2nd BDM Ultramarathon 102 (Part 1: Background)

Like many Filipinos, I don’t know much about the real forced death march our forefathers went through during the Japanese occupation of the Philippines during World War II.  All I know was that it was one of the darkest chapters of human history, and it should be remembered so that we are not bound to…

I Survived Mount Pulag (Part 2)

Apparently I wasn’t the only one who needs to be thawed.  At around 3AM I was hearing voices in our camp and I’m hearing water was being boiled for coffee—just the thought of hot coffee in your tummy during this freezing setting is already heaven.  I was still reluctant to get outside for coffee, but…

I Survived Mount Pulag (Part 1)

Mount Pulag became my “date” last February 14, 2010, Valentine’s Day.  It was also Chinese New Year that day so you may say there were at least two reasons that made that weekend special.

The Natural Joy of Running: Barefoot?

Barefoot running?  It can’t get any natural than that—before civilization was invented, or any form of it, that was how our ancestors moved and survived eons ago.  Today in the 21st century running had become very technical—pronation, supination, compression, hydration, fartlek, Global Positioning System, etc.—isn’t it nice to not think of any of these terms…

2009: Year in Review (Part 2: The Bests and the Worsts)

Not all races are made equal and this is the time to give due credit to those that gave us great experiences.  Because of the ordeal many runners encountered during the period it was requested that penitent races also be mentioned (79% of respondents to my poll want bloggers to feature lowlights for the year). …

runningpinoy’s 2009 Second Half Report

Before we look back at the year in its entirety let us first review the Philippine running scene for the last six months.  This period saw highs and lows as far as races were concerned.  Races reached all-time high in terms of participants while inversely its quality fell to all-time lows (since August 2008 when…

Singapore Special: Pre-Race Tour (Day 02)

As a tourist in the 21st century it is probably a mortal sin not to have a camera of sorts especially on foreign land, so for my second day in Singapore finding one comes on top of my itinerary.  Being a gadget hub I sure didn’t have any difficulty finding one for me in Singapore. …

Singapore Special: Southward Bound (Day 01)

After nine months finally I get to travel outside the Philippines and for my first ASEAN destination, Singapore!  It would be my first time to be a “sports tourist” and was very excited to have my first marathon outside the country.  Of course I am not alone with this “addiction” as I have my close…

Shoe Review: K-Swiss K-Ona

K-Swiss isn’t particularly known in the Philippines as a company that makes running shoes so I was quite surprised when I saw several models in the local market.  One particular shoe that caught my eye was the K-Ona. K-Ona is definitely a looker with its design.  It looks very breathable but what surprised me was…

Join runningpinoy’s Virtual Tours

Christmas season is here!  For many this is also a time for vacation and travel.  For those who won’t be able to do so (myself included), join with me on a virtual tour of two spots I’ve been to for the past two consecutive weekends: Ilocos Provinces, Philippines, and Singapore.  These tours served as an…

The “Perfect” Race: Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon Primer

Uniquely Singapore, the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon is one of the largest and most popular marathons in the world frequented by thousands of international runners from all walks of life.  It in itself is an income-generating activity for Singapore, a perfect example of how sports tourism can help boost the economy.   This years’ event…

runningpinoy Turns One!

Just a few days ago I was celebrating my birthday; yesterday I had another reason to celebrate as my running blog had its first anniversary!