TBR DM Story: Candice Belza, Bib No. 065

Wednesday, 11 April 2012  |  Bullish Insights

I’m a sucker for love stories. Toss in a bit of marathoning to the mix and I’m hooked.

Here’s a great running love story from TBR Dream Marathoner Candice Belza, Bib No. 065…

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Teamwork. Commitment.That’s what my first marathon is all about.

My pacer who became a marathoner in the recent Condura Skyway race got sick (sorethroat, diarrhea and fever) 2 days before the TBR Dream marathon day. Since I had cramps in the St. Luke’s EYE Run a week before, I was scared of 42k. Even dreaded it more because my pacer was sick and I might not make it without him. But he promised to run for me and with me. After all, we had been training for March 18, 2012 for 5 months.

Race day came and we had a strong start. We were pacing it right. No sign of fatigue during the first half. However, at 24km, my pacer felt bloated and started to feel the urge to make a potty break. We had to make long walks and short runs. Finally, the potty break at the top of the hill. He asked me if I was going to wait. Of course I was going to wait for him. I waited and while the runners were passing by… I felt that everyone else was ahead and that my pacer was taking too long. I was disappointed and I was in a hurry. There was a little voice that told me to go ahead. I felt strong and could make a sub 5. My pacer even suggested that I go ahead. But I could not leave him behind. He was there for me all throughout my long runs in the 5 months of training and never left me even if he thought I was a pain in the ass. I chose to run with him notwithstanding the little competitive voice that told me to go for a strong finish and hug the spotlight.

We ran together. Walked together. I didn’t complain.  At 32 km, he paced himself and admitted to me that he was getting tired. While I reminded him of why we were running, I felt very strong during the race. I didn’t hit a wall. I made sure that my pacer and I would cross the finish line together. And we did finish strong at 5:52 for all our 3 children to see! I believe I became tough on race day because I had to support my husband. And that is what it is all about.

Marathoning brings out the best in you just like in a Marriage. It’s teamwork for those who are committed to succeed.  Happy anniversary, honey!

Running Videos: adidas We All Run and Nike Free I Would Run to You

Tuesday, 10 April 2012  |  Gear + Gadgets

Two cool videos on running! Which one do you like more?

adidas WE ALL RUN with David Beckham, Lionel Messi, Derrick Rose and Katy Perry

Nike Free – I Would Run to You

The Amazing Race Philippines, Anyone?

Monday, 9 April 2012  |  News + Promos

“Jaymie and Marc, you are team number one. You have won a trip for two to Greece where you will run the Athens Marathon. Congratulations.”

Wow. What an awesome dream. Not only do I have Marc as my partner (move over, Rovilson!) and I get a free ticket to Athens Marathon, but I actually make it to the Amazing Race!  I’m a huge fan!

Well, the good news is that dream can actually turn into reality not just for me but for everyone now!

AmazingRace

The world’s most prestigious adventure race is now accepting applicants for its first Philippine edition. The twelve-time Emmy Award winner for “Outstanding Reality-Competition Program” arrives on local shores with an open call for contestants of The Amazing Race Philippines.

The show’s producers consider the Philippines as one of their favorite places to shoot, and now you can take part in this grand event too. There are three ways to audition: online, mail-in and on-ground.

HOW TO JOIN:

For online auditions: visit www.theamazingrace.ph for the link where you can fill up the online registration form and upload your audition video in AVI, MOV or MPG4 format. The audition video’s running time should be a minimum of 1 minute and maximum of 3 minutes.

For mail-in auditions: download the application forms at www.theamazingrace.phand send the completed forms together with a DVD of your audition video to the TV5 office (21st floor Marajo Tower, 26th corner 4th sts. Bonifacio Global City, Taguig).

For on-ground auditions: watch out for announcements of audition dates on different venues. Both team members must be present and come prepared with the completed application package.

Note: Carefully review the Terms & Conditions and Application Procedure. Applications must be received by April 27, 2012 6:00 pm Manila time.

As for me, wow, I would love to make this dream come true, but I wonder: how does one train for triathlon while you’re running all over the place?!

La Mesa Ecopark Trail Run

Thursday, 5 April 2012  |  Running + Triathlon

While the rest of Manila were off to Baguio or the beach this morning, a bunch of us decided to head for the trails. We ran through lush forests and fantastic trails right in the heart of Quezon City at La Mesa Ecopark.

For P200 per head, we got to run the trails with a runner guide, Julie.  We covered 13km for over 2 hours.

NOTE:
– La Mesa Ecopark requires a guide to run with you. No guide, no entry.
– For our guide, we contacted Mang Abe 0916-693-3981.
– Minimum fee is P1,000 to be divided among your group.

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– Showing up on this easy holiday Thursday morning were Hec and Mayen of Secondwind, myself, Carl, Neville, Lit, Ton, Jun, Miriam and Angel. –

Here’s a video made by Hector of Secondwind…

The La Mesa Ecopark course makes for a nice and easy trail run even for beginners. It’s relatively flat and safe.

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– On the right is Julie, our guide who seemed like he was going for a stroll while we were all trying to catch up behind him –

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– Ton, Lit, and Jun searching for what I think were “gazelles” in the forest –

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– View from the trails –

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– We often stopped for walk breaks and photo ops.  I don’t know how many times we affirmed to each other that we made a good decision to run the trails today instead of the road. –

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– So much fun! Trail running offers less impact on the knees, more scenic views, a great opportunity to commune with nature, and it’s just a welcome change from the usual concrete roads –

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– Mayen and Jun run under a canopy on the tree-lined path –

At 8.5km, we stopped to rest and hydrate at the Bangkalan rest station along with some other mountain bikers.

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– Of course, we needed a group pic here! –

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– Lots of mountain bikers here too –

Overheard from the bikers’ conversations about our group:
Biker 1: Saan yung mga bike nila?
Biker 2: Anong bike? They ran!
Biker 1: Ha?! Bakit?!!

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– Check out the view –

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– That’s me with my Nathan Intensity Hydration vest. (P4,990 at ROX) Oh my gawd, I am in love with that hydration belt. I’ll post a gear review soon. –

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– Group pic before we headed back to the end of the trail –

I highly recommend La Mesa Ecopark for a nice and easy trail run. It’s accessible, safe, and clean. Entry fee is reasonable especially since, as mentioned on its website, “all revenues generated by La Mesa Ecopark are utilized for the continuous preservation and protection of La Mesa Watershed.” Bathrooms are clean with running water, soap, toilet paper and even a bidette (as Hector mentioned thrice!)

TIPS FOR TRAIL RUNNING (as I learned today):

1) Bring a hydration vest. It’s quite pricey, but definitely worth the investment if you plan to run trails often. Tip I learned from Neville: Get the air out of the water bag. My water was so noisy while running!

2) Bring food or gels. As road runners, we often think 10k will take an hour just like the roads. But, this definitely takes more time on the trails. It took us over 2 hours to cover 13km today. Always bring food to stave off hunger and keep your energy high.

3) Use short strides. Lit mentioned that in Chi Running for trails they remind runners to use small steps. When in doubt if you should take 1 or 2 steps, Lit said you should take 3 steps.

4) Watch your step but enjoy the view. Be careful of each step to avoid injuries, but also glance at the front every now and then to enjoy the scenery.

5) Run in a group or with a guide. Even if the path is marked and the trail is relatively safe, you don’t want to be out there alone. Besides, there’s more fun in numbers.

For more info on La Mesa Ecopark:

Call: (02) 430-4051/ (02) 430-5207/ (02) 430-5207 (telefax)
Sarah – 09062234125
Dong – 09159013772
Email: lamesaecopark@abs-cbn.com
Website: www.lamesaecopark.com

Secondwind Running Store Opens Its 3rd Branch in Greenhills

Wednesday, 4 April 2012  |  Gear + Gadgets

Secondwind Running Store opened its third branch in Greenhills!

Address: Unit 107, G-Strip, Greenhills Shopping Center, San Juan

I just love Secondwind’s new campaign: IT’S ALL YOU. In running (and in life), there’s really no one responsible for your triumph or failure, but yourself. Your coach, teammates, friends and family will be there to support you, but, at the end of the day, it’s all you. That medal around your neck was borne out of your hardwork and perseverance. Conversely, struggling to make it to the finish of a race is also because of your lack of training and preparation. It’s all you!

Or, could they also mean that the store lives and breathes for its customers. It’s all us?! Hey, that works for me too!

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Shoes

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Here’s the location map:

Map

Secondwind has two other branches:
Ortigas: 914-0283
QC: 238-4005

Click HERE to visit Secondwind’s website.