Running Aid 4

Its that time again. Our Team principal Neville Manaios has informed me that we have be having another series of the extremely popular Running Aid Clinics which we started last year.

Check out the poster below.

This will be on Apirl 29, Wed at R.O.X. Two topics will be covered How to Train by Doc Pao and Core Training for Runners by Al and Ligaya Viado.

Second Wind Group Run

Ran 11.6 kms yesterday with Goku and Zangief, plus Second Wind regulars Jem and Migs. Mickey had a different plan, so he only joined up on the latter half of the run. 

We finished in around a hour and 7 minutes, pace was likely around an easy 6 or 6.5 min per kilometer. 

If you'll like to join any of Second Wind's regular group runs. Just contact Hector sa shop via email or phone.

Second Wind Running Store

88 maginhawa st., teachers village QC

contact us: 
shop: 799-2089
email: secondwind.proshop@gmail.com

store hours:
tues - fri 11am to 7pm
weekends 9am to 6pm

Marga's Birthday Ride

A couple of weeks ago, my friend Marga sent out an open invitation to ride with her and her bike Sixto from Manila to Tagaytay on her birthday. 

As much as I wanted to do it, I had one big problem. My road bike happened to be in parts lying in my bedroom. 

Well, no time like the present to build a bike I thought. So I packed up all that bike stuff, cleaned out my bank account and headed to All Terra. Couple of hours later... the world met Frank.

Yeah, he name is Frank, anyone got a problem with that? Its the perfect foil to my prissy MTB Lady Patricia.

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Birthday ride time. Marga and I started of from Alabang Westgate. Unfortunately, the idea of a big riotous group ride boiled down two hard headed individuals who would not let the idea of searing heat and traffic ruin our best laid plans.

We made our way down Daang Hari and made our first rest stop at a Shell station somewhere past the Camella Homes property.

While Marga and I got re hydrated, Frank and Sixto too the time to get to know each other.

I think they'll be good friends.

We set off again for Tagaytay. But of course, being Pinoy, we couldn't resist stopping to take the occasional picture. Like this one of Marga and the Giant coffee cup of Amadeo.

A few more on the road pics while we rested...

And we finally made it to Tagaytay, where the initial problem of where to have lunch was quickly solved by the choice of my favorite Greek restaurant.

Where we quickly devoured everything in sight.

But of course, no birthday ride would be complete without cake! So off to Starbucks we went for some cheese cake.

Happy Birthday Again Marga. See you again next year!

Running in Puerto Princesa

One beautiful place that I found in Puerto Princesa to run is the Ramon Mitra Jr. Sports Complex.

It has a regulation rubberized track which was recently refurbished for use during last year's Palarong Pambansa. This track is comparable or even better to the one at Philsports in Ultra. According to the caretakers, the track is free for use to individuals who just want to get in a bit of training. Although large groups will have to ask permission from the city mayor.

If running on the track is not your style, you can also try running on the roads which lop around the 16 hectare sports complex. To my untrained eye they seem like asphalt and there really isn't that much traffic.

Also swimmers and triathletes rejoice, there is also a 50 Meter pool for use. Though the water color seems to show that the maintenance may leave a bit to be desired.

Race Report: Powerade Duathlon MOA

I know its not Strictly a running event, but then again, I'm not strictly a running blog.

I'll keep this short because I'm kinda lazy today and I'm trying to fit in some pool time before my 6 PM Ethics class today.

Knowing that the race was supposed to start at 6:30, I got up at 4 am an went through my normal pre race routine; hot shower to warm the muscles, Oatmeal, and get into the race clothes.

Ever since I was a couple of minutes late to this year's Happy Run, I now always allot more time then I think I need to get to the race venue.

In this case, it turned out that I didn't need to worry about being late. 

After spending 20 to 30 minutes battling with very unhelpful guards just to find a parking space, Marga and I arrived at the registration area to find a long line to claim the race packet followed by another long line to get body marked.

After all was said and done for us, we racked our bikes in the transition area and ran into a few friends. Ryan, my teammate in UPDT and Habagat was there, and we ended up talking for a few minutes before we went to the front of the starting pack to get his race face on! Hehe

By this time is was around 8 AM and it was hot! I remember Marga and I being in the back of a whole group of people who were milling around the starting arch, when we heard that gun go off!

The race had started!

Knowing that it takes me a very long time to warm up, I started the race slowly. Keeping a steady pace in the back while slowly making up ground as the kms passed beneath my feet.

It was so hot that I remember at one point in the run, all the runners suddenly crowded on the left side of the street because that side was shaded by the giant Uniwide mall.

According to the official times, my 1st 7k run plus transition was 0:35:25, which I guess is not that bad for a 7k run.

It was my bike time that really disappointed me. For 6 loops around MOA, more or less 30 kms of flat terrain, I timed a 1:05:14 including transition 2.

From the get go, I knew my bike time would be bad, after all this would be just my second time on the road bike after being on a MTB for 2 years.

What immediately struck me was the gearing. I remember starting off and accelerating quickly through some gears, when it became "heavy" I thought, ok this must be a good pace. No sooner had the words entered my mind when I was quickly overtaken by 3 road bikers!

Damn! I thought, Ang Bagal Ko!

In my mind, using my MTB with its little ratios as a frame of reference I thought I was really pushing a tiny gear on my road bike, when I looked down I saw I was only around the 3 or 4th gear from the largest one!

So I tried shifting down, but that became way too tiring, so I shifted gears again and prepared for a long morning of being overtaken up and down the course.

Which is pretty much what happened. I think I must have lost at least 10 maybe 15 places on the bike leg alone!

Which meant that I had some serious running to do.

Into the 2nd and last run leg, we had 4 kms to run. Straight of the blocks, I quickly speed up. Only to just as quickly slow my pace when my right calf started to give me the "spasm of doom"! Having experience this in a duathlon last year, I knew what to expect, I just slowed my pace a bit and I knew eventually, it would pass.

And it did, I was clear. I picked up the pace again and eventually even caught up with my friend Ryan who was around 3 or 4 minutes ahead of me coming out of the bike.

After we had made our turn around I increased my pace again and I even remember with around 1 km to go, asking the guy beside me if he wanted to race to the finish, you know for a little extra push.

Unfortunately, he declined, but I decided to run ahead anyway.

Long story short, I finished the 4k in 18:59 for a total time of 1:59:38, not bad I think for my 1st road dua. 

Running Batanes 3

My last installation of this series is not actually a run I did, but rather was planning to and really looking forward to doing, if not for the fickle weather of the islands.

Saturday morning was supposed to be a rest day for us, hence I was really looking forward to getting in a good long run around the South of the Island.

Yet, when I awoke, the sky was overcast, a light rain was falling and gale-force winds were howling. No way, I'd run that. I didn't even bring a jacket! Looked like an indoor day. Oh well, there's always gin. (As an aside, our tour guide tells me that they sell 26 Million Pesos of Rice a year in Batanes, and 22 Million Pesos worth of Gin! Gin is almost a staple product!)

However, I'd like to talk about the route I would have taken, having scoped it out by car the day before.

If I or say you were to do it, first you'd make your way South of Basco to the Municipality ofMahatao.

Pretty soon, you'll find yourself on the paved national road which hugs the coastline and provides beautiful, I mean absolutely stunning views.

Be careful though as there are alot of blind corners and the Ivatans as nice and hospitable as they are, are not the best of drivers. You may also want to pay attention to the fact that the roads are not always in the best condition, although there was a modernization project going on there while I was there. According to the omni present signs, they'll be spending 110 Million to modernize the roads there.

Around 5 to 7 Kms out of Basco, you'll reachthe municipality of Mahatao. The 1st thing you may notice is that the main road takes a right while a smaller road goes straight, following the main road. 

In Mahatao, take time to appreciate some of the history around you. From old Ivatan houses, churches and even Spanish era bridges.

Making your way out of to the edge of town, you'll still be in the still be running on the stunning coastal road. And by now, you'll probably be thirsty, so be sure to drop by the Honesty Store 

If you're lucky, the owner, a retired teacher with a golden heart, maybe around and she can tell you the story of the history of the Honestly Store. 

The next part of the run will be on similar roads to the ones before Mahatao. But with one important exception.

The view...

The rocky cliff faces now becoming gently rolling hills and still rocky beaches. This view is the favorite of the loop for me.

Just check out these views!

Right before you reach the abandoned American outpost on the beach shown above, you will see a fork going up to "Marlboro Country"

This is where the paved roads start to become rough and trail shoes start looking like a really good idea.

A kilometer or so and you'll run into a closed gate. This is the gate for the communal grazing pasture. You may open the gate and pass through, but please for the love of God, close it behind you. Unless you to spend the rest of your vacation looking for a herd of missing cows!

After  you pass these rolling grass covered hills, don't forget to lock the other gate behind you, and soon you'll find yourself on a paved road.

These paved road can have some killer uphills, but if you preservere and finish, you will find yourself in the town of Mahatao again, coming out of the secondary road which you may have noticed earlier.

At this point you'll only be 3 or 4 kms from Basco and you just follow the roads you took earlier. But run quickly, because you don't want to get stuck out here in the dark, remember what I said about Ivatan drivers earlier!

Hope you had fun!

Second Wind on Facebook!!

Because Hector is so hip and "with it", he decided to use his technological expertise to put Second Wind on Facebook!!!

Be a Fan! Get to know the latest news, promos, sales, and discounts!

See more pics of the store and ve-cinity map (Hector's words, not mine) below.