Category Archives: Bullish Insights

Expect the roads of Manila to be empty this weekend as runners and triathletes fly off to Camsur for the Ironman Camsur 70.3.

Swim squad classmate and triathlete Roland Benzon said his training was: Cram-sure!

And he was going to Cramp-sure!

Well, all I can say is that I wish that all you triathletes who worked long and hard for Sunday’s big race stay Calm-sure until the big day…

And that you all swim, bike, and run your own race to the best of your abilities!  We’re all proud of you already…that’s for sure!

Good luck to all my friends joining (You know who you are! I won’t name names since I may forget some of you!) especially to Team Hammer!

What’s the best part of the marathon for you?

The common answer is, of course, the finish line. Words cannot explain the fulfillment one feels after running the long and arduous 42.195 kilometers of a marathon.  Other runners will answer the start or perhaps midway when they encountered a helping hand, a discovery of their inner strength, or simply feeling second wind when they were about to give up.

My answer? What I love most about the marathon is the training.  I love that raw, nervous feeling in your heart when you’ve found the perfect marathon training program, as you sign up for the race, or just day dream about the marathon.  I love waking up in the wee hours of the morning to meet friends for a long run, half of which will be done in the dark before the world awakes.  I love crossing out each run feeling like I deserve a medal for pushing myself hard each and every single time.  I love feeling fit and light and strong during the months leading up to the race and, even more, seeing how my body changes, how muscles suddenly pop out of nowhere, and the weight melts away.  Truth to tell, I love the journey—every single part of it, including sweat, tears, and pain—more than the destination itself.  The race is just icing on the cake.

Tomorrow, training officially begins for New York City Marathon 2011.  The program I’m using is from the FIRST program pulled out from the book Run Less, Run Faster (available at Runnr).  I am so ready!

– My marathon folder holds all my training programs from the past. It has my Nike Hood to Coast, Singapore 2009, Condura, HK, NYCM 2010, and now NYCM 2011 program. On the left is inspiration provided by Little Miss Bull Runner –

Last Sunday morning, I woke up at 3 AM to the sound of rain dropping heavily on our rooftop. My first thought: Poor Milo Marathoners. I couldn’t imagine running a 42k for over 4 hours under heavy rain with soaked socks and raisin-like feet.

Having said that, running a distance less than a full in the rain is a completely different story. Running in the rain is an experience that I always look forward to because 1) I get to wear my favorite bright pink Nike Storm Fly running jacket (shallow I know!) 2) I don’t feel as tired running in cool weather, and 3) I feel like a kid again playing under the rain!

Well I wasn’t running Milo this year due to my recovery from injury, but I did get up early for a rainy 15k run with birthday boy, good friend, and certified Chi Running instructor, Lit Onrubia, and friends Ton, Quenby, and Leah.  The entire run was fun and smooth (my foot injury was gone!) despite the wet roads.

We ended our fun run with Lit’s birthday breakfast hosted by Tessa at her home.  A breakfast buffet table welcomed us—bacon, eggs, tocino, bagels, cheese, and coffee!—along with a birthday breakfast setting complete with little cookies as giveaways.  More of Lit’s running friends showed up to celebrate and enjoy the breakfast feast.

The biggest surprise of the morning was Tessa making a grand entrance in full costume with a chocolate cake in hand.  We sang, we ate, and we talked all throughout the perfect, rainy Sunday morning.

– Tessa and Lit –

– Perfect pic. We’re all looking at the wrong camera except for Tessa. L to R standing: myself, Lara, Tessa, Quenby, Ton, Arnel, Leah. Seated: Lit and Leana  –

Congratulations to all Milo Marathoners! Happy Birthday again, Lit!

I certainly do. And, it turns out, so does Gatorade.

The good people at Gatorade are giving me the chance to run my dream marathon…again. Hopefully, this time, I get to run it exactly the way I want it. No more tripping over Disneyland sidewalks (grrr!), pre-race sightseeing, and last but not the least freezing my thighs off in shorts. I know now what to do and what NOT to do.

– Running NYC Marathon 2010 with my “bodyguards” –

It will be serious, steady, and hopefully joyful running at the biggest marathon in the world: The ING New York City Marathon 2011. Looking forward to seeing you again in November, New York!

Gatorade, thank you!

This is hilarious. Being the bull that I am, I just had to repost this interview of my fellow bull by my favorite running resource, Runner’s World.  Read it and laugh!

Click HERE to read the full article on RunnersWorld.com