Independence day

The post will be in Tagalog to commemorate our independence day on June 12, Charing!

Konting Churva lang mga Klasmarurut sa running. Napansin nyo ba na lately madalas ang Julanis Morriesette? Di lahat ng runners Karir khet Reyna Elena ang panahon. Madami ang crayola na lang sa tabi dahil sa Lupita Kashiwara ang weather galore. Pero meron ilan ang fly pa din kahit ano pa. Bilib ako sa runners na may ganoong ka-Janno Gibbs na passion. Kung minsan yung iba sa atin konting anik lang imbey at Bitter Ocampo na agad. Maraming dahilan kesyo kuya germs ang place, ma-alikabok, Rita Gonzales ang kasama, Pagoda cold wave lotion sa trabaho, Morayta ang suot, ma-Panjee Gonzales ang mga kanto, bka ma-jolina magdangal sa kalsada etc… pero may ilan inspite of it all will continue to run. Kung minsan para silang mga Lukresia pero ang di alam ng marami emote to the max lang talaga ang chuk-chak nila sa running.

Saludo ako sa mga lahat na ganoon ang chienes sa running at minsan tinuturing pa nilang parang jowabelles na nila ang sport naten. Whether bata o thundercats ka pa ang importante ay yung anetch mo sa takbuhan. Para sa akin kayo ang mga lolah na tunay na Winnie santos sa running!

Charot!

PS
Mga Sis, rest muna ang beauty ni Lonerunner ha wala na kasi ako maisulat o bagong ma-okray eh. Salamat sa lahat.

Fly muna akesh!

Sport fling

I heard some runners that I know stopped running after Condura. I learned that after reaching their goal their motivation went down. Just like Kulitrunner’s post, it might be a case of “runners blues”. After achieving a goal, we sometimes asked, what is next? And if there is no new goal to conquer our training fades away.

I think running is like falling in love. When we all started, it is like love at first stride. We fell in love, commit and to some they fall out of love. But there are exceptional cases of runners who are married to running and is not even thinking of annulment or divorce. They are committed to running, in sickness or in health, for richer or poorer and until Plantar or ITB do them part.

If you reached your climax (I mean your running goal) and you feel you have fallen out of love and no longer has the same feelings, maybe you can take a time off and take a sport fling. A sport fling is another sport that you can take as a temporary replacement to running. A sport fling can be a one night stand, summer fling, a sport with benefits etc… but whatever you call it, always remember not to forget your one true love–running. You can also create a home video of your sport fling.

I think a sport fling can give us a rest and add another spice to our training. And once we are ready we can be open to start to like and love running again. Just like what they say, love is always sweeter the second time around.

Running with Boils

It is summer once again… actually, it is about to end. Summer brings us a nice sunny day, irritating warm weather, less traffic, sweaty armpits and, the saddest part, it also bring us boils(Pigsa). Since runners are often outdoors training under the heat of the sun, we are prime candidates to get boils. And every runner would not want to stop running because of an irritating boils on our butt. This post will help you how to treat it (Hopefully).

The most important step is draining the puss.

You can use a bottle (Gatorade, Pocari etc… )put the mouth of the bottle on the middle or head of the boil and press hard to drain the puss. Stop once most, if not all, of the puss had dripped inside the bottle.

You can also use a pin to puncture/lance the boil and squeeze around it to drain the puss.

You can also apply heat. You can place a hot water bottle on the boil for 10 to 15 minutes. Heat brings white blood cells and antibodies to the infection.

I would still suggest to get professional help to treat it, especially if fever develops.

Doctors might still allow you to train, depending on the amount of infection but would definetly ask you to stop your training if the boil appears between the crack of your butt, which obviously needs immediate attention.

Run on, friends.

Gateway mall

This post is not running related but just a mindless rant.

I would want to know what is the deal with Gateway mall having (Approx) 5 out of its 6 restrooms that are “pay lounges”?  They only have 1 restroom that is free for public use and it is inconveniently located on the highest floor. WTF?! Firstly, why do they call it “lounges”? Do people who walk in there to relax? Will there be an entertainment or a jazz concert?  Do people intend to go inside to “chill”? Is there a soft, comfy couch? Do they serve drinks? Is that a “lounge” where we rest?

Most restroom, except one, are “pay lounges”. Why is there a need to have  so many pay lounges? Is there a mad rush to get inside these pay lounges? Is there a big demand? Or is this just a scheme to squeeze more bucks?

What is Gateway mall’s management thinking? Do they think that all of their customers are DEHYDRATED and does not need to take a leak? Imagine, you eat your lunch at Gateway and ordered bottomless iced tea and spent the next couple of hours  to shop you might cough at least P30 just to pee. And can you imagine customers with kidney problems, who might spend around P60 for food and will need about P100 to pee.

I want to know what is next? Will there be charges for ESCALATOR rides or a fee for window shopping in excess of one hour?

I wonder what would be the future like, Sir, you only have a minute left to window shop or else you will be fined for over-staying and consuming our electricity. Or Sir, that would be P5 for the Escalator ride. If you dont have P5 you can use the stairs and it will cost you only P1.

PS: Sorry for the rant, I just prefer that mall to have more free restrooms than “pay Lounges”.

Renegade runner

A race bandit or a renegade is a runner who joins a race without paying the registration fee. In a race,  you will usually  see them running without a race bib. Being a race bandit is not acceptable but since we all paying for the use of the road thru our taxes theoretically it makes this quite legal. 

The tricky part of being a race bandit is how to get water at the stations without being humiliated or declined. This post will help you how,  below are ways how to do it.

Smile. Try to ask for a water with a smile, can also be accompanied by a “good morning” greeting. 

Beg. Any kind person will not decline to give water if you look desperate enough.

If that would not work, try pretending. Pretend that you are somebody’s coach and your student needs water. You can point to anyone in the crowd(preferably with a race bib) as the student.

Be a pacer. you can carry a large sign that indicates your pace and pretend that you are  a pacer commissioned by the race director. 

Lie. Stop at the station and say in a loud voice that you need to drink your medicine. Ask for a cup of water, fish out the Tic Tacs or Mentos from  your pocket and pretend you are drinking your medication. 

If you are handsome or pretty you can say you are an actor/actress from an old TV show or movie. You can say you acted in Annaluna, MaraClara, or part of  Tuesday Edition of That’s Entertainment etc. This will give you a status that will make getting water easier.

If  asking for water would not work, try stealing. Sprint towards the station and just grab a cup and run away.

Being a race bandit or a renegade runner might be a  bad karma, almost like stealing. Not exactly stealing but quite like it. I don’t know if you are gonna go to hell because of it. But maybe if you do, it is only at a warm or low fire.

No Underwear

Do you know that some  male runners run without underwear? I just read about this and I was very surprised that they can run for miles without a support, except for that thin briefs inside the shorts. According to these runners, it is their personal preference  and it makes their run more enjoyable. Enjoyable?! How can 2-3 hrs of “Jingle bells” be enjoyable? 

Anyway, to runners who wants to try “running commando” here are some tips. These tips if followed properly will give you maximum testicle rattle… err… ahhh… I mean, maximum safety.

1. Practice. Before running a full marathon without it, you can first try to walk around the house or in a mall to check if you will be comfortable.

2. Avoid chafing. Always have Body glide or Vaseline on standby. 

3. Wear longer shorts. You do not want your precious gems peeking while you are sitting in the jeepney on your way to the race area.

 4. Be Comfortable. 

5. Do not wear white shorts. White shorts if drenched in sweat tends to be translucent. 

Running without an underwear is not for everybody and everyone is free to try it, if you think  it can bring pleasure to your runs or make running easier and cooler. 

Run on, friends.

Mystery girl runner

About 2 weeks ago at one of my morning runs at MOA, I saw a pretty, angelic looking lady running.  She was wearing a pastel Nike outfit  with spaghetti straps and tight shorts. She seems to be quite uncomfortable maybe because behind her is an old man on a bike. I looked at the old man and saw him staring at the lady’s nice, long, slim legs. The old man seems to be enjoying the sight.  He is pedaling slow and is at pace with her run.

I felt an urge to help. I thought running beside the lady and ask her to run with me so it will shoo the old man away. But what if she answered, “No thanks, I feel safe with the old man than you. You Perv!” Or may be I can confront the old man and  lecture him that watching the poor girl’s leg is not right. But what if, the old man is her dad and was just protecting her daughter from other runners–other male runners  like someone I know.  Or what if the old man is her running coach and is watching not her legs but her gait/footstrike. 

I also thought about jumping at the old man and taking him down, to protect the girl from his peeping eyes. But the old man looks like one of the leaders of  Shaolin Temple. How can I physically protect myself from a Kung fu master, I might end up in the hospital with a broken jaw and a twisted arm.  

The thought of ending up in the hospital made me decide to continue on my run. I don’t know what happened to that girl. If that girl is reading this blog and plans to run again(preferably wearing the same outfit) maybe you need a someone (maybe a runner-blogger) to run with you.  Unfortunately, I cannot run with you because I am married and very loyal but if you will INSIST  I start my run at around 6:30am and you can send me an SMS, or shoot an email…

Greenfield City

I spent my easter at Canyon Cove in Nasugbu. On our way to Nasugbu via Sta Rosa we passed by Greenfield City, the location of Sunday’s run. The Village is nice and am sure a great place to live in. I love running around nice looking villages. Seeing nice houses is a weird feeling for me–it makes me dream big and also it makes me realize how my  bank account is not enough to afford it.  

I have a theory, a village is “sosyal” if it is a nice place for running. Eg: Ayala Alabang: Great place to run, great Village. Rockwell: Nice place to run, great community. Mckinley Hill: Great Village, great running route. Salcedo Village: Nice Village, good for running. Quiapo: Not safe( I think), not safe for running. I think there is a direct relationship between a great running route and a great place.

Longsilog

I made a mistake earlier this morning. While preparing to go for a run, my wife woke up and saw me. I told her to cook  Lucban Longaniza for our breakfast. She said yes.

While running for about 10 minutes, I realized my mistake. Only after 2kms my mind was filled with pictures of  toasted Lucban Longaniza, fried eggs, garlic fried rice and a hot brewed coffee.   A voice in my head is telling me to go back home to eat. My legs started to get heavy and seems it also wants to go home. The thought of a hearty Filipino breakfast on a weekend morning is very irresistible.

At around 4km I started to see Longaniza everywhere. I saw Longaniza running, riding a bike, driving a car,  holding hands and even longaniza wearing an MMDA uniform. 

After running for less than 5km, I gave in and decided to go back home.

On my next run I need to focus more and make sure that I will no longer be swayed away from my planned training by the good smell of breakfast.  

Run on, friends.

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