This coming Sunday, December 4, 2011, I’ll be joining the QCIM 42K marathon courtesy of Mr. David de Leon who sponsored me and my running mate, Romy Irevera.  This nice fella was also our sponsor  last year. Thank you so much Sir David. : )

After the Nuvali 60K last June 2011, I joined  Milo 42K and Adidas 21K. Sad to say, I was not able to post the race result  here. I’ll try  my best to update my races the soonest time possible.

Special thanks also to Miss Issa of Adidas marketing for the sponsorship during the Adidas KOTR last October 2011. I owe you one Ma’am.

Although I’m not visible in majority of the races nowadays, I see to it that I do train regularly. I run on the road, off the road or in the treadmill rain or shine anytime of the day. For me, running is a form of worship. During this activity, I can sing spiritual songs, pray, intercede and talk to God. Nothing beats the feeling knowing that  you’re strong physically and  spiritually. Glory to God.

See you this coming Sunday at the starting line. I’ll update you with the race result ASAP.

Let me end with this quotation coming  from David Goggins, “I don’t stop when I’m tired, I stop when I’m done.”

God bless us all!

Last June 18, 2011 Saturday, I conquered Nuvali Sta Rosa Laguna 58 kilometers Ultra-Marathon in 10 hours and 17 minutes.

Let me share with you some pictures of that event:

It was a difficult but a very nice race. Recap to follow next time.

To all Ultra-runners who conquered the same distance that I did last Saturday, Congratulations.

See you in Manila International Marathon 42k this weekend.

God be Praised!

My 3rd Race for this year will happen this coming Saturday, June 18, 2011. Let me post this:

frontRUNNER ‘The Valley Trail Challenge’ June 18, 2011 Nuvali, Sta Rosa, Laguna 25K / 50K …

For those who have done the marathon here’s a great time to try Ultra-Marathon and for those who simply love the outdoors, a 25-kilometer category awaits you. The route is generally runner-friendly, having a rolling but mostly flat terrain (single and double track dirt roads), and only around 5% will consist of concrete roads. This route offers reprieve from constant pounding on hard surfaces. One loop will consist of 25 kilometers with the start and finish lines situated at the vicinity of the Evoliving Center. The course will bring runners to the peripheries of the NUVALI complex which will offer participants majestic views that only nature and NUVALI can offer. And in the true tradition of trail and ultra running, this race will be a no frills, all thrills race where runners, despite the presence of three aid stations( at Kilometers 9, 20 and 25 – first aid, water and electrolyte drinks), are strongly advised to be self-contained and sufficient, meaning , runners are required to carry their own hydration kits and nutrition supplies. Additionally, it is also recommended that they bring their own first aid kit (cotton balls, antiseptic solution, band aid strips and anti-biotic ointment). Registration Fee: (Limited Slots) 25K – PHP 750.00 50K – PHP 950.00 (includes finisher’s shirt and token) Registration Venue: A Runner’s Circle – Aloha Hotel, RoxasBlvd.– 567-4786

Read more: http://www.pinoyfitness.com/2011/04/frontrunner-the-valley-trail-challenge-june-18-2011/#ixzz1LuG9IhUz

See you there at the 50K category.

God bless.

Kahit na anong gawin kong pag-iwas sa pagtakbo, sadyang lagi pa rin akong dinadala ng aking mga paa papunta dito. Ito’y nasubukan ko ng di ako tumakbo ng limang araw dahil na din sa pagod at puyat (due to work of course) na sinamahan pa ng ulan dahil sa napakaagang pagdating ng bagyo. Nakakatamad kasing tumakbo pag basa na ang kalsada at medyo umaambon pa di ka pa man nakakapagumpisa…

Buti na lang at may ‘treadmill’ sa work station ko kaya yun na lang muna ang aking pinagtyagaan. Noong una, di ko sya pinapansin dahil hindi ako talaga sanay na tumakbo sa treadmill. Sa panahong wala kang ibang pagpipilian, tatakbo ka kahit saan at anong paraan. Sabi nga, once a runner, always a runner.

Sa darating nga palang May 22, 2011, kung kalooban po ng Dios, baka makasali ako sa 15K Brooks Run Happy na gagawin sa The Fort. Medyo mura ang Registration Fee P600 at kaya ng budget. Mamimigay daw sila ng authentic Brooks singlet at may timing chip pa. Tamang tama dahil maganda naman ang quality ng Brooks, may running short  nga ako nito na matagal ko ng sinusuot sa mga running practices at hanggang ngayo’y nagagamit ko pa. Magkita kita po tayo doon, kaibigan.

Hectic man po ang schedule natin, dapat di natin kalimutang alagaan ang ating katawan, at isang mabisang paraan ay ang pagtakbo. Kapag nag gym ako ngayon, kinabukasan naman ay tatakbo ako. At isang beses sa isang Linggo naman ang aking mahabang pagbibisikleta…

May mga nagtatanong nga pala kung di daw ba ako napapagod? Ang lagi kong sagot ay simple lamang…”Mas nakakapagod ang walang ginagawa.”

See you at the road and remember…God loves you always.

God be Praised!

100km fun ride from Fernbrook in Daang Hari to Naic, Cavite and back.

This is a simulation ride for the upcoming The Tour of Hope 2011, a 5-day 500km ride set for May 28 – June 1, 2011 from Quezon City to Laoag City to spread the word on the fight against cervical cancer.

There will be support vehicles and motorcycle escorts for our safety. There will also be hydration stops every 30km.

After the ride please join us at the Union Jack Tavern in Festival Mall, Filinvest, Alabang for lunch and so we can share with you more details about the ride on May 28 as well as the cervical cancer advocacy.

Open to all cyclists. Registration starts at 530am in Fernbrook parking lot (Daang Reyna). Registration fee is Php350 only, inclusive of buffet lunch at Union Jack Tavern.

Kita kits. God bless.

Kahapon, ako ay nag post sa aking FB account ng ganitong shutout: “Masyado ng magastos ang mga running events kaya para sa kin, mas OK ng tumakbo na lang sa comfort zone ko ng mahabang ruta kahit walang medal o certificate. I just love ‘pure’ running.”

At ang post na yon ay umani ng maraming  reaksyon na pumapabor sa king sinabi.

Nais ko lang pong linawin na ang mga binitiwan kong kataga ay sarili ko lang pananaw  at ayokong mang impluwensya ng mga kaibigan at kakilala ko. Siguro, dahil na rin saking katatayuan sa ngayon. Sino ba naman ang runner na ayaw makasali sa mga Races? Once a runner, you will always be a runner, it’s in your blood to join races to enjoy every moments of it.

May mga panahong  naiingit ako sa mga kasama kong nakakatakbo sa mga races particularly in ultra-running events ngunit medyo kailangang kong ikunsider ang aspeto ng pananalapi . Hindi katulad dati na kahit ano at sang patakbo, asahan yung andun ako.

Ngayon, magiisip muna akong mabuti kung kaya ba ng budget at kung hindi bakit ko naman pipilitin? At mamapansin nyong masyado ng mahal ang mga patakbo. Nung 2006 kung kailan ako nagumpisang maging mananakbo, ang mga registration fee lang nun ay nasa P200-P300 at yun ay 21k na, meron pa ngang 42k. Peo ngayon, P750 – P1250 ang 21k. At kung kokumpyutin mo ang magagastos sa isang race, kasama na ang gas, food etc gagastos ka ng P2,000 sa isang race lang.

Samantalang kung itatakbo mo na lang yun sa yong comfort zone,baka di ka pa gagastos ng P100.

Sa panahon ng krisis, kailangang magisip din tayo at di lang takbo na lang takbo sa mga races. Kung elite runner ka at pinagkakakitaan mo talaga ang mga patakbo, di masama na sumali ka sa mga races dahil kaya mo namang mabawi ang mga nagastos mo, pero kung finisher lang ang habol mo, sapat na sigurong maranasan mong mag join ng races ng isa dalwa hangang tatlong beses. After nun, think many times if it’s really necessary to join races  because it’s no longer practical.

Ako nga kung kokumpyutin ko ang mga nagastos ko sa kulang kulang na isandaang races na nasalihan ko, nasa P125,000 ang rough estimate nun. Hindi sa pinanghihinayangan ko yun dahil nakaganda naman sa postura at katawan ko pero sana, I put that in a bank na lang at tumakbo na lang ako dito sa ruta ko. Yung mga medals, trophies at certificates kayganda lang pagmasdan pero sa panahon ng tag-gutom di mo naman maisasangla o maibebenta ang mga yun, at hindi mo rin naman maipagmamalaki sa iba dahil wala naman silang pakiaaalm sa Sports na pinili mo.

Ang tanging pabuya mo lang o incentive ay alam mo sa sarili mo na nakatapos ka ng distansyang hindi basta basta matatakbo ng isang ordinaryong tao-pero nagawa mo.

Pero marahil ang mga nabangit ko ay mga sentimyento de asukal ko lang dahil hindi na ako makasali ng mga races. Kung di lang sa mga mabubuting tao nagpatakbo sa kin ng libre ngayong year na ito, sana’y wala pa rin akong nasasalihan ngayong 2011.

QC 42k…Skyway 42k at Fat Ass 24 hours… tatlo pa lang at di ko alam kung masusundan pa.

Regular pa rin naman ang aking pagtakbo, yun nga lang hindi na sa mga races. Sana lang, may lumutang na isang Race Organizer na di puro profit ang iniisip, yung tipong P200 – P300 lang, 21k na, may singlet pa.: ) Dito nga sa San Pedro, may magpapatakbo ng 21k, P100 lang ang fee, may singlet na, may pagkain at goto pa at hindi politician ang organizer.

Ngunit bihira na siguro ang ganun at mabibilang na lang sa daliri.

Dapat siguro, magkaron na ng batas at regulate ang registration fee. Kasi kung di ganito ang gagawin baka sa 2012, aabutin na ng P2,000 ang mga takbuhan. Pero hanggat marami pa ding  sumasali sa mga races, hindi magbababa ng fee ang mga Race Organizers na yan.

Pero ako, mawala man ang mga races, mananatili pa din akong mananakbo.

Sana po kayo din.

Bukas nga pala, tatakbo ako ng more than 30k from Naic to Ternate Cavite and vice versa.

See you at the road my friend.

God be Praised!

Greetings!

We are organizing a fun run, “Intramuros Heritage Run 2011″, for the benefits of Kaisa-PGH Alay Medisina, an on going medical assistance program for over two decades, and for the rehabilitation of Bahay Tsinoy Museum, and CCFCFPAI Kalookan Volunteer Fire Station. We would like to invite your runner’s club to join us on this event. We are commemorating Jose Rizal’s 150th birthday this year. And May is also our National Heritage month, it is in this spirit that we have scheduled the run on May 15th.

After the race, we are treating all registered runners to visit our Fort Santiago, Casa Manila and Bahay Tsinoy Museum for free.

We look forward to having your club to be a part of this celebration. We hope to hear from you soon.

If your club has inquiries or questions please don’t hesitate to ask and contact me through the email address provided.

Sincerely,

Clarissa Lee

Member of Kaisa

A sudden voice spoke up at him and he knew it came from the stirring clouds. He clandestinely opened his eyes and the clouds held its position as if nothing had happened. He stood up astonished. “Who are you who spoke to me?” he loudly asked upon looking at the open sky. “I am, God!” was the reply. His astonishment grew like a wildfire in the forest as he heard the thing. He looked around to find out if someone was playing a hoax on him. But he was disappointed. His thoughts were indecisive and he’s still uncertain whether it was God who spoke to him or not.
“Did I fear you my son?” asked God compassionately. The man thought of a witty thing to test if He’s really God. He grinned on the brilliant idea and faced the vast sky with pride and buoyancy.
“Now stranger, you’re saying you are God? Prove to me then your ambiguous claim,” said he.

There was a sudden silence and the wind hath passed to and fro. The man waited frantically for His answer. Then God replied: “What is it then my son, you wanted?” The man thought deeply, walking from here to there, looking at the tree standing like sentinels, to the verdant mountains and alack, a decision came as he rested his eyes once more to the scarecrows. Then he said to God: “If you are God really, make those lifeless scarecrows be human like me, for them to plow my field and so me to take my rest.”

Then without much ado, the scarecrows turned to be humans and they’ve started plowing the field. The man, delighted and stunned, looked them with amazement. “And so you believe to me now my son?” God asked to the man. “I still not,” was his proud answer. He weighed things wisely taking advantage for his own sake. “You could be anything than God?” “Ask one more thing my son and I’ll prove to you that I am God.” The man smiled slightly and he opened his mouth to speak up. “Do prove to me the real you upon giving me a mansion with thousand of rooms, with hundreds of servants, silver walls, and a landscape of beautiful foliages and flora. Give me a room filled with gold that even the faraway kings will kneel down before me to see my riches.”

The man waited for a moment for his wishes to come true and he smiled lavishly thinking of the idea. “And that would come true my son,” said God and all his wishes loomed on his eyes. He was now a thousand times richer than a king and he need not to plow his field anymore. His rich could even buy a soul. “Then you believe me now my son that I am God?”

The man still feeling a want of satisfaction answered Him: “You prove to me that you’re God by making the scarecrows human; by giving me the wealth I least expected. But one thing more I wanted,” he said to God. “What is it my son? Tell me.”
The man on his new clothes standing in the midst of his riches shouted: “I wanted to become God and have the powers you all possess!” Then he smiled of the thought that he could be the most powerful creature on earth; that he could be God and be worshipped by the world.

“But that is impossible my son,” God replied. “Then you’re not God! Do prove to me by doing so.” The man demanded impatiently. God sighed deeply and said: “Then you will be god.”

The clouds stirred again and the man, with the wealth the world could envy, stood amidst the open field and became a lifeless scarecrow, the god of the fields.

TO GOD BE THE GLORY(“,)

All my yesterdays are said and done
Tomorrow may never be
But I give you full reign over this day
To make the best of me

May each little word I speak
Be filtered through your love
May all my thoughts be connected
To the heavenly courts above

And use my feet to take me
To where you want me to be
Guard my eyes that they would only
See what you want me to see

Give me a heart that longs to show
Others the way back home
And with these two hands help me
Fashion glory for your throne

From the great expanse of eternity
One day is all I can borrow
So help me Lord to take care of today
And we’ll talk again tomorrow.

Before you complain about the taste of your food -
Think of someone who has nothing to eat.

Before you complain about your husband or wife -
Think of someone who’s crying out to God for a companion.

Today before you complain about life -
Think of someone who went too early to heaven.

Before you complain about your children -
Think of someone who desires children but they’re barren.

Before you argue about your dirty house, someone didn’t clean or sweep -
Think of the people who are living in the streets.

Before whining about the distance you drive -
Think of someone who walks the same distance with their feet.

And when you are tired and complain about your job -
Think of the unemployed, the disabled and those who wished they had your job.

But before you think of pointing the finger or condemning another – Remember that not one of us are without sin and we all answer to one maker.

And when depressing thoughts seem to get you down -
Put a smile on your face and thank God you’re alive and still around.

Life is a gift,
Live it,
Enjoy it,
Celebrate it and
Fulfill it.

TO GOD BE THE GLORY(“,)