iamninoy Runners Movement – An Update

hand in hand in helping reverse the education crisis

As the iamninoy Runners Movement’s Steering Committee continues to move and make arrangements for the finalization of all pertinent details related to the group and its objectives, a major event was held in the afternoon of May 28, Thursday at the Filipinas Heritage Library in Makati.

iam ninoy runners movement members

On this day, iamninoy Runners Movement members (that includes me!) went to the venue, proudly wearing our iamninoy runners’ shirt, to witness the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the group and its beneficiary, the 57-75 Reverse the Education Crisis Movement.  This formalized the iamninoy runners group’s intent to help provide and improve the quality of education to the children of less privileged families.

The MOU signing was participated in by the heads of the companies that are a part of the consortium that formed the 57-75 Movement, the Benigno S. Aquino Foundation and the group’s Steering Committee, which was composed of Jaymie Pizarro (The Bull Runner), Rapa Lopa, Jamike and Mayi Lopa, Jake de Guzman, Drew Arellano and Francis Macatulad.

Jake de Guzman giving his speech 😉

After the formal signing, which was covered by representatives from the tv and print media, a short talk/presscon was started with Jake de Guzman opening it with an inspiring speech. The group’s Steering Committee and some convenors of the 57-75 movement openly answered all questions regarding the two movements and its objectives. During the said presscon, it was announced that several events are being lined-up for the year to further increase awareness and gather support. One such event which is currently on the drawing boards is targetted to happen on August 21, hero Ninoy Aquino’s death anniversary.

iamninoy runners

The iamninoy Runners are a group of professional and amateur runners affiliated with the iamninoy movement. Coming from all walks of life, iamninoy Runners will participate in regular running events—and occasionally mount races of their own—to raise funds for a worthy cause. To become a member, one will just have to pay a donation of 500 pesos which will go to a fund to be used to buy textbooks for children in public schools, build schools and help provide nutrition to school children. In return, each person who will sign-up for membership will be given an iamninoy runners’ shirt, the same one that we are wearing during the said event and during our training runs or everytime we participate in races.

To know more about the movement or to join, click here.

Oh, and as an update, for those who have already signed-up online and are wondering what to do/what happens next, the steering committee are now also finalizing the registration process which will initially be held at the Rudy Project Store in Bonifacio High Street, The Fort. The shirts to be given away are already available and will be released once registration at the said venue is opened. Don’t fret folks, target for this is this month of June. 😉

More photos:

jaymie, the bull runner answering a question abt women runners 😉

during the presscon

jun, jay and marga having a light moment

mayi, jaymie, jay, marga and jun

Something NEW in Running

HEAR it sprint soon…

near na!

Of Trail Runs and Hypertension

Trail runs and hypertension? One is simply not compatible with the other right? This folks is the very same reason why I sadly missed the TNF 100 event last Sunday. Yep, I was off running for the longest time (2 months!) but I still willed myself to participate in the 10k trail run. But then my body got the better of me by giving me a record high blood pressure in the morning of Saturday which is to last until the afternoon making it impossible for me to travel all the way to Pampanga alone and by bus (which is an exciting first for me sana rin!). The greatest lesson I learned out of this is that it is not because I am running, biking or having regular exercises, I am already invincible. I still am prone to having bouts with hypertension because it is already a kink in my armor which I cannot fully eliminate.

Oh well, reading through the blogs/race accounts of my runner friends makes me cringe with envy but not without the happy feeling that comes to knowing that they had a grand time completing the race. I missed them but I sure enjoyed reading their stories and looking at their pictures. Congratulations are in order to TNF, Finish Line and to all those who participated in the 100km, 20k and 10k races. Kudos and hugs guys! I hope that by next year’s TNF, I will be there running (and posing for photo-ops!) with you all.

*Sigh*… But wait! I was really so glad to see this particular ad while reading my favorite Summit Media published magazine —

now on its fourth year!

I remember that my first trail run experience was last year’s Men’s Health All Terrain race which was held at Timberland Heights. I joined coming from several months of hiatus from everything outdoors (haven’t run or biked for a long time) and around 15lbs overweight. I finished the 10k trail after 2 hours and 2 minutes (kahiya-hiya!), a dead toenail and two weeks-worth of sore muscles. The trail mind you is not as exciting and challenging as that of the TNF race – naturally there were no lahars nor river crossings. But it was still challenging enough with lots of uphill and downhill routes. I enjoyed it but was really walking most of the time.  After that experience,  I promised myself not to try trail running again without enough preparation and that I will not miss the following year’s race which will serve as my second shot at trail running. Hmm, will i be better this time? No more dead toenails? I certainly hope so! 

If you are to check the Men’s Health website, sadly there is still no update with regards to this race. But checking on the Summit Media site, this event is already calendared to happen this June. Guess we’ll just have to wait for official announcement with regards to the race details.

For now, it’s back to the track and road for me as I try to regain my lost endurance and lose the excess weight I gained in my two months of inactivity.

See you guys at the outdoors!

GIG Run 2009

Here’s another run for a very good cause. Thank you to the UP Mountaineers – Environment Committee for posting the details on my  multiply site.

GIG Run 2009

Green Is Good! Run for the reforestation of Ipo Watershed.

The UP Mountaineers, through its Environment Committee and the Padyak Foundation presents: The 2009 GiG Run. A run to raise awareness on the need to protect the Ipo Watershed.

The run is expected to jump start the growing consciousness of protecting the Ipo Watershed that, together with Angat Watershed, supply 97 percent of Metro Manila’s fresh water. The watershed is currently experiencing heavy environment pressure as population encroach the area. Seventy percent of the watershed is heavily deforested thus causing silt deposits on the Angat River that carries water to the Ipo Dam.

The proceeds of the race will be utilized for the continuing program of the U.P. Mountaineers to bring back the lush green environment that once was the Ipo Watershed.

Race Details:

Date: June 28, 2009
Venue: AS Parking Lot, UP Diliman

Registration Details:

Registration starts on Monday, May 18 with the following options:
1) Go to any Columbia Sportswear outlet to register. However, payments are only accepted in Greenbelt 5, Gateway, and at SM North EDSA. 
2) At ROX (Recreational Outdoor eXchange), Bonifacio High Street, The Fort.
3) On May 24 during the RUNNEX Marathon in UP Diliman, we will have a registration booth from 6am to 10am.
4) At the UP Information Office Tuesdays to Fridays at the Quezon Hall (Admin Building). Look for Bernz Varona during office hours
5) During the GIG event itself.

Registration Fee is P250, inclusive of the GIG Run Singlet.

GIG Run 2009 Singlet

Route Map:

10km Route shall be 2 laps
5km Route shall do 1 lap
2.2km Costume Run will be one round in the academic oval

For any questions, please email ask@thegigrun.org

Runner’s Blues

After running the half marathon at the last Condura Skyway Run, I kinda hit a wall. I haven’t practiced, trained or even joined races after it. And mind you, I have an arsenal full of excuses – the extreme heat of the sun can trigger my hypertension, there’s a lot of work that I have to take care of, I have to spend time with family, it rained, etc. I just will never run out of it. But don’t get me wrong, I still love running and always think of getting back on the road or on the oval in the days to come.  It’s just that there is this part of me that lacked the motivation to run. And I so HATE it. But I was just so exhausted that I just can’t seem to kick my a*s and start running again.

How will I get my motivation back? Should I get myself new running shoes? 😉  Should I find new running routes that I haven’t tried before? Or should I just hit my head so hard, stand in front of a full-length mirror and see what I am slowly turning into? Answer is: None of the above.

Last night, after spending time with my dear running friends, catching-up on things over dinner and a few drinks, I just felt that I need to get out of this rut and start anew. Because I have not been running, I have deprived myself not only of the usually healthy lifestyle that I came to know, I also deprived myself of the fun, fun time that I enjoy with my friends.  If that is not enough to rekindle my motivation to run, I wouldn’t know what else can.

As of this moment, I still can’t understand why I had the blues and if I will be successful in totally getting over it. But when I woke up earlier today I knew that this day can be a start. I left the house with a smile and a bag full of my running gears, determined to squeeze in even a short run that hopefully will awaken the runner in me.

Wish me luck guys. I am off to ULTRA a few hours from now.  😉

P.S. Now that I have written about it, I think getting myself a new pair of running shoes is not a totally bad idea! Runner’s blues or not!  😆