February 2012 Race Spotlight: Don Bosco Fun Run & Taray Pamulinawen Laoag Marathon
This month’s race spotlight takes us to the sand dunes of Ilocos Norte, and to a simultaneous six-venue fun run.
Taray Pamulinawen Laoag Marathon on February 25
It’s obviously too late to start training now for a full marathon happening in two weeks, but if you happen to be in Laoag on the weekend of February 25, prepare to be caught up in the festivities of the Taray Pamulinawen Laoag Marathon, part of the fiesta of St. William the hermit, Laoag City’s patron saint.
“Taray” (accent on the second syllable) is the Ilocano word for “run”. From a longest distance of 11 miles last year, the city of Laoag has taken the leap to organizing a full marathon. I’ve been to Laoag once and the described route is a full tour through its picturesque streets, lonely highways, and famous sights. The route will take runners through the famed sand dunes, the sinking bell tower, Gilbert Bridge, the Tobacco Monopoly Monument that stands in the city proper, and Fort Ilocandia.
For those not ready for a full marathon, there are also shorter distances: 750-meter kids dash; 5K; 10K; 21K; and a 42-kilometer mixed relay.
(Don’t forget to have some empanada post-race; it’s a great recovery food!)
Race: Taray Pamulinawen Laoag Marathon
Date: February 25, 2012
Gunstart: 5am at Laoag City Hall
Early Bird Reg Fee (Jan. 9-Feb. 18): P500 (42K/21K), P250 (10K), P200 (5K), P100 (750m), P1,500 (42K mixed relay)
Late Reg Fee (Feb. 19-22): P700 (42K/21K), P400 (10K), P350 (5K), P200 (750m), P2,400 (42K mixed relay)
Registration: Bank Deposit, Credit Card
Registration Dates: January 9-February 18 (early bird), February 19-22 (late)
For More Info: Taray Pamulinawen info website
Don Bosco Fun Run: Run, Jump, Make Noise on February 26
Don Bosco schools have been educating Philippine youth since the 1950′s. To celebrate their 60th year, they are staging a simultaneous fun run in six venues: Quirino Grandstand (Manila), Nuvali (Laguna), Clark (Pampanga), San Jose (Nueva Ecija), Naga City (Camarines Sur), and Legazpi City (Albay).
The Don Bosco Fun Run is a fund-raising activity to create a trust fund for the eight Don Bosco Technical-Vocational Education and Training centers. The TVET schools impart technical skills to marginalized youth, enabling them to find employment with car manufacturers, technical offices, and the like. Apart from the free schooling, Don Bosco also funds basic needs such as food, shelter, clothing, and medical assistance.
Registration is at P350 for all categories (3K, 5K, 10K), with all proceeds going directly toward the TVET trust fund.
Race: Don Bosco Fun Run
Date: February 26, 2012
Gunstart: 6am at all six venues
Fee: P350 (3K/5K/10K)
Registration Venues: Don Bosco schools (Mandaluyong, Makati, Manila, Canlubang, Pampanga, Naga, Legazpi, Nueva Ecija); ROX Bonifacio High Street; participating Chris Sports Outlets (Festival Mall, SM North Edsa, SM Megamall, Glorietta, SM MOA)
Registration Dates: February 4-24, 2012
For More Info: Don Bosco Fun Run 2012 on Facebook
On Rising Registration Fees, Again
It’s been almost a year since I wrote my blog post On Rising Registration Fees. I wrote that post trying to explain the possible reasons why races had raised their prices, and some steps on the runners’ part to minimize the impact of those costs.
Here we are again, facing another fee increase for a certain set of races by one organizer, which may spur another round of fee increases from other organizers. I’m not writing this post to criticize, but to explain why I, as a blogger, a runner, and a citizen of the Philippines, feel the need to address the issue of rising registration fees. And yes, it certainly is an issue if all I hear from runners I encounter on the road is, “Hindi na ako sumasali ng races kasi ang mahal!”
You may say that there’s no need to complain, and all you have to do is simply not register for the expensive races. I have to say right now, I do not agree with this “put up or shut up” mentality. This is hard-earned money we’re talking about spending here, and I think that in a free society there is room for serious yet civil discussion about the cost and quality of goods and services we pay for.
In case you aren’t aware, we do have consumer rights and responsibilities in the Philippines. We have a Bureau of Trade Regulations and Consumer Protection under the Department of Trade and Industry, which operates to protect consumer rights and promote awareness of consumer responsibilities. Check out this PDF pamphlet of your Consumer Rights and Responsibilities published by the DTI.
The pertinent responsibilities of a consumer on which I base my stand are (paraphrasing from the abovementioned pamphlet):
- Critical Awareness: to be more alert and questioning about the use of, and the price and quality of goods and services we use.
- Action: to assert ourselves and act to ensure we get a fair deal. The pamphlet goes on to say in much stronger words, “Remember that as long as we remain passive consumers, we will continue to be exploited.”
- Social Concern: to be aware of the impact of our consumption on other citizens, especially the poor, exploited, disadvantaged, or powerless groups.
As you can see from these responsibilities, I cannot simply sit back and accept the price increase in registration fees; I must ask for the reason behind this. I believe I should speak up, as one of the courses of action to ensure we’re getting a fair deal. I do this because continuing to tolerate rising prices without justification means that the poor or disadvantaged people who want to join a race may eventually (it is happening even now) be priced out of doing so.
I am looking forward to Coach Rio’s promised discussion of the registration fees at the upcoming Run United press conference. (He promised that last year, too, but it didn’t materialize.) I have him on record inviting interested runners and bloggers including myself to send him a personal message for inclusion on the press conference’s guest list.
Meanwhile, I encourage you, dear reader, to continue seeking the best value for your money in the races that you train for and join. There are a number of conscientious race organizers who offer races at affordable prices with part of the registration fee going to charitable causes. Seek them out and give them a chance; they may pleasantly surprise you.
BDM 160: Ultra Support
The human body wasn’t designed to run 160 kilometers; eventually something gives way, whether it’s a wrenched joint, or a pulled muscle, or a bad stomach, or blistered skin. But that’s where the human spirit comes in.
Last weekend, 74 (crazy) runners showed up at the Kilometer Zero marker in Mariveles, Bataan to start a journey that would take them through Bataan, Pampanga, and finally Tarlac to retrace the route that Filipino and American soldiers took during Bataan Death March in World War II. This was the BDM 160.
It all starts here.
This being the second such race of its kind held by Maj. Gen. Jovie Narcise (ret.) (more popularly known as Bald Runner), plenty of stories had been swapped since last year of the trials and tribulations that participants went through. For the 2012 edition, I joined a crew to support my Endure teammate Melvin Pangan, who was undertaking the distance for the first time. Continue reading »
Powerade ION4 Finally Comes to the Philippines
I use most sports drinks interchangeably since I think they’re the same under all the advertising hype and flavoring. Whatever brand you are, if you replenish my electrolytes and don’t give me a tummy ache, I’m good to go.
Of course that doesn’t mean sports drinks really are just the same regardless of brand, and each brand tries to improve their taste, sugar content (for those conscious about their liquid calories), and electrolyte delivery systems.
Powerade ION4 was first introduced in 2009 in the U.S. market as a reformulation of the old Powerade formula. It boasts four electrolytes instead of the usual two kinds of electrolyte found in sports drinks. Aside from sodium and potassium, ION4 has calcium and magnesium in the same ratio as that lost from sweating.
Powerade ION4
Now, this more complete formulation has finally come to the Philippines and is endorsed by the likes of fitness coach Chinggay Andrada (lately of Biggest Loser fame), international footballer Neil Etheridge (also of the Philippine Azkals), basketball player David Semerad, and running’s own Rio de la Cruz.
I missed the grand press launch today due to work commitments, but after reading the PR material sent to me I’m intrigued about this new formula. When it gets rolled out to stores, you can bet I’ll try it out during a long training run or ride — and I’ll let you know how it compares to the others I usually gulp down.
“I Run Like a Girl” Shirts Now Available
In popular culture we’ve probably run across this phrase more than once: “YOU RUN LIKE A GIRL.” It’s a negative use of the word “girl” that connotes slowness, daintiness, and a funny gait. But we know better; we know that girls and women can be great runners. Regardless of speed and distance, every girl who runs is a strong, powerful individual who can make things happen.
Just like the Spice Girls who inspired a whole generation with “Girl Power”, it’s time to reclaim running like a girl and make it ours!
Be proud to run like a girl and wear it on your sleeve — or in this case, on your shirt. Introducing “I RUN LIKE A GIRL” shirts from the Kikay Runner shop on Multiply:
I RUN LIKE A GIRL shirt
Made of 100% cotton, this shirt is perfect for wearing after a race or a workout. Available in sizes SMALL, MEDIUM, or LARGE at P250 in limited quantities. Multiply also has a free shipping promo until January 31, 2012 (for a P400 shopping cart total), so order now. :D
Looking Forward to Unilab Active Health Events
Posted in Blog, Multisport, Pre-Race
Earlier this month, someone tagged me in the Unilab Active Health update about their 2012 Calendar of Activities. I suddenly got really excited about my year because I’m looking forward to the Run United series and have also decided to train with my buddy Joel for their first marathon event on October 28.
Unilab Active Health Events 2012
While the Run United Philippine Marathon is the most noticeable change from previous Run United events by Unilab Active Health, what caught my triathlete’s eye are the Tri United events. Yes, EVENTS. From just ONE Tri United held every year since 2010, there will now be THREE.
Cross-referencing this with the Triathlon Association of the Philippines list of events, the April 14-15 Tri United in Batangas may conflict with the NAGT to be held at Ayala Alabang Village. The June 30 Tri United is on the TRAP list, and the November 10-11 Tri United is on the same dates as the Multisport Weekend and the Philippine Duathlon Series finals. This is going to be an exciting growth year for triathlon!
UPDATE 02/01/2012: I’ve just seen the reg fees for RU1 on the RunRio website, and they’re approximately P200 more expensive than their prices last year per category. I hope there’s a reasonable explanation for this, but meanwhile I’m reassessing whether I should register for RU1 since I’m not training for anything specific that warrants a race on that date.
Timex Run 2012: My Comedy of Errors
I learned a few lessons yesterday at the Timex Run 2012, mostly in how not to prepare for a race. This was supposed to be a tune-up race, and boy, did it re-calibrate me!
frazzled and tired (photo by May Quezon)
- Prepare everything beforehand. I usually get all my running gear ready the night before, and that’s exactly what I tried to do. I even hopped over to RUNNR BGC to restock on Gu gels, which I ran out of over the holidays. I thought I was all set, but I misplaced my favorite pair of Mizuno running shorts. I spent three hours chasing it down within my closets, to no avail. I eventually settled for a different pair of shorts, but even as I lay in bed my brain kept obsessing over those shorts. In short (pun intended), I fell asleep at around 11:30pm.
- Get a good night’s sleep. Aside from falling asleep late, I hadn’t been sleeping well for the past few weeks, so I’d accumulated a huge sleep debt. Do you know that feeling of being tired, but excessive thinking keeps your eyes open? I was having that kind of sleep problem.
- Wake up early, have breakfast, get ready. I set my alarm for 3:30 so I could reasonably be up and about by 4am. This is where everything went to pieces. I did wake up, but I started fiddling with my BlackBerry and lay back down to allow a Facebook comment to load. The next thing I knew, it was 5:10am and I had to be at BGC for the 10K’s 5:30am gunstart.
- Be on time for the gunstart. That was the fastest I’d ever gotten to BGC. Considering my house is often 30 minutes away due to traffic, blessings like stoplights going green in sequence and very few cars on the road shaved my travel time down to 15 minutes. Still not enough to beat the gunstart. After finding parking in an unlikely place, I climbed over a few fences just to get to the starting line right before the 5K gunstart.
- Reset the Garmin. I knew I couldn’t trust the finish clock to give me an accurate record of my run so I hit my Garmin’s start button when I left the start chute. But when I checked my Garmin I realized I hadn’t reset it to zero. It was counting my mileage upwards from the last race I’d done. Eek!
So there I was on the route, running on a Gu gel and 200ml of Lightwater. I had to hope Timex Run logistics were up to par with their previous record in 2009. Continue reading »
It’s a Runner’s World Out There
Today exactly two years ago, KikayRunner.com was born. (How cool is it that my blog’s anniversary is 01/21/2012?) In the same year, Runner’s World Philippines started out as a quarterly supplement to Men’s Health and Women’s Health. Look where we are now: RW is now a stand-alone quarterly magazine, and KikayRunner.com is featured in its January-March 2012 issue!
What an honor to be on the inside pages of the issue featuring my tri-idol, Noy Jopson!
I met RW’s editor-in-chief Marie Calica at a Godiva pictorial in 2010. She was my makeup artist! The multitalented Marie is also beauty editor for Women’s Health and an instructor at Barre3 (a ballet, yoga, and Pilates fusion workout at The Spa). She’s a woman I look up to, so I think it’s very fitting she’s our featured anniversary interview.
I stole this photo off her Facebook wall.
“Why Do You Run” Contest Winners
Yes, you read that right. WinnerS! It’s KikayRunner.com’s 2nd anniversary tomorrow, so I decided to pick two winners for my “Why Do You Run” contest. Up for grabs for the winners is ONE FREE REGISTRATION each to any local race from February to June 2012. So, are you ready to see who won? Drum roll please… Continue reading »
Todo na Todo Responde Run
We usually think smaller races aren’t as well-organized as the larger ones backed by huge marketing budgets, but I’m really glad I participated in last Saturday’s Todo Responde Run. Aside from benefiting two worthy causes (Sendong victims and Baby Raphael), it also showed what the running community can do in a very short amount of time by working together. Todo na todo talaga!
Todo Responde Run
