The Fit ‘n Right Fun Run would be held at the SM Mall of Asia on November 22, 2009 with 3K, 5K, and 10K events for the benefit of typhoon victims through the SM Foundation. This race is being organized by CEMG, an events and promotions agency that handles events and activities for brand-building and corporate wellness. The Race Director is CEMG President and Event Director, Mr. Ed Dames.
Registration
For a registration fee of P300 (until November 16, 2009 only, P400 from November 17-19, 2009), runners can get their race packet with the Dare to be Fit ‘n Right Fun Run singlet, race bib, Fit ‘n Right products, etc. Interested participants can register at the following areas:
Bonifacio High Street
Del Monte Office, B-3, between Crumpler and Nokia.
SM Hypermarket
Sucat, Pasig, and North EDSA
SM Mall of Asia (beside Toby’s)
Fitness First (November 16, 2009 only)
CEMG
3A Vernida I Bldg., 120 Amorsolo St., Legaspi Village, Makati City
Here are high-resolution maps of the 3K, 5K, and 10K events.
Race Packet Distribution
You can get your race packet at the same location you registered with if you register on or before November 16, 2009. For those who registered online you can claim it at CEMG Office (address above). Here are the schedules of packet distribution:
Registered before November, 16, 2009: Claim at registration site (CEMG for online registrants) on November 16-21, 2009.
Registered on November 16, 2009: Claim at registration site (CEMG for online and Fitness First registrants) on November 20-21, 2009.
Registered on November 17-19, 2009: Claim at CEMG on November 20-21, 2009.
Being a blogger does have its benefits and one of it is being invited to product launches. Last Friday night at Taste Asia in SM Mall of Asia bloggers of all sorts were gathered to the launch of Del Monte’s Fit ‘n Right, the juice drink with L-Carnitine, and also the fun run.
Bloggers were treated to sumptuous but calorie-filled food…
…no worries I’m a runner remember?
As runners we have an upper hand when it comes to burning calories because running, particularly long distance ones, burn a lot of calories as compared with other sports—it is cheaper and easier too! Of course this doesn’t come as easy as it sounds as you have to do it regularly and the results aren’t instant. Not many of us though are able to run for prolonged periods of time (or are too lazy to do it). How much calories does running burn?
The Marathon
I recently completed first back-to-back marathon: QCIM and SIM, my second and third marathon, respectively, and based on my Garmin Forerunner 405’s data, I burned 2,146 calories during QCIM for a six-hour run and 2,512 during SIM for about four and a half-hour run. That’s about 558 calories per hour and less than 10 calories per minute (based on the latter). And depending upon the intensity it can burn as little as 40 calories per kilometer run (note: running is NOT brisk walking). Of course these figures are based on my biometrics and would vary between individuals based on age, gender, weight, etc. If you don’t believe me here are my per kilometer splits for QCIM and SIM (the last entry on the lists would of course be less than one kilometer thus the little calorie burned). Isn’t it amazing how efficient our bodies are? At that rate, could you imagine how long you need to run to burn that 143kcal can of soda?
How to get FIT
Coach Jim Saret, MSAT, PES, SAQ, CAPT, Fitness Consultant of the Philippine Olympic Committee and RP Smart Gilas among others, presented to bloggers a brief sample of the Fast Intense Training (FIT) workout which is characterized by fast bursts of intensive exercise that enables one to burn at least 400 calories in a span of only four minutes, and continues to do so even after the workout. What’s interesting about this workout was that it doesn’t require much space and equipment, oftentimes using only your body weight, and you don’t even have to do it in a gym!
Coach Jim Saret introducing FIT workout
Coach Saret demonstrates some of the routines of the FIT workout
Coach Saret also gave very useful FIT workout for us runners. Volunteering for this demo was Rodel “The Argonaut.”
As you can see in the video the workout was intense but fast! In fact the entire workout only lasted 90 seconds to complete! Now there’s no excuse that you don’t have time or can’t run long. And you don’t even have to go to the gym.
But Wait! There’s More!
The FIT workout demonstrates that it is possible to burn calories in a short amount of time with seemingly less effort, but for those who would like to maximize their calorie-burning potential science may have the answer. It is popularly known these days as L-Carnitine, but what is it?
According to Del Monte, L-Carnitine is a natural substance that is occurring in the body but can be supplemented for optimal health. It transports the fatty acids into the mitochondria, the “cell’s powerhouse” where they are burned into energy needed for a healthy heart, important body functions and physical activities. Supplementary L-Carnitine contributes to optimal fat oxidation, and along with a proper diet and regular exercise, promotes healthy body weight. Together with B Vitamins 1, 6, and 12, it can optimize metabolization of carbohydrates, protein, and fat into energy. Simply put it allows your workout to burn more calories than the usual. Could you imagine combining it with running? If you can, Del Monte provides you a venue for just that.
The Fun Run
Del Monte Fit ‘n Right continues its commitment in promoting a healthy lifestyle with the Dare to be Fit ‘n Right culmination fun run on November 22, 2009 in SM Mall of Asia. The 3K/5K/10K Men and Women Open will benefit the victims of typhoon Ondoy and Pepeng, among others, through the SM Foundation. Here are some race updates.
For a registration fee of P300, runners can get their race packet with the Dare to Fit ‘n Right Fun Run singlet, race bib, Fit ‘n Right products, etc. Interested participants can register at the following areas:
Dare to be Fit ‘n Right booths in Bonifacio High Street, Taguig
CEMG Office – 3A Vernida I Bldg., 120 Amorsolo St., Legaspi Village, Makati City
Selected SM Hypermarkets: Mall of Asia, Sucat, Pasig, and North EDSA
Registration will be from October 21 to November 16, 2009. After successful registration, tear off and keep the RUNNER’S COPY of the form. You will find your Runner’s Copy with two (2) stubs: RAFFLE TICKET and Race Packet CLAIM STUB. Race packets can be claimed from November 16-20, 2009 at Bonifacio High Street or at CEMG. Those who registered after November 16, 2009 can claim their race packets on November 20, 2009 only at CEMG.
1st, 2nd, and 3rd place runners from each division will win P10,000, P5,000 and P3,000, respectively. All registered runners will also automatically qualify for the raffle, where they can win a Lenovo laptop.
With all these advancements with science it’s much easier to be fit and Del Monte is pointing those who need it to the right direction. Now the question is, would you take the challenge and Dare to be Fit ‘n Right?
Eventually Team Logan was able to catch up with us with their consistent pace for a five-hour finish. For a good distance we were all running with Team Logan, until fatigue set in.
Team Logan was on a 40-man marathon relay, two persons pushing Justin’s stroller for two kilometers with of course the presence of his loving dad Craig. As such the team was able to set a consistent pace. These fresh legs are great for pacing, but wreak havoc to those who have already run the miles. Some relay members run much longer than their required distance and as such runners come and go intermittently and before I knew it I gradually lost my original stakeholders. I was a big failure! Now I’m no longer qualified to call myself a pacer—at that point I became a regular runner—being paced by Team Logan. It was a humbling experience, but I learned a lot. Once again my dilemma haunted me—should I have stuck with the plan, or should I have stuck with the people? I felt like soldier abandoning his post. It was a run of shame for me; at least I was at the company of good people.
Running beside Pasig River; Rockwell skyline at the background
The Band of Runners
Running is a solitary sport—or so they say. It’s a sport that is not for spectators and is usually done for one’s self. Being with Team Logan and takbo.ph made me believe otherwise—it was more than just “passing a baton”—it was camaraderie at its finest.
Team Logan along Buendia
The Heat of Competition
By the time we reached C5 we were really feeling the heat as there were hardly any clouds in the sky. It was very commendable for the organizers to have provided runners ample supply of water so we were able to douse ourselves with it without worrying for the other runners’ supply. Of course each water station marks changing of runners, fresh sets of legs.
Buendia Ave. was very pleasant for two reasons: first, there was shade from the skyscrapers that line the road; and second, the lively takbo.ph gang was there to cheer us up! It was like an instant charge of energy—it felt like their enthusiasm was transferred to us in an instant. The same energy boost was given to us by another set of the gang approaching Roxas Blvd. Their rowdy cheers, encouraging banners, and loving support really was a refuge to the hardships we were facing.
Finally we arrived at Roxas Blvd. This was one of the toughest parts of the race, despite being flat and straight, because there was hardly any shade there, and the scorching sun was very high in the sky. We had some issues at this part as well because of the number of vehicles and bikers we had to divert (a biking event was being held on the road as well and a dragon boat regatta on the bay). For the final four kilometers, at the last water station before the finish, it was takbo.ph’s first couple, the Gavans’ turn to push Justin to the finish.
The gang at Roxas Blvd.
The Finish
After more than five hours Team Logan crossed the finish line complete with Justin, Craig, Michelle, and the rest of the relay team. Finally Justin had just completed his first marathon and I’m glad to have witnessed it firsthand.
Minutes later, one by one, the rest of my friends arrived at the finish including Running Diva who had just completed her marathon debut. She had an unexpectedly difficult ordeal with PIM, but then again I’ve never heard anyone said that marathons were easy. Surprisingly even Sir Jovie (Bald Runner) had problems with this race as for the first time I was able to see him finish the race (as he’s usually long gone by the time I finish my marathon), together with Sam (Running Ninja) who also had another mishap.
PIM actual route
Another Surprise
Arriving beyond the five-hour cutoff I wasn’t expecting that we’d have any finisher’s medal, but to my surprise even those who finished in sub-four hours didn’t have any as well! It was the first marathon that I’ve joined without any finisher’s medal! It was a very disappointing moment for me as it would’ve been my seventh medal from running, three from half marathons and three from full marathons, and this was my birthday marathon!
Why Do You Run?
Later on I kept asking myself why I did this marathon—had I known beforehand that there won’t be a medal would I still have gone through all that effort just to register for this race? What was my goal for this race? Was I only driven by the medal, or PR? – No. I joined this run because I wanted to. I was ready to run “bandit” just to run. I was ready to be a pacer to make for a more meaningful “bandit” run. I was even prepared to be envious of my friends receiving their finisher’s medal had I not been able to be an official runner. Should I be affected by a medal that I may or may not receive? Then I figured that I already received the medal I was hoping for—it came in the form of my family from takbo.ph. For that I am very thankful, and I know this was one of the best birthday celebrations I had.
Getting complimentary race kits literally just hours before race day comes with a price. We were surprised at what we saw: a decent singlet, a piece of paper that looked like an event flyer, and… wait, that’s it?! Apparently we were just a singlet away from a “bandit”—no race number to distinct us and for use at the finish. The “flyer” served as a “generic bib”—if it was a cinema ticket it would be a gate pass. It became official—we were complimentary runners!
Fortunately I still had some tricks under my sleeves—I still have the regular race kit from a fellow runner who incidentally registered twice so I’m still “officially” in the race. The problem was that I need to get it on race day itself—another scenario for trouble. I hate it when I’m right.
Pre-Race
Before 4AM the gang met up at a 24-hour fastfood a few hundred meters from the starting line. We had our last minute “carbo-loading” and after a few minutes we were off for the assembly area. It was such a quick stay that I only had a sip of my coffee, literally. The trouble now is I still have yet gotten my race bib—the one with a number, that is.
Assembly
It was one of the most attended races so far, and with the backing of ABS-CBN, the assembly area was very lively. In fact, the race was being broadcasted live nationwide. The trouble is with all the runners around, I can’t seem to find my friend to claim my race bib. Frustrating.
Gun Start
Just before 4:30AM the race officially commenced. I still wasn’t able to get my race bib so I checked in my “generic bib” (prior to gun start of course) as proof that I started at the right place. I even forgot to start my GF405 after gun start. I thought that my friend was with Team Logan at that time so I waited for them to start, but after virtually walking for a while I got really bored and just decided to proceed without the race bib. It turned out that Team Logan started a few minutes late, and my friend wasn’t with them.
Due to all the confusion I broke my targets so early in the race. I decided to try to catch some time but unfortunately those that I was supposed to pace seemed to start slow as well. As I mentioned earlier I decided to join this race as a pacer to have a more purposeful “bandit” run but apparently even that plan would fail. I sure would love to correct my early mistakes but I know that I can’t force it to my “stakeholders” because that would mean doing a five minute per kilometer pace until delays were compensated—too fast, too early. I also felt somewhat responsible because they probably waited for me. Plans are being messed up, time for some compromise.
Back in the Game
What I didn’t realize was that my friend who had “my” race bib was indeed part of the relay team but would be starting not from the starting area but on the next relay station. While approaching the area I heard someone call my name and to my delight it was the person I’ve been looking for all this time! Finally I got “my” race bib, and I’m an official participant of the race.
Running along Mendiola
The Grim Reaper’s List
The ETA list that I mentioned in a post a while ago is back. That was when I realized the gravity of the situation—we were way off target. The original plan was to set a pace of 6:30 (per kilometer) but we were running much closer to 6:55—even slower than the average pace needed to finish in four hours and 50 minutes. We had a dire need to compensate! My mind was getting nuts thinking of how I can effectively set the pace that would not burn my stakeholders out too early, while catching up for lost time, while still being able to give them their walk break! If I was a calculator I would probably yield “E”—Error.
Sunrise over Manila
Confessions of a Grim Reaper
I wasn’t about to give up hope so early. While I still can cover up the severity of the situation (we were gradually losing more time away from target) I would, if it would help motivate my “clientele.” In fairness we were able be as little as a minute off schedule by skipping a walk break for kilometer 4-5, but eventually I had to give us a walk-break. It was very difficult to tell them how much time we lost by not adhering to the 6:30 pace but I totally understand because even though the route was virtually flat and at sea level, bridges that we cross aren’t. The consistently spaced water stations (that also served as relay stations for the 42K relay) didn’t help us get any faster as we tend to stop. Eventually even the 10-minute buffer I planned to finish within cutoff of five hours ran out—and I can’t set the pace any faster.
Just about every plan I had with this race didn’t come to fruition—from registration to meeting targets. At the same time some of the unexpected came to be, both pleasant and repulsive, making this one of the most stressful but interesting races I’ve had.
Decision at the 11th Hour
The previous “prestigious” event that I was really preparing for found me flabbergasted—with so much disappointment at that race I felt like I had to get redemption somehow. Prior to the said event I wasn’t really thinking of sweeping all the “International Marathons”—all I was aiming for was to support our city’s initiative (QCIM) without sacrificing my dream of running at the SCTEX in a decent manner. For the latter the goal was simple: aim to run my marathon with hardly any walk breaks. Unfortunately even though I got a new PR I didn’t fulfill my “simple” goal.
By the time I truly decided on joining the race registration was already closed. It really took me a while to decide to sign up because the day of PIM was the day after my birthday—would you run a marathon the day after your birthday after you had just finished two marathons back to back?
Desperate Runner
Knowing that registration was already closed I was seriously considering a last resort—yes it’s doing the “B” word that I don’t encourage. It’s not a matter of not wanting to register; it’s just that I can’t. I was so desperate to join that I event filed a leave from the office to go to ABS-CBN Foundation to try to register, but failed. So when life gives you lemons make lemonade—in this case if I was to run as a “bandit” might as well make it a more purposeful act—be a pacer… again!
Meant to be
Heaven was hearing my prayers—I found a “legal’ work-around to my “B” problem by getting the race number of a fellow runner who registered double, one for the full marathon and one for the marathon relay with Team Logan (more on this later). Although race bibs are not transferrable it at least allows me to join the race “legally.” At that moment I was just ecstatic! Finally just a few days before the race I’m “legal.”
Another “But Wait, There’s More” Moment
Barely 48 hours before the race I was offered complimentary race kits by Sir Rene courtesy of Quezon City Hall—at first I was reluctant because I already have a kit and didn’t know it was complimentary but due to the urge of fellow runners I again signed up with the idea that I’ll have a kit under my name—full legality and not just a workaround. But wait, there’s a catch.
(To be continued)
I would like to take this opportunity to thank all my friends who greeted me for my birthday yesterday, November 07. I was really overwhelmed and am sorry if I wasn’t able to respond to your greetings individually (greetings on my Facebook wall exceeded way beyond what can be conveniently displayed) but rest assured I read them all (through my email). I’d like to thank as well Microsoft Philippines for giving me a licensed copy of Windows 7 Professional as a birthday present.
To my takbo.ph family as usual I’m deeply honored to have known you guys and one again was overwhelmed with the overflowing support you give me, fellow runners, and the running community as well. I really appreciate all the efforts and the love you gave us earlier during the race.
To Craig, Michelle, and Justin of Team Logan once again you truly are an inspiration to a lot people, myself included, and thank you for giving me the honor of letting me run with the team. We’ll miss you for the time being and have a safe trip!
Ateneo’s Collegiate Society of Advertising (COSA) will be having its first-ever Fun Run on January 24, 2010 (Sunday) at the Ateneo campus grounds called, “RUN AGAINST THE ELEMENTS: Ateneo COSA Fun Run 2010” (3/5/10K) with our slogan: Stand Up to Climate Change for the benefit of Illac Diaz’s project, Design Against the Elements, an international design competition that responds to the call for social and climate adaptation by building sustainable homes. This was launched to international architects last June 16, 2009 at the Institute of International Education (IIE) at the United Nations Plaza in New York with the support of the IIE, the Philippine Consulate, Gov. LRay Villafuerte, Gawad Kalinga, United Architects of the Philippines and My Shelter Foundation.
Date: Sunday, January 24, 2010 Assembly Time: 5:00AM Location: Ateneo de Manila University campus grounds Assembly Area: Blue Eagle Gym Registration Fee: P350.
Illac Diaz united 47 Pinoy rock artists together to join his campaign. The end result is “Stand Up” which was officially released to the public at a press conference last October 29, 2009 at the Alliance Française de Manille.
“Climate change is real. Addressing climate change requires a mix of mitigation and adaptation. This requires more mitigation for industrialized countries and more adaptation for developing countries. This can be translated into one simple scenario: While the industrialized world continues to send up tonnes of carbon into the atmosphere, whether or not we blur the amounts through carbon credits, hopes are fading for those who will be receiving the sharp end of the Damocles sword; the developing world. The urgency is to realize that this is not going to stop at 350ppm, or even double at 600ppm, the Philippines has to realize that despite all the petitions and feel good campaigns of dreams for a climate stabilized world, real solutions need to be done. We have to get to the part where we learn to start dealing with this. The country is located right beside the warmest parts of the ocean that is in the perfect storm of vulnerable coastlines, intense winds, and an observation of growing dumping of large amounts of rain. We need to live in a world where climate will hit the poorest of the poor first, regardless of where they live, it will test our resiliency as a city, as a village, as a community, and specially as a people. This song is dedicated to the awareness that dealing with one ONDOY is not the victory, but a climate of change will be the battle of this generation.” – Illac Diaz
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