Color Manila Run 2017

Posted on 9. January 2017 by Franc
Another Colorful Start of the Year for Me!

Another Colorful Start of the Year for Me!

For the 5th straight year, I’m starting the year the colorful way.  It’s just mesmerizing to watch the colorful display at the color powder ceremony. It’s just pure fun being splattered with color powders along the different color powder station each having a unique theme.  Happy Colorful New Year to One and All!

Happy Colorful New Year!!! - Photo by RJ of Running Photographers

Happy Colorful New Year!!! – Photo by RJ of Running Photographers

Read About:

Color Manila Run 2017

5 colorful years of Color Manila

5 colorful years of Color Manila

Honestly, I woke up late for the run because my body clock is still on off season. It was a good thing that I set my alarm an hour earlier, which made it possible to still meet the 6 am gun start.  It’s always like that on my first race of the year but knowing that its a no-pressure, all-fun run makes Color Manila Run my first race of the year. In fact, it’s been that way for the last 5 years.  I haven’t missed the event since it started and would probably be present in the next stagings too.   This would surely be fun!!!

Race Route

Race Route is powered by Suunto Ambit 3 Sports.

Race Route is powered by Suunto Ambit 3 Sports.

The race starts at Seaside Boulevard and heads to the right side of Diokno Boulevard and Sunrise Drive for an out and back before heading to Macapagal Boulevard at the 3 kilometer mark.  The race then goes to Macapagal Boulevard and V. Sotto for the u-turn at kilometer 5.  The race heads back to Seaside drive for the next 2 kilometers before going to the left side of Diokno Boulevard for an out and back and the finish at Seaside Drive.

The Race

Before Gunstart with Spongebob Runner

Before Gunstart with Spongebob Runner

After arriving 30 minutes before gun start, I went around the village to check on some running friends.  I first saw Merl (Spongebob runner) and his son so I went with them before the opening ceremonies.  After the opening prayer, national anthem and warm up, it was gun start.  I was planning to start slow as I’m no longer built for road races having been on off season and spending most of the time on the trails.

Another Colorful start of the year at Color Manila – Photo by Rj of Running Photographers.

At gunstart, I started fast for the first 500 meters just to have more running space given that there are thousands of runners in the 10K distance.  After that it was all easy pace for me.  I really felt rusty for this one and even early in the race, I had shin splints so I went on a shorter run- walk pace just to ensure I would still be pacing at a consistent pace.  That’s one of the good things I like about Color Manila Run. It’s a no-pressure race and most of the participants are there just to have fun.

A-Ok!!! - Photo by RJ of Running Photographers

A-Ok!!! – Photo by RJ of Running Photographers

After the out and back at Diokno Boulevard, the Purple Station was located at Sunrise Drive.  Each color station had a different theme, which made each visit at the color station a unique experience.  We got splattered by purple powders and we’d be keeping that color for quite some time as the next color station would be at the second half of the race.

having fun - Photo by RJ of Running Photographers.

having fun – Photo by RJ of Running Photographers.

I started to get more comfortable running again when I reached Macapagal Boulevard. I also saw the early finishers in the 21 kilometer category by the other side of the road.  I went on a longer run interval in Macapagal and V. Sotto heading to the u-turn slot and just like that the race is halfway through.  I went on a consistent effort on the way back to Seaside Drive promising myself to just enjoy the color station at the last 3 kilometers of the race.

With the Great Jared, Spongebob Runner and Son.

With the Great Jared, Spongebob Runner and Son.

The first was the Orange station and it had a sporty theme with several minor obstacle. I said hi to Coach Mherlz, who was part of the Orange station.  It was party atmosphere at Diokno Boulevard starting with the Blue Station with a really upbeat drums being played throughout the event.  The next was the green station, which was my favorite station.  They had a really upbeat music and the volunteers were really gamely dancing with the participants.

We love of Vitamin Boost!!!

We love of Vitamin Boost!!!

The other side of Diokno Boulevard had the yellow station which was another lively themed station.  The last station was the pink station, which was also fully entertaining and fun.  It was then time to head to the finish line with the last 500 meters of the race.  That was really fun and except for the rustiness, it didn’t feel like a 10 kilometer run because I was having so much fun in the race.

With LJ of Running Photographers.

With LJ of Running Photographers.

I then spent the rest of the time meeting running friends and of course, watching the much awaited Color Powder Ceremony. Justine of Color Manila made the last two minutes before the festival a lot more meaningful by reminding us that 2017 is a new year, a new start and a time for change.  Powders up and it was another glorious color display that has continued to visually amaze my for the past 5 years. Great job Color Manila!

Thanks to my Sponsor Lightwater/Vitamin Boost for the pack of Vitamin Boost.

Thanks to my Sponsor Lightwater/Vitamin Boost for the pack of Vitamin Boost.

Categories: My Runs | Tags: , , , , | 34 Comments

Suunto Spartan Ultra is Definitely Progress Beyond Logic

Posted on 4. January 2017 by Franc

Suunto Spartan Ultra is the ultimate sports and adventure watch. It keeps you aware of all the metrics you need on your workout.  It has a touch screen display, bluetooth connectivity and it’s an investment to a lifestyle of fitness and adventure.

Read About:

Suunto

There’s so many factors to consider in getting a sports watch.  You have to consider your budget, expectations and even long-term plans.  Different sports watches comes in different price range and features.  Low on budget, go for the basic features and it’s still good to go.  If you’re in for fitness and adventure for the long-term then having a Suunto makes lot of sense.  I’ve been a Suunto user since 2013 and that means covering thousands of kilometers running and biking with it.  Along the years, Suunto also got better from better features to an even better post work-out metrics and videos.

Aside from the video recap after the race. You can also save existing route and use it for navigation purposes on future runs.  You can customize your views and it can really help you on your race.  It’s really a mental edge being aware of the distance, pace, elevation, heart rate and a lot more.  I still use for Suunto Ambit 2 Sports for indoor cycling since it’s Ant+ compatible.  Starting with the Ambit 3 series, Suunto shifted to Bluetooth technology, which is more accurate when it comes to pairing of the devices. It’s also a watch that can go with you even on regular days as it can go as a lifestyle watch.

Suunto Spartan Ultra

What then sets Suunto Spartan Ultra apart?  The more obvious part is that it goes touchscreen and shifts to a colored display.  So it can go with a digital or analog display and you can vary your watch face.  It also has an activity monitor that allows you to monitor the calories and steps you make in a day.  I actually like this feature since I like watching my calories and activity in line with what I eat and do. Spartan Ultra can really make you more aware of your activities even on regular days.

Suunto Spartan Ultra has customized views per sport depending on the metrics you’d want to monitor.  You really don’t need to customize the views since you almost have all the metrics specially when you have 5 windows view available.   It helps having all the metrics in one view as you get to see everything already and saves you time shifting from one window to another. I actually discovered how to better customize the views with Movescount.

Just create a new sport mode and you can customize you’re views.  I prefer the average pace, heart rate, distance and duration on regular routes.  I would add the altitude and cadence on hilly routes.  The third view is the history of the laps in the run.  With that I’m good to go!!!

Operation Customize- Success!!!

Operation Customize- Success!!!

Suunto Sapartan Ultra In Action

Suunto Spartan Ultra powering my year-end climb to Mount Ulap

Suunto Spartan Ultra powering my year-end climb to Mount Ulap

If there’s one thing that I appreciate about Suunto Spartan Ultra is that it gives you awareness on the run or climb.  It’s really a mental edge when you know your elevation, your pace, your heart rate, your cadence, etc.  If you need to reach 1,000 meters of elevation, it helps to know that you’re slowly chipping in the elevation and  When you’re running a marathon, you’d like to know the distance and the pace to be able to control your energy reserves.  When you’re running a fast 10K, you’d like to know your heart rate to know if you can push yourself further.  When you’re an a rhythmic run, you’d like to know that you are maintaining your desired cadence.  Suunto Spartan Ultra can do all of that for you in real time.

Yellow Trails with Suunto Spartan Ultra

Yellow Trails with Suunto Spartan Ultra

Another clincher is the battery life. At best GPS accuracy, you’re good to go for 18 hours and it can go on for 65 hours at a lower GPS accuracy.  That’s a perfect watch for an Ultramarathons or for those going for overnight climbs.  GPS detection is fast, you’ll barely notice the watch searching for GPS when you start your exercise.  Having your watch on full power can really help you notice your progress especially on those seemingly endless trails and runs.  Suunto Spartan Ultra has also navigation features you can use when you get lost. You can also upload a route and the watch would guide you in terms of direction.

Tanay with Suunto Spartan Ultra

Tanay with Suunto Spartan Ultra

Suunto Spartan Ultra is your ultimate adventure watch and can go with different sports.  With it’s bluetooth connectivity, you can easily link it to your phone for easy loading of your work outs.  It also prompts you with messages from your phone and different apps even on workout mode.  Suunto Spartan Ultra is an investment to a lifestyle of fitness and adventure and that to me is priceless.

SUUNTO Spartan is distributed by Time Depot and retails at the following prices:

  • Spartan Ultra All Black Titanium P45,000
  • Spartan Ultra Stealth Titanium 40,000
  • Spartan Ultra Black 40,000
  • Spartan Ultra White 40,000

Available at the following stores nationwide:

Metro Manila

  • Time Depot Rockwell, Shangri-La, Festival Mall, SM the Block, SM Mall of Asia, Robinsons’ Manila,
  • Maximus Athlete’s Café Shop

North Luzon

  • Time Depot Harborpoint Subic

Visayas/Mindanao

  • Time Depot SM Cebu, SM Davao, Centrio Cagayan de Oro
Categories: My Thoughts | Tags: , , , , , | 33 Comments

Year of The Franc XI

Posted on 29. December 2016 by Franc

2016 was a year of change. Change does not come easy.  It’s a road filled with struggles and failures but when you own up to your responsibilities, you’ll always find a way to succeed.  Lessons were learned and those would come in handy in 2017.

Year of The Franc XI

Towards the end of the year, I got a chance to visit my Lola at Bario Mamat-ing in La Union.  It was the site of a lot of childhood summers fun. Things were simple. We’d wake up, play all day, get dirty and call it a great day.  Well, my life is far from simple. In 2016, I made it even more complicated.  I started my own Company while still working full time.  I started a new website.  Through the website, we organized our own race.  I still had my training load as well as regular races.  To this day, I don’t know how I got past everything but I do feel how difficult it was to try to juggle so many things.  Having the Annual Year of the Franc post makes me appreciate the past 12 months including people who lent a helping hand along the way.

FrancRamon Enterprises Inc.

The first few months of setting up my own corporation was humbling. It was a big feat being able to start but the first lessons of business I got was reality is always far from expectation.  It wasn’t a walk in the park as I am the President, CFO, Accountant, Messenger, Driver and a lot more on my own Company. I hope it will expand one day but I am learning a lot from this venture.  Business is a game of innovation and always learning and finding ways of reaching out to your market.  I need to spend more time growing the business come 2017.

The Trail is My Playground

The Story of 2016 was my growing love for the trails. For the first quarter, I still was doing my routine races but when I started building up for Cordillera Mountain Run in June, it was trail love all over.  I was in the trails on a weekly basis and I was happy to visit a lot of new trails and growing my Tale of The Trail database.  Whether you are fast or slow on the trail, you learn to adopt faster the longer you stay in the trails.  Even after the race, it became routine now spending weekends at the trails or joining races.

PinoyTrails.Com

Pinoy Trails was born out of the love of the trails.  Together with several like minded persons, we founded Pinoy Trails.  We wanted it to be a forum where trail runners, mountaineers and trail enthusiast can share their stories and create a trail database to further promote the trails.  It’s always difficult to start but we’re slowly sending out message.  We’re slowly expanding our presence in trail events and also had our very own event, Sierra Trail Adventure Race to raise the brand awareness of Pinoy Trails.

Sierra Trail Adventure Race

Sierra Trail Adventure Race gave me the highest and lowest moment of my year.  Having your event cancelled by the typhoon was really depressing.  We got rid of the negativity, regrouped and started planning a great race.  The highlight of that journey was having people around you who are passionate enough to help without expecting anything in return. Honestly, we didn’t have much to offer since all the budget was gone even before the first staging.  With the very light environment and happy runners on race day, it made all the tough times before worth it.  We did learn a lot but I’m glad we had a group who took ownership of the responsibility and made it successful.

The Running Lifestyle

If there was something that partially took the backseat, it was my running lifestyle.  I was able to join 20 races but the bulk of it were on trails.  I opted to rest my injuries towards the last quarter of the year in preparation to bigger and badder 2017 races.  Even with less races, I still ensured that I still get my regular dose of calories burned.

FrancRamon.Com

While I still get my regular traffic, my own site has also taken a backseat with my busy schedule.  Though somehow, it’s also something I wanted.  I don’t want to over post on my site that it loses it’s personal touch.  I also invested time on my site in previous year that it can generate its own traffic.  I guess we’re in for a leaner and meaner Francramon.Com in 2017.

Bucket List

I had several out of the country trips during the year with trips to Taiwan, China, Singapore and Japan.  Japan would be the highlight of my year in travel.  While I don’t really officially have a bucket list hiking Mount Fuji is definitely worthy to be included in the list.  I personally make sure I do get at one big vacation or out of the country hike per year.  2016 would be the year for Fuji.  I was also able to visit Catanduanes, which was a beautiful as Batanes.

Towards Year 2017

A year always starts and ends in my home town, Baguio City.  Family will always be the one constant in your life the you can count on.  Honestly, I feel tired and burned out towards the end of 2016.  Having to mix up so many things can really take the energy right out of you.  The lessons came in 2016.  2017 will be smoother with the right focus and the right mindset. It’s time to make life a lot simpler.

2017, I’m Ready!

Categories: My Thoughts | Tags: , , , , | 34 Comments

Coffee Appreciation Time at Maximus

Posted on 21. December 2016 by Franc

There’s more to coffee than it’s bitter taste. It’s full of different flavors depending on the beans, the roasting and the preparation.  It was coffee appreciation time at Maximus Athletes Shop Cafe last December 17, 2016 in a session handled by Master Roaster RJ Zamora from Bean & Barley. 

Read About:

Maximus Athletes Shop Cafe

I got a better appreciation of coffee ever since Maximus opened this year.   When it comes to coffee, we always are on the lookout for that bitter sting to set in to awaken our senses.  Well, there’s more to coffee than that bitter taste.  There’s a different flavor when it comes to preparation. There’s a different taste when it comes to origin.  Some would have a natural citrus taste.  Some would have a tinge of chocolate in it. Some would have a nutty after taste.  Some can be a combination of flavors.

Maximus Athletes Shop Cafe was the venue of the coffee appreciation event hosted by Master Roaster RJ Zamora of Bean & Barley.  It was a two hour workshop, where we got a better appreciation of coffee as well as develop a more discerning taste buds in search for those different taste and flavors.  We started by testing out different types of fruit for us to appreciate the acidity in coffee.  Some coffee have a richer citrus flavor and some have a neutral or even drier acidity. We also got to try nuts and chocolates to learn to discern more on the different taste.  We also got to test the richness of different milk. We also got to differentiate coffee fragrance versus coffee aroma.  Coffee fragrance is the scent you get from dry coffee while coffee aroma is much more encompassing than just scent, it’s also about mouthfeel and flavor.

You have to utilize all your senses when it comes to coffee.

  • Sight to see the different coffee beans
  • Smell to get the fragrance and aroma of coffee
  • Taste to get the mouthfeel and flavor
  • Touch to feel the texture of coffee
  • Hearing to listen to the process of the coffee preparation

The next step was to taste the different coffee flavor from different type of beans.  Slowly, we were able to discern each flavor and characteristic or at least we are starting to get the hang of it.  By appreciating the different fruits, nuts, chocolates and milks, our taste buds were more equipped to get to be more discerning from one coffee with a citrus flavor, to another with a nutty feel, to another with more range of flavors and one that had a strong bitter taste.  Yes, there’s more to coffee than its bitter taste.

We also got to taste coffee with different textures.  Same beans, different textures means different taste. This is how important a coffee grinder is. After the session, we talked everything about coffee and we did learn a lot too. Where do we go from here?  First, stop bad coffee. We are used to just the bitter taste but once you start appreciating coffee, you turn a world of black and white to a world full of colors. We are in the next wave of coffee development and it’s time to try out the different specialty shops like Maximus and have a better appreciation of coffee. Explore and you’ll be surprised with the rich experience you’ll get with specialty coffee.

Categories: My Thoughts | Tags: , , , , | 16 Comments

Behind the Scenes at Pinoy Trails #STAR2016

Posted on 12. December 2016 by Franc
It's time to call it an event.

It’s time to call it an event.

We were so happy with how Pinoy Trails Sierra Trail Adventure Race turned out with a lot of happy experience.  If there was one thing we’d wanted to share it was the beauty of the trail.  It was not an easy road to the staging as we had to go through all the stresses of the rescheduled race and other challenges.

Read About:

Sierra Madre Trails

It was our second attempt at exploring the Mysawa Trail last March. Almost a year before, we tried the same trail and ended up going out a different part of Tanay.  Last March, we (Me, Rene and Jun) went back to the Mysawa Trails.  We made the right turn this time but ended up in uncharted regions. We were passing by rivers, mini falls, muddy forest trails and even steep ridges.  We ended up in a more beautiful trail which provided the runners a lot of variety when it comes to trail running. We’d like to showcase this to the runners and we hope we can do it soon as the Mysawa route is slowly being paved already.

We got a chance when we launched Pinoy Trails a few months after.  It started on a high note with the runners giving a warm reception to the event.  Everything was on track until fate threw a curve ball.  There was a typhoon on our race day and we were forced to reschedule the event.  It was a tough call and a hard one at that.  A reschedule would mean incurring all the race course all over again.  We were crushed but deep inside we knew that the right thing to do is use this event to aspire to give an even better STAR2016.  It was one of the lowest moment in our lives.

We had to get help from friends and thanks to Redg, Richard and the other running bloggers were willing to help at a moments notice.  From just passion, it turned to obsession. We wanted the best event for our runners. We had to revisit each of our sponsor to seek more prizes for the runners.  We ended up with a box-ful of premium stuff.  Thanks a lot to our sponsors, Brooks, Oakley, Activehealth Carb Gel, Suunto, Lightwater, Vitamin Boost, C1000, Mega Fiber, Goutritis, Nuun, Bonk Breaker, Runnr, Newton, Amihan, Ahon, Lilys and our official photographers Active Pinas, who not only covered the event for us but also were there to help on the small stuff. We also had some passionate runners who volunteered during the event.

It was a challenging time and there were a lot of learning opportunities along the way.  One thing we’d want to change is that this time, we wanted to enjoy the process.  We had some who were busy and was not around for the restaging but we also had more volunteers.  We didn’t like creating STAR 2016 feel like work. We enjoyed what we were doing so up until the wee hours of the morning of race day, sleep-deprived and all, we were in good spirits.  I came to realize that maybe we were pushed to this date to send a different message. It was December and it meant that it was off season for most runners so it would be a great time to gather teams, friends, family, office mates and others to enjoy the trail and we were confident that Tanay would be a perfect venue.

8K U-turn slot.

8K U-turn slot.

The day before the race we came early to Tanay to setup and it was a less stressful environment. I love how team work was in play from the start from our race logistic team led by Rene, Jham, Arvin, Jun and Mike to those who stayed in the venue to set up (Me, Redg and Jose).  Redg and I also went on to check the 8K route since I wanted to show to her the surprises of the route that the newbie runners would love.  By noon, we were all back to 10 cents to prepare again and by 5 pm, we were all set.  It was just execution the next day.  We opened the claiming a lot earlier before midnight so if there were early runners, they could rest in our area.

The runners came around 2 am and thankfully, we were able to distribute the kits before 5 am.  By 5:15 am, we started the briefing. We had some problems with the sound system so when I was announcing, there were some time when the volume would suddenly go low.  I just made sure that they key items were properly advised to the runners. By 5:45 am, it was gun start and as runners made their way to the course, I knew that it would be a good race for everybody.  Rene, Jham, Mike, Arvin and Jun had the course ready.  Jose was on the timing. Redg and Richard were handling the registration and baggage counter.  Active Pinas also helped in the baggage before taking their spots for their photos.  Aquiz also came in to help with the photos.

As runners were crossing the finish line. We were happy to hear their stories about the race.  We were happy to see teams, friends, family, office mates converge at Ten Cents to Heaven.  The route was hard and came with a lot of surprises. Even those who got lost along the route found it part of the challenge.  All the challenges, the pains and the hard work was worth it upon seeing the runners cross the finish line on a happy note. Thanks to everyone who made the event really successful.

Mission accomplished.

Categories: My Thoughts | Tags: , , | 35 Comments

The Music Run 2016

Posted on 7. December 2016 by Franc

Music is a piece of art that goes into the ear and straight to the heart.  The Music Run indeed was a welcome change of atmosphere to the regular runs as thousands of runners went on their way to complete the course being entertained by the different music genre.

The Music Run

With Andro from Brooks.

With Andro from Brooks.

I’ve been either busy or in sick bay for the past few days but good thing I was fit enough to enjoy The Music Run.  It was a great that The Music Run comes at such an easy pace that I didn’t have to worry about over-stressing myself coming from sickness.  It’s among the most fun run concept ever with overflowing music as you enter each station and the super festive after party.  It’s a 5 kilometer run just around McKinley West area, which is developing into an excellent run location with its wide roads and rolling terrain.

The Race

Feeling Wacky with my Oakley Crystal Frogskins

Feeling Wacky with my Oakley Crystal Frogskins

Saturday would be a busy day for me since I was coming from an event in the SM Megamall Area, braving the traffic, park at BGC and walk my way to McKinley West. Short story told, I was able to reach the venue by 3:30 pm, with a 4 pm gun start.  I was able to catch up with some friends before the race.  At gun start, it started drizzling so I made my way to the shade since I’m not on waterproof mode now.  I just opted to start a much later wave when it was no longer raining.  Redg joined me at this wave.

Rock Station

The release of the waves were spaced every two minutes to give runners enough leg room to run and enjoy the route.  We barely noticed the time as there was DJs, live music and some giveaways.  When it was our turn, we were showered by a rainbow of confetti at the Rock station.  It’s time for some rock music to warm ourselves up.  The McKinley terrain is rolling so even at walking pace, it keeps you challenged.

It was nice seeing so many happy faces not only running but even jumping and dancing with the music.  There was even a stretch were people where doing the YMCA in unison.  The beauty of an uphill terrain is that it goes downhill after, that means, it’s time to run!!!

Thanks Manong RJ of Running Photographers for capturing this moment.

Thanks Manong RJ of Running Photographers for capturing this moment.

After weeks of not much activity, it was really great to get the fell of running again and that’s with the mix of music all over the place.

Happy!!! - Photo by Running Photographers

Happy!!! – Photo by Running Photographers

After the sweet descent, we entered the Pop Music area.  After a faster beat at the start, we are now treated to a different beat with several colorful balls and displays to play with at the Pop Area.   Growing up with Pop and Hip Hop as rivaling music genres, Pop was the middle ground.  It was soothing, relaxing and came with a good story.

It was a short and sweet time at the pop area. After we made our turn, we were on our way to the old school area.

I noticed how some music genres have already combined and can already sound similar. Pop, rock, hip hop and dance can mix and match without even noticing it. Old school has its own unique sound that have been held timeless over the passing of time.  That was the fun part of the old school area and also partly being slightly a part of that era too.  Yes, Old School is cool for me.   There was also a stage area where people were performing at this area.

Up next was the hip hop area.  It was another musical genre that has developed a strong following.  It was fun breezing by the hip hop station especially since there was one section where there were dancers dancing to the hip hop beat and it was too tempting not to join them.

4 out of 5 stations and it’s approaching dawn.  It was really nice going slow for this one as each music station has it’s own unique flavor.  Up next was the dance station.

It’s another up-to-the-beat station and we are approaching the end of the race.  Well, we might as well have some fun before we call it a day.

We had to jump around several stacked hula hoops.  As long as they don’t make me do the hula hoop, we’ll be fine. =>  It was really fun to see so many different concept with a race aside from the full blast of music to power your run.  We had a short stop at a dark tunnel with luminous display and character before heading to the finish line.

That was really fun!!! Well, that’s just the beginning as the after-party of The Music Run is way even better. It had food stalls, games, sponsors booth and a lot of music and dancing. Great Job to the team behind The Music Run. ‘Til your next visit.

Solid Jaredsters
Categories: My Runs | Tags: , , | 26 Comments

Fossil Q Brings in their Smartwatches Line

Posted on 5. December 2016 by Franc
Happy with My Fossil Q

Happy with My Fossil Q

When smartwatches came into the scene, they came with a generic look. Sleek and Sporty.  Fossil Q is the time when the traditional round face watches strikes back.  Fossil is among the first to add the smart watch feature in their elegant watches.  It’s your old-school watch with the most up-to-date features.

Fossil Q

I’ve tried a lot of smartwatches before with activity trackers embedded in them.  I really appreciate how they track every steps, calories and even distance covered but it does have a generic look. Some would look like bands. Some would look sporty.  I wanted it to look like a day to day watch that can go with any outfit and still feel like a traditional watch.  That’s where Fossil Q Smartwatches comes in.  It’s not just a smart watch but it’s your elegant day-to-day watch that can go for all occasions with the smartwatch feature.  Old School is cool especially if they come in with the latest features of a smartwatch. (FYI, I’ll do a more comprehensive post on the Q Founder 2.0)

Fossil Q Hybrid Smart Watches

Q Gazer

Q Gazer

Your next smartwatch may not come in a generic band shape watch.  It could actually come in the elegant looking and fashionable fossil watches.  While it looks like your regular Fossil watch, there’s more than meets the eye with the Q Nate, Q Crewmaster, Q Gazer and Q Tailor.  It’s a symmetry between Analog Design and Smart Connectivity.    The hybrid smartwatches look like ordinary watches, but also provide all of the functionality of a world-class tracker hidden in the sleek style of a traditional timepiece. Features include:

  • Activity tracking
  • Sleep monitoring
  • Custom goal setting
  • Automatic time zone
  • Second time zone
  • Alarm
  • Filtered notifications with vibration & dial animations
  • Q LINK capabilities controlled by bottom pusher
    • Ring my phone
    • Take a photo
    • Control my music
  • Up to 6-month battery life: coin cell battery, easy-change with tool or coin
  • Compatible with Android™ OS 4.4+ or iPhone 5/iOS 8.2+Bluetooth® wireless technologyActivity Integration including Google Fit™, UA Record™ by Under Armour, UP by Jawbone™ and Apple Health app

The new hybrid smartwatches blend analog design with smart connectivity. This wrist essential is always on and always connected with a battery life of up to six months (based on usage). Bluetooth technology allows the hybrid smartwatches to alert you to accomplished fitness goals or incoming smartphone notifications with a vibration or spinning minute and sub-eye hands. Set an alarm, view 24-hour time, compare time in multiple time zones and track everything from steps to calories to sleep. Press the bottom pusher to operate the camera or control music on your phone. You can even locate your phone using the same button.

“We know our customers desire both form and function. They want to stay connected while enhancing their personal style and these new hybrid smartwatches do both,” said Jill Elliott, chief creative officer. “Our new hybrid smartwatches are the ultimate convergence of fashion and technology, bringing together the elegance and simplicity of an analog watch with the most popular alerts and tracking features offered by today’s smartwatches. We pride ourselves on being innovators in the fashion watch space, and we believe that the hybrid smartwatch is the future of fashion watches.”

All devices have limitless options for personalization including interchangeable straps in leather, silicone and stainless steel.

Specifically, the Fossil Q hybrid smartwatch line includes the following:

  • Q Crewmaster:

Q Crewmaster

Q Crewmaster

A brand new platform for those with the boldest style. The Fossil Q Crewmaster fits your adventurous lifestyle with a strong stainless steel and colorful build, and lets you keep track of your fitness and sleep, and it even auto-updates the time based on where you are!

  • Q Nate:

Q Nate

One of Fossil’s best-selling platforms just got smarter! The Fossil Nate’s eye-catching construction and on-the-move functionality play with an urban aesthetic. Made for weekend warriors, the Fossil Q Nate is available in a range of colors on both leather and steel straps.

  • Q Gazer:

Q Gazer

Q Gazer

Incredible smarts packed into an elegant and slim package. Designed for the girl who loves a subtle shine to stand out in the crowd, Q Gazer is the smartwatch that pulls it all together. Dressed up with crystal accents, control your music, ring your phone when you can’t find it, take a selfie,track your fitness … the Q Gazer just does it all!

  • Q Tailor:

Q Tailor

Q Tailor

The beauty is in the details with one of our most loved watches. With a minimalist design taken to the max, Tailor delivers fresh femininity with a classic steel case and luxe colored straps like navy and rich shades of browns, all while letting you keep track of how many steps you take and notifying you of only the things you care the most about.

The new hybrid smartwatches are compatible with both Android smartphones and iPhones and start at P10,300.  All four hybrid smartwatches are available in ALL Fossil and WSI stores and selected L Timestudio and Wristpod.

Touchscreen Fossil Q Watches

Q Founder 2.0

Q Founder 2.0

If you love the Fossil Q hybrid, you’ll love their Touchscreen editions in the Q Wander and Q Marshall.  It’s touchscreen and it gives you greater control of your watches from customizable watch face design up until the interchangeable straps.  It easily pairs with your phone and gives you immediate notification from your phone directly to your watch.

“Q Wander and Q Marshal beautifully marry form and function for a stunning addition to your everyday style,” said Jill Elliott, chief creative officer. “Fossil is known for its quality timepieces and we’re proud of the seamless expansion to our wearables collection. These slim yet highly functional smartwatches reflect the elevated design of a Fossil watch while incorporating a digital experience that’s important to today’s customer.”

While it goes touchscreen on the Q Wander and Q Marshall, it does keep up with the elegance and fashion that Fossil is known for.   It’s a perfect balance of function and fashion, Q Wander and Q Marshal pack the power you need to efficiently accomplish all of your daily tasks in a smaller sleeker package. Feature include:

  • Touchscreen, always-on displays
  • 45 mm case size
  • Notifications with vibration
  • Compatible with Android™and iOS
  • Refined steel and classic leather accents
  • Microphone & Speaker
  • Activity tracking&Step Goal Setting
  • Customizable watch face design
  • Interchangeable straps
  • Automatic Time Zone
  • Magnetic Charger
  • Partner Activity Integration including Google Fit™, UA Record™ by Under Armour, UP by Jawbone® and MyFitness Pal™
Q Wander

Q Wander

Q Wander has a beautiful soft curving, multi-finish case with artfully sculpted wire lugs while Q Marshal has a striking rugged case.  Both devices have limitless options for personalization including interchangeable straps in leather, silicone and stainless steel, and thousands of customizable options per dial choice, including the dial’s color, numbering, hand style and color, and sub-eyes.

Q Marshall

Q Marshall

These smartwatches help you stay on track with timely traffic and flight updates, allowing you to get the information you want, when you need it. Both Q Wander and Q Marshal feature always-on displays and feature a haptic sensor that vibrates when you receive a notification, so you’ll always be aware of important information like time, calls, text messages, emails, and app alerts. When paired with an Android smartphone or iPhone, you can also easily view text messages and emails on your smartwatch. Android smartphone users can also respond to these messages from the smartwatch by tapping the touchscreen or by using voice commands.

This is not your standard-looking activity trackers. Q Wander and Q Marshal stylishly track walking, jogging and running so you can see your progress over the course of seven days.  And with no exposed pins or connectors, charging both smartwatches is a breeze. The back of each smartwatch easily connects to the magnetic charging unit.

Q Marshal and Q Wander are compatible with both Android smartphones and iPhones and start at P 16,000. Fossil Q Marshal and Q Wander is available in all FOSSIL and WSI stores and selected L Timestudio and Wristpod.

For more information on Fossil, visit www.fossil.com or follow them on Twitter and Instagram, and like us on Facebook.

Categories: My Thoughts | Tags: , , , , , , , , | 30 Comments

UA Women Campaign Culminates at Maximus

Posted on 28. November 2016 by Franc
Tin Majadillas of UA led the talks of the day.

One Of A Kind Marketing chief Tin Majadillas spearheaded the commercial aspect of the event as she tackled about women entrepreneurship

Under Armour gave another girl-power inspired activity in partnership with Bell De Jour, dubbed “Women in Armour” last November 19, 2016 at Maximus Athletes Shop Cafe in Mandaluyong City. 

Women in Armour

With women empowerment as a theme of the day, Under Armour and Belle De Jour Power Planner held a fitness and health lifestyle activity dubbed “Women in Armour” last Saturday, November 19, 2016 at Maximus Athletes Shop Cafe in Mandaluyong City.   The objective of Under Armour and Belle De Jour’s passion series was to encourage ladies to engage into a healthy and active lifestyle as many women are having difficulties in pinpointing the right exercise or continuing their daily workout routine due to busy work schedules.

As living a healthy lifestyle is a fundamental component to achieving an optimal mental and physical well-being, the event catered an intense circuit training and self-defense seminar.  The express circuit training was led by Under Armour-affiliate trainer “Mama” Kat Geronimo, a renowned celebrity fitness coach who mentors notable film and television actresses such as Marian Rivera, Danica Sotto-Pingris, Melissa Ricks, Megan Young, Bettina Carlos, Anne Curtis and Jessy Mendiola.

On the other hand, Filipina fighter Geli Bulaong supervised the mixed martial arts (MMA) self-defense seminar with 50 women attendees. Bulaong, who made history last November 6 as she became the first-ever URCC women’s flyweight champion by defeating Yan Qui Han via first-round technical knockout, conducted basic MMA drills and several self-defense techniques. Known as an advocate of women empowerment, Bulaong also shared that she donated her entire fight purse to the Philippine Cancer Society to signify her support in increasing awareness and reducing stigma of breast cancer.

Participants of the afternoon affair were in for a special treat as they were given an opportunity to interact and talk to the country’s high-profile fitness connoisseurs.  “The Fittest Woman in Philippine Crossfit” Zoe Pond-McPherson hosted a fitness dialogue to flesh out every essential piece on embodying health and wellness. Meanwhile, Beast House’s Gia Gapay discussed about the amatory art of pole dancing as a beneficial form of exercise for women.

The Fittest Women of Crossfit also gave her insights.

“The Fittest Woman in Philippine Crossfit” Zoe Pond-McPherson hosted a fitness dialogue to flesh out every essential piece on embodying health and wellness

One Of A Kind Marketing chief Tin Majadillas spearheaded the commercial aspect of the event as she tackled about women entrepreneurship, while triathlon Coach Andy Leuterio also shared his expertise on making recreational sports and hobby as a business.   The event culminated by unveiling the Under Armour corner at Maximus Athletes Shop Cafe, which is located at the Sparta Complex, 126 Pioneer Street, Mandaluyong City.

With women playing a huge role in our society, be part of spreading the female empowerment and join Under Armour’s campaign on social media by using #womenofwill #strengthenwomeninarmour and #fiercelyunstoppable.

Follow Under Armour

Also make sure to follow Under Armour Philippines via @underarmourph on Instagram and Twitter as well as Facebook at www.facebook.com/underarmou rsea.

Categories: My Thoughts | Tags: , , , , , | 5 Comments

Soleus Buddy Trail Run

Posted on 22. November 2016 by Franc

Finish! – Photo by Active Pinas

Soleus Buddy Trail Run was a beautiful course. You’d be challenged by the long climb. You get to test the daredevil in you on the slippery descents.  You get to test your will and endurance along the course while appreciating the beautiful views of Rodriguez and San Mateo Trails.

Read About:

Soleus Trail Buddy Run

Post Race Thumbs Up – Photo by Running Photographers

I haven’t been in a race for almost two months since I promised myself to rest my body after all the wear and tear over the past 6 years of running.  The rest was good on my system but it also pulled down by my endurance level.  Soleus always creates a more relaxed environment so it would be a good race to make my come back. No expectations though but find out if I can still withstand the rigors of trail running.

Race Route and Elevation

The Race starts at entry point to Wawa Dam and heads on an immediate climb to Parawagan area for the first 5 kilometers.  The race then moves to a rolling descent along the New Casile Trails for the next 5 kilometers heading to the hanging bridge. The last 6 kilometers is a rolling technical trail beside Wawa River before completing the loop back to Wawa Dam Entry Point.

The Race

Chillin’ Photo by Pinoy Trails

 

We arrived at around 5:30 just a few minutes before the 21K Buddy gun start. We had our gun start 5 minutes later.  It felt unusual to be in a race again but it’s always fun seeing people who share in your passion.  It’s always a more laid back feel at the start where people get to chat while waiting for the gun start.  I’m a bit worried though since being away for so long makes you think if you still have the energy level for a race with so much ascents.

Running Downhill – Photo by Reggie Cruz of Running Photographers

I knew that the hardest part of the trail was the first 5 kilometers of mostly ascents. In cases like this I just condition my mind to just focus on the first five kilometers and the rest would be easy.  At gun start, I took the short paved area just to have a fast start and from there I got the feel of how being rusty feels like.  I had my shins and calves in pain, which I had to endure until my muscles warmed up.  After the short run, I went back on the brisk walk pace on the climb. I just wanted to be consistent in the climb without much stops.

It was exhausting but at the same time, I want to test my climbing threshold so I endured the slow paced climb as long as I could.  The first kilometer were mostly paved grounds and shifts to dirt tracks on the second and 3rd kilometer.  It gets technical on the 4th and 5th kilometer with broken ground and rocky terrains.  The views get better as you go higher.

After enduring the long climb, things should get better right? Well yes and no.  There were some slippery stretches on the descent that brings out the dare-devil in me.  Let’s just say when the trails are wet, gravity is not on my side.  I also noticed that without much training I don’t have much endurance.  I noticed that I don’t recover as fast as I could on the climbs.  It took me some time before I was able to speed up on the descent. That’s something I have to work on again.  The next 5 kilometers were mostly descents with several short climbs along the route.  Some of the trails were slippery so I also slowed down for this part.  It felt a while on this stretch of the trail and we’ve finally hit the tenth kilometer after crossing the new hanging bridge.

The new hanging bridge at Casile – Photo by Running Photographers.

It was nice crossing the new hanging bridge at Casile. It’s a bit shaky as people gets to pass by the bridge.  After the hanging bridge it was the last 6 kilometers of the race.  I’m a bit exhausted already and that’s what I get for missing so much training time. Well, I’ll build on this.  I just went on a brisk walk pace even if the terrain was run-able. The next 3 kilometers were surprisingly challenging as it had steep ascents and descents as well as technical trails.  Approaching the end of technical part, I miscalculated my step and ended up falling two steps of the trail. Nothing serious just a lot of mud and some minor bruises.  It’s just the way of the trail welcoming me back.

Dismounting a Bangka – Photo by Fab Running PH

The trails led us a small boat, which was the option for the trail because of the deeper river at this time.  It was the last 3 kilometers of the race after this.  It had a nice view of the large fields as well as the view of the two mountains, Mount Binacayan and Mount Parawagan.  I just went on to walk my way to the remaining part of the trail.  It was nice to see the view of Wawa Dam again as I exited the trail en route to the finish line.

Categories: My Runs | Tags: , , , , | 32 Comments

The Festival of Lights in Makati is Back!!!

Posted on 21. November 2016 by Franc

Nothing says it’s Christmas in Makati like the Festival of Lights at Ayala Triangle Garden. It’s one of the best light shows in the world.  It’s back and it’s gonna warm your heart and let you feel the festive mood of the Christmas Season starting November 15, 2016 to January 8, 2017

Read About:

Christmas in Makati

I guess no matter how chaotic things get, the Philippines is the best in the world in enjoying the festivities of the Christmas Season.  It’s inculcated in our rich culture and heritage that Christmas is a time for the family, the community and the rest of the country to celebrate the goodwill of the season.  It’s the most wonderful season of the year and nobody welcomes the season better than Ayala Triangle Garden with their Festival of Lights.  It’s the signature light and sound show that has awed thousand of visitors at Ayala Triangle Gardens.  The light show is presented by Ayala Land and co-presented by HSBC and partners MasterCard, Coca Cola, Sun Life, Oishi.

It’s the 6th year of the Festival of Light and this year get’s even better with award winning directors Voltaire de Jesus and Luther Gurnia at the helm with musical scores expertly arranged by acclaimed musicians and composers Jazz Nicholas and Mikey Amistoso of Matusi Manila.  This year’s show comes with three different themes, which is the Christmas Fiesta, Classic and Epic Christmas and Sweet and Magical Christmas every 30 minutes nightly from 6 to 10 pm.  The Festival of Lights is the centerpiece of Ayala Land’s 2-months-long Christmas spectacle that aims to bring the holiday cheer to everybody from November 15, 2016 to January 17, 2017.

Upon nightfall, Ayala Triangle Gardens transforms into a magical paradise as more than a million twinkling lights start to play with sounds. As the sounds of Christmas favorites fill the air, the string of field lights on the ground start dancing. For several minutes, these lights will flash and change colors and the beat of the music, bringing the unmistakable Christmas Spirit alive.  Aside from the millions of lights, the light show also utilizes smoke and laser effects giving you a futuristic feel of the light show.

Nice Bumping into fellow OMZ and now Rappler Photographer Alecs Ongcal.

Bask in electric beats that depict the holiday spirit through 3 distinct medley.  The Christmas fiesta will showcase a collection of music that will encapsulate the well-celebrated Filipino tradition with fun, bright and very rapid movements inspired by Rio De Janeiro.  The second medley will take the audience to a whole new world of classic and epic views with scores inspired by magical, heroic and period films. Coupled with a vast array of sparkling colors depicting the traditional Christmas Spirit, memorable feelings of joy and passion fill the hearts of the revelers.  To conclude the show, the 20,000 square meter garden will come ablaze with color as more than one million light bulbs dance to sweet and magical beats inspired by the much-loved Disney repertoire, transforming the landscape into a wonderful Christmas Dream.

“This year, we’ve prepared another magnificent show that will definitely spark everyone’s merry hearts, bringing families, friends and the whole community together and remind them of the joys of Christmas,” said Sheila Aguilar, Project Development Manager for Makati

Makati has captivated people with its spectacular lights and sound show for the past 6 years.  The Festival of Lights has also made the coveted list of Conde Nast Traveler’s Seven Most Spectacular Lights in the World, in the company of distinguished luminaries such as the Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen, Denmark, the holiday lights display at the Legendary Champs-Elysees in Paris and Japan’s Kobe Luminarie.

Beyond the Ayala Triangle Gardens, major Makati thoroughfares Ayala Avenue, Paseo de Roxas and Makati Avenue are festooned with beautiful street lights, stained glass wrapped around palm trees ad kinetic windmills. Accross the metropolis, concrete islands have been transformed into Christmas landmarks featuring holiday themes closest to the people’s heart – the Holy Family, the Three Kings, Angels, Christmas parols and gifts.  The bright lights and sounds shines beyond Makati as Ayala Lang brings its much awaited lights and sounds show accross Nuvali, BGC, Centrio and Ayala Center Cebu in an effort to spread the Christmas Vibe and Cheer.

Holiday Cheers at Makati

Here are the line up of activities for the season.

  • Circuit Makati will light its tallest outdoor Christmas Tree, an immersive 56 feet installation that will loom over the biggest outdoor Circuit Makati Bazaar.  The holiday shopping extravaganza will feature over 500 merchants offering a wide assortment of gift items, food, clothes and holiday delights at the Globe Circuit Event Grounds on November 18-20.
  • The Gourmand Market will step foot in Makati as it brings its well-loved gastronomic delights at Ayala Triangle Gardens on December 9-11. Enjoy a wide array of food and culinary delights from Buns Brothers, Tipple and Slaw, NAV Modern Thai, Les Bagels, Empanada Mas, Manongs Bagnet, Garapal, Olympis’s Roast Beef, Pastry Amoire, Pedro Beer, Pepi Cubano, Sevilla and Son, Soap Story, Stanford and Shaw, Type A and Snackbox.
  • Makati High School chorale groups serenades everyone with well-loved Christmas Carols at Makati Inter-High School Caroling Competitions at the Globe Circuit Events Grounds on December 19.
  • Thanks giving Masses will be held from December 15-23 at the Ayala Triangle Gardens Fountain Area every evening at 6 PM.

Christmas is gonna be Merry and memorable at Makati. So bring in your families, colleagues and friends to the different events happening at Makati.  For more information on latest events and happenings at Makati, visit www.makeitmakati.com and follow MakeItMakati on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Categories: My Thoughts | Tags: , , | 23 Comments