Category Archives: Bullish Insights

Yup, that was my goal!  I wanted to break my PR for the half marathon which I ran at Run United 2011.  So, for the most part of January and February, Run United 1 was constantly on my mind.  I was thinking of Run United 1 when I ran my tempos, when I strength trained at the gym, and even while I ate (I wanted to lose weight before RU so I could run faster).  I was so focused on RU that I was half expecting the husband to throw a fit of jealousy over “RU” with whom I was spending too much time with.

Too bad then that, after a solo tempo run a couple of weeks ago, I felt my Morton’s Neuroma acting up again.  (I interrupt this blog post for a special message to Morton’s Neuroma: “I hate you!”)  So, as always, I backed off with the mileage and went on a mad hunt for wider shoes to keep Morton’s at bay.  As of now, the Neuromas have subsided with rest, but I’m still in search of that perfect shoe with a wider toe box before I run any distance above 10k.  (To the big running shoe brands, especially Asics, KSwiss, Brooks, and New Balance, please please bring in a few D widths for women with bunions and Neuromas like me!   Promise, I’ll buy more shoes if you do!)  For now, the only one that let’s me run short distances without discomfort are my Nike Frees.  Love ’em!

So, how was your Run United run?  Tell me because I feel like the outcast in high school who was left out of the biggest party of the year!  So frustrated was I this morning that I jumped into the pool, swam 2.2km, then had a good breakfast of pancakes and slathered it with tons of peanut butter!  Hah! Take that, Mortons!

I work from home. And, only recently, I finally had the time to spruce up my little home office. With tons of work for the blog, magazine and the race, I spend most of my time on my laptop facing one wall of this little room.

This is what I see everyday.  No, it’s not that obvious that I’m completely in love with running.

Right: MARATHON MEDAL HANGER. Only 42k medals allowed to hang on that little thing.  Shorter distances are stored in an old lengua de gato container.  Sad, but hey that’s how special a marathon is, right?

Middle: RUN UNITED 1 2011 21k CERTIFICATE OF APPRECIATION.  I’m never really attached to certificates, but this one was special for me because it was my half marathon PR last year.  No, I don’t particularly enjoy seeing my thinner self staring back at me on a daily basis, but I posted it as a reminder of my goals this year: 1) Lose the last 4 lbs I gained last year, and 2) Break my 21k PR.

Middle: TBR DM TRAINING PROGRAM.  The white bond paper in the middle is the training program of our TBR Dream Marathoners this year.  I keep track of it to know what they should be running, when our next talks and clinics are, and how many more days until race day.  (Answer is 16!)

Middle: PINK BULL. See that little pink bull?  She was a pasalubong from my good friend, Mayi Lopa, who spotted it on a trip abroad and said she just had to buy it for me.  Methinks I should have green running shoes made for her.

Left: BERLIN MARATHON MAP.  I signed up for only two major races this year: 1) Ironman 70.3 in August (shoot, did I really just announce it here?  Gulp.) and 2) Berlin Marathon on September 30.  I’m psyched. I love the thought of just choosing two major races and going all out to train for those.  It pretty much sets the entire year for me.

Left, middle, right: RUNNING STICKERS!  I’m a running sticker freak.  I collect them when I run races abroad.  The black circle is a Mizuno sticker from NYCM 2011, the 26.2 was from CIM 2011, and the nicest of ’em all is stuck to that little bottle which houses TBR Dream Medals of the past.  (Aw, I’m getting all sentimental already.)

So, that’s what I see everyday.  A picture of my running goals and just some of the things in life that make me happy.  What do you see everyday?

Just ran a tough 10k up and down a hilly course this morning. After 8 months of absolutely no speedwork due to injury and subsequently an 8-pound weight gain, I’ve spent the past weeks savoring every minute of my solo run where I push hard until my lungs want to explode out of my chest and then push some more.  I love it.  That, my friends, is how I practiced self love this morning.  And, that’s how I celebrated Valentine’s Day today.  (Well, after the hubby and I exchanged greetings, of course, and I opened up the little gift he gave me!)

So, this Valentine’s Day, I encourage you to spend some time loving yourself, too.  It’s not being narcissistic or selfish; it’s about giving love to someone who deserves it and usually spends 364 days of the year caring for others.

Run alone just the way you want it.  Challenge your mind and your body.  Try out that new recipe you never had time for.  Buy the gear you’ve been pining for all month. Say a prayer.  Run more. Walk faster. Run slower. Rest.  Last but not the least, if you received chocolates this morning, indulge.

Happy Valentine’s Day to all!

Sorry I’m not in a cheesy mood today, but if you wanna feel all soft and mushy inside, you may wanna read one of my favorite posts again: Date a Girl Who Runs.

I’m neck deep in work for TBR Dream Marathon. Man, I haven’t even blogged about my Condura Skyway experience!

I’m also way in over my head training like these crazy triathletes. Yes, I can truly say now that they are absolutely insane for training this long and often!

The past couple of weeks, while I’m trying not to swallow any more chlorinated water from the pool, losing my head in all the little details of race organizing, rushing the kids off to school, or running up a hill hoping to get my speed back, I ask myself why I put myself through all this. It would be so much easier to NOT blog, NOT organize a race, NOT train for a marathon or triathlon, NOT meet other people and just live my own happy life at home.

Then, I look in the mirror, see the person in front of me, and realize that she wouldn’t be happy living a quiet life at home. This girl’s gotta live her life to the fullest even if it results in sweat, blood, tears, sleepless nights, and perhaps (knock on wood) a few scratches from bike rides. Gulp.

So, a few minutes ago, while I was going at a frenetic pace working on my laptop as I usually do, I opened an email that made me stop and remember yet another reason why I put myself through such hell. At the risk of sounding cheesy—which must be allowed during this time of year so close to Valentine’s, right?—I realized that I also put myself out there because there’s so much good to witness in the world.  In TBR Dream alone, I already sense there’s so much love to give, share, and receive among the runners and volunteers.  What more in the world around us?

Here’s an email from a TBR DM participant. It warms my heart whenever I meet runners who truly understand the essence of TBR Dream, why we put it up and what we want to accomplish. Love is all around guys and girls! Thanks Edna!

I’m Edna Mamuyac, a participant of TBRDM 2012. I work in a Tourist Bus Company and I would like to offer one tourist bus to shuttle the participants of TBRDM on race day, March 18, 2012, for free. Our bus has a capacity of 49 regular seats and 11 jump seats. It will be up to you to make the arrangements of pick-up points and who will ride the bus. This is my way of saying thank you for being a part of TBRDM.

Edna

For those interested in the bus ride, we’ll work out the details on the bus ride with Edna and get post information on this blog soon.

Lots of TBR happenings at the Condura Skyway Marathon tomorrow…

HALF MARATHON

First, I’ll be running my first 21k for 2012 tomorrow. It’s not going to be a fast nor an easy one since I’ve been off serious training mode. But it’s going to be fun.

There’s nothing much to see on top of the Skyway especially since it starts before sunrise. But, I’m looking forward to seeing thousands of runners fill the road. If there’s one thing I like about Condura Skyway Marathon, it’s feeling like we runners own that strip of road so close to the sky! Don’t forget to wave to other runners on the other lane tomorrow, especially the marathoners.

TBR MAGAZINES

We’ll be giving out free TBR Magazines at the village after the finish. Hope you can get a copy.

We have Clinton Hess, CEO of Unilab and my teammate, on the cover. Not a lot of people know that Clinton is an avid runner and, may I add, one that knows a lot about running shoes having worked for Reebok USA in his younger days. We’re glad to feature a runner who can easily balance the demands of corporate and family life with his passion for running.

– TBR Magazine – Jan/Feb 2012 –

TBR DREAM MARATHONERS UNITE!

Most TBR Dream Marathoners will be running 21k tomorrow as part of their training for March 18. On our Facebook group, TBR DM runners suggested we meet after the race wearing our blue TBR DM official shirt at the Pinoy Fitness booth at the Condura Village. I can only drop by, but hope to see everyone there for a group shot! TBR DM alumni from Batch 2010 and 2011 are welcome to join us!

See you on the Skyway!