See you on Saturday for our 2nd Bull Session!

We always say that The Bull Runner Dream Marathon is not just about letting first-time or second-time marathoners reach their marathon dream. It is also about experienced marathoners being given the opportunity to give back to the running community, to give new runners the same support and motivation they received from others. To basically pay it forward.

– Maricel Laxa- Pangilinan with her Pacer, husband Anthony at TBR Dream Marathon 2013 –

Every year, we open limited slots for PERSONAL PACERS.  Pacers are runners who are willing to run all 42.195km with a registered TBR ULAH Dream Marathon participant.  The Pacer will run to support the first-time marathoner and NOT to run his or her own race.  He or she will NOT receive a medal or a finisher’s kit, but he will receive the fulfillment of guiding a friend or loved one through an unforgettable milestone in the runner’s life.

Please click HERE for the Qualifications and Requirements from Personal Pacers.  Read thoroughly before you register as a Pacer.

If you are interested, we are now accepting applicants for PACERS for TBR ULAH Dream Marathon 2014. We only have 80 slots for Pacers.  Below is the link to the Registration Form.  We will announce the accepted Pacers before October 25, 2013.

<<< LINK HAS BEEN REMOVED: Pacers registration is closed >>>

Registration for DREAM CHASERS will open in January 2014.

See you for our 2nd Bull Circle!

We’ll have TBRDM Alum Raymond Racaza share his personal experience on running TBR Dream Marathon.  Neville Manaois, Team Principal of Pinoy Ultra Runners and race organizer, will discuss essential gear for marathons.  Hector Yuzon, running shoe guru and owner of Secondwind Running store, will tell you how to choose the right running shoe.  Last but not the least, we have a special guest, running icon Patrick Concepcion, to share with us his passion for running and leave you with tips on running your first marathon.

Save the date also for October 26, Saturday, for our 2nd Bull Session at Track 30th, Bonifacio Global City!

Additional reminders for our Bull Circle:

• Talks are free of charge. No pre-registration required.
• Non-participants of Dream Marathon 2014 are welcome to attend.
• For those of you are interested in purchasing the official TBR-ULAH Dream Marathon training shirt (TBR University design) for yourselves or for friends, we will be selling these during the Bull Circle.
• For inquiries, Dream Marathon hotline. Look for Macel at 0942-477-6099 or email tbrdream@gmail.com

Garmin sent over the Garmin Forerunner 10 for road testing.

Last Sunday, I took this pretty baby (no exaggeration!) out for a spin on a 14k easy run with friends.  Without reading the manual, I wore it that morning and took off.  Good thing it didn’t rain despite the expected storm because I wasn’t even sure if it was water resistant!

– Garmin Forerunner 10 comes in various colors for Men and Women –

Here’s my review on the Garmin Forerunner 10.

[ LIKES ]

+ Provides Essential Running Info.  The Garmin Forerunner 10 provides the basic and most important information a runner needs from a workout: Pace, Distance, Time, and Calories. With the Garmin’s dependable GPS-based system, distance and pace are pretty accurate.

– Screen after the run. Hey, don’t judge my pace! It was an easy run! –

+ User friendly. To start running, just press the right top button to grab a satellite signal and within a few minutes, you’re good to go. As with all Garmin watches, all you need is common sense to get started. I never ever had to read through their product manual. We all have time for long runs, but we don’t want to waste 5 minutes figuring out how to start a running watch, right? To add, all functions can be easily accessed using the two right buttons.

– Just click on the right top button and you’re off! –


– Click on the right top button again to pause or end a run –

+ Backlight. If you start running before dawn or at night, the backlight is definitely a must.

+ Virtual Pacer. The virtual pacer is available in most, if not all, Garmin running watches. It allows you to set a target pace and you can race against a virtual runner. The watch will alert you when you are on pace or if you go too fast or slow.

+ Counts laps. The watch can monitor your pace and time for laps. I usually have my laps set per kilometer and this helps to track your average pace per lap for a long run.

+ Run-Walk Intervals. For runners who practice run-walk technique, this is a God-send. You can input number of minutes running and walking and the watch will alert. No need to add/subtract while on the run.

+ Easy to charge and upload. Just attach the charger to the watch and plug it in like a cellphone. This is also the way to upload data to Garmin Center.

– The charger attaches to the back of the watch –

+ Comfortable, Good size, Lightweight. This watch is as light as a feather, it’s comfortable, and it fits on the wrist quite nicely.

– The Garmin Forerunner 10 with its siblings the Garmin Forerunner 310XT (strapless because I use this for the bike) and Garmin Forerunner 910XT –

+ Comes in various colors. Black/Red & Orange/Black and Pink/White for men and Green/White, Violet/White & Black/Silver for women.  All colors are available locally.

+ Water resistant. Up to 50m.  (Great to know I can run under the rain with the watch again in the future!)

+ Functions as a watch. This is a big deal for me: You can use it as a regular watch! Battery life on watch mode lasts up to 5 weeks.  That’s fantastic.

+ Affordable. The watch costs P8,990. Not bad compared to other pricey Garmin models.

– Limited to 2 Data Fields. While running, the interface provides two data fields at a time: one screen provides time and distance and the other calories and pace. While I appreciate the simple and clear interface, I count this is a negative for one, like me, who is used to the Garmin Forerunner 310XT or 910XT which can provide 4 data fields at once. But, for the first time Garmin user, this won’t be a problem at all. One can easily switch screens by pressing the down arrow. Data is large enough to read while running. Data can be customized as well.

– Short battery life for training. According to the Garmin website, “for typical use (with GPS on 30 minutes per day), battery life is 10 days. If used continuously with GPS on, battery life is 5 hours.” For runners who run above 5 hours for a marathon or an ultramarathon, this is a serious issue.

– Limited archives. History can store only up to 7 past runs. If you’re OC over your training, make sure to upload your data regularly to Garmin Center.

[ TBR VERDICT ]

I highly recommend the Garmin Forerunner 10 as an entry level running watch. It provides the basic and essential info needed by a runner along with additional features. Garmin pretty much took the key features in their top of the line running watch and packed into this the Garmin Forerunner 10. No frills, all function.

My only concern with this watch would be its short battery life on GPS mode.  I’m assuming they designed this truly for beginner runners running short distances.

So, who is it for? I would say it’s for the beginner runner, the experienced runner (who runs half marathons or shorter) who is on a budget, the triathlete who wishes to have an extra running watch on top of his/her triathlon watch on casual days or running days. The latter is actually me. I’m pining for the purple one! Sigh.

[ PRODUCT DETAILS ]

Here’s a Triathlon Camp led by my Coach Andy Leuterio. This is a great tune-up for people planning to join Tri United 3 and 4.

Event: Suunto Ambit Triathlon Power Camp
Date: October 19-20, 2013
Venue: The Village Sports Club

The camp is FREE to all Suunto Ambit users, but you must go to the Suunto Ambit Triathlon Power Camp Facebook Page and follow the instructions to get a slot.

Non-Ambit users may join for a P2,000 fee. Fee includes rental of the facilities of Village Sports Club, talks about training with Pace, Power, and Heart Rate, and lots of swimming, biking, running, and, as my Coach says “other secret physical stuff” training at various intensities.

Here’s the CAMP PROGRAM:

Sounds exciting, eh?

Click Registration Form-Suunto Camp to download the Registration Form.