The Rainman Rides

I started writing here after I got into running and organizing the Corregidor International Half-Marathon. I don’t really think of this blog as a “running” blog because occasionally, I share travels, adventure and even law. Now I have another reason to write about and share. Just recently, I got myself a motorcycle. Yes, a big bike. It’s like living a childhood dream!

Since I have not been running much the writing also stopped. My last running event was the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon which was a disaster. I blame myself for not preparing for the event. I was too busy with work that training was at a bare minimum.

Another reason for the limited road mileage is the fact that my right foot developed a heel spur. (Read about it in a previous post Spur of the Moment ).

I have never ridden a motorcycle in my life and now I have an 800 cc Ducati Monster. Hence, for two weeks, the bike was cooped up in the garage. For another week, I was just starting the engine and twisting the throttle. Then I got the the necessary riding equipment: helmet, jacket, gloves, boots and knee pads. I began riding the rocket in circles around the garage. The rest is now history.

The day she arrived.

Sunday morning breakfast ride in Burgos Circle with (From L to R) Jay, Nestor, Kara, Tom, JM, Jody and Toto.

I have only started riding the bike to nearby coffee shops in my area or for meeting with clients. On weekends, I meet fellow rider friends for breakfast. Who knows, soon  I’d be doing long distance rides to interesting places in the Philippines like what Ernesto “Che” Guevarra did in South America.

This is the first of my “Motorcycle Diaries”. The Rainman Rides.

*Special thanks to Rene Sangco of lensmates Photography

App Review: Nike Training Club

It’s a personal trainer application for the iPad or iPhone.

Choose your workout. The exercises cover cardio, strength, core and interval training. Each workout lasts for 30++ minutes.

There are detailed instructions and video demos to guide you while you workout.
Plus, you can customize your workout playlist!

While you workout a Nike coach gives you instructions. You can pause the workout anytime to access the video demo.

I recommend it to anyone who needs motivation and cross training routines.

Ridiculous

The Blackberry Data Plan via service provider scheme is simply ridiculous!

Plus Gmail users have to integrate the phone with the data plan to browse email. You can’t simply use WiFi or GPRS!

I can’t help but regret getting the Blackberry 9700.

I know it’s a good phone but how come RIM made it so difficult to use?!?

Where RIM fails, Apple succeeds. All Apple gadgets are (almost) ready to use straight out from the box.

Plus the Apps are idiot-proof.

Tip to RIM: KISS – Keep It Simple (for the) Stupid!

Some people don’t have the time or patience to do your setup requirements. Think out of the box. As in end users should be able to enjoy your product immediately after taking it out of the box!

Motivation in a Black Box

A reason to train…hard? Not exactly.

Now I have a gadget that can measure the things I do when I train. This means no more guess work on what’s going on inside!

I’m still looking forward though to this other gadget to measure speed (distance/time).

My Stats:

Heart Rate max 190 (High activity – 3-5 hours a week. Participating in at least 3 times a week in heavy physical training. Ex. 20-50km per week or 3-5 hours per week in comparable physical activity.)

Heart Rate sit 60

VO2 max 59

Flipped out at the TNF Thrill of the Trail Run 2010

It’s my first trail run for the year. Since I just ran a 42k last week I decided to sign up for the 11k trail event and take it “easy”. The TNF run coincides with Valentine’s Day and Chinese New Year so I wore red for luck and love. Cheesy!

We left early to catch a light breakfast on the road. The weather that morning was pleasant and a bit breezy. Perfect time to test the little Flip camcorder Marga and I got for Run Radio. I knew it would be a challenge to carry a gadget like that even if it was small because conditions on the trail can be unpredictable. Slips, sprains or falls can easily happen if I wasn’t too careful. I got out unscathed thankfully. But I almost lost the Flip when I paused to take the sand and stones in my socks and shoes after the river crossing. I dashed from the water station immediately leaving the Flip behind! I was a bit far from the place when I remembered so I had to rush back. Silly and stupid.

I don’t regret bringing the camcorder though because I got some shots of the trail, the river and the finish. Beats writing the little details of the race. Now you can see what happened from my point of view. I just hope you don’t mind the bouncing. It was tough to keep the camera steady with my pace.

Note: The video clips were raw not edited, except for the splicing and the music.

Team Run Radio: Dingdong, Bards, Marga and Luis

The TNF Starting Line at the Nuvali Solenad Area

Post race with Edward, Bards, Jaymie and Dingdong

Poetic photo by Edward

Dear Prudence

“Dear Prudence, won’t you come out to play
Dear Prudence, greet the brand new day
The sun is up, the sky is blue
It’s beautiful and so are you
Dear Prudence won’t you come out to play”

These words played in my head as I pulled her off her case. Now she can plug in to an amp! Once I played my first song I got so excited with the brilliance of the sound. I appreciate the melody even more now as the amp just boosts every detail.

Unfortunately, there’s a slight feedback on the E string when idle. I still have to get a feedback buster from the music store and scout for a good pre-amp or a graphic or parametric equalizer.

What was installed? The Duncan|Turner Acoustice Research (D TAR) SADDUCER.

The Sadducer™ is an under-saddle-transducer for acoustic guitar that uses six discrete piezo crystals, one for each string. The result is a high-output pickup designed for even frequency response. It’s exceptional for melody players, especially those who play over the entire fingerboard. But perhaps the biggest benefit is that, unlike other piezo pickups, the Sadducer does not require a built-in or off-board preamp to boost and smooth the signal. That means no batteries required!

A normal guitar jack plugs into the Sadducer and any guitar amp. I recommend an acoustic guitar amp for the best acoustic sound.

It doubles as a guitar strap nut. So I also had the old strap nut moved on the neck. Not she can be played standing up. Excellent for gigs!

If you want to be more technical about it here are the features:

Feature	Benefit
Uses discrete piezo crystals	Better string to string balance. Increased responsiveness to the guitar top’s vibrations for great tone
High output response	No need for expensive on-board electronics to boost signal
Lower output impedance than film type transducers	No buffering preamp required, no battery required, simpler installation
Thin height profile	Allows for optimal saddle placement in bridge slot, generally without need to modify slot
Thin width profile	Accommodates both 1/8″ and 3/32″ saddles
Available in steel string and nylon string versions	Optimized for type of guitar

The men responsible: Ramon and Jenner of Audiophile Greenhills.

QCIM Prep

Due to the crazy weather, not to mention the two big typhoons that his Metro Manila and Northern Luzon, the training for my first full marathon got sidetracked. But this did not keep me from pursuing this would be “lifetime achievement.” Kung hindi ngayon, kailan. Kung di ako, sino? Postponing this run to a later date will just be delaying the inevitable.

I had two whole weeks to cram a training routine but as per a veteran-runner brod’s advice: “You can’t get any fitter than how you are now.” I complete junked the idea of doing conditioning long training runs. What I did was to rest, eat well and psych myself up.

Come the day prior to the race, I had a relaxing manicure and pedicure.

By 8:30 PM the night before I was tucked in bed already.

OC.

I did an inventory of the stuff I will be needing for the run. As I had to wake up early, laying them down in one corner would save me prep time. Except for the extra Gatorade and water which I entrusted to my bike support, most of the items in the photo were on me the whole time.

1. Sunglasses

2. Cap

3. T1 Tights

4. Nike Pro Sleeveless undershirt

5. Adidas Jersey

6. Newton Stability Racer

7. Fuel Belt

8. Gu (4 tubes)

9. Race bib and map

10. Pain reliever meds and sunblock

Breakfast of Champs: Banana Nutella French Toast!

I woke up at 2AM to make breakfast and hydrate. I could hear the sound of live band music from the bars in front of the condo.

The night was still young for these party goers. I also realized that as everyone  was preparing to get to sleep or partying the night away, there I was up and ready to run. And it was my birthday. While having “breakfast” I saw birthday greetings from nocturnal friends on facebook. I replied to some of them over toast just before gearing up and leaving for the starting line.

Tumi Launches Fall 2009 Line

Things I bring with me all the time:

1. MacBook Pro 17″ with the Power Cord, mini mouse, USB hub
2. Leica D-Lux 3 Point and Shoot Camera
3. Nokia E90 Communicator
4. Calendar Notebook
5. Documents and Folders
6. Books

Where do I put them all? At present I use a Victorinox laptop sleeve. But it bulges a lot once I start packing in the other stuff.

Luckily, a friend invited me to the launch of Tumi’s Fall 2009 Collection.  I saw some of the latest document and laptop bags they have that features the tough Ballistic Nylon fabric (or leather). The design is classic and elegant. And of course, it has all the space I need.

Did I get it? Not yet. Despite the 20% slash on the prices on the launch night, I opted to hold on to my credit card first. Impulse buying brakes activated! Will have to take another trip back to the Tumi store for a second look.

Alpha

This larger laptop case has a lot going for it: an expandable main compartment, numerous organizer pockets inside and out and a versatile computer compartment that holds a 17″ or 15″ laptop. Made from Tumi’s signature ballistic nylon, this case features a removable accessory pouch, top carry handles and a removable, adjustable shoulder strap.
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Tumi is the leading international brand of luxury travel, business and lifestyle accessories. Since its founding in 1975, Tumi’s commitment to design excellence, functional superiority and technical innovation has made it the brand of choice for the world’s most discerning and demanding travelers. In 2007, David Chu, founder of Nautica–the global lifestyle brand– was appointed Tumi’s Executive Creative Director, overseeing all product design, advertising, communications and store design, Chu brings a new sense of style, modernity and refinement, creating the luxe Townhouse collection of luggage, business and travel bags, designing beautifully crafted women‚s handbags and accessories, including scarves, neckwear and small leather goods. Tumi is available at fine department and specialty stores as well as over 100 Tumi stores around the world.

(Tumi Link)

G-Shock

Sentimental is not a trait I am known for. I don’t really have an attachment to physical possessions but there are some things which I value because of certain events in my life that are connected to the object in some way.

I’ve had this Casio G-Shock watch for a couple of years now. During the GMA-7 Tatakbo ka ba? Fun Run I noticed that the watch casing had a chipped and cracked part. I knew there and then that it is now irreparable. Thus I also realized the need for me to get a new sports/running watch. Any suggestions?

What makes this watch special for me is the story behind its acquisition. I got it on sale from a store in Greenhills. I was studying for a law school midterm week then. I remember distinctly that I called my dad to ask permission for me to use the money he gave for tuition to get that watch. I told him that I had trouble budgeting time during the exams I take because I did not have a watch when I was in law school. Since this watch was on sale it was what I can afford at that time. So my father gave me permission to “malverse” my tuition money for the purchase. I even had to write a promissory note to Ateneo Law for me to be given an exam permit.  What’s the point of being able to pay my tuition and take the exam if I’m gonna flunk it because I can’t finish answering all the questions because of poor time management? Last weekend I saw the bar questions for the Political Law and Labor Law. The exams were mostly problems that require well-reasoned answers. I hope that the examinees will be able to use the time allotted for the exams wisely and efficiently. A message to all bar examinees: answer clearly, concisely and completely. Use up all the time given but save a few minutes to go over and review your answers. 1 day down, 3 to go.

Now for some running. : )

Little Things for Cory Aquino

A macro photo set for the former president. President Corazon Cojuangco Aquino. Symbol of democracy. Icon of peace, justice and liberty.

Yellow ribbon.

The Philippine Flag.

The Presidential Seal.

For reference.