Finally posting our video of The Bull Runner – Unilab Active Health Dream Marathon 2014 held last February 16, 2014 at Nuvali, Sta. Rosa, Laguna! Enjoy!

Video by Tripleshot Media

I don’t know how many times I’ve mentioned this to friends: They should have a race that runs through Intramuros. My idea was an international marathon with the course weaving through the walled city of Intramuros, taking the runners through a historical tour of Manila. To my surprise, just yesterday, I found out there’s an Outbreak Mission in Intramuros! It’s not the marathon I dreamed of, but it’s good enough!

I’m not too familiar with Outbreak events, but I’ve visited their website and it looks pretty exciting.  Here’s some more info about the “Mission”:

Zombies will once again invade the metro, this time inside the walls of the majestic Intramuros. Touted as Operation Stronghold, the mission of this Outbreak is to free Dr. Alfonso Adarna from the evil fanatical band of brothers. It’s the familiar fear but with a whole new level of terror presented by the brotherhood, all within the intricate interiors of the famed walled city. It’s an Outbreak like you’ve never seen before!

Anyway, I received a complimentary “access card” today from good ol’ friends from Summit and Nestea, its sponsors, and since I won’t be available to participate in the event which is already this Saturday, April 5, 2014, I thought of giving it away to one lucky reader.  If you’re game, read contest rules below.

– Outbreak Intramuros Mission Briefing. –

– Enclosed is your Access Card to participate in the event! How creative is that?! –

PRIZE:

One (1) Complimentary Access Card to Outbreak Intramuros, April 5, 2014. For more info about the race, visit their website HERE.

HOW TO JOIN:

1) LIKE TBR on Facebook

2) Follow TBR on Twitter

3) Submit a comment on this post: “I want to join Outbreak Intramuros!” with the following info:
– Your complete name
– Your email address

CONTEST RULES:

1) Deadline for submission of entries: THURSDAY, April 3, 2014 at 10:00 a.m.

2) All entries submitted before contest deadline will be eligible to join the raffle conducted by TBR via random.org. 1 winner will win: 1 Outbreak Intramuros Access Card.

3) Only one entry per runner. Submission of more than one entry leads to disqualification.

4) Contest is open to Metro Manila residents only.

5) Winner will be announced on this blogpost and will be advised via email on where to claim the prize.

Good luck!

UPDATE: Congratulations to Julius B. Romero for winning the Access Card to Outbreak Intramuros! To all those who joined, thank 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!

I received the Adizero Adios Boost from adidas’ Adrien Semblat a week before I was to bid Manila “adios” (ack, I’m so corny) for Tokyo Marathon.  I was itching to road test them, but I didn’t want to experiment with shoes before a marathon and, when I came home with discomfort in my knee, I thought it best to wait for full recovery.

Now that I’m completely healed (yeah baby!), I was able to test the shoes twice on short runs.  Here’s what I thought about the Adizero Adios Boost.

[PROS]

LIGHT.  Adidas Adios Boost weighs in at 7.8 ounces for a size 9.  It’s a long distance racing flat, so it’s not as light as other racing shoes, but definitely lighter than your usual training shoe. You feel fast and nimble in these shoes!

COMFORTABLE RIDE.  adidas’ Boost technology, the bubble look in the sole that looks like Styrofoam, is said to provide a runner with continuous energy return.  They say the material has been proven to be three times more temperature-resistant than standard EVA material, thus providing a more consistent and comfortable run.  I truly felt the cushioning from Boost with every step, especially at the heel, which made for a comfortably bouncy ride.  It was just the right amount of cushioning, soft but not too much.  It was also responsive without being too stiff.

GREAT FIT. Silly me, on the second time I tested these shoes, I came from a swim and, as I dressed for the run, I realized I didn’t have any socks.  I ran sockless in these shoes (like them crazy triathletes! LOL) and they were very comfortable.  The molded responsive EVA sockliner is said to provide for an anatomical fit and great step-in comfort and I agree.  The heel counter felt snug.

GOOD TRACTION.  Most noticeable for me was the midfoot traction on the ground due to use of Continental Rubber for optimal grip.  With our crazy weather, this comes in perfect for the rainy season.

BREATHABLE MATERIAL.  I enjoyed the breathable mesh on the upper of this shoe.

ATTRACTIVE.  The bright orange color?  Love it.

[CONS]

MARATHON SHOE?   The ads and press material call the Adios Boost a marathon shoe, but I believe they must make it clear that it’s a great marathon shoe for the elite or efficient neutral runner. If you’re like me, a mere mortal runner, you can use this shoe for shorter races.  I would use this for a 5k or 10k race or intervals at the track and always with my customized insoles at Intercare.

LACKS STABILITY.  I prefer more stability in my shoe. I found this to be a bit on the narrow side which leads to more pronation for me.

NARROW UPPER.  I’ve got bunions, suffer from lots of blisters, and I dealt with nightmarish Morton’s Neuroma in the past, so I need shoes that provide ample space for my toes.

PRICEY.  Price is on the high side at P7,995.

[THE VERDICT]

The adidas Adios Boost is a long distance racing flat for the neutral, efficient runner.  If you’re one of the lucky aforementioned ones, then it may be the perfect shoe for you that may just take you to break your new PR due to its lightness, responsiveness, and overall comfort.  If you’re like me who needs stability, then use it only for short races.

[PRODUCT DETAILS]

PRICE: P7,995

WHERE TO BUY: Available in various adidas and sports stores nationwide

Women’s Month comes at the perfect time as I announce what I’ve been busy with the past months.  After TBR ULAH Dream Marathon, this is my next baby project.  As always, it’s one that I feel strongly about as a female runner and I can only hope that it can help encourage more women to get fit, gain confidence, realize how powerful they are, and, hopefully, fall in love with running as I have.  So, here goes…(drumroll please)…

Mark your calendars for the CARBTRIM-THE BULL RUNNER ALL WOMAN RACE on July 20, 2014 at Filinvest City, Alabang.  We’ll be having 5k, 10k, and 21k on a friendly and fast course!

It’s going to be a RUN FOR WOMANITY among our sisters, daughters, wives, grandmothers, and all other women in our lives!  Expect lots of bling (a charm bracelet for 21k finishers!), boas (to look utterly gorgeous after your run!), and tutus (for the honorary women aka men in our lives who’ll be allowed to register for very limited slots and run on that day if and only if they wear their tutus!)  Told ya it’s going to be fun!

More details to be released on registration soon!