New Running Anthem

Serendipity reared its whimsical head when I forgot my Nano and had to borrow my friend Gabby's iPod for a race. I discovered a new running anthem. The line "...sometimes you're ahead, sometimes you're behind/ The race is long, but in the end, it is only with yourself..." was a much needed boost on a particularly tiresome uphill (I felt like a Nike ad. haha).

After another round in the route (and playlist), I realized that this could've been written with a runner in mind as well.

Check out the video (and lyrics below) of Everybody's Free (To Wear Sunscreen).

Enjoy.

The song, remixed by Baz Lhurmann, was originally an essay by Mary Schmich, a.k.a. "Advice, like youth, probably just wasted on the young" published as a column in the Chicago Tribune.



Ladies and Gentlemen of the class of ’99: Wear sunscreen.
If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be it.
The long term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by scientists whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable than my own meandering experience…
I will dispense this advice now.
Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth; oh nevermind; you will not understand the power and beauty of your youth until they have faded. But trust me, in 20 years you’ll look back at photos of yourself and recall in a way you can’t grasp now how much possibility lay before you and how fabulous you really looked….
You’re not as fat as you imagine.
Don’t worry about the future; or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubblegum. The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind; the kind that blindside you at 4pm on some idle Tuesday.
Do one thing everyday that scares you.
Sing.
Don’t be reckless with other people’s hearts, don’t put up with people who are reckless with yours.
Floss.
Don’t waste your time on jealousy; sometimes you’re ahead, sometimes you’re behind… the race is long, and in the end, it’s only with yourself.
Remember the compliments you receive, forget the insults; if you succeed in doing this, tell me how.
Keep your old love letters, throw away your old bank statements.
Stretch.
Don’t feel guilty if you don’t know what you want to do with your life…the most interesting people I know didn’t know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives, some of the most interesting 40 year olds I know still don’t.
Get plenty of calcium. Be kind to your knees, you’ll miss them when they’re gone.
Maybe you’ll marry, maybe you won’t, maybe you’ll have children,maybe you won’t, maybe you’ll divorce at 40, maybe you’ll dance the funky chicken on your 75th wedding anniversary…what ever you do, don’t congratulate yourself too much or berate yourself either – your choices are half chance, so are everybody else’s.
Enjoy your body, use it every way you can…don’t be afraid of it, or what other people think of it, it’s the greatest instrument you’ll ever own..
Dance…even if you have nowhere to do it but in your own living room.
Read the directions, even if you don’t follow them.
Do NOT read beauty magazines, they will only make you feel ugly.
Get to know your parents, you never know when they’ll be gone for good. Be nice to your siblings; they are the best link to your past and the people most likely to stick with you in the future. Understand that friends come and go,but for the precious few you should hold on. Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and lifestyle because the older you get, the more you need the people you knew when you were young.
Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard; live in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft.
Travel.
Accept certain inalienable truths, prices will rise, politicians will philander, you too will get old, and when you do you’ll fantasize that when you were young prices were reasonable, politicians were noble and children respected their elders.
Respect your elders.
Don’t expect anyone else to support you. Maybe you have a trust fund, maybe you have a wealthy spouse; but you never know when either one might run out.
Don’t mess too much with your hair, or by the time you're 40, it will look 85.
Be careful whose advice you buy, but, be patient with those who supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia, dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it’s worth.
But trust me on the sunscreen…

Into The Blue (& Pink & Purple & Yellow & Green...) (Watson's Sun Warrior Challenge 2016)

What do you get when you crossbreed a race filled with colors with a race filled with obstacles? 

Color Manila Run: Watson's Sun Warrior Challenge 2016

Color Manila Run is at it again. And this time, they paired up with Watson's to give you a whole new level of colors and fun in the sun! I've been lucky enough to be a recipient of a free 10K race kit via Kikay Runner's blog (Thank you, Noelle!). I've been to a number of Color Manila Runs already, and every experience has always been crazy fun. Last weekend's run was no exception, except that they can only level up! And by level up, I mean bring you more challenges than you could imagine. And by challenges, I mean giant slides, and the like.

Mere words can't express the whole experience, so here's a splash of colors for you to enjoy. :) 

When Watson's UV bracelet turns from white to purple,
it means you need to get a good dose of sunscreen ASAP!

Starting to see rainbows...

Slide into wave of fun!

Runners Bond.

Woo-hoo!

Look at the streets... Look how they shine for you...

It was all yellow...

Death Of A Toenail, Anticipating The Return, And Putting Your Best Face Forward

~Sigh~

Three bridesmaid duties have come and gone, but my dead toenail is still the same- Dead. I was really hoping that I'd be polish-free this Sunday too. Such are the kikay pains of a runner.

Really, someone should come up with a faster (Break the PR!) solution for this soon.

I mean, you slather on sunscreen (A must!) to protect your skin, you get facials to rejuvenate it (I don't really do much of these, but I know I need to. On that note, check out this blog: Beauty For A Living), you wear shades to slow down those wrinkles, you apply petroleum jelly to avoid the blisters, guys say hello to nipple tape, but there's just no stopping dying toenails!

So, really, there's nothing to do but wait, keep on running (it's already dead anyway), and just choose from the yummy nail polish colors with a big smile plastered on your face.

To my dead toenail: Please, please, please grow out in time for Running Fatboy's wedding (my 4th BMD- bridesmaid duty for the year).

To Imes: Congratulations! I wish you all the best and happiness in this world. May you have gorgeous kids who will grow up and kick ass like his/her mommy and aunt Janine. hehe.

Definitely Japan. Definitely Kojie.san

5 Reasons Why It's Important to Use Only the Original Kojic Acid Soap

Summer days are longer. That means more UV exposure to us runners and sun-worshippers out there. It's true that sunscreen is every runner's ally, but unless you live under a rock, there are circumstances that are unfortunately unavoidable (like age spots. Ugh~). 

Good thing there are products out there that can minimize these "sun effects". No need to worry about getting too dark from being outdoors. You can still maintain that fair complexion with Kojie.san, a breakthrough skin lightening soap. Beware though, there are a lot of fakes out there-- beauty loot included. Now, if we're vigilant in spotting fakes from the genuine article in shoes or bags, then what more on products we actually put on our faces, right? Fake beauty products might look the same on the outside, but is it the real deal? Are the ingredients really as natural as it says? Remember, substandard products will only do more harm than have the desired effect.

So, when it comes to your skin care, why is it important to use only the original kojic acid soap?

1. Unless you can breathe underwater and actually want to attract a siokoy, then you should never have scaly skin. 

Image from martygull.blogspot.com

Even Dyesebel wishes for smooth, flawless skin. And legs. And an original Kojie.san soap.

Things aren't always as they claim. The problem with fakes is that you'll never know what you've gotten until it's too late. Do you really want to take a gamble on your skin with counterfeit products? Kojie.san is the first and original kojic acid soap to be commercially available in the Philippine market. 

2. Unless you have an invaluable ivory nose, then your skin shouldn't ever resemble a rhinoceros'. EVER.

Image from clarkvision.com

No to poaching endangered animals. No to dry, rough skin.

Kojie.san is made from a combination of kojic acid, which reduces the formation of melanin, and high-grade virgin coconut oil which deeply moisturizes the skin.

3. Unless you don't mind bird droppings or getting peed on by dogs, then you might not want to be mistaken as a tree.

Image from mishmosh.com

No "Barking"  Zone with the original kojic acid soap.

Kojie.san has a micro-peeling effect which makes it a potent whitening agent that effectively exfoliates dead skin cells, revealing fresher, brighter, younger-looking skin.

4. Unless you can stand a lifetime of never-ending winter, then you might want to leave the ridiculously white, snowman look to a professional.

Image from imgarcade.com

"I said build a snowman, not look like one!"

Kojie.san has all the natural kojic acid that gradually lighten dark spots due to acne, freckles, sun damaged skin, and other skin pigmentations on the face and body.

5. Unless you can rock mutant like Rebecca or J-Law, then you might want to steer clear of harsh chemicals and toxins.

Image from sirienjunkies.ch

Nah, blue isn't really my color. I'll stick to a beauty regimen the all-natural way, thank you! 

Fight pigment problems the safe way. Kojic acid, a by-product in the fermentation process of malting rice, does not contain any harmful chemicals. It does, however, contain antioxidants and 100% all natural ingredients that lightens melanin, evens out skin tone, and minimizes age spots.

Know more about Kojie.san on www.kojiesan.com

Add Kojie.san on Facebook: KojiesanPH

Twitter: @KojiesanClassic

Instagram: @kojiesanph #kojiesan

Happy 2016 High

Breakfast Break

Happy New Year, dear readers! Hope 2016 has been treating you well so far. 

Just sharing a snapshot of my breakfast date in between staying fit.

6:00 A.M.- Went out for a 5K run. (I actually did 6K, so yay! for the additional kilometer. haha. I could have run more, but the sun was out, and I forgot to put on sunscreen.)

7:00 A.M.- Enjoyed the cool, post-Christmas air while (im)patiently waiting for Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf to open for breakfast (I'm staaaarving!!!)

8:01 A.M.- I'm the first customer! ;) Managed to squeeze in a bit of work while waiting for my yoga class to start too!

9:00 A.M.- Sweaty vinyasa session. Oh, how my bones creaked, but, oh, so invigorating! 

I am loving this abundance of endorphins!

In fact, I'm in such a freakishly good mood that I wanna spread this fitness-high. I think I'll come up with a blog giveaway to kick-start someone else's 2016 too. Whaddya think? ;) Stay tuned!