Hey Hollie!

We keep crossing paths with Billy Crawford and Nikki Gil recently that I think it's time to risk being called jologs (tama ba lingo?) and write a bit about them.

Billy Crawford's Groove CD has pretty good tracks. Lots of cover songs and revivals with pretty darn good high-tempo arrangements of 80's hits like Human Nature, Rock With You, and Let's Groove. Amine bought a copy when we coincidentally visited the ATC while Billy was having a free show there. And, what the heck, she decided it was alright to take on the photo op and signing privelege that came with the purchase. But she keeps referring to him as Billy Joe still like he was still the child actor/singer of long ago. Ang dami na ngang tato, Billy Joe pa rin. 

Just another pretty pic of Boni High. Image credit: I forgot but it's some real estate website.

My daughter Meg who's turning 7 on August 30 idolizes Nikki Gil, I think. For starters, Nikki graduated from the same school where Meg studies. I believe Meg was still in pre-school when Nikki graduated so she knows her a bit personally. She - Meg, knows her - Nikki. Anyway, Meg also loves to sing Nikki's song Glowing Inside. It's one of my little girl's favorite pieces to sing. Shy by nature, we were pleasantly surprised when Meg agreed to sing it in front of a big crowd during my wife's Lolo Tacio's wake. That was really special.

So, crossed paths with them first at Billy's ATC show where we saw Nikki, too. Next two occasions were at the Bonifacio High Street's Stock Market Restaurant and at the Hobbes and Landes store. Seemed like real nice people so next time maybe I'll chat them up and persuade them to give a short video interview for Speed Bagal.

P.S.

Hollie likes Billy.

Yan ang hirap pag wala ka. Ikaw ang topic. Hehe.

Pet Friendly

Bonifacio High Street is quite noticeably the venue of choice for dog owners to take their loved pets for a stroll. A pet-friendly place it is. Over at Hobbes and Landes, where they sell pet stuff as well as kid stuff, dogs are even allowed inside the store. We sighted Billy Crawford and Nikki Gil there with their little toy dog. Must be a chihuahua or some little sort for it was very small as I recall, but then I'm not real familiar with dogs. Then, Atan and his amazingly beautiful Siberian Huskies also visited the store.

Photo: Me with Atan's Siberian Huskies -- Charlie, Rainbow, Firefox, and Luna. That's their owner, Atan Caseda, seated on the concrete border, and that's Meg, my little girl, peeking from behind me. Charlie, the dad Husky, is also seated on the border while Rainbow the mom Husky was contentedly watching passersby while seated on the ground at her owner's foot. [ Click on pic to enlarge. Then click on the "back" button of your browser to come back here. ]

Atan's Siberian Huskies are really pretty canines. I could tell that they're well-groomed and cared for by their looks and their scents. It's as if they'd just been pampered at a pet salon. These doggies found real caring owners in Atan and his girlfriend. Atan's place also saw a "re-organizing" to give room for his pets to move about freely on the ground floor. Lucky dogs.

Before the photo was taken, Meg was standing beside me at first but jumped up the bench to hide when the 5-month old puppies Firefox and Luna and their dad Charlie all decided they want to get a closer look (and a friendly sniff :) ). Atan tells me this breed really are people-friendly and a 100% guaranteed no-biters. Though they might jump at little toy dogs thinking they are rabbits, kicking into their hunter mode instincts. Watch out Billy and Nikki, hehe. Lagot yang toy dog n'yo. But of course, Atan keeps the brood leashed. He says once you let them off the leash here, it will take a lot of chasing to get them back.
[ To read my blog entry on Billy and Nikki click here. ]

Firefox and Luna, being younger and smaller than their parents, were really adorable. Meg even kept saying she wanted Luna for a pet. Problem is, we have no significant experience raising dogs, or any pet for that matter. But not for lack of trying. We had a couple of hamsters about two years ago but they got stinky and lasted for only two weeks, I think.

The four lovebirds lasted longer. Maybe two months or so. One escaped, or we think it escaped. It's possible that unofficial house pets (like big rodents, every house has a few right?) may have had something to do with the "escape". The other three died mysteriously in their cage, like a fight erupted between the three "lovebirds". Maybe the two fought over the one and ended up killing one another, I don't know. Like I said, mysterious.

There was a dog before the hamsters and the lovebirds though. It was a cross-breed, but not a complete askal. It had white fur and had the looks of a Japanese Spitz crossed with a neighbor's pesky dog. Or a pesky neighbor's dog. Cute puppy, but too feisty for Derick [ my son, now 16 y.o. and who's finishing high school in the States ] and Meg to play with and Mom Amine is sort of afraid of dogs. As for me, I didn't want to take all of the responsibility raising the little monster. Good thing the neighbor adopted Elmo, as we called him.

Anyhow, back to the brood we saw at Boni High this Thursday's edition of our running dates. Atan and his girlfriend (I wasn't able to meet her, unfortunately) were taking the "kids" out for a romp at the wide and long open spaces of Bonifacio High Street with a bit of a side trip to Serendra for a cool sip of water at the water features there. For the dogs, that is. Atan mentioned the dogs are really energetic and needed to expend their energies if they, the human owners, wanted to get some peace and quiet when they get home. Hope to see the whole gang again next week. :)

Thursday Run No. 4 -- July 30, 2009

Sheila, Camille, Backy, and Amine before the run. Taken at the gravel parking lot behind Building B:6, again at the Bonifacio High Street complex.



[ Click on the pics to enlarge. Then click on the "Back" button on your browser to come back here. ]




Second shot is clearer. Notice Amine's new iPod arm strap. Pero chopsuey pa rin!












Conti's at Serendra. This place has never failed me so far in terms of waiting for a table. It's so popular among the dining crowd that we have had to wait each time we've gone here to be seated. And two of those occasions our group had to be split into two separate tables not adjacent to each other, including this particular occasion. But, the food is always good and the staff are always courteous.





The gang of girls. The Speed Bagal Angels? How about the Chopsuey Runners. Speed Bagal and the Chopsuey Runners! Parang pangalan ng jologs na banda haha.

Top row: Camille, Backy, and Sheila.
Bottom row: Meg and Mom Amine.







The view opposite Conti's. Lots of people out dining tonight. Celebrity sightings: Heart Evangelista with her Mom (according to Meg's Ate Eden) here in this area, plus Billy Crawford and Nikki Gil with their little companion toy dog later on inside the Hobbes and Landes store on Boni High. This is the 2nd occasion that we have come across these two and next time I'll be sure to take a snapshot of the gang with them. Pakapalan na.





Inside Conti's. Sheila's sister Tintin joined us here. Good thing we had an extra seat courtesy of the group split into two 4-seater tables (I took this photo from the other table). Tin was late but her food was served first! She ordered a slice of cake and a salad dish, which probably explains the quicker service.







King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. These little figurines are amazingly detailed for their size of about 4 inches (?).











This one's Cleopatra's court.

These sets are sold at the Hobbes and Landes store there at Bonifacio High Street. There are other equally detailed sets such as a Chinese Wedding Procession. Unfortunately, I was told that taking photos of the display is not allowed in the store. I'm posting these pics to make up for my violation. It might generate some sales for the store, who knows.

More on Elysees / Elysium

[ This entry is an extension of the Champs-Elysees and the Elysium topic mentioned in another blog entry. Just click here to view that. ]

Elysium / The Elysian Fields. From Greek Mythology. "The Place of the Blessed Dead."
Avenue des Champs-Elysees, Paris, France. Roughly in English, The Avenue of the Place of the Blessed Dead.

[ Click here to read Wikipedia's entry on the Champs-Elysees. ]

General Maximus addressing the Roman Cavalry

Image credit: AmericanRhetoric.com

In one of my favorite films, "Gladiator", Russell Crowe's character mentioned this after-life place to his horsemen, the Roman Cavalry, before a battle. Here's part of what General Maximus said,

"If you find yourself alone, riding in green fields with the sun on your face, do not be troubled, for you are in Elysium, and you're already dead!"

I remember the word Elysium clearly because I couldn't understand that particular word. I had to turn subtitles on and replay the scene to get it so I could Google it.

It was one of the most powerful scenes in that film. The way Maximus said it, and the way the cavalry reacted showed how endeared the general was to his men. I guess you could say it was an inspiring moment, right before riding their horses toward battle where they could very possibly die. Excellent film. We have it on original DVD in our collection.

One last note. I'm not so sure, but isn't there a Cafe Elysees at Rustan's? Wait, no. It's at SM malls! Well. Bon appetit. :)

'09 Tour De France Final Stage To Paris

I've just finished watching live coverage of the '09 Tour De France's last and final stage race to Paris. Every year this grand tour concludes at the Avenue des Champs-Elysees, a grand and important strip of roadway in Paris marked at one end by the Arc de Triomphe.

The Arc de Triomphe at night. Image credit: Fromparis.com

But don't be fooled by my seemingly cultured writing about Paris because I've only been there by watching this race on cable TV.

The Champs-Elysees, somehow taking its roots from Greek Mythology, roughly translates to "the place of the blessed dead." Interesting isn't it? Well, there is one residential subdivision here within this mega-subdivision BF Paranaque where I live that is called, "The Elysium", also taking its inspiration from the same source. Even more interesting, who would want to live in "the place of the blessed dead"? I might want or could live there but much much later on, if you get what I mean. [ For more on this click here. ]

Anyhow, the TDF for this year is over. The grand tour winner: Alberto Contador of Team Astana. He won the '07 TDF as well but couldn't defend it in '08 as his team wasn't invited to the tour. Contador hails from Spain while Team Astana is owned by the Kazhakstan country/state.

Second place finisher of the tour is Andy Schleck from Luxembourg of Team Saxo Bank. Bjarne Riis is the team's DS.

Third place finisher is Lance Armstrong, the legend who has already won the Tour 7 consecutive times from 1999-2005. Also belonging to Team Astana under the direction of Johan Bruyneel, Lance has come back from after 3 years in retirement to promote his Livestrong Foundation's fight against cancer (and, of course, try to win it for the 8th time). He's big on this front as he is a cancer survivor even before his reign in the Tour De France. I suspect there might be a few more reasons for his comeback such as writing another book, win more endorsement contracts, and just generally make lots more money. Who could blame him. Johan also happens to be Lance's DS during his 7-year reign of the tour.

The North Sidewalk of the Champs-Elysees. Image credit: Wikimedia Commons

Biggest losers of the tour are Carlos Sastre and Cadel Evans. Carlos was the '08 winner with Cadel as 2nd place finisher in a race that didn't include Lance and Alberto. This year, they did not even figure in the top 10. They're big losers, imho, not just because of their poor performances but more because of their attitudes. Grumbling and taking out their bitterness on the media. Too bad for you guys.

To end with a positive note, the Cav, the Manx Missile from the Isle of Man, Mark Cavendish wins this elite sprinters' stage at the Champs-Elysees and takes 6 stage wins throughout the '09 TDF!

Thursday Run No. 3 -- July 23, 2009

View from behind the B:6 Building where we parked

Camille, Amine, and Bambi before the run


Sheila, Camille, Backy, Amine, and Bambi at Stock Market
[Obviously, I'll need steadier hands when I take photos.]


Copyright 2009 speedbagal.blogspot.com

Chopsuey Runners

Chopsuey Runners made an appearance at the Bonifacio High Street running grounds this evening, running among the clueless casual runners of the Thursday group. They were there tonight, clearly wearing what one cousin would describe as chopsuey.

Inspired by cousin Nino when he advised wife Sheila and sister Camille against wearing chopsuey running apparel, "O, baka naman 'chopsuey' ang isuot n'yo d'on!", it was decided by Speed Bagal to attempt to explain it here.

Well, what did Nino mean to tell Sheila and Camille?

It's quite simple. If you like to eat vegetable dishes and you're Filipino you already know Chopsuey, a local food delicacy commonly prepared at home. It's a Chinese dish made by combining several vegetables and cooking the assortment in some sort of sauce. Here's the Chopsuey formula.

Gulay A + Gulay B + Gulay C + ... + Gulay Z + Sauce = CHOPSUEY

Clearly, my knowledge in food preparation is questionable, but my Math skills appear to be of some value. Ano naman koneksyon n'on?

Anyway, take the Chopsuey formula above and apply it to a runner's brand selection in running apparel and accessories, and... voila! The Chopsuey Runner is born.

So, who are the select few, the chosen ones, the creme de la creme of "Chopsuey Runners" at the Thursday group run tonight, July 23 '09?

• Amine. Equipe top, Old Navy shorts, Adidas shoes. Check. Chopsuey Runner #1.
• Bong. Accel top, Oakley shorts, Adidas shoes. Check. Chopsuey Runner #2.
• Camille. ?
• Backy. ?
• Sheila. ?
• Bambi. Please see below.

The last member of tonight's group is a 1st time guest. We're not yet sure if she will come back next Thursday (please do ^-^) but she deserves special mention here because she came in a COMPLETE bright red outfit by Nike! Wow!

• Red Nike dry fit shirt. Check.
• Red Nike shorts. Check.
• Offwhite Nike running shoes with red swoosh. Check.
• Price tags still on shirt, shorts, and shoes. Check, check, check!
• With matching iPod arm strap. Wow!

Congrats, Bambi! You're not a Chopsuey Runner tonight but better luck next time. Galing mo talaga mag-English bro. :)

2009 Tour De France

Are you into cycling? I am. Just more of a spectator and follower of the Tour De France now though. It's held every month of July, a three-week race consisting of some twenty consecutive day races they call stages broken up by just two separate rest days. It's intense racing for sure especially during the mountain stages where the men are separated from the boys.

Image credit: Cyclingfans.com

You'll find the most elite in professional cycling here. The likes of Lance Armstrong, George Hincapie, Christian Vande Velde, Alberto Contador, Jens Voigt, Mark Cavendish, and Thor Hushovd to name a few that stand out in the 2009 Tour De France. This race is ongoing at the time of this writing over there in... wherelse, France. Some stages cross the borders into other countries like Spain, Italy, and Switzerland. This year the TDF started in Monaco -- is that a country? I'm not so sure. I follow this year's event on [www.velonews.com].

The best of the best professional team managers, or as they are known in the cycling world, the Directeurs Sportifs (or just plain DS) give yet another face and personality to the sport with the interviews they give the media. The likes of Johan Bruyneel and Bjarne Riis who have been professional cyclists themselves before entering team management play a big part in the professional cycling scene.

I discovered the Tour De France when I lived in the States. My brother Ted was sort of following it because it was the Lance era back then and I got hooked. Been following it for some years now.

As for me riding a bike, I do it occasionally. Maybe if there was a group I could join I might take it up.

P.S.
Can't write about this sport without mention of the voices of the Tour De France -- Phil Liggett and Paul Sherwen. This awesome broadcasting pair on the Versus.com staff covering the race from year to year gives the best audio narrative and commentary on the planet. It's just not the same experience without these two providing the live coverage and witty commentary that they are famous for. They're on [www.versus.com/tdf].

About The Photos

Surfing the net allows me to stumble upon beautiful and interesting photos taken by others. In appreciation for their work, I'm putting them on show here in Speed Bagal. Of course, with proper credit given to the source like the one here below.

Image credit: Wikimedia.org

Some of the photos relate to running in general while some are specific to the blog entry they appear in. Some photos are posted because they are interesting.

But most of the photos you'll find "on show" here are posted for the basic reason that they are just plain beautiful sceneries. And I have a yen for beautiful sceneries.

Not too many will agree with the format, but that's one thing about blogging that I like -- I'm my own editor-in-chief. :-)

Back To The Starting Line

At the 2009 Globe Run For Home race, an entertaining instance happened as we watched the stream of 10K runners getting out of the starting chute. Toward the tail end of the group, as the last maybe 50 runners were leaving the chute, the emcees were alerting the 5K and 3K runners to get ready to file into the road section marked for the starting area fenced in with sturdy steel barriers.

Image credit: img.wallpaperstock.net

As this was announced, I spotted a small group of friends among the 10K runners making their jolly way out of the starting gate. I don't know, maybe four or five of them who were wearing race bibs with the same color theme as mine -- yellow numbers on red background which was designated for the 5K category! Yet they started with the 10K group. They were obviously unaware of their predicament as they were chattering excitedly with each other.

But upon hearing the announcement they slowly realized they had started with the wrong run group and, with a collective confused look on their faces, they looked at each other, causing a minor traffic jam among the 10K runners behind them while they slowed down to a stop right in front of us. Their faces have turned red with embarassment just before I heard them utter these words,

UY, TEKA!! DI BA SA 5K TAYO ?!? BALIK! BALIK!

Poor Vision Saves Ego

At the Globe Run For Home event on July 19 '09, while I was clutching my knees trying to recover near the finish line from my relatively successful 5K walk-jog-run, I was waiting for my wife to finish her own 5K when a mom with her little boy and little girl crossed the finish line just about 30 seconds behind me, each child happily clinging to each of their mom's hands. The mom said quite excitedly, "Great job you guys!", then I thought, man, they aren't even sweating or catching their breaths. Amazing.

Thank God I didn't notice in what color scheme their race bibs were printed! Ha? Ano koneksyon non?!?

That way I can't tell if they were part of the 5K group. Hehe. I'll just say they raced in the 3K category and save me the bruised ego. Maybe they didn't even have race numbers, who knows.

Image credit: photo-hdr.com

Uncooperative Face

At the races, there's the occasional little kid of about 8-10 years of age who just happens to manage to run just ahead of me throughout the event where I can conveniently spot him/her. In fact, a boy of about 10 years finished with his Dad immediately right before us at the Robinson's Buddy Run last week. They hovered around us, in front of us, just a bit behind us, and just plainly within earshot of us throughout five kilometers of fun and self-torture. I can just imagine what he might have been thinking.

Dad, tignan mo yung isang lalaki o. Parang di nya yata kayang tumakbo, pero bakit sumali pa rin sya, Dad?

Well, I really did want to join the race and my mind was made up. It's just that my body and my face did not want to cooperate with my brain that time.

Image credit: galvestonbeachsidecondos.com

2,343 Runners in the 5K Race, No Rain

That's a lot of people in one place at five thirty in the morning. Maybe I misheard the announcement by the emcee about the number of people who joined the 5K race alone, but definitely somewhere in that neighborhood. "This 5K race is THE fun run part of this event because it has the most number of runners!" she said and I totally agree. Over 6,000 participated in the 2009 Globe Run For Home run-for-charity event held at Bonifacio Global City grounds in Taguig, Metro Manila. I heard that over 1,000 participants ran the 10K race which tells me that if I do a little math, that leaves somewhere over 2,500 runners for the 21K and the 3K races combined. Impressive numbers no matter how you divide them.

Image credit: crazythemes.com

It had been raining hard all week 'til Saturday and I was kind of dreading the idea of racing in a typhoon. I even paid a visit to the ATC Globe Center the day before, quite intentionally, and made sure the race was still on. The Globe lady there assured me that the typhoon was "scheduled to stop today," the day before the race. True to that statement, the morning of Sunday's race day the weather was nice and calm which held for the whole race and the rest of the morning. The rains came later in the afternoon, however, but the whole event had already finished by then.

People were really plenty, the mood was festive, the event rain-free, there were plenty of drinking water at the assembly area and a whole lot of sports beverage at drinking stations located at every kilometer along the 5K route (sponsored, I believe, by Maynilad Water and the 1000 Plus drink company, respectively, or is that 100 Plus?).

Race marshals were visible all throughout and there were clear directional signs for the runners to follow at every turn. And, last but not least, the race venue is my current favorite -- around Boni High Street and The Fort.

That was one truly enjoyable race. Kudos to Globe, Finish Line, and Run Rio for a well-organized event.

Second Wind?

What I've noticed about myself during the last two of three races I've joined, is that the first 2 to 3 kilometers were the hardest for me. My breathing becomes more labored soon as I hit the 500 meter mark. Hula lang yung distance pero ganun na din yun. Then when I complete the first 2 or 3 kilometers, the rest of the way to the finish is evidently less difficult for me.

My guess is that through the initial two kilometers my body attempts to adjust to the effort, and as it does, I feel somewhat stronger throughout the rest of the 5K race. A lot of runners probably know this already, but it's a new and significant discovery for this newbie runner.

Image credit: Anonymous (meaning I forgot to look at the URL)

Inspiring

In the three 5K races I've participated in so far, it hasn't failed to motivate me to run just a little bit longer and just a little bit faster when I see someone pass me who is either older than me, heavier than me, both, or all of the above plus she's a woman. Nakaka-inspire. Like Tito Scap says, "Kung kaya nila, kaya ko din." That's why I think I'm beginning to prefer joining races more than just jogging for leisure.

Image credit: Trailrunner.com

List of Race Events

For lists of race events, you can try to check with the following sources:

1. The Bull Runner website -- http://thebullrunner.com
2. The Takbo.ph website -- http://www.takbo.ph
3. R.O.X. at Bonifacio High St.
4. Hannah and Patrick (don't know them? too bad.)

Image credit: Pmjunior.com.ph

5K Race Journal - Globe Run For Home

Dry run. Our day began while it was still dark, just like for anyone who participated in the event. My wife and I woke up at 4:14 AM, got ready, picked up our gear, and headed out by 4:45 AM toward the direction of Bonifacio High Street. First thing I noticed -- dry road, no rain. Thank God! I thought I was going to run my first wet race already and I just didn't feel my body could resist a cold and a fever that morning.

Image credit: Globe Telecom, Inc.

Anyway, we quickly got to the race venue as there were very few vehicles on the SLEX and the C-5 connection. As we maneuvered the right turn after the Serendra block, I saw what I presumed to be the 21K runners already on their way, as they were scheduled to start racing at 5:00 AM. I was amazed at how large the group was and immediately regretted not being prepared with my cellcam, missing the opportunity to shoot a clip for this entry.

Stargazing. Then I thought I spotted some celebrity person running there among the pack of half-marathoners. So I told my wife that Sen. Kiko Pangilinan has joined the race and was running the 21K. Apparently she was paying attention as well and said, "Hinde 'no, si Anthony Pangilinan yun, kapatid n'ya na asawa ni Maricel Laxa!" Ah, yes, of course. Whatever will I do without my wife pointing out the subtleties of celebrity stargazing.

Later on after the race, we strolled through the crowd while making our way toward the little village of tents where the loud amplified voices of the emcees were coming from and saw Cathy Santillan, Rovilson Fernandez and someone I'm guessing to be Rio of [Run Rio] fame. But I don't know for sure. Next time I spot him at a race, I'll attempt to do a really quick interview for speedbagal.

Image credit: darkskyscotland.org.uk

Before the race. Securing a parking spot was already getting more difficult by the minute as more cars began arriving as we did. We decided that our chances were better if we headed for the parking lots at the side of Boni High opposite the event podium. From there, we thought it was best to warm up by walking around the farther end of the strip of shops then work our way back toward the assembly area adjacent to the parking lot behind the R.O.X. outfit. After we walked two laps around, the 10K race was about to start. We watched that race launch out of the starting gate [read that blog entry here], then got ready for the 5K assembly at the starting chute.

One minute gain. Hundreds of 5K runners have already formed at the st art chute when we made our way in, so we tried to make our way as close to the middle of the pack as possible. I was thinking that when the race starts, all these people will have to squeeze through the starting chute which was not as wide as the road. My theory: the starting gate structure will create a bit of a bottleneck forcing time losses right from the starting gun. Soon as we made our way out of the starting gate my little theory was validated. This alone I'm sure helped shave at least a minute off my race time. Sa susunod kaya sa front row kami mag-start?!? Tempting, pero nakakahiya naman dun sa mga fast runners na nasa harapan.

The chip. As the people ahead of us were already on their way back after the turnaround point, I noticed they weren't wearing any lanyards around their neck nor wrist bands as evidence for reaching the turnaround point. As I approached the turnaround, I heard a faint humming. Then I saw the yellow boxes on the curb with wide rubber mats laid out across the road in front of the devices. Ah, so the racing chips provide the evidence of who made it to the halfway mark. Something I didn't notice at the start and finish gate, but I'm pretty sure they're there to tell the organizers who really finished the race. Hehehe, hindi puwede mandaya. Good thing I laced mine and my wife's racing chips onto our running shoes the night before.

Copyright 2009 Speedbagal.blogspot.com

Final approach to the finish line. The sight of the finish line and the lively sound gave me a boost. But somehow, it felt like I wasn't getting closer to the finish line fast enough. With the final 50 meters I was able to watch the race clock and it told me I was almost 5 minutes faster than my last best 5K time. My wife crossed a minute and a half later, beating her own best time by 3.5 minutes. So far, so good. Every one of the last two 5K races we both were able to improve on our personal records. On to the next race.

Fast Racers Up Front, Recreational Racers Behind

At the recent 2009 Globe Run For Home run-for-charity event one guy stood out at the starting line as we watched the countdown to the 10K race. In my humble opinion, he could not be a "runner" runner for he was wearing a pair of basketball shorts. A sure dead giveaway. I've heard it said that as part of racing etiquette, slower recreational runners must stay behind the fast and technical runners at the front.

So my thought was, "What's this guy doing at the front of the pack?!?"

He was all fired up and raring to go, wearing a grin from ear to ear and bouncing happily in his front-row spot as the emcees counted down for the 10K race to take off. Then, as the emcees announced the final countdown, he moved his arm in a semi-sweeping motion to a woman with a video camera for her to move to the sideline as the race was about to start.

Copyright 2009 Speedbagal.blogspot.com

5-4-3-2-1-go! He took off like he was on a cocktail of Red Bull and Cobra. With his basketball shorts flapping around his legs, he launched himself across the viewing area of the camera his gal buddy was operating. I thought, ahh, so he must be some sort of tourist, an Am-boy most likely. At least that was the impression I got.

If my guess was close, then he was probably feeling quite the intense opposites of gleeful, happy, and energetic during and after ten long kilometers of running. Ah, may pagka-psychic ka din pala? Well, I could be wrong, of course. Judging by his choice of running apparel, he might play a lot of basketball and could be suitably fit for the race.

5K Route Map -- Globe Run For Home

Event: Globe Run For Home

Venue: Bonifacio Global City, Taguig, Metro Manila

Date: July 19, 2009

5K Route Map -- Robinson's Supermarket Buddy Run

Event: Robinson's Supermarket Fit and Fun Buddy Run

Venue: Bonifacio Global City, Taguig, Metro Manila

Date: July 12, 2009

Race Singlets and Odd Sizes

As mentioned in another blog entry here, singlets are one of my favorite things about running events. The ATC Southern Race organizers didn't provide one, but the Robinson's Supermarket Fit and Fun Run and the Globe Run For Home organizers both did.

The singlets both came in XXL sizes, too. Unfortunately, typical of apparel to be found in stores, they're not what I would call standard sizes because they were more like size L since they fit me like a second skin. Literally. A bit of alteration by Manong, a local tailor near the BF church, was necessary to make them more comfortable for my use. Luckily, the fabrics are commonly available and easy for Manong to find. (**Update: this was true for the Buddy Run singlet but not for the Globe singlet, for which he used a kind of fabric that I suspect is used for high school and grade school polo barongs. Not a good choice for athletic apparel. Ano ba naman yan, Manong! Good thing I only had him add a few inches to the breadth of the jersey along the left and right side seams. Click on the photo and see for yourself.)

Ever been to the Greenhills tiangge or to the 168 Mall? I sometimes see the odd sizes XXXL or XXXXL! You'd think they're made for Shaq-sized people but they actually don't look that big at all. In fact, I bought a couple of windbreaker jackets from the Cuenca Bazaar sometime back that are labeled 4XL. But believe me, they're only XL-sized. Wherever those were made, they sure have really small people there for fit models.

Speed Bagal / speedbagal / Speedbagal

That's me on the left. Overweight, overage, underspeeding runner. The speedbagal blog will chronicle my walkjogging participation in 5K races. You might find it interesting that my wife, seen here in the pic, can run longer without walking than I can. Guess that shows a pretty good picture of how I do in race events. Medyo mabagal. So, my first goal is to walkjog 5K races until I can finish them almost without walking. Akala ko madali lang, mahirap pala. Saka na mag-set ng next goal. :-)

Why we run. We started running in the summer of 2009 partly because of Min's cousin Hannah and her husband Patrick who have both experienced the New York and Tokyo marathons recently as either participants and spectators. Their stories motivated us to give it a go. Not marathons, though. Just running in general and 5K events specifically.

We are taking up running to get back in some decent fitness shape because we have neglected this part of our lives for what, maybe 15 years, so we have a lot of catching up to do. It's something we can do together, much like badminton, which is a nice bonus. And unlike basketball, my other get-back-in-shape activity, which I play with my buddies.

Running is a low cost recreational activity that has the side benefits of exercise. Why, it's practically free once you already have your basic running gear. Almost any shirt will do. Almost any shorts will do. But I say your shoes have to be designed for running, otherwise your feet will suffer. Now, if you wanna look good while you're running, that's another matter. [ Check out Chopsuey Runners here. ]

Why 5K. We really started jogging around our village to prepare for the ATC Southern Race back in May '09. The Alabang Town Center (a.k.a ATC, a.k.a The Town) is a favorite in our little family because of several reasons, one of which is its proximity to where we live. On one of our frequent visits there, we saw a banner announcing the race. Perfectly timed to our rising interest in running, we registered almost right away.

After signing up for the shorter race between the 5K and 10K categories, being the beginners that we were, the lady at the concierge desk there courteously handed us the route map. The route map for the 3K race! Teka, teka! May 3K pala, miss?!? Amine and I looked at each other, then to the lady who signed us up. She had this helpless and confused look on her face which mirrored ours. An image of the banner flashed through my mind which showed no 3K category. Then realization came that either it was just added after the banner was made and put up, or, it was omitted by mistake.

Our mistake was not asking if there was a shorter race than 5K. But, since we already have our race bibs for the 5K race, we just shrugged that little confusion off. Bahala na!

In my opinion, and after going through our 1st 5K race and finishing it just inside an hour, 3K is just a tad too short a race while 10K is just too long for us newbies. 5K is right smack in the middle.

Registration Annoyance

We went to Boni High yesterday to claim our race kits for the Globe Run For Home event on Sunday, July 19, 2009. It'll be our 3rd official 5k race.

Of the three races, this Globe-sponsored event's pre-race procedure has earned minus points on my grading sheet compared to the other two races we've joined in the past two months -- Alabang Town Center's Southern Race and Robinson's Supermarket's Fit and Fun race.

Why? Because of Run For Home's 2-step registration process. For the other two races it took only one.

Image credit: Wikimedia.org

Step No. 1 -- Register for the race. Participants can register in several ways. You can do it online, through a Globe Business Center or a Fitness First branch. I chose to go to a business center since I am frequently at the mall and the online option adds a 13% surcharge for processing. Plus I don't go to Fitness First nor to any gym for that matter. Nakakatamad kasi. But, no problem for me with this step.

Step No. 2 -- Claim the race kit. Race kits were not given DURING the registration step. Instead, Globe decided to hold a 3-day 'race kit redemption' event from July 16-18, 2009 at the Bonifacio High Street shopping complex.

I like that place we call Boni High. We like the chic and trendy atmosphere and the kids love the open spaces where they can run and play. In fact, we've gone there for three Thursdays in the past month or two to 'walkjog' in preparation for the Robinson's event. But not everyone goes there regularly. At hindi naman lahat nakatira malapit dun. This extra step in the registration process cost the participants an added transpo expense (and probably a meal and a cup of coffee).

Image credit: entengvince.wordpress.com

Both the Southern Race and the Fit and Fun event were organized so that participants got the race kits at the time of registration, saving us both time and expense.

Besides, even if we did go there on a Thursday, which should not have been an extra trip for me since it fell on a regular jogging date for our family running group, umuulan naman ng malakas kahapon! We're not that hard-core yet, hehehe, so our regular Thursday jog date was cancelled. Although if it's raining on the event itself we'll have no choice but to endure the downpour.

The rain added yet another layer of annoyance to the process because people were just a tad more impatient while trying to crowd under the small tent allotted for the participants who registered in business centers, and still couldn't help getting wet. I'm sure the registration staff weren't particularly pleased either. But I must commend them for remaining calm and friendly given the conditions. Undoubtedly, that alone made the process more bearable for the participants. Salamat po.

But long story short, ano kaya binigay na agad yung race kits pag-register pa lang para nakatipid sana??

Maybe Globe and the race organizers had a logistical issue that I'm not aware of. But, Globe earns plus points for me for the inclusion of the [ ChampionChip ] in every race kit for free. It's a disposable running chip that will give each runner a way to see how he/she fared in the race. It's a novel technological idea especially for a newbie like me. Also, racing singlets are provided, which are one of my favorite things about running events because they are quite useful even after the event and serve as excellent souvenirs. Kudos to Globe for these.

Bonifacio High St.

As far as running and jogging venues are concerned, this place is simply da bomb.

• Safe. The sidewalks here are WIDE. As wide as a car lane. No kidding. We've jogged here several times and joggers run around in both directions without crowding. Well, it helps that the place is not overrun by too many joggers but you'll still appreciate the space.

• Visual Candy. It's a clean and spacious commercial complex with views of neighboring Serendra, The Fort, NBC Tent, and other buildings in the area. The adjacent blocks are still unoccupied giving the jogger an expansive view at every turn.

Image credit: Gaerlan Fotos

• Other Joggers. Not too many, not too few. There are way more shoppers than joggers.
  

• The Restaurants and Coffee Shops. Cafe Mary Grace and Seattle's Best tops my list. Even Market Market is just a couple of minutes away. We like to dine or have a snack after a jog for which NUTRITION is, of course, the main reason. Getting together and unwinding is another. Nag jog kayo tapos kumain naman kayo -- di wala din! I've heard that a few times already, but this is now tradition, man! ;-)
  

• Parking. They're all over the place.

Thursday Running "Dates"

We have an ongoing running "date" every Thursday for three Thursdays now! It's like a family outing, actually, with cousins and uncles joining the walk-jog around Bonifacio High St. I stumbled upon an interesting term coined by a young lady runner who blogs at runpinayrun.wordpress.com -- LAKBO. It's a morphed version of lakad-takbo. "Lakbo" describes pretty darn well how we go about our recreational running dates on Thursdays.

The first Thursday, our dates couldn't make it, but being as motivated as we were to "train" for the Robinson's Supermarket buddy run, Min and I pushed on with our own running date.

The second Thursday, my brother Mike, Min's cousins Camille and Sheila plus Tito Scap joined us for their initiation into the wheezing world of running 5K's. Tito Scap had an iron will and resisted running altogether, and just walked around for a while. Afterward, we all enjoyed a hearty, but slow-to-be-served meal at the Cafe Mary Grace in Serendra.

The third Thursday date, our group swelled to an impressive 10 people. Mike abstained, but our new recruits came: cousins Hollie, Backy, Ann, and Paolo plus Tito Santi. With Camille, Sheila and Tito Scap back on their second appearance, there were 10 of us, Min and I rounding it out. We also dragged our 6-year old daughter Meg, her Ate Eden, and 11-year old niece Dandan with us so we could spend time together that day. Looking back, I should've thought about snapping some photos for this blog, which I still haven't created nor even considered at that time.

This turned out to be an interesting running date due to the rain that decided to attend our little get together. As we were approaching the Boni High area from C-5, we saw the heavy dark clouds over the Global City while Hollie and Backy who were already at the rendezvous area were simultaneously texting us "it's raining cats and dogs here!" and "it's raining... it's pouring", respectively. Of course, in our car we had only 1 umbrella to match 6 of us (Camille hitched a ride). We waited out the heavier part of the downpour and decided quite enthusiastically to have sandwiches and coffee at Seattle's Best Coffee in the meantime. Bad move. We didn't have enough time to digest the combo snack before we started walk-jogging around the three blocks of shops and parking lots, therefore, Min and I both experienced varying degrees of belly ache.

The rain didn't completely stop either. There was a heavy drizzle while we were out there and we got soaked. Some stopped after two and a half laps, I extended to three and a half. I think Backy did, too. And so did Hollie. Paolo, I heard, was going to do ten laps! I hope he made it. The rain spoiled the fun, but we still got to get together. And, everyone's in good spirits to make it next Thursday. Now that's an excellent result for an otherwise iffy date. We'll see if there are any additions to the group date and this time I'll take some snapshots. :)

[ Update: Yes, I was able to take a few snapshots the following Thursday we were able to run together. Click here to view that entry. ]

* Photo credits go to various online sources since I neglected to take my own photos.

Our First Two Racing Events

Image credit: Ayala Malls, Inc.

[No. 1] The Alabang Town Center organized a running event in the summer of 2009 which we thought would be the perfect initiation so we registered for the 5k run. Later on we discovered there was also a 3k category but it was too late to downgrade, so we got stuck with the 5k category. And we're glad we did 'cause we found out we could finish the 5k, with lots of walking in between the running :). Our race times? Bong at 53 minutes and Min at 58 minutes. Not impressive at all, but a good start. Just finishing was very encouraging, and, by participating in the event we got a feel for an actual running event. There was a big crowd then and it was an uplifting experience to see all those people of all ages up and about at that hour in the early morning all geared up to run. Assembly was at 5:30AM -- that's in the morning. It felt good just to be there. We suffered during the run itself, for sure, but it was definitely worth it. Plus, the route was pleasing to the eyes. It was mostly inside the posh Ayala Alabang Village, aside from the start and finish gates outside the Alabang Town Center mall.

Image credit: Robinson's Supermarkets

[No. 2] Soon after that, we found out about the Robinson's Supermarket's Fit and Fun event, a buddy format race held on July 12, 2009. Again, the crowd was big, the assembly time was just around sunrise, the mood was festive, and the event was held in another pleasant environment -- around Bonifacio High St. and through the impressive office and residential buildings of the Bonifacio Global City. Since this was a buddy run, Min and I had to finish together. Everyone had to have a buddy to run with and go through the finish chute together. Didn't have to run together all the way, but the faster finisher had to wait for the buddy near the finish. But, as for us, we stayed pretty much within 10 feet of each other all the time. Min actually ran better than I did. By this time, she could keep going for a longer period, whereas I still need to walk every now and again. All in all, another excellent experience and we even improved on our race times. We finished in 48 minutes -- a 5 minute improvement for me, and a 10 minute improvement for Min. Looks like my heavy frame is a disadvantage. But that's part of the reason why I also got into running. To lose some weight. Especially around the middle. Add this to the reasons I've cited elsewhere in this blog. :)

Image credit: Globe Telecom, Inc.

[No. 3] Sunday, July 19, 2009 we will be running the Globe Run For Home event to be held also inside Bonifacio Global City. We signed up for the 5k run, but there are also the 3k, 10k, and 21k categories (this one steps outside toward Makati). I'll write about that soon.