- Sen. Pia Cayetano with her new memoir during the launch -

I gotta get my hands on a copy soon. Sen. Pia is a friend (and an ex-boss) of mine and I truly admire her for strength, intelligence, independence and her ability to juggle her many roles in life. She’s been talking about her plans for coming out with a book like this since 2008 if I’m not mistaken and I’m glad she finally made her dream a reality.

- Sen. Pia signing books -

Here are excerpts from the book:

On women and running

“You see, there are really two kinds of women who run: Women who put on running shoes and run recreationally or competitively, and women who run for public office. I am a woman who runs, on both accounts.”

“When I run in a race, I proudly run on behalf of women. I run to empower women. I run to raise awareness that there is still a lot of discrimination and injustice against women in our country. I run because I know this will be a better place when women’s voices are heard as loudly as men’s. Mostly, I run because I know a little girl is always watching from the sidelines; and I hope to empower her, to inspire her to be a woman of substance and perhaps a woman who runs one day.”

On losing my father

“I held my father’s hand, and lay my head on his chest for the last few hours of his life. If I could have breathed for him, I would have. If I could have stopped him from dying, I would have. Because all my life, he took care of me, protected me from harm, provided for me, taught me right from wrong, and even when it was hard for him, he let me go when it was time for me to grow up and experience life on my own.”

“I knew he had prepared me for life without him. But it was not going to be easy living without my Dad. “

On being a triathlete

“How does a sleepy tri-girl who has been a night owl most of her adult life become a triathlete or a morning athlete?…It was a process. It started with the death of my son. Running consoled me.”

“But like all my long races and trials in life, I always tell myself, the day will end whether I accomplish my task or not. Do I want to look back knowing I did it, or regretting I did not? In this case, the question I asked myself was more specific—at the end of the day, do I want to be able to say, ‘I AM AN IRONMAN’? Needless to say, I kept running. “

From the Press Release:

Despite being a newcomer to the politics during the 2004 campaign, Pia offered herself to Filipino voters as an advocate of health, children and women’s concerns. She won, landing sixth in the senatorial polls and even made history as the youngest woman elected to the Philippine Senate. Over the years, she would prove herself worthy of the mandate as one of the most hardworking and efficient members of the Upper Chamber.

Cayetano, who is serving her second term, also shares in her book how she manages to balance her responsibilities at home with her official duties at the Senate and as an international parliamentarian, while at the same time finding time to pursue her passion for running, Ironman races, and lately, extreme, off-road triathlon competitions.

The lady senator started ‘My Daily Race’as an online diary in 2007. She began entertaining the idea of coming up with a book after attending a memoir-writing seminar in New York with youngest brother and TV director Lino Cayetano.

- Sen. Pia Cayetano with her three younger brothers (L-R): Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano, TV director Lino Cayetano and collectibles entrepreneur and enthusiast Ren Cayetano -

In ‘My Daily Race,’ readers will be introduced to members of the lady senator’s family, including its newest member Lucas. The lady senator likewise shares some candid moments with fellow senators (her ‘seatmates,’ as she fondly calls them) on the sidelines of fiery debates and controversial investigations at the Senate.

“My objective is to share my life experiences and answer the questions I am often asked: What is it like to be a senator? A triathlete? A senator and triathlete at the same time? A working mom and a triathlete at the same time?” Cayetano wrote in her introduction.

A veteran of several local and international marathons and triathlons, Cayetano also shares how she rechanneled her grief from losing her loved ones by turning to running, biking and triathlons, and organizing sports activities for a cause to help underprivileged children with special needs, promote women empowerment and campaign for a healthy lifestyle.

My Daily Race is P499.
Available at Fully Booked (Makati, Alabang, Taguig.  Ortigas and QC by Nov. 30)
Orders are accepted via email: cayetanofoundation(at)gmail.com or SMS 0926-642-0786

Gabriel Symphony stands out as one of the annual races that’s all heart. The atmosphere is filled with generosity, positivism, and unity to make a difference in the lives of children with special needs.

Now on its 9th year, the Gabriel’s Symphony 12Hour Multi-Sport Celebration in Memory of Gabriel raises funds for children with cleft lip and palate and those who are visually and hearing-impaired. They also help indigent children develop their potential, such as the children of Daang Hari and Marillac Hills, some of whom have shown potential as runners and athletes. Click HERE to read more about their advocacies.

For this year, the event will be held on Saturday, September 3 2011 at the Alabang Country Club. Activities include:

1. One Hour Swim-a-thon
2. One Hour Run-a-thon
3. Two Hour Bike-a-thon
4. Triathlon for Adults
5. SuperTriKids Triathlon
6. Mile Run Races: Buddy Run and Walk Your Dog

They will also have demonstration games by the Younghusband Football Academy and an Adventure Race for Daang Hari and Marillac Hills children.

Athletes are also invited to donate old shoes and singlets through the swimbikerun.ph booth and to bring old denims, old magazines and children’s books for the Recycling Depot Project.

To register:

• Click HERE to visit the race website
• Email blessings@gabrielsymphony.com

1. As a woman, I fully support this race led by Sen. Pia Cayetano as it’s all about women power!  It promotes women rights, health, and empowerment and includes females with women-specific type of cancers as its beneficiary. Go Pinay!
2. As a female runner, I love the fact that it’s an all women’s run. It encourages women, regardless of their running background, to come out and take a step towards getting fit.  Last but not the least,
3. P.I.A. will always be one of the most memorable races for me.  Did you know that Pinay in Action 2007 was my very first race?  It was my first 5k and I remember it vividly.  I was a bundle of nerves, but it turned out to be such a wonderful experience that I caught the running bug and never looked back.

This 2010, the Pinay in Action gathered over 1,000 runners (mostly female of course) to run in SM Mall of Asia.  The roads were covered in pink as runners dashed out for their respective race distances.

I registered for 10km, but I felt awfully tired. My body still hasn’t fully recovered from the double marathons of February.  Add gym work the day before plus Coach Rio’s late-night birthday bash the evening before the race and I knew it was wiser to run a short and easy 5k this morning.

Despite the weary feeling, I got an instant energy boost talking with the super women I bumped into this morning.

While waiting for the race to start, I chatted with DORAY ELLIS of Fitness First Team and met her 10-year-old daughter who’s into tri as well.

Before the gun was fired, I stood among the other women with JOYETTE JOPSON of David’s Salon Team who I learned had stayed at Coach Rio’s party much later, yet still pushed herself to run the full 10km.

During the race, it was a pleasant surprise to bump into JOY ROJAS, the woman who truly inspires us all to reach for our goals when she ran across the Philippines and America.

– with Joy and her friend -

I stopped at 5k and spotted SEN. PIA CAYETANO and IZA CALZADO surrounded by a crowd. I stood in the back attempting to get a photo of them, but they were both nice enough to call me into the circle for a quick photo op.  They are two of my favorite celebrity women—sincere, smart, strong, and women you can basically talk to as if they were your best girlfriends!

– with Iza and Pia -

As I was about to head to the car, I then spotted three strong men standing out from the crowd of women: Lit Onrubia, Jun Bisnar, and my hubby.  All three are registered TBR Dream Marathoners and they used this race for their 20k training run. I decided to run an additional 2k with them and decided to DNF at 7k.

– Hubby with Lit Onrubia, Chi Running instructor, and Jun Bisnar, Nuvali GM -

After the race, I chatted with APRIL LEE of Pace Partners, a friend I met through this blog.  She leaves our country tomorrow and I wish I had been given the chance to get to know her better.

– April Lee and the Pace Partners -

It was a run filled with positive energy and women power.  It practically wiped my exhaustion away!

– with new mommy runner friends and their kids -

Read TBR archives of Pinay In Action here:
Pinay in Action 2009
Pinay in Action 2008
Pinay in Action 2007

Overall Rating (10 highest): 6

THUMBS UP!
- Unique idea: an All Women’s Run…how great is that?!
- Race for kids: 1.6 km team run
- Abundant supply of free food, sports drinks, and mineral water
- Inspirational “women power” signs along the route
- raises awareness for women’s issue (breast cancer, cervical cancer, violence vs. women, etc)

GOOD JOB!
- Directional signs were aplenty
- Race marshals were everywhere

BETTER JOB NEXT TIME
- Heavy traffic upon entrance into SM parking lot
- Drinks were distributed right smack in the middle of the route while the 5k/ 10k were still running thus causing traffic
- Late start
- Long queues at the rest rooms

Congratulations to Pinay In Action for a fun race!  Until the next year!

_________________________________

I left my racing hat at home and donned my running mommy cap for the Pinay In Action race yesterday morning. The hubby registered for the 10k, while I signed up for 1.6km with Little Miss Bull Runner. The night before (as I had expected), Bull Runner Jr. decided to come along. Yahoo, it was another family running affair for us.

We arrived at SM Mall of Asia to find the 10k/5k runners behind the starting line awaiting the gun start.  Hubby fled to the assembly while the kiddos and I went on a wild search for a clean, queueless bathroom, which we pleasantly found at Bona’s Coffee away from the long lines at the race area.  Our yaya came along to assist—not with the kids—but with the distribution of TBR Magazines and display of the banner (talk about yaya-of-all-trades).

- a sea of pink runners -

- Sen. Pia Cayetano, practices what she preaches about being a Pinay in Action -

Before we knew it, we were waiting for our 1.6km kiddie race to start along with a small group of parents and their children.  I was well-prepared for this run; I carried a camera in one hand with a bag around my shoulder to carry everything else a running mommy must have: mineral water, Sports Beans, towels, and of course, band aid!  When I looked around, good friends JunC was with his three daughters, while MarkP was with his little runner too.  My son was hyper and excited, but Little Miss Bull Runner who had been the brains of this race from the start was in a foul mood.  I repeatedly reminded her that this was her choice and that there was to be absolutely no carrying throughout the race.  She answered with a sleepy nod.  Then, the race began.

- One of the rare times I’m willing to stop during a race just for a photo op -

We ran intervals during the race—run, walk, run, walk, run, walk.  My son was being his usual self, teasing the little one by running ahead of her every so often.  My daughter, who is really a mini bull runner, would instantly speed up once she saw Kuya getting ahead.  But, after a few meters, it was obvious she was getting tired.  She even had a 2-minute crying session when I let go of her hand to take her photo (I wasn’t informed that she wanted us to hold hands throughout the run!)  Midway through the run, she slowed down to a walk and whispered to me “My tummy is getting ouchy.  I need to eat.” So, we relaxed and chatted while my son gobbled up some Sports Beans.  When we neared the finish, I told them, “like all runners, we should finish strong by running towards the finish line.”  We held hands, stopped and counted “3…2…1…Go!” and off we went to run the last few meters.

- Big and small bull runners running -

- We did it! -

Both of my kids ended the race with their faces beaming with pride. After a few high fives and hugs, we waited patiently for their Papa to finish his 10k.  My son was tasked to distribute TBR Magazines along with yaya, while Little Miss Bull Runner started whining and complaining about how long this was all taking (I guess the hubby must break 45 minutes to please the kids!)  Pretty soon, we headed off to McDonald’s with the Cruz family where the kids got their much awaited reward: Happy Meals with Monster vs. Aliens toys.

- Canine runner in pink too -

- Wandersoles + Happy Feet = Happy Soles or Wanderfeet? -

- with the Parco Family and Loony Runner -

- with the Cruz family -

Photos courtesy of Jun Cruz.  Thanks Jun!

WHAT: The Gabriel Symphony Foundation’s 6th Annual 12-Hour Multi Sport for a Cause, In Memory of Gabriel

WHEN: September 27, 2008, 6 AM TO 6 PM

WHERE: Polo Field, Alabang Country Club

REG FEE/ DONATION: P 1,000

This is a fund raising event set up in memory of Gabriel Rene Cayetano Sebastian, the son of Senator Pia Cayetano and Atty. Butch Sebastian, who was born with a rare chromosomal disorder and passed away at the tender age of nine months.

The foundation supports children with disabilities.  Its major project is cleft-lip-and-palate operations for infants at the Philippine General Hospital, Malvar General Hospital and the V Luna Veterans Hospital.

For three years now, the Foundation has also included as its beneficiaries, blind and deaf children.  We work with Parent Advocates for Visually Impaired Children (PAVIC), the Ephpheta Foundation for the Blind Inc. wherein we donate artificial eyes and Braille books, Philippine School for the Deaf and the Philippine Ear Institute where we give out profound to severe hearing aids.

Your P1,000 donation/registration fee per participant enables registrant to join any of this year’s events:

New Event for Running Enthusiasts:

5km and 10km fun run

Race starts at 6 a.m.

Individual’s Choice:

Run, walk or bike for any distance and time between 6am-6pm. Aside from your donation, you may also wish to invite your friends to sponsor you for every kilometer that you run, walk or bike.  Discount for kids available.

Maxiwork’s Super Kids Aquathlon and Triathlon:

For kids who wish to join the aquathlon and  triathlon with distances based on their age category.

Pinay In Action All Women’s Triathlon:

An all women’s triathlon that has a very friendly distance of 500m swim, 15km bike and 3km run.

Corporate Relay:

Special donation and company’s employees come together for a team building activity and get fit by doing a 12 hour-relay.

And here’s great news:   

Maiqui Dayrit will doing his 4th birthday Ironman and Joey Torres will do his first! Maiqui and Joey are racing for the Foundation. To pledge support, you may email Maiqui at maiqui@skyinet.net and Joey at josecelestinotorres@hsbc.com.ph.

For details, click here.

Oh, wait a minute. Someone beat me to it. Sen. Pia Cayetano just celebrated the 2nd Pinay In Action this morning. It was the biggest and only all-women’s race in the country. It was definitely a success with over 2,000 participants (according to Mon D.) signing up for the 1.6k, 5k and 10k runs.

- Starting line for 5km runners at around 7:15 am. 10km runners had started earlier a little after 6 am –

I definitely could not miss this race. PIA makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside—like treating myself to a fat-laden Twix bar after a long run without worrying about my thighs—because this was the first ever race I joined last year. After finishing my 1st 5k, I remember telling the hubby “I like this. I could get used to this.” And that perhaps was the birth of The Bull Runner within me.

So, this morning, my son, Anton, and I arrived at NBC Tent a little bit too early for the 1.6km race we signed up for. After warming up and stretching (I told you I am a very good girl now), we waited and waited and waited…

- Please pause in silence to commemorate this special event. It had been way too long since I last pinned a race bib on my singlet so this was a momentous occasion. -

- Anton looks like he just woke up but he’s super excited over his upcoming run -

Perhaps out of boredom (and maybe in an attempt to get a new toy as a reward), Anton told me that he’d like to run the 5k instead which was going to start ahead of the 1.6km. Within the next few minutes, we were off. We ran for the 1st 5 minutes strong and cheerful. I cheered Anton on and he smiled back enjoying every minute. Like a stage mother (or maybe a road mother), I even taught him a few things I picked up from Ige Lopez such as keeping the arms low as if you were striking drums. But, he smartly replied “Mom, you can’t play drums while you’re running!” So, I shut my mouth and just enjoyed the run.

Within the next few minutes, we slowed down to a jog and shortly after we slacked off to a walk. By that time, Anton could hardly talk anymore. His smile had disappeared and was replaced by a blank stare. He was too pooped to even reply to my questions “Do you want to start running again?” or “Isn’t this fun?” or “Are you still breathing?” The only time he spoke again was after he drank a bit of water. By that time, I had decided to just head back and call it a day for his sake.

We ended our run at 2.5km. A little bit more than Anton’s initial 1.6km goal and half of his 5km dream. Pretty good for my little boy! After a bit of socializing with Happy Feet friends (Anton was still not talking at this time), we headed home to meet hubby and daughter but not without a stop for a Jollibee kiddie meal as his reward. (Note: Anton gets a real toy if he finishes 5km. Maybe next time, baby!)

PIA wasn’t a PR race for me. But, it ranked high up there as one of the races that I’ll just never forget. See you there next year and the year after that…

- Sen. Pia runs towards the 10km finish line -

The first article is on Joy Rojas, the first woman to run across the Philippines. Now, she is embarking on a new journey called “Takbong Pangarap” in which she hopes to be the first Filipina to run across the United States covering 50 km a day for around 4 months. Wow.

When I saw her photo in Inquirer, I knew she was the same petite and almost frail-looking girl who I used to see running (or more like flying) around Bel-Air Village way back in my teens.  She hasn’t aged one bit and I’m pretty sure her passion for running has a lot do with it.  She is one strong, fearless and passionate Filipina and I look forward to seeing her achieve her “running dream.”

Another article features the more popular women who run such as Sen. Pia Cayetano, Nina Huang, Leica Carpo, Lulu Tan Gan, Mandy Santos, and Malu Gamboa. Yup, there’s no denying it—more and more women are lacing up and running. Wait till you see us all at Pinay in Action this coming Sunday. Hah!

To read the Joy Rojas article online, click here.

The 7th BIKE FOR HOPE, Bicol Region, will be held on February 2, 2008, Saturday.  This is an advocacy ride for health and the environment to be led by Sen. Pia Cayetano.

Bike Route: Naga City to Legazpi City

Starting Point: Naga City, Shell Station Magsaysay Avenue

Finish Line: Astrodome, Legazpi City

Registration Starts: 4:30 a.m.

Bike Ride Starts: 6:00 a.m.

Registration Fee: P300.00

You can register here or email bikeforhope@yahoo.com for inquiries.

* There will be drinking stations along the bike route and lunch will be served at the culminating event at the Astrodome, Legazpi City.
** The first 350 registrants will be entitled to a free jersey.

The idea is to get people to participate in a sports event of their choice for the purpose of raising funds for the foundation (while having fun and getting a good workout, of course!) The foundation supports children with disabilities, such as those in need of cleft-palate-lip operations, as well as blind and deaf children.

On Sept. 8, you can choose from the following activities: (as taken from the Gabriel Symphony website)

• Individuals – they can do the regular run, walk or bike for any length of time and distance and target a specific beneficiary by donating a specific amount for every kilometer that they make.
• Kids – there will be a Maxitoylab Super Kids Triathlon wherein kids will accomplish a triathlon with distances based on their age category.
• Pinay In Action (PIA) Women’s Tri – this will be a buddy system triathlon wherein a seasoned triathlete is partnered with a first time or neophyte triathlete to guide them through a triathlon distance of 250m swim, 10km bike and 2.5km run.
• Clubs – groups of friends belonging to a Club that will run or bike together for a cause and not just simply for a workout.
• Corporations – employees of a corporation come together for a team building activity and get fit by doing a relay for 12 hours.

This will be held from 6:00AM to 6:00PM at the Polo Field of Alabang Country Club, Ayala Alabang Village, Muntinlupa. Food and drinks will be available for all participants. For more information, visit Gabriel Symphony, email blessings@gabrielsymphony.com or call Vib Marabut at 552-9003 or mobile number 0927-4045187.

- Sen. Pia sprints to finish her 10k at 50:40 -

I met Pia in 2002 when I started writing for Maxibulletin, the newsletter of Maxibear, Maxitoylab, Maxiworks, and Just Born, the chain of retail stores she built as an entrepreneur. Together, we would write and edit the articles every other month. When she became Senator in 2004, I continued to work on the bulletin alone. While Pia championed her causes for the nation, I battled typos and grammatical errors—mind you, my job was just as honorable…NOT. We only saw each other again in the Pinay In Action (PIA) Fun Run, the race she organized, which was the first race that got me hooked into running.

With work, training, family, and her advocacies, I was foolish enough to ask Companera Pia if she could find the time to be interviewed for this blog. Fortunately, she was gracious enough to accept this email interview so many of us runners can take a peek into her life as an athlete:

TBR: We know you’ve been into sports ever since you were young, like volleyball in your college days. When did you start running and joining marathons?

Pia: I started running as part of our training when I was part of the UP volleyball varsity team. We would run around the academic oval in UP which was 2.2km. That was already long for me back then. When I was 16 and a sophomore, I started running longer distances cause I felt I was putting on unnecessary and unwanted weight. So, I started joining 5k fun runs and running 2-3x around the academic oval.

If I remember right, I joined my first 10k and eventually half marathon much later, like after college..That was because I was so fat! Seriously, I had gained so much weight (living and working in NY for a while) and I needed to do something about it.. and that’s how I became a long distance runner…

I enjoyed joining races ranging from 10 to half marathons, but it took a while to do my first marathon…I did that in my senior year in law school in 1991, the PAL marathon.

- Sen. Pia at Mekong River Race where she did an olympic distance duathlon (10krun-40k bike-5k run) on Saturday and a sprint tri on Sunday (750 swim-20kbike-5k run) -

TBR: You organize marathons as well, “Run-Walk Bike For a Cause in Memory of Gabriel” and “Pinay In Action,” why do you think is this a good way to celebrate your cause?

Pia: First of all, I like to bring awareness or celebrate causes in a way that is close to my heart. Some people chose to do benefit concerts, others sponsor a play or a movie. I do what I do best, running, biking and stuff like that…Not only does this become an enjoyable process for me (its not easy raising funds) but it gets people involved in a healthier lifestyle.

- Sen. Pia promotes cycling as an environment-friendly means of transportation during the 6th Bike For Hope -

TBR: You already ran the dream race of most runners, The New York Marathon. How did you prepare for this? How did you feel during the run and after?

Pia: How did I prepare? I made the decision to join in May, I think. That gave me 6 months to prepare. At that point, I was doing around 14k as my once a week long run. I worked with my coach Rob Pickard, and figured out the distance I had to cover backwards…meaning starting in the last two weeks before NY, I wanted to be running 30-35k comfortably. That would mean, I had to slowly build up to that distance. In July I was doing half marathons comfortably, working on both my speed and edurance. In August and September I slowly built up the distance to killer 30k plus long runs every other week. I died of boredom but I knew I needed to do it..Because doing a 30k is so long, a couple of times, I joined a half marathon and then ran 10k more after passing the finish line.

NY was meant to by my 3rd marathon (I say meant to be because may “nasingit” na marathon 2 weeks before. When I was finalizing my training program, I realized I would be in Europe for my conference with Women Parliamentarians during the time I had to do the crucial last long run. I looked if there were any 21k races that would serve as my last long run. There were none, but there were a few full marathons. To make a long story short, I decided to join the Venice Marathon but just do half…except that the night before the race, we realized I would be stranded in the middle of nowhere if I just stopped at 21k…so I completed it..and ended up running two marathons 2 weeks apart. Not a good thing to do, but I did PR both times..I did a 4:06 in NY.

How did I feel during and after? I was worried when I started NY because 2 weeks is not enough time to recover from a marathon. But 5k into the race, I was psyched and energized because I was feeling really good…I ran the last few miles with friends Fernando Zobel and later Paul Casino and that was really a good feeling… NY was my best race because I had trained well. My triathlon coach Rob Pickard was instrumental in working-out a doable albeit at times, grueling program. He made me do horrible horrible 1k repeats and long tempo runs.

TBR: How do you balance your roles as Senator, mother of two, and athlete? How do you find the time to train?

Pia: The short answer to that question..I just have to wake up earlier and not stay up too late to sqeeze in my work-out. The long answer…I’ve always been a busy person. I think being a breastfeeding mom, set the tone and gave me the training for balancing life between family, work and other things..I’m not a morning person, but I had to become one to squeeze in training..so I guess I’m now a reluctant morning person. Sometimes, I wonder why my sport was not an indoor sport like badminton where people play late at night (I do play badminton but not regularly these days).

- Sen. Pia speaks against child discrimination and violence at an international conference in NY -

The key is planning. My training is like any other appointment that is booked in my calendar and that should be respected, meaning not cancelled or bumped off, unless absolutely necessary. From there, I know if I have to wake up extra-early or just in time to do the planned work-out for the day before my work week starts. If its a busy week, then I just have to do the harder/longer work-outs and catch up on my sleep on the week-end..

Session ends in the evening, I rarely get home before 8pm, usually too exhausted to work-out by that time.. And that’s my time for my kids. We do indoor activities on school days–anything from just hanging in our room, playing sungka (our favorite these days), reading, sometimes artwork when we are feeling creative. They go to a Montessori school and rarely have homework which is a good thing, if you ask me.

I also try to get my kids involved in sports, that way we can all enjoy what we are doing. I’ve started bringing my girls to a short-off road trail for mountain biking, just here in the village. i stink at it, but its good for bike handling skills and my 12 year old daughter likes it and is getting better. She also has done 2 triathlons na! Proud mom! My 8 year old, likes doing a few laps and playing in the pool when I swim sometimes.

- Pia runs with her 12 y.o. daughter, Maxine, and best friend, Amanda, during their 2nd triathlon -

TBR: How does a week of your training program look?

Pia: Well, it really depends on what Im training for. I join triathlons, duathlons and running events year-round. So, I swim, bike and run during the week. I join as many races as I can. They destress me.

This is the general program, subject to tweaking depending on the upcoming race:

> MON – bike ride or brick (bike and run) if there is a triathlon or duathlon coming up) and if Im not too lazy. Sometimes swim in the evening, if and only if I get off by 7pm.
> TUE – long run (every other week) med distance in between weeks and yoga
> WED – long bike (every other week, if possible)
> THU – run intervals and swim (badminton too if I have time)
> FRI – REST
> SAT – brick, if not bike and swim or tempo run
> SUN – either a race, easy run or whatever I’m up to. Easy swim after the race or in the early evening.

- During the 6th Bike For Hope –

TBR: What other races do you plan to join this year? Do you have other goals in sports that you want to achieve?

Pia: I join any 10k I hear off when Im free. Im working on my form and my speed. My goal is to get my time comfortable under 50mins. Not easy:(

TBR: What is your dream race?

Pia: As a runner, my dream race has always been the NY marathon. That’s why I made myself do it last year when the opportunity came about..So, I guess, I have fulfilled my dream…I wouldn’t mind joining races in different countries. I try to look for races when I travel, but lately, its only the Venice Marathon that I’ve done out of the country.

TBR: Why do you love running?

Pia: Oh, that’s a separate interview all in itself! But well, I love running because it helps me keep the weight off, I feel good after, usually during but defintely after. Haha! And it really is my time for myself, I’m used to running alone, I dont need a running partner or group to get out and run. But it is so much more fun doing it with friends and I take any opportunity I can to run with a friend.

TBR: Any advice for beginning runners?

Pia: Don’t force yourself to run far and fast. Go at an easy pace and don’t hesitate to take walk breaks. Unless you are the self-motivated type, do join a group or run with friends…

Be patient, the weight will come off, for those of you trying to lose weight, which is probably most of us… You will get fitter and faster and you will feel absolutely great.

If you have any comments/questions for Companera Pia, visit her here.

Photos courtesy of SenatorPiaCayetano.com, CayetanoFoundation.com