Category Archives: Bullish Insights

My 11-year-old TBR Jr. came home from school two weeks ago with good news. They had a test in PE that day and he and his classmates were made to run laps around the field. Everyone completed six laps. He was the only one who ran seven.

I could hardly contain my joy! I exclaimed: Wow, you’re such a fast runner!

He stared back at me blankly and said: It wasn’t about speed, Mama. It was about endurance.

Whoops, my bad.  What was I thinking?!

The following day, TBR Jr. arrived home with even better news. During PE, they were made to run sprints. He came first in the entire class!

This time, I was so overwhelmed with excitement that I took his hand and practically rushed out the door to the nearest running store. His Mizuno shoes were due for replacement anyway and I felt this was the perfect time to replace them.

At Runnr, we stood in front of all the colorful shoes lined up on the shelves. I whispered: Choose any shoe you like. It’s your reward.

Out of all the brands and models, The Bull Runner’s son picked only one shoe: Asics Gel Kayano. (Yes, he’s got taste!)   Runnr didn’t have his size, but I do know the good ol’ people at Asics so I managed to buy a pair directly from the warehouse by day’s end.

I took out the Kayanos from the box, presented it to my son, and went on and on about what a great pair of shoes it was.  How it was one of the best running shoes.  How a lot of runners pined for that shoe and here he was fortunate enough to have it.  How he should maximize it and start running more.  He listened intently.

The following day, he packed the shoes in his bag for PE.  He used his brand spankin’ new Kayanos during class for the first time.  But…oh boy, here we go…when he got home from school, it was nowhere to be found. He had accidentally left it in the waiting area.

The Kayanos have not made their presence felt since their disappearance last week (neither has the guy who probably took it! Rawr!)  I’ve been praying the shoes pop up at the Lost and Found, but all hope is dwindling.  It seems like I’ll have to buy him another pair soon (unless I want my son to squeeze his feet into his tight Mizuno’s and have all his toenails die like mine.)  Sigh.

As for my TBR Jr., we had to teach him about responsibility and we found a way for him to make up for the loss.  A portion of the cost will be taken out of his savings and he has to shine everyone’s shoe until the end of the year.

Just between you and me though, if he comes home next week and tells me he came in first in a race among classmates, I just may do cartwheels and forget about those lost Kayanos!

The day after Berlin Marathon, we packed our bags and took a 5 hour train ride to Prague.

– We could’ve worn our Berlin Marathon medals, but no point in carrying the extra weight around our necks; our luggage was heavy enough –

– Berlin Marathon in the papers! Finishers’ names were published –

We arrived safe and sound to view the beautiful sights the city of Prague had to offer!

– Team Berlin in Prague! –

That evening, we feasted on Italian cuisine to celebrate Ton’s 20th (ehem) birthday.  Who said carbo loading has to end after a marathon?

What do marathoners normally do the evening after marathon day? Certainly not anything close to what we did. We booked ourselves to a Prague Ghost Tour!

– Old Town of Prague. The venue of our Ghost Tour –

– Turned out to be more of a horror/historical tour than a creepy ghost tour…much to my relief! Here’s Lit and Miriam listening intently to our guide –

– We survived the marathon! Thank God we survived this ghost tour too! –

All of us experienced little or no soreness at all the day after the marathon.  We were either lucky or smart with our race and diet.  (I’d like to think it was the latter tsk tsk.)  So, we walked our way through the entire city for more sightseeing and eating…

– At one of the hottest tourist spots, the Charles Bridge –

– The Charles Bridge was full of tourists, local merchants, musicians and art set against the backdrop of the beautiful landscape of Prague –

– Old Town by day is full of tourists and local entertainment –

– Lunch at Old Town. More sausages please for this hungry bunch! –

– We visited the Prague Castle. It is said to be the largest castle complex in the world –

– St. Vitus Cathedral behind me. The sheer height and size of the cathedral was overwhelming –

– I made sure to eat wisely since the immune system is weak after putting our body through a marathon.  Devoured the berries we purchased from here –

Hey, don’t think we forgot about our running!  After shopping, eating, and touring, we knew we needed a recovery run!  On our last day in Prague, we met up in the morning for our recovery run…Recovery Run to McDonalds, that is!

– “Serious” stretching before the “big” workout meal –

– Start our Garmins for the 700m walk-run session to McDo –

– Clean and traffic free roads of Prague! It’s a lovely city but since most of the roads are cobblestones it’s quite difficult to run, especially for accident-prone runners like me LOL –

– Mission accomplished: We made it to McDo! –

After our quick breakfast (again, I was good and ordered a yogurt parfait), we walked back home to our hotel and discovered this beautiful park nearby.

So walking 1.5k to and from McDonald’s doesn’t count as our recovery run, but it’s the thought that counts, right?

After our “run”, we packed our bags and headed back to Berlin for a day before we flew back home.  We had enough time to visit the more important spots such as Checkpoint Charlie and the Holocaust Museum. We also had our last meal in Berlin at Ritter Sport cafe and took home tons of chocolates.

– Make your own Ritter Sport chocolate! Yuuummmy! –

– Bumped into a kababayan at Ritter Sport Cafe.  Met Jessy, US-based Pinoy who ran Berlin Marathon too! –

– Heart-wrenching letter left by a 12-year old to her father shortly before being murdered with her mother during the holocaust. We read many more letter like this in the Holocaust Museum just walking distance from Brandenburg Gate –

– Memorial to the murdered Jews of Europe –

– Walking through the memorial –

Farewell Berlin and Prague!

Previous: Part 4: Berlin Marathon – Race Day

Thank you to Unilab Active Health for my Berlin Marathon adventure!

Good news! Due to popular demand from some of our alumni, we’re extending registration of TBR Dream Team Run registration! Registration will be open until slots are available. Full details below! See you there, guys.

The Bull Runner Dream Team Run: Half the Distance, Thrice the Fun!

DATE: Saturday, Nov. 17, 2012
VENUE: NUVALI, Sta. Rosa, Laguna
DISTANCE: 21k for a team of three runners
ASSEMBLY: 3:30 AM
GUN START: 4:30 AM
BULLSTOCK START: 7:30 AM hosted by Boys Night Out

TBR Dream Team Run is the first grand reunion run for TBR Dream Marathon Alumni.

For TBR Dream Alumni, this is your chance to relive your TBR Dream experience at NUVALI and to reconnect with your batch mates. But, this time, you get to run with two other friends in a 21k race. It’s half the distance, but three times the fun!

After the race, kick back and relax at Bullstock, a simple and casual get-together at the Fields in NUVALI with lots of running talk and laughter hosted by a team of three too, the Boys Night Out!

RULES AND REGULATIONS:

1) TEAM OF 3. Runners must register as a team of three. At least one of the three runners must be a TBR Dream Marathon Alumni* or TBR Dream Marathon 2013 Registered Participant.  (* A TBR Dream Marathon Alumni is a confirmed registrant of the TBR Dream Marathon 2010, 2011, or 2012 regardless of him/her appearing or finishing the race.)

2) TEAM UNIFORMS. All runners are encouraged to come in team uniforms or costumes. Be creative! There’s a prize for Best in Costume!

3) FINISHERS’ SHIRTS & MEDALS. Finishers will be awarded Finishers’ Shirts and Finishers’ Medals upon crossing the finish line.

– TBR Dream Team Medal –

– TBR Dream Team Finisher’s Shirt –

REGISTRATION: Sept. 22 to Oct. 7, 2012 EXTENDED!

Registration fee: P650 per runner or P1,950 for a team of three

Registration will be open until slots are available.

Click on this link to download: TBR Team Run Registration Form

REGISTRATION CENTERS (from October 9 until slots are full)

1. RIOVANA BGC – 
28th St. cor. 9th Ave,. Bonifacio Global City | 
Mon-Sun 12nn – 10pm
2. SECONDWIND RUNNING STORE
 – Ortigas Home Depot, Julia Vargas Ave., Pasig City
 | Mon-Fri 11am – 8pm
Sat-Sun 10am – 7pm

– Size chart for Finisher’s Shirt –

FAQ:

1. Does the entire team need to show up for registration?

No. One team member, not necessarily the Alumni or Participant, can register for everyone.

2. I don’t know any TBR Dream Alumni or Participant? Can I still join?

Sorry but we require one teammate to be a TBR Dream Alumni or Participant.  You may visit our TBR DM Facebook page and meet other alumni there who are looking for teammates.

3. Can I run ahead of my teammates?

No. The entire team must run as one. Teams that do not run or cross the finish line together will be disqualified.

4. What do I need to bring on race day?

Um, aside from your 2 teammates, your waivers.  In your race kit, we have included two waivers per person. Each runner must submit both either during registration or on race day.

CONTACT DETAILS

For inquiries, contact TBR Hotline. Look for Macel. Mobile: SUN 0942.477.6099. Email: tbrdream@gmail.com

The day before the marathon, we met up with other Pinoy runners who were signed up for Berlin Marathon.

– Team Pilipinas! L to R: JaneJane, Drew, Nica, Ton, me, Lit, Chicho, Riza, Miriam, and Angel.  All of Team Pilipinas—except myself—were sponsored by New Balance for apparel and shoes –

We had our carbo-loading lunch followed by, umm, a sugar-overloading dessert feast with wonderful couple, Chicho and Riza Mantaring.  Riza is the President and CEO of Sun Life who we featured in TBR Magazine – Jan/Feb 2012 issue.  She was deep into training for Berlin when a freak accident (during Ironman 70.3 Cebu, she came only as spectator for her son but got sideswiped by a jeepney during her long run) left her injured, but she still came to support Chicho.

– Lit, Chicho, Riza, Angel, Mir, and Ton chatting about running over sumptuous desserts and coffee –

We were also joined by world marathon travelers and Cebu-based owners of the popular Leona’s bakeshop, siblings JaneJane, Nica, and Drew Ong.  The Ong siblings are the best travel and marathon companions. Super fun and, yes, super fast. We ran California International Marathon together last year.

We walked from the restaurant to the Brandenburg Gate, the marathon’s start and finish area. We covered the last few kilometers of the actual race course.

– Walking through a portion of our race course –

– Spotted fellow marathoners on the streets. Two of them carrying the race kit in front of us –

The Brandenburg Gate was a sight to behold. I couldn’t believe we’d be running the last few meters of the marathon towards it!

– with the Brandenburg Gate behind me –

– The last few meters of the marathon –

– Team Pilipinas at the Berlin Marathon –

We entered the race area to find a festive atmosphere the day before the race! There were food stalls and benches for people to eat and drink beer.

– Now, how far exactly from the Brandenburg Gate until the finish line? –

– After this, it’s 0.195 to go! –

– Eat all you want bratwurst, currywurst, and other German specialties –

– Drink all you want! –

– Aside from running, in line skating was also part of the event. Hey, hey, we women aren’t complaining! –

– Chicho, Lit, and Angel checking out the finish line –

– Ton must be saying a silent prayer for a great marathon. Or just checking out the girls near the gate –

Previous: Part 2: Berlin Marathon – Our Pre-Race Run and Segway Tour
Next: Part 4: Berlin Marathon

Thanks to Unilab Active Health for my great Berlin Marathon adventure!

Friday morning in Berlin, two days before the race, we went on our last easy run before the big day. We took off from Cosmo hotel, which I highly recommend should you ever come to Berlin to run its marathon. The weather was p-e-r-f-e-c-t. It was cool enough to make us feel like a 5:45 min/pace was effortless without having us shivering like tourists from the tropics.

– We, and our running shoes, made it to Berlin! Woot woot! –

– Miriam, Angel, myself, Ton, and Lit –

– The streets we ran were runner friendly. They were clean, wide, and practically vehicle free –

We ran easy while chatting and laughing. Then, we came upon these colossal works of art in Gendarmenmarkt Square.   Now, what do Pinoy runners do when they chance upon great sites? They stop and ham it up for the camera of course!

– Ton, Miriam, and Angel –

– The Französischer Dom (French Cathedral) –

– Konzerthaus am Gendarmarkt –

– On the steps of Konzerthaus am Gendarmarkt, concert hall in Berlin –

We went on and ran through some streets which were marked as part of the marathon route.

Ran through parks…

Beautiful tree-lined roads…

…and even some beer for Ton!

After a quick stop over at the grocery, we had a wonderful breakfast of cheese, scrambled eggs with bacon (ooh lala), and yummy coffee in front of the concert hall.  It was a bit chilly but the restaurant provided blankets!  (How cool is that?!)  Perfect morning, really.

– Illy coffee is served! –

Later in the day, we knew we had to tour Berlin but we didn’t want to tire our feet. Lit had the awesome idea of going on the Berlin Segway tour!

We met our tour guide, Marriet, who quickly taught us how to use the Segway, then immediately took us through the roads of Berlin and its major sites: Unter den Linden, Branderburg Gate (marathon start and finish), Bebelplatz (site of the famous Nazi book burning), and Museum Island.  (Fantastic tour. Again, I highly recommend this!)

– Team Berlin on our Segways with the great Berlin Cathedral behind us –


– with the Brandenburg Gate behind us –

After our tour, we headed for some schnitzel and currywurst at Roccos.

– The boys try to figure out our way through the subway –


– Authentic German dinner for carbo loading –

– Ton and Miriam’s liquid carbo loading –

– Evening cap at the lobby of Cosmo Hotel.  We bumped into fellow Pinoy runner and renowned architect Manny Minana and his photographer wife Denise –

Previous: Part 1: Berlin Marathon: The Race Expo
Next: Part 3: Berlin Marathon: Lunch with Pinoy runners

Thanks to Unilab Active Health for my great Berlin Marathon adventure!