Meet a Triathlete: Gelo & Drew Arellano

“Meet a Triathlete” is a series of interviews with age-group triathletes that I’ll be publishing for the next few days leading up to Ironman 70.3 Cebu.  For all these interviews, I collaborated with my Coach Andy Leuterio of Alpha Tri.  To read more interviews, search “Meet a Triathlete” in the search box.

Gelo and Drew are brothers who are into marathons and triathlons. We featured them on TBR Magazine – Sept-Oct 2012.  The photos you’ll see here are taken for the magazine by Ben Chan of Blacksheep Manila.

NAME: Angelo Arellano
Number of years in triathlon: 5 years
Age: 42
Job: HVAC Contractor / Entrepreneur

NAME: Drew Arellano
Number of years in triathlon: 6 years
Age: 33
Job: TV Host

What do you like about triathlon?

G: Triathlon keeps me focused on continuous self-improvement.

D: Triathlon steers me to the right direction in life. Conditions me to have the proper dedication, perseverance, discipline, time management, among others. It gives me an opportunity to inspire other people to get up, move and live a healthier lifestyle.

– Gelo and Drew hamming it up for the cam. Drew is just hilarious –

Why did you decide to sign up for Ironman 70.3 Cebu?

G: I wanted to see if I could improve on last year’s performance knowing that my 2013 schedule will be more challenging. I also enjoy joining races that have a vacation feel to it.

D: IM 70.3 Cebu is probably everyone’s A-race this year including mine! Besides showcasing an awesome race course with beautiful scenery, the fantastic energy during the weekend is contagious!

Give us three words to describe your training with Coach Andy for Cebu.  Please tell us why you chose those words.

Gelo:

1. Flexible – Coach Andy’s program is dynamic and takes into account this thing called life.
2. Challenging – Coach Andy’s workouts are not only based on time and distance but also heart rate, power, etc.
3. Inspiring – There are days when things don’t go your way. Coach Andy will be there to give you just the right amount of challenge to pick yourself up again.

– Gelo is part of the Fitness First Tri Team –

Can you share what your training week looked like the past weeks?

G: My main workouts last week were a long swim and race simulation. I failed to execute on the run leg and so Coach Andy made me do a long brick the following day instead of a recovery ride. His message after my “failure to execute”: Stay Focused!!! The race doesn’t care about your problems, soldier!!!

D: Coach would kill you, if i told you. Scary noh?

– Drew is a member of Team Unilab Active Health –

What is your goal for IM 70.3 Cebu? Do you feel confident in achieving your goal?

G: The obvious answer is to improve on last year’s performance but given my SBR result last week, I admit I am a bit concerned. Hopefully, slapping Coach Andy’s butt on the run can give me the added boost I need! J

D: My goal is just to finish… NOT! haha! Will let you know once i cross the line 🙂 Do i feel confident? I guess i should feel confident because i put in the hours. Luck would probably prevent tire punctures but hard work and dedication will get me across the finish line with a fulfilled smile on my face.

If you could only give one tip to people who want to get into triathlon, what would it be?

G: Find the perfect balance between family, work and triathlon because that is a challenge in itself.

D: Prepare to feel sexy in your spandex! Don’t worry about the unwanted bulges, they’ll soon disappear!