Pinay In Action 2010

Saturday, 13 March 2010  |  Race Reports

Pinay In Action is a race that carries a whole lot of meaning for me:

  1. As a woman, I fully support this race led by Sen. Pia Cayetano as it’s all about women power!  It promotes women rights, health, and empowerment and includes females with women-specific type of cancers as its beneficiary. Go Pinay!
  2. As a female runner, I love the fact that it’s an all women’s run. It encourages women, regardless of their running background, to come out and take a step towards getting fit.  Last but not the least,
  3. P.I.A. will always be one of the most memorable races for me.  Did you know that Pinay in Action 2007 was my very first race?  It was my first 5k and I remember it vividly.  I was a bundle of nerves, but it turned out to be such a wonderful experience that I caught the running bug and never looked back.

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This 2010, the Pinay in Action gathered over 1,000 runners (mostly female of course) to run in SM Mall of Asia.  The roads were covered in pink as runners dashed out for their respective race distances.

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I registered for 10km, but I felt awfully tired. My body still hasn’t fully recovered from the double marathons of February.  Add gym work the day before plus Coach Rio’s late-night birthday bash the evening before the race and I knew it was wiser to run a short and easy 5k this morning.

Despite the weary feeling, I got an instant energy boost talking with the super women I bumped into this morning.

While waiting for the race to start, I chatted with DORAY ELLIS of Fitness First Team and met her 10-year-old daughter who’s into tri as well.

Before the gun was fired, I stood among the other women with JOYETTE JOPSON of David’s Salon Team who I learned had stayed at Coach Rio’s party much later, yet still pushed herself to run the full 10km.

During the race, it was a pleasant surprise to bump into JOY ROJAS, the woman who truly inspires us all to reach for our goals when she ran across the Philippines and America.

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– with Joy and her friend –

I stopped at 5k and spotted SEN. PIA CAYETANO and IZA CALZADO surrounded by a crowd. I stood in the back attempting to get a photo of them, but they were both nice enough to call me into the circle for a quick photo op.  They are two of my favorite celebrity women—sincere, smart, strong, and women you can basically talk to as if they were your best girlfriends!

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– with Iza and Pia –

As I was about to head to the car, I then spotted three strong men standing out from the crowd of women: Lit Onrubia, Jun Bisnar, and my hubby.  All three are registered TBR Dream Marathoners and they used this race for their 20k training run. I decided to run an additional 2k with them and decided to DNF at 7k.

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– Hubby with Lit Onrubia, Chi Running instructor, and Jun Bisnar, Nuvali GM –

After the race, I chatted with APRIL LEE of Pace Partners, a friend I met through this blog.  She leaves our country tomorrow and I wish I had been given the chance to get to know her better.

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– April Lee and the Pace Partners –

It was a run filled with positive energy and women power.  It practically wiped my exhaustion away!

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– with new mommy runner friends and their kids –

Read TBR archives of Pinay In Action here:
Pinay in Action 2009
Pinay in Action 2008
Pinay in Action 2007

Pinay In Action 2009

Monday, 30 March 2009  |  Race Reports

TBR RACE REVIEW: PINAY IN ACTION 2009

Overall Rating (10 highest): 6

THUMBS UP!
– Unique idea: an All Women’s Run…how great is that?!
– Race for kids: 1.6 km team run
– Abundant supply of free food, sports drinks, and mineral water
– Inspirational “women power” signs along the route
– raises awareness for women’s issue (breast cancer, cervical cancer, violence vs. women, etc)

GOOD JOB!
– Directional signs were aplenty
– Race marshals were everywhere

BETTER JOB NEXT TIME
– Heavy traffic upon entrance into SM parking lot
– Drinks were distributed right smack in the middle of the route while the 5k/ 10k were still running thus causing traffic
– Late start
– Long queues at the rest rooms

Congratulations to Pinay In Action for a fun race!  Until the next year!

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I left my racing hat at home and donned my running mommy cap for the Pinay In Action race yesterday morning. The hubby registered for the 10k, while I signed up for 1.6km with Little Miss Bull Runner. The night before (as I had expected), Bull Runner Jr. decided to come along. Yahoo, it was another family running affair for us.

We arrived at SM Mall of Asia to find the 10k/5k runners behind the starting line awaiting the gun start.  Hubby fled to the assembly while the kiddos and I went on a wild search for a clean, queueless bathroom, which we pleasantly found at Bona’s Coffee away from the long lines at the race area.  Our yaya came along to assist—not with the kids—but with the distribution of TBR Magazines and display of the banner (talk about yaya-of-all-trades).

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– a sea of pink runners –

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Sen. Pia Cayetano, practices what she preaches about being a Pinay in Action –

Before we knew it, we were waiting for our 1.6km kiddie race to start along with a small group of parents and their children.  I was well-prepared for this run; I carried a camera in one hand with a bag around my shoulder to carry everything else a running mommy must have: mineral water, Sports Beans, towels, and of course, band aid!  When I looked around, good friends JunC was with his three daughters, while MarkP was with his little runner too.  My son was hyper and excited, but Little Miss Bull Runner who had been the brains of this race from the start was in a foul mood.  I repeatedly reminded her that this was her choice and that there was to be absolutely no carrying throughout the race.  She answered with a sleepy nod.  Then, the race began.

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– One of the rare times I’m willing to stop during a race just for a photo op –

We ran intervals during the race—run, walk, run, walk, run, walk.  My son was being his usual self, teasing the little one by running ahead of her every so often.  My daughter, who is really a mini bull runner, would instantly speed up once she saw Kuya getting ahead.  But, after a few meters, it was obvious she was getting tired.  She even had a 2-minute crying session when I let go of her hand to take her photo (I wasn’t informed that she wanted us to hold hands throughout the run!)  Midway through the run, she slowed down to a walk and whispered to me “My tummy is getting ouchy.  I need to eat.” So, we relaxed and chatted while my son gobbled up some Sports Beans.  When we neared the finish, I told them, “like all runners, we should finish strong by running towards the finish line.”  We held hands, stopped and counted “3…2…1…Go!” and off we went to run the last few meters.

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– Big and small bull runners running –

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– We did it! –

Both of my kids ended the race with their faces beaming with pride. After a few high fives and hugs, we waited patiently for their Papa to finish his 10k.  My son was tasked to distribute TBR Magazines along with yaya, while Little Miss Bull Runner started whining and complaining about how long this was all taking (I guess the hubby must break 45 minutes to please the kids!)  Pretty soon, we headed off to McDonald’s with the Cruz family where the kids got their much awaited reward: Happy Meals with Monster vs. Aliens toys.

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– Canine runner in pink too –

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Wandersoles + Happy Feet = Happy Soles or Wanderfeet? –

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– with the Parco Family and Loony Runner

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– with the Cruz family –

Photos courtesy of Jun Cruz.  Thanks Jun!

Pinay In Action – Last Day for Registration

Wednesday, 25 March 2009  |  Race Announcements

It’s been a great week for my legs so far. No signs of injury at all. I haven’t felt this good in weeks.  Thank God!

As such, my partner and I have registered for our next race.  I believe this will be my fastest race ever. Well, mainly because the distance is probably the shortest ever too.

Little Miss Bull Runner and I will be joining the 1.6km race of Pinay in Action this coming Sunday.  She’s pretty excited about it.  In fact, we’re planning to get her a new pair of shoes before the week ends.  I’m thinking cushioning shoes would be good for her, but I believe her only requirement is that the Disney Princesses are on it. 

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Go get her, baby!

How about you?  Have you registered for Pinay in Action already?  Last day for registration is TODAY!

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What: PINAY IN ACTION 2009 Annual All-Women Run
When: March 29, 2009 (Sunday)
Distance: 10km / 5km / 1.6km
Assmebly Time: 5:00 a.m.
Race start: 6:00 a.m.
Venue: Mall of Asia, Pasay City
Led by Sen. Pia S. Cayetano
 
Register at:
Maxiworks Toylab branches – Bonifacio High Street (between Krispy Kreme and Club Princess) and Powerplant Mall (3rd Floor) Rockwell, Makati City
 
Registration fees:
Individual Participants – P250.00 (pre-registration)
Onsite Registrants (race day until 5:45am only) – P350.00
 
Prizes:
Cash prizes for the 5km and 10km category for the top 5 finishers.  6th-10th placers will receive a special gift pack. There will be other prizes apart from cash.
 
Contact:
For more details, please call or text mobile numbers 0917-8554489 or
0927-4045187 or visit  www.pinayinaction.com or send email to pinayinaction@gmail.com

Is Running Today’s “It” Sport?

Wednesday, 19 March 2008  |  Bullish Insights

Is it just me or are there a lot more features on running and races in local newspapers nowadays? It’s great that running is getting a fair share of the sports spotlight lately—although it is still a far cry from the exposure of basketball and boxing.

Yesterday, Inquirer had this on the front page of it’s Lifestyle section:

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Is running today’s “IT” sport? Is it the new badminton? Yes, perhaps. So many people are getting into running with mundane reasons such as “it’s what’s in right now” to the more serious ones like weight loss and fitness. You’ll spot more runners on the road—U.P., Salcedo, High Street, Alabang—they are everywhere. Why, you’ll even see some runners on TV. Television commercials feature runners with long silky hair (tell me why a woman would even run without her hair tied up?!) or one in pain as Pacman leaves him by the wayside.

Then, the races. The number of races lined up for the year will remind one of that time when badminton courts where sprouting up like Starbucks around the metro. Oooh, there are so many races lined up for the year that one’s racing calendar is filled to the brim. One ends each run bidding his fellow runner “See you at the next race!” and that’s almost synonymous to “See you next Sunday!”

Running may be the “in” thing right now. But, honestly, the thought sends shivers from my toes through my patella and up my spine. It’s great that running is gaining in popularity but I don’t want to see running as yet another fitness trend that people discard like a fad diet. For many of us, moreso the elite and master runners, running is our life. We run because we love it. I just hope that people who try running now will fall in love with it as much as I have.

Moving on, guess who got a brief glimpse of stardom (or Inquirer-dom) on that same page! Just below the article was this box:

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Can you see it? I circled it for you! Sen. Pia Cayetano mentions her favorite books and online resources on running and #6 is yup yup: The Bull Runner! (Oh, stop it with the applause I’m already blushing!)

By the way, I’m leaving for Baguio tonight so I’ll be on blogging break for five days. I’ll be thinking of all of you as I run up the hills of John Hay. I just have to figure out how to get down since running downhill can aggravate my runner’s knee. Hope you enjoy your break. Happy Easter in advance!

Team Mila

Friday, 14 March 2008  |  Bullish Insights

During the last Pinay In Action ’08, there was a small group of runners who joined the run for a much bigger purpose than most of us. They ran a full 10km to show support for Mila Mercado, a woman who suffered an embolism after giving birth 11 years ago. Since then, she has been a quadraplegic, unable to walk nor speak.

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– Mila surrounded by Therese, her daughter, Wawel, her husband, and their friends, Beni, Mark and Tiffin, and others –

Her husband, Wawel, and daughter, Therese, have been with her every step of the way. They have lived a normal and happy life just like any other Filipino family. Together, they established “Team Mila” to help others gain a better understanding of the disabled and to seek equal treatment for them.

Therese recently submitted a project in school called “Kids Can”. Please click here to view Therese’s amazing work. I’m sure Wawel and Mila are very proud of her.