Archive for August 2009
Sigh. UAAP Season. That time of the year where the battle lines are drawn and people take sides depending on whether they spent time chasing the MC girls in Katipunan or if they practiced parking in impossible conditions over at Taft. As objective as I try to be, my green blood surfaces everytime we go up against the "abhorred" arch-rival and their "reprehensible" bonfires. Although the rivalry is tempered this year because we're fielding the weakest team we have had in ages and we're just getting blown off the court , I was fortunate enough to have had a roster boasting of Ritualo, Cortez and Cardona during my college years. Sigh.
Doesn't get any better than this
Doesn't get any better than this I'm pretty sure all the Ateneans and Lasallians will remember that tremendous Adidas campaign last year where they came up with the coolest school jackets ever? These became the must have items of the season, and they became so iconic that it wouldn't be too uncommon to see numerous people wearing them casually to the mall. Guilty as charged here. I had to badger Gingerbread Gal incessantly for one, and I would wear it wherever I went. Even if it was hot! Even if three other people would be wearing the same thing! The mystique of the rivalry and school pride has that effect on people.
Coolest jacket ever.
Well guess what? It's that time of the year again and the folks at Adidas have cooked up something once more for us seasonal UAAP fanatics. Specifically targeting Blue Eagles and Green Archers, Adidas has tied up with Sony in bringing to us the UAAP Fan Wear Collection promo.
I likey.
The mechanics are fairly simple. For every P2,000 single receipt purchase of any Adidas UAAP fan wear, you are entitled to a raffle entry that could win you any of the 12 Sony Vaio W netbooks at stake. As you may or may not know, netbooks are those newfangled micro-sized laptops that marry both portability and performance. Given that the Vaio brand is one of the most reputable in the industry, one is sure to covet its sleek 10.1 LCD screen along with a mammoth-sized 160 GB internal memory. My Compaq Presario is green with envy.
So there. Support your school, get the merchandise from August 17 to September 20 and you could bring home one of em' fancy lappies. I actually like their current "Times change ... but the Brotherhood Remains" campaign. Nice to synergize both old and new players into one intergrated campaign. Now if only we could get those old players to suit up for La Salle again so we'd actually win......
Coolest jacket ever.Well guess what? It's that time of the year again and the folks at Adidas have cooked up something once more for us seasonal UAAP fanatics. Specifically targeting Blue Eagles and Green Archers, Adidas has tied up with Sony in bringing to us the UAAP Fan Wear Collection promo.
I likey. The mechanics are fairly simple. For every P2,000 single receipt purchase of any Adidas UAAP fan wear, you are entitled to a raffle entry that could win you any of the 12 Sony Vaio W netbooks at stake. As you may or may not know, netbooks are those newfangled micro-sized laptops that marry both portability and performance. Given that the Vaio brand is one of the most reputable in the industry, one is sure to covet its sleek 10.1 LCD screen along with a mammoth-sized 160 GB internal memory. My Compaq Presario is green with envy.
So there. Support your school, get the merchandise from August 17 to September 20 and you could bring home one of em' fancy lappies. I actually like their current "Times change ... but the Brotherhood Remains" campaign. Nice to synergize both old and new players into one intergrated campaign. Now if only we could get those old players to suit up for La Salle again so we'd actually win......
One day.....
UA&P Campus, 11:00 am
Random Student : Hi Sir GBM! You're back from Cagayan De Oro!
GBM: Yeah, sure was a lot of fun! We ate so much! There was so much food!
RS : Yeah! Looks like it too!
GBM: Um, what do you mean?
RS: Ah, er, uuh nothing! I said you're looking good!
GBM: You said somethinggg!
RS: Well, it just looks like you gained um, er, a couple of pounds?
GBM: Are you serious? I just ate, or maybe it's in my clothes! I actually lost weight!
RS: (Of course you did) But hey that's a good thing! A lot of people aren't eating nowadays!
GBM: You're really kidding right?
RS: Uh, er, of course! (weirdo)
Random Student 2 : Hey Sir! Wow looks like someone had one too many pastels. Those things are good!
Random Student 3 :Hey Sir you're fat! Guess you stopped running eh! I think it looks cute on you though....
GBM: NOOOOOOOOOooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
(wakes up in cold sweat)
Thank God that was a dream. Specially for those like me who are daytime workaholics, I am assuming a lot of you go through the same thing. You know - we work our butts off in training, run into a rough spot at work, we're stressed out like hell and are just plain too tired to run. And in the process we negate all the gains we had made. Or worse - shudder - we gain back all the pounds we had lost.
As I had reiterated in the past, the main reason I ever started running was to lose weight. After the Botak Ultramarathon, I went down to as low as 160. Right now, throw in my ITBS recovery and stops to Cebu, Cagayan De Oro, and Butuan for work (and all the foodies that came with it) , im walking around at 165. Still not the 195 pounder who lost all forms of self-esteem a year ago. But hey, isn't our worst fear to just regain the fruits of all our hard work? Not because we wanted to, but because we are mired in circumstances beyond our control. So what do we do?
Here are some practical tips based off my experiences where you could at least curb the weight gainThis week's feature dwells on how to avoid becoming a jumbo Gingerbread person when going on a business trip.
Lay off the booze. Yeah yeah I know. When on a business trip, this is easier said than done.With all the stress and weird sense of freedom, it's always fun to let yourself go. But remember you could be getting as much carbs in one San Mig Light as you would in 1 cup of rice. Hence, 6 beers = 6 cups of rice. Eek! Don't even start counting the pulutan and bar chow.
You disappoint me son.
Easy on the local delicacies. Cebu has CnT Lechon, Bacolod has the countless inasal restos, Peking duck is always fun in Hong Kong sidestreets. The point here is, oftentimes we would get carried away, and would end up trying everything out. Guilty guy here. Remember, as much as these goodies can excite any hot-blooded gourmand out there, we have waistlines and 10k times to worry about. Snap out of it. One plate of CnT Lechon = Acceptable. 1/2 kilo of CnT Lechon = shame on you glutton.
But it's just half a kilo.....
Assume that you won't be able to run. During my last business trip, I cockily told myself - yeah I'll bring my running gear, see the city routes and maintain my mileage. Guess what? Didn't happen. Not even close. When you compress so many meetings into one day, I doubt if you would have the energy to sneak in a run. Why am I saying assume you won't be able to run? See above. Bring your gear, and you would be tempted to eat all the lechon, pastel and Peking duck you come across because you could "burn it off tomorrow morning". Trust me on this, you'll be doing yourself a favor.
Buy pasalubong for friends and family, not for you. See all that yummy pasalubong? There's a reason they're called pasalubong. Meaning, they're for loved ones. Not you. Try to have your fill while you're there. Just let it go and let your loved ones partake of it when you get back. Or else, you'll end up maintaining the weight gain even when you get back. Comprende?
Just... one.... more.... box....
Know the flight schedules of your running buddy flight stewards/attendants. Weird huh? Well get this. On two successive flights from Cebu and Cagayan, guess who was the head steward/purser on my flight? None other than marathon man/ Takbo.ph habitue Ziggy. Unbelievable, got a big kick out of it. And my stomach surely got a big kick out of it, because my kind friend would always drop off a big doggie bag of the inflight snacks for "take out". I have no idea if Ziggy is just really nice, or if it's some weird ritual with em' cabin crew. Thing was, with no snacks in my hotel room, I am pretty sure I wiped out the contents of that little bag - 1o or so Happy Peanuts and about 6 packs of those yummy biscuits with filling. Gak! Felt like 3 pounds right then and there. ZIggy is still the man though, most folks would kill for his job :)
Ziggy is da man
Epilogue
Random Student : Hi Sir GBM! You're back from Cagayan De Oro!
GBM: Yeah, sure was a lot of fun! We ate so much! There was so much food!
RS :Yeah! Looks like it too!
GBM: (this isn't happening) What... what do you mean?
RS : I mean.... you look like you had a great time!
GBM : (sigh of relief) Awesome! I'll see you in class!
Random Student 2 : Hmm... Parang Tuma...
RS: Nah, baka bagong kain lang. O masikip ung barong.
RS2 : Baka nga. .. Bagong...bagong kain lang.
RS: Anyway, want to try the pastel he brought us from Cagayan?
RS2: Awesome!
Who cares about this weight crap anyway? Care for a shot???
Random Student : Hi Sir GBM! You're back from Cagayan De Oro!
GBM: Yeah, sure was a lot of fun! We ate so much! There was so much food!
RS : Yeah! Looks like it too!
GBM: Um, what do you mean?
RS: Ah, er, uuh nothing! I said you're looking good!
GBM: You said somethinggg!
RS: Well, it just looks like you gained um, er, a couple of pounds?
GBM: Are you serious? I just ate, or maybe it's in my clothes! I actually lost weight!
RS: (Of course you did) But hey that's a good thing! A lot of people aren't eating nowadays!
GBM: You're really kidding right?
RS: Uh, er, of course! (weirdo)
Random Student 2 : Hey Sir! Wow looks like someone had one too many pastels. Those things are good!
Random Student 3 :Hey Sir you're fat! Guess you stopped running eh! I think it looks cute on you though....
GBM: NOOOOOOOOOooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
(wakes up in cold sweat)
Thank God that was a dream. Specially for those like me who are daytime workaholics, I am assuming a lot of you go through the same thing. You know - we work our butts off in training, run into a rough spot at work, we're stressed out like hell and are just plain too tired to run. And in the process we negate all the gains we had made. Or worse - shudder - we gain back all the pounds we had lost.
As I had reiterated in the past, the main reason I ever started running was to lose weight. After the Botak Ultramarathon, I went down to as low as 160. Right now, throw in my ITBS recovery and stops to Cebu, Cagayan De Oro, and Butuan for work (and all the foodies that came with it) , im walking around at 165. Still not the 195 pounder who lost all forms of self-esteem a year ago. But hey, isn't our worst fear to just regain the fruits of all our hard work? Not because we wanted to, but because we are mired in circumstances beyond our control. So what do we do?
Here are some practical tips based off my experiences where you could at least curb the weight gainThis week's feature dwells on how to avoid becoming a jumbo Gingerbread person when going on a business trip.
Lay off the booze. Yeah yeah I know. When on a business trip, this is easier said than done.With all the stress and weird sense of freedom, it's always fun to let yourself go. But remember you could be getting as much carbs in one San Mig Light as you would in 1 cup of rice. Hence, 6 beers = 6 cups of rice. Eek! Don't even start counting the pulutan and bar chow.
You disappoint me son. Easy on the local delicacies. Cebu has CnT Lechon, Bacolod has the countless inasal restos, Peking duck is always fun in Hong Kong sidestreets. The point here is, oftentimes we would get carried away, and would end up trying everything out. Guilty guy here. Remember, as much as these goodies can excite any hot-blooded gourmand out there, we have waistlines and 10k times to worry about. Snap out of it. One plate of CnT Lechon = Acceptable. 1/2 kilo of CnT Lechon = shame on you glutton.
But it's just half a kilo.....Assume that you won't be able to run. During my last business trip, I cockily told myself - yeah I'll bring my running gear, see the city routes and maintain my mileage. Guess what? Didn't happen. Not even close. When you compress so many meetings into one day, I doubt if you would have the energy to sneak in a run. Why am I saying assume you won't be able to run? See above. Bring your gear, and you would be tempted to eat all the lechon, pastel and Peking duck you come across because you could "burn it off tomorrow morning". Trust me on this, you'll be doing yourself a favor.
After going the trip, these uphills seem a bit harder....
Buy pasalubong for friends and family, not for you. See all that yummy pasalubong? There's a reason they're called pasalubong. Meaning, they're for loved ones. Not you. Try to have your fill while you're there. Just let it go and let your loved ones partake of it when you get back. Or else, you'll end up maintaining the weight gain even when you get back. Comprende?
Just... one.... more.... box....Know the flight schedules of your running buddy flight stewards/attendants. Weird huh? Well get this. On two successive flights from Cebu and Cagayan, guess who was the head steward/purser on my flight? None other than marathon man/ Takbo.ph habitue Ziggy. Unbelievable, got a big kick out of it. And my stomach surely got a big kick out of it, because my kind friend would always drop off a big doggie bag of the inflight snacks for "take out". I have no idea if Ziggy is just really nice, or if it's some weird ritual with em' cabin crew. Thing was, with no snacks in my hotel room, I am pretty sure I wiped out the contents of that little bag - 1o or so Happy Peanuts and about 6 packs of those yummy biscuits with filling. Gak! Felt like 3 pounds right then and there. ZIggy is still the man though, most folks would kill for his job :)
Ziggy is da man Epilogue
Random Student : Hi Sir GBM! You're back from Cagayan De Oro!
GBM: Yeah, sure was a lot of fun! We ate so much! There was so much food!
RS :Yeah! Looks like it too!
GBM: (this isn't happening) What... what do you mean?
RS : I mean.... you look like you had a great time!
GBM : (sigh of relief) Awesome! I'll see you in class!
Random Student 2 : Hmm... Parang Tuma...
RS: Nah, baka bagong kain lang. O masikip ung barong.
RS2 : Baka nga. .. Bagong...bagong kain lang.
RS: Anyway, want to try the pastel he brought us from Cagayan?
RS2: Awesome!
Who cares about this weight crap anyway? Care for a shot???It's race day once again, the one long awaited
Our appetite for running fun to be once again satiated
Forget all those problems, let's all make things right
Let go of all that stress, we're actually running at night!
Good ol' Kenny Rogers would have been proud
This would be the one day we'll sing his songs out loud
Wouldn't it be great when amidst all those cheers and beers
The music blaring is my high school grad song "Through The Years"
Sorta liked him better before the face job
The ruckus about the race kits had people mad
For a race of this magnitude that sure is quite sad
Feedback varies, its either a hit or miss
But let's be positive everyone and try not to diss
Chewy doesn't like this at all
Will attempt to pace Rico and the rest to a sub-60 victory
Should the ITB flare up then I'm really really sorry
With a little luck we'll all conquer that hill
And reminisce about the day we won through Sheer Will
We can do this. Again.
The timing chip is tied in, the blinkers are ready
Mind and body attuned, disposition calm and steady
The first chip-timed night race has everyone at fever pitch
Please let my ITB hold, im sick of asking ambulances for a hitch.
I'm ambu-phobic
Good luck with your targets and personal goals everyone! Hope to catch you later! :)
Our appetite for running fun to be once again satiated
Forget all those problems, let's all make things right
Let go of all that stress, we're actually running at night!
Good ol' Kenny Rogers would have been proud
This would be the one day we'll sing his songs out loud
Wouldn't it be great when amidst all those cheers and beers
The music blaring is my high school grad song "Through The Years"
Sorta liked him better before the face jobThe ruckus about the race kits had people mad
For a race of this magnitude that sure is quite sad
Feedback varies, its either a hit or miss
But let's be positive everyone and try not to diss
Chewy doesn't like this at all Will attempt to pace Rico and the rest to a sub-60 victory
Should the ITB flare up then I'm really really sorry
With a little luck we'll all conquer that hill
And reminisce about the day we won through Sheer Will
We can do this. Again.The timing chip is tied in, the blinkers are ready
Mind and body attuned, disposition calm and steady
The first chip-timed night race has everyone at fever pitch
Please let my ITB hold, im sick of asking ambulances for a hitch.
I'm ambu-phobic Good luck with your targets and personal goals everyone! Hope to catch you later! :)
Before we even start with this, I'll be blunt - I was never really an Adidas kinda guy. My last Adidas shoe was the Kobe shoe shaped like a foot during the late 90's. Got injured bad with it. Thought it looked cool though. Thus I was armed with this intrinsic, subliminal (albeit unrequited) disdain as I entered the Adidas AdiZero presser.
Up for the challenge?
My curiosity was piqued when Quincy of Greenbulb PR emailed me the invite, a hotwired "challenge" built in to the event. The spin is that the Adizero series is the lightest in its class, so bring your running shoes, if it's heavier than 265 grams they'll give you a 20% discount. By default you would think that they'd give you a discount if it were lighter, but hey we're getting ahead of ourselves. Just think of it this way - if these shoes would allow Takbo.ph head honcho Jinoe to beat Haile Gebrselassie in a 10k, they're worth giving a second look right?
Eat my dust Haile!
But before the whole thing started.....
GBM (at the entrance of Greenbelt 3 fronting the pond) : Manong , where is the Adidas store located?
Manong Guard : Ay wala na ho dito yan, nasa Greenbelt 5 yan.
GBM: Huh, my contact person specifically said Greenbelt 3.
MG: Ay wala na nga ho yan, matagal na. Dati nanjan ngayon wala na.
GBM: Are you sure?
MG: Oo nga, kahit pagbaliktarin mo pa to, nilipat na nga.
GBM: Okay hmph , okay I'll take your word for it.
Crabby Guy
GBM (at the Greenbelt 5 entrance) : Boss, where is the Adidas store located here?
Fancy SG : Oh no sir, we don't have that store here. It is actually in Greenbelt 3.
GBM (woah) : Um, seriously? The guy in Greenbelt 3 said it was here!
FSG : I do apologize for that sir. It happens with the goofs over there. They have... slightly different training from us. Do you want me to personally escort you to the Adidas store?
GBM: Oh that won't be necessary , you guys sure do things .. differently here in Greenbelt 5!
FSG: You betcha sir! Have a wonderful day, and don't hesitate to approach me should you have any other concerns.
GBM: !!!!
Greenbelt 5 guards are... different
GBM(Back in Greenbelt 3) : The guard at Greenbelt 5 said it was here!
SG: Wala nga dito! Kahit saan ka tumingin dito, wala dito!
GBM: (walks about 40 feet from entrance, sees Adidas store to his left, goes back to guard)
So what do you call that ginormous Adidas store about 40 feet from where you're standing?
SG: Ah, eh, um, Ehhhhh. Bago siguro yan! Bago! Ngayon ko lang nakita yan! Wala yan dati!
Senior Security Guard : Ser, first day lang ho niyan pagpasensiyahan ninyo na....
GBM: !!!!
Uh, er, hehe, um SORRY ser?
The Launch Proper
Once I finally extricated myself from that mess a wee bit perturbed, I made my way back to the store. Among the blogging luminary sightings (:P) Takbo.ph bossing Jinoe , Jaymie/TBR, idol Vener, and sir Rene/Jazzrunner were among the early birds. Bromance buddy Rico/Sheer Will, Sam The Running Ninja, Running Diva Roselle and Jay/Prometheus Cometh along with Marga/Alaskadora got there a little bit later. Nice store, impeccably decked out. Was warmly welcomed by PR guy/erstwhile textmate Quincy. Turns out he was about 5 batches lower than me in DLSU. Oh the trappings of old age.
Yes it's lighter!
Dreaming of how it would be to run in these shoes....
Jinoe and Jaymie hanging out before the "weigh in"
Sam and Roselle catch up with the gang
The Products
Youthful looking Adidas marketing boss Xavier was on hand to explain the nuances of the different products. Touted as the lightest in their class, these shoes were the same ones worn by Haile Gebrselassie when he broke his own world record at the Berlin Marathon, the first sub- 2:04 marathon time in history. There are three main models in the series - Aegis, Tempo, and Boston. What do these have to offer? Let's take a look.
"Back when I was in college, which was like last year, I always thought Adidas was the best"
Adizero Aegis
The Official Word :
A faster, sleeker lightweight trainer which is designed with ForMotion upper and a ground-adapting 3D Formtion unit for smoother, more natural touchdowns at high speeds. Airmesh provides maximum ventilation. A moulded respEVA sockliner for greater step-in comfort while an extended Torsion System bar gives heel and midfoot stability.
What that means :
These are shoes which would provide the speed of a typical racer while providing much needed stability for midfoot strikers. The advantage? It's reputed to be lighter than anything else on the market within its class hence you'll be faster. Follow the logic?
Adizero Boston
The Official Word :
This is a competition long-distance running shoe intended for serious runners. Once again, the air mesh upper gives maximum ventilation while the dual-layer Adlite/respoEVA sockliner give great step in comfort, an extended Torsion System bar gives heel and midfoot stability, and adiPrene in the forefoot and heel provide max cushioning.
What that Means :
Essentially, it's the model in the series built for longer distance runs as it provides more cushioning and stability. Planning to run a marathon at 2:57 pace just like Haile without developing plantar fasciitis in the process? While that's pretty much unrealistic, if you're a competitive runner who's looking for an edge then this is the shoe for you.
AdiZero Tempo
The Official Word
Without a doubt the lightest in its class, the Tempo provides all the benefits of the two others in the series, only difference is that the midsole is built around two plastic heel plates that slow side-to-side movement, giving the shoe additional rearfoot support. A firm section of foam in the shoe's forefoot provides a solid base for toe-off.
What That Means :
Quite simply, all the benefits of an ultralight racer for the faster paced, high- arch people or for the neutrals who need a tempo run/speedwork day shoe. Very light, and provides enough stability for good measure.
The Weigh In
As niceties were exchanged, we were ushered to the main area by the emcee's well-modulated (promise) voice. The official "weigh- in" challenge was to commence. Among others, Jaymie put up her Lunar Glides and Jinoe his Mizuno Ronins to the test. Both shoes were , as the well-modulated guy put it awkwardly, "DEFINITELY Lighter" than the 265 gram challenge weight. Okay. As that made for some unneccesary weirdness, nice guy Xavier qualified the whole thing by explaining that the Ronins and Lunar Glides were classified as flat racers, and that their claim was only limited to within its class.
It's definitely lighter!
Not again!
He explained that the Adizero Rocket would be the equivalent of these shoes. Much like P.T. Barnum playing to the crowd, the Rocket was propositioned for a weigh-in. Lo and behold, it came in at a Liliputian 190 grams, sending shocked murmurs amongst those present. I doubt if those present have ever heard of a shoe that light. The running denizens were definitely impressed.
GBM Takes on the Challenge
I brought my own size 12 NB 848 light stabs just for fun. It looked so um, big compared to the Adizeroes. How much did it weigh against the 265 gram standard? 375 grams. Eeek! :) But Rico pointed out that his shoes were even heavier, so I guess the Adizeroes really blow away all competition in the "lightness" genre. So if you're part of that school of thought who equate lightness = speed = better times, you know where to go.
Adidas has an ongoing promo from July 17 to September 22, with their Greenbelt and Trinoma flagship stores involved. Three packages to choose from -
Package A- Get 15% off when you buy a running top + bottom and receive a FREE adidas marathon diary.
Package B- Get 15% off a pair of running shoes (includes mi adidas) and receive a FREE adidas marathon diary.
Package C- Get 25% off when you buy a running top + bottom + shoes (includes mi adidas) and receive a FREE adidas marathon diary.
I'll see if I could give you guys a more comprehensive review of the AdiZero line in the upcoming days. Watch out for it!
Epilogue
GBM (on the way out) : Boss, may I know where the men's room is?
SG: Ah wala hong CR dito, sa Greenbelt 5 pa ho ung pinakamalapit.
GBM : Oh Lord not again........
That's All Folks!
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