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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.

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.

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.

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!

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

– Spread of Asian Para Games Daily –

– 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.

– 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!