Why You Little #@!?+

I've been a very, very lousy running buddy (almost 3 weeks, I think). Now, my Nike+ sensor is playing hard to get (How many times do I have to walk around in circles?). I had to run without it yesterday—Sayang ang miles! I'm crossing my fingers that it just had an off day. It had better damn well work come [Nike+] race day [31.8.2008].

On a happier note, I'm getting the Nike+ Human Race 10K shirt, that was ordered online, this week. I may not be flying off to one of the key cities, but who says you can't run garbed in the Human Race spirit. Yay!

Four Legs and A Tale: One Greenormous Run

{Finished in 27:01 min. Not bad!}

Call it animal instinct, but I knew something big was coming up. My usually ordinary dog days were instantly peppered with new words like: Training, Run fast, Beat those dogs (What dogs?), Don’t fall asleep ha!, and Muzzle (I don’t know what that is, but it doesn’t sound good at all). Always left behind when my humans leave for Sunday morning races, I was finally allowed to stay inside the car after I jumped in. Apparently, I’ll be joining my human, Janine, in a 3K marathon. Cool.

We arrived at Fort Bonifacio for the One La Salle Run, and what a sight to behold. I’ve never seen so much green in my life! My humans rolled down the windows and pointed out some dogs (Oh, you meant those dogs). Beagles, Shih Tzus, Labs, Golden Retrievers, and German Shepherds all abound. I popped my head out of the window and took in the air. Hmm, smells like stiff competition.

We finally found a parking spot and made our way to the starting point. The vibe was both exciting and overwhelming. Even my humans seemed surprised at the vast number of people that turned up. Almost 5000, I think. All I could see were feet, feet, and more feet of the two- and four-legged variety. A pair of hairy, white legs came up to us. Fairly middle-aged and toting a frisky mini pinscher, the man talks to my Janine.

Some Old Dude: ‘San mo nakuha yung number ng aso mo? Bakit kami wala? (Where did you get your dog’s race bib? How come we didn’t get one?)
One Hot Momma: Ah, ako lang po gumawa niyan. (Oh, I just made it myself.)
Some Old Dude: Tumatakbo ba talaga yung aso mo? Yung aso ko, palaging nagte-10K ito! (Does your dog really run? My dog runs 10K all the time!)
One Hot Momma: Hmm, hindi, mga 5 minutes lang siya tapos tinatamad na… (Hmm, noooo, 5 minutes is all he'll do before he keels over and plays dead.)

I could’ve smacked my human right there and then. How about a little trash talk, huh?!

Their conversation ended as the rain began to fall— big, furious droplets threatened the race. Uh-oh. The runners seemed oblivious of the rain as they proceeded to run anyway. I cowered under an official’s chair. I just took a stupid bath yesterday, no way was I gonna get all wet and muddy.

My human eventually forced me to run. Hey, running in the rain was actually a lot of fun!

We started off nice and slow since the road was a bit crowded. I picked up my pace and just jogged alongside my human most of the way. Noo-nee-noo-nee-noo. I felt like a semi-rock star with all the oohs and aahs (mostly from girls) I heard as we ran down the road. Must be the shirt. And to think my humans thought I looked Winnie-the-Pooh gay. Hah!

So there we were, running and minding our own business, until my uncanny canine abilities sensed something… I looked behind and saw a raging bulldog hounding me. Yikes! I may be a Weiner, but I wasn't planning on being anybody’s breakfast! Adrenaline kicked in (or was it fear?) and I ran as fast as my short, stubby legs would let me.

Surprised at the sudden vigor, my human bolted after me. Seeing what I was running away from, she broke into fits of laughter with the bully’s owner. That’s strike two for you, Janine! Hmph.

After more than the expected amount of running (Harrumph), I rested for a while and continued to just leisurely walk and people/dog watch. We caught sight of fellow mock-hlete and Running Fatboy, who ran past us in the 16K route.

Almost half an hour later, we finally spotted the finish line. Hooray! We sprinted towards the crowd and met our cheering squad with a triumphant smile and a high tail. My human scooped me up for a victory hug with a proud look on her face. Who cares if I’m wet, cold, and grimy? I am now officially a Marathoner. ~Imp

{All geared up in green for my 1st Marathon.}

{Running with my favorite human.}

{It runs in the family.}

{My canine cousin, Russia the Schnauzer}

{I'm pooped.}

iPod Rice Value Meal

{Would you like a side order of rice with that?}

I wrecked my beloved iPod during the Mockathlon. It was heart-wrenching. I would've cried, had it not been for my own stupidity/stubborness/burning desire to redeem myself from the pathetic excuse called swimming (See Mockathlon entry).

I absolutely love, love, loved running in the rain. The rain, however, hates me and decided to seep into my iPod Nano and "hang" it to death despite my waterproof jacket. My last iPod memory before it died: a frozen 4.57 kilometers (It was like the 5K that never ended).

Thank God for forwarded emails though. Just a few weeks ago, I received an email on how rice can save a drenched iPod. Apparently, uncooked rice or "bigas", a natural desiccant, serves as a deoxidizing agent and speeds up the drying process. It makes a lot of sense, but then again, do we really believe everything we see on the Net? The email had a picture of an iPod Shuffle dipped in a cup where a teabag would've been. Death by drowning. Needless to say, the email was automatically dragged to the trash bin and forgotten. Until it happened to me.

So I figured, why not try the rice theory out, since my iPod's all busted already anyway, right? And whaddya know, it actually worked. I would probably have spent more had I sent my iPod to a service center. I have long deleted that iPod/rice email, but it's never too late to share helpful, and more importantly, economical tips on everyday living.

How To Save A Drowned iPod

1. Dry as much of the external part as you can.
2. Don't try to charge or turn on the gadget just yet, the internal thingamajigs might still be grounded.
3. Get a bowl or deep dish.
4. Fill it up with UNCOOKED RICE or "bigas".
5. Let your iPod sit in it (I left it there for 1 1/2 days) and let the natural drying process begin.
6. Serve and enjoy!

Disclaimer: I have yet to research and confirm on this, but hey, it worked for me!

Mockathlon

One not so fine Saturday morning, amidst the cold rain and howling winds, a Mock-hlete was born.

{See Mock-hlete run. Run, run, run.}

Yes, it was my pathetic attempt in adding another feather to my cap: An Aquathlon.

The sport of aquathlon consists of a continuous, two-stage race involving swimming followed by a running leg. (Un)officially organized by Running Fatboy's equally running (not fat!) siblings, Nat and Carolyn, the mock/non-pro/purely "for fun" swimming & running event was held at the Manila Polo Club with an elite group of future marathoners and wannabe triathletes. There were three divisions: the Aquathlon (10 laps swim/5K run), the 5K Run, and the 3K Kiddie Fun Run. As you know, I joined the aquathlon, and yes, I did make a mockery of myself in the swimming part.

{I'm a lover, not a swimmer.}

I only finished 6 out of 10 laps in the Olympic-sized pool. I hated giving up, but I was practically dragging everyone down (everyone was finished with swimming and transferred to the track already). Besides, I was really there for the run anyway. Gotta save my energy, you know? (haha) Excuses, excuses.

{The Mock-hletes}

The DIY sporting event culminated with an awarding ceremony at Pancake House (McKinley Hill) for the top 3 placers in all divisions. Prizes in store were gift certificates from Pancake House, spa sessions (Yay!), Unilever gift packs, and Nike accessories to name a few. Since there were a number of generous donations, everyone got to take home a prize. Finally, the fun in the "for fun" part. Plus, the guilt-free banana walnut pancakes I had for breakfast, of course.

Waking up at 5 AM, almost dying trying, murdering my iPod, and getting an embarassingly, unpublishable time in the aquathlon... All in all, it was a perfectly great way to save a gloomy Saturday morning.

Doggone Running

I've been quite the delinquent designer, and now you'll know why.

Aside from my quest for the perfect workspace, I'm also quite the running enthusiast and dog-luvah extraordinaire. So when the perfect (and oh so fun!) opportunity presents itself and scores 2 out of my 3 obsessions, a little delay is totally excusable.

{Imp's got game}

Marathoners running around the city is not an unusual occurence, but marathoning dogs?!? How cute is that!? As much as I'd like to go the distance and do the 16K run, the pet division is just too fun to pass up. Training is going to be a bitch though (no pun intended), so a little motivation is definitely needed. If Nike has Lance Armstrong's Livestrong sportband, then Hobbes & Landes (Bonifacio High Street) has their own version as well. The doggie bands come in different colors, sizes, and slogans too. Again, how cute is that!?!! I got the (hopefully) prophetic "Run Fast" in, what else, GREEN! Perfect.

{One La Salle Run}

WHAT: One Run. One Family. One La Salle (3K/5K/16K/Pet Division)

WHEN: 13 July 2008 (6 am)
WHERE: Fort Bonifacio, Taguig

For more details on the run, check out La Salle Cares or Running Fatboy (Yes, he too, is an addict!) blog. You can also register in Olympic Village/Gold outlets.

(I can't wait!)

P.S. For the benefit of the One La Salle Scholarship Endowment Fund
P.P.S. Support more pet-friendly events!