5 Races in 9 weeks! How to Train for Multiple Races!

The next 9 1/2 weeks will be very busy in so far as the run and triathlon race calendar is concerned. I am registered for 5 races (so far). Some coaches recommend limiting races to 2 per month to give the body enough time to recover from both the training and the races. However, I believe this depends more on the overall level of conditioning of one's body and the rate by which we recover. Diet and a well thought out training and recovery plan will also help exponentially.

The trick is to identify the "A" race and train primarily for that race. All else, are subordinate to the major race but supplementary to ensuring a good performance.

The Animo Sprint Triathlon - June 10th Ayala Alabang Village

My next race will be the Annual Animo Sprint Triathlon. This is a short but very intense triathlon involving a 900m swim, 30k bike and 7.5k upak run inside the very scenic, well paved and upscale Ayala Alabang Village. The swim is done in waves inside the 50m pool of De La Salle Zobel. Proceeds of the race goes to the scholarship of kids studying at the Saint Jaime Hilario Integrated School (for the Poor) - La Salle in Bagac, Bataan.

As reference, the school was named after martyred La Salle Brother, Saint Jaime Hilario of Spain. It essentially offers a La Salle quality education to the children of fisherfolks, farmers and provincial dwellers in Bataan. Tuition is only around P50/month as all other costs are generally subsidized. These subsidies are generated from fund raising projects such as the Animo Sprint Triathlon.

Over the last 4 years, the race has generated tuition support for around 125 kids annually. Registration is a bit slow this year given the many races lined up as mentioned but it should still be a fun and meaningful race worth participating in.

It's also the race where most runners or swimmers or beginners do their first triathlon. This is especially because of the safe conditions of the race (pool swim and exclusive village environment for the bike and run).

I am the defending champion in my age group :)

Last Year's Top 3 in the Age Group

Run United 21k - June 17th, Mall of Asia

A week after the Animo Tri, I'll be reporting to the starting line of the Run United 21k (half marathon). This is organized by the Run Rio group so the race is expected to be WORLD CLASS. I'm determined to complete all the races under the Run United series which escalates to a 32k in a few months and a full martathon sometime October.

I aim to improve on my 1:38.30 performance from last year's 21k staging of Run United. Target time is 1:32.00. This will serve as a good training effort for the 70.3 Half Ironman in August.

Century 5i50 - June 24th Subic Bay, Zambales

This is the marquee race of the year! It is on its maiden run as the race series, though biggest in the World, is only being staged in the Philippines for the first time. This is a standard distance triathlon entailing a 1.5k swim, 40k bike and 10k run. The difference is that the swim will be point-to-point (meaning you start at one point and will not be doing loops but rather, swim to another beach 1.5k away). The bike is said to be very hilly (maybe 50% hills). This will help add strength for my quest to improve my time in the 70.3 Ironman.

Our company is the presentor for this race.

Presscon to Launch the 5i50 Triathlon (with Fred Uytengsu)

We put out major billboards here topbilling George Vilog (5 time National Champion and SEA Games Medalist), Vinny Tongson and Ryan Marbella, all from the Century Tri Hard Team. George is the guy shown below with abs that would put Manny Pacquiao to shame. Honest, no photoshop retouches done here.

Tri United Long Distance Triathlon - July 1st, Batangas

A week after the 5i50, I will be treking to Batangas to do the Tri United Long Distance Triathlon. This is a good tune up for the upcoming 70.3 half ironman. This race will entail a 2k swim, 60k bike and 15k run. My kinda race!

Cobra 70.3 Ironman - August 5th, Cebu

I plan to use July as peak training month for the "Grand Daddy" of Triathlons here in the Philippines, the Cobra 70.3 Half Ironman in Cebu. I've done all three 70.3's in Camsur and had a decent finish in two out of the three.

Rainy Ride in Camsur

Headed for the finish line!

Training Logic:

The trick is to balance the needs of each race and each of the disciplines and incorporate this logic into the training plan. I've started doing my long rides three weeks ago and have logged in two rides more or less within 100km. I still plan to do 4 to 5 100k++ ride over the span of the next few weeks despite the race schedules. This weekend will surely have to include a 100k ride. Even the day before the Animo race is likely to be a mandatory long ride. I guess I won't be defending my Animo Tri crown to give way to training the day before. I'll just race for the speedwork I can get from it.

Over and above the need to do Century Rides is the need to do ride along heavy hills. This is preparation for the Century 5i50 race which is mercilessly hilly.

The Unilab races (21k run and long distance Tri) are actually part of my preparations for the 70.3 Half Ironman. So, in a sense, they're both races and training sessions at the same time. A perfect match and a good excuse to do both.

The rest of the weekends will be long brick work outs (swim + bike or bike + run). The weekday workouts will likely be twice a day. Run or Ride in the morning as early as 4:30am and swim at night (after work). I find that a good combination of one tempo run, one interval run session and two long runs a week married with one long ride, two tempo rides at least 40k weekly and roughly 3 to 4 swim sessions are good to ensure a strong build up for the Ironman 70.3. The races form part of the training plan for the major "A"  race.

Nutrition and Recovery

This will require a diet heavy on protein to help me recover. I have found that eating quality protein meals helps keep me from experiencing training fatigue (that "blah" feeling) and keeps me at a good pace while training. It also helps bring my weight down.

But my secret weapon is really my rate of recovery. For some profound reason, God gifted me with a body that heals and recovers really fast. Isang idlip lang and my muscles are once again ready for action (that's an exaggeration of course). But I really do recover fast. That's how I am able to take on 15 to 18 hour training loads a week which is where I'll be from June to July.

Timex 226 Anyone?

Wow, all these talk of racing and training got me to be so tempted to sign up for the Timex 226 in December. That's a 3.8km swim, 180km bike and capped with a 42.2k run. A full Ironman Disrance Race.

I've done this distance before in Korea (within cut off) and in Malaysia (6 mins over cut off). It's no joke.

Should I?

Robin Padilla, Behind the Scenes

One of the benefits of my job is getting to do nice TV commercials and working with BIG celebrities. Century Canning Corporation has several brands in the tuna category alone with each brand serving a different "target market". Century Tuna, of course is our flagship and caters to the mid to high end consumer demographic. The key anchor for the brand is its health and wellness image but communicated via a "sexy" slant.

555 Tuna

However, many are not aware that the masa (I call it proletariat) brand, 555 Tuna is also from Century Canning. We sell this not only in Tuna form but as Sardines and Carne Norte (the corned beef of the masa).

To balance our "brand portfolio", I have to play the schizo role of ensuring that all our brands, foremost of which are Century and 555, are well accepted by the specific target markets they serve. Since you are on line, you are most likely an upscale, young or youthful individual to whom Century tuna appeals the most. But 555 Tuna is really for the proletariat. Those who toil and labor each day to gradually but surely lift them out of poverty. The kargador, labanderas, drivers, laborers, etc. You see them everyday - mga batak ang katawan (ripped and buffed not through working out and exercise but mostly just by laboring in their jobs). The sexy, healthy message will not resonate. It's more about nutrition.

Robin Padilla, 555 Tuna Endorser

Poster for 555 Tuna

The best endorser for this demographic is no other than the "idol ng masa", Robin Padilla!

After some tough but friendly negotiations with his talent management crew, we were so excited to have signed up Robin. And we were not to be disappointed. He came to the TV commercial well prepared, mentally psyched up to shoot his scenes. Unlike most Robin Padilla ads which showcases his "siga" persona, we thought it best to show his reticent side. Quiet but smouldering intensity as you hear his thoughts paying tribute to the country's masa labor force. Reminicent of the King, Fernando Poe, Jr. But, leading up to an inspiring strong finish for the tv commercial. He mentions strong themes that in the past have sparked the masses to revolt. "Para sa pangarap, para sa kinabukasan, para sa Pamilya". Though I was part of the creative process and have seen the making of this ad from story board to final verion, I still get goose bumps everytime I see the scene were he says "Sugod" and the crowd of the masa roars behind him.

Robin Padilla turns out to be very down to earth and approachable. He is well liked by the production crew and doesn't expect celebrity treatment. He eats with the team, he interacts with us and even the crowd who gathered to watch their idol in action.

Robin Padilla - Triathlete?

In our conversations during the shoot, I stumble upon a revelation. It turns out that he's been interested to try out Triathlon. He runs, he bikes and is even having a lap pool built in his new house. He says that he just needs to sort out how to conquer open water swimming. Mukhang malakas ito (I bet he'll do good if and when he so decides to do the sport). I can't imagine the Idol though in spandex. Parang di bagay.

The New FPJ and Dencio Padilla?

We ask for the customary souvenir shots with our endorser....and what's this? Now that there is a vacuum, maybe the movie going public is now ready for a new team up. The Idol and his goofy side kick. Eto, Don Quixote and Sancho Panza, Batman and Robin or FPJ and Dencio Padilla.....

Laban ka sa Lolo Ko?

Di ako marunong mag project! SUGOD!

Maybe I should just stick to running and running a business.

Doing a Duathlon!

I joined the 2nd leg of the Powerade Duathlon here in the Alabang area this morning. This is a race that entails a 6k run followed by a 30k bike and capped off with a shorter but intense 3k run. The obvious difference of a duathlon from a triathlon is that the tri requires a swim while the duathlon is done entirely on land.

Short distance duathlons such as these are usually more intense as the competitors push hard in the first 6k run with leaders averaging 4:00 to 4:30 per km. The bike leg is where everyone gets carried away and pushes speeds of 35kph to 38kph averages while leaders go as fast as 40kph++ average. By the time we get to the final 3k run, everyone is still pushing hard given the short distance remaining.

Hats off to the organizers this morning as registration has grown to over 400+ athletes with most teams well represented. My training buddy and I got to the venue at 5:15 and were surprised to see the parking areas fully occupied. Indeed the sport has grown exponentially through the efforts of Thumbie and Popo Remegio, organizers and proponents of the local duathlon series.

That's me post race with the Race Organizer, Thumbie Remegio.

Timing chip and race packet collection was a breeze despite the larger registration count. We set up our bikes and proceeded to warm up. It's important to get your heart rate up and break into a steady sweat as the duathlon start is very, very intense. It's almost a long sprint race.

At gun start, I was well positioned close to the race leaders and kept pace up to mid point, afterwhich they slowly started to pull away. I ran a 4:30 pace throughout but still saw myself in the chase pack. Clearly, the participants today were much more competitive. And though I was able to establish a good run part, my position quickly deteriorated at the bike portion. The boys from Tri Clark-Yellow Cab were like Kamikaze Fighter pilots and led the way in the bike. Whizzing past everyone via their superior leg power and super powered bike handling skills.

The bike course was challenging given the two hairpin u-turn slots at the end of each of the 6 loops we had to complete. Despite the presence of a ton of beginners, almost all the participants were able to avoid each other along the bike course, not get into any major crashes and this paved the way to the final 3k run. Depending on your health level, the basic requirement for the duathlon is to ATTACK! After the bike, it's just 3km thus encouraging most athletes to push the pace even harder toward the finish line.

Unfortunately, I didn't make podium this time. I usually get into the top 3 but this time, I couldn't keep pace with John Villanueva of Tri Clark and two other athletes within our age group. I figured, I came in at around 4th place with a time of 1:38 or so. Unofficial results (meaning, my stop watch) had my run at around 27 mins for the 1st 6k while my bike was around 53 minutes for the 31k distance. I had a tough final 3k though and that's where I lost my slot at the podium.

Ivan Fojas - he nailed this race today! Hats off! 4 min/km average in the run.

Ordo, our team "sprinter".

This race was dominated by the guys from Tri Clark who are all killers on the bike.

Tri Clark Team during the last Duathlon at Filinvest.

The post race breakfast was insane as the organizers pulled off getting Ineng's bar-b-que as sponsor. Longannisa, Rice, Egg! SARAP. Aside from the good food, it was also good to see friends from the tri community who join these races both for fun and to support the growth of the sport.

Don Velasco and some members of 2nd Wind Team with their Ineng's BBQ treat. 

It was  a fun and fast event. Was able to get home early enough to hear mass, get a massage, hangout in the mall with my son and cook a spaghetti dinner for the kids. Duathlete na, driver-kusinero pa!

Next Duathlon is on August 26th.

Running for Beginners

A Quick Guide to Running for Beginners

So, it's been 5 months since you listed getting started in a fitness regimen as one of your New Year's Resolutions but haven't achieved much progress? And Summer is almost over and maybe you still haven't quite gotten too far in your quest to become a "Superbod"?

Be fit.

Be slimmer.

Be more energetic.

Be in a better mood.....all day.

Be proud of your accomplishments (finishing run races).

Be part of the growing number of runners in the country (and in the world).

Become a RUNNER.

Running is probably still the least expensive and relatively easiest fitness program one can get into. However, to ensure a fun, injury-free and  sustainable "career" as a runner, it is important to get things right from the beginning. Allow me to share some tips on how to get started as a runner. And hopefully, you'll proudly be doing a 5k race within 6 to 8 weeks.

Step 1: Get a Medical Clearance

This won't cost you much. Most likely, just a consultation fee and at most, a few tests just as a precaution in case your interview/consultation raises any alarm bells. And, it certainly is much cheaper to pay the consultation fees than be hospitalized if there is indeed any problems with your health that you didn't know about.

Step 2: Get the Right Shoes

Running will put a strain on your feet, your ankles, your knees, your hip joints and your spine. Having the proper shoes will protect all these. Moreover, having the right shoes will make running more enjoyable and comfortable.

While you're at it, get nice looking running shorts and jerseys. Feeling "pogi" (good looking) or sexy in run gear helps motivate you to run. Don't get singlets. These things come for free in most runs.

Step 3:  Get Started

Stretching - Always spend a few minutes doing basic, slow stretching exercises to prevent injuries. Pay particular attention to your achilles tendon, calves, hamstrings, quads and hip joints. Also do slow stretches for your lower back. Remember not to do jerky movements as this might result in some tendon or muscle tears.

Week 1 - Everyone can jog at least 2 minutes straight. For the first week, walk 5 to 10 minutes warm up then jog 2 minutes straight followed by a 3 minute walk. Do this 2 minute jog and 3 minute walk routine 3 to 4 times per session. Ideally, you should do at least 3 to 4 sessions per week. That would mean that your workout will be 20 to 30 minutes per session.

TIP - Most people tend to run too fast when first attempting running. They tend to sprint to either impress others or because they don't know what pace to run but immediately fade soon after. Stay disciplined. Just do a slow jog that you can sustain. This will also help prevent side stitch.

Week 2 to 3 - By now, you've done around 3 to 4 run/walk sessions around 20 to 30 minutes at a time. You can now reverse the sequence and job 3 minutes, walk 2 minutes and increase the number of sets to 4 per session.

Week 4 to 5 - Extend the walk warm up to 10 to 15 minutes. Jog 5 minutes then walk 3 minutes and do this for 3 to 4 sets. Your sessions will be 30 to 45 minutes by now. Ideally, do this 3 to 4 times a week.

Week 6 to 7 - Go for the 10 to 15 minute straight runs and rest 5 minutes in between. Do at least 3 sets. Warm up will still be a 10 to 15 minute walk.

Week 8 - YOU ARE READY FOR YOUR 1ST STRAIGHT 5K RUN. Do 3 to 4 5k runs a week.

Step 4 - Right running form

From the outset, endeavor to have the right running form.

Proper form: Upright, mid foot strike, eyes to the horizon.

Posture: You should imagine a string on the top of your head pulling you to run tall, with your spine straight but relaxed. Run with a very slight tilt forward.

Foot Strike: The natural foot plant for most people is for their feet to land on their heels while running upon impact on the ground. This is especially when one is doing a slow jog. However, as you pick up pace, you will sense your feet hitting the ground at mid-foot. This is the ideal foot plant for efficiency and less injuries.

Sighting: You should look around 20 to 25 feet forward or to the horizon. Don't be looking at your feet while running as this breaks your stride and your momentum.

FINAL TIP: To determine the best pace possible, you should only run as fast as you are able to speak comfortably while running (or jogging). And, oh - make sure you are enjoying the pace. If it becomes a chore, than you know it will be unsustainable. Speed will come over time.

I've been running for over 30 years and continue to enjoy it immensely, injury free.

Photo is during the Run United 32k where I did 2:38 (or so).

See you guys in the coming 5k races!

Cuenca Grieving

An Outpouring of Love for the Cuenca Boys

Less than 24 hours after posting the blog "Gone too soon", the post has already generated close to 4,000 views. This includes over 500 from the USA and hundreds from Canada, Sinapore, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Australia, Indonesia, New Zealand, Qatar, Hong Kong, Germany and the United Arab Emmirates.

This gentle tribute and celebration of the lives of the four fallen Cuenca Boys is being passed on through facebook, twitter, email and other forms of social media. Views continue to grow and is making its way through Europe, the Middle East and here in Asia Pacific.

Most were touched by the Group Hug photo and the Quotation lifted from the FB page of one of the boys which seemed like these boys' Code of Excellence.

Even beyond their lives here in this world, the Cuenca Boys Tim and Josh Syyap, Bruce Garcia and Thomas Nguyen influence and continue to inspire others.

Though truly tragic, their deaths have not been in vain given the many hearts they've touched through the quality of life they lived as seen by a few simple photos and the "Code" which they embraced. Moreover, their passing has been a potent source of lessons and realizations across many dimensions.

Thank you, Boys. Truly, Cuenca will never be the same again.

 

Photo from the FB page of Francis Macatulad.

Gone too soon....

Off topic.

I was at the Emergency Room of the Asian Hospital very early in the morning to bring my son who wasn't feeling well. Though it turned out to be a manageable ailment that had us out of there 4 hours later, I found myself witness to a very tragic development. Four teenaged kids, three of whom were our village "neighbors" at Ayala Alabang were brought to the ER after figuring in a violent car crash.

Unfortunately, all four kids did not survive. I could see, hear and feel the shock and anguish of the family members who had rushed to the ER for their loved ones. A deep sense of disbelief and loss pervaded even among the hospital Emergency Care crew. I'm certain that the hospital staff have seen many patients pass away in the ER but this time, it was different. These four young boys were in the prime of their lives. So full of potential and exuberance but now laying lifeless on the ER beds. The doctor attending to my son was one of the doctors who tried to revive the boys. I could see the sadness in his face and sense the breaking of his voice as he spoke of the tragedy.

I was deeply affected and saddened. Being a parent of kids in their teens, I empathized with the parents who were somehow wishing it was all a nightmare everyone in the ER would wake up from. Soon, however, I recognized one of the parents. The mother of one of the boys was Cheri, a close family friend from my high school days. Her son, Bruce was one of the four boys who died. My heart broke even more. It made the tragedy somehow personal.

I came to learn that these boys were the coolest skaters and who lived life to the fullest.

I also learned that the boys were the best friends of the son of Francis Macatulad, one of our friends from the running community. Francis' son was with the boys last night but decided to leave the group early to attend another party. That party saved his life.

Francis posted some pictures in honor of the boys which I have taken the liberty of sharing here to celebrate their lives.

Francis also posted a picture of the boys doing a group hug taken just three days before their tragic end. Thank you, Francis for sharing stories on how inspiring these boys' lives were.

 

This quotation was in the FB page of one of these boys. It captures how they lived their lives. It was perhaps their code of excellence:

"We are the lovesick. The fearless ones. The never giving up. The hearts undone. Sick with the desire to love. To live so far beyond the boundaries given to us. We are the fence-hopping fools who never stopped to read the signs. The ones that left the world behind like dreams we've drawn in neon light just moments in the sea of time. We are the lost ones wandering. The soon to be smouldering last to be found. The first to fall and fail to fly then shatter on the ground. We are the rebels running wild through a darkness that can swallow us. But we've set fire to our souls. Burning brilliant blinding gold. The flames that illuminate our lonely road. Our futures holding fates untold. We are the ever-refusing to fold. To fade away or worse to lose. The few that bend and break apart the cages of our rules. Born desperate for the promise of the mystery unknown. We are the lovesick. And just like the sun, we will always rise. Hope still shining in our eyes.."

Rest in Peace Bruce, Josh, Tim and Thomas.

Indeed the best of us die young. Each boy was a Prince. Fallen soldiers leading the Army of the Cool from the Kingdom of Youth.

Cherish and love your children. Show them that you do, always. Guide and point them in the right direction in life.

Training with less than 3 hours sleep!

Great Party at the Cosmo Magazine 15th Anniversary Bash. The downside to partying is that it can become an excuse for not training the next day. It's less than 6 weeks from the big inagural 5i50 Triathlon (1.5k swim, 40k bike and 10k run thus adding to 51.5km). And, I want to make up for my poor performance in the Subic International Triathlon 2 weeks ago. Not training is not an option. But so was not going to the party. :)

Slept past 2am, and up before 5am. Instead of doing the long ride and short run prescribed by my coach, I decided to tweak it a bit to match my "physical condition". I'd do an intense workout instead. This will keep me awake, energize me for the day and will not drain me too much so I'd still be coherant at work.

I did a moderate 20k bike ride but using the heaviest gears and on a hilly course to help build strength. I followed this up with an intense 4 x 2k in less than 10 mins per 2k and doing a 1 minute slow jog in between as interval rest.

The benefit of the workout is that I finished early, got totally energized and I think I didn't use up all the "stay awake" juice in my body so I could put in a quality day at work. I also don't feel guilty about having stayed up to party (and to blog). And, I didn't skip training.

The big challenge though is the scheduled swim tonight. It's 5 x 500m swim at 7pm :( zzzzzzzz....

48 hours on the GO!

Gensan

Yesterday was one of those rare, precious days when I could skip training. But, this didn't mean I had the luxury of extra sleep time. I was up by 4am to prep for an early morning flight to Manny Pacquiao land - General Santos City.

No, unfortunately I wasn't in Gensan to attend Mommy Dionesia's "rainbow themed" birthday party. I flew in to visit our canning factory and discuss productivity improvement with the great team that runs the plant. We employ over 7,000 people at the plant. And serve the needs of not only the local market but export tuna products to around 27 other countries including the USA, Japan and Europe.

I was so impressed with the performance of our guys at the plant. Pinoy management and productivity proving we can compete with the best in the world. I wish I could have stayed overnight for the customary fresh crab and seafood dinner and the hardcore drinking that usually follows but I had to take the last flight out the same day to make it back to the Metro by 7pm to give a talk to some powerhouse super entrepreneurs.

Talk on Crisis Management and Business Turnaround

A group of top entrepreneurs asked me to give a talk on Crisis Management and Business Turnaround at the Manila Polo Club. I teach this subject at the Ateneo Grad School - Center for Continuing Education and maybe someone from their group suggested it as a topic for their regular learning forums. There were some BIG names in that room. Guys who have built super brands and large, profitable businesses. When I walked into the room to see who I was going to give the talk to, I was telling myself, "hmmmmm, shouldn't I be the one listening to these guys talk".

But it all went well. I guess they appreciated the science, framework and structure I shared in managing business crisis.

Sleep deprived but still doing my bike workout and going all out at work!

The evening ended late and I hardly had any sleep after. Before I knew it, I was getting up early the next morning to suit up for a 50k bike ride. We were on the road by 5am and rode for close to 2 hours.

After a shower, I had to rushed off to the office to chair our monthly Mancom. There were some really exciting stuff presented by our marketing team. Rightly so given the excellent new ad campaign launched by our competitor, San Marino. We need to be able to respond to their onslaught.

The Cosmo Party

I capped the day by attending the 15th Anniversary of Cosmo Magazine at the NBC Tent in Bonifacio Global City. The invite said it was to be the "sexiest party of the year....to celebrate 15 years of fab, flirty, fearless fun". Who could resist and invite to an event like that.

Great set up at the NBC tent. And amazing food! Was honored to have been personally welcomed by Cosmo Magazine Editor in Chief, Myrza Sison. It helped that our media buyer, Ms Nadine Wee was at the event.

Was also glad to see some of the Century Superbods Finalists at the event. They told me that their careers have taken off especially after making it to the finals.

Thank you Cosmo Mag for the box of chocolates....how'd you guys know this brand is one of my all time favorites?

Thanks for a GREAT PARTY, Cosmo Magazine. Congratulations on your 15th sexy, fun fearless years.

It's 1:43AM...I guess it's not quite 48 hours....

But, you can be certain I'll be up by 4:30AM later (a few hours from now) to gear up for a hard bike ride and run work out early tomorrow morning.

Seize the Day!

Despite biking 102km yesterday morning and doing a 5k easy run last night, I woke up with a ton of energy this morning driven mostly by excitement about the new work week! And, of course - excited to train.

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't feeling physically tired. My legs were heavy and bit sore. And my body feeling generally fatigued. But the motivation I got from our team coach, George Vilog (erstwhile Philippine Team Coach, five time National Triathlon Champion and Southeast Asian Games Medalist) about the training program of the week and many exciting challenges and tasks at work practically powered me out of bed early this morning. I was raring to go! I set my clock for 4:45am but was awake as early as 4:30!

Coach Vilog required me to do a minimum of 10k run but I ended up running 14k at a good pace. The summer heat is starting to ease these days and this morning's weather was totally condusive for doing a long run. Cool summer mornings lately - bright, breezy and a bit chilly. The run was not a chore at all.

I was at my first meeting by 8am sipping a perfectly brewed "short, non-fat, no whip Mocha" from Starbucks. It was a series of high impact meetings for the rest of the day and I was hardly at my desk. But it was all GOOD. It's inspiring to be working alongside really good people. Picking up some "learning" from running and tri, I notice that working with high quality people forces me to keep pace with their level of excellence. And the guys here at Century Canning Corporation are topnotch!

Today's effort was about driving efficiency across our company's sales and supply chain. You'd be amazed at how much profit improvement you can get just by painstakingly drilling down on the details of one's business. Today was a good day in the "profit improvement" front.

Maybe the positive vibe about the day drew even more good luck as I bumped into my good friend and Idol, Boss Vic del Rosario of Viva during the short lunch break. Ever the businessman, Boss Vic ribbed me about signing up more Viva talents as endorsers for Century Canning Corporation.

An interesting conversation with Boss Vic was on how Viva can progress the careers of the newly crowned Century Superbods. Nag-level up na talaga ang Superbods!

A sense of mission can really help one power through the day. It's just a matter of finding purpose and meaning for each day.

Today was good. I seized the day.
  

The photo shows the powerhouse marketing team of Century Canning Corporation along with Century Healthylicious Hotdog endorser, Aljur Abrenica and Radio Celebrity DJ Tony Tony of Boys Night Out (DWTM Magic 89.9FM) during the recent staging of the Century Superbods finals in Boracay.

Century Ride

100km bike ride.

Despite today being internationally acknowledged Mother's Day, I stuck to the workout in my 12 week training plan. I did a 100km bike ride along the rapidly cogesting Daan Hari Road near Alabang, heading towards Cavite. You could sense that most older male riders skipped riding today to be home with their spouse or mothers. Conflict avoidance! So they can do more rides on any other day.

It's 12 weeks from the 70.3 Ironman in Cebu. And there are a ton of races leading up to this Half Ironman. There's the Duathlon on May 27th. And in June, the Animo Sprint Tri on the 10th, the Unilab 21k on the 17th, the Century 5i50 on the 24th and the Unilab Tri (long distance on the 1st of July). Weekends to do a 100km ride or Brick workouts (that's when you do bike and run in one workout - for a 70.3 Ironman, the prescribed brick is usually a ride of 60 to 100k and then do a 10 to 20k run) have become a premium. It's much wiser to take off early and get the Century ride done so I build up enough bike legs for the upcoming 70.3.

Took off at around 5:30 and did an easy pace focusing on cadence, leg endurance and form throughout the ride. Finished it in 3:50 hours and was having breakfast by 9:30am or so.

Better to get it done early than to stress everyone out including yourself cramming for the big race.

Oh - that's me on my bike last weekend, racing.

Nothing is Impossible

Nothing is Impossible!

What motivates a person to carve out an average of two to three hours a day on weekdays and roughly four hours on weekends to either swim, bike, run or even all three disciplines almost every single day and still keep a full time job? To train as a serious triathlete while continuing to pursue a career, manage some businesses and still have time and energy for other aspects of one's life such as family, friends and other passions. Some say it's too much or unsustainable. Many say it's impossible.

It can be done!

It's all about cutting up your time into enjoyable and highly "impactful" bite sizes to allow you "have it all".

I know that family and work/my job as the top executive in a large food company are always my top priorities. So, I always make sure that I am constantly aware of what's important and what actions I need to take and focus on to drive success of the business and maintain family relationships. The beauty of this situation is that there usually aren't more than 10 items that really influence business results. So, it's really a pretty short list. More than 10 is usually an indication that one doesn't know how to prioritize and discern what's important.

With work and family in order, I then cut up the day to provide enough quality time for serious, high impact workouts I need to stay competitive in the local triathlon scene. This means though that I have to wake up early most days to allow the luxury of doing 15k to20k run workouts, long bike rides or hard core swim sessions. I am up by 4:30 to 4:45 most days to squeeze in 1.5 to 2 hours or training each day before going to work.

It's a blessing to be productive and be working. As such, I usually take on some load as a a professor at the Ateneo Graduate School of Business, Center for Continued Education. However, this is clearly secondary or tertiary priority but still manageable. This isn't a daily thing. Usually just a few hours twice a week.

But the fulfilment of being able to progress one's career while still staying healthy and competitive in an intense multisport such as triathlon is empowering. Even energizing.

Pursue your passion. Sacrifice and getting out of your comfort zone is almost always a pre-requisite to having the time to do it all. But it is well worth it.

In about 6 weeks, I will be competing in the Century Tuna 5i50 Triathlon. In 12 weeks, I will be reporting to the starting line of a 70.3 (Half) Ironman in Cebu. This has required me to step up my mileage. But, this will not and never diminish my capabilities and energy at work. It's just a matter of pacing myself through all the buzz and activities in life.