Category Archives: Bullish Insights

How the Nike peeps managed to squeeze all these activities into the entire trip in which, mind you, we were jet-lagged and racing for two out of the six days, I don’t know. But, let me tell you that I’m sure glad we maximized our trip and experienced Nike and its birthplace, Oregon, to the fullest.  Here’s what we did on Wednesday, the day we arrived in Portland…

MEETING NIKE PEOPLE

There were 24 of us registered by Nike for the Hood to Coast Relay. We made up 2 teams of 12 runners each. My team was the Singapore Chili Crabs, while the other team was Singapore Noodles. Needless to say, majority of the runners were Singaporeans while there were 4 Filipinos, 1 Malaysian, and 1 Australian. All were Nike employees except for myself, Rashid (winner of Nike+ Challenge, Malaysia), and Jeannette, writer and two-time winner of Singapore Sundown Marathon 84km.

My newfound Nike friends lived and breathed the Nike culture: young, dynamic, driven, fun-loving, and adventurous. It was easy to see that they loved working for Nike and with each other. It felt like I was among a group of college friends who happened to just work and run together.

NIKE CAMPUS TOUR & RUN

Nike was founded in Oregon by University of Oregon runner Phil Knight and his coach, Bill Bowerman. It was a company that was inspired by running.

It was just perfect then that the first stop on our itinerary was the Nike Campus, the world headquarters of Nike Inc., where all the great ideas for Nike apparel and shoes are born. Entering the campus was surreal. Dressed in full running gear, we dropped our bags at the impressive Lance Armstrong Building, which housed the employee gym, indoor rock climbing area, lap pool and jacuzzi, before we set out for a short group run.

– Entrance to Nike Campus –

– Take a closer look and you’ll spot runners of all shapes and sizes running after office hours –

We ran 3k around the unbelievably beautiful trail course lined with wood chips (felt like I was running on clouds!) and pine cones along the perimeter of the entire campus.

We crossed pedestrian bridges overlooking the highway, ran under heavily shaded areas, and trotted along the track oval (yes, they have one too!) while hamming it up for the camera along the way.

Our hospitable Nike Singapore hosts toured us around the campus where we visited other buildings named after world-renowned athletes such as Tiger Woods, Michael Jordan, and John McEnroe, to name a few. As a runner, my heart skipped a beat when I passed by the Joan Benoit Samuleson Center, the Steve Prefontaine Hall, which much to my dismay was locked, and even the Kik spinning room, named after Kristin Armstrong, ex-wife of Lance and contributor for Runner’s World.

I was hoping I’d bump into Nike athlete and my running idol, Kara Goucher, and her coach Alberto Salazar, but the closest I got to them both was to have my photo taken near an illustration of her on their run clinic truck and get up close to a shoe signed by Salazar.  Pathetic!

– Kara on my upper left –

– Zoom D, Nike’s first gold medal shoe. 1983 model autographed by Alberto Salazar –

After a quick shower at the gym (which is up to par with big gym facilities here in Manila), we headed for the Nike employee store where I purchased all the necessary equipment for the race that weren’t available in Manila: running gloves, beanie, long sleeves, and rain jacket. After those were ticked off the list, I went for another round of shopping and just went berserk.

Aaah, the life of a Nike employee. For a split second, I thought I’d surreptitiously drop by the HR department and leave my resume there…

NEXT: Hood to Coast: Thursday

I’m writing this from my hotel room in downtown Portland ready to finally get some shut-eye in a cozy bed after our two-day adventure race from Mt. Hood to Seaside: Hood to Coast Relay race (H2C).  So much has happened in the past few days, I don’t know where to begin: meeting all these great people from Nike, the Nike Campus Tour, running every single day I was here, shopping, and of course, Hood to Coast Relay, which was such an awesome experience!

I’ll be leaving Portland tomorrow and will be back home Monday evening.  I wish I could stay longer if only to run more, but I’m eager to see the kids and hubby again, too!  In the meantime, let me figure out how to share all the stories and photos with you all.  

For now, I’ll leave you with our team pic after the race.  This is Team Singapore Chili Crabs partying this afternoon at Seaside after we finished our grueling Hood To Coast relay.  Woohoo!

Three days to race day.  I fly off to Portland, Oregon for the Nike Hood to Coast Relay tomorrow!  To say that I am excited would be an understatement.  Can you see me doing cartwheels?!

Last week, I received a detailed plan for our team: “Chili Crabs.”  I’m Runner No. 10 in a team of 12.  Each of us will be running three legs each.  I’ll be running Legs 10 (6.43 miles – moderate), 22 (6.81 miles – hard), and 34 (4.13 miles – moderate).  Click here for course map.  The distance is manageable, but the terrain, temperature, and my ability to run with little sleep in the dark will be a fun challenge.  Truth be told, I think I’m more concerned about how to change clothes in a van full of people or if there’ll be a restroom at all in the mountains!

Today, I read through a more detailed itinerary of the entire 6-day trip, which had me raising my arms in the air yelling as if I’d won the lottery.  Aside from the race, I was looking forward to touring Nike Campus.  I thought we would roam about, go shopping, and perhaps look for Lance in the area (oh, I think that’s just me!)  But, I was overjoyed to see this on our schedule: CAMPUS JOG. Woohoo, we’re even going to run in there a couple of days before the race!  And, it doesn’t stop there.  We also have a WILDWOOD TRAIL RUN pencilled into the sched!  This is truly a runner’s adventure and, to be honest with you, I couldn’t have thought of a better trip for the runaholic that I am.  I cannot wait!

As of this writing, I’ve just finished most of my work deadlines, which clears the rest of the day for the following important activities before I leave for Oregon tomorrow:

1. Run 10k
2. Meet with iamNinoy Runner Group steercom
3. Shop for toiletries and snacks
4. Pack!
5. Bond with the kiddos
6. Figure out how to use Twitter on my cell so I can update you (and the hubby who will be missing me lots!)

While most of us were worried over our race performance during last Saturday’s Kenny Roger’s Urbanite Run, Hector Yuzon, owner of Second Wind Running Store in Teacher’s Village, QC, had a little more on his mind.  Aside from running the 5k with his girlfriend, Tania Olea, he also had plans of proposing to her in the middle of the run!  Yes, he was excited about the biggest proposal in his life, but he didn’t know if he could pull it off as planned.  I’ll let Hector tell you what happened and, of course, what she answered!  

– Tania and Hector of Second Wind –

[THE CHARACTERS]

Girl: Tania A. Olea, 31 yrs. old, more of a walker for a year
Boy: Hector T. Yuzon, 30 yrs. old, running for more than a decade  

[THE PLAN]

I chose to propose sa run because if I hadn’t gone through with Secondwind and traded my corporate life – our paths wouldn’t have crossed. So I owe a big part of our “discovering” each other through running. 

[PROPOSAL DAY]

That morning, I did a long run with friends Mikey Macainag and Michael Paderes.  For the most part of the long run, I was picturing Tania.  I was thinking: what could she be doing that morning?  Does she have an idea of what’s to go down tonight?  And then it hit me – bigla ako kinabahan.  What if she says no?  What if I lose the ring sa run?  The whole week, I had trouble sleeping and also practicing my proposal speech.  To all those who are planning their proposal: NOTHING will compare to the event proper!!! Anyway, as the 10k went off, I immediately thought, “Ay, kami na, 5k na?!  Oh no, I cant remember my speech”… I forgot what to say…Parang I wanted to shout: “Wait!  I forgot what to do!!!  Wait!” …but then the crowd started to push forward…so I just said to myself, “This is it!”

[THE PROPOSAL]

As the crowd pushed forward, we were both enjoying the walk.  We took the sidewalk nalang so as not to bother the runners.  I personally enjoyed the walk because I didn’t know you can do that sa race – walking!  It was really relaxing for a change not having to think about your performance and just greeting and cheering on other friends!  Anyway, I was busy looking at venues on where to kneel down.  When we were at Mckinley Hill, she took a break inside Razons – there I grabbed the chance to check on the ring!  Thank God it was still there.  I had to pack it well, I had to put it in a plastic bag so my sweat wouldn’t ruin it, and then as I put it in the internal pocket of the shorts, the edges/corners of the bag was poking my hip, so I had to wrap it in tissue paper pa, and put rubber band around it to really seal and secure it properly! 😀 Then I saw the Venice area, the façade was near complete and it was nice!  Romantic pa (romantic daw o), but then it was well lit and there were a lot of runners – and I didn’t want to draw attention to Tania – and in turn pressure her.  So I said nice, but not feeling it. 

So there, after the turn around point – I said to myself, I better find “the spot” fast.  I even considered the big empty parking lot of Mckinley Hill… pero baka biglang may dumaan na delivery truck at masira.  Still walking back, after the last water station before Mckinley, I said this looks nice, by the condos and under the trees, still ang daming tao!  As I was running out of road, I said to myself: “Wala na, sa parking lot na bagsak nito…” and then suddenly, I saw the old closed grill resto with the mini golf… EMPTY and LONE.  This is it!  So I pulled her that direction.  

Tania: “Bakit dito?”
Hec: (bluffingly) “Eh doon din naman lusot nito e.”
Tania: (skeptic) “Ah..”  

And then I did my horrible speech… a week’s planning and writing, and my mind was still everywhere… and when I popped the question:   

Hec: (after my bad speech)…”Will you marry me?”   
Tania: (smiling, skeptic but now in shock) “Ha?  Ano ba?!” (and then pushing the ring to the side)
Thought in my head: “Did she just say no????!!!!  Crap!!!!”

Repeating myself (and more assertive)…

Hec: “I’m serious, will you marry me?”
Tania: (smiling before answering) “Yes”
Hec: “Thank God!”
Tania: “Bakit?”
Hec: “Ang sakit lumuhod sa semento.”
Tania and Hec: “hahahaha!”

Had my brain been in one place, the speech was:

Even though the people around me was saying, don’t leave corporate, stick with the sure thing – I still went with the opposite direction. Something or someone inside me kept whispering “go, everything will be fine”.  And since that day that I chased after secondwind I crossed paths with you. Even though we’re both old friends, I don’t think we would’ve discovered each other if I dint run after my dream.  I resigned to the fact that I will be married to my work while putting up secondwind.  after all that, good things started to fall in place, and having found this love is the single greatest and most beautiful surprise that came my way.    

One of the defining moments of a man is when he finally meets the girl that he wants to spend the rest of his life with, the girl that he wants to wake up to every morning, the girl that he wants to come home to everyday – will he treat it like another relationship and ignore all of the above?  or acknowledge the fact that this is the woman that I want to marry.  

Tania, this is my defining moment.  Will you marry me?

– Newly-engaged couple ends their most memorable race ever –

[THE WEDDING]

TBR: When is the big day?  Will you marry after a marathon or in running shoes? 🙂

Hec: July 2010 (because theres no major race that time haha joke!).  Yes, I think she allowed me to wear running shoes 🙂  or at least that’s my interpretation of her smile.  I think the key here is to ask the entire guys request right after proposing!  Im still pushing for a running inspired wedding though…

To Hector and Tania, congratulations!  May you have many more kilometers to walk and run together!

Last Friday, I joined the AdiZero Gram Challenge at Adidas Greenbelt 5.  I was invited to bring my own running shoe to pit against the AdiZero women’s shoe which weighed 245g.  Of course, I brought the lightest shoe I could find in my shoe cabinet, dusted it off, and removed the insole to make it as light as possible.  My shoe weighed in at 230g.  Woohoo, I automatically got 20% off the AdiZero Boston, Aegis, or Tempo.

Had my shoe been heavier, I would actually have gotten a discount too as seen in this chart:

Shortly after the weigh-in, Adidas shoe expert Xavier went on to discuss the AdiZero line in more detail.

– Xavier discusses the AdiZero Aegis, Boston, and Tempo –

I also got to try the AdiZero Boston and AdiZero Tempo. The Tempo made it home with me. It’s scheduled for a road test tomorrow, but may I say in advance that it is one attractive shoe. More about it in the days to come…

– with RicoV (Sheerwill), Luis (Gingerbread Running), Jinoe (takbo.ph), Vener (Run Unltd.), Rene (Jazz Runner), and Sam (Running Ninja) –

The AdiZero Gram Challenge is from August 1 to 31, 2009. For more info, click here.