Month: April 2008

President Ramon Magsaysay & Mt Manunggal, Cebu

On By kingofpotsIn Insights, Pictures, Running2 Comments

This time, I am posting a story on the life and death of President Ramon Magsaysay who is unknown to most of the runners, seniors and younger ones. I was barely five years old when he died. My recent visit to Cebu City and Mt Manunggal gave me the idea to share what I’ve seen in this historic place.

President Ramon Magsaysay was the 7th President of the Philippines and the 3rd President of the Third Republic. He was elected as a Member of the House of Representatives in 1946 in the lone district of Zambales and later re-elected for a second term in 1949. He became the Chairman of the National Defense Committee in the House of the Representatives and on August 31, 1950, he became the Secretary of National Defense during the administration of President Elpidio Quirino in 1950 at the height of the Hukbalahap and insurgency problem in Central Luzon. Due to intrigues and “power play”, he resigned as Secretary of National Defense on February 28, 1953. He was urged by the different sectors of the society and the masses for him to run for the Presidency. According to public opinion, the only way to solve the problem of communism/insurgency was to have a good governance and a government that serves the people. And that governance lies on the presidency and leadership of President Ramon Magsaysay. According to President Magsaysay’s opinion, a corrupt government and  a bad administration are the causes on the rise of communism & insurgency. He later became the presidential candidate of the Nacionalista Party and won the presidency with a landslide victory over the incumbent President Elpidio Quirino.

He was the first President who used the Barong Tagalog during his Oath-Taking Ceremony. He was the staunch supporter of the United States in its fight against communism. He made Malacanang Palace open to the public and literally making it a “house of the people” and created a machinery/system of the government to hear and solve the complaints of the ordinary people and masses. He personally showed acts of integrity by paying services done/given to him. In one instance, he was invited by the Philippine Air Force to ride in a demonstration flight of a new plane and he asked for the operating cost of the flight per hour and immediately signed a check for the payment. He encouraged the people to have their own business through open access to loans and government subsidies. During his administration, the military was able to arrest most of the leaders of the Communist Movement in Metro Manila and its top leaders surrendered to him, practically ending the insurgency problem of the country. Continue reading “President Ramon Magsaysay & Mt Manunggal, Cebu” →

More Pictures: Project “Donate A Shoe”

On By kingofpotsIn Jogging, Running, Running ShoesLeave a comment

The following pictures were taken by Captain Ferdie Espejo, one of my staff/officers with the DND-AFP Gintong Pangarap Running Club, Inc., who is supervising the Project “Donate A Shoe”, together with Major Rod Turno of Camp Aguinaldo.

Major Rod Turno turning-over a donated shoe to one of the lucky recipients.

 

The gentleman on the right donated his running shoes. The lady elite runner on the middle was the recipient of my Nike Air Max trail running shoes.

Bards aka “Banana Running” giving one of her shoes to Major Rod Turno. Mesh Villanueva, on her right, also gave her running shoes to the project. Thanks, Bards and Mesh for the support.

Eric aka “Passion Runner” giving one of his running shoes to the Project Donate A Shoe through Major Rod Turno. Thanks, Eric!

 

One of the lady runners who donated her old shoes signing the Deed of Donation while Don Fernando Zobel looking and holding his Deed of Donation for donating his running shoes he used in the 15K run. Don Fernando, thanks for the donation and for proudly wearing the “One” Wristband.

 

One of the donors of running shoes with the “One” Wristband.  

My Runs After Mizuno Infinity 15K

On By kingofpotsIn Jogging, Runners' Training, RunningLeave a comment

04 April 2008 (5:51 PM) in the Parking Lot & Driveway of Marco Polo Plaza Hotel, Cebu City

Distance—7.0 kms     

Time—42:00 mins     

Average Pace—6:01 mins/km

Running Shoes—ASICS Gel-1120

Music—Foo Foo Fighters

06 April 2008 (8:03 AM) in the Libingan ng mga Bayani & Bayani Road @ Heritage Park

Distance—7.5 kms

Time—42:43 mins

Average Pace—5:43 mins/km

Running Shoes—ASICS Gel-Kinsei 2

Music—Hoobastank

07 April 2008 (5:57 AM) in Barangay Dibua, Laoag City

Distance—10 kms       Cool-Down—500 meters

Time—53:12 mins

Average Pace—5:19 mins/km

Running Shoes—ASICS Cumulus 8

Music—Bob Marley

08 April 2008 (5:48 AM) at The Fort Area

Distance—10 kms          Cool-Down jog—2.7 km

Time—52:27 mins          Time—17:21 mins @ 6.21 mins/km

Average Pace—5:14 mins/km

Running Shoes—ASICS Cumulus 8

Music—Bon Jovi & Dave Matthews Band

09 April (5:46 AM) at Camp Peralta, Jamindan, Capiz

Distance—10 kms           Hill Workout/Fartlek

 Time—54:46 mins

Average Pace—5:22 mins/km

Running Shoes—ASICS Gel-1120

Music—Linkin Park

3-Day Stay in Cebu

On By kingofpotsIn Insights, Jogging, Military, Pictures, Running1 Comment

02-04 April 2008

I attended a one-day Command Conference on Legal Matters and a two-day seminar on Media Relations at the Central Command Headquarters in Cebu City from Wednesday up to Friday with our Unit Commanders. I was the Guest of Honor and Speaker during the Opening Ceremony of the Media Relations Seminar last Thursday morning. I also visited my troops deployed in Balamban, Cebu on Friday morning as part of my regular visits and assessment of our troops in the area. On my way back to Cebu, I visited the crash site of the plane of former President Ramon Magsaysay in Mount Manunggal.

I stayed at the Marco Polo Plaza Hotel during the duration of my stay in Cebu. I was able to use their gym on a daily basis.

 

The lobby of the Marco Polo Plaza Hotel in Cebu City.

A picture during my speech as the Guest of Honor and Speaker during the Opening Ceremony of the Media Relations Seminar with all the Philippine Army Brigade and Battalion Commanders in Central Visayas.

A regular visit and talk with to men in the field is one of the basic duties of a Commander and a Leader in the Philippine Army. 

There are so many things you have to explain and inform to the men about the policies of Higher Headquarters and the overall Campaign Plan of the Command for Central Visayas in solving the problem of insurgency and serving as a “partner” of development in the area.

 

The National Historic Institute’s Marker in Mt Manunggal, Cebu where the plane, Mt Pinatubo, the President Ramon Magsaysay boarded with 26 other people on the fateful early morning of 17 March 1957, crashed. I will be writing a separate post on my visit to this very important and historic place.  

Running With Style

On By kingofpotsIn Insights, Jogging, Practice Runs, Running3 Comments

Running In Style (the way you look with your running outfit & gadgets) is different from Running With Style.

Every runner has its own individual style or his/her “running signature”. Some would sway their shoulders while running, some would be always looking downward while running, some would be erect, some would be leaning forward and some would flap their palms from their wrists. Running does not have to look right but it should feel right on the individual runner.

In order to minimize these unnecessary bad habits in running, one should have a coach or an advance runner who would observe and give critiques while he/she is running, or get a video or camera to record your movements while running. The following are the four points to consider in improving one’s running style.

1)  Rhythmic Flow—Developing a rhythmic flow to your running style means you have to learn to run with a certain “beat” or cadence. If you can silently chant, following a rhythm, that would greatly improve your running style. Soldiers running in a group would always chant to encourage everybody to follow a certain “beat” or rhythm and this will encourage them to run farther distance without much effort. Most often, runners would resort to music and they carry with them MP3 & Ipods during runs. The beat of the music would go with the cadence or “beat” of the feet while pounding on the ground or on the breathing of the runner.

2)  Light Feet—It is encouraged to run “lightly” with your running shoes, hearing no sound at all while your running shoes hit the ground. You have the feeling that you are “floating” in the air while running if you don’t hear any sounds from your running shoes. You can practice for a 3-5 minutes jumping rope everyday or try jumping without the rope just to emphasize “tip-toe” landing with your feet. To improve on this, you can have your running workouts without any noise made by your running shoes.

3)  Relaxation—Relaxation means that your chin should be loosely hanging, mouth slightly open with the jaws loose. The shoulders should be down and relaxed. The hands & fingers are not held tighly together to form a fist but the fingers should loosely cupped. The wrists should be loose and not tense.

4)  Breathing—Develop a cadence in breathing. Breathing should be relaxed. Runners should develop “belly breathing”, expanding the stomach when you breath in and flattening your stomach when you breath out.

As most of the famous coaches in running and elite runners would say, runners should follow strictly the tested 3 Rs in running—Run tall; Run relaxed; and Run naturally.

Good luck. It needs so much practice and awareness to be able to develop your distinct “running style”.

Weight Reduction

On By kingofpotsIn Jogging, Runners' Training, RunningLeave a comment

On the last week of October 2007, my weight was 155 pounds. After five months of serious training in running and participation of road races from marathon to 10K races, I was able to reduce my weight. Few days before the Mizuno Infinity 15K Run, I registered a weight of 142 pounds. I was surprised on my weight reduction and all my contemporaries and subordinates who have not seen me for a long time were also surprised about my reduction in weight and “more skinny” appearance.

My training during the duration of the Holy Week in Jamindan and “no meat-diet” were instrumental in my fast reduction of weight.

One of the bloggers asked me about my diet which I have not answered yet. Well, this is it. I eat a lot of Mang Inasal chicken whenever I am in Iloilo City and Negros Island. I eat also a lot of fish and fresh vegetables whenever I am in Jamindan and have a taste of fresh oysters whenever I visit Roxas City. Fried sliced banana (native saba), Sweet Banana (Lacatan), and fresh pineapple slices from Passi City, Iloilo are my fresh fruits. I drink green tea and lots of water. But my favorite dish is Tinolang Native Chicken & Pinakbet. Two days before road races, I eat a lot of pasta/foods rich in carbohydrates.

I have to maintain this weight to be competetive in my road races and be able to improve my time in my weekend road races.

See you this Sunday at The Fort.

Running & Golf

On By kingofpotsIn Jogging, RunningLeave a comment

Running and Golf complement with one another. For you to develop endurance in walking from one hole to another, running is a good sports to develop strength and endurance to one’s legs and stamina. It develops also the legs to be stable during golf swings, most especially in the last 9 holes. Once golfers reach the “green” to putt, the player who is a runner does not have to be breathing heavily and has the stable pulse to putt the ball into the hole.

Last Monday afternoon, 31 March, I decided to review my golf swing in our Parade Ground at Jamindan. The Parade Ground has two tee-off areas and one “green”/hole and the farthest distance is about 200 yards.

I started my warm-up using my Iron Wedge club for a distance of 30-35 yards to the putting green. After hitting at least 30 balls, I shifted my practice driving by using my Fairway Club #5 for a longer distance. I was able to hit another 30 balls using my longer clubs.

After my golf driving practice, I inspected the establishment and completion of a 550-meter jogging lane around the Parade Ground which will serve as Oval Track for the Officers and Enlisted Men in their 2-mile run tests. This had been a plan by former Commanders to build but it never materialized. Within this week and few days before my retirement from the service this plan will become a reality.

The following were some of my pictures during my golf driving practice:

After almost one year of not playing golf, my golf stance is becoming tense, awkward, and “rusty”.

I always remember “slow backswing” and shifting of body weight from the right leg/heel to the left leg and left arm straight up to downswing as tips in a golf swing.

A golf swing finishes with a nice upswing and a nice “form”. The Oval Track/running path is seen on the background where it is initially filled with sand and gravel and later to be overlayed with asphalt.

For more stories and insights on golf, please visit my new golf blogsite at http://thebaldgolfer.wordpress.com.

Update: Project “Donate A Shoe”

On By kingofpotsIn Jogging, Running5 Comments

06 April 2008

My staff with the Project “Donate A Shoe” placed their booth at the Run For Life: 3K & 5K Fun Run sponsored by BF Homes this morning. They are happy to report that the remaining seven (7) shoes that were donated, from the fourteen (14) shoes collected since we launched this project, were all distributed to runners who exchanged their “old, worn-out & tattered shoes”

The following runners received their new shoes from the donated shoes:

1)  Jhun Bautista

2)  Zoren Pama

3)  Antero Ocariza

4)  Danilo Sanchez

5)  Riza Reyes

6)  Juan Jose

7)  Rodrigo Sale

Last Sunday, instead of six shoes that were given to the less-fortunate ones, we had given seven and we omitted the name of John Robert Evidor as one of the recipients.

Total of donated shoes distributed to other runners up to the present—14 pairs of running shoes.

My staff were able to take pictures of the recipients and their “old & worn-out shoes”.

Unfortunately, my staff were not able to collect any shoe donation in this morning’s road race in Paranaque.

To all the donors, thanks again! You made a lot of our runners happy today!

The Project “Donate A Shoe” booth will be available at the On Your Mark Road Race at The Fort this Sunday. The “One” White Wristband will still be available for distribution to the donors.

 

Hills, Heat, & Water

On By kingofpotsIn Jogging, Races, Running3 Comments

Critique on the Mizuno Infinity 15K Run 

This is my critique on the conduct of the first rendition of the Mizuno Infinity 15K Run which was held last Sunday, 30 March 2008 at The Fort and Taguig City Area.

In the shorter distance run less than the half-marathon, the Mizuno Infinity 15K Run was the most challenging road race I have participated in Metro Manila because of the terrain of the route. The hills along the Bayani Road, Lawton Avenue, and McKinley Hill made the race something to talk about among the runners. These hills separated the men from the boys, the ladies from the girls and those unprepared runners from the prepared ones. But there is nothing to complain about those hills because it is a part of the challenges in a road race.

At this time of the year, summer, the sun rises so early in the morning. The 6:00 AM start for the 15K runners was already a late time to start a road race during summer season. On that particular day, the sun rises and appears at the horizon after almost all the runners passed the first five kilometers of the race and when most of the runners were about to start running the last five kilometers of the race, the sun was already way above the horizon and it was already giving out intense heat to the runners. The hot sun and those continuous hills at McKinley Hill area (13th kilometer) tested the strength, patience, and perseverance of the runners. If only the race for the 15K started, at least, 30 minutes earlier, the sun could have not been as hot as it was experienced during the race day.

As I entered the Heritage Park after the turnaround at the end of Bayani Road/near C-5 Road, most of the runners at my back were already complaining about the lack of water and one of the marshalls told us that the next water station is on the next kilometer marker. A few meters from the Gate of the Heritage Park, one of the race volunteers gave me a small hand towel! I thought it was a “cold towel” but it was an ordinary “dry” towel and I said to myself, “wow, this is new!” This was my first time in a road race to be given a small hand towel. For what? So, my both hands were holding something while I was running inside the Heritage Park—on my right hand was the hand towel which I used in wiping my sweat on my forehead and my left hand was holding a bottled water. Later, I threw the empty bottle in one of the garbage bins in the park and I put my hand towel at my back, on the garter of my shorts and I continued to run with my hands free from anything.

Before leaving the Heritage Park, there was a water station and I tried to pick one cup and drink from it. I was surprised that the taste of the supposed water is different. I only found out later that the liquid is one of the energy drinks being given but it was so strange to my taste buds. It would had been better if they completely provided drinking water in all the water stations. The energy drinks are supposed to be available at the finish line where you can replenish the spent sweat and electrolytes from the body, most especially in road races shorter than the half-marathon

I seldom stop and drink from water stations during road races. This is one of my techniques to shave-off time for the run. If a runner spends 10 seconds to stop, drink, and walk in every water station and there are at least 3 water stations in a 10K race, he/she is losing at least 30 seconds. This is the reason why I bring my Nathan Water Belt or designate my security detail to preposition themselves in points where they could hand me those bottled water. But in this particular race, I had observed that the organizers placed enough water stations but there were not enough water supply and cups on these water stations for all the 15K, 10K, and 5K runners. I had observed also that they did not position a water station at the rolling hills of McKinley Hill area and at the Finish Line. Anyway, I read on the post of The Bullrunner that the organizers sent a letter of apology to all the runners for the reported  “lapses”. I hope these complaints will not be heard from the runners in future races.

Finisher’s T-shirt? Who cares? For the nth time I was given a finishers t-shirt too large for my size. The organizers should think that almost all the runners have a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 22 to 25 (the elite runners have lower ones) and this translates to XSmall, Small, and Medium Sizes.

My Overall Rating/Grade for this race—78%

(If the saleslady/staff of the Mizuno Store at Bonifacio Hight Street had smiled a little as I was smiling at her when I entered the store and if only she knew me also as the Bald Runner when I registered for the race, I could have raised my rating/grade to 80%)

Juvenal’s Prescription: “mens sana in corpore sano”

On By kingofpotsIn Insights, Jogging, Running4 Comments

Last 28 March 2008, Friday afernoon, the Philippine Army celebrated its 111th Founding Anniversary with a Military Parade and Awarding Ceremony to its Officers, Enlisted Personnel, Civilian Employees, Reservists and NGOs. The Guest of Honor and Speaker in the said event was the Secretary of National Defense, Hon. Gilberto C Teodoro. I attended the event as one of the Major Unit (Infantry Division) Commanders of the Philippine Army.

After the parade, all the guests were invited to a Cocktails at the Garden Area of the Philipine Army Clubhouse. This was the time where I mingled and talked with other younger officers and some of my contemporaries in the military service. I wanted to approach the Secretary of National Defense (SND) for an informal talks with him. Last month, my brother called me through the cellphone one night informing me that he met SND at the Malacanang Palace with the information that Secretary Teodoro was extending his regards to me and that he had read my post in this blog about my new name–Vin Diesel and he informed me also that he is a regular visitor of my blog. My brother congratulated me as my blog is slowly reaching other VIPs.

At that moment during the Cocktails, I could hardly approach the SND because of the continuous presence of the media interviewing him and I did not want to distract his concentration on these interviews. At the signal that he was about to leave the place and go to his waiting car, I immediately positioned myself at the path he was about to take and it was good that he saw me. As he was walking towards me, he said, “You should write about “mens sana in corpore sana”, it’s Juvenal’s Prescription! You go to Google and read about it”. He repeated the phrase but I was not able to memorize the exact words of the phrase before he finally boarded his car. After thirty minutes, I immediately sent a text message to my brother asking him the cellphone number of the Secretary in order to get the exact words of the phrase he told me. After sending the SND my message asking him about the phrase, he immediately replied and I told him that I got the phrase and replied to him that the phrase came from Satire X of the Roman poet, Juvenal and the phrase is being used in the name brand of ASICS running shoes. I was already infront of my laptop browsing the Internet while sending him the message.

It was really nice for the Secreatry of National Defense to have given me this tip to read and relay it to my readers. The folowing is the excerpts of that poem written by Juvenal:

It is to be prayed that the mind be sound in a sound body.

Ask for a brave soul that lacks the fear of death,

which places the length of life last among nature’s blessings,

which is able to bear whatever kind of sufferings,

does not know anger, lusts for nothing and believes

the hardships and savage labors of Hercules better than

the satisfactions, feasts, and feather bed of an Eastern king.

I will reveal what you are able to give yourself;

For certain, the one footpath of a tranquil life lies through virtue.

orandum est ut sit mens sana in corpore sano.

fortem posce animum mortis terrore carentem,

qui spatium uitae extremum inter munera ponat

naturae, qui ferre queat quoscumque labores,

nesciat irasci, cupiat nihil et potiores

Herculis aerumnas credat saeuosque labores

et uenere et cenis et pluma Sardanapalli.

monstro quod ipse tibi possis dare; semita certe

tranquillae per uirtutem patet unica uitae.

(10.356-64)

This are the exact words of a portion taken from the Satire X of Juvenal for the Romans to have a “sound mind in a sound body” or often translated as “a healthy mind in a healthy body”, an answer to the question of what the Romans should desire in life.

 

This phrase is used in the name of a popular sports shoes, ASICS. Instead of calling the shoes brand as MSICS, taking the first letter of each word of the phrase, the originators changed it to ASICS (Anima Sana In Corpore Sano) which is translated as “a sound spirit in a sound body”. The phrase is also being used by universities and colleges and physical training units of well-known Armed Forces of other nations. This is also the favorite phrase of former American President Harry S Truman.

There had been so many articles written about this phrase as anybody could browse at Google and type in this phrase. I enjoin my readers to read the diferent articles about this phrase.

To Secretary Teodoro, thanks again for the “tip” and added knowledge. I am sure my readers will be happy about this.