Day Five: 5 to 5/5 – Win Over P20,000 Worth of Prizes

Saturday, 5 May 2012  |  News + Promos

This is DAY FIVE, the last day, of TBR’s 5 Days to 5/5 Anniversary Contest 2012. For more info, click HERE.

DAY5_5to5

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

The Grand Prize for the 5 Days to 5/5 Contest is worth over P20,000!

HOW MANY WINNERS?

There will be one (1) winner, but, just like last year, there’s a catch!

The winner doesn’t get to keep all the prizes.  He must “share the wealth” with a DESERVING RUNNER OF HIS CHOICE. I repeat, the person chosen must be a RUNNER so that the items will not go to waste!  That person may be a loved one, a teammate, a colleague, or even a stranger who you’ve seen racing without shoes. The items that MUST be given to the other runner are:

  • 1 of the two shoes (KSwiss or New Balance)
  • 1 Runnr race hat
  • 1 Runnr dry max socks (3-in-1)
  • 1 Runnr sports towel
  • 1 Runnr water bottle

HOW TO JOIN?

1) Follow The Bull Runner on Twitter
2) Like The Bull Runner Page on Facebook
3) Subscribe to TBR Mailing List (upper right of this blog)
4) Post a comment on this blogpost with the following:

IN 1-2 SENTENCES ANSWER THIS QUESTION: (using more than 2 sentences leads to disqualification)

Who would you give the 2nd shoe to and why?

Also include:

– your Name
– Name used in Twitter and FB
– Shoe size
– Gender

HOW CAN I WIN?

  • Deadline for submission of entries: Sunday, May 6, 2012 at 6:00 p.m.
  • All entries submitted within this period complying with directions above will be evaluated by TBR.  20 entries will be shortlisted (I expect to have a hard time choosing among all your answers.  I’m such a softie!) and these entries will then be will be eligible for a raffle to be conducted by TBR via random.org.  There will only be one winner.
  • All entries will be moderated and will be approved upon closing of the contest.
  • Only one entry per runner. Submission of more than one entry leads to disqualification.
  • Winner will be announced on TBR Pages on Facebook and Twitter ONLY and will be advised via email on how to claim the prize.

May the best runner win!

Day Three: 5 to 5/5 – Win a Nike Running Shoe

Thursday, 3 May 2012  |  News + Promos

This is DAY THREE of TBR’s 5 Days to 5/5 Anniversary Contest 2012. For more info, click HERE.

DAY3_5to5

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

1 Nike Running Shoe (actual model may vary from the photo below) and 1 box of Enervon HP 700g

Nike Free Run+3

HOW MANY WINNERS? One (1) winner

HOW TO JOIN?

1) Follow The Bull Runner on Twitter
2) Like The Bull Runner Page on Facebook
3) Subscribe to TBR Mailing List (upper right of this blog)
4) Post a comment on this blogpost with the following:

– IN ONE (1) WORD DESCRIBE WHAT RUNNING MEANS TO YOU (using more than one word leads to disqualification)

Also include:

– your Name
– Name used in Twitter and FB
– Shoe size
– Gender

HOW CAN I WIN?

  • Deadline for submission of entries: Friday, May 4, 2012 at 6:00 p.m.
  • All entries submitted within this period complying with directions above will be eligible for a raffle to be conducted by TBR via random.org.
  • All entries will be moderated and will be approved upon closing of the contest.
  • Only one entry per runner. Submission of more than one entry leads to disqualification.
  • Winner will be announced on TBR Pages on Facebook and Twitter ONLY and will be advised via email on how to claim the prize.

May the best runner win!

UPDATE: Congratulations to MELVIN MANZANO ROBEL for winning this contest!

Product Review: Powerbreathe

Wednesday, 25 April 2012  |  Bullish Insights

As runners, we’re all trying to find new ways to improve our performance through training. But, only last week, I learned that we could also exercise our breathing muscles and improve our performance.

I received a new product called POWERbreathe for testing.

IMG_0975
– POWERbreathe –

IMG_0764
– Upon opening the flap –

IMG_0769
– Inside the box –

IMG_0768
– Back –

Here’s some information provided by the local distributor of POWERbreathe:

Why should you exercise your breathing muscles?

The lungs aren’t a muscle, they rely on the muscles surrounding them for their expansion and contraction. It’s this supporting structure that you need to strengthen and condition in order to appreciate proper, full breathing.

Why is it beneficial to take fuller breaths?

Lung size varies from person to person, so there are natural limits to lung capacity, however you can influence the total lung capacity that you actually use; your vital capacity.
When you breathe all the air out from your lungs, what’s left is called residual volume, or ‘stale air’, and it remains in your lungs. Too much of this is unhealthy.

By using POWERbreathe to exercise your breathing muscles, you’ll be strengthening your lungs’ supporting structure and improving your vital capacity, the usable portion of your lungs.

This not only benefits athletes because they are maximizing their ability to breathe. This in turn makes their training or exercise feel easier and they are able to train for longer with a lower sense of effort, increasing their fitness, and ultimately sports performance.

What are the benefits of POWERbreathe?

POWERbreathe is said to improve Swimming, Cycling & Running Performance:

– Accelerated recovery during repeated sprints by up to 7%
– Increased swimming performance by up to 3.5%
– Improved cycling time trial performance by 4.6% – equivalent to slashing – 3-minutes off a 40k time trial
– Enabled participants to cycle for 33% longer and with lower sense of effort
– Improved inspiratory muscle strength by 31.2%
– Improved inspiratory muscle endurance by 27.8%
– Reduced whole body effort during exercise

TBR REVIEW

I tested the POWERbreathe Plus Medium Variable Resistance. I use it twice a day, once in the morning upon waking then at night before sleeping.

At its maximum level, Level 10, I feel like I could use a little more resistance to feel like I’m actually working out my lungs. Perhaps I should’ve tried the Heavy model.

I’ve been using it intermittently for over a week.  I do feel stronger, but, to be frank, I can’t attribute this solely to POWERbreathe because I’ve also been swimming and biking more.  I will say that, at the right resistance, it definitely feels like you are exercising your lungs and I will not be surprised to feel its short- and long-term benefits down the road.

It’s a bit pricey.  But, for those who are serious about gaining a competitive edge, then this may be a good investment.

ABOUT POWERBREATHE

There are three resistance levels for POWERbreathe.

1) Light Variable Resistance (Wellness) model: For those who are restricted by shortness of breath, either due to respiratory illness or advancing age.
2) Medium Variable Resistance (Fitness) model: For those who are moderately fit and lead an active lifestyle but would like to push themselves that bit further.
3) Heavy Variable Resistance (Sports) model: For elite athletes and people who are in top physical condition but who want an edge on the competition.

The SRP for all models are Php 3,500. Each unit has 10 levels of adjustment.

For inquiries:
Facebook: AzioneSports
Email kikoreta@gmail.com

Tri United 1: Done!

Sunday, 15 April 2012  |  Race Reports

“The miracle isn’t that I finished.  The miracle is that I had the courage to start.”

– John Bingham

Woohoo! I finished Tri United 1 yesterday! It was a 1k swim – 30k bike – 7k run, a distance that may seem short to experienced triathletes, but daunting to this newbie.  I’m writing to you now so that’s proof that I survived it.  Even better, I actually had fun!

I hesitatingly showed up for the women’s race yesterday all nervous and jittery. Quite honestly, I didn’t know what I was doing there.  I knew I didn’t have enough training.  I wanted to stay home with the kids for the weekend.  And, every time I thought of the swim and bike, my stomach churned. But, surprisingly, when I looked out at the sea in Laiya, I felt a certain calmness.  All of a sudden, I felt I made the right decision in showing up for the race and facing my fears.  Just like my first 5k way back in 2007, I knew I was at the right place.

RACE BRIEFING

The women’s race was at 2:30pm Saturday while the men would race Sunday morning (earlier this morning). We were 42 participants in the women’s race.

The course was friendly for beginners like me. It was 2 loops each for the swim, bike, and run. So, we pretty much knew what to expect for each of the 2nd loops.

IMG_0881
– Host during the race briefing for the women’s race –

IMG_0884
– Female triathletes during the brieifing. That’s Lods Yapson of Team Secondwind in the Sun Broadband shirt. Hey, Sun Broadband, I like! hah! –

IMG_0883
– Unilab GM Clinton Hess during the briefing. In the back, my teammates Jake and Paolo are busy with more important matters: packing their baon –

IMG_0879
– My teammates Bic, Adel, Mike, and Clint during the briefing –

THE RACE

It was my first open water swim triathlon. The only time I ever swam in open water before this race was at The Next Step Tri Camp last year. To say that I was nervous was an understatement.

Swimming out towards the buoy was tough as we went against the current. It kinda freaked me out that I couldn’t see anything at the bottom.  I don’t know how many times I stopped to hang on to the buoy just to find my way. But, heading back towards the shore, as my Coach had advised, I pulled hard and swam at a good pace. That’s exactly what I did.  Before I knew it, I was out of the water telling my teammates how much fun it was.

We ran 300m from the swim to the transition area. I calmly wore my bike shoes, helmet, shades, race bib, and hydrated, then off I went on the bike. Oh boy, I could use a lot more training on the bike. This was the point where I felt everyone was just overtaking me and I felt frustrated about wanting to go faster but not being able to.  Lots of newbie tales here: there was a time I almost bumped the race signage, or the time I u-turned beyond the u-turn portion to avoid hurting the spectators, or the time I yelled at men on motorcycles ogling at all of us women: “Lumayo kayo sa akin! Babanggain ko kayo!”

After what felt like forever, I finally reached the transition area and dismounted without crashing (one of my nightmares). The first few kilometers of the run were difficult. I wanted to push harder, but my legs felt heavy off the bike. (That’s what I get for not doing any brick sessions!) By the 2nd loop, I felt much better and I went at a slightly faster clip to finish the race.

536296_10150762661783407_564048406_9415991_1936914642_n
– Heading towards the finish. Photo courtesy of Gica Limjoco –

THE END

I’m such a newbie. I didn’t even get my time. I guess I was just ecstatic about finishing. And, to tell you the truth, that’s really all that mattered to me at that point.

How many times have we said that, when it comes to your first marathon, the only goal is to finish? Well, for my first serious triathlon, it was exactly the same. The goal was to enjoy the journey and to finish with a smile on my face, and that’s exactly what I did.  I just had a grand time all throughout the race!

Uh oh, guys, I think I’m hooked.

Thanks so much to Coach Patrick Joson for teaching me the basics of biking and chasing after me when I was learning how to ride with cleats, Coach Andy Leuterio for taking me out for interval rides, Coach Martin Carandang for teaching me how to swim even if I take too long in between laps, Team Berlin and Team Kalyo (that’s just you and me, Ton) for our always fun runs, and to Team Unilab Active Health for the camaraderie and support.  This is only the beginning.

IMG_0895
– with good friend and 2nd Place finisher for her age category, Bic –

IMG_0893
– Teammate Ani de Leon, wins in her age category just 4 months after giving birth –

IMG_0897
– with teammates from Team Unilab Active Health. They all stayed overnight for the men’s race the day after (today), but I rushed home after the race to be with the kiddos –

Running Videos: adidas We All Run and Nike Free I Would Run to You

Tuesday, 10 April 2012  |  Gear + Gadgets

Two cool videos on running! Which one do you like more?

adidas WE ALL RUN with David Beckham, Lionel Messi, Derrick Rose and Katy Perry

Nike Free – I Would Run to You