ZXIOZ Conquers Earth

Posted on 20. May 2012 by Franckxethee

In a time when aliens of the nth galaxy were interested in expanding their domain, ZXIOXZ, their leader, had set his (its) sights on our galaxy, the Milky Way. Earth, being the most energy-infested planet of our galaxy, was first on their territories to conquer.

These extra-terrestrial beings were gifted with the power to alter their size and shape. These green aliens about five inches tall have three big eyes connected to its head by antennae like structures. Having four hands and six legs, these beings are rather odd-looking.

ZXIOXZ designated QIX and ZIQ to lead the attack on Earth QIX and ZIQ carried with them about a million warrior aliens from the nth galaxy. When they reached Earth, they were not noticed. As a result, they deduced that they would not fight a battle. They returned all their weapons and came back with their leader, ZXIOXZ. They would see the people and see the planet as a whole.

After their long search, they found an earth being.

“Look at that strange looking being of this planet. I’m not really sure if it’s a male or female. This planet’s people have rectangular solid shape and having a shiny skin and a tail. It seems that it’s connected to the wall. Maybe it’s how they share energy in this planet. They have two hollow and elongated eyes on top of his rectangular body. It’s rather odd that it has a movable nose on one of its sides.” QIX said.

Then ZIQ asked: “What kind of people are this? Will they allow us to conquer their planet?’

“Hopefully, these are friendly people, they seem to be silent. Since we came, it only made a soft buzzing sound. Maybe it’s how they communicate. These creatures are somewhat weird. When their nose goes down. Their eyes slowly turn orange and the white in the middle of their eyes appear to be brownish. Don’t you worry my people; we will conquer this planet no matter what happens (!),” answered ZXIOXZ.

The other aliens cheered; “This planet will be ours!”

What happened next terrified the creatures of the nth galaxy. They panicked. ZXIOXZ, being the leader that he is, told his people to remain calm.

QIX said in a nervous tone: “Let us retreat! The white in its eyes is going to gobble us up! Let us retreat to our galaxy!’

ZIQ countered: “What will we do? We are under attack! The white thing coming from his eyes just popped out. The hideous creature is attacking us. We have no weapons.”

ZXIOXZ saying in a frightened tone: “Let us not panic. We have it outnumbered.”

Out of fear, chaos and panic, many of these aliens changed their shapes. Some of them copied the shape of boxes, stars, circles and others but the white thing coming from the creatures was still going towards them. Forced to retreat ZXIOXZ told his warriors to go back to the nth galaxy. Being really scared, the troops had to fight for their survival even if it would mean the death of some of them.

ZXIOXZ, in an alarmed manner told his men: “Let us forget our ambition to conquer this planet. There are still a lot of planets, which we can conquer rather than this one. A planet of hostile and rude people… Let us leave this planet in peace.”

These extra-terrestrial beings were able to return to their galaxy but they were in a state of shock. More than one-fourth of their total population died on their way back to the nth galaxy. These creatures will have to face the stigma of failure and maybe… just maybe… They will forget their ambition to expand their domain.

For now, Earth is once again safe from alien invaders. The plan of ZXIOXZ to conquer our planet was foiled… by would you believe… A BREAD TOASTER.

Note: ZXIOXZ Conquers Earth is a tall tale written way back when I was in college follows the (mis)adventures of ZXIOXZ (pronounced as ZIYOKS) in conquering planet Earth.

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Breathtaking Bohol (Part 2 of 2)

Posted on 17. May 2012 by Franckxethee

Breathtaking Bohol Part 1 (click here)

Beachfront Fun

At the southwest of Bohol is the island of Panglao which is the range of beaches and fun in the sea adventure.  The Panglao beachfront has fine white sands and crystal clear water that makes it one of the better beaches in the country.  It’s surrounded by a chain of hotels and restaurants and is a gateway for those who wants to go on island hopping.  This is where we spent day 2 of our Bohol escapade.

Dolphin Watching

One of the more popular early morning activity in this part of the island is dolphin watching.  You get to see hundreds of dolphins swim in the open water.  You have to catch these dolphins early in the morning as it coincides with their feeding time and unlike the dolphins we watched at shows, these dolphins are a bit shy and would just prefer to just swim freely in the ocean waters.

Balicasag Island

Balicasag Island is a small island in Bohol and one of the best dive sites in the Philippines with its rich marine life.  We went snorkeling in this site and was amazed by the variety of fishes and corals. When you go through the wall which is the area between the shallow and the deep part, it just gets better as you see bigger fishes chunk away at the bread you feed them.

Puntod Island

The activity just shifted from island hopping to bar hopping as you get introduced to a very long sand bar in the island of Puntod (now called Virgin Island).  We also got to try out eating sea urchins with vinegar and a drink fresh buko juice.  It’s also a visual delight to be stepping on the sand bars while being situated in the middle of the waters.

Bohol Beach Club

Next stop was Bohol Beach Club which was an excellent place to just chill and relax along the beachfront.  I took this opportunity to run in the beach front which was a bit difficult since you tend to sink in the soft sands and an even softer shoreline but it was fun.  I also took the opportunity to sleep in the ‘duyan’.  I just love these ‘duyan’ moments.  We also took a dip in the pool before calling it a day.

Back in the City

We were then back to Tagbilaran where we were set to wrap up our tour.  We ate at Bojol which was nearby our hotel for a sumptuous chicken inasal meal and halo halo sa buko for dessert.  We were suppose to go to Mag-aso falls but it was raining hard in the morning so we deemed it was not safe to proceed.  We instead shifted to the remaining part of the city while awaiting our flight.

Butterfly Garden

It was interesting to note that in a butterfly’s life cycle, it spends more time from egg to being a cocoon than being a butterfly.  They also had a part called the butterfly effect wherein you get to have a picture with butterfly wings on your back.

Python Encounter

Then there’s also the part where you can be up close with an actual python.  I’m not a fan of cold blooded creatures but it was satisfying to seat beside such a big python.  They also had monkeys, iguanas, ostriches, bear cats, leopard cat and civets in this area.

Clarin Ancestral House

The house was built in the 1800s and belong to one of the more prominent families in Bohol.  It was nice to see antique items and discover a bit about the family that lived in this house.  There’s also a coffee shop inside the house and quite ironic there’s Wifi in this old house.

And there goes the whole trip

We were off Manila after taking in an early lunch armed with memories of visiting the finest places in Bohol and also looking forward to the places we have missed out.  Maybe Bohol Marathon is not a bad idea after all since the beach front image is still on my mind.

 



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Breathtaking Bohol (Part 1 of 2)

Posted on 15. May 2012 by Franckxethee

Breathtaking Bohol

Bohol has been famous for its chocolate hills and the cute little Tarsiers and the experience is just a little bit over an hour away from Manila by plane.  It’s my second visit here in Bohol but with so many attractions, I may see a different side of Bohol this time around.  So here we go, squeeze all you can 3 days and two nights around the large island of Bohol.  Touchdown Bohol at past 10 am after our flight got delayed by an hour so we started with a tour of the city and some famous structures.

Blood Compact Site (Old and New)

In the past friendship treaties were sealed in blood and so was built the blood compact site structure in Bool, Tagbilaran to honor the blood compact between Spanish Explorer Miguel Lopez de Legaspi and Datu Sikatuna in Bohol in 1565 to seal their friendship.  The original site was later on discovered to be in Hinawanan, Loay, Bohol in 2006 as there was a reference in the past that the blood compact site was made in a town between two rivers.

Baclayon Church

Bohol is the home of one of the oldest churches in the Country which is Baclayon Church and the oldest one in Bohol.  It also houses a museum of old religious artifact and has a convent just beside it.  The second oldest church in Bohol which is Loboc Church. Loboc Church was actually the first one to constructed but since Baclayon Church was nearer the construction resources, Baclayon Church was the first one to be completed.

Loboc River

Definitely a must try experience in Bohol is having a buffet lunch or dinner while cruising the rivers of Bohol at a floating restaurant.  It comes with good music and a great range of meals.  The cruise along Loboc RIver was a visual delight with the view, the singing and dancing kids at the stopovers and the Busay Falls.

Tarsier

Here comes those cute little Tarseirs.  It’s now an endangered specie and is very shy and easily stressed by people around them so even if they are so cute to touch, it’s better not to do so.   Tarsiers are nocturnal animal so they are mostly asleep during the day and they hunt at night.  They have now been centralized in a single area and have individual guides to ensure their safety.

Chocolate Hills

Talk about eating hills.  Here’s several hills that sounds more like a food than an attraction.  With over a 1,ooo hills that look like chocolate kisses on dry months, chocolate hills is one of the main attraction in Bohol.  As this was not my first time to visit chocolate hills, we also tried exploring the hills via ATV vehicle.  Using an ATV, I didn’t avoid any mud or watery areas which made it a lot more fun and it was nice seeing the hills from a different vantage point.

Hanging Bridge

Another city attraction is the hanging bridge. On the other end of the bridge are souvernir shops and the famous Buko King, who was made famous for peeling a buko using his teeth.  It’s always a thrill crossing this bridge as you can really feel the bridge shaking at the slightest movement. Wouldn’t it be exciting if they added the hanging bridge in the Bohol Marathon.

And there goes day 1

And with a packed itinerary like this (compliments to Ruth for her travel skills), I couldn’t believe that this is just a day spent in Bohol.  We now proceed to the second half of the itinerary which is enjoying the beach side of Panglao and just to add a tinge of suspense, I’ll make that post at another time.  Watch out for it!!!

Breathtaking Bohol Part 2 of 2 (click here)

 


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Mothers

Posted on 12. May 2012 by Franckxethee

Mothers are ANYWAY friends. 

An anyway friend is the one person in your life who, no matter what they say or do, no matter what they’ve been through with you, they love you anyway”

My mother dabbles around watching over our family business, cooperative and spend so much time at the church.  So if you’re wondering where I got my tendency to multi-task, it’s from my mother.  If I had spent just half a lifetime with my father, it was my mother who was the consistent presence.  Whenever I have friends around in Baguio, she used to tell embarrassing trivial things about me until I did get used to it and just say, that’s what mom’s are for.  She’s overly proud of me that you get to hear people mention how often I travel and various stuffs as said by my mother.  I guess that’s how moms are, they love to talk about their kids non-stop and they’ll always be there whether you’re on the top or bottom of the world.

Super is just one word that we associate moms.  I have aunts, friends, colleagues that are moms and in whatever walk of life they are in, there’s one thing constant, they are all proud of their kids. Each tiny steps and each new milestones are theirs to cherish.  I have so much respect to moms whether they work and dabble things at home or they go the full time mom routine because they choose to be a mother.  Motherhood is not only a choice but an instinct and even how messed up things are, they’ll be there to clean things up because that’s what they represent.  They are our north star.  Whenever we are lost, we just retreat back to them and somehow, they’ll tell us, everything will be alright and it would be the thing that will matter.

My mom is in a pamper herself mode already and who can blame her.  She did have a full life of responsibility.  It’s not an easy task being a mom and from the bottom of my heart, I am greeting my mom and all the moms out there (including my aunts, friends and colleagues) a happy mother’s day.

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Discovering Duathlon

Posted on 11. May 2012 by Franckxethee

Duathlon

When you slowly pile up the milestones in running, you get to ask yourself what’s next?  Will I run longer or go the ultra route or will I try multisports?  I somehow ended up choosing multisports and I am at the start of doing duathlons having my first one last March.  It was a long drawn decision as it does take a bit of financial investment to start up with a good bike. Once you get used to your bike or cross your first finish line, it gets quite addictive.  Cycling is fun but it does take a deal of hard work as my 3 times a week run training has now become 6 times a week to incorporate the bike part.  To this date, I’m still trying to learn how to balance the increased training mileage but so far I’ve been finding ways.  I still have a long way to go in duathlon but I’m really enjoying the process and part of that is attending duathlon clinics.

Discovering Duathlons

Coach Andy Leuterio of Alpha Training Systems conducted a discovering duathlon clinic at Bonifacio High Street powered by Newton, Fitness First, Runr, Specialized and others.  Since Total Fitness was an event partner, Team Total Fitness came in full force for the event which also served as the team’s group training session for the week.  The event was packed with all registration slots taken.   Toby Claudio of Toby’s and Runnr opened the event and Coach Andy provided a brief introduction about duathlons as well as conducted the whole session. It also includes a talk about bike by Specialized, bike fitting and some words from Mark Ellis of Fitness First. Then it was time to bring in the Suffferfest.

The Sufferfest

Not to be a glutton for punishment but it’s how far you push yourself in sport that makes you a better athlete.  Sufferfest is a series of cycling videos designed to simulate actual bike workout which is a better alternative than just spinning.  It brings you to sprints, to mountains and to actual race situations wherein you apply different approaches in your speed, resistance and cadence.  It does help you build up speed, power and endurance even when you are indoors.  Sufferfest was the video all throughout the workout.

Bike – Run – Bike – Run – Bike

The duathlon clinic had an approach of doing a bike simulation for the first 10 minutes and then run a full lap at high street then another 18 to 20 minutes bike simulations and run another lap at high street before going for a final sprint and cool down in the bike leg.  Above anything else, the workout helps you experiencing the transition phase wherein you shift from bike to run and run to bike.  I did learn some valuable lessons  in approaching the transition phase.  It was not easy to run from biking as you’re legs are a bit wobbly but basically I used the run splits to find the right stride that can endure despite fatigue in the quads.  It was a series of hits and misses but I did learn a lot from the duathlon clinic.

Duathlon Discovered

This also serves as a training for the upcoming duathlon come May 27 and by the amount of participants it seems that more people have discovered duathlons.  It was also a good experience for those who have yet to own a bike as Fitness First lent some spin bikes to be used by the participants.  Event participants had a series of freebies which includes a Newton Singlet and Specialized water bottle among others.  There was also a raffle to cap the event.  Another good news from this event was that there will be more sessions like this in the future.  So be on the look out for another chance to discover duathlon.

More Photos Here

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A Behind the Scene Look at SuBIT

Posted on 9. May 2012 by Franckxethee

Pre-Race

Even as I’ve triathlete teammates, this year’s edition of Subic International Triathlon was the first tri-event I was able to watch.  Since most events are out of town, it does take much time and effort to go out of your training schedule and weekend activities to get a chance to watch it.  This year, I made it a point to watch SuBIT and take a glimpse on what it would feel like in an actual triathlon event.  Of course, a triathlon event does not begin at gun start.  It start on the first day of training or even when you start conditioning your mind on joining the event.

Dungaree Beach

Dungaree Beach

Dungaree Beach is the site of the swim leg wherein the triathletes would have to do two loops of 750 meters open water swim.  A day before the actual standard distance event, triathletes were here testing out the waters.  The waves are a bit strong by the time we were there at noon time.  It was also a chance to relax and spend time with family and friends before the big race the following day.

Bike Recon Mission

I joined Jeff late in the afternoon for an easy ride around Subic just to test the course and there’s something about Subic that makes riding a bike more fun and relaxing.  It’s the scenery and the not so crowded traffic in the area.  Since we were just squeezing the bike rides between activities at SuBIT, it was just a short one though I definitely would have wanted to bike some more.  I’m still drawn by the thought that it would have been fun to bike from Waterfront Road to Dungaree on race day as the roads were closed for cars. It’s gonna be 40K for the participants on this course for the bike leg of SuBIT

Carbo-loading

A Carbo-loading event is a common pre-race ritual.  Part of the SuBIT registration was a buffet dinner after the briefing on the race course and the event.  We had our dinner at Jerry’s Grill in Waterfront Road. Of course, it’s early bed time for those joining the event the next day.

The Main Event

It was exciting to watch an actual triathlon event from the time the participant test the course, to the time they hit the water and the time they take in their dose of carbohydrates and do their final stretches. These are the things that happen even before an athlete steps into the starting line.  The swim had the athletes go in waves spaced 15 minutes apart wherein they have do two loops of 750 meter open water swim.  Then they transition to a very tough bike course wherein they have to undergo 40 kilometer Subic’s rolling and at times hilly terrain before the go on the a 10 km run leg covering 4 loops around Waterfront Road and Dewey Avenue and an additional several hundred meters to the finish line.

Swim

The Swim leg was properly spaced wherein the 15 minute difference meant that each new wave would be about a lap apart thus not overcrowding the swim area.  Seeing familiar faces navigate the swim leg was a nice sight to watch and some would have different strategies.  Some would go all out in the swim leg while some would reserve their energy for the longer bike and run leg.  Some would rest in between laps while some would always be on the go.

Bike

The bike leg was a 40K challenge with a very tough bike route around Subic since there were hilly portions of the course.  I guess this is where the contenders broke away from the challengers.  Heat was also a factor at this part especially for the last wave to be launched at the swim leg which is the 30-39 age category.

Run

The triathletes were slowly piling up in the run course with the earlier waves starting to go over the run course a 10K run with the Subic Bay ocean view in Waterfront Road and Dewey Avenue where supporters of the participants were packed cheering for them.   At each time during the four loops, there would be new faces who just completed their bike leg and using whatever is left for one final push to the finish line.

Behind the Scene

I was on photographer duties (photos here) this time around while watching the event.  It was great watching a triathlon event.  It was great to see Team Total Fitness and my triathlon friends had a great performance for the event and excellent debut race for Season 2.  It did remind me of my own journey into multisports that started from running to duathlon and maybe… just maybe triathlon.  For that part, I should be back to my race preparations for my own duathlon event.  I have a long way to go yet in duathlon but it’s gonna be an enjoyable one.  I never was one to rush my milestone in multisport but I’m always there to enjoy the process and another lesson I did remember in this exercise… chasing PR makes running, duathlon and triathlon a lifestyle and not just a fad.

So I’m now back to chasing my own PRs.  Back to the training grounds.

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Lazy Month of May

Posted on 4. May 2012 by Franckxethee

Lazy May

My personal history dictates that May is my laziest month of the year.   Working my first few years in an audit firm, May is the start of the slack season wherein you can forget about your accounts (tentative or not) and look forward to your cluster or market circle outing.  The remaining years of my work life spent in a multinational company wherein AGM is done at end of April and May is slack season again.  May to me is an adventure month wherein I’m more of a jetsetter or a travel-a-holic more than anything else.  I can chronicle so much adventure at this time of the year.  There was a time wherein I spent barely a week working with me jetting off to Singapore, Australia and Cambodia and having an Anawangin Adventure, Palawan and Tagaytay trip in between.  Then there’s those frequent travels to Hong Kong or ticking off most of the domestic destination at this time.  Nothing spells May to me like V-A-C-A-T-I-O-N.

Strictly Singapore

Ended April and Started May with a quick swing to Singapore for this year’s AGM.  I always say that the development is so fast in Singapore that every year you end up visiting a new attraction but this time I just took time to be with friends.  First day was spent with Sharon and Yohannce.  It’s just this time of the year that I get to see Sharon which was a change from our frequent dinners before when she was still in Philippines.  The next day was spent with Mascy’s niece, Maki who’s such a smart and cute kid.  I love playing with Maki as she’s just so amusing to watch with all her talents and endless tales.  Next stop was AGM which was an animated one compared to the routine one we had in the previous years.  Last day was spent doing a run in Singapore’s warm morning and meeting up with another friend Warna.  I guess when you come visit the place so ofter it’s the people you get to meet again you look forward to more than the place.

Sporty Side

  • Subit - I’m off to Subic for the weekend to watch the Subic International Triathlon and support Team Total Fitness.  Of course, I’ll also take time for a two hour bike ride around Subic’s scenery while the rest of the team do their last minute race preparations.  It’s gonna be fun watching a triathlon event for the first time.  It was late last year, when I watched a duathlon event and ended up competing in one on the next leg.  The tri event might take more time though as I’ve been raised in the mountains of Baguio and have no idea hot to swim but who knows, I never even saw myself running just a few years ago.
  • Caylabne – I’ll be attending a multi-sport camp at Caylabne on the 19th. It’s gonna be a solid brick training to prepare me for powerade duathlon.  It should be a nice change of environment and interesting test of strength and endurance.  This should be fun.
  • Powerade Duathlon - By the 27th, it’s gonna be my second duathlon and a chance to improve my time in 6K run, 30K bike and a 3K finish at a different venue.  I hope to be able to build some steam coming into this event even though this month has a lot of side events and disruptions.   Time to cease my lazy ways and train and work harder.

Bakasyonista Side

  • Las Casas – It’s gonna be a unique experience as I try to sneak in a day to visit Las Casas in Bataan.  I have seen pictures of this place and heard some great feedback so time to check it out.
  • Back to Bohol - I’m going back to Bohol with SGV friends from the 11th to the 13th.  There’s been a lot of changes in Bohol since my last visit in 2009 and since I’m thinking of doing half marathon distance in Bohol Marathon then it should be a good way to assess the course.  Other than that, it’s gonna be great hanging out with old friends and just having a vacation.

Packed Month of May

I guess I have a packed month of May to look forward to and given that with a heavy travel schedule I have to squeeze in more quality training time so even if I’m struggling a bit as of late, It’s all systems go!

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Team Total Fitness: New Beginnings

Posted on 30. April 2012 by Franckxethee

Change is the Only Thing Constant

Six months ago, we started a journey together. 14 different individuals bonded by their love for fitness, for running and for multi sports.  We came, we saw and we conquered.  Even at how splendid the last six months, change has come.  New members are coming, new sponsors are coming in and new uniforms about to be unveiled.  Change is the only thing constant and we are welcoming change to shake things up a bit.  It’s season 2, we are now bigger, we are now bolder and this is our new beginning.

Team Totall Fitness Version 2

When the Old meets the New

Pioneer Members

  • Ferdz Capco, Triathlete
  • PJ Cendana, Triathlete
  • Moby De Jesus, Traithlete
  • Charles Dino, Ultramarathoner, Duathlete
  • James Orlanda, Runner
  • Rojan Pajarin, Runner
  • Jeffrey Pineda, Triathlete
  • Franc Ramon, Duathlete

New Members

  • Mike Acebedo, Triathlete
  • Daisy Mae Castaneda, Aqualete
  • Joan Sebastian, Triathlete
  • JR Sebastian, Triathlete

The Events

Photoshoot & Video Shoot

As in season 1, the first encounter of the pioneer members and the new once was through a photoshoot for the redebut of the team for the May issue of Total Fitness.  We also had a video shoot at the Ultra for the video to introduce the team.

Contract Signing, Brooks Distribution and Courtesy Call to Nike Vision

Next in line was a three in one event where we had our contract signing, courtesy call to Nike Vision and distribution of Brooks shoes.  Brooks would be the official shoes and Nike Vision would be the Official Eyewear of the Team.

  • And the rest of our sponsors

We’re proud to announce that aside from Brooks and Nike Vision, we’d be working with the following sponsors.  Immvit for our nutritional supplements, CEP for our compression support, Dermplus for sun protection, Magnolia Purewater for hydration, Polar for our timing needs, TYR for our swimming needs, The Brick Multi sport store for our bike maintenance needs, Moving comfort for fitness tops for female members, TRX / finix who would be providing bi-monthly TRX Training and Andy Leuterio of Alpha Training Systems who would be conducting our trainings for the rest of the season.

New Beginnings

It’s a new beginning.  We are now better and bolder.  Join us as we create a new chapter in our story and watch up for the debut feature of the Team Total Fitness Season 2 at the May issue of Total Fitness Magazine.

Come follow us as our story unfolds again.

Feel free to share this post and the video.

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Team Total Fitness: A Season After

Posted on 26. April 2012 by Franckxethee

New Kids No More

Time does move so fast when you are having a great time.  It just seem like yesterday that the team were just  a group of strangers bundled together in a photo shoot for the Team’s feature launch in Total Fitness magazines.  The new kids in running and multisport block (read here) we were back then as we came in full force in our debut race in Adidas KOTR with most conquering new distances and the rest conquering new personal records.  Of course, that says the story from in the beginning and here’s to look back at the first full season before we became new kids… no more.

Race… Race… and more Races

One of the basic tenets of a team is that you have to establish presence and with that the Team was active in the running and multi sport scene with a racing load of about 2-3 races in a month.

  • We’ve raced in the rain in the Anvaya Cove Triathlon, Energizer Night Run and New Balance Power Run on our first full weekend racing.
  • We’ve had a crampsfest in Powerade on a full duathlon distance.
  • We’ve conquered 400 meters of elevation of Tagaytay Highlands in Nathan ridge run.
  • We’ve raced in the country’s largest highway in Quezon City International Marathon.
  • We’ve tested our limits against the uphill trails and terrains at Corregidor International Marathon.
  • We’ve welcomed 2012 in back to back races with Run for Pinoy Glory and PSE Bull Run.
  • We’ve took on the scenic yet challenging Subic International Marathon.
  • We’ve conquered the skyway and the country’s first midnight marathon in Condura Skyway Marathon.
  • We’ve opened our triathlon season at Speedo National Age Group Triathlon.
  • We’ve run the extra mile with Rogin-E’s last man running.
  • We’ve started 2012 duathlon season with Powerade duathlon in Filinvest.
  • We’ve conquered the Tagaytay Highlands trails at Salomon trail run.
  • We’ve survived a zombie infestation in Outbreak Manila.
  • We’ve coasted on the fine white Boracay Sands in Skaython.
  •  We’ve gone the long course in TNF100.

Training Time

Total Fitness is the brand we represent and most of all it’s the lifestyle that we live.  We do take our training seriously as we have a day to run as a group in either an all-out effort interval session, a core and run combination workout or a long and tough hill run.  There’s also our long runs and long rides on weekends wherein we at times workout as a group.  Every start of the week just means you have a new program to complete where you start logging the required swim, bike and run mileage.  At the start, it gets difficult to comply with but as the season went on you get to find ways in squeezing the needed workouts while trying to balance the other stuff in your life.  After all, Total Fitness does mean being fit mind, body and soul.

We also have triathlon camps conducted by Coach Andy Leuterio wherein we get to have an actual brick workout which usually combines a swim session, a long and tough hill ride and a run workout.  This aim to simulate actual triathlon and duathlon events improving the team’s endurance and transitioning from one discipline to another.

And the Fun Times

Before you get the impression that Team Total Fitness is all work-out and no play, we do also meet socially just to have time to bond over a good meal or a round of drinks.  It also does take longer to leave our training grounds now as we do have a lot of stories and experiences to share as a group.  We also just don’t swim, bike and run, we also write.  Total Fitness was kind enough to include us in their writing pool and some of us had the opportunity to see our actual by-lines and photos in the magazine.  The Team also enjoyed full coverage from the magazine during the whole duration of the season.  Of course, part of the fun is having supportive sponsors (Total Fitness, Oakley, ON Cloudrunners, Brooks Apparel, Polar, Cep, i-pure, Chris Sports, Honey Stinger, Dermplus,  Epic Triathlon and Cycling Wear, Moving Comfort and 100 plus) were all the way to support us and we are all grateful for all the support.

Better and Bolder

In just a few days, it’s gonna be a whole new season.  New team mates, new sponsors and new challenges.  We’re definitely better and bolder… Stay Tuned!!!

Categories: My Team, My Thoughts | Tags: , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Guess Post: Happiness

Posted on 23. April 2012 by Franckxethee

My friend Padie Alover requested me to post his take on happiness and I’m taking this in as a guest post on my site.  Read up and be inspired.

“Life is a never ending battle of uncertainties”.

Everywhere we go we may find uncertain things to happen, certain things that become uncertain. But it may not end in that scenario, we have to continue things and mend accordingly. I have been through many heart aches, pain and emptiness, but that’s maybe my destiny, I have to continue and battle for a life and thing called love. I wont stop loving and being in pain wont stop from doing so.

I can see happiness, but inside me is a lonely heart but not empty. Ironic isn’t it? Yes it is very ironic, I must have turn things according to my will and according to God’s will.

Everything has an end, and ending doesn’t mean dwelling in your own you, but rather embracing the fact that we are humans. Humans who experience happiness, sadness, excitement, boredom, anxiety, pressures and all kinds of emotions every individual have.

Now that I have been in another turning point of life that I have learned from. We should not forget the people who somehow touches our lives, inspired us, gave us a hard time, but rather thank them for having them in your life. It may not be the better end, but somehow, one way or another, they move us.

Life is a never ending battle of uncertainties, no matter how hard, we have to continue to love and give love, till such time, the right one comes.

 

Categories: My Thoughts | Tags: , , , , , | 2 Comments