Running the Subic Scenery

Posted on 19. January 2011 by Franc

I attended my first out of town and international marathon in Subic and it was a whole new running experience and at such a reasonable budget. For all the trips I had in Subic, I rarely get a chance to stay long in this area.

Having the whole road traveling by feet, you get to appreciate the place in a different light. You get to see the nice sceneries at some parts overlooking the bay, the lush greenery and all the shops and structures. Then there’s the much crisper and fresher breath of air and the not so warm early morning temperature. It was a much appreciated change of environment and it did show in time with my fastest 10K so far at 1:02.
Of course, we’re still able to enjoy other features that make Subic famous. Dinner at the bay, coffee and drinks at the Lighthouse and those mouth-watering TJ ribs. Such a nice reward from a tiring fast paced run. It’s just two expressway away so it won’t be a surprise if I’d be lost here again sometime.
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Possibilities are Endless

Posted on 19. January 2011 by Franc

The year has taken off at a rocket pace and amidst the business trips, the longer runs, the torturous training, the muscle pains, the athletic massage, the races, the yearend problem solving, never-ending meetings, secret missions, issues management, funding activities, plant visits, get-together and the stress that comes with a busy schedule, I have rarely been able to visit or update this pages. It may be a good thing. More time on letting events unfold and less time synthesizing them. What a busy life!!!

I’m tired and worn-out but I’m loving it. I’m 2 minutes of my sub 60 goal and was able to run my longest run at 15K yesterday. I’ve gone a long way from someone who struggled at completing a 5K run. Training has really paid off and it was worth all the time and effort put into it and you get a leaner frame and a healthier physique as a bonus. It’s nice to do well in a different arena. Now, I’m thinking of going for another 3-month program though I still have to think of a new goal and I might as well give my muscles some time to recover after the major runs. One thing for sure, I’d still be lacing my running shoes and hitting the roads. Possibilities are endless.

Odds has never been fair at this time of year but I won’t let the odds keep me from pursuing what I am meant to do and accomplish. No matter how much it piles up what matters is that at the end of the day those odds are surpassed and a new day begins. It’s been a series of hits and misses. You get a productive meeting in Taipei to come back and face several system problems and report delays. Oh well, you can’t win all the battles but problems are meant to be solved. It will just take more hard work to reach a resolution.

I always say that things are getting to get tougher and almost always it holds true. I guess it’s just that we all move on to the next level and that’s what next levels are for to give you new challenges that are far harder to surpass. While there are limitations at what we can do, we’ll never know them unless we give it a big hard try. Honestly, I don’t how each day would unfold or some riddles would unravel but somehow they always do. However things turn out the only regret we’ll have are those born out of the choices we don’t own up to. I personally don’t want to live in regrets. Sure there may be some significant swings or endings that I hope would have turned out differently but I’ll take what I can get and no matter how many times I’ll turn back time, I’ll let all those cycle run its course knowing that the variable item in this equation is the future we have yet to write. And as I said earlier, possibilities are endless.

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Intense

Posted on 6. January 2011 by Franc

I’m now into the intense part of my running training with increased speed and distance each week. I just hope I have what it takes to get past the next few weeks without getting injured. It does come at an intense period – year end closing. Great!!! I’ve just increased the odds of not surviving but I don’t want to live by excuses so its a go for multi-tasking. Time to step up training and work mode!!! How? I have no idea but lucky for me the future comes one day at a time so I’ll find a way somehow.

I’ve come to accept that my life is one busy mess and I’m done with laid back modes so just bring it. I won’t back down on life’s challenges… Not now… Not this time… and hopefully, Not ever… The best part about being busy is that you get to prioritize. You learn to know what matters and what does not. You get lesser and lesser time to whine or to entertain whiners. And it sure beats just lazing around waiting for life’s blessings to come. Good things come to those who strive in life.

It goes a lot crazier in the days to come. I have to prepare for meetings… Resume my training… Meet Some Friends… Join an International Marathon in Subic… Take midnight flight to Taipei… Meetings… Meetings… Meetings… and Fly back early dawn to Manila and that all happens in a span of 5 days… and that’s just the beginning… It’s gonna be deadline chasing time after that while chasing my sub 60 running goal.

The year has taken off at such an accelerated pace which does contradict how I entered 2011… sound asleep… Oh well, No holding back on life anymore…. It’s a GO GO GO for 2011. Positive things come from positive thoughts so I’d rather spend my energy on things that can make me better. Good times will come, I may not know when but I know it will and I’ll patiently wait for the better days to come. It happened a year ago and fingers crossed, it could happen again… =>

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Year of the Franc – 5th Part

Posted on 31. December 2010 by Franc

I guess the definition of a successful year is becoming more complicated by the year. How do you measure a year??? I started the Year of the Franc blogs in a banner year wherein I moved on in so different levels at that time – from completing grad schools to promotions to more travels to new milestones. It was so simple yet every year it has been more of a roller coaster ride.

Each year, I had some new challenges and milestones to achieve… A few years ago, it was a race against time and the credit crunch to raise much needed funds… A year ago, it was a ultra tight and extraordinarily early financial reporting deadline… Seems anti-climatic after being in those heart-beat stopping scenario… This year is a race in a new arena outdoors trying to beat time, muscle fatigue and at times the weather to improve my running and eventually be faster, stronger and injury-free… And I hope next year, I can resume my chase for happiness and peace of mind.

2010 had me go through new highs with a ride at the finer side and brief as it was, these were filled with a lot of good memories that I still do treasure. Then came a sudden turn of events, one that had shifted me from the finer side to being completely messed up leading to a downward spiral. For a certain time, I did lost my confidence after a series of bad fates, false starts and some meddling people making my life a difficult one. The good part, when you reach rock bottom is that the only place to go is up and then came redemption or at least the road towards it. I started running… and it became a new passion and leading to good results. Good things do happen in messed up ways.

I started to lose weight… run faster… run longer… run stronger… I’m still a few minutes away from my speed goal for 10K but I’m training real hard for that goal. The past few months had me saying goodbye to the sloth in me and I now have to scramble all the time I have to workout 4 times a week, work the usual overloaded and under appreciated corporate slave, and still be able to spend time with family and friends. A difficult challenge but it was worth a try… and so far I’ve been surviving. I guess what matters most, is that when you sum it all up, you are able to become a better person after each setback then if that is the case, they are not called setbacks but more of springboard for bigger things. A positive outlook always helps.

A lot has changed in 2010 from my previous jet setting years, I tried to limit my trips to just 4 business trips (Taiwan, Singapore, China and Cambodia). I still spent my long weekends and holidays well with trips around the country from Bataan to Subic to Clark to Laguna to Cebu to La Union and trips to hometown Baguio. Well, I may step up my travel load a bit next year but I guess a lot of that hangs in the balance on the next moves I’m gonna make… and it won’t be those safe baby steps anymore… It’s gonna be risky giant strides. It’s gonna be a leap of fate and the only thing I have yet to determine is the timing of the leap. Well, that keeps things a less predictable.

Things ended on a false note with dis-functionality ruling over reason. It was not a good sight to see people ending their year on that note and even worse site seeing a skewed reward system. Not the best of endings but I’ll definitely bounce back with a vengeance in 2011… and yes, that is a threat. I won’t be as predictable as ever and there will be some chapters that will remain unsettled before the clock ticks its final seconds for 2010. Maybe a part of me was never meant to be OK for me to continue yearning on how to complete the missing pieces in the puzzle of life. I’m leaving 2010 with no anger, bitterness and maybe just a hand full of regrets but I’ll take what I have cause it’s gonna be a whole new ball game…

I’d leave the year on a note of thanks to all the people who cared and shared a part of themselves… to people who was always around when needed and those who were there at the worst of times… to people who just gave their earnest share to make my life better… and even to those people who doubted me… You all had your roles to play in 2010 and it wouldn’t be a wild ride without you all.

2011 here I come!!! Be prepared… Be scared… Be surprised… Be vigilant… It’s gonna be a dynamic and busy year… It’s gonna require a SUPER effort… It’s gonna be another chase and a rather exciting one… The best part of endings is that a new beginning is in the horizon… and I dare say, Just bring it!!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

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Look Up in the Sky

Posted on 27. December 2010 by Franc


Baguio has shown a rapid deterioration over the years because it has become too urbanized yet it still owns a cool climate that makes it a haven for those who still want a get away. A center for education, a attraction for hordes of tourist and it has also attracted a lot of foreign population.

One area that has recovered its luster is Camp John Hay. I do enjoy breakfast at the Manor while overlooking the mountain terrains and the pine tree filled landscape. Morning buffet with this ambiance is simply too irresistible with the regular breakfast delight here. I was able to catch the new attraction during the Christmas Holiday. A tree top adventure. It’s a bit pricey but if you want to have a thrilling ride, it’s worth a try.  Fly like superman… Glide like the silver surfer… Drop from the trees at an accelerated pace… Or just have a relaxing canopy ride… The rides are quite spaced away from each other so just trying it out, gives you a nature trekking adventure.  At this visit I was able to try the Superman ride which is the farthest of the attractions from the main area so it was quite a trek.  It was also raining at that time so the soil was a bit soft and muddy and just trekking to the area had an element of adventure as it was really very slippery.  Onward to the Superman ride.  It was a zipline with you on the Superman flying position and then they’d fling you backwards a few hundred meters and then fling you back in for your Superman descent back to the area.
I’m quite happy that they thought of a tree-top adventure in Baguio and I just wonder what took them that long to come up with this idea. It could have been great to have this weekend alternative when I was still in Baguio.  Anyway, I may get another shot as I head for home in a few days…
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FAAsko

Posted on 22. December 2010 by Franc

It’s not best to burn bridges… cause there is really no such thing as goodbye… sometimes it’s just a way of saying, “We’ll meet again some other time…” The world is such a small place, we’ll eventually bump into each other… and then came FAAsko…

Christmas… the frenetic time of the year when you get to shop, party, give, receive, eat… and get in touch with people that became a part of your life. Life may have thrown people all around the world but we all did chase those deadlines, spent overnights (if not overweeks) at the office, became do-it-all people just to finish an account, enjoyed those out of town trips, been pestered and pampered by the same clients… and at different times, we had the mentorship of FAA, MCM and CPA as the building blocks of our careers.

So for a day, we all came back to the company that held as through all-those 24/7 working spree… FAAsko Na!!! It was years in the making… months in the planning and just a week before the event details got finalized but eventually we found the time and place. Events like this don’t come often with three partners around, people coming home for the holidays, people who’ve been just around and the future movers of the profession. The past… the present and the future mixing it up to have fun… the place was just right… the food was abundant… the games were nerve-wracking and laughter-filled… the gifts overflowing… the time was stretched to the limit… and the KTV singing did catch up after everybody got warmed up.

Seeing that people had a great time… had a chance to catch up… had a chance to meet new people… had a chance to display their singing prowess and discover new talents… makes all the time spent planning and going through the roller coaster ride of organizing such an event worth it. It’s also a proud to look back and to look forward that we’re like a tree branching out and how far we’ve spread our twigs… Not always in the same direction but it’s the one meant for us to take and the best part about is we’ll always find our way to our roots… and this is what this night meant, a time to go back to our roots.

It seemed that time moved so fast and even if we’d like to pause time for a bit to seize the rare moment, all good things has to end… and like I said, there is no such thing as good bye… “We’ll meet again some other time…”

Excess Inkblogs: And some other time might be soon… might be grander… might be away… might be anything you’d want it to be. I guess, let the thinking process begin…

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Super Franc

Posted on 18. December 2010 by Franc

I’d always want to be super… I want to be beyond ordinary… Yet I find comfort to not being in the center of attention…

There is just a a part in me that’s super and one of them is the no quit attitude and always getting to go unscathed even at the toughest of time. Well, I had a physically demanding week and how I got past it or how I’m gonna get past the weeks to come is beyond my imagination but I’d like to say that lets take it a minute at a time or maybe a blip of a second at a time. Multi tasking has been one of my expertise. I’d probably bore myself to death just by doing a single task.

I’ve barely stop lately and I’ve been sleep-deprived from the things I had to do… Survived a major road block which seemed impossible to hurdle at first… Organizing party for former colleagues that had me shifting from one venue to another… Buying those ever elusive Christmas gifts this late in the season… Christmas party at the office x 2… Meeting friends in between gasps… Attending Simbang Gabi (Goodbye 9 mornings, I lasted only 2 days with the hectic lifestyle)… Aircon-less plant visit to Bataan and back in Manila… Logging those kilometers which is such a problem fitting in at this time of year… a circuit interval training that had combined push ups, sit ups, dead bugs, air squats and planks plus a lot of sprinting… and work… work… work…

I’m taking a short breather but I still have gifts to buy, compression socks and tights to pick up, friends to meet, party to finalize, vertical race to run, training to resume, angry birds to guide in annihilating those darn pigs (LOL)… balangay to visit, party to attend to, FS to finalize, another round at SNR, gifts to give and yes, I’ll still be working until the 23rd. If I get past this, I’d like to reclaim the word Super in my name which I hadn’t been for a while.

I stopped being Super Franc from the time I stopped being such a people pleaser. You have to be you own person first before you can please other people but this one resurgence of Super Franc is borne out of the need of the time. If there’s one thing that drives me is that I’m not a fan of failure and even if things would pile up all at the same time, I still want to get it over with… No excuses… I’m happy doing so much in such a short span of time. A mission accomplished is a reward in itself.

So here I come to save the day… well, not always. It’s funny how the real world works that with great power comes greater irresponsibility and effects of those are for the lesser powered ones to fix or bear. Everybody loves the power, the authority and the prestige but not everyone wants to take responsibility and accountability. That’s the good thing in seeing things the way we see it as kids that heroes do the right thing, good conquers evil, crime does not pay because if we all see it this way, then it will be such a wonderful place to be in. Of course, those are the things away from reality but hope and dream is not such a bad word in this chaotic universe.

I won’t always be Super but at this time of the year, I would just for the simple reward of seeing people smile after a selfless deed… =>

Excess Inkblogs: I really wanted to complete my 9 mornings for a simple wish of having peace of mind about so many things… work, decisions and people… I did last 2 mornings and I don’t think I can still go on further with the barrage of things to do… So I won’t make it a wish but I’ll hope to have it before the clock ticks its final second of 2010.

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Plan B

Posted on 8. December 2010 by Franc

It’s always the safer option to leave thing as it is, try to endure and just go on. Changing lanes, jumping ships is always a difficult task but at times it is what we need… A change of environment… An ending to signal a new beginning. By nature, we fear the uncertain and the unsure so we’d rather endure periods of discontent and go on like zombies wandering aimlessly or just being blind followers just trying to live by the day. Then what is life if just a meaningless passing of time.

So enter plan B. We should have our life’s plan B when we want to shake things up and take a new direction. It may not always be the easiest option, but make it the option that would give you peace and add value. We don’t always have the luxury of time to just go around without a goal. If the situation doesn’t seem to prosper, maybe it may just mean that it should be us who should just move on and take a crazy leap of fate. If the mind does not give you much option then it may be the time to follow your hearts desire.

To add comfort whether we go on with Plan A, B or C or whatever letter that may be, there is no such thing as a wrong decisions… only consequences from the choices we make… It will eventually bring us somewhere… or maybe somewhere we never expected. That’s what make up the story of our life. We don’t have to fear how that story evolves since it will just go on naturally and at the end of it all, it’s still our story to tell and our own life to live. Leave a little room for fate to throw its sweet and nasty surprises. Even the not so good ones are just road blocks to be able bring us to where we should be when the time is due.

About plans, I still have a long list of yearend preparation to plan. It’s always a bittersweet season with the festive atmosphere being dampened by the yearend rush and the delay in the 13th month pay. Boooo!!! People wanting to look good has brought more harm than good… Spirit of Christmas, where are you??? Ok, I do enjoy that I am able to spend time in meeting friends and fitting Christmas lunch dinners to my running training schedule and work. I still have yet to find the time, the budget and the motivation to come up with a Christmas list and shop for gifts.

 Come to think of it, even this post has been few days in the making as it’s been real hard trying to squeeze in time to write and even if it’s one of the things I’d love to do. Running has taken up a lot of my time and I’m really loving the training experience. I’ve been making progress lately. I just hope that I would be able to reach my goal in time. It’s a challenge I’d wish to work hard for and among another challenge I’m thinking of doing is attending “Simbang Gabi…” Am I up for it??? I hope so… Maybe doing my training in the morning can come after morning masses. I still have a few days to consider that thought.. and in any case, I get enough caffeine to pull it off, I do have a Christmas wish I have in mind… and that makes it such a tempting challenge… =>

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All I Want for Christmas

Posted on 30. November 2010 by Franc

The spirit of Christmas have missed me again or has yet to come. While I have family and friends already starting to do their shopping, I still haven’t even written a single name in my Christmas list or if I ever plan to come up with one. Christmas is not really my favorite time of the year with the year end rush that comes with it and the odds may have been a lot tougher. Oh well, life is not always fair but we just have to take it as it is.

So what is my fervent wish for Christmas? Above all the material things… all the sweet greetings… all the faces and friends to catch up with… I did spend a larger part of the year trying to be fine and in some ways, I’ve prospered so much… I am now equipped with a goal in mind and is busy than ever to be bothered by the all high and mighty negative forces that threatens to ruin all that I’ve worked for. I hate to admit that I still have some matters to deal with though opening that can of worms is still an unsolved riddle. I just hope that when the clock has ticked its last second, I’ll be at peace with myself and be able to start a year without the baggage of the past.

I guess people like me who get to live by the day hasn’t really caught a tomorrow I’d like to aspire for and maybe in time I’d be less bothered by the worries of today and take a hopeful glance at what tomorrow may bring. I don’t want to earn my wrinkle in advance but when all the fixing is done, I’d take the smiles for the future to brighten up the dark moments of today. We’re never built complete since life is about finding those missing pieces that makes our life picture complete.

I just hope that when Christmas come rushing in, it won’t distract my strict training regimen. Hitting the finish line or completing a distance is so exhilarating that you tend to forget the sleep-deprived state, the sweat-infested anatomy and all those sore bones and muscles. I can now say I did finish a vertical marathon (all 10+2K of it). It was fun going up and down, left and right and I’m glad that even if it exceeded the regular 10K distance, I still had enough energy to finish.., Now, I just need to hope that I’d get that energy level to finally finish reading a book.

And I no longer want to live on demotivated and all those that bothers me will past and I know peace of mind is not an ambitious goal and with Christmas just around the corner, who knows… The important part as always is that we never stop trying… and that goes a long long way.

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De-motivated

Posted on 24. November 2010 by Franc

I guess that’s how demotivated I am taking me more than a week to just revisit my site. Either I was busy enough to do away with my weekly blogging routine or I am just really clueless on what happened from point A to point B leaving me in a state of demotivation.

The journey towards such phase takes months, if not years of frustration. The short end of the story is that I am tired mending problems after problems after problems and yet there’s just no established sense of accountability that goes with that. I now want to take a different course of action but timing would always be an issue. I am now convinced that my skills and my talent would want to partake in more productive endeavors though I just want to have a level of comfort that I’ll leave on a good note or maybe even just a devil-may-care attitude that will just take a leap of faith at a moments notice. Now to think of ways to motivate myself going from point B to point C. Life is just so short to be bothered by the things that won’t matter in the long run.

I’m just glad that when it comes to running, I’ve sighed a new breath of life and have recorded a new high in 10K at 1 hour 11 minutes and that’s 6-7 minutes improvement from my first 10K run. Still more than 10 minutes away from my goal but at least it does give me some momentum in my training. Every minute gained is really hours and days of preparation. This is something that I am motivated in doing and running has now been a lifestyle and I’m starting to build my life around the training schedule and so far, I’m making it work. The goal has been set, the date has been set and now to deal with the challenging part that comes in between. Preparing for battle has never been this fun and I just can’t wait for my next run.

I sense that my life is a bit hectic and at times, I just dozed off from a very tiring day but somehow, the coming Christmas has its ways to reward your effort. For one, there’s an amazing light show in Ayala triangle I get see every time I train there. I get to see friends again this early and even if I had to fit this in my schedules I was able to have dinner with the AGSB Gang last week. There’s so much long weekend in between. I may not have the luxury of those weekend getaways but I do get to have packed weekends that starts with an early morning run.

I do have some parts of my life are in place though I know that there are some things that require some fixing and that’s just how the we take on life. We have to learn to bounce with it so even how low we fall, we’ll always find our way up. =>

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