Archive for February, 2011

I’m quite picky when it comes to my running gear.  It’s either I love the product, use it, and tell every running soul about it, or it gets stuck in a storage bin to never see the light of day.  This new piece of equipment, sent to me by Chris Sports, has found its rightful place in my bedroom, right beside another one of my faves, the foam roller and I was compelled to tell you about it, especially you ITBS sufferers!

WHAT IS IT?

Tiger Tail is a rolling muscle massager, a hand-held foam roller if you will.  In it’s brochure, they say the Tiger Tail will “turn sore muscles into happy muscles by helping relieve muscle knots, aches, cramping, spasms, and stiffness.”

I’ll be the first to admit that I knew of a similar and more popular product called The Stick.  In fact, I was pining for one for the longest time, especially after seeing people use it along the course of NYC Marathon, but never got around to actually purchasing one.  In New York, since my ITBS had acted up on race day, right after the race, I asked relatives for a rolling pin instead and used this daily to release the tight muscles.

Tiger Tail works the same way but—take it from me—it’s much more comfortable than a wooden rolling pin.  Using the Tiger Tail, you just apply pressure with both hands and roll gently over tight areas.  You should feel slight discomfort and occasional bumps which are those tiny muscle knots that you have to release. I personally try not to release this all in one rolling, especially if I know I’m going to run the following day.  I just make sure to massage daily as maintenance for my leg muscles.

Tiger Tail can be used, not just for the ITB, but for all the other tight muscles in a runner’s body, such as calves, hamstrings, glutes, quads, and feet.  Of course, you can use it for other tight areas such as the back, shoulders, arms and neck.

Click HERE to download the PDF brochure

TBR REVIEW

The past few weeks, I’ve been focused on training for Run United 21k on March 6.  So, I’ve had a lot of speedwork at the track, tempo runs at BGC, and long runs on weekends.  This automatically leads to a tight ITB for me, which if not managed well, will eventually lead to my left knee going sore.

It’s been a habit for me to foam roll almost everyday, especially after a workout.  But, now that I’ve got the Tiger Tail I use it instead on my ITB, quads, hamstrings, and VMO (inner thighs).  I’m almost embarrassed to admit that it really does lead to “happy muscles”!   As a side note, my foam roller has found a new role as my platform when I do my crunches.  Resourceful eh?!

PROS
– super useful
– smooth rolling, consistent pressure all throughout
– easy to use, no need to roll on the floor
– portable (it fits in my gym bag)
– washable
– value for money (equivalent to 1 deep tissue massage)

CONS
– none

WHERE TO BUY

Tiger Tail is available at all Chris Sports Outlets. Click HERE to view website.

HOW MUCH

18 inches: Php 1,089
22 inches: Php 1,289

To TBR Dream Marathoners, we asked Chris Sports to provide us with Tiger Tail for our race.  So we’ll have Tiger Tail in medical aid stations along the course!  Wooohooo!  Thanks to Chris Sports!

Rico, Rics, or RicoV is one of my closest guy friends since highschool.

During our teenage years, I used to talk to him almost every night. We would talk about everything that mattered: crushes (more of his!), homework, friends, songs, and, of course, Euphoria and Faces. Yes, that was what highschool life was all about, after all.

– Rico’s highschool graduation. I was in 3rd year highschool. L to R: Joanne, me, Pwe, Nich, Vicky, Rics –

– Fun summer weekends at the beach: Miggy, Nich, Mariano, Krie, Veejay, Fat, me, Rics, Cel, Kat, PWe –

Rico was the goalie of the La Salle football team. Something to be proud of for any athlete, but even more for him. You see, he only had one working eye. In his infancy, he lost his right eye to Congenital Glaucoma.

Others would’ve tagged themselves as handicapped, but not him. He had a positive outlook and a sense of humor that wouldn’t allow for this. His favorite trick was to ask us girls for our hands and—if you were the unfortunate victim that day—he would drop his porcelain eyeball onto your palm.  (Gross!) A traumatizing sight indeed, but a scene that would have all of us bursting out in laughter.

He always made us laugh. But he was also one of the most sentimental and demonstrative ones in the group. Perhaps because of his experiences growing up, he was more sensitive to those around him. He was the one you could count on to drive you home, keep the girls company through hours of shopping without a single complaint, or give you comfort when you were down.

Rico and I kept in touch through the years. Even as he migrated to the U.S., and we both married and raised our own children, and now that he’s a single dad to his 2 girls, we still chat about our lives through the internet. We talk about everything that matters most now: family, career, schools, and, only recently, running. (Yup, no more Faces!)

– Nov 2010: All grown up! Visited Rico in LA before NYC Marathon. L to R: Jay, Nich (who ran NYCM too), Rics, and myself –

– Rico’s girls and my kids hanging out in Chuck E Cheese –

Rico got into running just when he was going through a difficult divorce.  He ran his first half marathon several weeks ago finishing at 2:01.  He is currently training for his first marathon: LA Marathon on March 20, 2011—coincidentally on the same day as TBR Dream Marathon—and he’s been working at it seriously and consistently while raising the girls on his own. He didn’t verbalize this to me directly but I know that training for the marathon has helped him have a sense of purpose and given him direction through the tough times.

What’s even better is that he’s using the run to help other children who are blind or partially blind like him. Rico is raising funds for the Blind Children’s Center, a family-centered agency serving children with visual impairments. He is less than $300 shy of his $3,000 goal. If you would like to help one of my dearest friends help others, please click HERE and donate.

All the best in your long run this weekend and on race day, Rics!

If I wasn’t running (literally) all over the place this weekend—30km Bull Session on Saturday and a 10k Edsa Run on Sunday, to be exact—I would’ve given this trail run, Dirt Fest 2, a shot. Check it out if you’re available:

The week of FEB 21 to 27, 2011 is a major week for TBR Dream Marathon runners.  Check out what Coach Jim Lafferty wrote in our TBR Dream Marathon training program…

On the Saturday of that week, February 26, 2011, we will be running BULL SESSION 4: our longest run before the big marathon day – 3 hours and 30 minutes or a minimum of 30k in our race course in our race course, NUVALI!  It will essentially be our practice run before the big day.  We are so excited for everyone!

To TBR Dream Marathoners, we look forward to seeing you at NUVALI!  Some of our volunteers—Dream Chasers and Pacers—will be there to run with us, too!  A few notes and reminders:

• Assembly is at 3:30 a.m. in Solenad Activity area.
• Briefing by Lit Onrubia at 4:00 a.m. and going into various groups
• Treat this as your practice run for the marathon: eat the same pre-race meal, wear your planned marathon attire and shoes, take the same gels and sportsdrinks
• Gatorade will be provided but bring your own hydration belts as well (the same belt you plan to use for the marathon)
• We will NOT run the entire race course but only a portion of it.  We will run on 7km of NUVALI Blvd. and go back and forth to ensure that no one gets left behind during the entire run
• Restrooms available at Solenad, Evoliving, and portalets provided by NUVALI on the route
• Roads will be well lit
• Parking available at Solenad area
• NUVALI is kind enough to provide us with a free shuttle service from ROX, Bonifacio High Street to NUVALI and back.  It will accommodate only 24 runners.  First come, first served.  Please click HERE for full details and sign in sheet.
• For directions to NUVALI, click HERE.

In 2010, when we planned for TBR Dream Marathon, the essence of the race was built on community, on paying-it-forward, on giving back to running just as much as running had given us. We knew we couldn’t do it alone and we hoped that the entire community of runners—first- and second-time marathoners committing to train for their marathon, experienced runners reaching out and paying-it-forward, cheerers and spectators coming onto the site to boost the runners’ spirits, corporate sponsors and friends generously donating and giving what they can—would come together to make this race truly the most ideal setting for runners to experience their first marathon.  It was a lofty dream, but we—together with the entire community of selfless, generous runners—made it a reality.

– Dream Chasers Banggi, Bobby, and JunRox at last year’s TBR Dream Marathon –

– Dream Chaser Banggi (now a participant for TBRDM 2) helps runner Odie. Photos courtesy of Junrox –

This week, we opened up registration for only 60 slots of volunteers for our race.  Over a hundred volunteers signed up.  Wow. We were stunned and overwhelmed and we enjoyed every single entry explaining why they wanted to help.  From those accepted, some will be Pacers to registered runners, others will be Dream Chasers: runners who will be stationed at three crucial areas on the race course when runners will need them most.  There will also be volunteers from Team Secondwind manning the station at the last 5km of the marathon.

– Team Secondwind supporting Roxy last TBR DM 2010. Photo courtesy of Chin Chua –

These volunteers get nothing tangible but an official race bib and a volunteers’ shirt  for what will be hours of sweat, exhaustion, and even tears on race day.  They will, however, receive hundreds of sincere Thank You’s, dozens of high fives, and huge smiles from weary runners that will tug at their heartstrings.

From the TBR Dream Team to our Dream Chasers, Pacers, and Team Secondwind, we look forward to working with you on March 20, 2011.  To all those who would like to come and watch and cheer, you’re most welcome to attend and hang out at our designated CHEER ZONES.  Let’s make our runners’ dreams a reality!

Click HERE to view a complete list of accepted Dream Chasers and Pacers.