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Check out Preview’s June 2009 issue.  In its Body Works section, they featured Leica Carpo and I in an article on women runners.

The shoot was held over a month ago at the Polo field.  I finally got to meet Leica Carpo and chatted with her about—what else—running just before she left for Boston. 

It was a great experience.  An eye-opener when it came to fusing fashion with running, a possibility that only crossed my mind when I saw all the cool apparel, shoes, and accessories brought to the shoot by the editorial assistants.  It also further proved the point for me that running is indeed a booming sport, not just for Filipinos in general, but particularly among women.  There are more women runners now than ever before and I only hope to see more of us running—and leaving, ehem, the men behind.  (Sorry guys!)

P.S. Please don’t comment about the hair! My son said it looks like a “tarantula!”

Yesterday morning, thick, gray clouds temporarily parted and allowed the sleepy sun to shine through for a brief but fulfilling swim-run training session in the south. Finally, the weather cooperated and allowed me to get some outdoor training in before the Animo Tri next week.

For this session, I was fortunate enough to be invited by Paolo, gym friend and member of newly-created South Tri team, to join a swim workout coached by no less than the Ironwoman herself Coach Ani de Leon. I met other members of the team, tri couple, Glenn and Yvette, and Jay. We were around 10 in the pool as the Sabak Tri team was there too.

Standing outside of the pool as we all stared at her from the water, Coach Ani explained technique and form articulately and demonstrated what she wanted us to do. After a few minutes, she jumped into the pool with us, which had Paolo saying in the most awestruck manner “Woah, Ani de Leon is swimming with us!” Admittedly, I felt the same way. After all, how often do you get to share the pool with the first Filipina Ironman Kona finisher? I made sure that I listened intently to her every word.

The drills she asked of us looked a lot easier when she demonstrated them, and even when the Sabak Tri teams, who were in “Group 1” did it. When it was our turn, I struggled with the fins (which I never used until that day), got overwhelmed with all the info, and drank a lot of water trying to experiment with all the new tips. Oh boy, I felt like a kid on my first day of swim class.

Thankfully, my newfound friends in the South Tri are a great bunch of people who share the same eagerness to learn and improve matched with a great sense of humor. We all basically learned at our own pace, laughing along at our mistakes and flaws, and enjoying every minute. Of course, we all hope to become better triathletes at the same time.

After the 1.5 hour swim session, Paolo and I jumped into our running shoes and ran a quick 5k around the Club at a 6-minute pace. I insisted we include the uphill climb along Country Club Drive as it was my last road run before Mizuno 15k.  Under the 9 a.m. heat, we were complaining of the heat and how out of shape we were, but at the same time we were enjoying the workout. We were done in a little over 30 minutes.

I got home feeling more exhilarated than exhausted. It’s felt like forever since I had a fulfilling session outdoors. I hope there will be many more to come!

The terrible weather left me with no choice but to submit myself to what I’ve been dreading the most: a one-hour treadmill run, better known as “The Treadmill Torture Test” in The Bull Runner’s world.

Dressed for a 10k outdoor run yesterday afternoon, I was headed out the door when the rain started to pour outside. Had it been a light drizzle, I would’ve proceeded with my run, but these rain droplets were BIG, the kind that made large thuds on the rooftop, and the same ones that would feel like a deep tissue massage on my shoulders. Angrily, I went for Plan B.

I headed back to my bedroom to change into my pambahay running gear—the running outfits that never make it to the roads or the gym—such as the short shorts that I once wore which had my son exclaiming “It’s nice. You look like you’re in your underwear!” or old race singlets that don’t fit too well. Then, at snail’s pace, I headed downstairs for the treadmill.

The treadmill. I’ve been using it much more often lately due to the rains, but I hadn’t exceeded 35 minutes on it. A run on the treadmill, for me, is like having coffee with no sugar, eating ice cream with no rainbow sprinkles, or watching a movie with no popcorn. It’s pure drudgery. But, this time, with the Mizuno Infinity Run coming up, I was forced to set my emotions aside and run like a machine on this…er…machine.

The first 15 minutes went by in slow motion. I swear I could watch each tiny droplet of water slide down the sides of the Gatorade bottle before me. It didn’t help that the television was hijacked by the kids who were with me in the room. No Oprah or MTV for me, it was a Fairly Odd-Parents marathon. This was torture. How could I survive one hour on this thing?

The next 15 minutes, surprisingly, went by quickly. My kids and I chatted while I ran. I even had a chance to do a little bit of speedwork as I rushed upstairs for some band aid. I increased the pace and incline once in a while to vary the training a bit, but most of the time, I ran at a comfortable pace. There were absolutely no signs of pain, so the run was quite enjoyable.

Before I knew it, I hit 45 minutes. Woah, that was quick. I ran 10 more minutes and started my cool down at 55 minutes. When I reached 1 hour, I toyed with the idea of doing more, but I decided against it.

1 hour on the treadmill wasn’t as dreadful as I thought it would be. I guess I passed my “Treadmill Torture Test” with flying colors.

Watch Mornings @ ANC—9:30 a.m. tomorrow—to learn more about the iamninoy Runners Group.  Rapa Lopa and I will be guests on the show.  I’m skipping a morning bike-run tomorrow for this, but it’s all worth it!

Another trail run…

This one is organized by Coach Rio and Vince of Finish Line.