School Spirit at KOTR 2013

     MOST VARSITY track and field meets are held in the second semester but students need not to wait that long to bring pride and honor to their alma mater as the 2013 adidas King of the Road introduces a 10-kilometer relay exclusive for them on July 7 at the Bonifacio Global City.  A team of one male and one female will run five kilometers each with the top teams earning prizes both for themselves and their school.

     Relay participants must proceed together to registration centers at adidas outlets in Two Parkade-BGC, SM Mall of Asia, SM Megamall, Greenbelt III, Powerplant Mall and Trinoma and Runnr-BGC.  A valid school ID is required stating that the student is enrolled on race day and not more than 25 years of age.

     Fee is PHP 800.00 per runner, inclusive of special adidas singlet, race bib and timing device.  However, large groups of at least 10 runners are entitled to PHP 100.00 off, with the discount rising to PHP 150.00 for 15 or more runners and PHP 200.00 for 20 or more runners.

     “adidas has always been an advocate of health and wellness through sports. The King of the Road is a testament to that fact,” said Jason Gervasio, Brand Communications and Sports Marketing Manager of adidas Philippines.  “The new School Championship category aims not only to promote fitness, but also to inspire teamwork and pride as students are given the chance to be ambassadors of their respective campuses.”

     The year 2013 has been named by adidas as The Year of Running.  Last February, the Energy Boost, a revolutionary running shoe with superior cushioning that allows one to unleash more energy with each stride was launched.

     Aside from the relay, the KOTR will feature the centerpiece 16.8-kilometer category and the regular 10-kilometer solo race.  The top Filipino male and female finishers in the 16.8 kilometers will represent the country in the Southeast Asian Championship later this year in Malaysia.

     Online registration for the other categories is still ongoing at http://adidaskingoftheroad.com/PH.  Deadline for online registration is on June 23 while store onsite registration will close on June 30.

     The adidas KOTR 2013 is supported by 100 Plus, Summit Natural Drinking Water, Sennheiser, EO Executive Optical, adidas Body Care, L Time Studio and Century Tuna.  For breaking news, promos and updates, like the adidas Philippines Facebook page or follow on Twitter while using the hash tag #KOTRPH2013.

Boots For “The Engine”

     ON THE pitch, he is described as “The Engine”, totally unstoppable with boundless energy.  He wears the newest energy-retaining football boots from adidas, Nitrocharge, designed for the next generation of footballers that follows the legacy and successes of the existing iconic Predator, adipure and F50 ranges.

     Players like defender Dani Alves of Barcelona and midfielders Daniele de Rossi of AS Roma, Javier Martinez of FC Bayern Munich and Ezequiel Lavezzi of Paris Saint Germain come to mind.  The four world-class athletes have been chosen by adidas as Nitrocharge’s endorsers.

     The visually striking Nitrocharge is an evolution of adidas’ heritage in creating footwear to fit certain player types. The unique positioning of Nitrocharge has energy retention at its heart and has been designed specifically for the archetypical footballer who is always first on the team sheet; the player who powers a team, running and tackling more, relentlessly and ferociously seeking chances from box-to-box over 90 minutes and beyond.

     Among its features is the Energy Sling that arches over the boot and supports side cut and turn movements and sharpening reactions on the pitch.  The boot’s sole plate has a zigzagging Energy Pulse inspired by spring technology with high-elastic material at its heart, providing premium energy during the off toe phase of sprinting.

     Furthermore, a Protection Mesh Layer around the foot and Protection Pads around the most sensitive tackle zones like the Achilles tendon have been added.  Finally, the Nitrocharge is compatible with the adidas miCoach Speed Cell so players can measure their on-pitch performance.

     Nitrocharge is adidas’ first release since 2004 when it launched the F50 behind such icons as Lionel Messi, Karim Benzema and David Villa.  A new generation of football players is expected to benefit from the latest revolutionary technology.

     The new boot will be available by May 20, 2013 (Monday) in Blue Beauty/Electricity/Running White.  The suggested retail price is PHP 9,995.00.

     For more information, please visit and like the adidas Facebook page.

Election Slam Dunks and Air Balls

     THERE WAS a fair share of slam dunks and air balls for basketball personalities who ran in the recent National Elections last May 13.  Who among them were able to parlay fame on the hardwood floor into votes?

     Let’s start from up North in the province of Pampanga where fiery Rain Or Shine head coach Yeng Guiao won as Representative of the Second District.  Prior to that, Coach Guiao served three years as a Provincial Board Member and then as Vice Governor of the province for nine years under three different Governors – Mark Lapid, Ed Panlilio and Lilia Pineda.

     In the town of Hagonoy, Bulacan former Air 21 guard Christopher Baluyot won a second term in the municipal council.  The San Sebastian College alumni played one season with the Express in 2007-2008.

     Moving to the Northern tip of Metro Manila, one-time teammates at Sunkist Jack Santiago and Mar Morelos bagged city council seats.  Santiago got reelected in Navotas City while Morelos returned to the Valenzuela City council after a three-year absence.

     After the maximum nine years as Vice Mayor of Pasig City, Yoyong Martirez goes back to the City Council where he first served three terms from 1995 to 2004.  He retired from playing in 1984 as one of the PBA all-time leaders in steals and assists.

     In neighboring Antipolo City, Rep. Robbie Puno, who authored the bill that eventually became law granting Filipino citizenship to national cager Marcus Douthit, earned his third and final term as the city’s First District Representative.  Prior to being elected in 2007, he served as the pro league’s Marketing Director.

     Current Air 21 coach Franz Pumaren is back as a Quezon City Third District after an unsuccessful bid for the House of Representatives in 2010.  Hence, the Express will have two councilors on the bench in Pumaren and his top assistant Santiago.

     In Paranaque City, television commentator Jason Webb is emerging as the top vote getter in the First District race for the city council.  Webb, who played for Tanduay and Santa Lucia, first ran and won in 2010 following in the footsteps of his father Freddie, a legendary player, coach, Representative and Senator.

     The city seems to like basketball personalities since former Coca-Cola head coach Binky Favis is firmly at the third spot in the city’s Second District.  Coach Favis’ feat is remarkable considering he failed in his initial attempt at local politics in 2010.

     Finally, in faraway Jolo, Sulu one-time Rain Or Shine forward Jam Alfad nailed a seat in the municipal council.  Alfad and Baluyot were college teammates at San Sebastian.

     Of course for every success story there is an equivalent tale of failure.  Fancy dribbling and accurate shooting was not enough to convince the electorate.

     While Webb and Coach Favis were on the winning track, seven-year veteran PBA Joey Marquez was not in his attempt to be Paranaque City’s Second District Representative.  The city’s mayor for nine years ending in 2004, he has not returned to public office having lost bids for Representative in 2004 and Mayor in 2010.

     Another player who failed to get back into office is Tito Varela, who ran for Vice Mayor in Caloocan City, a post he held from 2001 to 2010.  The former referee and Crispa guard lost in the 2010 congressional race.

     1980 Rookie of the Year Willy Generalao is just outside of the municipal council winners’ circle in Cainta, Rizal.  At ninth place, he still has a chance to grab the eighth and final slot.

     While his elder brother ER was winning as Governor, Gherome Ejercito was not able to translate this into votes in his attempt to become a Laguna Provincial Board Member for the First District.  Over in the town of Los Banos, Bryan Gahol missed out on a spot in the municipal council.

     1992 Most Valuable Player Ato Agustin lost in his try to wrest the Vice Mayor position in the City of San Fernando.  Agustin was an incumbent city councilor.

     Rodney Santos was known for his slashing moves to the basket but that was not enough to convince the people of Meycauayan, Bulacan to reward him with a council seat.

     Finally, the island of Cebu may be a rich source of PBA talent but the ex-pros did miserably.  Calvin Tuadles, who played for Shell from 1989 to 1992, lost in the city council race in Danao City.

     Shooter Boy Cabahug faced a tough task to unseat two incumbents in the three-man race for two Sixth District spots in the provincial board.  Cabahug served several terms as a Mandaue City Councilor starting in 1998, his final PBA season with Santa Lucia.

     Aside from these basketball stars, a lot of celebrities from show business and entertainment have had varying levels of success in their stab at politics this year.  Hopefully, this is a sign of a maturing voting population wherein they look beyond the glitter of the candidate’s celebrity status, focusing more on platforms and stands on issues.

MILO Nutriload Is Loaded

     MILO RECENTLY introduced the latest addition to its growing portfolio, MILO Nutriload, a special blend cereal drink with the classic MILO chocolate taste packed with Vitamin C, Calcium and Iron plus Protomalt flakes, a healthy source of carbohydrates for energy.  It is now available at all supermarkets and sari-sari stores with a suggested retail price of only PHP 6.00 per single-serve sachet.

     MILO Nutriload can be taken any time of the day but is best enjoyed during breakfast, exactly what the body needs after going through a night’s sleep of eight hours on the average without any nourishment.  Research has concluded that breakfast is the most important meal as it lays down the foundation for the rest of the day.

     One of my preferred components of my meal before a fun run, cycling race or early morning training consists of mixing MILO with sachets of other cereal-based products.  With this new product, it will now be more convenient and economical since all that is needed is to open a sachet of MILO Nutriload then add hot water or milk.

     Of course, MILO Nutriload is not just for active people like me, it is also important for all age groups as everyone needs nutritious and healthy food.  This holds especially true for teenagers, who according to a 10-year study at the University of Minnesota require the greatest amount of nutrients and energy among all age groups.

     Teenagers are also most susceptible to pick up unhealthy habits ranging from the consumption of junk food to turning sedentary by playing video games all day and worse, vices and substance abuse brought about by peer pressure.  This is where the role of mothers and the family come in.

     “MILO continues to champion the role of mothers in motivating wellness among Filipino households and most importantly the youth. We aim to strengthen this commitment through a new affordable and delicious product that provides the recommended nutritional value at any time of day for the young and old alike – kaya ‘di lang basta loaded, Nutriloaded!,” said MILO Nutriload Brand Manager Meg Panopio.

     For more information, visit and like the MILO Philippines Facebook page and follow MILO on Twitter.

Manila Bay CleanUp Never Stops

     NOW ON its third year, Manila Broadcasting Company (MBC) presents the “Manila Bay Cleanup Run 2013” on July 14, 2013 (Sunday) at the Star City Complex in Pasay City starting at 4:00 AM.  The annual fun run hopes to generate funds and awareness for the clearing of Manila Bay of trash and other debris towards the restoration of its natural beauty and ecology.

     This year’s run will feature a 21-kilometer category, an upgrade from last year’s top distance of 15 kilometers which has now been set aside.  Other categories are 10, five and three kilometers.

     Registration is ongoing at the following venues: MBC Offices located near Star City, Planet Sports-Trinoma, Athlete’s Foot-Alabang Town Center and ROX-Bonifacio High Street.  Deadline is on June 30, 2013.

     This year’s registration fees are fixed at PHP 800.00 for 21 kilometers, PHP 650.00 for 10 kilometers, PHP 500.00 for five kilometers and PHP 400.00 for three kilometers.  All race kits will include a singlet, race bib, map and timing device.

     In addition, all 21-kilometer finishers will receive a medal and t-shirt.  All finishers will also get a loot bag that includes two Ride-All-You-Can tickets to Star City valued at PHP 400.00 each and other sponsors’ goodies.

     Big cash prizes await the top finishers in all categories, with the male and female 21-kilometer champions expected to pocket PHP 21,000.00 each.  A total of PHP 170,000.00 is at stake for all the winners.

     Last year’s Manila Bay Cleanup Run sold out fast that runners begged to open more slots.  Avoid the hassle by trooping to the registration centers now!

We Have Conquered!

The final 150-meter mud crawl before Conquering. (photo courtesy of Photo-Ops FB)

     TAGUIG CITY – It was worth the wait as “Conquer 2013: The Urban Adventure” finally unfolded last Sunday (May 5) at the Bonifacio Global City.  Not your usual fun run, the 12, six and three-kilometer courses featured obstacles and surprise challenges that tested the participants’ overall fitness and willpower.

     Similar events have been held before but I have kept distance until Sunday.  Actually, the decision to sign up was made only a day before the deadline of entries.

     Before Sunday, the only obstacle courses I have tackled were the simple ones of around 100 meters or so during parties or school intramurals.  The original plan was just to visit and observe the race because of another fun run scheduled at the same venue the night before.

     Another plan was to just run 12 kilometers straight, skip the obstacles and forget about the finishers’ dog tag.  Suddenly, the competitive juices began to flow upon seeing the organizing Without Limits staff pour water on the mud crawl trail so it meant a quick jog back to the car (where I slept overnight in the parking lot) to change shoes in anticipation of the muddy finale.

     As the gun start shattered the morning calm, the pack sprinted towards the first obstacle at the end of 8^th Avenue, a horizontal wall climb.  Apparently, the two walls were too small to accommodate the horde of runners that a long line developed prompting some to just skip the obstacle and risk disqualification.

     The wall climb was the only obstacle that posed a problem.  The rest of the obstacles and challenges went smoothly as the field began to spread out with the faster runners breaking away.

     A few meters after successfully climbing the wall, the next challenge came at the opposite lane wherein one must carry a sandbag that weighed approximately two kilos for the stretch of 8^th Avenue.  Runners used different techniques to carry the load but regardless, having an extra two kilos while running a slight uphill can be very tedious.

     Next was a Duck Walk along Rizal Drive.  It is tough to suddenly squat and walk like a duck after running for several kilometers as one’s legs suddenly has to make a drastic adjustment.

     The next two stations are modified staples of obstacle courses during school intramurals – going through a row of tires and crossing a balance beam.  One had to climb up and down a flatbed truck after completing the tires while the balance beam was a zigzag.

Before the dirty ending. (photo courtesy of http://www.pinoyfitness.com)

     Hydration stations served Optimum Nutrition Essential Amino Energy, a fruit-flavored drink loaded with amino acids.  This is my first time to try the product and I can say it did help considering I had just completed a competitive race eight hours earlier.

     Still, the arguably toughest challenge was yet to be revealed.  Somewhere near 11^th Avenue, a team of marshal held sewing needles waiting for a strand of thread to pass through its eye in order to earn the fifth and final ribbon, a challenge indeed because I was not wearing eyeglasses!

     There was still one final station near the British School wherein one has to perform lunges for a few meters then it was off to the finish line.  In between obstacles, I tried to run as fast as possible in order to make up for the time lost trying to complete them.

     The final mud crawl trail was uneven so the strategy was to look for the areas with lesser moisture.  Organizers suggested that participants wear gloves during the race to help negotiate the obstacles and the gloves came in handiest during the mud crawl.

     I had a pair of knee pads in my bag and it was the worst time to forget about them as my knees received a few cuts along the way.  Dirty, bleeding and tired, there was only one thing on my mind upon finishing the race and receiving the dog tag – let’s do this again!

     The fun was only beginning.  A water truck provided a makeshift open shower room as the mud seemed to be a unifying agent among the almost 1,000 runners present and a good number stayed behind awaiting the raffle for iPads and other handsome prizes from sponsors.

     Elated with the success of Conquer 2013, title sponsor Optimum Nutrition dropped hints of a possible follow up event.  Did I hear a vertical marathon on one of Metro Manila’s skyscrapers?

     Conquer Manila 2013 is definitely a welcome break from the weekly fun runs that pass basically the same roads in BGC and other running hubs like the Mall of Asia and Roxas Boulevard.  I never back down from a challenge and I can proudly shout that I have conquered!

Thank you again to the management and staff of Without Limits Philippines for making our participation possible.

Positive Energy At Energizer Night Race

My time was good enough to make the national team but . . . (photo courtesy of We Run For Good Health FB)

     TAGUIG CITY – An estimated field of 2,500 runners illuminated the streets of the Bonifacio Global City for the Energizer Night Race Manila 2013 last Saturday evening (May 4).  Armed with an Energizer headlamp each, the runners traversed darkness while raising awareness for the need for safe, clean and affordable solar-powered lighting.

     Energizer Philippines teamed up with One Million Lights, an organization that aims to donate solar-powered LED flashlights to areas like Rizal and Oriental Mindoro as well as other countries in Latin America and Africa.  A small but potent delegation from Kenya competed in the race.

     “Fifteen million Filipinos do not have access to electricity and we at Energizer want to be part of helping these communities,” said Energizer Marketing Manager Cara Ramirez-Tecson who noted that the event also sought to promote sharing positive energy.

     Staging a fun run is no joke and staging a fun run at night is far even tougher logistics-wise.  Runners of all types and levels disputed top honors in the 10 and five-kilometer distance categories.

     However, the biggest news came from the main 10-kilometer race wherein a major error in course management caused the lead and chase packs to make a turn that resulted in truncating their finished distance to only 6.8 kilometers.  Apparently, the alleged winners “broke” the world record for the distance while hundreds of others including myself checked in with times good enough for consideration into the national athletics team!

     As early as 5:00 PM, runners started to arrive at the race village located at 34^th Street.  Gun start was punctual at the set time of 7:30 PM in order for the sun to totally set and achieve the needed effect to maximize the use of the headlamps.

     Apparently, I already sensed trouble brewing upon reaching a marker indicated the six-kilometer point.  The time of my watch was too fast even for a five-kilometer race and I was giving a tad slower effort than usual because of the darkness.

     I was only able to get hold of my race kit an hour or so before the gun start.  It was a requirement to wear the supplied headlamp, singlet and cap along with the race bib and timing device so I had to comply and just get used to wearing the headlamp as the race progressed.

     Later, there was also a 7.5-kilometer marker spotted on the opposite lane, a marker which was never passed.  After a long deliberation, race officials had to make the Solomonic decision.

     A separate set of winners for the new 6.8-kilometer category were announced and called to the stage by hosts Regine Tolentino and Mikael Daez who did a good job to stretch the program and buy some time. The five-kilometer winners were recognized as well, their race finishing without a hitch.

     In addition, another set of runners were also notified to meet with race officials for verification if they indeed finished the proper distance of 10 kilometers.  It seems that once the error was discovered, too many runners had already taken the wrong direction before the rest of the pack got pointed to the right path.

     Still, the organizers have to be commended and praised for humbling themselves and owning up to their mistake.  It was found out that the 6.8-kilometer winners received the same prizes due for the 10 kilometers – PHP 7,000.00, PHP 5,000.00 and PHP 3,000.00 for the top three.

     I did not pay much attention to the hydration stations since I did not feel the need to drink much since it was not that warm and humid at 8:00 PM.  Reviewing the map, it was a really sad development that the course was cut short – it was actually a potentially good and challenging route given the limited area to work with inside BGC.

     Apart from the running, side contests in line with sharing positive energy were held for Best Singlet Design, Best Singlet Statement and an on-the-spot photography contest.  I decided to keep my singlet clean for future use and besides, an hour is not enough for the supplied neon paint marker to dry properly.

     One thing positive worth emulating from the Energizer Night Race was the method of how the baggage counter was managed.  Lanes were divided according to distance and bib number and each runner had to sign a log sheet thus making claiming a breeze.

     The race was sold out days before its announced deadline.  The race kit was a good value because the supplied Energizer headlamp alone has a retail value of about PHP 500.00 and I really was planning for the longest time to buy a headlamp for biking and or running at night or at dawn.

     Previous editions of the Energizer Night Race were held the cities of Davao, Cebu and Dagupan and BGC as well as other countries worldwide since 2011.  One thing is certain, if this fun run is to be repeated soon, it is a must for me to join and continue unfinished business!