Tag: COCOS Beach resort

Result: Western Pangasinan 65K Run

On By kingofpotsIn Race Results, Races, Running, Travel, Ultramarathon1 Comment

COCOS Beach Resort, Barangay Ilog-Malino, Bolinao to Poblacion, Sual, Pangasinan/5:00 AM August 20, 2011

Rank Name Time
1 Dick Balaba 6:33:21
2 Junrox Roque 7:16:45
3 Alfred DeLos Reyes 7:29:17
4 Salvador Castilla, Jr 7:47:05
5 Jerome Bautista 7:55:36
6 Raffy Gabotero 8:05:34
7 Sandy Alentajan 8:06:11
8 Keshia Fule (F) 8:06:42
9 Ariel Briones 8:14:54
10 Simon Pavel Miranda 8:21:11
11 Junn Besana 8:27:15
12 Roberto DeLos Santos 8:37:24
13 Graciano Santos 8:59:18
14 Fernando Cabanero 9:04:57
15 Jonel Mendoza 9:05:11
16 Jose Lorenzo Mina 9:05:21
17 Ronnel Go 9:07:22
18 Jeff Amurao 9:23:08
19 Kokoy Delmo 9:26:45
20 Allan Martos 9:27:26
21 Carl Balagot 9:36:58
22 Allen Gaspar 9:41:04
23 David Buban 9:41:40
24 Camilo Paran, Jr 9:45:29
25 Elmar Tolete 9:47:37
26 Jael Wenceslao 9:52:18
27 Ronald Yllana 9:53:04
28 Emil Perez 9:56:44
29 Julius Cervantes 9:58:09
30 George Dolores 9:59:23
31 Carlos Ocampo 9:59:52
32 Michael Angelo Fabian 10:00:00
33 Bong Bernadez 10:00:25
34 Berns Ong (F) 10:00:25
35 Herito Briones 10:03:22
36 Jag Irasga 10:12:20
37 Alex Jones 10:15:33
38 Cesar Aquino 10:15:55
39 Junar Layug 10:15:56
40 Rodel Montejo 10:19:41
41 Vanz Camanong 10:22:52
42 Ferdie Cabiling 10:23:45
43 Meljohn Tezon 10:28:04
44 Michael Santos 10:31:36
45 Cris De La Cruz 10:32:24
46 Ricardo Cabusao 10:32:43
47 Irene Ong (F) 10:34:51
48 Marvin Pangan 10:43:16
49 Louie Cochanco 10:48:25
50 Arman Garcia 10:49:27
51 Bong Alindada 10:54:55
52 Art Virata 10:50:30
53 Jake Victorio 11:11:22
54 Jojo Paguia 11:11:32
55 Brian Tan Seng 11:15:08
56 Nelson Mallillin 11:16:48
57 Prince Baltazar 11:30:31
58 Arrienne Ortega (F) 11:35:16
59 Ryan Albert Moral 11:37:14
60 Erwin Ordonez 11:38:41
61 Joey Mendoza 11:41:16
62 Carmeli Anne Ortega 11:46:36
63 Noel Senorin 11:49:32
64 Jing Guerrero (F) 11:52:05
65 Jeje Ajusto 11:52:08
66 Wesley Orana 11:52:50
67 Ian Dizon (F) 11:56:08
68 Jerome Jamili 11:58:04
69 Lawrence Arvin Tomas 11:58:50
70 Jimmy Ong 12:06:45
71 Eric Caramay 12:06:46
72 Ellen Abigail Castillo 12:33:30
Advertisement

“COCOS To Sual” 65K Run

On By kingofpotsIn Insights, Jogging, Pictures, Places to Run, Races, Running, Travel, Ultramarathon2 Comments

1. The planning of this PAU Road Race started when I stayed at the COCOS Beach Resort for a night before I started my “West To East” Adventure Run last middle of March of this year. This was the place where I started my run. I was able to meet Mang Ador as the Manager/Caretaker of this facility and I featured a post about our conversation which transpired when I checked-in for the night.

2. After four months, I returned to the place to coordinate with the conduct of this race. The COCOS Beach Resort is the official starting area of the race and the whole place was arranged to be “blocked off” and to be used exclusively for the participants/runners and their support crew on Friday, August 19, 2011. The resort is located in Barangay Ilog-Malino, Bolinao, Pangasinan. For reservations and inquiries on pricing/rates of rooms & cottages, please contact Mang Ador or Ms. Sid Tombaga at Cellphone Number 0919-691-4206. For those who choose to bring their camping tents, a fee of P 200.00 per person will be charged.

BR & Mang Ador (68-year old Resort Manager/Caretaker)

3. For those who opted to register on site, please arrive at the place before 4:00 AM of Saturday (Race Day), August 20, 2011 and please look for me or my staff. Team Bald Runner will be in the starting area in the afternoon of Friday.

4. The road race will start at exactly 5:00 AM of Saturday, August 20 with a cut-off time of 12 hours.

Starting Area Inside The COCOS Beach Resort

5. Participants are advised to have their respective support vehicle. If you don’t have any support vehicle, make sure to carry with you a hydration system and some cash to use to buy for your hydration and food needs as there are lots of sari-sari stores along the route. Runners coming from Metro Manila without support vehicle can take the 5 Star Bus to Bolinao, Pangasinan. Buses leave their Manila terminal/station for Bolinao every 30 minutes.

6. For a brief description of the race route, you can refer back to my posts on the month of March of this year when I ran the “Wset To East” Adventure Run. The first 20K will be a slight uphill up to the boundary of Bolinao and Bani. There is a zigzag downhill part between the boundary of Bolinao & Bani and runners are advised to take it easy on their downhill run as they might “burn” their quadriceps muscles early in the race. Bani to Alaminos will be relatively flat but the heat of the sun will be the main problem for the runners. Runners are advised to hydrate themselves regularly on this part of the course. The approach to the Poblacion of Alamaninos will be slight uphill but after the poblacion, everything will be flat. The last 5-6K of the course, as the runners approach the Municipality of Sual, will be a continouos uphill climb with the last one kilometer to the Finish Line will be a fast downhill one. Finish Line will be located infront of Sual’s Sports and Civic Center Building.

Finish Area: Infront of Sual's Sports & Civic Center Building

7. Pacers will not be allowed during the race. There will be checkpoints along the course and runners would make sure that their Race Bibs will be “punched” by the attending marshall in each checkpoint. Of course, “bandits” will not be allowed to run.

8. For a slight change from our previous PAU Races, we will be giving a different kind of Finisher’s Shirt (“muscle shirt”) to all the Finishers which they can use in their running workouts. We have changed to a better name for the road race as depicted on the said Finisher’s Shirt. I guess, each ultra runner must have a piece of this stuff!

Our "New" PAU Finisher's Shirt For The Event

9. For the Podium Finishers ( Top 3 Overall & Top 3 Ladies), they will receive a mini-replica trophy of the following picture:

The Famous Bolinao Lighthouse Replica @ The Highway Boundary

Good luck to all the runners. See you at the starting area on Friday or Saturday early morning.

“West To East”: Conversation With Mang Ador

On By kingofpotsIn Insights, Jogging, Running, Travel, Ultramarathon3 Comments

Conversation With Mang Ador: (As I entered a Beach Resort Compound. An old guy, whom he introduced later as Mang Ador, was sitting on a stool while I was still inside the vehicle)

BR:  Manong, Yan na ditoy ti Administration Office yo? (Where is your Admistration Office?)

Mang Ador: Apay, Apo (Why, Sir?)

BR: Saludsudek koma no mabalin ti ag-check-in ditoy. (Would like to ask if it possible to check-in here)

Mang Ador: Wen, mabalin. Siak ti Manager ditoy. (Yes, you can check-in. I am the Manager here)

BR: Mano ti ibayad ko, Manong? (How much will I pay?)

Mang Ador: Two Thousand Pesos ti maysa a Cottage nga mabalin ti uppat a tao. (P2,000 per cottage which is good for 4 persons)

BR: Awan ti tawar na? (Any discount?)

Mang Ador: Kitam pay nga umuna san to agsarita ta. Diay ti cottage yo. Mabalin kayo nga ag-park diay abay na. (Please look at it first before we could talk on the price. There is your cottage (pointing at the cottage. You can bring your car and park thereat)

The cottage has a tiled and clean veranda that I had to walk barefoot on it and the room which elevated is clean. I said, “Cool”, this place is nice. It has a place where the occupants can cook and a bamboo dining was also there with plastic chairs.

My haggling for the price ended up to P 1,800.00 when I told him that I will be leaving the place before 6:00 AM the following morning. (I guess, he was able to glance at my “Bull Ring”! hehehe!). After paying him, I requested Mang Ador to cook for us our Rice for our dinner which he charged us with P50.00.

Our conversation resumed as I tried to get more information about the place. Still talking in Ilocano but I have to translate the conversation in this post to English.

BR: Who owns this place?

Mang Ador: He is a foreigner, from Sweden!

BR: A Swedish? I am sure he is married to a Filipina from this place.

Mang Ador (MA): Yes, you are right.

BR: How did you end up as the Manager of this place?

MA: I was the one who endorsed this place for the Swedish and his wife to buy as they had been looking for a place where they could develop a beach resort.

BR: So, you were the realtor of this place before it was purchased. How much was your “commission”?

MA: I did not get any commission but the wife told me that she and her husband would designate and assign me as the “Manager For Life” and my family would stay with me here in the place.

BR: Wow! Cool! That’s the best deal.

MA: Yes, money could just be spent in a few weeks or months but the future of my family is already settled.

BR: So, your wife and children are the ones that maintain and secure this place.

MA: My wife died already. And I am happy that I have 8 children who are helping me here.

BR: Did you marry again?

MA: Never. But I have a girlfriend!

BR: A-ha! I guess, she could be half of your age, Mang Ador?

MA: No, she is old already. (I found out later that the girlfriend is 42 years old)

BR: By the way, how old are you, Mang Ador?

MA: 68

BR: 68? You look young and strong with such age.

Mang Ador smiled at me.

BR: How much do you receive as your pay/allowance being the Manager? And do your children receive also some Pay/Allowance?

MA: I receive a monthly pay of P7,000 and my children who work here receive P3,500 each per month.

BR: How I wish I could stay in those more expensive Beach Resorts up ahead but I just need a place to sleep overnight and your place fits my needs.

MA: Oh, those places are very expensive! One regular room will cost you P4,500.

BR: Well, maybe next time, I would be able to see those places.

But at the back of my mind, this particular place will be a place where I could visit again because of Mang Ador’s hospitality and honesty. There’s no fancy and 5-star service and ambiance of the place but if you want a quiet and relaxing place along the beach of Bolinao, this place is highly recommended. This is a nice place where I could write a book. (Do I sound like Journeying James here? Hahaha!)

At 5:45 AM the following morning, I left the place and started my run. It was still dark and Mang Ador was still sleeping soundly knowing that he guarded us the whole night while we were sleeping. It was one of his sons who unlocked those padlocks on the gate of the compound when we finally left the place.

Mang Ador would never know that I was in his place to start another Running Adventure. But knowing that there are great people in the province who are satisfied to be staying in the province with a peaceful environment, clean air, fresh food, and willing to give service to visitors, this is something that we are proud of. Living in the province is better than living in a stressful city/urban environment and I could see on the happy face of Mang Ador.

The name of the place is COCOS Beach Resort! Look for Mang Ador and this guy is great! And the place is great, too!

Ooppps! Let us go back to running…

To be continued.