Category Archives: Bullish Insights

– iamninoy Runners Group members –

Last May 28, Thursday, I donned my yellow iamninoy runners t-shirt and headed for The Philippine Heritage Library to witness the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between iamninoy Runners Group and our beneficiary, 5775 Reverse the Education Crisis.  This formalized the iamninoy Runners Group’s intent to help provide and improve the quality of education to the children of less privileged families.  

– MOU signing between iamninoy Runners & 57-75 –

– Jamike Lopa, Francis Macatulad, Bianca Gonzales, Drew Arellano, and Jake de Guzman –

During the press conference, Jake de Guzman gave an inspiring talk on running and shared photos of his runs. He ended his presentation with a quote from writer and runner, John Bingham, better known as the Penguin: 

“So many of us have changed our own lives through running that it makes sense we would want to change the lives of others the same way.  We can take the drive, ambition, and dedication we used to transform ourselves from couch potatoes to athletes and channel that into making a difference for someone else.”

I—together with Rapa Lopa, Jamike and Mayi Lopa, Jake de Guzman, Drew Arellano, and Francis Macatulad—make up the iamninoy Runners Group Steering Committee.  We have events lined up for the year to further drive awareness and support for 5775.  We invite runners to join our cause and help reverse the education crisis in the country. 

As members of the group, iamninoy Runners can help build schools and provide children with textbooks simply by paying a one-time P500.  In return, runners will receive an iamninoy tshirt, the official uniform/jersery that runners can wear during races and training runs.  Membership is open to all.   Click here to join the iamninoy runners group.

Click here to read a Phil. Daily Inquirer article on iamninoy Runners.

“If we were told that we could run only one marathon in our lifetime, Big Sur would have to be it.”

– Bart Yasso, Runner’s World

Last April 26, 2009, several Filipino runners made it to one of the most beautiful marathons in the world (as noted in Runner’s World): The Big Sur International Marathon (BSIM).  On its website, the course is described as “point to point, moderately difficult, with live entertainment on the course. Featuring rolling hills, Big Sur is the largest rural marathon in the world, winding through redwoods, paralleling ranches, and offering stunning views of the Pacific Ocean.”  I can smell the sea, already.

– Photo courtesy of Dr. Peter –

These friends have since returned to share their amazing stories about their marathons (and make us die of envy at the same time)…

Name: Potenciano “Yong” Larrazabal III
Age: 33
Years running: 3years
No. of marathons before BSIM: 5marathons : Pasig (2007) Milo(2007) New York (2007) HongKong(2008) Chicago(2008)
Finish time: 4:26

Name:Peter Mancao
Age: 49
Years running: 3 years
No. of marathons before BSIM: New York ’07 5:35; Hongkong’08 5:31;  Chicago’08 7:20 (it was hot!)
Finish time: 5:24

– Drs. Yong and Peter with their friend (Photo courtesy of Dr. Peter) –

Name:  Carolyn Que Pe Ching
Age:35
Years running: Since Dec. 2007
No. of marathons before BSIM: 0
Finish time: 4:36

Name: Natalie Ng
Age: 39
Years running: Since Jan. 2008
No. of marathons before BSIM: None.
Finish time: 4:58.19 (Target was 5 hours. Those pacers are a life saver!)

Name: Michele Siy-Yap
Age: 37
Years running: 9 mos
No. of marathons before BSIM: 1
Finish time: 4:19

Name: Babylyn M. Tiangco
Age: 38
Years running: hmmm, don’t know, would run to warm up for badminton or when there’s no quorum, is that counted? 
No. of marathons before BSIM: 0
Finish time: 5:14:20

Name: Dorothy L Santos
Age: 37
Years running: 1 year and 4 months
No. of marathons before BSIM: Big Sur’s my first!
Finish time: 4:34:22

Name: Don Santos
Age: 36
Years running: 1.5 years
No. of marathons before BSIM: 0
Finish time: 4:34:21

– Carolyn and husband/wife team Dorothy and Don. Photo courtesy of Dorothy –

Why did you choose Big Sur Marathon? 

DR. YONG: I wanted to experience the “Most Beautiful and Scenic” marathon in the world. My goal is to complete 33 marathons in my lifetime.

DR. PETER: I read Bart Yasso’s book and he highly recommends it.

CAROLYN: My cousin in law told me to check out the website. The beautiful scenery and their website sold me. Plus I’ve never been to Carmel, CA.  New place to see and explore!

NATALIE: A friend invited us. When I looked at the website, I just loved the scenery and how organized the event seemed to be. I wanted the whole experience to be special – for that kind of distance, there is no way you can not train and just wing it so I didn’t want it to just be any run. Take note though this is not one of the big events with huge cheering crowds. In fact it is a smallish crowd (4500 runners for the marathon vs say 45,000 in the NY Marathon) with a ‘no frills’ finish. It’s you and nature in all its glory. Exactly my type of run.

MICHELE: I chanced upon it by accident as I was invited by running mates Lyn Ching and Stella Que. They also signed me up and arranged all logistics involved. The first time I seriously looked into Big Sur Marathon, it was 2 months from the run.

BABYLYN: It was more of things falling into place for me.  Ige said I still had time to seriously train when I asked him in January.  Also, my family had a scheduled trip to the US around that time so didn’t have to worry bout paying for my own ticket. Hehehe.  Then I knew a lot of people who were gonna join.  Lastly, my cousin insisted that I do a marathon abroad because it’s easier to run when it’s cold.

DOROTHY: A friend, Carolyn, told me about it. It worked with our training schedule. Heard it was a beautiful and fun marathon so we went for it. When we found about Hurricane Point it was too late, we were already registered.

DON: I was training for the March 8 Philippine International Marathon (Pasig River) before it was cancelled. We looked for a marathon that was scheduled not far from that one so as not to waste the training. Big Sur Marathon’s schedule seemed to be perfect as we had already planned to be in the US at that time. But more compelling was my running buddy’s encouragement to join it in spite of the difficulty of the course, i.e., Dorothy forced me to join…

– Photo courtesy of Dr. Peter –

What was the highlight of your race?

DR. YONG: Starting at the 16th Km and ascending 160 meters over the next four kilometers, “Hurricane Point” presents the course’s greatest challenge, typically with winds blowing down towards the runners around 50 KPH. Upon reaching this point, we were greeted by Mr Martinez playing his grand piano.

The Big Sur Int’l Marathon officially advises all runners to “plan to add 30 minutes” to their normal marathon times

DR. PETER:  The view and for the first time i joined a pace group(5h30m)

CAROLYN: So many highlights!!  The cold, the travel, the long wait before the race, the 2:30am wake up call.  The fantastic entertainment along the stretch of 26.2 miles (my Garmin read 42.7km).  We had an all girls trip doing this. It was such an adventure with my sister, Natalie and good friend Michele.  Left our husbands and kids behind and just ran! The first 10km was the easiest, the last 10km was the hardest.  I noticed that the Americans ran with this care free and let’s go out there and just have fun kind of attitude which is great! “Hurricane Point” which was halfway through the marathon was great too and not to gruelling for those who love hills.  Yes, the hills even appeared to be conquered during the very last few km to the finish line.

NATALIE: Finishing! I didn’t realize I had committed to a ‘challenging’ and hilly marathon course till after I signed up! I never considered myself a serious runner and till the actual day didn’t know if I’d finish! I was very worried I wouldn’t make the cut off time and get swept by the bus! All the way to the US to be bussed back was not what I wanted!

MICHELE: It is surprising but crossing the finish was not the highlight of the marathon for me. The highlight was at the start when the atmosphere of excited runners felt very exhilirating. It was then that I knew for sure that IT IS REALLY HAPPENING.

BABYLYN: Finishing before the cut off time, enjoying the race and the view, (oh, and I wasn’t the last Filipino to cross the line…. heehee—my friend’s gonna kill me)

DOROTHY: Crossing the finish with Don at a good time.

DON: In no particular order:
– Barely conquering the nth and final hill in mile 25+ and crossing the finish line of my first marathon with Dorothy.
– BEER at the finish
– Running on Highway 1 and enjoying the breathtaking views of the Pacific Ocean
– ICE COLD BEER at the fiinish
– Great fans, support and organization
– FREE ICE COLD BEER at the finish

Would you recommend Big Sur Marathon to Pinoy runners?

DR. YONG: Of course, for Marathoners, this is one marathon they should experience at least once in their lifetime.

DR. PETER: YES! It’s only an overnite plane ride from Manila (viaSFO), very manageable field (5t runners), very good support (water, gatorade, fruit, GU), perfect weather and of course the spectacular view.

CAROLYN: Yes, it’s definitely a great marathon although because of the hills and slanted roads you may want to choose an easier first marathon course! For me the scenery and experience was so worth it.  Just practice on McKinley Hills 🙂

The organizers really did a fantastic job and you can tell they are really experienced at doing this year after year. Next year it’s April 25, 2010!! The best hotel is Carmel Mission Inn because it’s across the street from the Finish Line!  I’m looking forward to more runs in the U.S knee willing.

NATALIE: There are a few things to consider before joining Big Sur:
– Cost and time
– Jetlag
– You need to check into a hotel nearby before the marathon (highly recommend Carmel Mission Inn as it is reasonable and located right across the road from the finish line)
– Challenging course. The hills are a large large part of it with one of them stretching over 3.5km! A sadistic touch – last hill was on the 41st km!
– Short cut off time: if you don’t pass 22 miles in 5 hours you don’t continue; if you don’t finish in 6 hours you don’t get a medal.
HOWEVER once you’ve done it, you know that most other marathons will be easier and few if any will be as beautiful. For this alone it is so worth it.

MICHELE: I will highly recommend it because the scenery, the people and the weather was simply beautiful. It was cool throughout the run but not freezing and the course was also challenging. I think it makes for a memorable experience for any runner.

BABYLYN: Definitely! well organized race.  The breath taking view and awesome support: lots and lots of water/gatorade, cold fruits for energy (after a while you just wanna puke out gels), bands, mile marker, at each marker someone was shouting your pace and expected finish time so u try to push yourself harder, at one point, they give hugs!!! but i didn’t avail of that.

DOROTHY: Definitely. It may be tough but having trained a whole lot in Manila worked to our advantage. The spectacular views and well-organized race was well worth it.

DON: Yes.

It was an impromptu decision via text.  Saturday night, Photographer Ben and I agreed that we would meet up at the Market! Market! Power Mile Run the following day.  “Game!,”  “Tara!,”  “See you there!”  With so many exclamation marks, it was evident we were excited about the next day’s race.  

Turns out, it was all talk from my end.  I woke up at 5:15 am and nonchalantly texted Ben “Sorry, woke up late.  Missed the race.”  He must’ve been at the starting line already, I thought.

Hubby and I decided to proceed with our run.  We arrived at Bonifacio High Street at 7 a.m. and started at 7:20.  It took me quite a while to get all geared up for my road test:  Polar on the left wrist, Garmin on the right, Polar S3 footpod on the right foot, and heart monitor on the chest.  

– How to get a good tricep workout during a run –

We first ran one small loop around BHS, 1.14km according to my 305 and the hubby’s 405, so I calibrated my Polar accordingly.  I used to dread calibrating, but it was fairly easy with just a few buttons to push.  The Polar’s screen, compared with the Garmin 305’s, was more difficult to read at a glance but it wasn’t a big issue for me.  The main problem was my inability to shut down the beeping sound that came every second!  Was it a pacer or my heart rate?  I had no idea, but I knew I couldn’t bare to run with the annoying sound!  My solution: the ipod to shield my ears.

We ran outside of Bonifacio High Street towards the course of the Market! Market! race.  It was a surprise to see small groups of Market! Market! runners (or more like walkers, at that time) who were still on their way to the finish.  We took the same route behind S&R passing by the Lexus showroom and climbing up through British School.   When we hit 5k, we turned around and followed the same way back in hopes of completing a full 10k.

The pace of both the Garmin and Polar were significantly different throughout the run. One reason is that my Garmin reads the average lap pace, not current pace, which was highly recommended in the Garmin forum I browsed through before. (Next run I’ll have it on current pace to compare with Polar.)  The Polar gave me what I believed to be accurate pace readings based on my effort.  Unfortunately, I failed to put the kilometer readings in the Polar’s screen (again, I couldn’t figure  it out!) so I couldn’t compare distances throughout the run.

As for my run, wow, I was feeling awesome.  I hadn’t had a run that good in…I don’t even remember anymore.  No niggling aches nor pains anywhere in my body.  I felt so good I considered doing a 12k instead of the planned 10k.

Shortly after the hubby and I passed our 6km mark, however, the heat got to us; it was excruciatingly hot.  I couldn’t imagine how Botak Marathoners survived that kind of heat.  By the time we hit Market! Market!, hubby took a detour and ran under the shade of Serendra towards the car.  I went ahead, stubbornly resisting the idea of stopping as a strong and pain-free run was such a rare occurrence for me.  My goal was to finish just 5 miles, the distance I should’ve run at the Mkt! Mkt! race. 

I ended at exactly 7.98k according to Polar, 8.01k according to Garmin.  Due to the heat, my face was sunburnt and, despite my shrimp-like appearance, I exclaimed to hubby “This was one of the best runs I’ve had in months!”

We had breakfast at Pancakes where I couldn’t stop raving about my perfect run in between bites of my mushroom omelette. In the middle of the meal, I got a text from Ben.  Turns out he had just woken up and overslept as well!  So much for the Market! Market! Race.

Congrats to Francis Macatulad for finishing 5th overall and 1st in his age group for the 5 mile race at Market! Market! Power Mile! 

I was fortunate enough to be featured in Southern Living magazine, March-April 2009 issue.  The title of the article was “Ahead of the Pack” and they called me the “Speed Mom,” which I initially reacted to with a burst of laughter, followed by a “Hmmm, I like!”

– Southern Living, Mar-Apr 2009, Cover –

– Feature on TBR –

I believe this was the first article on me that featured my life as both the pioneer of Baby Sign Language in the country and as the The Bull Runner.  Those two worlds never seemed to merge, save for a couple of people who knew me as both.  But, now I’m realizing that I can’t keep them so separate anymore.  

At first, I thought they depicted me as more active and busy than I really am.  But, upon reading it again, I realized it was pretty accurate covering my hectic but happy life as mom, entrepreneur, and overly obsessed runner slowly making my way into triathlon.  They misspelled my last name and gave out the wrong blog address, but after calling me “Speed Mom” those are non-issues to me!

The magazine also featured a friend, Patrick Joson, a running coach who trains in Alabang.  I first met him at the Takbong May Yabang race in Cuenca Park last year.  Since then, he has been inviting me to run with them at the Ayala Alabang golf course and, with the improving foot, I hope to do so soon.

– Feature on Patrick Joson –

Note:  Yes, I know this is old news as it was the last two month’s issue.  But, it took me quite a while to post this as my scanner died last month.  Hence, the slightly hazy images above using my digicam.

* Thanks to Ben Chan of Photovendo and Dindo Caguiat (RunningDATcom) for the photos.

She wasn’t a state champ nor an athlete.  The only time she would run was whenever she chased our big brown askal, Booger (my brothers named him), out of the house and into the street fearful of an attack on the neighbors.  Regular exercise for her was hopping onto a blue, circular board that would have her twisting her body from side to side, probably the most fashionable form of waist-trimming in her day.  She did not know a thing about sports (except for some trivia about Alvin Patrimonio perhaps) nor did she actively encourage her seven children, especially her youngest (that’s me), to take up any athletic activity.  

But, as a runner, I’ve realized that, during the most challenging, painful, and arduous runs, the one who has influenced my thoughts and actions the most has been this woman who knew little about the sport I’ve come to love—my mom.

– Mom with Dad and all seven of us kids. I’m on my mom’s lap thinking of the many races I can run when I grow up –

There are a lot of things I practice in running that I learned from mom—not really through her words (she’s non-confrontational and soft-spoken) but through her actions:

1. Don’t give up.  Mom had her fair share of tough times, but she faced all her problems head on.  Quitting was not in her vocabulary.  As in any race, I try to not to DNF (Did Not Finish) unless there’s a major injury that needs to be dealt with.
2. Be independent, but don’t be afraid to seek help.  Mom was very busy with all seven of us, so I learned to care for myself early on.  But, if I had a nightmare, problems at school, or work-related stress, Mom was always there to listen.  In running, I’ve learned that runners will always have little aches and pains here and there.  The key is injury management and learning to listen to your body to avoid aggravating the injury.  But, whenever I feel things are getting out of hand, I don’t hesitate to seek advise from more experienced runners, my therapist, or my doctor.  (Fine, there are times I may go overboard with the medical advice.)
3. Be humble.  Mom is the most humble person I know.  I feel she should give herself a pat on the back more often for raising all of us kids, but she isn’t the type to call attention to herself or brag.  Well, this blog kinda does the opposite as I’m compelled to talk about myself more often that I usually do in the real world.  But, I try my best to be just like mom in this aspect.
4. Pray.  Dad and Mom were always in church. If not, they would be praying at their altar in their room.  Every first week of each month, the whole family would do the rounds of churches in metro manila: Antipolo church, Baclaran, St. Jude, Mt. Carmel, and Quiapo on specific days.  As a child, I used to resent this, but now that I’ve grown, I realized that it helped to keep my faith strong.  Nowadays, it’s natural for me to turn to God in good times and in bad (well, more often when I’m injured during a race.)  My favorite prayer:  “Lord, please make the pain go away!”
5. Believe in yourself.  LIke any great mom, my mom thought that nothing was impossible for her kids.  While she stayed at home to care for us, she gave us wings to fly and dream.  She still can’t believe I run so much, she still worries about my knees, and she always tells me I’m getting too skinny.  But, if I told her that I was running a marathon tomorrow, she would probably smile and tell me to go for it.  Of course, she probably has no idea how long a marathon is!

Happy Mother’s Day to you, Mom!  Love you!

Happy Mother’s Day to all other mommies—especially the running moms—out there!