Countdown to Condura 2010: The Shoes

The great thing about working in a running store, especially one like ours with its own kick-ass treadmill, is that I get to try on different pairs of running shoes to get a feel for them. This is very important to me because I can give realistic up-to-date feedback to customers and of course, I can be very sure about which shoe to purchase next.

My next shoe purchase has to have a very specific purpose, that is to get me through my 1st real marathon in over a year!

My plan is to run the Condura 42k next year in under 4 hours, shaving at least 30 mins off my personal best time at the 2008 Pasig Marathon.

To do that, I need a shoe to "carry" me through the distance.

Give you you some idea, my shoe for 10 to 21k is my trusty and favorite NB 827s. However at a lightweight 260 grams, I am unsure if I want to use them for a full mary, having not used them for anything farther than a half!

So I need a new neutral shoe with cushioning and of course a great price!

So in the end, my choices come to this...

The trusted outgoing Asics Nimbus 9, which is on sale right now or the Tubes 100, by the new kids on the block, K-Swiss.

Price-wise, factoring in the discount for the Ascis, it only comes out around 750 pesos more than the K-Swiss.

Looking at the Nimbus 9 first, there really is not much to say that hasn't been said about this shoe.

Being currently on its 11th generation, the shoe is renown for its cushioned and comfortable ride. One, which I can seriously attest to after putting a pair through its paces on the treadmill.

Having used lightweight shoes almost exclusively this year, the comfortable padded feeling has definitely something new for me.

And a big plus factor for me is that I personally think it looks really cool with the silver and red!

The downside though is I think its a bit heavy at 320 grams...

Another thing people should be aware of when buying marked down shoes is that they are usually of older stock, meaning they have been sitting in a store or warehouse for a year or more. This can be a concern because after a certain period, the glues and other materials in the shoe will begin to degrade, meaning that an "old" new shoe may not last as long as a "new" new shoe.

However, since I intend to put alot of miles on this quickly and then discard it after the BDM 102, its not a pressing concern to me.

Next up is the tubes 100.

For me, this definitely is a unique shoe. Hector and I both agree that it rides like no other shoe we've tried. Very soft and pliant in heel and fore foot area. As you can see there are "flex grooves" on the forefoot area, making it very pliant. In fact, this was the 1st thing I noticed with the shoe. The Nimbus 9 is definitely stiffer, however "ride" wise, while the Tubes is very soft, the Nimbus feels more stable and plush.

A good friend of mine says it feels abit like the Adidas bounce. Which I haven't tried yet.

A genuine cause of concern to me though is the aforementioned unique ride. On a few Ks in the treadmill, it worked fine, it was comfortable and really felt alot faster than the "leaden" feeling i get with the Nimbus. However, I believe the Nimbus will stay comfortable and consistent for 42K, will the Tubes? Or am I headed for a world of hurt?

Looks wise it comes in many colorways as you can see above, however I believe that the Asics looks "racier" while the K-Swiss looks alot better in jeans than CW-X, hehe. Porma-wise, Clubbing-wise, panalo to.

It also helps this shoe that is 20 grams lighter. I like that alot.

For me it comes down to this.

The Nimbus = comfy, and reliable.

The Tubes = lighter, faster, but unknown long run performance.

Hmmm???

What you guys think?

Bargain Bike on Ebay!

Looking for bargain bike/bike parts on Ebay.ph, I saw a complete Tri Bike for only P 11,000!

Check it out...

May sound system pa!

Race Report: Asian Duathlon Championship

I know. Another way late race report.

What can I say? To many things on my plate, not enough time to eat!

Hehe, enough with the excuses.

One week removed from WRT and still will tired legs, I found myself on a starting line again. This time for a far shorter race, the Adult Sprint at the Asian Duathlon Championships.

I was in Subic primarily to support my friends and 1st time duathletes, Chin, Paolo(Jazz), and Carlos(Engineer), they were all regular customers of the shop who became regular run mates and friends.

But, because I didn't want to spend the whole time in the sidelines, I decided to participate in one of the shorter "side" events so at least I did something to get the blood moving that weekend.

Which is how I found myself in the aforementioned start line with a surprisingly small number of participants for the sprint, I could have counted everyone who participated with my fingers and toes! And thats for the guys and girls!

Anyways, fearing the same sudden energy loss which plagued me during last weekend's half-ironman, I decided to take some GU gel right before the start, resolving to get my energy from pure GU alone if needed!

1st first run when fine enough, a couple of guys decided to start off quick and, I guess I was feeling the effects of the GU, so I decided to join them. At one point, I was a couple of seconds ahead of those guys, but I guess I misunderstood the directions the marshals gave me so I lost time back to the group. Apparently, "Left" means "make a U-TURN towards the left!"Haayyy!

A highlight of the run though was getting overtaken by the ITU pro duathletes, watching them running in a pack with their long strides and fast turnover made me realize just how much more training I had to do!

Anyways, around 22 mins later we were into transition which is my weakest point and after a rather lengthy time there I was on my way on the bike. I took some GU again, just in case, and spend the next 41 mins or so by myself on the bike, with only 1 small detour as I misunderstood a sign and ended up facing a locked gate. Must have lost around 30 second on that one... hay, oh well.

Back to transition!

As I headed out I saw the Jazz on the way out for his 40km bike ride! I wanted to tell him that it was gonna be a quick 1 as the course was very favorable!

Into the transition area, I really began to hustle, the maths in my head said that we may have a chance for a podium finish today, which would have been a really nice bonus!

In fact, I hustled so much, I ended up missing my rack and had to turn back! Hay naku, I seemed determined to throw this away.

I started the last run leg slowly, as I apt to do, so afraid am I of the "ick" feeling which follows a bike-run!

Well, I told myself it was a short 2.5k run so I thought might be worth to push it a bit so I started to speed up. Feeling good about the run, my next worry was trying to catch the guy in front and not be caught by the guy behind me.

Unfortunately and fortunately, the guy in front was too far and to fast and the guy behind me wasn't! So luckily I managed to hold on to my place which I lated found out was good for Second!

Wow! I finally won my 1st medal since Grade School!

And with Chin winning 3rd in her division and Ugi, Pao's friend winning second in his, it turn out to be a very very good trip for us!

Ironman Highlights

Check out this cool video of last weekend's IM 70.3 Championship.

And just in case you didn't get enough, here's a recap of Kona.

Christmas Wish and then some...

With the launch of our Secondwind Christmas Registry, I had got to thinking about what I would like to receive for Christmas.

Being a huge fan of fast and light shoes, I decided to check out the shoes of the top 15 finishers of Kona to see if there was anything interesting.

Off the bat a few things caught my eye...

There was the Asics Gel Hyperspeed 3 of Chris McCormack...

The Saucony Grid Type 2 of Dirk Bockel...

The Asics Speedstar of Matias Hecht...

But my personal favorite of all the shoes was the K-Swiss K-Ruuz of Andreas Raelert....

6.5OZ!!! Lighter than a Ronin!

Unfortunately, none of these are available locally... yet...

So until then, I guess I can comfort my feet with these...

K-Swiss K-ona Ironman Edition!!!

Yes, I have been good this year!

Race Report: WRT 09

Finally! After spending most of last week after the preparing for our shop opening on Saturday then racing in Subic on Sunday (more on that in a following post), plus my regular work and MBA studies, this is a only free time I find to myself to buckle down and write this post!

Along with all of the other athletes, the White Rock Triathlon for me the night before. That's when we arrived at the venue for the race briefing, last minute bike checks and check in, plus of course, preparing all the stuff the goes into a transition bag for a half-ironman.

Race morning seemed to take forever to come, as Hector and I both agreed that our excitement could not allow us to get a fitful sleep and we tossed and turned all night!

After a early breakfast, Hec and I filled up the water bottles on our bikes and preparing to wait for the start.

Chatting near the back, we were caught unaware during the start and became one of the last people to enter the water.

However, I think this worked in our favor as we managed to avoid most of the "washing machine" effect at the start and I quickly got a rhythm at the start.

On the second of the three 320 meter loops I found myself in the middle of a swim pack and with no where to go or maneuver I just settled in to swim with them until the finish.

Getting out of the water 32 minutes later, I thought I had posted a very good time only to see to my dismay that most of the pack, including my nemesis Hector got out of the water ahead of me. Later I would discover that due to some late night technical difficulties the swim leg was around 4 to 500 meters short!

In transition, I realized that I made my 1st rookie error and that I had forgotten to start my Timex! Oh well. Can't do anything but go on! I took my second GU of the race, hydrated with some Gatorade, then wore my helmet and shoes and started on what would be one of the longest bike rides of my life.

I knew this would be the weak point of my race, as the recent disasters which befell the country and the rehabilitation efforts I participated in seriously affected my much needed saddle time and I reckoned I was under-whelmingly prepared!

A few minutes into the ride, I realized something was wrong when my cyclometer wouldn't work! In what seemed to be a race long mantra, I thought to myself; "Oh well, just go on!" Later I found out that my magnet had moved on the drive over to White Rock and I failed to check it the night before!

The lack of kind of pace information meant I decided to just go on gut feel and started of quite quick! In the matter of a few kilometers I managed to sight the running man on the back of Hector's trisuit and decided to pour on the gas to catch up with him.

In what would be an 1 and a half long battle, I passed him, only for him to pass me back a couple of k's later when I slowed to take some GU. This would go on all the way to the 45k turn around and I started to realize that I didn't bring enough GU, only strapping three on to the bike when I needed to take at least twice that to maintain any kind of decent pace as I was gulping and burning the GU as fast as I could eat them!

After the turn around, I slowed down for good and Hec zoomed off into the distance. I settled in to make the best of what I can do. Reserving my last GU for the time on the return leg when I felt I would really need it, relying instead on the peanut MnMs I thoughtfully stuffed into my trisuit.

After what seemed like an eternity.... 3 hours and 9 minutes to be exact. I found myself back into transition. Where I must have looked like a desert refugee, because the race director worriedly asked if I was ok!

After some salt solution and banana though, I was as fine as I would ever be coming from a 2k swim and 90k bike, so I set of in the chase of the Secondwind bragging rights.

I have to admit, the 1st couple of kms were disheartening, as the 1st people I saw were the lead pack on the way back!

I must be so far behind I thought to myself! In fact, I didn't see or pass a fellow competitor until I got into SBMA, a good4 or 5kms into the 20km run!

My bike really did me in!

And then I saw Hector, on the way back and I still had a long way to go until the turn around! It was then when I conceded this particular race to him and refocused myself on just beating 6 hours!

It was a hot and brutal run! I stopped on every aid station for water, ice, and sponges! Fortunately, these conditions affected everyone and I managed to pass quite a few struggling runners on the way back!

With less than 5 k to go and right after the killer hills, my right calf started to twitch and I thought "oh no! this is it!"

I was gonna be a close finish to sub-6 hour finish and this maybe my undoing! But with no choice but to bear it, I just ran the best I could on the longest, flat 4k of my life.

I tell you, I was never as happy to see a Total station as I was to see that one right outside White Rock, it must have given me some extra energy, as I managed to summon up some of my last, last, bottom of the barrel reserves and I tried to sprint my way to a 5 hour 55 minute finish!

Sub 6 accomplished! Unbelievable! Much harder than my 30 hour 100km trail race last year! Though unfortunately, while it was good enough for 4th in my age group... it wasn't good enough to beat THE Hector! Bring on next year!

I tell you, I have so much respect to all the finishers of this race. I had never done a half before and I really didn't realize how hard and how long it would be!

Here are the finishes of my friends Hec and TJ, as captured by the number 1 ranked support crew/race team photographer Mike Bob!

THE SECONDWIND CHRISTMAS REGISTRY

THE SECONDWIND CHRISTMAS REGISTRY



Want to get the perfect ‘running’ gift this Christmas?

Introducing CHRISTMAS REGISTRY at the Secondwind Running Store!

Sign up now and you may choose from our wide selection of running shoes, apparels and accessories!



Mechanics:

· Go to your nearest Secondwind branch and choose from our running products.

· Provide a list of gift choices, as well as the name and contact information of the people (Santa) you expect to receive the gifts from.

· Team Secondwind will notify your chosen Santa and present them with your Christmas list

· Your Santa can now visit any of our stores to view and purchase the items in your Christmas list

This will help your loved ones pick out the perfect Christmas gift for current and would-be runners like you. Visit any of our two stores and start making your Christmas list now!

Happy Holidays!!

Secondwind. Running Starts Here.



Registration starts on November 23, 2009 at our two branches.


Secondwind Quezon City

88 Maginhawa St., Teachers Village
Telephone: 7992089



Secondwind Pasig City

E-Prime Area, Unit03A, Ortigas Home Depot,
#1Dona Julia Vargas Ave., Barangay Ugong, Pasig City
Telephone: 9140283



Contact us at: mktg@secondwindrunningstore.com

Visit us at:www.secondwindrunningstore.com

Secondwind Ortigas Home Depot is Now Open!

Finally, after months of planning, a hard week of prep, and a 10k run to boot, Secondwind Ortigas is now open!

As a testament to the great support given to our humble shop by the running community, we are able to open our second brand is less than a year after our 1st.

Coming from the feedback of customers in our QC branch, Secondwind Ortigas is much bigger and better than before! We are ready from the get go to service all your running needs!

SECONDWIND ORTIGAS BRANCH:

E-Prime Area, Unit 03A, Ortigas Home Depot, Dona Julia Vargas Ave., Barangay Ugong, Pasig City, Telephone number 914-02-83.

SECONDWIND QC BRANCH:

88 Maginhawa St.
Teachers Village, QC

WEBSITE: www.secondwindrunningstore.com, thesecondwind.multiply.com

In other news!

As you may have noticed from our giant picture of Terenzo Bozzone on the Ortigas facade. K-Swiss running shoes are now available at Secondwind!

Try the Philippine Cobra Ironman's kicks at our QC and Pasig Branch!

Second Wind: Who we are!

Good Luck to the Pinoy Clearwater Athletes

Good Luck to all the athletes representing the Philippines in the Ironman 70.3 Championship!

WRT 09: Its finally over.

It began with this...

An innocuous challenge in the fiery lava fields of Kona... fine, it wasn't that hot... and it wasn't at Kona.

Let me try again...

An innocuous challenge in the Academic Oval of UP. (Doesn't have quite the same ring to it, but It'll do.)

Age vs. Experience. The Jeremy VS. the Hector. White Rock 09, who would emerge victorious?

I'd have to say, even though I've never done a half-ironman before, I was feeling pretty confident. Age whups Experience any day!

Well, the race is over. All the ballots have been counted...

and the winner is...

THE HECTOR!

Yes, I lost!

Before I get into any specifics. I'd like to take this time to apologize to my many friends, supporters, and fans. Yes, I know I came in to this race confident of victory. But as Macca discovered his first time around Kona, an ironman is a tough and ultimately unpredictable race. Much respect to the Hector. I'll get you next year!

Coming Up: The race report.

A Primer for buying Running Shoes

At the shop, we get a lot of questions from people about what type of shoe is best for them and why.

So, here's a few good videos from RunnersWorld TV explaining pronation

Race Against the Clock

Its been a long time since my last "real" blog post. Alot of things have happened since then, as we all know, a typhoon hit us, and the resultant relief efforts and postponement of work/school has mean't that I personally have spent the last 2 weeks running around trying to catch up on work and my MBA classes, something had to give... which unfortunately was this blog. And of course training for White Rock. Don't get me wrong, I still fully intend to participate in the said little race, but I guess personal expectations will need to be adjusted, as up to now, I still can get into a training groove.

However, I did manage to get in some race the past few weeks, running the 16k at Octoberun and the 21k at QCIM, I guess I may blog about those sometime, especially the QC one because that was a load of fun, supporting our friends who did the 42k after we finished our 21.

But that's not the point of this entry.

This one is about a thought that occurred to me last night.

You know how some runners say that don't run against anyone, they're just out there to have fun, etc?

I think that'll bull.

Everyone is running against someone/something. Its primal, consciously or sub-consciously, we all run to beat someone/thing.

I think its hardwired in our DNA. Look at our history, our ancestors evolved to stand upright so they could run against Dumbos great great grand parents in the early African savannah. We ran so we can kill! Doesn't get more basic and primal than that!

And everyone of us, carries inside us, this undeniable urge to chase something, beat it down with a stick and eat it... well, ok maybe that's taking it too far. But you get my drift.

So me, who do I run against? Well, aside from the obvious.

I run against the clock... like all runners do. Whether they admit it or not. The same people who say they don't run with a watch and they don't check the time are the exact same people who go online every single day waiting for race results to come out so they can see their time! ;)

I hate that clock! I know its the same clock, but why does it run so slow during trainings... LSDs seem to take forever... but run so fast during races... What?!?!? that was more than 2 hours???

Hehe, if there was one thing I'd really like to run down and hunt, it'll be that damn clock.

Second Wind Team Edition Jerseys now available

Second Wind Team Singlet Jerseys now available.

Only 150 pcs at P350

Mark the Date!

Rescue Run Bibs Now Available at Second Wind

Rescue Run Bibs now available at Second Wind! Register Now! Save the Cheerleader... Save the World! (Ay Mali)

For those who do not know what this is about, please read below:

In lieu of registration fees, donations will be collected for the distance you will run. This is not a race so there will be no souvenir t-shirts, no swag bags, no finishers medals and no prize money.

There will be no water stations since we believe that water must be given to those who need it most: victims of Ondoy. Needless to say, it will be KKB (kanya kanyang bote or kanya kanyang belt).

A registered participant will receive a rescue runners race bib, which the runner can wear during the race and in sustaining events currently being planned for the entire month of October to raise funds for rehabilitation.

The race is open to everyone. Participants are encouraged to collect pledges from their family or friends who cannot make it to the event. All proceeds will be donated to the Philippine National Red Cross for the Typhoon Ketsana (Ondoy) victims.

Registration starts October 5 at the following venues:
- The SecondWind Running Store, Maginhawa St., UP Village, Diliman, Quezon City
- Recreational Outdoor eXchange, ROX, Bonifacio High Street, Taguig City
- All Terra Bike Shop, Club 650, Libis, Quezon City
- On site registration starting 5:30 a.m.

Assembly is 5:30 a.m. and the race starts at 6:30 a.m.
Distances: 3 km, 5 km, 10 km

Donations:
Individual: P200 for any distance
Corporate: P5,000 for 20 runners

Volunteers are needed for road marshals and secretariat. If you are interested, please contact 0917-8374204, 216-8521 or email rescuerunners@run4change.com.

Donations for Ondoy Victims

Email from Second Wind:

Greetings friends in the running community.

In light of the typhoon that has left most of us emotionally drained, we would like to encourage the running / multi-sport community to pitch in and help out.

Kindly help us spread the word that we are extending help to our friends who were affected by the typhoon ondoy. Lets maximize however we can help, announcements in your blog, multiply, tweeter, or your status in facebook will be greatly appreciated.

Secondwind will be accepting donations:

- blankets

- singlets, jerseys or shirts

- old footwear

- food

- other items that can still be used

we will be accepting until Thursday (end of day) and will donate to ateneo thru Neville Manaois, PUR team principal, secondwind teammate and ateneo professor. Volunteers to pack and help transfer goods on Friday will be most welcome.

Maraming salamat in advance sa lahat ng tulong na maaari niyong mabigay.

Salamat.

Disappointment at the Dua

1st off, Congratulations to my man Hector, you may have had to resort to subterfuge, but you beat me... again! Hehe! I kid! I kid!

Congrats to to Mikey! 1st time duathlete! Good job dude!

As for me, 2 flat tires was all I had to show for the day. Hay... if there's anything you can't practice for its mechanical failures and stupidity.

Well, let me explain. After a conservative-ish 1st run, I was ready and excited to get on the bike. I felt my bike time really sucked the 1st time I did this, so I was out for vindication. I took my time in transition, wore my gloves, strapped my shoes and helmet on properly, sucked my GU, hydrated and off I went!

I had barely gone 1 kilometer, you know, just getting comfy, getting into a rhythm, I had barely touched the aerobar when bam... psssssssssssshhhh!

Oh shit! I thought, I hope that sound coming from the person right beside me...

But I knew that wasn't the case!

Fine! Fuck! I'll pull over and change it as fast as I can.

Which is where the stupidity part comes in. In my haste, probably spurred on my Hector just passing me on the way to finish his 1st loop, I had failed to get the tube into the tire all the way. Meaning it was probably pinched at one point between the rim and the tire, which of course meant that when I tired to inflate it...

Boom-Boom-Pow!

Yes, that's the sound it made, may aangal?

So anyway. May race being done. I made the short walk back to transition, got my stuff, loaded it into my car and waited for Hec and Mikey to get back!

I'll be honest, I tried to put on a cheery face, but its pretty hard to cheer lustily when your disappointed inside. Oh well, next race I guess.

PUR Pasig River Lanyards

Please support the Pinoy Ultra Runners and Kapit Bisig Para sa Ilog Pasig foundation by buying the limited edition PUR-Pasig River lanyards for only P150!

All proceeds will go towards the foundations aim of revitalizing the Pasig River.

Lanyards are available at Second Wind Running Store or you can message me if you want one.

Find Out What's Down the Road!

Find out about what new shoes your favorite manufacturers are going to come up with next at the Running Warehouse.

They have a cool video vault wherein they talk about shoes which have yet to be released!

Pinoy Ultra Runners Run for your Life: Ilog Pasig River Edition

"At least the rain has stopped." I thought to myself as we began what was sure to be a grueling morning. 14 Pinoy Ultra Runners and guest runners, plus 35+ kms from Elisco in Pateros to Quirino Grandstand and then back to the ABS-CBN compound, all for the benefit of the Kapit Bisig Para sa Ilog Pasig foundation and their fund-raising marathon.

Whoops! Spoke to soon! A few minutes after we started in the pre-dawn darkness, the rain started to pour, 1st a few light droplets then heavy pouring rain which would then stop and bless us with cloudy but shower-less weather.

That was pretty much the story of our run.

Daylight began to break around the time we crossed under C-5 on JP Rizal and we had our first glance of the muddy, dirty, fast flowing Pasig river. I distinctly remember this spot in the race, because as we passed the Manila Water Office, a very cute girl rolled down her car window and cheered us on! Go! Go! Go! And go we did, to another 30+ kilometers!

Around the 13 or 14 kilometer mark, because of the intermittent rain, I started to get "hot spots"between my toes, oh shit, I can afford to get blisters! I have a duathlon coming up!

To be honest, I really wasn't planning to do the whole distance because I was planning to preserve my legs for the aforementioned duathlon.

"Should I quit now?" I thought to myself.

"And the whole world know you could hack it? I think not" Myself quickly retorted back.

Bruised feet will heal, broken egos do not!

Fine! I'll make it all the way to Quirino and then call it a day! I'll deal with the blisters if and when they become a problem.

However I did make one concession to my feet and decided to significantly drop my pace. It seemed to do the trick as soon the "hot spots" went away. I am happy to report that although I did have a few small blisters between my toes, as I write this, they have already healed and I should be more than ready by the race on Sunday!

I can't remember much about the rest of the run and the route, I spent of of it ticking off the kilometers by taking to fellow PUR members JoSaw, who entertained us with he stories of the infamous UMTD rce she just got back from, and team principal Neville Manaois, who just plain entertained us!

Right around the time we got pass the Ayala Bridge nearing Quirino, I up my pace a bit because I saw the group ahead of me. Being friends and rivals, I didn't want them to drop me before the finish so I decided to bridge the gap to them.

At this point, Carlo, who was part of our support crew during the 1st part of the run, decided to join me and we quickly made our way to the group ahead and we finished the 1st part of the run at Quirino together!

After the picture taking and as project leader Don Ubaldo and Team Principal Neville Manaois got interviewed by the press. I scarfed down some hot taho and corn on the cob and proceeded to make my french exit.

I quickly changed in the van as the runners began to make their way out of Quirino and to ABS-CBN.

I was now on the other side of the van so to speak! Taking pictures, handing out drinks and trying to cheer the remaining runners on.

Most importantly, and this thought hit me during a sudden downpour, I was now high and dry in the van!

Hmmm, I could get used to this, maybe I should hang up the running shoes and take up support crewing full time! All the adventure! None of the pain!

Hehe! Naahhh, but the thought did cross my mind.

Anyway, long story short, the rest of them made their way to ABS-CBN, while we did our best to support them the whole way.

There, we had a short ceremony, hydrated and changed then made our way to Mr Kebab for a much deserved lunch!

Mmmmm, Mr Kebab!

More pictures and stories available at our website.

Special Thanks to:

R.O.X and TNF

CBRE

and of course, Second Wind!