30 Minutes

Thursday, 17 February 2011  |  Bullish Insights

On most mornings, after dropping off the kids in school, I make my way to my favorite coffee shop at the nearby town center. I almost always arrive at 7:30 a.m. even if it doesn’t open until 8:00 a.m. There’s a full 30 minutes when I can do nothing but let time pass.  But, I don’t. I take the hands of time, clasp it into mine, and I almost don’t want to let it go.

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This morning, I sit in the outdoor chairs by the soon-to-open coffee shop in the middle of the center embracing the half hour I am blessed with.  A cool breeze gingerly brushes upon my cheeks while the gentle sun keeps me warm enough to rest comfortably.  It is not completely silent; I hear the janitors sweeping the dry leaves, watering the grass, and chatting with the guards. I hear the birds chirping, the planes zooming by, and the gush of water from the koi pond behind me.  It is morning music to my ears, the rhythm from the day that’s starting to arise. I take everything in—every single detail—from the guard’s name tag to the ants carrying the heavy load on their backs. Do ants even sleep?  I wonder.  And, my mind wanders.  I think about everything—and also nothing.

These 30 slow minutes make a huge difference in my cluttered, chaotic, and taxing day. There is an endless to-do list to tick off, a parent-teacher meeting to attend, and homework to supervise.  There’s a tempo run this evening following a 1.5 hour bike ride yesterday and a lung-busting speed session at the track the night before.  With the heavy load I put on my body—pushing it to go beyond exhaustion so it can work even harder on the days that count—it is these 30 long, slow, and sublime minutes that provide a sense of balance, sanity and serenity.

30 minutes with a non-fat chai tea latte, three times a week.  Consider adding it to your training program.

Finding Your Inspiration

Monday, 14 February 2011  |  Bullish Insights

Runners are not too different from surfers; we experience our runner’s highs and lows riding through undulating waves of emotions arising from met goals to false expectations. Most often, we’re on the crest of our running career training for a dream marathon, breaking PR’s, or reaching distances once inconceivable. But, there are times when we hit a trough—an injury that never goes away, burnout, or boredom—and it feels like a bottomless pit that, if not managed properly, can drag you down into a sea of sorrow and, sadly, flabby muscles and additional poundage.

I found myself in that pit a couple of months ago. For a while, I didn’t want to climb out of it, but, fortunately for me, I found gentle reminders of running—a person, a picture, or a memory—that yanked me out of that black hole and gave me inspiration to run with passion again.

In the spirit of Valentine’s Day, I’d like to share with you some of the people and things that inspired me to lace up—either for a gym workout or an LSD—and got me to fall in love with running again:

LEA SALONGA. Yup, that’s right! One morning, I was scheduled for a workout but I was too lazy to even get my run apparel on. Ready to head out the door in jeans and a top, I quickly browsed through the morning papers and chanced upon Lea Salonga’s column about getting back into training. I ran back upstairs, changed into my running clothes, and I found myself running on the treadmill that same morning. Just goes to show you don’t need a runner or a super athlete to get you back out there. Pick up a good book, surf the web, browse through blogs to find your inspiration from other people’s words.

ISIDRO VILDOSOLA. Nothing stops Sid from grabbing podium finishes, not even a missing limb. I met him a couple of years back at various runs and I get the chance to chat with him once in a while. He’s a humble guy with a lot of achievements. Couple of weeks ago, I bumped into him at Ultra Track Oval and he proudly showed off the Silver Medal he won at the Asian Paralympics. Congratulations Sid! You’re an inspiration!

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– with Sid and the nicest medal I have ever seen –

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– Spread of Asian Para Games Daily –

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– Sid bags Silver for the Philippines in Men’s 1500. Missed Gold by a split second –

* JEFF GALLOWAY. I don’t know exactly how many people all over the world Jeff Galloway has inspired through his books and coaching, but I am definitely one among the hundreds and thousands. I was lucky enough to be in his presence while he was in Manila for several days.  While he gave words of wisdom on running during talks and workshops, it was during our downtime—over meals, on the way to our hotel in Cebu, or while we were running—that I was completely and utterly inspired by him. He would talk about his experiences with Steve Prefontaine, Alberto Salazar, and Bill Bowerman and he made them real and human to me—not the legends that I only read about in Runner’s World and books. He told us countless tales about his running when he was younger and anecdotes about other runners. He and his wife, Barb, are prime examples to me of real runners of character who unselfishly want to spread the love for running.

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– Jeff gave this to us while we were in Cebu. We couldn’t stop staring at it.  Photos above show him running along with Prefontaine. The business card is a copy of Pre’s card when he worked for Blue Ribbon Sports which later became Nike –

* TBR DREAM MARATHONERS. I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again: my favorite part of TBR Dream Marathon is getting to know the runners who signed up for the race. While others would hate to run at the back of the pack, I embrace the responsibility with open arms during our Bull Sessions. As sweeper, it is almost a gift to run with those coming in last because you’re a witness to the struggles as they push their bodies to the edge and, at the same time, you see them grow before your eyes—from weak to strong, from sedentary to long distance runner, from insecure to confident. I’ve met a runner who battled cancer, a dad who’s restarted running, and many more. We start the run as strangers and end as good friends who inspire each other to achieve new heights.

So, who’s your inspiration today?  Happy Valentine’s Day!

Important Announcements for TBR Dream Marathon 2011

Monday, 14 February 2011  |  News + Promos

A little over a month to go before TBR Dream Marathon!  Here are important announcements:

1) OUR WEBSITE IS UP: www.tbrdream2011.com

The official website for TBR Dream Marathon is up and running.  Please visit for information on the race, including hotel partners, volunteers, support, and many more.  Course map will be available soon.  We will regularly update this with information so please check regularly.

Click HERE to visit tbrdream2011.

2) VOLUNTEER REGISTRATION NOW OPEN

We are now accepting applications for the following:

  • DREAM CHASERS – 30 only
  • PACERS – 30 only

First come, first served.  Limited slots only. Applicants will be screened.  The organizer reserves the right to accept/deny application of any volunteer. Please click HERE for details on roles and application process.

3) HOTEL PARTNERSHIPS

We have partnered with Paseo Premiere and El Cielito to provide discounts to runners who are interested in booking a hotel near the course.

Please click HERE for details

TBR Dream Marathon: Important Dates to Remember

Sunday, 13 February 2011  |  News + Promos

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To all TBR Dream Marathoners, please take note of these dates:

FEBRUARY 18, FRIDAY | DEADLINE OF SUBSTITUTION
For registered runners who, for some reason, will not be able to participate in the race: Deadline for substitution of runners will be on February 18, 2011, 12:00 noon. This will be strictly enforced.

FEBRUARY 26, SATURDAY | BULL SESSION 4: LONG RUN at NUVALI, 30k
This is our longest run before the big day. Run it with your TBR DM batchmates in a portion of our race course. Fun!  Details to be provided this week.

MARCH 5, SATURDAY | BULL SESSION 5: LONG RUN at BGC, 90min
Slow and easy run with TBR DM batchmates at Bonifacio High Street for 90 mins. If you’ve signed up for Run United on March 6, we can provide you with tips on how to run it safely and wisely.

MARCH 12, SATURDAY, 330PM | MERCATO CENTRALE, BONIFACIO GLOBAL CITY
TBR DREAM SEND OFF PARTY, BULL CIRCLE 5, & RACE PACK REDEMPTION
Surprise surprise! All TBR Dream Marathon participants will be invited to our little send off party a week before the race. This will be a simple gathering we dreamed up for you. We’ll have our last Bull Circle talk before the race where a group of coaches/experts will answer all your race day questions. Plus, it’s an afternoon of fun, food, raffle prizes, and a whole lot of chatting and bonding with your batchmates.  This way, we get to finish all the partying before race day.  After you cross the finish line on March 20, 2011, you can get some rest and celebrate with family! More details to follow.

MARCH 12, SATURDAY | DEADLINE OF SUBMISSION OF MEDICAL CERTIFICATES
All participants are required to submit a medical certificate from their doctor ensuring physical fitness to participate in the race. Please prepare your medical certificates. We will advise soon where and when this should be submitted. No medical certificate, no race packet.

Thank you once again to our generous partners and sponsors: Our partner, NUVALI and our co-presenters, New Balance and Cherifer Premium. Major sponsors: Gatorade, RunRio, Photovendo, Secondwind. Minor sponsors: ROX, Nathan, Timex, Nutribar, Hammer Nutrition, Omron, Thermos, Chris Sports, Health Food, Forward Lean Running and Kinesio Tex. Logistics Partner: Creative Juice.

Bike Basics with Patrick Joson

Sunday, 13 February 2011  |  Running + Triathlon

Bike

Twice this week, this newbie biker girl attended Bike Basics sessions with Patrick Joson.  Like I’ve said before, I am the most clueless person I know when it comes to bikes, so Pat’s invitation couldn’t have come at a better time.

Patrick started our one-on-one session by teaching me the parts of the bike (so that’s what a group set is!), mounting and dismounting, rounding corners, and he answered every silly question I had on my mind.  For the second session later this week, we went on a 20k bike trip around the village along with Stella, another female student. I got to familiarize myself with the gears, trying my best not to fall (or bump into a car!) while I peeked at the gears I was using.  We were allowed to wear running shoes—no cleats yet, Thank. You. Lord!—so I was able to enjoy every single minute. Hmmm…perhaps enjoy is an understatement.  While biking, I wore a huge smile on my face thinking: Uh oh, I seriously can get obsessed with this!

Can I just say?  Learning how to bike for triathlon is so different from the way my brothers taught me how to bike on my pink BMX when I was 10.  Oh, you already knew that, didn’t you?  There was definitely a lot of brain work involved: What leg do I lift when I’m making a left turn?  Is my forefoot planted on the pedals properly?  Wait—how do you dismount again?  But, that was part of the fun. Getting all technical with the bike and not just winging it in the next tri.  Challenging myself with a new skill that scares me to death. And, last but not the least, proving to myself that  I’m never ever going to be too old to learn new tricks.

Here’s to more bike adventures to come!

For running/biking/triathlon sessions with Coach Patrick Joson, call 0917-5277141 or email patrickjoson(at)gmail.com