Timex 2012 Run - Time Is Running

After just a week since the opening salvo of RunRio, they followed another running event for today 22Jan12, the TIMES 2012 RUN – TIME IS RUNNING. The event covered the 16/10/5 kilometer categories.

As expected the race event was another big success. Although I do not have the official comparative attendance count, I would say that today’s event has a greater number of participants from last week. Timex has established from the past years a good base of followers. Having said this, Piolo Pascual who has been the endorser for TIMEX on previous run, is still a force to recon as he still commands a good number of female fans (even males)  The guy could really run as well having a personal best of 47minutes for the 10k distance. Today also coincide to be his birthday. Happy birthday Piolo. 

To Timex congratuilations for a successful event. To coach Rio and his staff wishing you all the best and hope for your continued endeavors to bring class and stature to the Filipino runners.

I completed my 10k run in 01h08m50s (unofficial time) which was also an improvement from my last week’s timing. 

Another Sunday in the road. The way I would always want to complete a week and start a personal Sunday bonding time with the family.

Go Natural 2012 - Opening Salvo of RunRio for 2012

Go Natural 2012 – “A Run For Early Child Diabetes Education” is the opening salvo of RunRio  for the year 2012. The event was held today 15Jan12 at Bonifacio Global City (BGC) covering 21/10/5/3 km categories.

As what can now be expected from RunRio the event was not only well attended by the local running community it was as well organized race with lot activities offered to all runners after their race events. Congratulations to RunRio and sponsors Go Natural.

Normally after crossing the finish line I proceed to my car and go home immediately, however, as it was still early and with the sun still low in the horizon, I did a walkabout in the activity grounds of the race event. The giveaways to all the participants were well managed in its distribution. There were many sponsors activity booths that can be visited by the runners. One outstanding and striking set-up that I wish to commend RunRio was the installation of a row of TRASH BINS that were very visible and usable by all persons in the activity area to ensure that cleanliness and proper disposal of trash is handled. Great job to the organizers for environmentally sensitive.

There were really a lot a activities going about simultaneously and another very striking event was a rock band playing with all gusto to the delight of the crowd. The band was playing well and I wanted to ask somebody their name but felt ashame to do so. Anyways, whoever you are guys your music was good.

One minor fault I noticed during the race was the installation of the distance marker for 10km located at Rizal Avenue where it indicates that 10km runners have still 3 km to go. Somebody made a booboo where it was placed as just 50 meters after you have another sign that 10km runners have completed 8 km. While it is very minor fault maybe somebody should check isignages are correctly placed by utility personnels to wher they should be as error on their part could tarnish the good name of the organizer.

I completed my 10km event in an unofficial time of 01h11m55s another great Sunday hugging the roads.

PSE Bull Run 2012 - A Great Start For A Running Year

In the last four consecutive years, I have started my year in running with one  event and that is Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE) BULL RUN – “Takbo Para Sa Ekonomiya”.

I have witnessed the said event evolved from a so-so running event and gradually improving as the years pass by to what it has been today…a well attended and managed running event. If such a success of the initial running event of the year would be the basis  for all other races during 2012 then the running community will be in for a great running year.

The 2012 edition od the PSE Bull Run covered 21/16/10/5/3 km categories. The unofficial attendance fro the event is about 8000 runners. Each individual category was started by the sound of the TRADING BELL of PSE instead of the usual gun start.

Congratulations to sponsors Philippine Stock Exchange for their continued support and commitment for the past four years to the running community and may you continue for the coming years. Congratulationa as well for a job well done for the event organisers ADEVENTS who have improved over the years.

I joined the 10km category and finished in 01h 15min 49sec nothing spectacular for any young person but for a forthcoming 61 year old guy, it is a good start for the year. I just hope I will have the longetivity to continue my running to my 70’s.

See you on the road this 2012.

Running Log For The Year 2011

As with any other endeavor, any task or undertaking will only be considered completed should the same be documented for analysis and record purposes. In this respect, I submit the above REPORT CARD of my Running Log for the year 2011.

Total distance run for 2011 - 2,146.16 kilometers
Total Calories burned running for 2011 - 149,050 Kcal
Total distance run since April 2007 - 12,760.50 kilometers

Unlike on previous years, I was hitting 3000+ kilometers a year. However age is fast affecting me (I am turning 61 years old this 2012) and I have noticed a big difference in my stamina. For the year 2012, I shall limit now my race participation to 10km distances and workouts to 40km/week. The main consideration now is maintaining good health so that I could run till I am on my 70's.

Wishing all runners a great year ahead. Keep healthy, safe and injury free. See you on the road.

Las Vegas Touring 10.51km Run

Las Vegas Touring Run 24Dec11

Early morning on December 24th at around 6:36am with temperature at 6degrees celsius, I started my morning workout from   Trump Hotel in Las Vegas all the way to Four Season Hotel and then back.

The main purpose of the run is to take a leisurely run at the Las Vegas Boulevard and take pictures along the way.

I wish to share the pictures taken during the run which can be viewed on a slide share presentation above. I do also take this opportunity to greet all my readers a BLESSED MERRY CHRISTMAS AND  A HAPPY NEW YEAR.

Let keep on running for the year 2012.

OB Montessori 45th Anniversary - Fun Run

Operation Brotherhood (OB) Montessori is celebrating its 45^th year in operation for the year 2011 and to celebrate the occasion the school branches in Greenhills, Sta Ana, Fairview, Las Pinas and Angeles City joined forces for a fun run. The OB Fun Run 45^th Anniversary was held today 04Dec11 at Venice Piazza at McKinley Hilles in Taguig City for a 5km,3km and 1.5km fun run with its students, families/friends of students and school faculty and staff.

Today is also a red letter day in running as the 3^rd Quenzon City International Marathon also took place. With my youngest son DENNIS being a 1^st year high school student in OB Montessori Greenhills, I have but to support my son and his school in its endeavor in running.

I have no high expectation of the OB Fun Run 45 Anniversary as the same is more of a school event and gathering. However, immediately upon arrival at the Venice Piazza in McKinley Hills I was surprised of the preparation and magnitude the school has taken for the event. We arrived at 4:30am and parking was already at snail pace (I will highlight more on the issue of parking later). It was a nice feeling to see on a running event students, parents/friends and school faculty and staff bonding for a running event. The place was filled with a fiesta like atmoshere and you could just feel the energy in the air. I was expecting no more than a handful of participants, but there were a great number of participants. Iam not sure of the exact number but my safe guess would be about 2500 runners from the 60+ (like me) to even as young as 3 years olds)

At 5:48am the 5km was flagged start with the suceeding 3km and 1.5km at 15minutes apart. McKinley hill iunlike other running venues in the city is hilly with stiff ascent and rapid descent in its road characteristics. I joined my son DENNIS and daughter-in-law PAMELA in the 5km event with my son DAX as our support and cheerer. Halfway into my first loop I saw my daughter in law PAMELA already on her way to complete her first loop and about the same time I was also overtaking my son DENNIS.

31min 55sec after the starting gun I crossed the finish line with PAMELA already waiting for me. Pamela won 3^rd place in the female category (we didn’t get her exact time) and she won P5000 for the feat. Not bad. My son DENNIS crossed the finish line in 34mins plus. 

Congratulations to PAMELA for her 3^rd place finish.

The event, food, booths, entertainment and the overall handling of event was superb and earns my respect to the schools organizers and the technical assistance of RunningMate in handling the race proper itself. To OB Montessori Management it was a successful event and my best wishes for the for the coming years.

Having said the above, I wish now to tackle on a minor but important issue that I have personally witnesed during the event. I have as ever been a strong supporter for equality in life and believe that whatever you teach should be practised. It is about the parking issue. In Venice Piazza the parking areas have an electronic board that do indicate the occupied space and the available space. At 4:30am the electronic board in the Parking Area near the fountain was 1showing 2 slots vacancies, however, the SCHOOL SECURITY not the VENICE PIAZZA SECURITY (who understand they cannot reserve public areas) would not allow entry into the parking area on the reason that the same is already RESERVED for school VIP and FRIENDS. I almost lost my cool and ignored the matter but gave my piece of mind to the head of the SCHOOL SECURITY. The school are teaching students on punctuality, equality, discipline in life and of good character education, but, contrary to such values in life whoever gave the order to provide PRIVELEGE to individuals particularly for the faculty/staff should be ashamed and re-educated that public areas are always on a FIRST COME FIRST SERVE BASIS. The school even came up with a memo to students to come early to be able to avail of the parking space near the starting line. I have said my piece on this issue and hope that whoever had this bright idea come to his/her sense.

Even with the above complaint, I find the event a success and congratulate OB MONTESSORI on its 45^th anniversary.

Nathan Ridge Run 2011 - Breath Taking Run

Nathan Ridge Run 2011 was held at Tagaytay Highlands on 20Nov11. As planned by the sponsor and race organizer, the event met the number limit of of its participants at 1000 inclusive of the three categories 21k/10k/5k.

There had been more than a couple of races held this year at Tagaytay Highlands, but all of them are trail runs. The Nathan Ridge Run was a road race along the access roads of Tagaytay Highlands, Midlands and surrounding exclusive housings of the Tagaytay Highlands estate.

At 5:00 I with my sons Dax, Dennis and daughter-in-law Pamela arrived at the starting venue at the Sports Club Center with most of the parking already taken giving us no other alternative but take the furthest parking lot just beyond the go-kart track and just before the open arena. It was maybe a good sign as to find ourselves in the starting line required us to walk a good distance of 300 meters of uphill climb getting ourselves warmed up and familiar of what to expect during the race.

Gun time was 5:30am fro the 21k, 5:45am for the 10k and 6:00am for the 5k. As I was entered on the 10k event, I took the opportunity to watch the gun start for the 21k event participants and just watching these guys makes me envy their determination and drive not because of the distance but the elevation for the whole length of the race that is definitely the touhest there is for a road race in the country.

At 5:45am 10k was let go on an uphill climb starting at elevation 410 meters to elevation 625 meters or a climb of 215 meters in 3.3k distance all the way to the Peak Bar. From the Peak Bar it was a down hill run to elevation 320 meters or descent of 305 meters in a distance of 4.0 kilometers. While this segment was a descent it was not as easy as it looks like as running down hill was risky and dangerous. Then it was the back breaking climb from elevation 320 to elevation 500 or a climb of 180 meters in 1.7 kilometers that would make you ask “why am I doing this”? Finally the last segment was a downhill run a descent of 90 meters in a distance of 1 kilometer before hitting the finish line.

My 10k was timed at 01h 34m 01s which was a mixture of run, race walk, walk and even a snail’s walk.

My official timing as posted by Nathan is as follows;

Congratulations to Nathan for a very innovative race event. 

The Nathan Ridge Run 2011 was “breath taking” with views and scenery and with stiff elevation clim you need to tackle during the run. Breath taking indeed!

Canon Photo Marathon 2011 - The Artistic side of a Marathon

Today I joined a marathon, it is not the 42.2k in running, but a photo marathon, specifically the 5^th Leg of the Canon Photo Marathon 2011 Metro Manila edition. There were four other events namely Mindanao Region – August 27^th Cagayan De Oro City, Visayas Region – Sept 3^rd Tagbilaran City, Northern Luzon Region – Sept. 10^th Vigan Ilocos Sur, South Luzon Region – Sept. 17^th Legaspi City Bicol.

Canon Photo Marathon has been on going since 2006 and is now on its 5^th year. For the last 3 years I have tried to enter this event however everytime they open up the registration via internet, registration quota is normally filled up in less than 24 hours. This year I made sure to be in my computer when they opened the registration last October 28^th at 8pm. It was only at 4am on October 29^th that I was successful in opening the registration page. Registration is FREE and the event is well provided for with lunch, snack and dinner with shirt/cap and ID to use during the event.

I arrived Philippine Trade Training Center (PTTC) located at Sen Gil Puyat Avenue and Roxas Boulevard at 6:45am and the crowd was already quite sizeable considering the event is only to kick-off at 8am. I was surprised that the registration was WELL ORGANIZED and systematic more than what I could say of certain running events in Metro Manila. T-shirt sizes, caps, info flyers, ID card, giveaway, brochures and what have you are all in a packed identified bag. Registration is computerized with more than 40 stations/counters to attend to participants by their surname basis. And to think all of these are FREE and whatever logistical expense was shouldered by Canon Philippines.

For those that are not familiar with the photo marathon the mechanics of the competition can be seen in this link to better understand the event.

Canon Photo Marathon is also held in other countries in Asia such as, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Hongkong, Vietnam, South Korea. However, the Philippines today established the RECORD of participants during today’s Manila Leg gathering 2670 participants, the biggest in Asia.

The 1^st Theme for the competition was “In the concrete jungle of our nation, Find the beauty of your own imagination use your creation …..” and all participants were let go at 10:30am with deadline to submit their single entry on or before 1:30pm. I choose to head for JONES BRIDGE and ESCOLTA area to take my picture. In the end I have this photo to submit for my 1^st entry…..

The 2^nd Theme for the competition was “In this City of Wonderful people, Different lifestyles, we venture A Mirros of our Colorful Culture truly preserved for our Future”. Participants were let go at 2:30pm with deadline to submit their single entry on or before 5pm. I choose to head to BACLARAN CHURCH to take my pictures. In the end I have this photo for my 2^nd entry…..

 At 3:30 pm having already submitted my 2^nd entry and feeling tired and exhausted due to the heat, I decided to head home without waiting for the result and formal closing of the event which still has a dinner and show. Whatever be the result, I think I am already a winner as I feel very satisfied of the two pictures that I have submitted. I had both printed on a canvass size 16x24’ for P500 each which was done in less than 5 minutes at the venue itself courtesy of Canon Pixma Printer and I had them framed earlier tonight at SM Mega Mall for P650 each. They both now occupy a space in the walls of my home.

I Share the following pictures during the event... (click on the link)

https://picasaweb.google.com/100678127252451474640/CanonPhotoMarathon201112Nov11?pli=1

Congratulation to Canon Philippines! And congratulations to all the 2670 participants. See you again next year.

The Trill - Running In The Rain

November 6^th was the schedule Chevrolet New Balance Power 2011 covering 5/10/25K events. I was looking forward in joing this event being one of the longer running and popular running events locally. However, the family as a confirmed booking for the Mount Pinatubo Trekking schedule for 05Nov11 so I have to forego my intentions for the Chevrolet New Balance Power Run 2011.

From the 2-4^th November it has been intermitently raining in Central Luzon and Metro Manila that the Pinatubo Tourism Board declared all Pinatubo Trekking for 5-6Nov11 cancelled due to the danger of lahar flow and swelling of the river leading to the volcano. What a downer! I had already my bags packed with the necessary trekking gears and change clothes. I was looking really forward in swimming in the crater and having a relaxing massage that is quite popular after trekking. What to do? Nothing much, but, I know it was for safety reasons and our trip to Mt. Punatubo is now rescheduled for the 26^th of November.

I woke up early today 6Nov11 at 4:00am and told myself to instead do my own running at Fort Bonifacio. As I looked out of my window I saw that visibility was down due to heavy rain. My mind started playing around if I go back to bed or go for a run considering the rain. My better instint prevailed so off I proceeded to Fort Bonifacio.

As I approached Fort Bonifacio at about 5:10am I already came accrossed the lead runner for the 25K event of the Chevrolet New Balance Power Run so I have to criss cross the diferent streets to find a suitabale parking area. Then I saw the main pack of the 25K and noticed that inspite of the heavy rain there was quite a big number of participants.

At 5:28am I started my own run on my intended route from 30^th Street westward all the way to 1^st Avenue then northward to 32^nd Street going eastward all the way to 11^th Avenue turning south to 11^th Avenue till I am back on 30^th Street. This route covers an approximate distance of 2.6km per loop so intention was to make 4 loops. The temperature was down to 22C due to the heavy rain that it was difficult for the early part of the run. During the course of my run within the loop I encountered the 25/10/5K runners as often as I made the loop and I thought I was already crazy running in the rain, but, there was still a bigger number out there crazy as I am.

I completed my 10.31k run in 01h18m29s. It was a great run in the rain, but now I much proceed as fast to take my hot shower to avoid colds.

In running RAIN is not a deterent but rather an added incentive for the trill in running.

  

ADIDAS KOTR 2011 - SouthEast Asian Championship

One of the longest and prestigeous running event in the most recent resurging era of running during the late 2000 has been the ADIDAS KING OF THE ROAD (KOTR) which started on 2008 as a modest running event. This year 2011 the KOTR is cumminating in the Philippinea where the finals for the regional champions of Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Indonesia will fight it out with the Philippines and elite runners of Kenya stationed in the Philippines for the KING OF THE ROAD title.

With the ADIDAS KOTR scheduled on 23Oct11, I was able to avail of the promotional free registration for the 21k category sometime in August. However as the event came closer I was in doubt if I was physically fit to run the 21k so I have to select to the remaining category which is either the 16k or the 5k. Not wanting to exert much effort I had no alternative but select the 5k category. I then gave my 21k kit to my wife who gave the same to her friend CARLO BELTRAN.

Prior to the gun start for the 21km category, the UAAP Champion for the Cheering Squad competion, the University of The Philippines Pep Squad gave a trilling performance on the starting line. Video of the performance can be seen below;

At 5:00am the 21km runners numbering over 4000 participants was started. To attest to the great number of participants for the 21km the video below took more than 3 minutes for those in the back to cross the starting line.

The 16km event is the category for the KING OF THE ROAD for SOUTHEAST ASIA. This is the distance event to determine the title of KOTR. Champions from Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Indonesia with the elite runners from the Philippines and those from Kenya are entered in this even. Again for these category the MC mentioned that there are over 4000 runners. The video below will show you the different champions from the region.

Last but not the least it was our event the 5km. In view of the great number of participants the start for 5km was divided into two waves to avoid congestion. I stationed myself on the first wave and at 5:50am I was off and running. The following pictiures I have taken duting the run.

I compeleted the 5km in 33m03sec (unofficial) the distance was short and wanting but was a great event and race.

It event being held in Manila was but a affirmation from ADIDAS to hold the championship event for the KOTR in the Philippines as the country has never experienced the boom and popularity of running as what it is now today.

As of this writing I do not know yet the result of the KOTR but will update this blog when I do have the details.

 

Official Race Result

Congratulations to ADIDAS and to all those who participated.