Posts Tagged with: "TNF"

Hubby and I spent our Valentine’s Day morning, just like thousands of other runners, at The North Face Thrill of the Trail at Nuvali.

– Start for the couples run –

This was an 11k and 22k trail run which I desperately wanted to join, but I didn’t because of three words: No, not “I love you” (you’re so cheesy) but “Hong Kong Marathon!”   I thought it was best to avoid any potential strains, sprains, or little accidents on the trail before marathon day on February 28.  (Read: praning!)

While hubby ran the 11k race, I went ahead and ran on the road.  The air was a bit chilly, perfect for a nice morning run.  There were a lot of people strolling by the lake, biking, and even resting inside their tents on the grass. I loved every minute of that 5k run.

– The road I ran on. The same road TBR Dream Marathoners will pass –

– So peaceful here –

By the time I got dressed and went back for hubby, he was done. And so were other running friends who showed off all their battle scars.  Hubby had a swollen pinky, Aljo a scraped knee, and Marga bruised palms. Mark and Tiffin Parco had no scratches, but they did demonstrate Mark’s show of affection this Valentine’s Day.  When they crossed the river, Mark offered to carry Tiffin to the other end exactly like this…

– I heard Aljo asked Mark to carry him too. Unfortunately, he was rejected by Mark –

Despite the bumps and bruises, the runners were all smiles and enjoyed the new trail experience.

– with Edward, Raymund, Bards, and Dingdong –

– with Meek Runner and her hubby, Tiffin, and Francis M. –

– with Me-Anne and her husband –

– with Jun –

– Mai Mai and Miguel. I predict non-runner Miguel will be lacing up in 3 months –

Congratulations to TNF and the entire team, especially my favorite technical consultant Neville Manaois for staging another unique and exciting trail run!

TNF is always a race anticipated by runners seeking new adventures in the world of running. It offers a unique experience from the typical road race and away from the concrete jungle of Manila.  Past races were at Clark, Legaspi, Cagayan de Oro, and now it’ll be at  Nuvali, Sta. Rosa, Laguna. (Click HERE to read my TNF 100 Race Report last May 2009, Clark)

TNF RACE DETAILS

• Date: February 14, 2010, Sunday
• Start: Nuvali, Laguna, 5:00 a.m.
• Distance: 11k | 22k | 11k couples trail run. Partners should arrive at the finish line at the same time.
• Fee: P450 per person
• Register at R.O.X., Second Wind, Res Toe Run, The North Face – Shangrila, Glorietta, SM MOA, SM Cebu, SM Davao
• Contact: 0917.5.ASK.NUV (275.688)
• Website: www.nuvalievoliving.com

NUVALI

TNF at Nuvali makes the race doubly exciting for me.  I was just at Nuvali last month for our TBR Magazine shoot with Ani de Leon. I was delighted to discover this shangrila in the south developed by Ayala Land, which will be home to many families and offices in the future. It was beautiful there; the atmosphere was calm and serene, the air fresh, and the roads beckoned for us to run on them.  They say the grand plan is to provide many outdoor activities in this area, such as trail running, mountain biking, ziplining, and in the future, an area for triathlons to be staged.

– Love this area by the lake –

NUVALI TRAIL RUN COURSE – There’s a flexible trail run course from 11k, 22k, up to 50k. There are natural river trails on 2 areas with 1km section each: one even has a waterfall.

NUVALI MOUNTAIN BIKE COURSE – in case you’re an MTB enthusiast, too

Then, one can take the entire family along since, aside from eating at the many restaurants, the kids can enjoy these at Nuvali:

KOI FISH AT THE LAKE – I highly recommend you let the kids experience koi fish feeding at the 4-ha lake area. They have 8,000 koi fish in there. My friend Marga and I were amazed at all the koi going wild and crazy when we started feeding them (feed available for purchase)

BIRD SANCTUARY – 78 bird species identified in Nuvali

Hope to see you at the race!

My friends and I were chatting about the running boom recently, saying how we’re not even at the peak yet. We wondered how running would evolve in the months to come: the expected increase in numbers of registrants per race (if Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon can reach 50,000 registrants.  Why can’t we?), potential growth of trail running, ultramarathons, and triathlons, and the possibility of running and races trickling down to other areas of the country. For the latter, it looks like it’s starting to happen with major race events (aside from the Milo series) heading for the provinces. Isn’t it great?!

1) TNF in CDO. This will be an awesome race to join. After my thrilling TNF experience at Clark, I’m seriously tempted to try it again. But, CDO will have to wait.  I cannot just abandon all the great marathons in Manila during October and I have to start saving up for Singapore!  Maybe next year if they’ll have a second run…

2) Cebu Marathon. This is one race to look forward to. It would be a wonderful reason to travel and a good alternative to racing abroad. Click here to visit website.

3) Camsur Marathon? I heard rumors of a Camsur Marathon in the works right after the successful Ironman 70.3 last month. This would be a great race too, if they start very early to beat the heat (which I heard was a killer at Ironman 70.3.)

I predict more provincial races in the months to come.  Perhaps the good people at Cebu Pacific or Philippine Airlines can offer discounted running packages to spur the growth of running and local tourism at the same time?  Great idea, huh?