Asics Running Watch Goes GPS

Posted on 20. July 2015 by Franc

Asics Running Watches Goes GPS

Whenever I get asked what’s a good running watch, I always ask back what’s their budget and what’s their goal?  Running watches comes in different price ranges depending on its features. Some of them you may or may not need depending on your goal.  I got to see the latest collection of Asics Running Watches and they have different lines that can help you train to be a better athlete and that includes an affordable Asics GPS Running Watch priced at P7,950.

Asics Running Watches

ASICS sports watches are designed in the tradition of the technologically advanced, high-quality ASICS shoes that have earned the allegiance of many of the world’s top athletes.  With their inspirational form signifying positive energy under the themes “Challenge” and “Confidence”, these watches employ an advanced shape – case offset well to the left – minimizing interference by the right side with free movement of the wrist. The result is easy wearing, easy viewing and easy operation, all achieved at a high level.  These are watches with all of the functions and convenience of use needed by runners, including buttons laid out for easy operation and the widest possible liquid crystal display. Asics has combined functionality, fashion, convenience and affordability in their line of running watches.   Everybody has different goals and budgets for a running watch.  The key is that it helps a lot in measuring your performance whether it measures the split you register per loop, your current heart rate or the distance logged via your GPS.  You need to measure your time to determine your improvement.

Asics Running Watch Series (Price Range P2,950 – P5,000+)

Asics Steps Per Minute Watches

You can go for the base line watches that has lap and split timer.  This helps a lot when you do intervals on track or do several loops in a certain area.  This will help to register your split time every lap or loop.  You can easily identify if you’re doing faster on your loops or not.  You still get to measure how you are performing and be able to see your improvements as you get more basis of comparison.  The good thing about The Asics Running Watches is that they have functional buttons for easy operation and has big start and stop buttons with matching large displays that gives you a quick grasp of your performance.  It can also store up to 500 laps that stores data even when battery is changed.  It has 3 years battery life and it can function as a regular watch with dual time and alarm functions.

Asics Heart Rate Monitors – (Price is P5,950)

Asics Heart Rate Monitors

Monitoring Heart Rate when you run is a great way to measure how your body reacts when you push yourself.  It’s very helpful to be able to know which heart rate zone works well when you run.  It can also be a way to determine if you can push yourself further.  I always watch my heart rate when I run as I want to know to what extent I can still push myself in a run.  The Running Watch “AH01” measures and displays the heart rate of the runner in real time during the run. It is used in combination with the Chest Strap (supplied with the watch) having a built-in heart rate sensor.  By inputting the runner’s running data and gender before running, it calculates the “Anaerobic Threshold (AT) Heart Rate” of the runner automatically using the proprietary algorithm developed by ASICS Institute of Sport Science.  You get information that on your AT levels that helps runner to perform the training efficiently as well as effectively.

“AT Heart Rate” and “AT Pace” serve as guidelines to perform training effectively and control running pace during races, assisting in enhancing your running performance. AT refers to the point at which your body transitions from aerobic to anaerobic exercise as the exercise intensity increases. The heart rate at this point is called the AT Heart Rate.

By understanding our thresholds, we get to know how to manage our pace and effort when running. The AH01 gives you a visible display of your heart as well as interval times, dual time and chronograph functions that can store up to 300 measurement data that can help you review your workout performance.  Battery life is approximately 2 years.

Asics Led Night Watches (Price – P3,950)

Asics Led Night Watches

Being seen on the road at night and early morning  is an added safety measure when you do night runs or some endurance runs like ultramarations.  Asics LED Night Watches has a continually flashing LED allows us to see the liquid crystal display easily even in darkness.  That would keep you visible as you go through the dark spots or venture in the roads at night.  Upon pressing the “NIGHT” button for 2 seconds, the LED light will start flashing for 30 minutes. The continually flashing LED improves the display visibility when darkness. You can choose from 4 variations of the color to match your running wear.  It has the regular features of Asics running watch like time indicators, chronograph with 150 lap / split memory, timers, alarms and very visible displays.  Battery life is approximately 2 years.

Asics GPS Watch (Price P7,950)

Asics AG01 GPS

For most runners, I would recommend a GPS watch because it gives you a reading of your distance, pace, speed and route through your GPS location.  The down side for GPS watches is it’s a bit pricey compared to other running watches though at a price point of P7,950, Asics AG01 is among the most affordable GPS watches available.  It’s a really good investment as you can measure your performance without being tied down on track loops or measured laps.  You can run freely and let the GPS measure your performance.  It gives you the data you need to measure your performance like time, distance, pace, speed, calorie consumption, lap running distance, split time, lap time.

Running with Asics AG01

I’ve got to try out the AG01 and I can say that it has all the basic information you need for a run and measuring it.

  • Look: It comes in flashy colorways (Black, Royal Blue, White and Red).  I got a white one and I like the color since it really stands out.  It has large buttons for easy pressing and control. The display is also visible with option of having one screen and two screen display and allows you several view options.
  • Modes: It has a Clock, Chrono, Run Date, Timer, Alarm and Setting Modes.  Modes are easy to access and easy to understand.
  • GPS Detection : It detects GPS in seconds.
  • Battery Life: 10 hours with GPS activated (Rechargeable). Approximately 1 year without GPS.

The Asics AG01 was really easy to use with a large button to shift to the different watch modes.  I was able to explore the functions without reading the manual since it’s really very simple and easy to use.  The GPS can easily be turned on and off when on chrono mode by just pressing the view button for 3 seconds. GPS detection is just a few seconds and you’re all set to run.  I was able to to do 4 loops of my regular 2.5 km loop in Salcedo Village and the GPS was accurate. I was also able to check my splits for each loop with the lap timer.  I also did a long run in Nuvali using the Asics GPS Watch and it was really helpful in pacing and measuring the distance.

I had my display set on run time and distance and I would just check on the other view options to check on my pace.  I also go to the pace view when I’m trying to maintain a pace while running.  After the run, I just have to click save and you can easily access the run by going to the run data mode.  Of course, I also like reviewing the metrics of my run and yes, Asics has a data management application that’s available for both windows and Mac.

Here’s a recap of my run with the ASICS Data Management App.

The data management app was able to capture my pace, speed and other metrics for every second of the run.  This is an excellent way to measure performance.  You can easily identify where I slowed down in the map, which is usually on the climbs.  You could see if you were able to maintain a certain pace over a distance.  You can easily see where you can add more effort in the run. Each run would have a recap like this so you can easily measure improvement, if any.

I’m really impressed with what the Asics GPS watch can do and with a price point of P7,950, it’s making GPS more affordable to passionate and progressive runners. It’s a really good deal!  Asics Running Watches are available on L Timestudio branches Nationwide.

Categories: My Thoughts | Tags: , , , , , , , | 40 Comments

Takbo.PH Runfest 2015

Posted on 15. July 2015 by Franc

Struggled Big Time for This One.

Date: July 12, 2015

Distance: 21K

Venue: Bonifacio Global City

More than a run, Takbo.PH Runfest is a tradition and a celebration for running.  Running has grown by leaps and bounds over the years and Takbo.PH is among the pioneers of running.  It has also been a personal tradition for me to be a part of the runfest and enjoy a good run and see familiar faces in the community.

Read About:

Takbo.PH Tradition

Runfest through the years

If you’ve been running for years now, there are races that becomes part of your tradition.  I’ve been running Takbo.PH ever since 2011 and I always make it a point to enjoy each of the Takbo.PH runs and celebrate running with the community.  The finish line is just a beginning of a whole new race.  That’s what you see as you enter the starting arch before you start the race.  My first finish line led me to my second, then my third and now it’s more than a hundred finish lines already.  It’s now a lifestyle and Takbo.PH is in the forefront of ensuring more people adopt to that lifestyle.  It’s always a no-pressure race for me as I take time to greet running friends here plus I’m low on sleep coming from an event the night before the run. Oh well, a slow race is much better than zero mileage so even if it would be a struggle, I want to add another Takbo.PH Runfest medal in my collection.

Race Route

Race Route is Powered by Sunnto Ambit 3 Sports and Movescount

The race starts in 9th Avenue and heads directly to Kalayaan flyover and going to Buendia until Osmena Highway for the first 6 kilometers of the race.  The race heads back to BGC until kilometer 11.  The race shifts to a climb from Rizal Drive and 5th Avenue before it goes on a rolling terrain in Lawton and Bayani Road where the second u-turn is located at Kilometer 16.5.  The race heads to the finish line via Bayani Road, Lawton, 5th Avenue and 32nd Street.

The Race

Running this one with Ateneo friends Gryf and Mascy.

I was at the venue 30 minutes before gunstart and was able to join the pre-race warm ups and ceremonies.  I just plan to do this one at a slow pace and just enjoy the race as I have minimal sleep plus low training mileage for the week because of the rains.  It’s also been a while since I’ve been racing on roads since I’ve been on the trails most of the time.   The important thing is just to enjoy the run.  At gunstart, I started with a steady pace and went on to finish the first kilometer at a 7 minute pace.  I’ve been trying to start a race with a straight run rather than a run-walk strategy as I want to make sure that the legs are warmed up before I walk to avoid tightening.  The second and third kilometers were mostly at Kalayaan Flyover.  I shifted to a run walk inserting a 30 seconds walk half of the climb.  By the foot of Kalayaan Flyover, I started to go run on road stretches and walk on the crossing stretch and that was until kilometer 5.

Chill pace at runfest. – Photo by Hansen Buasen

I noticed that I set my watch at an average pace instead of lap pace.  So all the while, I thought I was running at 7:30 pace per kilometer though I was actually running much slower as I was pulling down my average time already. That’s boo to me for being too data dependent.   I tried catching up which proved to be a wrong move as I ended up draining my energy source faster.  By the 6 kilometer u-turn, I was already struggling.  I got a recharge from my e-gel so I was able to manage to maintain the 7:30 minutes per kilometer until the 8th kilometer for the first hour of running.

It was a struggle but it’s always worth finishing a race. – Photo by Little Running King of Running Photographers

I shifted to shorter run-walk splits just to cover some distance as I approached Kalayaan Flyover.  I run a strip of the climb before walking most of it and tried catching up on the descents.  It was a mental challenge struggling this early on a run so I went back to the basics, run if I can, walk if I’m exhausted but never stop.  I just tried to find ways to move forward and enjoy the run.  I was running at feel and at the same time checking my heart rate every now and then to manage it.  The race shifted to the Rizal Drive which means it was climbing time.  I was running faster at this stretch than on the flats.  It helps that I was relying more on my quads on the climbs than my calves.  I went at a minute worth of running with 30 seconds of walks on the climb.

Trying to find ways to finish the race – Photo by Rickpets Lens.

I’ve reached the top of 5th Avenue around kilometer 12.5 and it was a rolling terrain.  I got my last gel at the water stop around kilometer 13, which powered me to run most stretches in Lawton and Bayani Road.  I enjoyed the Bayani Road part not because of the run but it’s were I started seeing familiar faces in the route. It was nice to say high and hellos to familiar faces in the running community.  It was a rolling terrain at Bayani Road so I tried to run some stretches on the climbs and went stronger on the descents.  We had the second u-turn at kilometer 16.5 at the end of Bayani Road.  After the turn, I started to distribute my energy on the climbs and took advantage of the descents.  The long climb back to Lawton was a challenge.  I was counting down the kilometers even though I’m low on energy and I was also reserving a final burst on the last two kilometers at 5th Avenue as its a long descent.

Let’s get this over with. – Photo by Rickpets Lens.

A few meters before the descent, I felt my calves cramping and that’s goodbye to the planned final burst.  I tried to jog a bit but halfway into the descent, I felt that the cramping getting worst so that’s it, I decided to walk the last kilometer of the race.  It’s not like I’m still chasing for a personal record or something.  I am still happy to finish this race though I could have done better.  The race conditions was perfect with the chilly weather and a much easier route compared to last year but I guess, I was just too tired for this one.  Well, I’ll do better next time.  Lessons learned: Get ample rest before a run.  Anyway, this is more of a celebration. Congrats to Takbo.PH and Leadpack for a well executed run.  Happy Anniversary too to Takbo.PH and cheers to the Running Lifestyle.

Survived doing Whodunnit the Night Before and Takbo.PH 21K Run.

Outfit of The Race

Cheers to Takbo.PH!!!

  • Race Top: Berghaus with #TaleOfTheTrail Design (Designed by Breakout Design)
  • Shorts, Calf Sleeves, Socks and Visor: Under Armour
  • Shoes: Newton Kismet
  • GPS Watch: Suunto Ambit 3 Sports
  • Eyewear: Oakley Tour De France Radarlock
Categories: My Runs | Tags: , , , , , , , | 42 Comments

Good Things Come in Small Packages in the GoPro Hero 4 Session

Posted on 14. July 2015 by Franc

Life is all about living the moments and some of those moments are so rare that it just happens once in a lifetime.  It may be the picture-perfect view or unlocking a new milestone or even finally hitting that award-winning move in your favorite sports.  GoPro allows you to capture that specific special moment as it happens and it now comes in a smaller and a match durable package with the Hero 4 Session.  It’s 50% smaller, 40% lighter and has the ultra compact water-proof design with one-button control for a simple yet powerful life-capture solution.

Read About:

GoPro Hero 4 Session

Channeling the Arrow in Me.

GoPro has the coolest launches. When the GoPro Hero 3+ came to town, it was a launch while playing with Go Karts.  We had a chance to wake board at Republik Wake Park for GoPro Hero 4.  For GoPro Hero 4 Session, we had a chance to be archers and shoot for the bulls-eye and win a new GoPro Hero 4 Session.  Would you believe, the bulls eye was the GoPro Hero 4 Session in the middle of the target?  The Hero 4 Session is really durable that even if it got hit by arrows, it was still in one piece.  That’s just one of it’s strong suit as the GoPro Hero 4 family just got better with the all-new Hero 4 Session.  It’s the smallest GoPro action cam yet, the HERO4 Session benefits from a durable waterproof design that eliminates the need for a separate housing and features simple one-button control to make capturing immersive photos and video quicker and more convenient than ever before. The HERO4 Session is compatible with existing GoPro mounts and will retail for Php 20,990 at authorized GoPro retailers beginning July 12, 2015.

I’ve been a GoPro user since last year and I’ve been able to explore the trails, trek mountains and run races with the GoPro there to document the key moments.  It’s not much of a burden as I partner it with a lightweight floater and there you go, I have a powerful action camera that’s ready to capture any surprises on the road ahead.  I did have a share of adventure with my GoPro and that includes biking on air, seeing the sea of clouds at Mt. Pulag, reaching one of the highest summit in South East Asia in Mt. Kinabalu and just playing around in the waters.  Then there’s a lot of trails, road races, family events and barkada happenings that just got a better coverage with the GoPro.  Some moments happen once in a lifetime and I’m glad that there’s a handy and lightweight GoPro to help me document them in the process and share them here on my site. You Only Live Once so better make the most out of it, chased those moments, milestones and bucket list items and be sure to capture them.

GoPro is all about Capturing the Moment

With HERO4 Session, we challenged ourselves to produce the smallest, lightest, most convenient GoPro possible. HERO4 Session combines the best of our engineering and user-experience know-how to deliver our most convenient life-capture solution, yet.  “I’m so excited about the launch of HERO4 Session because now I can finally use mine in public!,” ” said Nicholas Woodman, GoPro founder and CEO.

Ultra-compact GoPro Hero 4 Session

HERO4 Session captures GoPro-quality 1080p60, 720p100 and 1440p30 video along with eight megapixel photos in Single, Burst and Time Lapse modes. It features many of the same innovative features found in GoPro’s best-selling HERO4 Black and Silver cameras, including SuperViewTM, Protune and Auto Low Light recording modes. An expanded set of controls and settings can be accessed when using the GoPro App or Smart Remote.  Operating HERO4 Session is very simple. A short press of the shutter button quickly powers the camera on and video recording begins automatically. A long press of the shutter button powers the camera on and triggers Time Lapse photo capture. Press the shutter button again to save video or photo content and power the camera off. This simple one button design drastically improves the speed and convenience of capturing life moments as they happen.

Hero 4 Session and the Hero 4 Black Edition

HERO4 Session is built to GoPro’s famous rugged standards and is waterproof to 33 feet (10 meters). It features a sleek frame mounting system that is compatible with GoPro’s expansive array of mounts. An innovative dual microphone system dynamically switches sound recording between microphones to reduce wind noise during activities. Audio performance during water-based activities has been dramatically improved thanks to HERO4 Session’s waterproof design that eliminates the need for a separate waterhousing, which can often muffle sounds.

“At GoPro, sound quality is as important as image quality and we’re very excited about the stunning audio advancements we’ve made with HERO4 Session during water-based and windy activities. It’s incredible what this little GoPro can capture,” remarked Woodman.

Hero 4 Session Launch

 HERO4 Session SRP Php 20,990

  • Smallest, Lightest GoPro Yet with a weight of 2.06 oz (74g)and dimensions of 10.4 cm Depth x 7.0 cm Width x 24.6 cm Height)
  • Professional Video Quality with a Stunning 1080p60, 720p100, and 1440p30 video
  • Waterproof to 33’ (10m), no separate housing required
  • Easy one-button control: short press of shutter powers camera on and begins capturing video, long shutter button press powers camera on and begins capturing time-lapse photos
  • Powerful Photo Capture with a 8MP resolution for Single, Burst, and Time Lapse photos
  • Compatible with GoPro mounts and accessories
  • Dual Mic system captures enhanced audio during high wind and water-based activities
  • Built-in WiFi and Bluetooth® enable easy connectivity to GoPro App and Smart Remote
  • Auto image rotation corrects image orientation during recording
  • Includes standard and low-profile frame mounts for increased mounting versatility
  • Ultimate Mounting Flexibility. The camera can be rotated in mounting frames to create ultra compact mounting setups, while the ball joint buckle lets you adjust capture angles instantly.
  • Easy Access to all modes and settings with the GoPro App or the Smart Remote.
  • Protune f0r video delivers minimally compressed, cinema-caliber video optimized for professional productions.
  • Super View Captures the world’s immersive wide-angle field of view
  • Auto Low Light
  • Expandable External Memory
  • Built-In Battery (Rechargeable offers up to two hours of recording time)
  • Works with GoPro App and GoPro Studio

Unboxing the Hero 4 Session

Which GoPro is Right for You?

Everybody has a different preference and GoPro has a different line to choose from.  There are entry level GoPro in the Hero and Hero+ LCD for those who just need the basic features in a GoPro.  There’s the Hero 4 Silver and Black Edition for those needing higher resolution and there’s Hero 4 Session for those who wants to keep it lightweight and handy.

Follow GoProPH

Facebook: GoPro Facebook Page
Twitter/Instagram: @GoProPH
Hashtag: #GoProPH

The GoPro HERO 4 and Hero  is now available at all major consumer electronics stores or you can check www.dans.ph or call 894-5110 for inquiries.

Categories: My Thoughts | Tags: , , , , , , , , , | 44 Comments

Case Solved: Whodunnit

Posted on 13. July 2015 by Franc

A commotion interrupts Commercenter’s Appreciation Night.

A murder of an under cover agent Jojo Garcia happens at Commercenter’s Appreciation Night.  The full course meal suddenly turned into a full course murder after a commotion between the Investigating Agents, the Company’s CEO Nicholas Magnus and the Head of Security Julio Rodrigo.  Each one has a motive but which one stands out the most to actually murder an under cover agent and send threats to the Company’s CEO in Nicholas Magnus. Whodunnit? #BreakoutPH #BIT #Whodunnit

Read About:

Whodunnit

Commercenter has emerged as a top mall in 25 years

It’s the 25th year of Commercenter and as part of the celebration, we got to see the Company’s milestone.  Starting from the 3 people in the groundbreaking which is Valdez, Tinio and Rodrigo.  It emerged to be among the leading lifestyle mall with the leadership of Brian Valdez after parting of ways with Tinio.  The third person in the ground breaking was the current head of security of the Mall, Julio Rodrigo.  In 2014, Nicholas Magnus emerged as the new CEO and even won the Best Executive of the Philippine Mall Awards with Commercenter being in the mall in the south.  Nicholas Magnus served as a gracious host for the dinner though we did see his perfectionist side after scolding Rina Cruz, the operations manager and Manu Tino, the assistant head of security.  The dinner was great with a full course meal served by Belly Rub.

Nicholas Magnus has taken Commercenter to the top.

Everything was going as planned until we heard some gun shots and then a commotion happened.  Julio Rodrigo confronts Nicholas Magnus on allowing some undercover agents in the Company without his knowledge.  The private investigators were also confronting Magnus for allowing the murder to happen as they lost their personnel in Jojo Garcia.  Who killed Jojo Garcia? Whodunnit?

The evidences.

We got pieces of evidence and the first thing we noted was  the parking ticket. We had to locate a car with a plate number ZLS627 and look for additional evidences.  Before finding the car, we found our first suspect, Butch Balmaceda, Guard on duty.

Butch Balmaceda was the Guard on Duty

Butch was under Julio Rodrigo and Manu Tinio and he was a perfect picture of a suspect.  He wore sunglasses to hide his stressed out eyes and he was smoking heavily.  It turns out that he was drinking last night and was sleepless before going to work.  When inquired on why he looks stressed, he mentioned that his wife is sick and is really desperate.  He is desperate enough to do anything probably with some incentive from his bosses Julio or Manu.  He didn’t look like a mastermind but could be the gunman if people would take advantage of his desperate situation.  Since we were finding who killed Jojo Garcia, Butch immediately move on top of the list.

The car had a ticking bomb inside.

We found the car with the Plate Number ZLS627 and there was a bomb inside.  There also was a box in the name of Julian Rodriguez? Is he the same person as Julio Rodrigo? That we had to check. We later found a can of San Miguel Beer beside the car, which led us back to Butch, he admitted to drinking today and it was a can of San Miguel Beer.  Facts ascertained, he was near the car and there is a bomb in it.  It also makes you think on why he has been drinking lately.  It’s possible that he’s building courage in doing a gruesome crime.

The threat to the building might lead to the rise of Magnus to power.

We then went to Nicholas Magnus to inquire about the case.  He commissioned the private investigators because there was a threat to his life.  He had to go back on his potential enemies and his rise as the president of Commercenter.  It turns out, he was the son of Brian Valdez outside wedlock which is why he carries his mother’s family name and not Valdez.  He’s been hidden for a time and slowly trained to be the President to succeed Brian Valdez. It turns out that not everybody was ok with this setup as Julio Rodrigo had been salivating over the post being among the founders.  Julio was a friend of Brian Valdez and was appointed as head of security in the past, which he assumes to this day.   We also noted that the reason Tinio left the Company was that he had a misunderstanding with Brian Valdez in the past, which meant it was a hostile separation.   We also inquired if he is familiar with the car with the plate number ZLS627 and he confirmed it was his car.  He had access to the car with the bomb so that means, it’s possible that the he placed the bomb there too. But why?  It’s possible for insurance claims.  We checked on who drove him to work today.  It was assistant head of security, Manu Tinio.  Upon knowing that Manu was a Tinio, it was too much as a coincidence.  As they say, there’s no such thing as coincidence.  Unfortunately, Magnus had no idea on his relationship with a Tinio.

Julio Rodrigo had Coveted Magnus posts for years.

Julio Rodrigo had the most to gain if something happened to Nicholas Magnus as it would lead him to takeover the Company. He hated Magnus from the start as he came from Nowhere to take the Company from him.  He was the obvious suspect with  the obvious motive of gaining corporate control.  One thing was odd though, he was attached to the Company as he was part of the groundbreaking so placing the bomb in Magnus car would be out of place.   Despite his being left out, he stayed in the company.  He did mention that it’s possible that Magnus could be behind this too.  He vouched for Manu Tinio, his assistant head of security, as a good kid.  We’ve also checked if Manu Tino was related to one of the founder of the company and he mentioned that it’s just coincidence.  He’s too obvious of a suspect and it’s possible that he could have masterminded this.

Having the Tinio Name seems more like coincidence.

We also met a bartender by the name of Cocoy who said he was not in good terms with Julio but was on good terms with Manu as they smoke together.  One important thing information we got was that Manu smokes.  Next to our key Guy, Manu Tinio.  Ever since the Tinio name came up, it’s been the hostile separation between Valdez and Tinio that comes to mind.  Again I say, there’s no such thing as coincidence.  We saw him wearing a white barong but now, he changed to a black short sleeves polo top. He alleged that he changed because of food that spilled on his clothes. He also denied being related to a Tinio as well as driving Magnus today.  He hadn’t been truthful though as he has been evasive to all the questions for the night. Being the driver of Magnus car also meant he had access to place the bomb there too.  He was number one on our mastermind list but we had no evidence against him.

Rina Cruz was the operations manager and had an earlier argument with Magnus

Rina Cruz was the least obvious of a suspect but he was scolded by Nicholas Magnus at the event. This could mean he wasn’t on good terms with the President.  We learned that Rina is a company person and have had good relationship with the former president Brian Valdez. He also mentions of Magnus being a perfectionist, which led to the argument earlier during the day.  We also inquired about Manu Tinio and also dismissed his association with the former partner Tinio as coincidence.  She also has full control and access over the log book which can be an evidence.

Notice the first name in the logbook is Manu Tinio.

Manu Tinio was the perfect mastermind but we didn’t have evidence against him.  Initially, we set Butch as our top suspect as being desperate could easily motivate him to be paid to kill Jojo Garcia and threaten the life of Magnus.  Butch didn’t look like a mastermind but if the purpose was to locate who killed Jojo Garcia, Butch could be the man who pulled the trigger.  We would have filled that in our accusation sheet until we found a piece of evidence by the Emergency Exit.

The murder weapon and the barong.

We found the murder weapon accompanied by the bloodied barong, a pack of marlboro and a picture of the founders at the groundbreaking ceremony.  We had our man.  Manu Tinio was wearing the barong before the murder and the picture just showed that it was something linked to his family being a Tinio and the Marlboro was an added evidence.  Cocoy admitted to be smoking within the area with Manu.  For the last item to seal the case, we asked on Cocoy, the bartender.  Who else wears barong in the company, it was only Manu Tinio. Nailed it!!! Whodunnit = Manu Tinio!

My Super Team of Detectives Louie, Roch and Gianne.

We then submitted our accusation and after awhile we got the answer and as the detectives were presenting the case.

  • Butch was the one who placed the Bomb in the car.  The can of San Miguel Beer was found beside the car, which Butch admitted drinking.
  • Nicholas Magnus has a stake in the insurance, which would also have given him the motive to kill.
  • Rina Cruz had control over the logbook and also had a stake in the insurance, which would have given her the motive to kill.
  • Julio Rodrigo had everything to gain and had remorse for Nicholas Magnus, which was motive enough to kill
  • Manu Tinio’s barong was found with the murder weapon and was seen by several bystanders running after the murder.

The swerve before getting to know Whodunnit.

At the end of the day, the detective arrested Butch for placing the bomb in the car and Julio for masterminding everything until Butch confessed that it was Manu who masterminded the murder.  Out came the truth that Manu was out for revenge for what the rise of power of Nicholas Magnus has done to his family.  Again, I say, there is no such thing as a coincidence.

It was surreal being a part of the first ever public showing of Breakout Interactive Theater.  The actors were convincing and spontaneous.  It felt like trying to unlock the case one clue after another and letting the sense of truth overwhelm the lies thrown at you.  I also love working with my team or Roch, Gianne and Louie as we went on to the correct ending of this one.  Til the next case of Breakout Interactive Theater, this is Detective Franc with Detectives Roch, Gianne and Louie saying Case Closed!!!

Categories: My Thoughts | Tags: , , , , , | 55 Comments

5 Memorable Racing Moments

Posted on 9. July 2015 by Franc

I always saw each race as a different story but there are those moments that stood out and it was not those PR breaking ones.  The ones that stood out were the bloopers, mishaps and injuries that came along  the way.  I’ve gone from a newbie to a passionately-driven one and at times, chill-paced runner in my years of running.  Let me share those moments and the lessons that came along the way.

That’s me in my first ever race.

I’ve been running for over 5 years now and it started by accident when my friend registered me for a 3K race. She didn’t even expect me to show up.  I was wanting for a change as things were not on the finer side at those time. Crossing my first finish line had me wanting for more.  It started from short fun distance to a fast 10K and eventually moving on to half marathons, full marathons and duathlons.  That’s over 100 races worth thousands of  kilometers racing and training.  I’ve joined runs as a newbie. I passionately chased Personal Records, Longer Distance and New Disciplines.  I joined races as a lifestyle and for  the fun part of it.

Condura Skyway Marathon (February 2011)

Chasing a Sub 1 Finish – Photo by Jpeg Mendoza

By the start of 2011, I was just a minute away from reaching my sub 1 10K finish time goal and I chose Condura Skyway Marathon as the key race to meet the goal.  Everything went well as going to the first 5 kilometers with most of the hilly part done, I was around 27-28 minutes in my 5K time. I just needed to sustain it for the next half of the race to finally break the sub 1 hour time.  That was until I saw the area below the Skyway in Buendia which was serving bananas to the runner.  I never had banana in a race before and I rely more on energy gels for my fuel.  I got one banana and rushed on eating it to save time and the expected energy boost from the banana turned out to be a struggle as my system can’t digest the banana immediately. I ended up struggling in the next 3 kilometers before recovering in the final 2 kilometers for a finish time of 1:04 for the 10K distance.  I did meet the sub 1 goal in my succeeding races during the month.  Lesson Learned: Never Try Something New On Race Day.

Corregidor International Half Marathon (December 2011)

Corregidor was a race like no other with different surface and terrains to challenge you.

I finished my first half marathon last September 2011 with a time of 2:24 minutes and the next big race I joined was Corregidor International Half Marathon.  It’s one of the most unique course as you get to experience different surfaces from cement, paved roads trails, grasslands, rocky beach, stairs and dirt tracks with long and steep ascent all over the course.  It was tough from the start as we had to start on an incline passing to the creepy Malinta Tunnel before going to a series of long ascents and descents heading to the Corregidor Resort and the Airfields and then Back to Malinta Tunnel.  I was running slower than my usual road pace but it evens out because of the descents.  The second half of the race had us climbing for the next 5 kilometers along the paved roads, trails and the historical sites of Corregidor.  Approaching kilometer 16, it was a descent for the next 4 kilometers and that got me excited.  As I was about to take advantage of the descent, I had cramps on my right calf muscles.  I recovered a bit and it was great that there were runners who helped me out.  I went on to cruise on the descent before the steep climb at the 19th kilometer.  By the 20th kilometer, it was mostly downhill. When I made my turn on the final descent, I felt both calf muscles cramping which led me no choice but to jump on the nearby grassy part since I have now cramps on both calf muscles.  I never even thought that was possible.  Luckily, there was a medic nearby so she started to ease the cramps one muscle at a time until I was back on my own two feet where I went on to finish the race with a time of 2:51.  I felt so low that time because I felt that I failed big time until Coach Andy congratulated me for reaching the point of total muscle failure. It did make me stronger in my future races. Lesson Learned:  Failures can make us stronger as we push ourselves beyond our preconceive limits and going to the next level.

Condura Skyway Marathon (February 2012)

I tried breaking my personal best at Condura and I almost did.

I was able to set my personal record for 21K at Subic International Marathon in January 2012 with a time of 2:18 and I was determined to set a new one come Condura Skyway Marathon that year.  Condura has always been my yardstick when it comes to races so this was months of preparations and a goal I know I can do.  I went really fast to start the race and have set personal records as I went to each milestone.  It was a well executed race. I timed my short rest on the water stops and maintained a 6-6:30 minute pace.  Approaching kilometer 19, it was still below 2 hours, which meant I could finish around 2:12-2:15 time and it was mostly downhill.  Things changed quickly heading to the last 3 kilometers as I felt my right calf muscles cramping. I slowed down to insert walking breaks so I can relax the muscle a bit and pulling down my pace to about 8 minutes per kilometer.  The 3 kilometers felt like forever since the calf muscle could go anytime.  I persevered and was able to reach the last 200 meters of the race around 2:15-2:16 mark and that got me excited.  As I was jogging my way to the finish line, my right calf muscle had to give in to cramps just a few meters into the finish line.  Had I thrown my shoes towards the finish line, my timing chip would have recognized a new PR.  It was that close. After a few minutes, I was back on my feet and walked my way to the finish line with a time of 2:19, which is 1 minute over my personal record.  Lesson Learned:  Cramps is an impulse so don’t get too excited.

Immuvit Fearless Challenge Leg 1 (August 2012)

Immuvit Fearless Challenge was my first trail race.

Immuvit Fearless Challenge Leg 1 was my first trail race. It was a mud fest and had a lot of obstacles along the 10K route.  It was not only my first trail race but it was also my first time to try out obstacles as Fire Jump, Mud Crawl, Log Hurdles, Military Wall, Mud Wall, Tires and Lunges.  I seriously had no idea how to get past these obstacles before the race. I ended up finding ways and means to complete the obstacles as I encountered them.  I also didn’t know how to pace myself during the trail and I was conservative on the run side.  The challenges were tough but it was the slide after the military wall that got me injured.  After climbing the 45 degrees military wall, we had to slide at the top of the wall. Since I felt that was easy compared to other obstacles, I ended up sliding like a carefree child on playground slide.  Weeeh and then a big thump.  My tailbone hit a hard surface on the bottom of the slide with my full body weight adding to the impact. Ouch!!!  My butt hurts like hell but I did resume the race.  I went through several obstacles including tires, more log hurdles and a scary 20 feet mud wall climb.  I then went on to finish the race.  The pain in my tailbone stings a lot that it felt like I was hit by a jolt of electricity each time we passed a hump on the road on our way home.  It was that sensitive.  It turned out I had an inflamed tailbone and had to rest a few weeks and also had to get some soft pillow as an added cushion whenever I sit.  I recovered in a few weeks to finish all 3 legs and was way more cautious in the slide at the 3rd leg. Lesson Learned: Never underestimate obstacles.

ASTC Asian Duathlon Championship (November 2012)

Joined Duathlons in 2012

I started joining duathlons early 2012.  The ASTC Asian Duathlon Championship was my 3rd duathlon for the year. This was for a feel good distance of 5K run, 20K bike and 2.5K run.  It was a shorter than my previous duathlons and it had Subic as a scenic backdrop for the run and the bike.  Everything was in place. We were able to recon the route the day before and it was a distance that’s short and sweet.  The run leg went fast finishing 5 kilometers in 31 minutes and it was off to the bike part.  As I was pulling my bike in transition, I dropped my bike and immediately picked it back up.  As I went on the bike, I was struggling on my cadence.  At first, I thought that it was because my legs were tired from the run part.  I keep pedaling and I was moving just around 20 kph.  6 kilometers into the bike leg, I dismounted to check if there was something wrong with my bike or maybe I had a flat tire.  And there it was, my brake was hitting the steel part of the wheel which made it a struggle to pedal.   It turned out that the brake was misaligned when my bike fell. After I fixed my breaks, I tried to catch up on time by going at over 30 kph over the next 14 kilometers to transition.  I went on to finish the last 2.5K run in 16 minutes for an overall time of 1:41. It was still a good finish in my books.Lesson Learned: Always check your gears before you go.

Finally reaching the finish line at TBR.

I guess the cycle of being a runner went full circle when I finished my first marathon in 2014.  Of course, I still am running, chasing goals and adding more races and memories to remember to this dates.  I hope you had fun on this throwback post.

Categories: My Thoughts | Tags: , , , , , , , | 63 Comments

Get Down and Dirty in the Trails with Ahon.PH

Posted on 7. July 2015 by Franc

I love Trails!!!

I’ve grown fond of trail running and trekking mountains. It’s has the breathtaking scenery.  It has the challenging terrain.  It has the fresher air.  It has varying surfaces and obstacles.  With different surfaces, comes debris like mud, sand, soil, leaves, rocks, twigs and others that can enter your shoes and cause a lot of discomfort.  You can leave all those worries behind as Ahon.PH gaiters got your feet protected from all the debris.  You can have a longer and a much comfortable time appreciating the beauty around you.

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Ahon.PH Gaiters

Wearing my Ahon.Ph at TNF 100

There are more people doing trails and climbing mountains now.  I also spend quite a lot of time in the trails to do away with the monotony of road running.  Trails and treks gives you a better appreciation of nature, a slower and more comfortable pace and it challenges you to reach some peaks and rewards you with a magnificent views.  It allows you to conquer yourself in a different way.  You learn to adopt to the different terrain and surfaces.  You get to conquer distance and elevations.  The unique thing about the trails is you get uneven and varying surfaces. There’s all the debris from mud, sand, soil, leaves, rocks, twigs and others when you enter the trail.  The thing is once it enters your shoes, it can be a big discomfort or even worst cause blisters and other irritations.  This is where gaters come into the picture.  Gaters protect you from the different debris that can enter your shoes as every little bit of discomfort is magnified when you run.  Each stride becomes a lot more difficult and just imagine when you’re in the middle of a long trail and you’ll have to bear with the pain or worst not finish the trail.

The trails can provide you with all the different surfaces and terrains that will challenge you.

I got to test the Ahon.Ph in two races so far which is the 22 kilometer distance of TNF 100 and a 15K run at the Valley Trail Challenge, which was both held in Nuvali.  When it comes to profile of the course, Nuvali has the friendliest trails but it also has muddy paths, single track trails, stoney areas, rivers, rough roads, grass lands and some peaks and inclines to challenge you.  Nothing was able to penetrate the gaters, which meant I was able to finish both races blister free.  It blocks the dusts and debris while also being a water absorber when wet.  I barely felt that I was wearing the gaters as it’s light on the feet. It does not disrupt your running form since it’s constructed from breathable and elastic materials.

Ahon.PH kept me focus and the running and not on dealing with foreign debris in my shoes. – Photo by Joma Sison

I’ve been on too many running discomfort going through variety of trail surfaces over the years running the trails.  I get blisters that take time to heal.  I get small cuts from small rocks entering my shoes.  I get to deal with a lot of mud accumulation in my shoes too.  I really appreciate being free from all those debris in my shoes after wearing Ahon.PH gaters.  I can now focus on enjoying the trail and just running.  I don’t have to stop to clean my inner shoes or have to deal with any post run blisters, cuts or wounds.  You’ll get to love the trails and the mountains even better. You can get down and dirty and secure the comfort inside your shoes.  It’s a small investment for better trail running pleasure.  I also support the brand as it is a  local brand founded by people who are passionate with the trails and the mountains.  They use quality materials because they know how it feels to encounter the different discomforts in the trails.  Gaters can really give you a happier trail running experience.

They also have great design for gaters.

The Gaters

TradVista Gaters

They also have catchy designs. I have the Tradvista Gaters which is the one and grey combination that can match any of your trail running outfit. The Tradvista is short for Traditional Visayan Tatoo and highlights our hometown heritage. They use lines and patterns and added some colors to be stand out better.

Kikay Gaters

The Kikay Gaters can really stand out with its yes, Kikay Colors.  It’s perfect for girls who love color of Pink and even guys who love the flashy look of the colorway.

Baybayin Gaters

Baybayin which is our forefathers’ alphabet has an elegant black colorway with  scribbles of the Baybayin Alphabet.  It highlights a piece of our culture and tradition with this colorway.

Pricing:

  • 1 pair = 900 Pesos
  • 2 pairs = 1,700 Pesos
  • 3 pairs = 2,500 Pesos
    • FREE SHIPPING NATIONWIDE!

 

How to Order:

Grab one now.

  • Ordering Process:

    • Choose your gaters (TradVista, Kikay or Baybayin)
    • Choose your size
      • Small-Medium (men’s shoe sizes US 5-9 / women’s US 6.5-10.5)
      • Medium-Large (men’s shoe sizes US 9-13 / women’s US 10.5-15)
      • Please note that if you are in between sizes, choose Small-Medium
    • Email them at ahon.ph@gmail.com
      • State which of the designs you are ordering and corresponding size and quantity.
      • They will reply with the exact amount of your purchase and their bank details.
    • Deposit amount to our BDO or BPI account.
    • Write your name and order on the deposit slip. Take a photo of the deposit slip and send it to ahon.ph@gmail.com. Be sure to reply on your previous email thread. Also, indicate your mailing address.
    • Once confirmed, They will send it to your indicated address via Xend. Cutoff for shipping will be 12 noon of the day you sent your deposit slip.

Happy Trails!  There will be more designs coming soon.

Categories: My Thoughts | Tags: , , , , , | 53 Comments

Checking Out the Newton Kismet

Posted on 2. July 2015 by Franc

I’ve been a Newton user for years now and it’s my Go-To Running Shoes whether on the Road or on the Trail.  My latest addition is the #Newton #Kismet and it uses the forefoot lugs technology with more cushioning to provide more comfort and stability to your runs.  Kismet can really give you a more comfortable run and an even added push of the toe with a heel to toe drop of 4.5 mm.  It’s time to run, It’s time to #FeelNewton

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Feel Newton

Upper Left: Adidas KOTR 2013 with Newton Gravity II, Upper Middle: Takbo.PH 2013 with Newton Distance II, Upper Right: FIlinvest Endurace Weekend 2014 with Newton Boco AT, Lower Left: RUPM 2014 with Newton Distance III, Lower Middle: Nat Geo Run Baguio 2015 with Newton Distance IIIS, Lower Right: Velasquez Park with the Newton Kismet.

I’ve been running with Newton as my main shoes for 3 years now starting with Newton Gravity II and Distance II in 2013. It took me time to adopt to the different feel of having forefoot lugs when you run but when I got the hang of it, it was the faster and more efficient shoes for me.  The reason is that it promotes the natural midfoot landing and gives you an added push of the toe coming from the forefoot lugs.  In 2014, I got Newton Distance III and III S which came with 5 lugs and more stability on your landings plus each lug now support each metatarsal bone of the feet.  I love the 3rd edition of the Newton Distance that I had an experiment of running a marathon with it and it was a success.  I also had the Newton Boco AT in 2014 which has been my go-to trail shoes up to this day.

Hello Newton Kismet!!!

A few weeks ago, I was able to get my 6th Newton Shoes in the Newton Kismet.  Newton Kismet, which is about 9.7 ounces is heavier than the other Newton shoes I have which is about 8-9 ounces.  While it adds just a little weight, it gives you a lot more cushioning and an added push of the toe with a heel to toe drop of 4.5 mm compared to the other models having 2-3  meters heel to toe drop.  It uses seamless mesh materials which eliminates blistering and allows you to use it with or without socks.  When it comes to color ways, it is even flashier than my previous Newton with a stronger shade of Orange.

Trying out the Newton Kismet around BGC

Before I came to test Newton Kismet, I was away from training for a full two weeks since I had a bad case of coughs and colds.  That means, that I would be a bit rusty and stiff once I resumed running.  It was love at first stride though with the Newton Kismet as it felt really comfortable with a softer and cushioned feel of the sole.  Despite being heavier than my other Newtons, the 4.5 mm heel to toe drop made up for it with a stronger push of the toe.  The extended medial bridge at the outer sole had a better impact absorption on the midfoot landing.  I was going for an easy 7:30 to 8:00 minute per kilometer since I usually am conservative in my pace whenever I come from a long lay-off but surprisingly, I was able to run at the 7 minute per kilometer level.

Soaking in sweat after a easy run that went faster than I expected

It’s definitely a fast shoes and that’s just the beginning as I’m just warming up.  Newton Kismet is the perfect shoes to introduce you to the Newton forefoot lugs technology.    If you are new to the technology, Newton uses 5 lugs at the forefoot which serves as a lever to power your next stride.  It’s a shoe that rewards effort, the more powerful your strides are, the stronger the push of toe would be.  It promotes the natural way of running with a midfoot landing being converted to an instant push to the next stride therefore resulting to faster cadence.  The Newton Kismet uses a higher heel to toe drop which adds power to the next stride offsetting the added weight of the Kismet.   It has the same push but with more cushion so it’s faster to adopt to the Newton Kismet.

Using Newton Kismet do all the drills at the Men’s Health Training Combine

I was also able to use it at Men’s Health Training Combine which was a test on different jumps, sprints and lateral movements.  I was able to move much better with Newton Kismet because of the comfort plus the added push and it really felt like a breeze doing the sprints.  It can also be a fast shoes with the faster cadence, the cushioned ride and the added push.  It felt really fun blitzing the 40 yards dash in a few seconds wearing the Newton Kismet when I gave it my all-out effort.  You really get a better feel of newton when you speed up.

My regular night training runs with Newton Kismet.

I also regularly use it on my night training runs where you get to see that the bright colorway makes you a lot visible in the dark.  I’ve also tried it on a rainy day and I found out that it has a great traction even on wet surfaces.  You’ll appreciate it on hills as the added push would surely help conquer those endless climbs and the forefoot lugs can help cushion your strides as you speed up downhill.   The Newton Kismet is an everyday training shoes and can be the perfect long distance shoes if you prefer a more cushioned ride.  The added cushioning is a big plus especially for longer distance like marathons as it reduces the impact of each foot stride on the foot and the knee and reduces physical wear and tear.  The Newton Kismet can also complement the other Newton Shoes as you can mix and match.   Of course, the benefits of a great running shoes like Kismet can only be maximized with proper and consistent training.  Do try it out too!!!

 

Categories: My Thoughts | Tags: , , , , | 64 Comments

Brooks Adds Color Into Your Run With Their Kaleidoscope Collection

Posted on 1. July 2015 by Franc

Running definitely adds color into your life.  Well, Brooks has added some more colors in their #Kaleidoscope Collection that captures all the colors and hues in your runs.  It gives running a flashier look, style and performance.  It also comes with the Brooks technology that always have the Runner’s DNA in mind to ensure a comfort fit and optimum performance.  The Kaleidoscope collection is available for Adrenaline GTS 15 and Ghost 7 with colorways for both male and female runners. #RunInColor and head over to #BrooksRunningPH and #RunnrPH

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Brooks Running

When it comes to running, Brooks always has the Runner’s DNA in mind with the BioMoGo DNA midsole providing adaptive cushioning and gives you a smooth heel to toe transition with its Segmented Crash Pad.  It gives you the proper cushioning to reduce impact on the leg and knee of each foot stride and gives you a nice rhythm and smooth cadence with the out sole designed to give you smooth heel to toe transitions. Aside from the usual features, Brooks adds all the colors and the flashiness  into your runs.  Brooks’ exclusive new Kaleidoscope collection draws inspiration from the kaleidoscope’s evolving explosion of shapes and colors, introducing a signature pattern designed by Brooks. Fresh pops of color and print have been applied to the company’s core running shoe models including the Adrenaline GTS 15 and Ghost 7.

 

“The Kaleidoscope collection is a bold new representation of the always moving artwork found when gazing through a kaleidoscope.  Inspired by this moving display of shapes and colors as well as the masterpiece that runners create every time they lace up their shoes, we’ve created a signature print that we will continue to bring to life with different color variations in future seasons.” said Shane Downey, Brooks Senior Business Manager.

 

Blending high-style with high performance, the Kaleidoscope collection provides runners with a line of running shoes that will turn heads with speed and style. The Kaleidoscope collection will be available for men and women in the following style and color combinations:

Adrenaline GTS 15 for P6,995

Men’s Adrenaline GTS 15

Women’s Adrenaline GTS 15

 

The new Adrenaline GTS 15 is equal parts support, cushion and balance in a stylish, high-performance package.   Treat yourself to the adaptive cushioning of the BioMoGo DNA midsole that responds to your run and the full-length segmented crash pad that gives you ultra-smooth heel-to-toe transition. The Progressive Diagonal Rollbar provides reassuring stability while moisture-managing materials in the upper keep you cooler and dryer when you’re on the run.

Ghost 7 for P6,295

Men’s Ghost 7

Women’s Ghost 7

The Ghost 7 is a triple threat of balance, cushion, and lightweight materials. The Ghost is a neutral running shoe that can go for miles or for a speed workout. They have the horseshoe-shaped crash pad, full ground contact, and omega grooves in the forefoot for the super-smooth heel-to-toe transition runners love. The Ghost is now even smoother and lighter than previous editions. It has the usual BioMoGo DNA in the midsole that offers adaptive cushioning and responsiveness. Bigger lugs in the forefoot make the Ghost feel more responsive as you run.

The new Kaleidoscope collection will be available at select stores starting June 2015. For availability and additional information about the collection, you may visit and contact Brooks at https://www.facebook.com/brooksrunningPH .  For more information on Brooks, follow us on Facebook & Instagram at brooksrunningPH and Twitter @Brooks_PH.

Categories: My Thoughts | Tags: , , , , , , , | 55 Comments

Valley Trail Challenge 2015

Posted on 30. June 2015 by Franc

Back in Nuvali Trails

There’s something about Nuvali that makes running here always a good experience.  It gives you the friendliest trails and the feel good experience along the route.  It has a refreshing view, cleaner air and a slight incline for the challenge.  Valley Trail Challenge gives that range of feel good trail adventure whether you’re doing a short 15K like I did, going the longer 30K to see the New Zealand view or doing the full 50K loop around Nuvali.

Read About:

Valley Trail Challenge

With Race Director Jonel Mendoza after the race.

Last year, I did 30 kilometers, which was really about 32 kilometers so this year, I wanted a different experience.  There are a lot of different trails.  There’s the high challenge, high reward ones, which gives you a magnificent view when you reach the summit and there are trails like Nuvali, which is a fast, a fun and a refreshing course.  If it were a movie, this would be a feel good one.  Sometimes, you have to go back and re-experience the simpler trails and just have fun and this is why I selected the 15 K category.  Let’s get this adventure going.

Race Course and Elevation Profile

Race Course and Elevation Profile is powered by Suunto Movescount

The race starts at E. Nature Avenue which brings closer to the side trails of Nuvali.  The first stretch of trails last until kilometer 2.5 and heads to the Rotunda where you shift to Nuvali Boulevard to enter the next stretch of trains.  The trails is about 5 kilometers worth of trail and rough roads heading to the u-turn slot.  The trail shifts back to Nuvali Boulevard and back to the first trail for the finish.  The first part of the trail are mostly climbs while the second half of the trails are mostly descents.

The Race

With the King and Queen of Trails, Aldean and Majo

If I had a super power, I wished it was the power to sleep at will.  I barely had sleep for this one but good thing that I always try to wake up late on the day before the race so I would have at least invested some sleep.  I went with running blogger Rene Villarta and we left Manila at 2:30 am and arrived a little past 3 am, which gave us a lot of time before gun start at 5.  We were able to meet a lot of friends who were joining the same category and also met the events team.  We spent the remaining time to warm up and catch up with friends before the race.  Since this was only the 15K distance, I went light on this one by doing away with  the hydration bag and just bring a simple hydration bottle.

My Newton Boco AT Green Meets The Newton Boco AT Pink

Jonel, the race director gave us a few reminders.  One of them was to follow the orange ribbons along the course so we won’t get lost.  I think that’s one of the challenges in trails is how to make sure you don’t get lost especially when you are too drawn by the view and you miss out on the markers.  I hope I don’t get lost for this one though I probably visualized the course in my mind coming from my previous races here.  After the reminders, it was the much awaited gun start.

Using Ahon.PH gaiters again so I won’t have any debris inside my shoes from the dirt tracks of Nuvali.

I was swayed by the fast start of many runners and started fast too.  Upon checking my watch, we were going around 5:30 – 6:00 minute per kilometer pace for the first kilometer.  That was way to fast for me especially on trails where I usually settle for a run walk mix that would have me finishing a kilometer within 10 minutes.  I started to walk as I wanted to pull down from this pace group and when I was away from the speedsters.  I then resumed my run walk scheme.  I would run 1 to 2 minutes and have a walking rest for 30 seconds.  The first stretch of trail was almost 3 kilometers and with the fast starts and the steady pace, it felt like a breeze.  It was a short road with a climb to the rotunda and a descent to Nuvali Boulevard for the first aid station.  I just took a glass of Gatorade and didn’t refill my bottle since it was still a bit full.

Meeting the Great Jared (who’s doing 50K for this one) at Aid Station One.

We then entered the trail at the right side of Nuvali Boulevard.  This was about 5 kilometers worth of fields, dirt tracks, fire trails,rough roads and a lot of tall grass.  It was also a mental challenge as it felt endless especially with the false flat course that had us on the climb for the next 5 kilometers.  I remember telling a group of runners at around kilometer 4 that it’s about 3.5 kilometers to the u-turn slot.  I did quickly corrected myself, make that probably 4 or more kilometers to go before the u-turn as knowing Jonel, he’ll surely give us an extra surprise on the distance.  That’s the other thing I like about trails, it’s not as accurate as road measurements but you love taking the extra kilometers because of the view.

Bumping into Vanj (Upper Left), Allan (Upper Right), Pat (Lower Left) and Rene (Lower Right)

It was nice bumping into friends along the way.  I rarely asked who’s racing before an event, I just know that I’ll bump into them along the course.  I started seeing familiar faces approaching the u-turn.  About 7 kilometers into the race, I entered a rough road area with a view of the mountains and that just means that the u-turn is near and just like I guessed, the course would be more than 15K, which is well and good in my books.  I started speeding up towards the u-turn slot.  There’s something about u-turn that sends you counting down the kilometers left rather than stressing over the kilometers to go.

The Views are so refreshing here – Photo by Rai Cabanig

After the u-turn, I was contemplating on slowing down but since the next parts were descent, I ended up moving faster.  I had to conserve my water reserve though as I have about a fourth of the bottle for the next 5 kilometers to go.  I would just have a few sips after a few run-walk sequence.  The road back felt faster with the descent and of course, my need to refill water bottle at the water station.  It was one effort after the other until I reached the water station at about 13 kilometers into the race.

Heading back!!!

I had several glass of Gatorade and water to drink plus I had another cup to splash on my head as it was already getting hot.  I also ate watermelon and had a few chat with friends manning the aid stations.  I went back to the course with the road to the rotunda and the last 2.5 kilometers of trail.  It was also getting hot as I slowed down a bit.  I still added a few run efforts in this stretch to cut my time heading to the finish line.

Coming out of a huge concrete pipe was part of the course.

After crossing the huge concrete pipe, I knew that it was just over a kilometer over the race.  I shifted to brisk walks coupled with a few runs until we reached the concrete portion which is about 300 meters to the finished line.  I added more runs here until I reached the final 100 meters where I gave it a last push for a strong finish. That was a really fun course. Great Job Front Runner Team!

To The Finish!!!

Outfit of The Race

Green and Orange Combo

  • Race top: Berghaus with #TaleOfTheTrail design by Breakout Design
  • Shorts, Visor, Compression Calf Sleeves and Socks – Under Armour
  • Shoes – Newton Boco AT
  • GPS Watch – Suunto Ambit 2S
  • Eyewear – Salice
  • Gaiters – Ahon.PH
  • Camera – Go Pro Hero 3+
  • Hydration – Simple Hydration
Categories: My Runs | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 65 Comments

Under Armour holds Leg 2 of the Earn Your Armour Challenge at UP Town Center

Posted on 29. June 2015 by Franc

#UnderArmourPH #EarnYourArmour resumed at the UP Town Center last June 28, 2015 with another round of Fight Form challenges with celebrities and athletes joining the action.  The Fight Form Workout is a brainchild of Coach Erwin Tagle, “the Philippine Bruce Lee.”  It utilizes the various martial arts movements in a no-contact format.  There were also several exhibition Jiu-jitsu matches held before the Fight Form: Elite Edition

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Fight Form: Elite Edition

Wearing my Under Armour Curry One for this Event

I was lucky enough to get to try the Fight Form workout at Ultimate Fitness last month and it’s a tough one as you have to do several routines in succession.  The program utilizes the movements in various martial arts as base workouts in a no-contact format.  The high intensity workout lets athletes practice mixed martial arts movements such as jabs, kicks, sprawl and brawl and others without the need of a sparring partner.  Aside from the overall fitness challenge of the workouts,  I find it something fun to do since you get to feel the actual fight situations and the equivalent workouts without the risk of physical injury.

That’s me doing the Fight Form Exercise at Ultimate Fitness last month

I recommend the Fight Form Exercise for Fitness Enthusiasts and Mixed Martial Arts Fans who would want to get the feel of the different forms of Martial Arts.  It can be a great fitness routine and a habit that gives you a full workout in minutes.  This is the reason that I came to appreciate the Under Armour Earn Your Armour Challenge – Fight Form : Elite Edition, which is now on its second leg.  The second leg follows the same format of the first leg with several fight form routines and an endurance routine.  Athletes were scored based on number of repetitions per movement within a set time or the maximum time to sustain a particular movement or position in the form of planks and squat.

Blue-Belt World Champion for Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Meggie Ochoa graced the event.

As a Prelude to the Fight Form Challenges at UP Town Center, various martial artists demonstrated their skills to the audience.  The demonstrations included Muay Thai, Wushu, Wrestling, Capoeira and Mixed Martial Arts.  There were also several Jiu-Jitsu matches which included a match between actors Sid Lucero and Rocco Nacino who held an exciting 5 minutes match.  Blue Belt World Champion for Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Meggie Ochoa also gave a demonstration of the sport. The petite phenom first made waves last year when she won the White Belt World Champion title for BJJ after starting a crowdfunding campaign to fuel her journey.

Rocco Nacino (Wearing Captain America UA Shirt) vs Sid Lucero (Wearing Iron Man UA Shirt).

Aside from being able to watch the exhibition matches, the crowd also got a better appreciation of the different martial arts and the different athletes who was part of the matches and demonstrations.  Local MMA stars Geje Eustaquio and Eros Baluyot, Honorio Banario versus, Francis Uy, and Brian Lim facing off against Igor Subora, the former URCC champion and current One FC heavyweight contender in separate 10-minute matches.

Jiu-Jitsu Exhibition Matches at the Event.

The Second leg of the “Fight Form: Elite Edition” is part of the Earn Your Armour online fitness challenge, which is open to all Under Armour fans. Participants get the chance to win exciting prices from Under Armour, including apparel and footwear.  Participant joined via www.tripleready.com where they can download the Endomondo Fitness app to receive the challenges and log their accomplishments.  At the end of the series, the participants with the highest number of points get to bring home a full suit of Under Armour apparel and footwear.

Celebrity Siblings Paolo and Bubbles Paraiso doing the Fight Form Challenges

The main event of Leg 2 was the Fight Form challenges where a total of fifty-six representatives from various gyms throughout Metro Manila and Isabela showed their strength, endurance, agility through a battery of exercises.  The partner gyms included Ultimate Fitness, Fitness Camp, Absolute Fitness Isabela, Anytime Fitness, Safehouse and Spartacus.  Celebrity Siblings Paolo and Bubbles Paraiso also joined the challenges and demonstrated the fun intensity of the Fight Form Workout.  The participant showed their toughness and endurance with the workouts and some of the participants had to do their workouts in the cold of the rain.  This definitely gave everybody a tougher time but the rain didn’t deter the determined athletes.in Earning their Armour.  Great Job Guys!!!

The winners from Leg 2 of the Earn Your Armour: Fight Form Elite Edition are:

Ground and Pound

  • Myles Luqugan
  • Chayo Mariano
  • Katleya Ballada
  • Bryan Bustamante
  • Nash De Vivar

Sprawl and Brawl

  • Mark Julian Isass
  • Angelica Sunga
  • Paolo Paraiso
  • Lance Jimenez
  • Jocelyn Cruz

Under Armour has grown its presence in the Filipino market and they have partnered with elite Filipino athletes like Volleyball Superstar Gretchen Ho.  It has also famous athletes-celebrities like Piolo Pascual, Luis Manzano, Robi Domingo, all of them being self-confessed, long-time users of UA even before it hit the Philippine Market. Under Armour’s roster of global athletes includes the most decorated Olympian of all time, Michael Phelps, American Ballet Theatre soloist Misty Copeland, recently signed 2013 Wimbledon Champion Andy Murray, Record Breaking America skier Lindsey Vonn and 2014-2015 NBA MVP and Champion Stephen Curry.  They are also the technical partner and kit manufacture for TottenHotpsur of Barclays Premiere League.

Under Armour is exclusively distributed by Triple Pte Ltd.   Their Philippine Stores are located at Bonifacio High Street, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City, SM Megamall Building A, Ortigas, Mandaluyong City and UP Town Center at Katipunan Avenue, Diliman, Quezon City.

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