CONTEST WINNERS: How To Finish 60 Flights of Stairs in 60 Minutes

Yesterday, Skechers Philippines gave me ten (10) Discovery Vertical Race 5K race kits to give away to ten crazy readers. Thanks for sharing your gameplan, guys! It was a blast reading them. Now you need a new gameplan because your secret has been revealed. ;)

And the winners of a (1) 5K race kit are: 
1. Christopher Iblan  
2. Alison I. Barrero
3. Claridel Guanseng
4. Richard Francia
5. Leticia Guilas
6. Elvin A. Evalla
7. Leandro Clor
8. Jarowin Villaruel
9. Leonard Clor
10. Hanna Rose Pua

You can claim your race kits in Skechers store in Market!Market! this afternoon (1 PM onwards) until tomorrow. February 10-11 (Mall Hours).  And while you're at it, check out their line of barefoot running shoes Skechers GO RUN. Congratulations! Enjoy the race. Go crazy! GO RUN!

Check out their Crazy Runners' Gameplan on HOW TO FINISH 60 FLIGHTS OF STAIRS IN 60 SECONDS...

1. I will set myself on a giant catapult, angry bird style!
2. I'll set myself in a pulley system. The cable's ends are for me and weights (probably double my weight). Probably, wearing a cape for my debut flight. :)
3. I will wear sexy running attire to distract my opponent para maunahan ko sila.
4. I'll bring my bodyguards to wash away the other runners.
5. I will eat a lot of chocnuts para hyper!!
6. I will put a spring on my feet so that I can jump several steps and leapfrog on other runners.
7. I will practice as early as now to win.
8. I will take lots of energy drink to be stronger and faster.
9. I will wear nothing soI'll be lighter during the run.
10. I will ask for powers from my ancient Chinese relatives.

How To Win Vertical Run Race Kits

Christmas may be over, but Skechers Philippines is still in a very giving mood. I recently blogged about how I won a pair of really awesome shoes here. And since I'm pretty much still psyched from that piece of good fortune, I'm sharing the love of winning!

I'm giving away ten (10) race kits to the Discovery Vertical Run 2012 to be held this Sunday, February 12 in McKinley Hills.

(For more details on the Discovery Vertical Run 2012, check out Gigi A.K.A. The Fit Mommy A.K.A. My GO RUN Nemesis' blog.)

Just tell me your gameplan on HOW TO FINISH 60 FLIGHTS OF STAIRS IN 60 SECONDS. Of course, we all know that's a purely rhethorical question. So, just go ahead and go crazy with your comments (i.e. I'll strap a rocket to my back and zoom up while singing Far East Movement's Rocketeer).

Out of the box ideas are more than welcome!

The first ten (10) people to comment on this blog post will win one (1) Vertical Run 2012 race kit for the Skechers GO RUN 5K category (no stairs for this one though). The only rule is that there is no rule. 'Coz really, sometimes you just have to do something crazy once in a while to win. ;)

Oh, and don't forget to put your FULL NAME as part of the comment. ;)

NOTE: I will be leaving the names of the first ten (10) commenters at the Skechers Store in Market! Market!. You can claim your race kits there from Friday-Saturday (Feb 11-12). If someone is claiming on your behalf, just have an authorization letter ready.

How To Win Really Awesome Shoes

Skechers? Running? Really???

Those were the first things that popped into my head when Skechers Philippines invited us runner-bloggers to the launch of their minimalist shoe, the Skechers GO RUN series. To be honest, I was so used to associating Skechers as a lifestyle and "street dance" shoe rather than an athletic brand, that I was a bit skeptical and a lot curious.

Being the early bird in the bunch, I was able to browse through their selection of running shoes in peace. Aesthetically speaking, Skechers GO RUN is actually in the running (pardon the pun) for being one of the best-looking athletic shoes in the market. The collection boasts of rainbow hued trainers- one for each day of the week and more! My eyes quickly gravitated towards the neon blue ones, and I remember thinking "Yep, I want you".

Skechers GO RUN features SmartShoe technology for a mid-foot strike.
(Notice how the shoe doesn't lay flat? Now that's smart.)



Impulse sensors are strategically placed for enhanced sensory feedback.

As soon as the rest of the runner-bloggers arrived at the Skechers store in Market!Market!, the event started with Skechers GO RUN endorser and Runner's World Philippines' cover girl, Michelle Estuar, giving a testament on how awesome Skechers GO RUN is.

(Continue reading and you'll see how I became a convert...)

Michelle Estuar

After all that technical talk, it was time for a few fun and games. Apparently, those treadmills sitting around the event area wasn't for a demo, but for a running contest! And since I was already clad in my running outfit (there was a dress code), I naturally volunteered. ;) Natch! (Okay, maybe there was a little bit of that competitive spirit hovering too.)

I was grouped with fellow long distance runners, Gigi (32K) and (102K), all of us admittedly competitive, but more importantly, loved the would-be prize: a pair of Skechers GO RUN shoes. Those alone were reason enough to get on that treadmill and run as fast as we could to be the first to reach 500m.
 

Gigi and me hamming it up.

 

Let's get rrrready to rrrumble!!!

My heart was pounding so hard.

I haven't been the most diligent runner lately, so to be paired with accomplished runners was both a thrill and a threat. But, hey, I've never been one to back down from a challenge, and it's all in the spirit of fun anyway.

But yes, I do have a gameplan. Since this would be a race to finish first, I kind of decided that pacing would be out of the question. Half a kilometer of intense running was, umm, doable...

The countdown begins, and off we go!

I started off on #5 speed on the treadmill for a few seconds and quickly leveled up to 10. I was feeling strong. 11... 12... 13... Whoa, this is kinda fun! 14... 15... I think I can do more. 16... aaand then hurriedly went back to 15. Oops, no I can't. I was laughing so hard in my head. Whew, almost flew off the treadmill there! I stayed on level 15 until I heard the spotter yell out Done! Then immediately stopped and jumped off the conveyor belt (Kids, don't do that at home!). What a rush!!! I felt exhilarated. It didn't even register right away that I had already won.

This is what exhilaration looks like. A little unruly, but great!

I walked around to cool myself down afterwards. Truthfully, I kind of saw spots for a bit, but that was such a trippy experience. Not to mention so cool that I won really awesome shoes! They were surprisingly really soft and comfortable. It was like running on air. I'm definitely a believer.

So to sum the night up (and I'm pretty sure everyone else felt the same thing too), win or lose, it was a good run!

Bernice of Skechers awarding the winners with a pair of GO RUN shoes.
Yay! Congrats to everyone!

Thank you, Skechers, for the awesome event. Can't wait to use those baby blues on my next road run.

P.S. Blog post on my Skechers GO RUN shoe review during the Condura Marathon 2012 coming up!

Blogger celebrities and a soon-to-be Hollywood royalty. ;)

Running Fatboy and TAKBO.ph Main Men with Michelle Estuar.

Couldn't resist. She's soooo fluffy!

Looks like Takbo.ph little man couldn't resist too! So cute. Both of 'em. ;)



Class Picture



Capping Off The Week With Brand New Kicks

Just a quickie post: 

(Sharing my good vibes to everyone. Go forth and multiply.)

Guess who WON brand new running shoes  awesome running shoes! From the moment I laid eyes on those baby blues, I was hooked. When we touched, it was a perfect fit. And then we ran together... it was love at first step!             

Skechers GO RUN Minimalist Shoe

I'll be posting more about the shoe and my awesome GO RUN moment soon. 

Oh, and look what finally came in the mail... Pretty much worth the wait, dontchathink? ;)

 

Nike We Run Manila 10K USB Freebie

Happy weekend, peeps!

Zebra Day (A.K.A. Ze Day I Ran Up, Down, All Around)

{April 1 is Swatch Zebra Day}

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I've always known that April Fool's Day is a day of fun and practical jokes. Last Friday, I went to Rockwell Power Plant Mall thinking that I'd finally be getting the picture frame-esque Jeremy Scott Swatch Opulence I've been drooling for. Little did I know that it wouldn't be your typical malling afternoon. But then again, I guess I should've known that the moment I saw human zebras zipping by...

Apparently, Swatch Watch is celebrating Zebra Day!

My friends and I were just curious onlookers when we first spotted the zebras at the parking lot, and then all over the mall. Ahhh, then we saw the "tourists"- ordinary mall goers rushing to have their pictures taken with the zebras. What's up with that? It was a race! The first 20 people who completes the challenge gets to win a spankin' new Swatch Zebra! How. Cool. Is. That?

Aside from the infectious excitement in the air, an impromptu foot race was just too hard to resist for this dormant runner. First rule, you had to be wearing either: a) A black & white outfit; b) Neon anything; c) Zebra print. Lo and behold, zebra printed me!

So, off I went in search of a zebra, with my very game, albeit slightly embarassed, posse in tow. The task was to get photographed with a zebra in all 5 color zones spread out in the mall. If you're fast enough, and your entries check out, you get a neon, stripe-y prize.

Sounds easy enough, eh? But those zebras can sure be frisky. They wouldn't stay still and kept frolicking around. You had to gently coax them to follow you to have their pictures taken. And to add more to the challenge, I had to make a few detours because some of my supposed zones were not the specific color zones. Sneaky, sneaky. That cost me a few precious minutes too. After rushing to complete the missing zones, I finally made it back to the marshals just in the nick of time.

Whew, snagging a Swatch spot was literally a photo finish! .

{A very colorful list.}

{First zebra sighting at the pink zone.}

{Orange you glad you spotted a zebra?}

{Sigh, April Fool's joke on me. No zebra zone had me do a detour.}

{Note: The zebra zone was just on the other side of this wall!}

{Aha! Caught a wild one!}

{Please don't run and make me go after you. I'm not in my running shoes today...}

{Hello, yellow!} {Blue Zebra Zone} {The elusive zebra zone. Haaay, you almost made me lose, green!} {My Amazing Z-Team! Thanks, guys!} {Ze sister, ze BFF, and ze BFF's BF} {My winning ticket to a cool zebra watch. Yay!} {Ze Ultimate Prize: A Swatch Zebra in Pink}

A day of wild, spontaneous fun with a fabulous souvenir to remember it by. Definitely no zzzz's on a Friday malling afternoon, that's for sure. ;) Thanks, Swatch, for an amazing experience!

P.S. I'll get my Jeremy Scott Swatch Opulence soon. But first, let me enjoy a little QT with my new Swatch Watch named, Z!

UPDATE: I got my kick-ass Jeremy Scott picture frame Swatch already. Love it! Now if only it matched my running outfits... ;)

2011. Unlimited Dreaming. Check!

{Win a contest. Check!}

A few days ago, I stumbled on an online contest inspired by The Body Shop's newest fragrance, DREAMS UNLIMITED. The contest was easy enough, just leave a comment answering the question "What is your dream for 2011, and how do you plan to achieve it?"

I answered a non-running related dream- To create a children's book with a matching line of merchandise and furniture to boot. And yeah, I have dusted off ye olde sketchbook already! Out of 287 entries, my "dream" was one of the magic 20. Yay! Talk about a nice inbox surprise.

I had a chat with Ana Santos, author and founder of the blog SexandSensibilities.com, which sponsored the contest. And she mentioned that just by writing your dreams down for everyone to see, the Universe (and you) will do everything in its power to make it come true. Why not, right?

Just like my book dream, it's time to level up. So here I am writing about my 2011 running dream- To finish another marathon in 4:30 (or less). So, in between pages of my book(!!??), I'll have to be logging more kilometers as well. Alrighty, let's do this, Universe! ;)

{Next to cross out- Run a 4:30 marathon!}

One of the prizes included a power planner from Belle de Jour. Every year they (BDJ) come up with a bucket list of things to accomplish for the year. I got such a kick out of ticking off item 64. Win a contest first (see topmost pic). Next on the list, item number 42 in record-breaking time! Oh, and since we're already dreaming anyway, hopefully my next one will be in New York, Barcelona, Disneyland, or some other international marathon.

What about you? What's YOUR dream this 2011? I'm curious... and the Universe wants to know too!

{Thank you to Ana of SexandSensibilities.com,

Darlyn and Em of Belle de Jour Power Planners,

and Mona of The Body Shop}

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More than the thrill of winning (I love simple pleasures like that), it was meeting these women, hearing their dreams, and knowing what they did (and are doing) to achieve them that was so amazing. Cheers to unlimited dreaming!

Affogatto Snap Out of This Happy State

It doesn't take much to enter a state of bliss. Sometimes bliss comes packaged in a run, sometimes it comes packed in the simplest form, like a single coffee bean.

When stress levels go over the roof, it's the little things in life that keep me sane.

{This is me, bribing supermodel Phoebe with a super surprise treat if she behaves on the shoot.}

{Good girl, Phoebe! Now let's go reward ourselves with ice cream.}

The Ingredients to a Happy State:

1. A productive day
2. (Wo)man's best friend
3. A cup of good, strong coffee
4. A scoop (or two!) of Häagen-Dazs Caramel Biscuit and Cream

{Down to the last creamy dollop.}

{Welcome to my view.}

{Don't you just wish this screen is a Scratch & Sniff?}

{And this is how you do bliss.}

{Do not disturb. Slow melting in progress.}
{Mmmm...}

An affogatto (Italian, "drowned") is a coffee-based beverage or dessert. It usually takes the form of a scoop of vanilla gelato or ice cream topped with a shot of hot espresso.

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12-21 and A Lucky Streak (The YugaTech Great Gadget Giveaway)

What is it with today and winning? Just this morning alone, I was lucky enough to be greeted by a CONGRATULATIONS! You won... header on my inbox. Then, just before lunch, I get another one. No kidding! So, as of today, I managed to get two early Christmas gifts: A cleaver (Yes, an honest to goodness, serial killer cleaver. hahaha) and a Schutzen notebook (it's like a Moleskine, indirectly mentioned here).

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So, here I am, spreading the good cheer, and hopefully my lucky streak too!

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YugaTech Great Gadget Giveaway

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All you need to win Modu phones, Globe Tattoo kits, Globe Prepaid Cards is just a tweet, a blog, a comment away.

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Did I mention that (2) MSI Netbooks are up for grabs as well? Ho, ho, ho.

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{Get a chance to win some of these prizes here.}

Tweet:

1) Follow @abeolandres and @talk2globe on Twitter.
2) Post a tweet “Just entered to win a Modu Phone. Quick! Go follow @abeolandres and @talk2globe and retweet: http://bit.ly/6e2q7O #thanks2yugatech”

Blog:

1) Blog about the “YugaTech Great Gadget Giveaway”. Include the photo posted here and link to the contest page.
2) Don’t forget to include in your post the mechanics for the Twitter contest above.
3) Leave a comment at Yugatech's blog with the URL of your entry.

Comment:

1) Leave a comment on Yugatech's contest page with the answer to this question — “If you’re stuck in an island with a phone and only have one call left, who would you call and why?“

(Ten wittiest or most creative answers will each win Php500 worth of prepaid load cards from Globe.)

Check out Yugatech's blog for more details.