I was supposed to run a race on September 27. Then Ondoy hit.

New Balance Power Run

Two months later, the race finally pushed through. Instead of being my lead-up to Race for Life, the New Balance Power Run became my year-ender race — and what a race it was!

Eat my dust.

I’ve made it a habit to wake up at 3am for these races because it takes my brain and body about two hours to boot up (I’m not as efficient as my laptop). For the Power Run, though, I was unusually alert that early in the day, quickly got through my race day prep (food, dressing, packing extra clothes), and was out of the house by 4am. I arrived at the race venue in Fort at 4:30am, which was the assembly time for 21K runners. Excited much? Ü (To compare: back in July for Globe Run for Home, I arrived at Fort around 5am.)

When I got there, the stage, booths, race arches and railings, and portalets were already set up. (And I must say, that long row of portalets in the field was a beautiful sight after Fit ‘n’ Right Run’s measly 8 portalets split between men and women.) All that was left for runners to to do was wait for our turn at our assembly points, squeeze past the checkers (no bandits allowed!), and run when the gun went off!

So run I did. It was a new route around the Fort, which I appreciated, and it wasn’t as hilly as I thought it would be; thank God the revised 5K route didn’t take us into McKinley Hell Hill, where the 10K route looped. Water was plentiful at the strategically-positioned hydration stations on both sides of the University Parkway (no gridlocking of runners coming and going).

Everything was going along smoothly. Then I made one crucial mistake which cost me a year-end PR. I spotted a little boy, around 4 feet tall, running with his parents. He came from behind me, then overtook me, then slowed down so his parents could catch up with him. My ego was bruised; at all costs, I had to beat him to the finish line. So I picked up my pace around kilometer 2. I felt good — for 500 meters. Then the side cramp hit; it knocked the wind out of me. I could barely breathe deeply and my legs refused to stride longer. I yelled in frustration and was reduced to walking for two minutes before the cramp subsided and I could pick up the pace again.

Still, according to the unofficial results on the eXtribe website, I made it to the finish line in 24 minutes and 41 seconds. I don’t know if I made the top 20, but it was fast enough to make me one of the lucky few to get New Balance socks and a huge bar of Hershey’s dark chocolate along with the medal, bananas, water, and 100Plus drinks given as freebies right after the finish chute. Race organizers, take note: this is the best way to distribute freebies, rather than setting up a separate booth and making people line up again.

In case you missed that part, yes I got a medal! While other races this year gave out medals only to finishers of their longer-distance events (21K for instance), at the Power Run whether you finished 3, 5, 10, or 21 you got a medal, in lieu of a finisher’s certificate. I prefer a medal any day!

The best part about the race routes were the different start and finish points for the race categories. While all runners started at the same arch, the 3K and 21K runners would finish at that arch while 5K and 10K runners would make their way to a different finish arch. Logistically it must have been more complicated for race organizer eXtribe to manage, but it made for a very smooth chute experience, with no crowding at the finish line. I loved not having to sidestep slow-moving 3K walkers!

While I was pakalat-kalat (wandering around) after the race, I spotted Tessa Prieto-Valdes running by her lonesome in a fuschia pink top, black running tights — and a skirt. Not a tiny fringe around her hips, no. A flouncy, bouncy skirt. She was still sporting the skirt, with a few more furry embellishments, when she got up on the stage to host the awarding ceremony.

Oh, Tessa!

Also (still while pakalat-kalat) I spotted running coach Rio de la Cruz, who had participated in the 10K as a leisure run. I couldn’t resist getting my picture taken with him. Hey he may not be Piolo Pascual, but he’s the man who trained Piolo to run 10K in 47 minutes. (Dinaig ako ni Piolo! Hmpf!)

Question for Coach Rio: How does your hair stay puft?

Even though I didn’t beat my 5K PR, or have a hi-tech timing chip laced to my shoe, or get an award, I have to say that the Power Run is my favorite race this year because of my no-hitch experience with it (barring the two-month delay, of course). It was definitely a race worth waiting for.

Tags: New Balance, Power Run, Running, Race

After the PIM 10K, which was held on Roxas Boulevard, my next race took me even further southwards, to the Mall Of Asia complex. My running friends and I signed up for the Del Monte Fit ‘n’ Right Fun Run after our PIM stint because we really enjoyed the camaraderie, the photos, and the eating after our run, and we wanted an event to cap off our year. At 300 pesos per entry, we thought it was a good deal for a singlet, a bib number, and a Radio Frequency ID sticker that would serve as a timing chip. Then my family, my sister, and her fiance joined in the fun as well.

After some trouble claiming the race kits (according to race organizer CEMG, the singlet supplier was late on deliveries), I finally got them the Friday before the race, except for mine. Good thing I called the CEMG office (particularly the point person Marianne Tapales) and was told they’d deliver my singlet to my doorstep. Ü

On the morning of November 22, My family and I arrived at 4:30am, the assembly time. However, when we got there, the arch hadn’t been built yet and the booths were still being set up (ahhh, assemble-y time). When we went to look for portalets, there were only eight of them — four for men, and four for women. I was thankful I was only going to run 5K, and purposely held back on hydrating myself too much before the race to avoid a Tatakbo Ka Ba running-with-a-full-bladder scenario.

I bumped into some of my co-instructors from Fitness First, and both of them were there not to run, but to perform in the race’s program. Joanne Ignacio, as last year’s winner of the Fit ‘n’ Right reality show, was one of the hosts, while Andre Sunga would lead the race participants in the warm-up.

Fitness First, represent!

Well, Andre tried to lead the participants in the warm-up (part of the program that began really late), but not everyone in the crowd were dancers (he used a modified BODYJAM warm-up). There was also poor crowd control because the 10K, 5K, and 3K runners had not been segregated. As a result, when the gun fired for 10K start, the warm-up was still ongoing and some 10K runners were unaware that their event had started.

We 5K runners moved to the front of the line, but even then there was no real countdown to the starting gun. All of a sudden everyone was running, and I wove through the slower runners to get ahead. This was when I started to enjoy my run. The route was flat, the air crisp and cool, and I was able to get my first (and only) cup of water from the hydration table. I noted that it was a short table, and true enough, from the horror stories of people post-race, there were hydration problems. The 5K and 10K routes were the same (10K runners would do two laps), and by the time the 10K runners were on their second lap, the tables were out of water.

I finished the race with a time of 24 minutes and 7 seconds, a new 5K PR for me (even beating my Race for Life time), and then waited for my friends to come through the finish chutes. I was able to stand really close to the finish line because none of the marshals were making me leave. I found out post-race that the bib checkers were crowded out by participants waiting for their friends, and this caused problems in verifying which bib numbers had crossed in what order.

The Del Monte freebie booth by that time was handing out huge sackfuls of Del Monte products, but it was located very near the finish. People standing in line were blocking the way of runners. There was a general air of frenzy in the place, and there were no safeguards to determine who had already claimed their loot bag. As a result, when our turn came, there were no more goodies. Well, at least we still had each other. Ü

Good Running Buddies = Salvaged Race Experience

I had fun with my friends, but it was only after the race that the sad faces set in. I had a hiccup with the RFID timing chip when I was recorded as coming in 3 minutes later than my actual finish time. I thought that was the biggest problem, but then I didn’t know how bad other participants’ experiences were until I checked out the comments on the Fit ‘n’ Right fan page on Facebook. Ouch!

Del Monte was quick to offer an apology and to accept responsibility.

From my point of view, CEMG, being a first-time race organizer, had miscalculated the logistics needed for the number of participants who had signed up — water, portalets, marshals, and grounds set-up. I do think they’ll learn from their mistakes, and I appreciate the way they handled the backlash — with an apologetic attitude and a promise to do better. I think they just might have bitten off more than they could chew with a big product race such as Del Monte’s (which received a lot of promotion in the tri-media). Perhaps they should have gained experience first with smaller events, like company runs with a lower number of participants.

Hopefully, next year’s Fit ‘n’ Right run will be a lot smoother. Ü Which reminds me — I can still claim my loot bag at CEMG this week.

Tag: Del Monte, Running, Race

With apologies to the men who are following this blog, I’m writing another mega-post for fashion and beauty this month. There were just too many kikay developments for me not to notice. Ü

Bootie Luv

If you’re following me on Tumblr, you might have seen me reblogging posts from fashion tumblr ShoeLust, or posting photos of shoes I want to have from Virtual Mae. I was under the impression that stylish gladiator pumps and booties could only be bought from online stores and boutiques like People Are People or Janylin.

Then I dropped by SM Department Store the other day.

SM. We’ve really got it all.

I could not believe my eyes. Ankle-high booties with the correct chunkiness of heel! Studded heels! Etcetera! All that I had been dreaming of and drooling about were right there in-store. The best part was the most expensive pair were priced at P1,299. Not bad at all!

Of course, two weeks ago I told Dhon of Runway2Reality that I’d already made my last shoe purchase of the year. I’m still trying to resist the retail urge! Maybe I’ll reward myself with some awesome shoes in 2010.

DIY Event Make-up

I’ve always done my own make-up when I go out, but seeing other women have perfectly finished faces made me go research how to apply make-up for clubbing. There’s a different color palette for smoky gunmetal eyes, and I wanted to get the blending right for them.

new loot!

The make-up palette from Ever Bilena I bought a few months back is good for everyday use, but it tends to wash out when camera flashes are involved. So I picked up some e.l.f. eyeshadows (P129.75 each) because the colors are intense and don’t wear off easily even with my oily skin (bane of make-up artists). I got the Drama shades for gunmetal club eyes, and Butternut for when I want to achieve an old Hollywood bombshell look.

I’ve been using brown pencil liners to define my brows lately, reserving the black liner for rimming my eyes. Ever Bilena Color Pencils are cheap (P88), rich, don’t run, and won’t smear if set with powder. The white eyeliner in the photo is from Nichido; Tyra Banks and other celebrities tout its use on lower eyelid rims as a way to make eyes appear bigger.

For the SLIMS Retrospective, I picked up a copy of Cosmopolitan Magazine and copied a look from one of its pages.

After applying Clinique Superfit foundation (Rose Beige) with a foundation brush and patting it smooth with a make-up sponge, I used an Elianto cream concealer (Medium shade) to cover up dark circles. Then I applied the nude color from the Butternut palette all over my eyelid up to the brow. I swiped the lightest shade onto my brow bone as highlight, then used the two darkest colors to contour my lid and give it a deep-set look. Since it wasn’t dark enough not to wash out when I took test photos, I took my Drama palette and lightly brushed some black shadow to finish off the contour.

After filling in and extending my eyebrows with brown pencil, I went all around my eye with my black liner. I applied a line of white pencil beneath the black liner on my waterline, which lit up my eye area and finished the look. Blush powder from Nichido (Cool Rum and Passionate Red) and lip color from Clinique (Color Surge in Extreme Pink) added some warmth to the lower half of my face. I later attached very long false eyelashes from e.l.f. (not in photo).

I felt really confident about how I looked, and as the evening progressed, the make-up did not wear off or migrate. In the photos, the make-up was just right, not too heavy or too light. Success!

Tags: Kikay, Make-Up, Fashion, Booties

“Hello, Miss. This is for you.”

a rose for me? how thoughtful!

And with that gentle welcome still ringing in my ear, I breezed into the penthouse suite of Fairways Tower yesterday for the Clinique Perfect Match Foundation event.

Because I’d covered a Clinique skincare event for Kikay Exchange in May, I was invited to this sneak peek at the upcoming foundation line Clinique is releasing, formulated for Asian skin. Check out Project Vanity for Liz’s review, coming soon! The other foundations were also still available for testing.

I, like other women, love make-up

They had a computer set up with a questionnaire that would lead me to find the right kind of foundation for me. Based on my consultation at the counter, I received a whole bottle of Clinique Superfit Makeup in Rose Beige. Superfit matches skin types 2 (combination dry), 3 (combination oily, my skin type), and 4 (oily). It’s oil-free so it won’t clog pores, and it’s long-wearing so it won’t melt off my face.

Superfit Makeup in Rose Beige, SRP: P1,750

My last pot of liquid foundation from Clinique was the Perfectly Real Makeup in True Beige, which was rather thick and needed a light hand when applied. The Superfit Makeup felt lighter and spread very evenly on my face.

foundation on left side, bare skin on right side

I’m acidic, but this foundation blended very well into my natural skin color. I really like how it dried to a matte finish and covered up light splotches, redness, and dark circles. I didn’t even need to use concealer when I finished applying foundation to my whole face.

I use powder mineral foundation on most days, but when I need more coverage, I’m glad I have Clinique to turn to.

(Check out my Tumblr for photos I took at the event: slideshow 1, slideshow 2.)

Tags: Clinique, Liquid Foundation, Superfit Makeup

For my last 10-kilometer race of the year, I ran at the Philippine International Marathon held on Roxas Boulevard on November 8.

at the finish line

My dad dropped me off at the assembly area at Quirino Grandstand around 4:30am. The marathon runners had just started, and the roads surrounding the area were already blocked off. It took some effort to find everyone else I was running with, particularly Lalah, who had picked up my race kit for me. By the time we had all gotten together, I didn’t feel like switching my Race for Life top for the blue Izod singlet that all the other runners were wearing. (Hey, I like standing out.)

I was running the 10K distance with Joel, while the rest of the gang had signed up for 5K. Joel insisted we place ourselves near the front of the pack since I was attempting a new PR. I’d seen the route on Google Maps a few days before and knew that it would be a flat course for most of the way, excluding one flyover. This was the route used by the Milo race earlier this year (before I started running), so Joel warned me about certain smells I would encounter along Roxas Boulevard.

Former president Fidel Ramos fired the gun, and we were off. Some Marines and Coast Guard men were among us, and I found a group among them I could comfortably keep pace with. Everything about my run felt good; I wasn’t taking it easy like I did KOTR, but I wasn’t pushing myself too soon yet. I took notice of landmarks so I would know when to start pushing myself to sprint pace on my way back.

The water and hydration stations were wonderful. Water and energy drinks were there when I needed them, so I never felt like I was going to run out of “gas”. After every drink break, I was able to speed up just a bit more.

Then I hit the wall of stench: a smell of rotten eggs was emanating from stagnant water trapped between Roxas Boulevard and the reclaimed area in Manila Bay. I coughed, waved my hands in front of my nose to fan the smell away, but the only way I could escape the smell was to run faster. So I did.

When I got to the flyover, I leaned into the incline and drove my legs down to push my body up and over the crest. Then I sped up my footstrikes going downhill, gaining much-needed time. The U-turn point came pretty quickly.

I thought the home stretch would be the easier part since I still had a lot of leftover energy (I was unwittingly doing a negative split, where the latter half of the run would be done faster). I had no idea that the slow-moving molasses masses of people participating in 3K and 5K would block our way. All runners had been directed to U-turn onto the other side of Roxas Boulevard, so imagine trying to speed up when there are 20,000 people standing in your way. There were people strolling along like they were walking in Luneta Park (which was beside the race’s starting line), students horsing around, unmindful of serious runners like us who were hurtling towards them, girls moving against the flow because they were looking for their friends, and a woman who crossed the street while texting. I yelled at her, “NO TEXTING WHILE DRIVING!” as I sped by.

(I should have followed the other 10K runners who were on the other side of the street, counterflowing against the few stragglers who had started their 3K and 5K late. That’s what Gingerbread Runner Luis did, and he was able to finish under 50 minutes.)

A race marshal was pointing the way to the 10K finish chute with a placard, but he was facing the wrong way so I got shunted away with 5K runners. I had to vault a steel barrier to get back in position. Then I saw the clock at the finish line: 50:46. I went nuts, screaming “What? WHAT?!” in disbelief as I sprinted towards it. I felt another runner closing the gap behind me, and launched my body forward over the mat into the finish chute before he could overtake me. HAHAHA

For a run that I entered at the last minute, I did surprisingly well — I set a new PR of 51 minutes, 15 seconds (unofficial). Maybe it was my new cropped running tights and socks. Maybe (most probably) it was being well-rested and well-nourished the night before. Maybe it was the novelty of running a new route. I just remember thanking God for giving me a great way to finish my running year.

Well, it’s not over yet. I still have the Del Monte Dare to Be Fit ‘n’ Right Run this Sunday. I’m running it with the same group of friends I went to PIM with — they got hooked on running too! Ü

Tags: Philippine International Marathon, 10 Kilometer Race, Running

Due to a strange and mysterious confluence of events (LOL!), I found myself signed up for consecutive races last weekend: Race for Life on Saturday the 24th, and Adidas King of the Road on Sunday the 25th. Race for Life had been moved from its original date in September due to Ondoy, but I still wanted to run it with my friends. I’d considered skipping KOTR, but then got a slot for free from my Action&Fitness; Magazine editor.

Race for Life

Bib No. 2077

I jostled for space at the very front of the pack, wanting to get a good start. I was competing against friends who were trying to beat their 5K times from last year, and even though I didn’t run last year, I was still determined to keep up with them.

Based on what my friends told me, the turnout this year wasn’t as big as last year’s. Whether it was because of Ondoy causing the race’s postponement, or because the Subic International Marathon was scheduled on the same day, or because KOTR was happening the next day, there weren’t too many elite runners signed up (and most of them had signed up for the 15K and 10K distances). That paved the way for me to winning the bronze medal in the 5K women’s category, with a time of 24 minutes and 41 seconds! Podium finish — therefore my racing life is complete. Ü I even got to share stage space with Rica Peralejo and Donita Rose, who hosted the awards ceremony after the race.

Bronzer.

If running a 5K is like window-shopping (like Rose told me last Monday), I went and won myself some Nike Park gift certificates to shop with! I don’t know what I’ll buy with them though; I just bought a new pair of dance shoes and I don’t really like Nike’s apparel choices this season. Maybe I should just get a SportsBand to help me keep track of my mileage. Or not; I use LogYourRun to map my routes out anyway. I should just get new running tights; I found my legs fatigued quickly while running in short shorts. Would I still be able to run KOTR the next day?

Adidas King of the Road

I got home pretty late from Fashion Week and going out after, so I told myself I’d only take a short catnap, then get ready to head back to Fort for the 10K race, which was set to start at 6am.

I woke up at 5:30am.

Noelle the Natural LATECOMER!!!

After jumping into the shower then into my race kit, I drove like a madwoman and would have been late by only 10 minutes — if I hadn’t run into a solid wall of yellow-clad runners making their way past an intersection on their way to Kalayaan flyover.

Feeling dejected, I parked and made my way to the staging grounds thinking I’d just collect my freebies. Then I saw someone start their run. I pulled myself together, got my bib checked, then ran out the gates as well. I didn’t bother to check how much time had elapsed on the clock before I started. The important thing was to run. After all, I didn’t want to waste my outfit. Ü

I was running against the flow of a steady stream of people already on their way back. Although I came face-to-face with some familiar faces, I was running the race pretty much on my own. But as I came around the halfway point, I started overtaking runners who had slowed down, spent from the earlier sprint off the blocks. I ran at a steady pace, not really pushing because I wasn’t chasing a personal record. I even had enough time and breath to yell, “Let’s go, Miss BB!” when I overtook BB Gandanghari (nee Rustom Padilla).

I arrived at the finish with 1 hour 16 minutes elapsed on the clock, but with a huge sense of accomplishment. Even though I hadn’t managed to beat the clock, I still felt like a winner. It was then I realized I didn’t run because I wanted to win a prize. I run because I want to, period.

Next time, though, I swear I will set four alarms to wake me up for an early morning race!

Tags: Running, Race for Life, King of the Road

October has been one busy month — with so much going on, I’ve had to compile the blog posts by topic. This one is about fashion and modeling.

Philippine Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2010

Fashion Week in the Philippines is held bi-annually. Designers showcase their looks for the upcoming season, and in this case I got to see what should be hot for Spring and Summer next year.

This is the third fashion week I’ve attended, and each time I feel a little more obligated to dress up for the occasion. Again thre were a lot of fashion do’s and don’ts among the attendees, and on the first day I attended (Thursday) I thought i was already “fashionably chic” (the dress code indicated on the PFW tickets) wearing an ensemble that looked straight out of Lookbook — tights, grey slouchy flat boots, scarf. Then I found myself standing beside people in impossibly high heels, outrageous outfits, and chunky jewelry. I vowed that for the Saturday shows, I’d do better. Which one looks more suited to fashion week?

Thursday vs. Saturday looks

While girls like me tried to outdress one another with ever-higher heels and striking silhouettes, all it took for guys to look fashionable were slim-fitting jeans, brightly colored skate shoes or chunky military boots, and a snazzy tee or button-down shirt. Sigh.

I attended shows both at the SMX Convention Center and at the Mall of Asia Atrium. Shows at SMX featured couturiers either in group or solo shows. The Luxewear show that had 14 designers sharing the time and space was uneven in terms of quality of design and material. Some designers really did wow the crowd, but there were other designers whose clothes seemed like a rehash of things already seen before and found in the department stores (yikes!). Premiere Collection B was markedly more uniform in excellence, with the five designers featured better able to stretch themselves creatively because they could show more clothes each. Puey Quinones’s first solo show was beautifully conceptualized and executed, and the clothes really showed off his eccentricity and design aesthetic.

I was also able to attend the Project Runway Philippines final runway show, featuring the three finalists’ designs. They really are greenhorn designers (which showed painfully in what they decided to put out on the runway), but here’s to hoping that the best one wins. I can’t wait to see the finale show, but will have to wait for the two-parter in November! Argh.

The Atrium shows were pret-a-porter brands and had more razzle-dazzle in terms of set production, choreography, and celebrities — things to catch a mall-goer’s eye. The Lee 120 Anniversary show featured Robin Padilla and Phil Younghusband, while the Dickies show featured early 1990’s matinee stars on the ramp (Tonton Gutierrez! Onemig Bondoc! Lorna Tolentino!) and sexy stars and bands giving musical performances and interludes.

One Hot FABE Fashion Show

Just two weeks before Philippine Fashion Week, FABE Clothing also had its own little runway show. This was my second time to be on a catwalk; the first time was in 2007 for a WetSHOP mini-show held at Fitness First Ortigas. This was a really big venue, though; Technowave on Tomas Morato is no small space, and 700 guests came to watch!

I was assigned a dress and a swimsuit to wear, and I was relieved to see that my fellow models were of different shapes and sizes, not simply just the stereotypical ramp model look (tall, lanky, thin). I was super-early at the venue for the final rehearsal; the choreography was complicated because not only did we have to come out onstage, but we had to walk down three steps crossed by huge electrical wires and circuit the whole room before going backstage. Just my luck, I was the only one to fall down the stairs! Thankfully it didn’t leave a mark, and I finished the show without incident. Here are some photos and a video I edited of my walks down the runway. Ü

FABE Clothing

My interest in fashion hasn’t done wonders for my already-overstuffed closet lately (a subject for another blog post entirely), but my wardrobe has been asking for an overhaul, with shoes wearing out, clothes falling apart, colors fading… Whether I buy from a name-brand store or a tiangge takes second importance to finding and wearing outfits that are classic and won’t quickly go out of style when the next fashion week rolls around.

Tags: Fashion, Modeling, Kikay