Category Archives: Bullish Insights

Why hello there, stranger.  Okay, okay, I know. I’ve been the stranger.  I haven’t been able to blog for over a week.  Gaaah!

The reason?  It isn’t because I’ve been busy because, well, er, I just always am.  But, mainly because this blog was under construction.  My web people told me not to go near it AT ALL.  And so, I obeyed the rules, laced up my shoes and ran, put on my swim suit and did laps at the pool, took off with my Shiv and rode loops over and over, and worked myself to death…which brings me to my next point…

Since I’ve been working really hard, it’s time I took off on a real vacation.  Not a destination marathon.  Not a business trip.  Just time away with the family.

I fell in love with Tokyo when I was there last February for the Tokyo Marathon.  Half the time I was thinking “Anton will love the sushi here.” or “Nia has to see this!”  And, so, tomorrow, we’re flying off to Tokyo (just like the rest of Manila LOL!)  It’s going to be a trip for the kids: Disneyland, skiing, museums, zoos, and a Pokemon Center.  But, of course, while they all sleep, I plan to explore the city in my running shoes.  Be back soon!

For now, follow me on Instagram where I’ll surely be posting photos of the trip.

I just arrived from a weekend of fitness and fun at Boracay with the awesome women of Women’s Health and Summit! I think all women need an annual getaway for us to focus solely on ourselves—our body, mind, and spirit—every once in a while.

We flew off to Boracay for the weekend for Women’s Health’s annual event, Beauty and the Beach, the biggest beauty and wellness event in the country.  It was also a grand celebration of Women’s Health Philippines’ 5th year anniversary wherein they encouraged women to give themselves a high five for their achievements.  I felt fortunate to be invited to Beauty and the Beach again having had a fantastic time there last summer of 2011.  Read about it here.

So, last Friday, I hopped on my bike trainer (because I wouldn’t be able to ride that weekend), bid the hubby and kids goodbye, and flew off to Boracay for a weekend of fun and fitness!

As soon as we arrived and after checking in at Pearl of the Pacific, Women’s Health spared no time in pampering us.

Together with Solar news anchor and event host for that weekend Hilary Isaac, we were whisked off to a 90-minute massage at Mandala Spa and Villas. It was my first time there and I loved everything about it from the friendly staff, the ambiance, the clean and well-kept rooms, and, of course, the fantastic massage. I asked for a strong massage and they gave me strong…just the way I like it! We ended the massage just in time for a quick dinner before we got some rest before the real fun began on Saturday.

The following day, I got up early for Beauty and the Beach classes by the beachfront. First class: Hatha Yoga! I’m a big fan of yoga especially for runners because we need to loosen up our leg muscles, which take a pounding from all the runs. It’s also great for busy people like me who need to slow down, clear the mind, and simply recalibrate.

 – Women’s Health Editor in Chief Lara Parpan welcomes everyone to Beauty and the Beach –

– with Lara and event host Hilary Isaac –

– Never thought I’d do a yoga selfie LOL –

Second class: Piloxing. The class was taught by the only certified Piloxing instructor in the country, my good friend and roommate for the trip, and also a partner for the Weight Management Sessions we offer at TBR Dream Marathon, Mitch Felipe-Mendoza. Piloxing, as the name suggests, is a mix of Pilates, Boxing, and Dance. I thought it was going to be an easy workout, but boy was I wrong. It was a lung-busting, challenging workout that had me thinking: I would rather be running 21k right now! LOL. Still, it’s always fun to learn new things, to use muscles that are rarely used, and to challenge myself constantly with workouts that I find difficult to do.

– with Summit Group Publisher and TBR Dream Alum Edna and Lara –

After lunch at D’Mall, I met up with Women’s Health Editor-in-Chief and triathlete Lara Parpan. We dove into the clear, pristine waters of Boracay and proceeded to swim 1.5k. I had never done laps in Boracay and, as we swam, I couldn’t keep myself from smiling about how fantastic it felt. The water was clean and not too choppy, there was absolutely no jellyfish (we were viewing Ann Curtis’ jellyfish attack photos over lunch! Gaah!), and I felt that I could go on and on. There are times when I’m reminded of blessed I am to have the opportunity to swim, bike, and run the way I do and this was definitely one of them.

By the afternoon, we enjoyed cocktails at Women’s Health’s Chill Out Sunset Party by the beach front. It was an evening to meet other like-minded women of Summit, fashion bloggers, and fitness enthusiasts. More importantly, it was also to congratulate the Women’s Health team for all the great work the past 5 years.

– Cheers to the fantastic team of Women’s Health!  You girls and guys rock!

– with Hilary and Jillian –

The next morning, as expected, I got up early to run on the white sand of Boracay.  Hey, no trip is complete without a run, right?!  Running on sand is always a tricky situation; it’s unstable and soft. My light and minimalist Nike Free Run 2 was perfect for the job.  It was hot and humid, but running with that beautiful scenery before me was just a delight. I just enjoyed every moment.

The next classes for Beauty and the Beach were the Flirty Girl Fitness and Pound Workout.  I have two left feet so I decided to spare the rest of the women from watching me make a fool of myself.  It looked like so much fun though!  This is just even more proof that there are limitless ways to get fit while having fun.

Oh, aside from fitness, Women’s Health treated women to free mani/pedi and hair braiding services at their Beauty Dome by the beach. I would’ve wanted to get my nails done, but I think I was just too excited to maximize my workouts while in Boracay. I guess you could say I’m a pawis (“sweat”) over pampering kinda girl. Hah!

Before we knew it, we were bidding each other goodbye as the event came to a close.  It was great to make new friends, learn new fitness workouts, swim and run in Boracay, and just have the opportunity to get away from the daily grind.  Thank you so much to Women’s Health for the great weekend.  High five to all of you!

Sometimes I think I’m too hard on myself.  Correction, I think I’m hard on myself MOST of the time.

I’m always wondering if I could’ve done better, trained harder, ran faster, done more, said nicer things (and shut my mouth about the negative ones), ate more greens, skipped the chips… Okay, you get the point.

But, today, I got a little reminder from an email from Women’s Health reminding me to give myself a high five for anything that I should be proud of.  And, I thought, wait a minute, they’re right. I ain’t doing too bad! I should give myself a pat on the back every now and then.

So, here are five things I think I should give myself a high five for:

1) Getting the kids through another year of school;

2) Adding more speed to my running program for the past 2 weeks;

3) Passing on the Cheetos that keep calling my name whenever I pass the kitchen;

4) Cooking more at home (you must taste my Spinach-Feta Cheese Quinoa!  I eat it almost everyday! LOL);

5) Swimming, biking, running, and practicing Bikram Yoga despite this awful heat. (Congrats to all of you out there who are doing the same!)

– Track work is hard enough. It’s even more challenging in the heat. But, you gotta do what you gotta do! –

How about you?  What do you think you should give yourself a high five for?  Women’s Health believes that you have a lot of things to be proud of and I do too. 

HAPPY 5th BIRTHDAY, WOMEN’S HEALTH!

Speaking of Women’s Health, they’re celebrating their 5th birthday in Boracay from April 11 to 13.  I’ll be there to join in on the fun.  You’re invited too!  Drop by if you can!

Remember the limited black adidas Energy BOOST I wrote about last year? adidas has gone a long way since then with Energy Boost. Just last month, they unveiled new Energy BOOST colorways.

Just to tell you about how Energy BOOST started, adidas and partner BASF, the world’s leading chemical company, developed BOOST foam cushioning that returns more energy than any other foam cushioning in the running industry. 

BOOST technology basically combined the qualities of performance cushioning and responsiveness so runners don’t have to choose between the two; they get both.

Other features of Energy BOOST:

• BOOST was developed to remain consistently cushioned and incredibly responsive through sub-zero cold to punishing heat, which we can expect this summer LOL.
• The upper of Energy BOOST features adidas Techfit, highly durable elastic polyurethane that provides optimal comfort and support to the entire foot while in motion. The formfitting, breathable mesh material offers the fit of a sock, while engineered powerbands across the upper provide targeted support and stabilization.
• Energy BOOST also includes an extended TORSION® system from heel to toe which helps minimize roll for stability. This feature works with an external heel counter which maximizes the heel fit and comfort during runs.

The new collection of miCoach compatible Energy BOOST colorways retails for PHP 7995. Available at leading adidas and sports stores nationwide.

You may have been wondering where I’ve been. After TBR ULAH Dream Marathon last week, I rushed work to meet all my deadlines, stayed up all night packing, and flew off to Tokyo by Thursday to realize my own dream: to run my 4th World Marathon Major and my 10th marathon, the Tokyo Marathon! Wooohooo!

I’m still in Tokyo now to enjoy more of the sights and most especially the food! But, let me leave you with my Tokyo Marathon finish line photo from yesterday. I finished at 4:37. Not a time I’m happy about, I was expecting better—a lot better especially with how well I was doing at the first half—but, as with all marathons, you can’t really predict how things will go until you cross the finish line.

More on this in the next few days. For now, I hope you’ve had a great week just as I have here in this beautiful city.

For more photos, you can follow me on Instagram.