Category Archives: Bullish Insights

I was so busy chasing after work deadlines and packing for the entire family that I failed to bid you goodbye last night. I am now in Hong Kong thanks to the wonderful people of Planet Sports, especially Anton Gonzales and Bing Buenaventura, who sponsored my trip and registration for the Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon tomorrow.

I wish I could sit down and chat with you more, but, after a long day at Disneyland with the kids…

– Forget rest for now. Disneyland beckoned. Tomorrow we attack Ocean Park (after the marathon, that is!) –

Plus the fun-filled New Balance Regional Running Event held this evening…

– with Team Fatbird of Singapore and Jinoe of takbo.ph –

…I am pooped.  It’s a terrible way to spend the eve of my marathon, but, at least, I have a good excuse already if I bonk…heehee.  Don’t worry, I promise to share all the details after the marathon.

Please say a prayer for me tonight. That I don’t get fished out of the marathon tomorrow with a net and thrown into a bus if I don’t make the cut off at each point. That my ITB doesn’t get cranky the way it did at Km40 in Condura. That I don’t die of thirst as I didn’t bring my hydration belt only to find out that hydration stations are only at every 5km (panic I tell you!) And, last but not the least, that I stop worrying aready, get some sleep despite the anxiety, and enjoy my 4th marathon experience!

Good night, Manila!

– Gear is all set. But is the body ready? –

I was at Runnr last night…and so was he. (he…he…he…)

I yearned to meet him, to look into his brown eyes just to say “Hello, would you stop staring at those shoes and give me even a few seconds of your time?” (time…time…time…)

But, shyness overcame me. (me…me…me)

Then Raymund called him. And, we exchanged a few romantic words about compression tights and knee injuries. (ries…ries…ries)

And that was the end of our brief encounter.  I know we shall meet again. If not in this running store in this lifetime, then in the next. We shall meet again. (gain…gain…gain)

– TBR with Jericho Rosales hence the  echo (cho…cho…cho…) above.  Gosh, I look like I’m not breathing. And there’s that awkward distance between us –

– Now that’s much better. Too bad I couldn’t photoshop his arm unto my shoulders too.  Hay, so close, yet so far –

Believe it or not, there was a time in my life when the R word was not mentioned at all at home or with friends. The only time we used it was when mommy would RUN errands, or we RAN out of fresh milk, or I wanted to RUN away from nasty clients.

If you gave me P10 for every time I said the R word last month though, I would probably be able to get myself new running shoes. RUNNING rolls out of my tongue every hour of the day. If I am not thinking about it, then I am doing it. It’s taken over my shoe cabinet, closet, pantry, refrigerator, calendar, inbox, social life, marriage, and family life.

I bumped into an old friend yesterday and, even if I had not seen her in years, the first thing she says is: “Hi Marathon Mom!” Blame that on facebook. Even my co-parents at school just ask me about running all the time: “How do I start?” or “Where are the clinics?” And, pretty soon, I’ll forget what my real name is and use “TBR” instead.

Running is definitely a big part of my life. It keeps me fit and healthy. It gives me a goal to work for. It provides me with my daily dose of sanity and peace amid all the to-do lists, meetings, and errands to run.

But, is it my life? I would be happy to report that it’s NOT. I can skip a run in a heartbeat if the kids had homework. I can miss a race for a family event. I have a happy family, work, other passions, non-running friends, and a life outside of running that make me feel complete.

Perhaps the best gift that running has blessed me with is this: It serves as a constant reminder for me to live up to my fullest potential, to become a better person. That if I just commit to do some good in running—whether it’s to run four times this week, lace up even when I’m tired, or help a newbie runner run her first 5km—then that positive move inevitably and naturally flows into other areas of my life. That if I push myself to run that last kilometer no matter how stiff my legs are, I am actually doing myself some good by overcoming my weaknesses and achieving the impossible.

If it happens that I find myself getting cranky because I missed a new PR or angry because of a flawed race, or I note that I may be getting over competitive, then I take a deep breath, go out for a good slow run, and remind myself about the beauty of running.

I run to live. And it’s never the other way around.

With the advent of more high-tech races, more and more races have the TIMING CHIP to give you accurate results for your performance during the race. The organizers provide you with the timing chip, usually a white, circular chip that you must securely attach to your laces. Most runners still don’t know how to do this properly. Here’s a video I made to show you how to tie your timing chip into your shoe…(next time i”ll learn how to put background music!)

* This is the first of many more videos to come on basic how-to’s or tips on all things running. Any other thing you’d like to learn?

It was the first Bull Circle session, a series of talks leading up to The Bull Runner Dream Marathon, last Wednesday, Feb. 17 at R.O.X. in Bonifacio High Street.  Over 160 runners (wow!) showed up to listen to speakers Neville Manaois, Susan Lafferty, Anton Diaz and myself talk about THE MARATHON DREAM, our own marathon experiences that we hoped would inspire and motivate everyone to go for their own marathon goals.

Click HERE to read Anton’s Marathon Story.

NEXT:

• BULL SESSION (RUN CLINIC): Saturday, 6 March 2010, 6 AM, 80 min. slow and easy run. Guest: Coach Rio de la Cruz to briefly discuss basic running form and technique before we run. Paced by Team Secondwind.  Meet at R.O.X., Bonifacio High Street.  Open to everyone who wants to run, talk about running, and make new running friends!
• BULL CIRCLE (TALK): Wednesday, 10 March 2010, 7 PM, R.O.X. “Getting the Body Marathon Ready” by Coach Jim Saret, Phil. Olympic Committee’s Sports Training and Fitness Consultant for all national teams.  Coverage: injury prevention, neuromuscular stabilization, strength and conditioning for runners.

* Bull Circles (talks) and Bull Sessions (run clinics) are free of charge and open to the public. Full schedule will be posted here next week.

– Susan Lafferty, Kim O’Connell, Neville Manaois, myself, Anton Diaz –

– The real stars of the show: the future marathoners –

– The view from above –

– All lined up –

– Neville talks about the marathon and why runners are so enamored with it –

– Susan once a sedentary housewife has run the grueling Comrades Marathon twice –

– Anton shares his first marathon story followed by Q&A-

– TBR Dream Team, the team behind TBR Dream Marathon: Edward Kho (course director), myself, Atty. Raymund Martelino (legal and special concerns), Neville Manaois (technical consultant).  Not in photo: Coach Jim Lafferty (race director and coach) and Creative Juice (logistics and production) –

* Photos courtesy of Raymund Martelino (The Rain Man)