I was fortunate enough to be invited to the opening of Adidas’ newest and biggest flagship store at Level 1, Greenbelt 3 yesterday afternoon.  The event was graced by celebrities, athletes, and press people but, I tell you, the stuff in that store was more than enough to get me excited.

Models and celebrities walked down the aisle to show off new apparel and shoes that just made me drool: all the black and yellow running items from apparel to shoes (I’m so into this color combination now.  Don’t ask me why.  Fine. It has a lot to do with a guy named Lance), the new tops in that nice, cool shade of blue, the Supernova in white/blue and the white/yellow running shoes that need no lacing, and of course, my new favorite, anything Stella McCartney.  Aaaah, I could go on and on…

Walking around this sprawling store, I particularly liked the fact that they had displayed running items everywhere, such as a list of races on one wall, a standee quizzing you on what type of runner you are, and gargantuan stickers of Haile posted on the pillars.  These little things made me feel that these people certainly know a lot about running.

Of course, despite the excitement over the goods, I still got starstruck with all the celebs: Chris Tiu, Doug Kramer, Angel Aquino, Karylle and many more.  I got to chat once again with actress and runner Iza Calzado (we first met in the restroom after Happy Run when I mistakenly said “Hi” to her thinking she was a friend due to her familiar face…oops!); I honestly think she’s one of the nicest celebrities I’ve ever met. 

– Oh Chris, why couldn’t you have been born 10 years earlier?  Or should it be 20? -

– Coach Ani de Leon and Coach Jomac can make everything look easy…even modelling! -

– Iza Calzado in Stella McCartney -

I also spotted Mojo Jojo of Good Times with Mo and I just had to go up to him and personally thank him for mentioning TBR Magazine on Magic 89.9 a couple of weeks ago. He said that he and Grace Lee are trying to lose weight this summer so, hopefully, they give running a try.  It was also great to chat with ironwoman Ani de Leon and Coach Jomac about, what else, running!

- I love mojo! -

- with Iza -

Before the event ended, there was a raffle held and it was my good friend JunC’s lucky day as his name was called.  He won a diary…for women!  Er, so I guess it was his wife’s, not his, lucky day.  Still, congrats to Jun!  And, of course, congrats to Adidas!

And the winner is (drumroll please)…JOMS!

Joms posted SEN. PIA CAYETANO as his entry and he was right.  For those of you who didn’t get a copy yesterday, here’s the cover:

It was fun reading all 128 submissions. Here’s the summary:

Jaymie Pizarro/ TBR, 76
Sen. Pia Cayetano, 20
Leica Carpo, 5
Tweetie de Leon, 5
Joy Rojas, 3
Iza Calzado, 3
Tessa Prieto, 3
Annie Agoncillo, 2
Patrick Concepcion, 2
Amanda Carpo, 1
Francesca Carpo, 1
Annie de Leon, 1
Elma Muros, 1
Lydia De Vega, 1
Nina Huang, 1
Tiffin Parco, 1
Marga Deona, 1
Bald Runner, 1
TOTAL: 128

Thank you to all of you who participated in the contest! There’s still one more chance of winning a pair of Nike Running Shoes. Check out the first page of TBR Magazine.

TBR Magazine is now available at ROX, Bonifacio High Street.  By next week at Second Wind Running Store in QC.  I’ll keep you posted.

Note: Joms is a personal friend, but he was not in any way tipped in advance of the cover runner. (We runners are an honorable and respectable lot, aren’t we?)

Yes, a MAGAZINE! I’m completely thrilled to finally launch this on Sunday at Condura Run! The only thing I have yet to reveal is the featured runner on our cover (uhm, that’s why it’s just a silhouette for now).

The Bull Runner Magazine is a FREE, quarterly mini-magazine packed with the following information:

• Special feature on runners with great achievements or contributions in running
• Articles on training, gear, and nutrition by Coaches or experts in their field
• New running products
• Calendar of races and running clinics
• Directory of running resources such as Coaches, track ovals, ortho-doctors, clinics, shoes and many more!
• Travel photos of runners running anywhere in the country
• Special feature of a real runner and his/her personal records
• Plus: Comic relief from Tergat: the Lone Runner’s comic strip

Even better news, the same info (yes, even the directory) will be available on the soon-to-be-improved The Bull Runner blog.

Come back again tomorrow for details on the online promo.

While many of us will use next week to train (or taper?) for the upcoming Condura Half Marathon, the Pinoy Ultra Runners will have a long run next Saturday, March 14. How long? Uhm, just the distance from Manila to Tagaytay.

The beneficiary of this run is the Brain Foundation which aims to help neurosurgical indigent patients. If you wish to help, email pinoyultrarunners@yahoo.com or visit their websites:

Pinoy Ultra Runners site

ROX site

Her ultimate dream was to run across the Philippines.  In 2005, Joy Rojas accomplished this after running 2000km in 46 days from Mindanao to Luzon.  She was the first woman to run across the country.

She said that this achievement made her feel alive.  It compelled her to visit more places, do more things, and set out for even more dreams.

On May 11, 2009, Joy’s 44th birthday, she will embark on yet another dream run: Takbong Pangarap, a run across America, from California to New York in 120 days.  She’ll be running roughly 50km everyday for 100 days with only 20 days for rest.  Most of the time she’ll be running alone, accompanied only by a small support crew, Mat Macabe, her running partner and trainer, and Chuck Crisanto, her coordinator.  By doing this, Joy hopes to share this message: that there is no limit to the Filipino spirit and that all dreams can be accomplished through hard work and determination.

If Joy completes her run across America, she will be the first Filipina and South East Asian woman to do so.

AN INSPIRATION

I was fortunate enough to be invited to the Takbong Pangarap press launch at Manila Peninsula yesterday morning.

- with Takbong Pangarap Team: Chuck Crisanto, Joy Rojas, & Mat Macabe - 

It wasn’t the first time I ever met Joy.  Over a decade ago, I used to see her running around Bel-Air village.  I had no clue who she was, but I remember thinking that she was such a tiny girl but she seemed so strong.  Last year, I read about her plans for Takbong Pangarap and wrote about it here.  As luck would have it, a couple of weeks ago, Joy and I met and I learned that Takbong Pangarap was finally pushing through.

So, there I was at the press launch, seated right beside Joy Rojas herself.  I was awestruck.  We talked about how prepared she was for this, how many shoes she was bringing (12 pairs!), her favorite shoe (Adidas), her marathon PR (4:11) and, just as she was about to be called for her speech, how nervous she was about talking in public.

As she talked, all I could think of was this:  Wow, I am so jealous.  I want to do what she’s doing!  It may not be my dream to run across America (at least, not yet!), but it’s my dream to go after my goals as aggressively and courageously as she does.  

HOW CAN YOU HELP TAKBONG PANGARAP?

Takbong Pangarap, Trans-USA 2009, will raise funds for the Philippine Heart Center and the anti-tuberculosis program of the Inner Wheel Club of QC District 378.  Here’s how you can help:

1. Sponsor or pledge.  Call Buensalido & Associates at 817-4471 or Chuck Crisanto at 0917-898-3621
2. For Pinoys in the US, run a few kilometers with Joy for moral support. According to Chuck, they are hoping that Pinoy runners in New York (calling Mike Mesina and Jud) can accompany Joy in the last 20km of her run. This will be on Sept. 8, around 1 p.m., starting at the foot of George Washington bridge until Joy crosses the finish line at the Philippine Consulate around 3 p.m.  For inquiries, email takbongpangarap@yahoo.com
3. Buy these patriotic Coach shirts.  A portion of the proceeds goes to Takbong Pangarap.  For more info, call Chuck Crisanto at 0917-898-3621.



- I love this shirt! -

Welcome back to the Pinoy Ultra Runners and their guests who ran 55km up Mt. Pinatubo and down again for a good cause: Kythe kids’ Christmas Party.

Read Part 1 of the story here.  Neville, we shall wait with bated breath for the 2nd installment. 

* Photo courtesy of Pinoy Ultra Runners

Organizer: Extribe
Overall rating (5 highest): 4

WOOHOO, HIGH FIVE!:
- use of RFID timing chip for 25k runners
- challenging course
- portalet at 12.5k turnaround 
- medals for all finishers plus other goodies
- separate race days for kids/5k and 10k/25k 

GOOD JOB:
- ample supply of 100 Plus and mineral water bottles at water stations
- good number of race marshalls at certain areas
- accurate mile markers at every kilometer
- bananas and fluids at the finish
- NB recovery and photo booths
- pretty accurate measurement of distance (Garmin measured course at 25.14km)

AAW, BETTER JOB NEXT TIME:
- high traffic to check in at race start
- late starting time
- mistakes at awarding

- NB booth where runners lined up for extra loving care from therapists -

The New Balance 25km at Clark yesterday will be one of the more memorable races for me. It was the farthest I had ever run and, despite my fears and anxieties, it was, by far, the most fun I had ever had in a race. Excellent weather conditions (it was cool and cloudy all throughout with a bonus light drizzle at the start), fun and entertaining personalities among 25kers, a great job by race organizers, plus my better-than-expected performance (not that I had such high standards) contributed to making this race unforgettable for me.

According to my Garmin, I crossed the finish line at 2:33:10 with an average pace of 6:06 min/km, a great time for me because my training runs have all been at a much slower pace; actually, my only goal was to end the race without injury.  Here are the highlights of my race:

- Zen dinner: We shared an early pre-race dinner with JunC and Jay and the rest of our families at Zen, just across the hotel.  It’s nice to know that, as much as we love running, for this training group, family still comes first.

- Meeting other running bloggers: I met ibanrunner, high altitude, miraclecello, and run unlimited on race day. It’s always great to meet other runners, but even better to come across those who love it so much that they must tell everyone about it.

- Bonding with family: The weekend trip to Clark was enjoyable for the kids, but it was also a great bonding experience for hubby and I since it was the first out of town race we were running together.  Hubby ran his first 10k which, as I mentioned to Mark, was of his own free will (and passion); nope, I didn’t have to force or even subtly persuade him (hehe) to register. 

- The hubby was my photographer, sponsor, and (as seen in photo) support as I was about to stretch my quads -

- Running with JunC for the 1st half: Our plan was to run a 6 min/km pace. Jay decided the night before to run at a much faster pace while Dindo stayed close behind. During the 1st few kilometers, JunC and I managed to stay within our goal pace but, as soon as we reached the downhill portion, we upped the tempo to 5:30 for around 5km as buffer for the expected slow uphill climb on our way back. JunC and I make a lot of pre-race plans but part of the fun of running with him is agreeing mid-race that we should trash those plans and run faster…haha.

- That’s JunC and myself - 

- Potty Break: Before the race started, Ting had informed me that there would be a portalet that awaited female runners at the 12.5k mark. Thank God, I told her. All throughout the run, I (and perhaps other female runners) were tormented by the sight of numerous male runners having easy access to pee breaks anywhere on the road. Aaah, life is unfair. By 9k, I needed to go badly and I was praying Ting was right.  As we climbed the slight uphill in Fontana toward the turnaround, I caught sight of the portalet and did my business at world record time. Hallelujah!

- Running with Mark P. and Renz: I bumped into Mark and Renz shortly after my bathroom break. Time flew as I ran with them—almost like running with Tito, Vic and…errr…I am certainly not Joey so scrap that idea. There was a lot of laughter and nonsense talk to keep ourselves entertained. A bonus from Mark was the technical race tip he gave which I will never ever divulge to anyone. (Mark, I tried it in the last few kilometers, and yes it works!)

– with Mark and Renz -

- Running with Coach Rio and Dra. Doray: As luck would have it, I did find Coach Rio and his hair as I had initially planned. I ran with him and Councilor Doray during the last kilometers of the race, which included the 4km climb that all of us dreaded early on. Coach Rio was his usual funny and talkative self (even if I could barely respond), but he also checked in on us often asking how we were doing.  Thank you Coach and Doray!

- Last 2km: So, I ran this behind Coach Rio and Dra. Doray and, as they started speeding up, I wondered if I should (or could) do the same. There was barely enough time to think, so I just ran with my eyes practically closed. It was one of the toughest and longest runs for me—ever. Ack, I wanted to yell out and ask Coach Rio if the finish line was really “malapit na” as he had repeated over a hundred times, but I didn’t have the energy to talk. Soon enough, we crossed the finish with a large crowd cheering all finishers and it felt awesome; I couldn’t have been happier that I pushed myself to the limits.

– Our training group: Jay (Prometheus Cometh), Dindo (RunningDATcom), JunC, myself plus the hubby -

- with hubby, Annie who won 1st in her age category with a time of 2:05 accdg. to her Garmin, and JunC -

- Councilor Doray (Doralicious), Nina, Wayne (SFRunner), Coach Rio, hubby, myself, Vimz, Mayen, and friend -

- with the Cougcat Family of racers -

- with Missy, and super fast running partners, shirtless Ben and Joms -

Congrats to all the finishers! It was a fun race!  Congrats to race organizers as well!

Thank you to Jay (X59) and Jun, Mariel & Bea for some of the photos!

- preparing for the presentation with Neville and Margaloo -

Beth discussed ultramarathons for women, which is where her passion lies as evident in her beaming smile during her entire talk. She gave practical tips on running on the road and trails, discussed running gear, and inspired women to take up running even beyond 50km as she has done over the years.

- Beth inspires future ultramarathoners -

Beth and I are very different: she’s been running since highschool, I only started in 2006; she runs up mountains while I’m allergic to them; and she loves ultramarathons while my ultimate dream would be to run a sub-4-hour marathon (and, knock on wood, run fast marathons annually after that) rather than to run 100km.  

It was because of the contrast that I thought it was such a clever idea for the Pinoy Ultra Runners to have featured us on the same stage. I saw  running from the eyes of a veteran runner and I realized that, despite the differences, we shared one major bond: our passion for running. 

And, when I looked at the audience, it was pretty much the same thing.  We had various levels of experience in running, but that was insignificant.  One was not better than the other for running faster, longer, or better.  What mattered was that we all loved running or, at the very least, wanted to fall in love with it.

I won’t tell you how my talk went; let the participants be the judge of that.  But, what I can say is that I had a great time talking about one of my greatest passions to an audience that was so eager to listen (I don’t get that too often at home…kidding!)

- That’s me dropping beans into reluctant volunteer Car’s shoes -

To Pinoy Ultra Runners: congratulations once again for a successful event.  Looking forward to the next one.

- with my favorite reader, CougCat, soon after he finished his homework. Thanks for both the virtual and real cookie! -

- Dinner at Pancake House after the talk. The place was filled with runners! -

More pics to follow in the next post.  I gotta leave now for the Nike Training Clinic at Ultra…