Another title: The day I completely became bald. 

In 1989 while I was in Los Angeles spending a vacation with my family, I noticed an advertisement in one of the magazines I’ve been reading regarding an establishment in North Hollywood that caters wigs and toupees to “Hollywood Stars”. I jokingly suggested to my wife to visit this establishment. Well, she approved of my suggestion and we visited this place. To make the story short, from the day we visited the “wig store”, I was already wearing my first wig!

However, with the popularity of Michael Jordan, being “bald”/shaved head, it started a fashion trend among men. So, my daughter, in June 1997 while visiting in LA, suggested me to remove my wig and sport a complete bald look and she honestly said that I look better with a bald head!

The day before the PAL-Manila International Marathon in 1997, I completely had my head shaved by my official barber in Camp Aguinaldo.

At the starting line of the marathon at the PICC Complex/Cultural Center of the Philippines, I was wearing a runner’s cap and a sports sunglasses that was clipped on my cap. I was running then with Colonel Alan Cabalquinto and we were both sporting a runner’s cap. We wished each other’s “good luck” and vowed to finish the race.

Col Cabalquinto was ahead of me from the starting line and I just maintained my slow pace for the 1st half of the marathon. When I was at the Shangrila Mall area, the sun was already shining and I removed my cap and put on my Oakley sunglasses. From there, I was already the Bald Runner! Infront of the SM Megamall, on my way to Greenhills (the turn-around point), I saw Col Cabalquinto walking and complaining of a pain on his heel for using a wrong running shoes. When I greeted him as I was about to pass him, he was surprised to see me! He was not surprised why I was still on his back after running for 15 kilometers already, but he was surprised with my new look! He was the first one who appreciated and approved of my being bald!!!

I finished the race comfortably in less than four and half hours. I was “powered” by GO Energy Gels/Pastes and PowerBars which were new food supplements for endurance athletes at that time. At one time while I was running along with a male runner at Gil Puyat Ave on my way back to Roxas Blvd in this marathon, I offered one of my GO packets to him. I became a “salesman” first, explaining to him what I am trying to offer, before he tasted it. We finished together at the same time and he thanked me for the food supplement. I guess, the power “gels” gave him the additional strength to finish the race. 

I will never forget the 1997 Manila International Marathon, it was the day The Bald Runner was born! It’s the day I completely shaved my head & started sporting the “bald-look”, shaving my my head every three days since then. It was the day my friends and other people started calling me “Yul Bryner”; “Kojak” (Telly Savalas); “Mikee Jordan” (small MJ); “Kalbo”; and “Bokal”.