms
Venue: SM Fairview (until San Jose, Bulacan)
Date and Time: 14th Dec (Sunday) at 6am

Registration starts at 5am, Race starts at 6am

(there is on-site registration, registration fee is P15o)

Prizes for 15kms:

First: Php 10,000 and all-expense paid to Taiwan Full Marathon
Second: Php 7,000
Third: Php 5,000

Prizes for 7kms:

First: Php 7,000
Second: Php 5,000
Third: Php 3,000

For inquiries, please contact Mr. Bing Quite at 09289698028 or 09165122208

32nd Milo Marathon Finals (10Kms)

2008-12-05T18:17:00.009+08:00

First some few words: Good luck to all those running in Singapore this Sunday! Go get 'em folks!
---

As usual, should have done this earlier in the week but didn't so this is post is already getting dated. I'll make it short :-)

First off, I went in to this race to do my recovery run. I haven't run since the New Balance Power Race 2 weeks ago. I tried to a week after, but my knees were still giving me some problems so I thought it prudent to rest it for another week. With plan marathon on February 2009, I'm a bit paranoid on getting waylaid by a training injury. Better slightly under-prepared but a bundle of energy than over train and an injury waiting to happen.

Aniways, almost missed this one, because of late registration on my part. The same lady handling the registration is still in her same agitated self :-) but that's ok Ma'am, with so many people trying to register at the last minute and in our usual Pinoy makulit fashion, I would be too. In any case, the 32nd Milo Marathon is well organized and well handled, kudos to Mr. Rudy Biscocho and his team of organizers. I'll have to chalk this up to my OK race, not as memorable as the last Milo race but still ok.

The plan going into the race was to run slow and steady and let my legs acclimatize back to it's running form. My concern going in was the two weeks of non-running might have some dire impact on my running. During the race I did feel sluggish for the first 5 kilometers but the dull pain in my knees wasn't as noticeable. After 6th kms, hardly notice it. It was a good race, not the most eventful but that's Ok. Well, except for that brief moment of _eliteness_ when the leading marathoner pass me. Hehe, standing on the shoulder of giants so to speak :-) as soon as he was beside me I tried to run with him. The idea was to run with him until the Finish Line and then wave to the adoring crowd, it's evil I know, but that was the plan :-) Or at least until the support crew wise-up and tried to shout discouragement my way. Heh, since the I didn't show the slightest care to whatever they're shouting themselves hoarse, I wonder what they would have done. Ahh... but that was before my knees betrayed me :-( It was 42.2kms run and the lead guy is still doing 4.20ish pace/km and I can only keep up for 600 meters or so... lame ... very ... I know. Dude, I'll race you next lifetime!

It's probably the tail-end of the racing season, I'll see if any of the December races will caught my attention, if not, will probably be my last race for the year. After this race, I'll just take a few days rest then go full blast to marathon training.

By my watch, I clocked the following time:

Distance: 10.26 kms
Time: 1:04:31
Pace: 6:17/km

Here are some of the pics at the race:

With my two posse (left) CJ, the mean-eating Ben 10 and Paolo, the Mystic Force Overdrive Ranger #1

Family pic of my gorgeous Ading, with hubby and two kids.

#3 Todo Stuff Before Getting Married

2008-11-29T14:29:00.013+08:00

[Note: This was mentioned by a couple of readers but haven't really took note of it until now. Apparently, if you're using Windows/Internet Explorer, the pics in my blog only shows up as microscopic thumbnail (you have to squint to see it) as opposed to smaller size picture that are still reasonably viewable. I use Linux/Firefox combo so haven't really notice it. In any case, just point your mouse on the picture and click on it. This should enlarge it. 'hope this helps.]

I've been really slack in posting stuff on my blog. That's because it takes me a while to post a single article. A normal post/article for me takes at least 4 hours. An hour to scribe the idea, an hour to make it into some coherent, readable article, and then at least 2 hours to finalize it (I always get bog down on whether I'm supposed to use "in" instead of "on" or incorrectly using past/present tense, etc). It ain't easy boys and girls. My Ading (Ading is an Ilocano word for younger sibling) keep telling that I should at least proof-read my articles before posting it (unfortunately, critiquing your own work is easier said than done since errors, syntax or otherwise is not as obvious).

Aniweys, I thought I'd post a quickie article that doesn't take too much brain cells. My list of TODO stuff before I tie-the-knot, settle down, and live blissfully ever after and into the wonderful world matrimony and monogamous relationship. Number 3 (but in no particular order) in my list TODO stuff before getting married is rock climbing! Wuhoo!

This was something I was into before I got into running. It's physically and mentally demanding, but serious kickass! After work, I'd hop into my bicycle and head over to Kangaroo Point with a couple of guys at work and hit the rocks and the fräuleins and mademoiselles that hang out at the scene (Hehe, joking :-))

Hey Spidey baby, this is how you do it.

First, No Fear.

Then, look cool.

Then see if you can pull those Asthanga moves from master Yoda teaching yoga.

Is the Force with you?

Yes? No? Just take a deep breath...

Then shout for help. Saklolo!

Hmm... you ok up there junior?

The rock walls (man-made) at Kangaroo Point.

At the local wall climbing gym, but not too often though since it's Besides, wall climbing at the gym is very much like running on treadmills at the gym (a poor second choice).

Hey, tomorrow's going to be the Milo Finals, one the major running events in Manila. I'll be running in 10K category, my recovery run (and my first run since the NB race two weeks ago). See you all there people!

New Balance Power Race 25Km

2008-11-17T22:00:00.071+08:00

25Kms of hard running, some crawling but no walking!

The much anticipated out-of-town race of the year is the New Balance Power Race 25km in Clark. Everyone seems to have ticked off this event in their race calendar and rightly so, as this one of the really great races of the year. The venue was well-chosen and well-provision, weather-perfect and organizers up to par. As this is my first 25K and my longest run so far, it easily qualify as one of my great races.

The race was in Clark which is a new race venue for me, since I'd hate to drive there and find my way on race day I booked a hotel accommodation inside Clark Zone. On Saturday, I picked up Wayne from Makati and then hook-up with Mon Domingo and other members of Happy Feet (hehe, I managed to get myself invited to a pre-race party). We did a convoy, with me was Wilbert and Wayne (great conversation guys!). In Tarlac, we meet up with Jinoe/Queenie (takbo.ph) before heading to Tanya's place for one great pre-race party.

At Tanya's place, there was heaps of food, so much to eat, very little time. A special treat for me was the buro-lite and the stuff frogs, yummy bear! I haven't had those in years. Hehe, I got an invite to stay the night (with other Happy Feet) but I've already booked the hotel accommodation sayang (Tanya pretty please, can I get an invite again next year? :-)). After the party, we head back to Clark. Since I'm pretty clueless in this place, I just tailgated Rosselle and her friend Willy back to Clark. We had to circle SCTEX a couple of times to find our way, so a bit late when we got to the hotel.

Woke at up 3:40am, as this is my longest race to date, I kept to my my pre-run rituals. Over-hydrate (so I don't have to make a pit stop during the race), yoga/asana stretch, quickie download at the toilet, pre-race banana-load before heading out to the registration area. Saw a number of blogger-runner folks so took it as opportunity for photo-ops. Now this is where it always gets dicey. Over-hydrating means I gotta take a leak a couple of times before the race, normally I'd just find a wall and drill a hole in it with my superpowers (if no handy portalet or there's long queue). But today's race venue is closer to nature, a wide swath of greenery and foliage around us, down-to-earth so to speak. So walked further up, and under the cover of darkness, I took out my weapon of choice and gave Mother nature the shower of love.

After which, I headed to the starting area with the rest of the runners. There was a few minutes delay but that's alright, they're probably calibrating the RFID timing chips. Then we're off to a slow jog before runners found their own pace at the first kilometer. Prior to the race, I was thinking of using my old Timex watch for one last race, but I don't want to risk bonking out like at the last KOTR 21k so chuck it instead for spanking new Garmin 405. Yeah bebe! (Actually I wasn't too keen to use it since I haven't had the chance to tinker it - just enough to use it but not enough to be comfortable in it). First few kilometers was uneventful so I settled down to my race pace.

At kilometer 9th, I saw dyosa ng kagandahan and her sporting bib# 218x run past me. This was the very same super-chick who I run in to at the Adidas KOTR 21k and still looking divine in those very short shorts. For the next 6 kms or so, I tried to keep pace, run by her side, sometimes ahead but mostly just draft behind her. So there we are, couple of guys behind, thanking our lucky star for this flash of encouragement and inspiration. (But Honey baby, you gotta stop fiddling with your hair, you're driving us crazy, you're hot enough as it is). Soon she tired out of her blistering pace and had to slow down. Sayonara dyosa mia, next time, I'll slow down for you.

At kilometer 18th to 21st, I was running behind troika of Doralicious, Coach Rio and Bullrunner. Now this is the part where we had to run 4kms of straight but gradual ascent, grabe, ang lakas ng dalawang girls na ito. Killer looks na, killer legs pa. I thought I'd crawl up those supposedly 'manageable' uphills, barely kept up with the girls (actually they left me behind). Thankfully, there was the downhill after, where I manage redeem myself since these girls are still keeping up the same pace. Of course once the terrain flatten out, they run past me again. And to rub salt to my wounded pride, that super-chick with legs na nakakasilaw I thought left behind in kilometer 16th, effortlessly zing pass me... (Honey, we gotta stop meeting like this).

On the last 2 kilometers, I caught up with girls. Man! it was the last 2 kms, as lovely as these ladies are, no way I'm gonna get _chick_ to the finish line. A man's gotta have his pride. And so with my quads bursting, knees wobbling, and cramps about to kill me, I gave it my one last bestest shot, the HE-MAN finishing run!

< WUHOO! AND THE CROWD GOES WILD! >

By my watch, I clocked the following:
Distance: 25.07Kms
Time: 2:33:38
Pace: 6:08 km

Pheidippides my brother, hear me and rejoice, soon I will be with thee in spirit, for I WILL BE RUNNING MARATHON!

Memorable Moments:
- Running the whole 25Km race. F**king Awesome Experience!
- Meeting new folks from the running/blogging community. Johnny (Johnny's Run), Baldrunner, Levy (Happy Hour), Philip (ForeignRunner), Vener (Run Unltd), Jinoe/Queenie (Takbo.ph), Wilbert (vballrunner), Jerry (HighAltitude), BugoBugo, Annie (the perennial age category winner), Mon Domingo, Tanya, Roselle and other folks from Happy Feet. Actually, there's more but I don't recall (my bad) all their names. Very Nice! Some of the supermoms I was hoping to meet but didn't the chance was Annalenemb (meekrunner), Nora and MJ (but I think they skip this race).

Couple of things strikes me at this race:
- One thing about the local races these days is that they're _all_ kickass, well-organized, well-provision race. If you backtrack the last 10 races or so, you'd be hard-pressed to find a race that didn't deliver. Man, woe on the future race organizers who can't keep up and deliver on race day.
- One of the off-shoot of the running boom community is parallel boom in runner blogger community. If you check, most of the rockstar running blogs made their debut last year, with the rest following suit this year. Probably safe to say that one of the many tell-tale tipping point in today's running boom is the number of runners blogging it.
- Since it always good to see and bump into a familiar face (even if it's virtual) at the races, there's an air festivities (I suppose all those after-race endorphin rush) among runners. Really, weekend races are more like catching up, beso-beso, after-race run with other runners and breakfast. All fine by me.
- Maybe it's just me, but _most_ of the runner-bloggers seem to be more or less on the same level of running (except for some like baldrunner). A lot of them got serious about their running this year and run their first long 10k race, then proceeded to their milestone run of 21k and 25k this year (a few will be will running their first marathon late this year or a number of us early next year). Give or take a few minutes difference in their run time for a given distance.

Here are some of the pics for the New Balance Power Race at Clark:

What can I say? I got an uncanny talent for getting invited to the coolest parties :-) Wayne with Happy Feet.

Yummy Pics:
1. Smörgåsbord of Filipino delicacies, plenty more that wasn't shown on the pic.

2. Tanya said these are called Ben10 (or something). Basically, these are little frogs that you skin and deep fry with some stuffing. Supposed to taste like chicken but really tasted more like a pork. We have something similar in Pangasinan, but we cooked it Adobo-style but I like this better though. I had 3 or 4, would have come back for more, kaya lang after my 4th round, na shy naman ako, (pero ganuon talaga ako, mahiyain kung minsan).

3. That's my first round plate. There's grilled hito, ben10, paella, buro-lite with mustasa leafs, plenty of green salad. Veggie load before the race, carbo load after the race. The buro-lite was a really nice touch, I thought that was a delicacy peculiar among Ilocanos/Pangasinan. The version that we have in Pangasinan is a bit stronger, more oily and leave a weird aftertaste (heads-up though, those buro we have in Pangasinan is an acquired taste, its not as lite or cosmopolitan as those served by Tanya. Really, this is the first time I've seen it served in cold hors d'oeuvres with mustasa leafs and a bottled of wine- in Pangasinan we normally eat it with rice, viands, sabaw and softdrinks). Love your cooking Tanya! Merci pour le soir enchanteur.

4. Happy Feet digging in. Galit-galit mo na.

Woot! Woot! Ms Tanya Lara! The very lovely and gracious host of Happy Feet party. 'missed your cooking already! Alam mo, na shy naman ako when you ask me if I wanted to bring home some pabaon from your very sumptuous handaan. But if you ask me twice, mawawala din yun. Muchos gracias for the take home bananas, baguettes, driving us back to SCTEX and for the invite!

With Roselle, the Running Diva. I loving singing too, kaya lang I sing mostly when I'm in church, where people are more forgiving.

Philip (ForeignRunner) and his lovely friend from the Missionary (I think), *sigh* ... just as well Lord. But Philip my good man, that was one mean running, not too many of us runner-bloggers can catch up with you. And to think you used to have weight problems.

Roselle, Johnny, Wayne, yours truly, Dindo and his signature bandana. Hey Johnny, just to let you know, meron din akong konting naitatagong acting talent (I won a couple of acting awards when I was in Grade 2 school), baka lang kailangan ng Star Cinema ng mga kontrabida, pede tayo duon.

Whoa! Doralicious, you look luscious :-) And looking hot in those singlet! Where did all those Crispa Pata and extra rice go?

Loved this pic (stolen from Doralicious' blog). That's me, a true-to-life pic while I was about to cross the finish line. Behind me was Coach Rio, Doralicious, unnamed runner, Jaymie (Bullrunner).

Happy people of Happy Feet! It was great hanging out with you guys.

See those dreadlocks? Ito ang tunay lalaki na may tunay na dreadlocks. Sing bangis ng mga Habigis! (iconic singing group in the 70's) Don't mess with this dude, this is one mean hombre. Hehe, ser Edwin kita uli sa next race :-)

See that small watch on my left wrist? Garmin 405, yan ang sikreto ng mga gwapo, hindi skin whitener! Gagandang lalaki ka pag yan suot mo.

One of the icons in Manila's running scene. Paglaki ko gagayahin ko si Baldrunner! (pero actually may edad na ko eh).

Santa baby, I've been a good boy this year, can I have these two sweetheart for Christmas? Promise, no spanking unless they've been naughty and bad. And Santa, is it OK not to share?

After race breakfast with Wilbert, Dindo, and Wayne.

Mga kapatid, see you all at the next race!

Dinner out with other runner bloggers

2008-11-15T11:24:00.005+08:00

Clockwise: Jaymie (Bullrunner), Dindo (RunningDATcom), Wayne (SFrunner), Doray (Doralicious), yours truly, Erik (Run4Change), Bards (BananaRunning), Jay (Prometheus Cometh)

Clockwise: Marga (Changeling Child) Jaymie (Bullrunner), Dindo (RunningDATcom), Wayne (SFrunner), Doray (Doralicious), Jay (Prometheus Cometh), yours truly, Erik (Run4Change), Bards (BananaRunning)

This was last Monday night, dinner out with Wayne (who's visiting Manila) and other runner bloggers at Centro restaurant in Greenbelt 4. Great time to swap stories with other bloggers, even got to talked to one of the local running scene's icon, The Bullrunner (or at least for the whole 12 seconds for us to say hi and hello's :-)). Except for Bards, first time to meet everyone and like Wayne said, great group of people. Food was also great, except for the vivacious Doralicious and I, everyone kinda restraint themselves from the mouth-watering and sinfully delicious but smokin hot deadly Crispy Pata. Hey Ms Doray, next time extra serving tayo plus sizzling pork at chicharon! No SURRENDER! Matira matibay at walang hypertensions!

Hey Greenbelt is really nice, last time I was there was like 3 or 4 years ago, now I barely recognized the place. It's really setup more like the malls in States and Australia, where it's more open air and outdoorsy. Very saucy, very posh, hardly any traces hoi polloi-ness (definitely not place to rub elbows with tiange at pawisin crowd, I'm super-jologs talaga PERO DI BALE, takbo naman ako bukas sa New Balance 25K race hehe :-) See you there people!

OctobeRun and some tough lovin!

2008-10-26T22:04:00.025+08:00

Better late and dead than never!

So got tied-up at work and didn't have time to post an article about the last OctobeRun a few weeks ago at the Fort. Almost two week late so this post is getting a bit dated but will try to make it up.

OctobeRun was organized by Fort Striders (one of the local elite - really serious about their running group, hope to join you guys after my first ultramarathon :-)). It was a good race, well organized and well provision. The route was the usual Lawton/Heritage route that seems to be favored by race organizers. Considering that it was not hosted by corporate big names, it was well attended. Big kudos to race organizers!

Prior to the race, I was in downtime and wasn't really in racing form. It looks like the sneezing 'cold' season is in full swing, everybody seems to have it, at work people take turn in spreading some 'cold' loving and I've been dodging bullets and laway sprays. Wasn't really in shape for race, but this one is bit special (and I don't mean just the race), no way am I gonna miss it!

So woke up early and head to the Fort to meet the gorgeous girls of T2 (Mesh, Vicky, Bards), Dingdong, Jay. A quarter before the race, we head out for warm-up jog (precursor of things to come). Then head back to the starting line for the race. Hey gentle boys and girls, here's something interesting, it did happen and I kid you not. Saw a couple of high society icons there. I saw Fernando Zobel and other society-page folks. I've seen the man couple of times but normally from a distance, the guy is already running close to elite level so out of my league. So pray what's different or interesting about this one? Well stranger things have happen but because of our shared passion in running, would you believe na naging mag-close kami ni Fernando Zobel? That's right mga kapatid, I was standing just a few feet away from the man :-) Good, no?

Anyways, no time to rub elbows with famous people, at the pop of the gun, runners were off. For the first 5km, it was steady as she goes, since my legs were pretty fresh, the ascent at the Heritage wasn't really a big deal. It was the ascent going back that was pure purgatory. I've been meaning to train in rolling hills to build better endurance, but never got around to it, so come race day I always ended up ruing it :-( There is no lamer sight than a guy walking at the race while some chicks run by. But as always I console myself with a resolute "next time".

50 meters from the finish line some dude tried to race me, was already wasted from those ascent but real men don't use skin whitener and they don't take kindly to manhood challenges, so I gave it my best run and resoundingly and unequivocally beat the guy to the finish line. I turn around and was about tell the guy "who's your Daddee?" but turns out the guy's bigger and wider, so I told him "Man! that was good run" and shook his hand for good measure.

By my watch, I clocked 0:55:02 for the 10Km race.

After the race, met up with guys. Every one had their post-race-run plan out, I didn't have one so I thought tagged along with Mesh and Dingdong. Hindsight being 20/20, I now realize why discretion is the better part of valor (Mesh is on full-on marathon training and Dingdong is a sub-50 10K guy - but had to fade because of cramps). Up until this time, I've gotten by on my sunny disposition and "can do" spirit but once we turn at McKinley hills, the route where few runners few runner have gone before, all bets were off. I know Mesh the running machine is not trying to run me to death, but by Jove! almost died there and become an angel scaling those darn hills! All I kept repeating to myself was "Lord, wag mo muna akong kunin". But I'm game, bring it on and I'll chugged along!

And so it came to pass that yours truly, the intrepid runner from the block, have scaled the hills of McKinley... whew! Then it's a run to well-deserve breakfast buffet at Paul Calvin's.

Here are the pics!

Dingdong and the T2 girls!

Didn't realized at the time, but this is the only pic I'm in of the OctobeRUN.

Gettin Garmin

2008-10-20T12:24:00.002+08:00

Mga Kapatid,
(Brothers and sisters in running)

I've been grappling with some hard choices, share naman your love, thoughts and 2 cents.

After my run at Adidas KOTR, I've finally decided to splurge on those GPS gadgets for a well-earned, well-deserved Garmin. My Timex Ironman watch has served me well for the longest time but after my 21K, just doesn't cut it anymore :-( So I've done my Garmin homework, checked specs and the reviews and have narrowed down my choices to either Garmin 305 or 405.

Garmin Forerunner 305 gets the job done for what I need in GPS, namely, track my long distance run, and as importantly, it's within my budget. That said, Garmin 305 is pretty much at the end of it's product life cycle (it's a great product mind you, but in dire need of an upgrade in both form and function). This is a GPS watch that in a year or so would probably sport the 'retro' look (it does now, but hey, it's just me :-)). But since it covers my two major checkpoints, it does make sense to choose to 305.

Garmin Forerunner 405? How the heck do people afford this watch? It's retail price is effin ridiculous! If I ever buy this watch I'd be sorely piss if I don't look suave or gwapo wearing it (hehe kidding!) at very least my running karma should be huge if I ever get this one! Ironshoes mentioned something about 405 acting up when used in the rain, so I can't even use it at the pool like my trusty old Timex. But it does have it's points and this baby absolutely rock! Or as Borat would say, "Beri nice!"

So now I'm in impasse, the wise thing to do is get the 305, no fuss, no muss. Garmin 405? Well, I could try holding up a bank, or go into politics or sell my soul... or just forget about it and just die each day longing, every time some babe with with 405 and great legs in short shorts pass me on the road.

I have to finalize it soon, mga kapatid, 'appreciate it if you can share naman your love, affection, and thoughts on Garmin. Something I could mull over and tossed in my brain while on the run ... if only those ridiculously expensive 405 comes with those gorgeous salesladies, life choices wouldn't be so difficult.

Adidas KOTR Race - First 21K

2008-10-11T16:22:00.017+08:00

It another weekend of blockbuster race at the Metro. Half Marathon... CHECK! 21K is the new 10K!

First, some of the challenges:
Woke up early and did my pre-run stretch and warm-ups. Since it's the weekend and still early in the morning and race starts at 5:30am, I thought I'd head out at exactly five... bad idea :-( By the time I got at the Fort it was already 5:15am, should still be plenty of time but parking was horrendous. Once parked, I did quick sprint to the starting area which is good 200m away, was bit winded when I got there. I then tried to slide in unobtrusively at the back... only to find out that this is 10K category and that the 21K has already been off a few minutes ago! Watta! Did the race just started ahead of time?

At the Race:
So off I ran after the main group, all that well-thought off strategies just went haywire. Prior to the race, my elaborate master plan was to run my usual pace, slow and easy until Finish Line is within sight then make a break for it. But life happens so you just make the best of it. It was a good 14 minutes before I caught up with the main body. After that I settled into my running rhythm. At Buendia avenue, it was steady as she goes. Also at Buendia, there was traffic congestions at various intersections, drivers honking impatiently. Tried to alleviate their frustration by cheerily waving at all the honky drivers.

The grueling climb at Buendia flyover (twice) wasn't so bad, I even sprint at the 26th ave, what killed me was the inclined at the Bayani/Heritage route. My training runs has mostly been on even pavement, so by the time I reached Heritage I was trying not to die. At the final turnaround I had stop at water station, my will is strong but finally had to give in to the voice. After my pit stop, I had to walk-rest for a few kilometers, 1 hour and 30 minutes is the longest I've run and was about to call it quits. But after getting back my breathing, and in a more proper frame of mind, I tried to soldiered on and just concentrate on my steps and breathing. And before I knew it, it was light at the end of the tunnel. Hallelujah! I've finished my 21k. <THE CROWD GOES WILD, CLAP, CLAP, CLAP>

Things that could have improved my run:
- For long distance running, a Garmin is a necessity, you need to gauge your distance. For most part of the race, I was pretty much guessing my distance so couldn't really make the appropriate adjustment in my pace. On the way back from Buendia and climbing the EDSA flyover, I thought the finish line was just a 'few' kilometers away so went into my strong-run-finishing-mode, only to sputter and choke at the 5th avenue when race marshals directed 21k runner to turn right going to Heritage. Moral? If you don't have garmin, check the next best thing... a race map.

- Prior to the race, I was debating if I need to get a water/fuel belt for 21K, but in the end decided against it. I was concerned with changing my game mid-stride (even as slight as carrying additional water belt) than getting dehydrated.

Sayang Moments:
- I was looking forward to meeting some of the runner bloggers, but didn't get the chance to meet one :-( I was especially keen to meet Nora and the lady blogger na may pinakamatibay na sapatos sa balat ng lupa! Next time, I guess :-)

So I just did the next best thing... head back to the nearby gym for a long hot shower, chat with fellow runners and swap stories of our running adventures. There's something understatedly kick-ass about sharing anecdotes with other runners and someone asking "Hey, what distance did you run?" and in your most modest, humblest self... "Oh, I did 21K". Rock-on beybe!

Pet Peeve:
- So many super chicks (and this is 21k) with killer legs (as in steady legs all through out hehe) at the race! I was pacing with one (with 30X bib) before she pulled ahead at the final turn-around. Caught up with her at the last kilometer but then this dude with Chihuahua dog pulled up and run interference ahead, cutting off my line of sight. Was gonna say hello at the finish line until this same dude pulled off his kung-fu boyfriend-move. Dude, crashing in on 21k race is uncool (and I'm not just saying that because I didn't get the chance to chat with your significant other and ask her number).

To wrap things up:
The route for the KOTR was pretty good (it was my first time to race beyond the Fort and UP). And as with Milo and other races, this race was a blast and I had rockin good time. Kudos to Adidas King of the Road and Mr. Biscocho for bringing out another kickass and well-organized race! As Borat would say, Beri Nice! Next stop 25K New Balance Power Race.

By my watch I clocked in 2:08:14 for my first 21k run. Timex Ironman, my beloved and trusty old watch of many years, you've served me well... but it's time to get you a GPS buddy. A well-deserved Garmin!

And now for some obligatory pics,

Post-race Addendum: 21K must have taken me a lot of energy more than what I've bargain on. When I got back home, I promptly slept for 2 hours and then had a early night at 9pm. And I have been on a food binge on my last 4 meals. But I did woke up feeling like a champ :-)

Things that work for my running

2008-10-02T21:51:00.003+08:00

Gentile readers beware, this a long post! Making up for almost 3 weeks of hiatus. Here's to being back and proud in the blogging scene!

So been tied-up last few weeks, life happens and life-interrupted, so to speak :-) You know how it is, between life, work, running and blogging, something has to give. If only time-management is one of my strong suit, life would be a well-ordered bliss. But life being what it is, I'll just pine for a genie who'll magically solve all my personal challenges, help me see the light in spending time in Quadrant II (as defined to be important but not urgent activities) be time-management savvy guy and make me into a brooding-chick-magnet-rich-guy-who-ran-marathon-on-weekends (and superhero too if it's not too much to ask).

Anyways, being that I'm out for a while, thought I'd post long one. So I'm about to go for my first 21k race, and after 7 races and 6 months of semi-consistent running, I reckon I must be doing something right to consider it and make the attempt. So I thought I'd write down some of the things (and whatnot) that works for me and races I've been. Some of it are well-documented in other publications, some I've garnered in the course of my running. Obviously, it's not a one-size-fits-all list unless of course, you're my long lost twin.

That said, here's some of things in my list.

- Stretching before and after my run. This is something I'm fanatical about, especially on my long runs. If there's one thing I can credit for my being injury-free, it's being resolute in my warm-ups and cool-downs. And this is where all those asanas from my Ashtanga and Bikram days paid off. Incorporating those pose in my stretches made me into a more fluid, flexible, caring, thoughtful, loving, considerate runner that I am.

- Cross-training. I only run 3x a week at most. The rest of week I either go to the gym or go to the pool. Probably should go back to yoga (Ashtanga or Bikram) but not not those yoga-lite they have at the gym. I prefer Bikram but in Manila where it's already humid, might be an overkill. (I probably should post this separately but I wonder what women here in Manila wear in Bikram sessions, you know, conservative society that we are. I swear, you gotta be gay or saint or just someone of pure mind and heart not to check out those ladies 'sportswear' and still think yoga. Yep, I always wear my "sophisticated, world-weary, been there, done that, seen those, kunwari deadma" mien to those sessions.

- Over-hydrate a few hours before the race. Downside of course is that I had to pee like a horse before the race, but over-hydration has work wonders for me and more than made up for the downside. I get more mileage in my runs because [1] I don't have to stop at water station and [2] thirst being energy sponge, staying hydrated longer gives you additional boost. (I think I can still get away without water/fuel belt on my 21k).

- Carbo loading a day or two before the race. Conventional wisdom says it's a good thing. But this doesn't really work for me. Carbo loading before the race day actually makes feel bloated, bulging and sluggish on race day. I found out that eating light a day or two before the race and go slightly hungry (empty stomach really) on race day works better for me. During the race, I just wait for the adrenalin-rush to kick-in to sustain my run. All those endorphin in the brain makes you impervious to small inconvenience. Besides, slight hunger pangs never killed anyone (as far as I'm aware of). This is not to say I don't carbo load or pig out, I do but after. Bear in mind that there's downside to it and I do think it's generally not a good thing, but since I normally have light breakfast anyways (just tea and toast normally) it's not really a stretch for me to have light dinner and skip breakfast altogether before the race (except for bananas).

- Jostle for a position at the starting line. This doesn't really serve you unless got a decent shot at finishing in top 10. Last few races I've been into, I'm always jostling for position in front... yeah well a lot it did good to me. The difference in time between me and the top 10 runner is still a good 30 minutes away. So I don't know why I even try to elbow my way up front. The only thing I succeeded doing when jostling for a position is to force runners behind me expend precious energy to go around me and overtake and that seems unsportsman-like. If you're not running professionally or competitively, give way to others.

- Running sans any Ipod/mp3/listening paraphernalia. This works for me. I'm sure music strap on your ears have its benefits, I just don't get the same kick out of them. I like running free and eu naturelle and don't need the background music to enhance the experience. Strapping your ipod, your reason being for running just isn't apparent. Besides, it's a good time to spend some (quality) time with your self and psyche. It's the closest thing to meditation for me, I don't wish to mar with it with some pop or rock music piped-in to my head. I'd feel like running zombie if I have those to power my runs.

A wise man once said, "I am runner because I know what effort feels like...", among the many things he meant, I think this one of them. If not, well... life. Hehe, of course it's just me :-) I had to put that in so I sound deeply profound and philosophical, so what follows doesn't sound too inane... I have this really crazy idea (something that came to me while running) that a runner who couldn't run for 30 minutes or so without his ipod, couldn't or wouldn't be able to stand himself for a company. I'm crazy, I know :-)

- Running in treadmill or inside a village. Yeah, this doesn't work for me. For treadmill, I think this is true for every runner. For running inside the village, it beats running in treadmill of course... but barely. Running in a place that's devoid of trees or foliage just feel claustrophobic. Just my hyper imagination of course :-) but I would rather drive 15-20 minutes to the Fort than do my runs in a green-less, maze-like concrete-fence enclosure we call villages (that is if I weren't so doggone lazy to drive).

- Going barefoot when doing my cool down. Now this is fun! This was something I've picked up while I was in Australia, where it wasn't uncommon to see barefoot runners in race events. First time I saw it, I thought they were loco, but after a quick google, found out that there's some sense in it (for one thing, I'm stronger runner for it) and that it's not some loco, extreme sport. So tried it, felt good and so now am convert to the cause. Hallelujah beybe! So now after my long runs and it still not too late in the morning and I don't look too conspicuous (medyo mahiyain din naman tayo eh), I'll take off my shoes and do a 1k trot. It's not as crazy as it sounds (google it), but it's still hard core, so it's not for the faint of heart. And if you have one those feet that sweat profusely or gave off those sickly sweet smell, you'll be thankful that you tried it.

So if you ever bump into some Abebe Bikila-wannabe, coco-loco dude running barefoot early morning at the Fort trying not to look to conspicuous, that's me and my iron blisters :-)

Actually, there's still a couple on my list but they're the more mundane things, and this post is already way too long and I already spent half-day writing it :-)

People You Meet While Running

2008-09-07T13:40:00.006+08:00

Heads-up! Shameless plug below :-)

I was cooling down after my run at the Fort yesterday when this fine old gentleman flag me and said 'Hello'. Normally, I'd be the first to say "morning" or nod if I happen to catch the eye of the other runner before going on with my run. But this gentlemen, for whatever reason walks up to me and very friendly, very nicely said (in Tagalog) "It's a fine day, and looks like you had your good run for today young man". Hehehe, of course I got a kick out of that one. I feel young, yes. I'm young at heart, yes. Boyish perhaps. But middle age and 36 years of age, I'm hardly a young man :-) But bless his heart.

Then we got to talking for a while. It turns out that this fine old gentlemen is a 75 years old retired Captain A. Bajar of Philippine National Police. At 75, Sir Bajar is still strong for his age, full of zest (he did approach a total strange to strike a conversation) and still of sharp mind. We got to talking about running, and how at his age he is diligent with his exercise and other stuff that now escape me. But one thing he was keen to tell me was his house at Bonifacio. He happen to mentioned that he has 237 sqm house and lot with a clean title that he is trying to sell. Since I'm pretty clueless on real states, I just responded with what seem appropriate for the occasion "Good luck Sir! and hope you find buyer for your house". Now if you're wondering if this is some sort of civic service, it is :-)

So if you're curious about Retired Capt A. Bajar, you can contact him at +63 2 881 0312. And if you happen to know this fine gentlemen, tell him I said 'Hello!', hope to bump into him again in the future.

Eraserhead Live!

2008-09-03T19:12:00.013+08:00

It's the Eraserhead's Reunion concert at the Fort. In the oft chance you haven't heard of this band, Eraserhead is the iconic Filipino rock band during the 90's (think Beatles). The band that made alternative rock (as in never heard nor cared about music genre) wildly popular and cultural phenom in Manila and the local music scene. This is the band where you would be hard-pressed to find anyone during the 90's who hasn't in one form or another been a fan. This reunion concert have been the most anticipated concert and had they're fans dizzy with expectation. The concert was "The Concert" of year and the 10,000 crowd agreed.

Yeah bebe, the buzz live up to it's expectation! For songs that was so last century, it's still packing it in!

See this pic?

Yeah, that's right, that's my backstage pass at the concert. S-w-e-e-t! For die-hard fans, die harder bebe! Maybe next lifetime :-)

And pray how did I get such a loot? If I told you I'll have to kill you. Hehe, actually it's one of those manna from heaven :-) A friend of mine who shall remain nameless here (to protect the guilty) is a crew for a production company that among other things is the support group for the Eraserhead concert. Being the intrepid runner that I am, I asked for a backstage pass. Imagine my surprise when he said "My good man, come in early at 6pm, meet me backstage and I'll give you your pass". Watta! You mean I don't have to sell my soul to hang out backstage on the hottest concert of the year with most iconic Filipino band in recent memory? Woohoo! I thank my lucky star for whatever good deed I've done lately. And for the benevolent deities smiling upon thee :-)

And so it came to pass... I was rockin' in Eraserhead concert, rubbing elbows and feeling conio, eating hors d'oeuvre and checking out the chicks at VIP section and singing Toyang, Kailan, Ligaya with Ely, Buddy, Marcus, Raymund and 10,000 people.

Here are the pics!
It was pitch dark backstage, but these guys are wearing shades, rock star talaga!

Whoa! and who's this hot little minx, posing deliciously for the camera? :-)

So you reckon that's about 2-3 meters, moi away from stage?

Some tepid fireworks at display.

That's how pack it was at the concert and these is only the front section behind VIP area. Hmm... wonder much my free backstage pass would fetch?

Raymund, Buddy, Marcus, sorry to hear about Ely, pero di bale naki-pray over din naman ako during the 1-minute moment of silence.

And to wrap things up, good deed should never go unpunished, I wonder what can I get my friend for getting me that backstage pass?

Nike+ Human Race

2008-08-29T11:35:00.007+08:00

Warning: The post below are toxic. If you're the type to get indigestions from caustic bloggers, move on, this post might give you ulcer. You have better things to do with your time than read someone else rant. But if you're a big boy/girl and up to it, then read with care and a cup of tea, it'll help you calm down. And just so you know, no happy endings on this particular post.

Nike is holding an event called Nike+ Human Race. It's a 10K run at the Bonifacio Global City to be held simultaneously in different parts of the world. This race have one of the most innovative concept and have the ambitious goal of being the world's biggest one-day running event. And checking out other running blogs, this race have caught on and is well anticipated. All well and good.

But there's a catch to join this event. You need to purchase expensive Nike accessories to join the race otherwise you're excluded from joining the event. And there in lies my issues with Nike and it's organizers.

Like most runners, I love running and running in events/races are something I'm passionate about. Running in races are more than just about PRs and clocking 3/10/21/42K on your Sunday run. Running races are community events and it is a way for you to connect to that community of runners that you have a strong sense of affiliation. It galls me to see sponsors and organizers turn an open community event into a exclusive party for people with the coolest toys, promoting a not-so-subtle theme of "others who don't have shiny new baubles from sponsors - need not join". And in the context of this 'exclusivity', I find it patronizing that sponsors are 'generous' with their gifts that 'lucky' runners may have the privilege of joining the party.

Lest my post be misconstrued, I don't have anything against runners joining the event. A good run is a good run whether it's run at Takbo Bayani or Nike+ Human Race. And let me state it clearly, I don't have anything against sponsors promoting their fancy whiz-bang gadgets and holding run events. What I do mind and feel strongly against are sponsors and organizers excluding runners from participating in a community events that is first and foremost about runners.

Considering the popularity of Nike+ Human Race and how it caught on with other runners, there goes my pogi points, say goodbye to getting freebies and invites. Such is life :-) But sometimes, it's better to speak up on things your feel strongly about and to say your piece (clearly and distinctly that people know where you stand), and hold your peace. And these are what I have to say.

So for those running on Sunday, I bid you well and good luck, have a great run (no sarcasms or voodoo chants). For sponsors and organizers... I hope that your next event are open for general public.

So... are there any happy endings in this affair? Sadly in this post, no. There's a number of good post about Nike+ Human Race but this is not one of them.

A Very Special Love (review)

2008-08-26T16:20:00.011+08:00

Hey, before I forget, just gotta rave this funniest movie I've seen.

Last weekend, we're supposed to see "Don't Mess With Zohan" but apparently they're no longer showing it at the theaters so we ended up watching Pinoy chick-flick instead. "A Very Special Love" featuring Sarah Geronimo and John Lloyd Cruz. Woohoo!

The short story of it is that there this cheeky executive PA (Sarah) and this mean, heartless and over-bearing big boss (Lloyd). In the course of their working together, they fell in love. And that's the best I can describe it. This movie was the usual cheesy Pinoy chick-flick movie, just heck funnier than usual.

I haven't really seen any of Sarah's movies or shows but this one, LOVED it! She's funny, bubbly and endearing and so kikay, you cannot not love her in this one. She's not über-babe that can grace FHM (she's really more like your sister) but her sheer verve and funny antics more than made up for it. I was just laughing loud!

And you gotta check out the rain dance routine, that is probably the coolest dance routine of the year. If that doesn't crack you up, you're a robot (go buy an emotion at 7-11).

Of course, there was a couple of mushy-mushy scenes like where the lead guy John Lloyd was belting out some love song under pouring rain (get this: it was pouring rain but it doesn't seem to touch him). But I suppose, it can't be help, it is a romantic comedy.

So dear readers, if you're at the mall this weekend and wanna go easy on those gimiks, check it out, it's a great date movie. A bit cheesy as most Pinoy movies are but fresh and rib-tickling funny, you'll have fun watching it.

Too bad we don't have Filipino subtitled movies here, otherwise I would bring the SFrunner when he comes over to visit Manila. That's as Pinoy experience as eating balot!

Hehe, deep down in my heart, super jologs talaga ko :-)

Blogger vs Wordpress

2008-08-25T07:34:00.013+08:00

When I first setup shop for my blog two months ago, the idea is to blog all the things I find interesting. Running, life, stuff (stuff as in technical stuff I do). But as popular cliché goes, life happens. This blog more or less evolved into a running-theme blog with sprinkling of various musing, rambling and whatnots. And my technical blog was put on hold. Mmm... actually, I was just procrastinating (as is my wont) doing my techie blog just doesn't seem that interesting. But better late and dead than never.

Which brings me to Blogger vs Wordpress death match. (I've briefly considered LiveJournal and Multiply.com but those are too Web 2.0ish and too teenager-y for me). At the time I started blogging, I was already hook to google suite of services (ie. Calendar, Notebook, Reader, Picassa, iGoogle). And so it was a natural progression to use their blogging tool. I didn't bother checking the competition, my experience was such that I'm content to stick it out as is with Google service despite all the whiz-bang widgets and popularity of Wordpress/Multiply/LiveJournal.

All good in paradise until I noticed that all the blogs I subscribe to are overwhelmingly in favor of Wordpress (for both web service user or hosting their own domain), hmm... what am I missing here? So for my techie blog, I thought I'd head over to Wordpress, give it a spin and see what new features I can use for better blogging experience. So after few hours of fiddling, here's what I found out:

- There are plenty of themes and widgets to choose from. All nicey and cutesy.
- Built-in visitor stat which is very convenient. No drama or tinkering with 3rd-party applets, just turn it on and off you go.
- Contact form which I can't seem to find in blogspot. As it is, my reader would have to use the comment section and make a note that this is personal message and not for public consumption.
- Wordpress automatically include the IP address of readers who left a comment. Useful for tracing rogue commenter.
- Folder-like tabs for different section of your blog. So let's say you want to have 'About' info in another section of your blog that doesn't clutter your home page, it's a cinch and elegant in Wordpress , kludgey and ugly in Blogspot.

Wordpress do have their plus points.

That said, most of these features are really skin-deep (unless you're using wordpress.org -- more on that below). Some of their (critical) behind-the-scene components are so rudimentary as to be outright useless or just not available. You wanna track the minutiae location of your readers (or at least by the city) or perhaps where you're getting your traffic from? Or compare your new visitors against those returning? good luck! Wordpress doesn't believe in web analytics. You want to extend those theme with a few lines of html/css code? Javascript? forget it! Widgets you say? Well, compare that to 44,000+ gadgets you can used in blogspot. Adsense? They seem to have something against it, no easy does it button for you.

Think of Wordpress/LiveJournal/Multiply as glamour chick you'd like to be seen with at the mall, all nice and glittery. Think of Blogspot as girl-next-door chick you would normally hang out with. Not the beauty queen of Web2.0 just the basics but flexible and more fun to work with.

Of course, it would have been a different story if I opted for my own domain and use web hosting for my blog software of choice. Then I'd definitely go for Wordpress.org which provides more customization. But as it is, I don't particularly like the idea of administering my own blog (ie. filtering spam, fiddling with third-party apps, etc) when it's done more efficiently by Google nor paying for the privilege when it's already gratis (well, the latter is not strictly true just a compelling one).

So in the end (or at least for the moment) I'm opting for Blogspot.com which is just exactly what I need for my next blog.

PS: My other blog focuses on Linux and open source software, mostly setup and configuration I did. Nothing there at the moment, but if Linux and open source are your thing, come back in few weeks time, and see if you find it relevant or useful.

Men's Health 10,000Km Miracle Run

2008-08-17T10:09:00.000+08:00

As far as registration fees goes, this is one of the more expensive races at Php 350.00. But I'm a sucker for a good cause and this one is for the benefit of GMA Kapuso Foundation. And it's always good to know that your running is helping in some small ways. Good karma na, pogi points pa.

But other than that, no drama really . The race was well organized as can be expected (as well as it should be and come to think of it, this is the second consecutive well-organized races, hmm organizers getting more organize?). A number of of race marshal at different juncture, plenty of water and Gatorade along the route, the sun is out which is always good (much as I had great time running in the rain at Milo event, twice is too much already). It was held at The Fort, which seems to be a favorite venue among race organizers. And the route for the race was the well-trodden route I used on my Saturday run.

As for turnout, it's quite decent I suppose (I was in front jostling for position so I didn't get a good look at the crowd of runners). Since a couple of races was held today, one at UP and one at Markina, it probably explain why it wasn't a blockbuster race event.

Minor pet peeve:
- No free parking :-( there was plenty of wide space, grassy field and road space around the race area, but guards are asking drivers to use pay parking.
- People wasting resources (ie. Gatorade) just because there's plenty to go around. When getting freebies, the least you could do is finish half of it. Don't sip and throw, that's bad manners (so ok, this is not a minor pet peeve :-))

Race bonus points: Plenty of eye-candies at the race. Most of the chika-babes crowd seems to have favored this race which is a bit surprising, I thought they'd all troop to Takbo Bayani run, girl power and all about that sexist faux pas by the organizer of excluding female runners in 21K event.

And the highlight of race event? After a long, hard race a photo ops with Sen Pia Cayetano! Man, she is the bomb! Saw her at the starting line but wasn't sure. And she probably put on her face sun block a tad too much, she was glistening even before the race started (I'm gawking I know, but I was star-struck :-)). Saw her again at the finish line, I clocked at 0:52:00 and was few seconds ahead of her (I ate dust at the last Mizuno race). I was gonna ask her kung pede pa-picture. Kaya lang na-shy talaga ako, pero nilakasan ko ang loob ko, sabi ko sa sarili ko what will Manny Pacquio do? At saka, naalala ko rin na maganda linya ng mga bituin kagabi, at may bagong buwan pa nuong makalawa oh makatlo. Kaya sabi ko nalang hala bira, bahala na! At ayun, pinagpala naman.

And here's the obligatory after-race picture:

"Sige pre, sama ka narin picture."

Claim to fame! with Sen. Pia Cayetano.

Posing at the finish line, si Manong naman nag-excuse na nga, ayaw pa rin tumabi :-)

See you all on the next race, Adidas Run for Love 10Km run.

Is George Sheehan running in heaven?

2008-08-10T19:26:00.000+08:00

Do angels go for a run in heaven?

I was at the church this morning and really trying to focus on the gospel for the whole hour of the service, no can do jose. Don't think me bad, but there's only so much biblical enlightenment you could take in an hour before your mind goes haywire and head somewhere nice and cuddly. Since running is on my mind, here's a thought:

You love running and you're hardcore. Then one day while out running you got hit by a truck, and because you've been a good little boy/girl, you went straight to heaven and turn into an angel. Having attain nirvana, would you still bother to run in heaven?

Probably not. First, it make more sense to flap and hop around in your angel wings than go around running. Second, that endorphin rush you get while running and make you high... should be plenty of it in heaven without sweating it out. Third, all angels are pretty fit, that is pretty na fit pa, so it seem silly to run, grunt, and sweat to be a better you. In heaven, you are already a better you. Besides, all they do is play harp there, so you're really better off practicing your karaoke talent.

So, is George Sheehan running in the great beyond? Well, if you already have a perfect body, perfect soul, would you?

----

The Men's Health 10,000km Miracle Run is going to be next Sunday, it's for a good cause, check it out. Hope to see you all there! And if you're out to prove a point in Takbo Bayani run on Sunday, good luck and may the various deity of running be with you! :-)

32nd Milo (Manila) Elimination Race: Best Run

2008-08-04T22:49:00.000+08:00

I love this race. And of all the races I've run, this is by far the most fun and memorable I've had and it was just so good.

It's been raining the whole the week, and it was raining this morning when we drove to Luneta. But that didn't dampen the spirit (well perhaps it did, but just a little bit :-), and there's festive mood in the air even with the gloomy weather. It's also by far the biggest run event I've joined, estimated to be around 16,000 runners. The rain stop when we got there but started pouring again before the race.

But no matter, off we run when the gun went off. Everyone enthusiasm was such that there was carefree and back-when-were-still-kids feel to the race that everyone enjoyed. Sense of camaraderie with fellow runners everywhere. Running in the rain for nearly an hour was one of the most exhilarating and refreshing thing I've done lately

Yes, it was good day and it was a good run :-)

And now for some obligatory pics.

At 5:45am, it was still dark and gloomy and the again started to drizzle but all runners are psyched up and no care in the world.

Putting on my Patella (kneecap) brace support before the race. I started wearing one since it help me on longer runs.

See that sign that say 10K? Yep, finishing strong at 0:50:43.

Horsing around after crossing the finish line.

Yep, you see it right. No shoes, it was soaking wet after the race so I had to take it off. Walking barefoot at the event and loved it!

Students at AMA school.

With my two posse, Paolo and CJ, they weren't able to run at the Milo event :-(

#2 Todo stuff before getting married

2008-08-02T20:30:00.000+08:00

Most people have a done a list or two of thing they want to accomplish before they pass certain milestone (ie. before hitting their 30s, before getting married, etc). Well, I did mine a few years back, made a list of stuff I'd like to do before settling down. So for posterity, I thought I'd post them here or at least those that I've manage to cross-out from my list :-)

In no particular order, here's the second in the series of my personal todo stuff before getting married: Climb a mountain! Go back to nature and plant a tree (hehe, the planting I have yet to do :-))

This was at Mt Beerwah and back there they call it bushwalking. The difficulty grade was "Class 5" which is basically mountain climbing with some rock climbing. Climb on friends!

The guys I climbed with.

The view from afar.

Definitely not for newbies.

Climbing up!

And it's sweet at the top!

Hanging-on on dear life on my way down!

[I've rename my entry from last 11th July as that one was also in one of my todo stuff]

On another note, tomorrow is the marathon event of the year, the Milo Marathon. It's been raining the whole week and the weather forecast for tomorrow is yet another gloomy day :-( but no way I gonna miss this run!

Good luck to all runners, have fun and see you all at the race!

Web Analytics Redux

2008-07-28T12:42:00.000+08:00

You gotta love web analytics, how else can you track the most innocuous information? It's been more than a week now since I last post my comments on it. After that I've sorta check on it semi-regularly. Last night something caught my attention but haven't really given it much thought until I was running.

One of the more interesting data in web analytics are the traffic you get based on keywords/search engines. Prior to June this year (my pre-blog days), if you google 'Gene Ordanza', you'd hardly get any hits except for a couple of obscure tech list and some Linux-related web site. (If you saw the scene in 'Wanted' where the protagonist is googling his name, you get the idea). But checking some of my traffic source last night, I found out that people are googling 'Gene Ordanza'. Ha! If that ain't flattery then I'm wary! Today if you google me, you'd get my blog and Linked profile (which needs updating) on top of the list. Among other things, it tells me that people are curious enough to click my Linked profile for it to reach for it to reach top page. Hehe, I'm flattered of course, but uncertain what to make of it.

Which brings me to some unrelated point (something I've thought of while running). Some people are paranoid android when it comes to their online persona. Of course there are valid reason for it, you hold your privacy sacred for one, and for another, you're wary of those mythical online stalkers, or perhaps some people might hijack your name online. But generally though, if you're not that famous/rich/one heck of a character, it's probably more of an ego trip to think that people are into you for some weird, sinister reasons. I could be wrong of course, but one of the many things you get while running is smorgasbord of ideas, all fodder for blogging :-)

By the way, as of last night, my pageview is 570 (if you're considering Google Adsense, you'd definitely want to display it prominently on your blog). But actually, my visit stat (number of unique visitors per day) is only 295. Hehe, so much for easy money :-)

Average Pinoy runner-blogger

2008-07-25T17:57:00.000+08:00

You average Pinoy runner blogger is bourgeois :-) Readers, this post might seem a tactless and might not even be in good taste, and if it's in any way offensive, feel free to ping me and I'll drop this post (I might be clueless but I try not be a crass as well :-)

That said, here it is: I was reading a post called "Turning 36" from blogger DATC. Initially my impression on the comments section was that most Pinoy male runner are in their 30's (and older) and likely to be more married than single. (I could be off-mark of course, it could be that those male runners who's still in their 20's or younger are not into blogs).

But while running this morning, it got me thinking on similar note; what is an average Pinoy runner-blogger? Thinking of all the blogs I've read, I had a what seems to be a startling conclusion (which again could be off-mark). If you based it on Pinoy runner-blogger community, running seems to be a bourgeois sport. In countries like US, where vast majority of people are middle class this would be normal. In Philippines, this might have a negative connotation.

Consider this (something I've glean from various blogs and very much subjective):

- Almost all runner bloggers are working professionals. It is also quite common for them to be well off. The few who are unemployed can easily afford to be unemployed (by familial association they're also well-to-do). Perhaps I'm not looking hard enough, but you couldn't find any kanto boys who's blogging their running.

- Most runner (remember that these are just blog impressions and in no way accurate) are well-traveled lot. A popular theme among bloggers (after running) are places the they've traveled either abroad or the local touristy spot. And Boracay is so passé (joking :-))

- Shoes. Most runner purchase mid-range or high-end shoes, not because they're more slick or stylish (although, they're those things) but because you get more value for your money (try using inexpensive, low-price rubber shoes 3x a week, and see how far you'll get). And how is this so bourgeois? Well, in itself they're already expensive but relative to what an average worker earns? They're prohibitive (and we're not even talking about ipod, garmin and other shiny baubles here).

- They're generally tech-savvy (they're blogging :-)) Also, a person who blog is very likely to own a computer. Except for owning car, nothing says more about middle-class than having a computer and Internet access.

Think of it: If you're in any specialty shoe store and buying a basketball shoes, what are the odds that the salesperson also play basketball? If you're buying a running shoes, what are the odds that the salesperson is into running? Fair to say that some sport are masa and some are not?

Web Analytics

2008-07-20T12:48:00.000+08:00

Two weeks ago I thought I'd setup web analytics for my blog. Like most new bloggers, I was curious to see if my blog is connecting. Google fan boy that I am, I used their web analytics service. It hasn't been integrated yet to blogspot.com but it's still a breeze to setup.

So after two weeks, here are the raw numbers: I had a total of 166 visits and an average of 11.07 visit per day. Woot! Woot! Hehe, I'm shallow, I know :-)

So what does google analytics tell me about those 166 visits? Some of the data are quite interesting. (visits are not hits, remember raw 'hits' or stats are misleading, ie. objects in your blog like pictures/movies also generate separate hits but are all collated into a single web hit counter so visits are always less than raw hits).

- Most of my visitors are from Philippines, no surprise there. But quite number of them are from abroad. Some came from California (ie. Sacramento, SF, others... thanks SFrunner) and some from other Asean countries. But it was surprise to see that my blog reach as far as Euro even Czech Republic, Australia, and Russia. My own little space in the whole wide world of Internet and people finding it :-)

- 75.30% of my audience are returning visitor! Yahoo! Imagine that, people came back and I didn't bore them to death.

- Tech Profile: 50% of my visitors uses Window/Internet Explorer combo, no surprise there. But number of readers also uses Linux/Firefox setup, tech-savvy guys (slight emphasis on guys, since it's a pretty rare to find girls who's into Linux and other OS stuff). 11.45% uses Mac OSX/Safari combo (hehe, people with money to burn :-)) A small percentage uses Mac OSX/Firefox and other OS (ie. BSD, Unix). I used Fedora 8 so rock on!

- Some of the traffic I generate came from search engines. Apparently, if you google Baracuda Adidas, one of the hits you'd get is my blog.

Thank you dear readers, for a new blogger like myself, it's a blast to know that my blogging somehow connected with other people! And that it strike the right chord among different people (hehe, I'm over-reacting of course :-) but that's how I'd like think about it)

Yep, it's blast to blog things you're crazy about and I can't think a of better way to keep myself motivated. I hope you join me in my blog and together we can enjoy the wonderful world of running.

And to steal line from lonerunner, run on friends!

One La Salle Run

2008-07-16T16:36:00.000+08:00

This is mostly ranting, so reader beware.

The La Salle Run was held last Sunday at The Fort. The runners was estimated to be over 5000 strong, so it's by far the biggest run event I participated in for this year. As with other run events, there was Fiesta atmosphere at the area. Everyone happy and

Now, I have to tell you, a week prior to the event, I only had one run all throughout. I also had to go to two Olympic Village store to find a registration form (16K was sold out at the first store, and almost missed the last one at second store, that's how popular races are becoming). A few days before the event, I had a slight fever so my body's aching all over and my knees felt like jelly. And the weather was just sporadic the whole week, sunny half the day, rainy the other half. So all told, it kinda took away my enthusiasm and I wasn't as gung-ho or fervent to run last Sunday.

But like a real trooper, come race day I was there, pump and ready for action. Then right before the announcer can say "ready-get-set-go", it drizzled and pour. Hai, yai yay. But still, off I run. But the mood is now more downbeat, less spirited and none of the usual rah-rah of my previous runs.

The race organization for me was fine. Of course, some of the event details could be improved on like putting more marshall but since I was running in the middle of the pack, it wasn't a biggie for me, I just followed the runners ahead. This is my 4th race of the year, so expectation is something I've learned to tone-down.

Perhaps, the two real bummers for me was taking shelter during the downpour not so much because of the rain but because I was thinking of my running shoes and how I'll ruined it in this rain (already thrashed a good pair in my last MensHealth trail run, hate to see another one get wasted) Thinking of it now, that was just so lame :-( Then I also had to walk for quite a stretch. I wasn't prepared for the race and felt it early in the race.

By my watch, I clocked 1:43:23 for the 16K.

Also, suggestion to organizers/sponsors: Perhaps it might be better to give runner a small cup at the water station. Giving bottled water might seem generous and convenient but seeing runners throw bottled water still half-full after only a few drinks is just a waste.

Here's my obligatory pose at the Start/Finish line (the after-race-wet-look :-)) May not have enjoyed the greater part of the race but still felt like a He-man crossing the Finish line.

Next run - Milo Elimination (21K)

Trivia: Did you know that most security guards at The Fort (or those not on duty during races) participate in the run events?

Great pics from other bloggers/ Todo stuff before getting married

2008-07-12T07:04:00.000+08:00

[Addendum: I've renamed the title for this post as this turn out to be a prequel to my post in 2nd July]

Last few days, a couple of great pictures was posted by some of the running bloggers. Awesome pics, and the kind that makes you wish

The first one was a great pic shared by sfrunner, the picture that says it all. This was way back when he was young lad in 70's, the picture reminds me of various essays of George Sheehan and how he would describe runners in the early days. And of course, probably the most iconic pic among the running bloggers here :-)

Then some really nice pictures posted by HighAltitude while doing trail runs in Mt. Batulao, medyo pang-commercial nga yung pics eh, I was half-expecting an endorsement for power drinks there somewhere hehe :-)

I wish I could post something similar, something that can connect and resonate the way sfrunner's picture does with others but since I have nada I'll just take my cue from one of the recent bungee jumping pics I've seen on one of the running blogs.

Yeah, in case you're wondering I was shouting my lungs out there.

This was the mindless jump (second) I did. I had the jump film, and this pic was a snapshot from it so it's a bit is granny. It was just crazy but heck of fun.

The La Salle Run is going to be tomorrow, good luck to all runners!

Tiktabo Run

2008-07-10T00:35:00.000+08:00

Run with my nephews last Sunday at Tiktabko at UP. Being the great uncle that I am :-) I've been introducing them to the sport with great results. When I brought them to my first run at the Market! Market! Fun Run, they've been quite taken and excited, asking me unceasingly "Tito Gene, when will we run in marathon?".

So for a few weeks now, they been practicing their run. It always make me smile seeing them run a few blocks from the house and after which proudly declare themselves the fastest and strongest marathon runner ever!

Last Sunday was their first stab at running races. We went there early, made sure we're registered for the 2K event, did our warm-up and stretching, and line up at starting line. At get go, Paolo went off like a bullet and run beautifully for first 300-400 meters, his arms swinging like I taught him to, looking confidently ahead, his stride, sure, long and wide. Watch out world, here comes young Pheidippides. CJ were the same but had problems with his shoes early on and so couldn't finish the race :-(

Paolo (right) and CJ (left) with Mom and Dad

All dress up and rarin to go! Paolo got that flexing bicep posture from the mysterious Zorro :-)

With irascible Zorro :-)

Also, I needed to take my spanking new top-of-the-line Adidas adiStar Cushion 6 I bought few weeks ago for a test run. Wasn't really planning to buy a new pair but for a 40% promo discount it was a steal... I'm weak I know.

Anyways, the shoes fit snugly at the store when I tried it so didn't bother to go outside to do a quick trot. Very very bad indeed :-( When buying a new running shoes (and this I only research today grrh!) you're suppose to make allowance for some toe space at the tip of your shoes. Otherwise, it makes for uncomfortable running and blister to boot!

It's been a few week since, so I can't return it now. Arrgh! there goes my 40% discount. I could just kick myself.

Running with Mizuno Run Club

2008-07-04T12:01:00.000+08:00

When I went to register for the Mizuno Run a few weeks back, the staff at the store told that me they also have a running club that meets every other Thursday, and to come and check it out. And so I did last night. It was good.

They got a good mix of runners there, plenty of beginners, serious runners and runners in-between. Probably 20-30 people there, good crowd. They also provide free Rush water drink. The main guy (didn't catch his name) had the group running 5 half loops around Bonifacio High Street. For the more serious runner, it's the whole block. Tried to pace with these guys but sort of fell behind after the second full loop. After that I sorta took it easy, it's supposed to be my recovery run from last Sunday, after all.

One of the more popular blogger in the local running scene was there. I was going to say hi, fanboy and all, but got cold feet (she look gorgeous in person :-) so just played it cool and look surreptitiously here and there. But I did chat with a couple of the veteran runners there.

Hey, you know what's the word is on the street... the second placer Annie (forgot her surname and her name wasn't in 15k_Female_Results.pdf I've downloaded) was in good stead to be first place in the 15K race division but was overtaken by the eventual first place finisher down the stretch. Rumor mill was a buzz that there was 'short cut' taken which accounted for the fresh legs in the last few kms. There was plenty of the veteran runners who was vouching that they run with Annie all through out the course and was quite surprise by a runner coming out of nowhere to overtake. Oh well, you know rumors, juicy stuff and high on entertainment value, but really counterproductive :-)

Good Run But Finish Line Suck

2008-07-01T08:00:00.000+08:00

The highly anticipated Rush to Infinity Run was held last Sunday. It was supposed to be redux of the Infinity run last March.

First, the pet peeve. Putting it diplomatically, the Finish Line part of the race was a messy affair. It was disorganized and poorly executed. Apparently, the race organizer didn't anticipate how many runners from different class (5K/10K/15K) would converge at the finish line. It wasn't so bad for first time runners, but for more experience runners there were heaps of vitriols being hurled around and plenty of negative vibes making rounds.

After the race, I went to nearby FF gym for a quick shower. I was talking to a guy who felt ripped off by whole thing, we were discussing how the event was well organized for most part but because fiasco at the finish line, the experience turn sour for everyone and left a bad taste.

On the other hand, mistakes do happen and there are such things as Murphy's law that virtually guarantee it to occur in worst possible way. But Mr. Rio (the guy responsible for the organizing the event) did manned up for that ignominious affair, and publicly apologize. I'd say he's one courageous fellow. I guess he can chuck it up to experience, I'm sure he'll be a better organizer for it. He'll just have to wait for the whole thing to blow over :-)

That said, the race event was actually good (if you discount the fiasco at the finish line). There was a huge turnout, which is always good, the route for the race was also nice (not as scenic as the route from the Men's Health race), race marshals at critical junctures, plenty of water stations. Even the weather was perfect, overcast sky that provided cool and shade to the runners. Added bonus, plenty of fine-looking women and eye candies (check out the pic below!) at the race. Kudos still goes Mr. Rio and other sponsor for the mostly well-organized event.

And of course before I forget the highlight of my running career so far; moi was running beside and slightly behind our good Senator, Pia Cayetano. How is cool is that! Initially, I was only aware of the tenacious lady runner ahead, she with the colorful and girlie outfit (pink shoes, pink short, pink/white top, pink visor, pink shade) until onlookers started saying "Hey, that's Senator Pia Cayetano". She run so daintily, I swear she couldn't be a triathlete (she is though). And I'm proud to say that I was able to keep pace for the first 12Kms before she finally pulled ahead. Shucks. And I still didn't catch her after the race, so there goes my photo shoot with her, next time...

My personal time was 1:25:37. Pretty decent I think since it's my first 15K run. Another pet peeve was how the race organizers bludgeoned my official time to 1:42:18... oh well.

Overall, I would still say that it was good race despite bloopers at the end. And you can't really let details affect your whole mood. I'm quite the happy runner and would be glad to run again at the next Mizuno run event.

Next race: La Salle Running Festival (16Kms)

Eye candies at the race :-) if only they included them in the prizes, would have been plenty of record-breaking run. How the heck could the organizers be so remiss.

Lucky to be (accidentally) posing with some the gorgeous runners at the race, hehe, wish I could one take home.

Men's Health All-Terrain Race

2008-06-16T18:10:00.001+08:00

The 12K Men's Health All-Terrain Race was my second run event for the year and probably the toughest and most difficult course I will run this year. The event was held in the countryside of low lying mountains of San Mateo, Rizal, an hour's drive from Metro Manila. The format was a steep uphill climb on pavement on the first 2-3 kilometers, then followed by rolling terrain that includes running on both dry and muddy dirt tracks. Then running on gravel road before going through another uphill run with a scenic countryside below as backdrop. There was also beautiful short run on landscape full of grass and trees before you hit the final leg of the race. Finally, there was the steep downhill race to the finish line.

I thought it was a good race, considering I haven't train for this type of race format. I clocked a respectable 1:08:18 for the 12K all-terrain run. I also finished strong so I'm quite happy with my performance. Those 10Ks I've running last two weeks helps, it build my endurance for those uphill climbs.

Now for some pet peeve. I couldn't decide if I would have been better off using trail shoes rather than my running shoes. I have pair of Merrell shoes that would have been better suited on the trail run and definitely easier on gravel road, but would have been awkward to use initial uphill race (3-4K) and the downhill (1.5K) race since both are running on pavement. On the other hand, those trail run are really dicey, easy to sprain your ankle on those trails. And I hate to ruin a pair of good running shoes. I also had to walk on the last hill climb :-(

Overall, the race was well-organized event, complete with race marshals, water stations every 2 kilometers or so, distance markers along the trail, and bonus points for the scenery, the view was spectacular at the top.
I'll wait for the race result to be posted on their web site.

Kudos to Men's Health for organizing the event and well done!

Coming up next, the Mizuno Rush to Infinity Run event.

Posing at the finish line.

Hello World!

2008-06-11T18:22:00.000+08:00

My foray to brave new world of blogging!

By and large, this will be running-theme blog, I'll also post some of the technical stuff I do (open-source, Python, techie stuff unrelated to) sort of reference material for me, but for most part, this will be about my running and how to keep myself motivated. I procrastinate a lot :-( so blogging seems like a good idea.

I run mostly outdoor (or used to) but this year I just sort of became lazy, nowadays I mostly just go to the gym, use the treadmill once every two weeks. Sad indeed. But then a stroke of fate, my sister saw an ad for the Market! Market! Fun Run. Long story short, I run at the event and got back my groove for running outdoors. At the time, blogging was still farthest from my mind, but I kept trying to think of a way to keep me motivated, I was afraid that I might slide back to my old ways of putting things off if I can't come up with something that will keep me running religiously. Then while trying to google for the next race, I chance upon a couple of local blogs on running, I thought they were hip, savvy, and cool. And then voilà, why not blog? But then, I don't know a thing about blogging, and my writing experience is mostly limited to work emails, so I'm thinking... I'm nuts. Ahh, but I do love to run (love conquers all diba, hehe) and it can't be all that bad and I may not be up to any award-winning blogs but I'm sure it could be learn/develop. So I thought, just give it a go and see how it goes, blogging sound like a killer idea, it would be a shame not to give it a try. And so here's to wonderful world of blogging, may the force be with me :-)

Here's the run that started it all, with my nephew CJ.