"8 is great!"

this past weekend i spent time in vegas for a little mini vacation, but what initially sparked this vacation was the "Rock n Roll Marathon." Arlynn, Arther and I decided to run this half a couple of months ago, right after Arlynn and I finished the Nike half. Arther decided to join us, this was his first. i'm glad i got to witness him experience his first runner's high.

Sonny, Arlynn, Arther and i flew in bright and early on saturday morning. my parents, who decided to take a little vacation of their own and watch the marathon, booked their flight just a couple of days before and ended up on the same flight. when we arrived my parents went thier separate ways and we ventured over to eggs and i for breakfast. hahaha! i'm sure arther will not forget that place. then we were off to the expo. wowwww! i think that might have to be the biggest event expo that i've been to. it was hugeeee! the rest of the day/night we spent admiring our room at the encore and winding down and getting ready for our big day. (the encore had my FAVORITE print houndstooth all over and epi like louis vuitton pattern on some of the accessories. ahhhh, if i had a place of my own, i would be in heaven to live in a place designed like that. ok enough digression!)

sunday, we woke up super early, as the first race wave was to begin at 615am. we took the shuttle out to mandalay bay where the race began and ended. arlynn and i were not feeling too hot, we both fell asleep on the way to the start, me standing up. lol the weather in the morning was REALLY brisk. felt like we were in tahoe, and the wind was excrutiating. note to self: wear a garbage bag for temporary insulation. we stood there anxiously awaiting for the race to begin. i wasn't feeling too confident about the race. i KNOW i could've trained more, i blame it on daylight savings, it gets dark wayyyy to early for me to run safely. the nerves that a was feeling were slowly starting to take me over. before i knew it, the pyrotechnics started and so did my excitement. the pros were off and the big electric screen that usually advertises for mandalay bay, now displayed the channel 8 morning news that was, of course, covering the marathon. the intensity was stimulating. Arther then pointed out that it was on channel 8, 8 MY number, earlier he pointed out the beautiful painting in our room that i was already admiring resembled the number 8. i said aloud, it's an omen. 8 i am going to do well.


we made our way to the front as wave after wave crossed the starting line. it was our turn and we were off. the course was fairly easy, all flat! =) we ran along the strip and back down again. i was feeling really good. i ran all the way through. i didn't slow until after mile 8 when i had to replenish my liquids (which btw was disgusting, the water came from a hose. but, what can you do when that's all that's provided). i picked up again and decided to take a walk at about 8.5 thinking that i would pick up again at mile 9. not even 3 mins into my walk i feel a push and a yell "GO - GO - GO, COME ON!" it was Arlynn! so, i picked up again and ran all the way through to the end. i even came to a fast sprint at the last half mile. i felt good about the race overall. my official time: 2.44.14 ANOTHER PERSONAL BEST!

Our race results:
Arther: 2.16.52
Melanie: 2.44.14
Arlynn: 2.47.05

the rest of the weekend was filled with laughter that i definitely enjoyed. "It's PATRON time!" "Badda Bing" Sonny thank you for being our number one supporter. Arlynn thank you for the invite and being my second wind, i wouldn't have done as well as i did without you. Arther, CONGRATULATIONS! welcome to your new hobby. this high is like no other and i'm glad i was there to help, Mr Solanpas. lol

our medal up close

my parents with me after the race. my dad wanted to pretend he ran too

watch me finish, my bib #23578:

http://las-vegas.competitor.com/features/finishreplay/

gobble gobble

woo hoo! thanksgiving! had a great 4 day weekend. my weekend started off early, as we were let go at 1pm. WOO HOO! that hardly every happens, so me and everyone else in my office were set to go at 1pm. you could hear all the computers turn off at the same time. lol!

i actually started my thanksgiving celebration early. my sister and i went vessel and had a blast. read the blog below for minor details.

wednesday night was cousin night. jessica, janice and i went to watch blindside. such a good movie! if you haven't seen it, go watch it! i'll watch it again if you want a date.

thursday, brunch was at my dad's side in hayward and dinner was at my mom's side in so city. then mae, janice and i went to cream of beat! as always...my heaven...good music and good vibes. i love being totally immersed into a set. i love being taken away by the lyrics, the beat, the rhythm...dancing with i don't care who...on my own little cloud floating above everything. ahhhh...if i could take miguel (mr e) and jon (shortkut) and put them in my pocket. i would take them out whenever things are tough, when i need inspiration, or when i'm just not having it...if only... i would never have a frown on my face.

then friday...jason's celebration. "fun sized" good times. lol inside joke, you totally had to be there.

saturday...i unexpectedly ended up at the warriors v lakers game. even though we lost, i had a really good time! 2 half patron margaritas will do that to you! lol

and sunday! to try to even out everything i ate i ran 8 miles. i was pretty nervous seeing that i haven't been running as much as i used to with it being so damn dark out. but i did so much better than i thought i would. and although i am nervous for the vegas marathon next sunday...the eight mile run did calm my nerves...just a little.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

things i'm thankful for ... each and every moment/thought that brings a smile to my face.

eventful tuesday

my tuesdays are usually uneventful. usually no running, i use this as a rest day or if need be it's my massage day. last tuesday, janice and i ventured over to mercury for their "hella smart" event. (i think that's what it was called) each table is a team and you answer trivia questions. pretty fun! but i like games like that.

this tuesday, i got a little circuit training in with my sister. damn! i haven't done any sort of strength training in FOREVER! it was great. i can't say that i forgot how much i liked circuit training, i always knew i liked it, but i can say you don't know how much you miss something until it reappears in your life. i think this will have to be included in my workout regime. tuesdays and thursdays perhaps...

then it was off to vessel for mike's bday. what a great little get away. but for me good music is always a great mini vacation for my mind. after a stressful day at work, getting my endorphines pumping from the great workout and enjoying a quick little retreat was just what i needed.

simply days filled with smiles are what i'm always thankful for!

not a fluke

i ran the lake again on saturday and looks like running the lap in 50 minutes was NOT a fluke. =) YEAY!!! i started at 2.15.45 and ended at 3.05.21. woo hoo!

so i finished the big loop, and ran the small loop afterward. i thought that the loop was only about 3 more miles but it i think the total was closer to 8 miles. lol it's ok, as my ironman coaches would say, "money in the bank!"

my dates with the lake

so here i go training again. yes, i'm training for the rock n roll marathon in vegas, dec 6.

i ran with my sister this weekend, and although she likes to think of herself as slow...she's a quick one. i was feeling really sluggish last saturday. prolly b/c i'm always drained around this time every month. for some reason no matter how much i want to work out, it's sooooo freaking hard. my legs are heavy, my lungs are closed, it's a big struggle. and 2, i haven't been on my running routine. but as hard as it was, and as slow as i felt, i pushed my way through it. and to my surprise, i actually finished at the time i usually finish 53min.

so last night...i kept telling myself you have to get a 7.5 mile run in. i got home from work, ate a little bit for some calories/energy, changed, and was on my way to the lake. as i got closer to the lake it was getting darker and darker. i didn't really mind b/c i figured everyone runs the lake at this time, so it should be well lit right? WRONG!!!

it wasn't until after i started running that i realized that the lake has NOOOO LIGHTS! as i got further and further around it got darker and darker. there's even a section of the lake that is PITCH BLACK (right before the gun range and apartments). I could hear people coming closer but couldn't see them until they were about 2 feet in front of me. pretty freaky! so, i decided that 1 lap would be enough for the night.

but...all in all...it was a good run. i knew i wasn't going to be able to get the extra 3 miles in, so in the last half i pushed myself extra hard. and maybe i pushed myself b/c i was lightweight afraid of what might jump out of the bushes and just wanted to be done lol! either way i shaved 3 minutes off my time and ended in 50 mins.

i hope to break the 50 min marker before the vegas marathon.

Next Stop - Vegas!

My next event is going to come much faster than I would have anticipated.

Arlynn asked me to run the Rock n Roll Maraton in Vegas and I was a bit iffy at first. I told her that I would decide after the Nike Marathon was done.

Obviously, I decided to do it. It will be along the strip so it should be an interesting run. And, there aren't many hills if any, so I'm hoping to come in some where between 2.30 and 2.40. I'd be SUPER HYPED if I came in at 2.30.

We'll see how this goes. I will get back to my run/workout schedule on Monday. I'm in rest mode, but have been itching to run. Maybe I can get a run in on Sunday morning. =)

Run Like a Girl

I've always wanted to run the Nike Women's Marathon here in the city and this year I finally did. Needless to say there was much excitement leading up to last Sunday. I felt like I've been waiting for this day forever. I know most girls say that about their wedding, but this is where I get my kicks. Finishing an event, a 12k, half marathon, triathlon, a hard workout...but the best feeling of accomplishment is beating my time!!!

My first and only official marathon was the Kaiser Permanente Half in January 2007. My official time was 2hr 51min. I ran the Bridge t oBridge 12k (7.5) last month in 1hr 31min. Sooo, I was hoping to get in about 2hr 45 min. I would be estatic with a time of 2hr 30min, but I knew I had to account for the hills.

I was actually kindda relaxed before this event. Not as frantic as normal, but I forgot my water bottle (rookie move). I got my pre sports massage on Friday, and was running with my friends, so the chit chat must have helped the nerves.

We finally crossed the starting line at about 921am. Arlynn and I were talking and she suggested that we not even think about walking until mile 6. I told her I was shooting for mile 7. She looked at my crazy and asked, "you know that's on a hill, right?!" I shrugged it off and said "It's ok, I'll try."

Running through mile 6 which was already on an incline and you can see the bigger incline coming up on mile 7. This was a mountain! The elevation map goes from practically zero to 295'. But, I pushed my way through, slowly but surely and didn't even think about walking until between mile 8 and 9. Goal #1 ACCOMPLISHED!

I walked for less than a total of 3 min in between mile 8 and 9 and then picked up the pace again. We started a huge decline coming up on the Great Highway, and I thought to myself, downhill is not a resting point, push through and make up some time. I kept looking at my watch and didn't even think that I would break the 3hr point, so I did what I do on my bike during a decline, spin those legs like no other. I was passing people up left and right and wasn't getting winded. =) But, right before mile 12 by the soccer fields, I was starting to hit the wall. My legs were getting tired and heavy and my stomach was starting to cramp. Now the talking to myself really begins. "Come on, Mel! Only 1 more mile. One more mile!" Coming up on the race shoot, my cramping is getting stronger, but I see the finish and look at the time. I beat the 3hr mark! Hell yeah! I do the time in my head and I came in at about 2hr 46min. OVERALL GOAL ACCOMPLISHED!

After the finishline, there were firemen in suits passing out the infamous little blue boxes with our gifts, an official Nike Women's Marathon Tiffany's necklace. Ahhhhh! The feeling you get when you are done!!! It can't really be explained. You are just on a natural high.

Here are my official race results

Running Diva Results:
Deb: 2.03.22
Jess: 2.16.46
Melanie: 2.47.36
Marlene: 2.50.20
Eileen & Arlynn: 2.55.38

And the only Running Diva to do the FULL MARATHON
Janelle: 5.18.32

And...dun da da dah!!! Our Official Nike Women's Marathon Tiffany's Necklace.

the upper left hand corner says "Run Like a Girl"

Oracle Open World

Last week, Oracle had their big yearly event, Oracle Open World. Basically, we offer classes on how to use the products we have, announce new products coming out, etc etc. If you need something to compare it to, I would say, it's like Apple's MacWorld.

Every year that I've worked for Oracle I've worked in the Oracle Open World bookstore. And, every year, I hear about the concert that Oracle provides for their partners and costumers. I think one year they had Earth, Wind and Fire. I never paid too much attention b/c I never got to go. Well this year, I had the privilege to enjoy myself. I heard that Aerosmith was performing, which was cool, I was just excited to be invited. Then, I seen the line up...

THE WAILERS were on the bill. THE WAILERS! OMFG! I GET TO SEE THE WAILERS. (For those of you that are a bit slow...Bob Marley and the Wailers...insert "ooohhhhhhh" here...) Now I was amped!

This whole Oracle Open World concert is HUGGGEEEEEE! It was on Treasure Island, enough said. There were 2 concert stages, a beautiful huge outdoor one, and a concert tent, carnival rides and games, food tents, beverage bars with beer and wine...oh and did I mention EVERYTHING IS FREEEEEEE!

The first thing we did when we got in was ride this ride like Drop Zone in Great America. We positioned ourselves to see the stage b/c Aerosmith was already performing. OMG! I could not believe my eyes. The view from the top was spectacular. If I could be up there long enough to take a picture, it would have been amazing.

So, we ate food, drank a little bit and wandered around. I made sure to be close to the outside stage b/c that's where the Wailers would be performing. I managed to wiggle myself all the way to the front. And, I'm sure glad I did. It was the best raggae performace I have ever seen in my life. I was brought to my perfect euphoria...dancing and being lost in the music. Needless to say, this goes down in my life recordbook.

The outdoor stage

View from the front

The Best Reggae Performance of My Life

Bridge to Bridge Run

Yesterday, I did the Bridge to Bridge Run in which all proceeds go to the Special Olympics in Northern California. All runners/walkers could chose from either 12k (7.5 miles) or a 7k (4.5 miles). I opted for the 12k, of course. My intentions were to use this as a training day for my Nike run in 2 weeks, which I did!

I also encouraged my cousin, Mae, who has been running with me for the past couple of months to do this run with me. She was hesitant to do the 12k but she stuck it out and finish strong with me.

As for the run...it was a beautiful course. It starts off along the Embarcadero in front on the Ferry Building and goes along all piers, including Pier 39 and Aquatic Park, then it ventures up the steep hill that connects to the Marina, into the Marina and through Crissy Fields, under the Golden Gate Bridge and into the Presidio.

Thankfully my Ironman trainings were frequently in this area and I was rather familiar with the course's surroundings and I felt really comfortable. I even got to see some swimmers at Aquatic Park who are training for Ironman 2010, and saw Anthea, one of my coaches from Lavaman. I shouted a couple of "Go Teams!" to the few people that were wearing TNT swag. Once a TNTer always a TNTer!

The weather couldn't be better for a run either. I couldn't have asked for a better day. According to my watch to when I passed the start line it was 902am, so I finished in 1 hr 30 min, exactly what I was expecting/aiming for. Mae and I crossed the finish line together =)

Here's my clocked time, but I didn't cross the start until 9:02am so minus 2 min.

this is me approaching the finish line. my hair is all over the place! i thought it was a cool picture.

i don't like this picture very much, but the fact that i'm not touching the floor at all was uber cool to me. I'M IN THE AIR!

Here we are planning on crossing together! I'm all smiles, Mae is feeling the burn. lol She finished strong and that's all that matters.

golden gate bridge run

last night arlynn and i made plans to run the golden gate bridge. i haven't walked across the golden gate bride since i was 12 or 13 so i was really excited. we started out somewhere around the marina/presidio and ran across the golden gate bridge and back. a total of about 7.5 miles.

when we started it was extremely cold already, and i felt like i wasn't going to make the whole 7.5 miles. my chest was tight and i felt like i was already winded. but, i found my stride somewhere right before this massive hill we had to overcome. it's not too long but it is pretty steep...anddd there's another incline right after it. but we both got through it and found ourselves at the entrance of the bridge. it was soooo cold and windy. the wind was whipping my hair around all over the place. you could barely see a couple of feet in front of you b/c the fog was so thick. but we kept on trucking and it didn't seem to affect our stride at all. by this time, i was completely warmed up and was feeling REALLY good. my stride felt right and i was just feeling really good about the run. we finally reached the end of the bridge and stretched ourselves out for a couple of mins before we took on the last half.

at the end of our run, i was feeling really good about myself and how i did. i haven't run that much in awhile and i thought i would feel really worn, but i felt great. this had me wondering if i should be running 2 laps around the lake instead of 1 and some. this is a task that i hope to conquer next week.

arlynn...thank you for being a great running buddy. the route was awesome and we must do it again!

MUSIC MAKES ME HIGH....

ok this blog is lonnnnnnnng over due. my past two weekends have been filled with GOOD COMPANY and AMAZING MUSIC! two things in my life that i can NOT live without.

last weekend was D2S (http://distortion2static.ning.com/) celebrated their 8 year anniversary. If you don't know about them check it out. It's a locally produced hip hop show that has come a very long way. i remember seeing the show when it first launched and thought to myself that i really wanted to be a part of that. unfortunately, that didn't happen. but, i am glad to say that i do know all of you and we've shared many fun nights. CONGRATS!

tia and me @ the D2S celebration

sunday was time to have fun at "Doing it in the Park." t, zay, drea, nala, gizelle, jess, and i got together and enjoyed the sun and good vibes at golden gate park. we got our blankets set up in a sunny area on the grass and basically chilled. the djs as always were not disappointing. THANK YOU TRIPLE THREAT AND MR E. when i wasn't catching up with people i haven't seen in forever, i was dancing in my own world. "what a day, what a day, what a day"

then, it was off to "Doing it After Dark" a continuation of "Doing it in the Park." Get it? "Doing it in the park, doing it after dark." It's a song for those of you that don't know. anyway, mike, arther, joey, mae and i made it out there pretty early b/c we didn't want to wait in line. this also gave a chance to get some drinks at the bar before the line would be RIDICULOUS. but as always, the great music had me on the floor the whole night. i was looking forward to this event all week, and i was definitely not let down.

me, geezy, tea and nikki enjoying ourselves

this weekend i was looking forward to TRIPLE THREAT'S 10 YEAR ANNIVERSARY. omg what a line up! goapele performed and although i've seen her many many many times, her performace on saturday had me really going. zumbi from zion-i also put on a good show. and then it was miguel's turn, that would be mr. e for all of you that follow the dj scene. i've heard him dj before but i never really got to soak it in. OMG...I WAS AMAZED! his first set was ALL VINYL, and really had me movin. hit after hit after hit! i can tell you that i was sooooooo proud to say that he calls me "coach." i was yelling my head off for him. and then...the moment that i was waiting for thriple threat comes on and does what i've only seen on screne. i've seen scratching before and i've been to a few competitions, but i've never seen triple threat do their thing in person. omg...droollllll! I WAS IN AWE! completely astounded, i was entranced by their skill, and lost in the music (which for me, is the best place in the world). apollo, shortkut, and HOLY MOLY vinroc. everyone knows that shortkut hands down has got to be my favorite dj ever. like i said, he never fails me. but, i have to give love to vinroc. HE KILLLLLLEDDDD IT! me = mouth wide open.

being IN-LOVE with music, i totally appreciate GOOD dj's. and i MUST highlight GOOD dj's. the ones that know how to look at the crowd and know what to play for them. andddd...adjust so the floor doesn't clear. (side note: to all you wannabe dj's out there...if the floor clears it's a big red flag to change your song selection. you have to learn that you are there for them, you have the power to make or break a night. floor clearage is a BIG NO NO! ok ok, not that i'm a dj, so why would you take advice from me, but i'm just sayin.)

i can truely say i was in the company of not good dj's but EXCELLENT dj's. i am still dumbfounded by what i witnessed and moreover, ENJOYED!

tea, me, and mae (aka aga)

lots to be happy about

so i've been in a funk lately that comes and goes. and i'm trying to do everything that i know makes me happy so this funk can permanently GO AWAY! if you've been up to date with my blogs you know i've been pretty good about my running routine, going at least 3 times a week to the lake aka lake merced. and that's been going really well! (wait for the run review) i've also been trying to go out and listen to good music b/c music always has the ability to change my mood and when you add that to dancing, woo hoo!

i felt like i was waiting for saturday night all week long. i knew shorkut was gonna be spinning at milk and like i always say...he NEVER fails me. i took my cousin, mae with me. and we both danced the night away. for both of us, our worries melted away for the evening. we got to enjoy each other company and dance out our frustrations. thanks miguel, for providing a venue to do so and putting us on the guestlis that you didn't give to mae. lol it's ok i know her so she just let us in. and THANK YOU SHORTKUT for always feeding my soul the music it thrives to hear.

sunday was our long awaited for fam bam. we ate and talked and laughed all day long. we introduced new cousins into our little circle and simply enjoyed life. what more is there to explain...I LOVE MY FAMILY!

here goes the long awaited running report...dun da da dahhhh!!!

so saturday morning...i woke up bright and early to see mara. =) i came back home for a little nap, got a little something in my system and it was off to the lake. the goal for the day was to push myself even further. run the whole lake with even more intensity than last time and then go a little further. soooo i ran the whole lake (4.5 miles) in 57 mins, WOO HOO NEW RECORD! i've been averaging at about 58 mins. i treated my car as a water stop and refilled my water bottle and i was off again, i ran 7 mins out and 7 mins back to my car, a little over an extra mile. needless to say the run felt great...i accomplished a new record and even did a little over a mile afterwards.

yesterday, mae and i took another trip to the lake. i was feeling a little sluggish and i had a good run on saturday, so i decided that i was just gonna run the lake and i'll add more miles later in the week. we got our stretches out of the way and started our run. i was feeling sluggish and kept having to push myself harder and harder. at the end of the run i looked at my watch and was amazed to see that i finished in 53 minutes! whoa! that's 7 minutes faster than when i first started running the lake again! i felt sooo proud of myself. i just hope i can keep up with that time lol...it might have been the candy i had to taste test earlier. =)

how i hate the idea of running but love the feeling i get when i'm done

i've been trying to get back into a workout routine again for the longest and recently i've been running pretty consistantly. yeay me! lake merced and skyline college are usually where you can find me running. but, lately lake merced has been my choice. skyline is just too monotonous when you want to run more than 3 miles.

so i think everyone is with me when i say, i hate the idea of running, but love the feeling i get when i'm done. really, getting to the track is the hardest part. b/c all it takes is commiting to your first step and you are in it until the end.

since i've visited lake merced a few times already within the past few weeks, i decided to up the anty for myself. i pushed myself to run with more intesity that i have been and was sooo proud of myself when i finished. that 4.5 miles was the best 4.5 miles in such a long time. i felt like my stride was right and although i forgot my watch and don't really know the time i finished in, i'm almost certain i knocked at least a couple of minutes off my time.

now some people run for exercise, to clear their head, to enjoy the outdoors, release some tension/anger...blah blah blah...the list goes on...but yesterday's run was EVERYTHING for me. i felt a wave of euphoria come over me. something i've NEEDED for so very long.

to miguel, sheena and mae...i know you think that i'm the one that's motivating you, but you are truely the ones that are motivating me.

on a funny side note...as i was running a man running in the opposite direction seen my team in training shirt that i was rocking yesterday and hollered our a "GO TEAM." i haven't heard a "GO TEAM" in so long that my responding "GO TEAM" was soooo overly enthusiastic. all i could do was chuckle to myself and keep running.

so my goal for my weekend run: run the whole lake merced and then some! i'm gonna runn the whole lake + an extra 30 min more. i mean technically i should be in training for the nike half in october.

Canada Recap

So, I recently came back from a family vacation in Canada. The main reason for our visit was my cousin Roxane's cotillion. For those of you that don't know what a cotillion is, it's a big celebration for a girl's 18th birthday. It's a pretty big deal for Filipinos and if you must compare it to something, you can say it's comparable to a Quince.

Wednesday
A. Cynthia, U. Edward, Cameron, Colin, my mom, my dad, and I flew out of SFO at about 830am. The flight was only about 2.5 hours long so we landed in Canada before noon (their time, 1 hour ahead). U. Felix & A. Linda and A. RoseMarie and U. Jr came in two vans to pick us up and the festivities began from there. We traveled to a chinese restaurant and all had a big lunch there. Waiting for us was Roxy, Cecily, Aaron, and A. Rose. The "kids" were at one table while the "adults" were at another. We chatted it up as we tried to figure out what we were going to do after lunch. During lunch, U. Jr and U. Felix went to go pick up Monica and U. Onofre, so we waited for them to join us again and after they finished eating we went to our "home" for the weekend, A. RoseMarie's house.

The "kids" got changed, Monica and I got into more comfortable clothes and the rest of the kids got ready to have fun at the water park. U. Albert dropped us off at the mall, and the kids went to the water park as Monica and I started on our journey of West Edmonton Mall, the BIGGEST MALL IN THE WORLD. At least, it used to be, I don't know if that title still holds true. But, it has a waterpark with gigantic waterslides, an amusement park, an iceskating rink, casino, theater...lots and lots of stuff.

When U. Albert picked us up, he brought us to White Ave to get some "bubble tea"...tapioca or boba to us. We got to see where most of the night life is over there, but didn't get to indulge. It's ok though, we had so much to do and family time is much more worth it.

THURSDAY
Thursday morning...oooohhhhh I finally got to sleep in, so sleep in I did! Well, I did as much as I could, the adults were choppin it up and laughing and making so much noise upstairs it was hard to fully fall back asleep. I should have brought some running clothes and shoes b/c I would've used that time to get a run in. It was nice and HOTT, great running weather. Oh well!

So we all got ready and headed to the mall again! Totally fine b/c this time we got to hit up all the spots we missed. Trust me there is no way you can venture this whole mall in just 2 hours. While we were there, Jackie and A. Raquel arrived, so they met us at the mall and joined us in our journey. =)

After the mall, we went to A. Linda & U Felix's to have lunch/dinner and from there we went to Capital X/K Days. It's a carnival/fair that they have every year for 2 weeks when the Indy Race comes to town. They have several entertainment acts and in one tent was the talent competetion. My cousin, Davy was the entertainment while the judges tallied up the scores. He sang a couple of songs with his guitarists and we were all there to cheer him on.

When we got home, A. Rose, Roxy and I planned out the beading of her dress and got every single on of the beads down and in place. We folded all the programs and called it a night.

FRIDAY
Only one day away! Rehersal day. I woke up to voices of the "adults" once again and I knew it was all day reherasal for the entourage, so I got up and decided to sneak into the garage for a peak. Got a little peak, and took a shower and got ready. The entourage was still practicing, so I went outside and had the entourage do the whole routine. They took a break, ate, and we all (the entourage and me) went to the hotel for more practice including dress rehersal. Turns out, I actually took charge of most of the practice...only at Roxy's request, of course, and I was glad to be there to help. The routine looked sooo much cleaner than what it looked like in the garage earlier that day, and I was happy to help be a part of that.

After rehersal, we got the room prepped. Chair covers, check. Programs, check. Favors, check...check, check, and check. Then it was off to U. Roger's. We had dinner there and of course dabbled in some drinking and it wouldn't be a filipino get together w/o the kareoke.

Some of us headed home early, Jackie, A. Rose, Monica, Cecily, and me snuck into Roxy's car and waited for her. Aaron, Colin and Cameron were surprised to see that there was no room for them. HAHAHAA! You had to be there! They caught a ride with U. Ben anyway.

SATURADAY
WOO HOO! Today's the day! So we get up and get ready to get to the hotel. Hectic, hectic, hectic...everyone's grabbing stuff from everywhere. Finally we get into the van. We are about to hit the freeway and A. RoseMarie, decides to detour and stop at Tom Horton's. LMAO!!! You should've heard us yelling in the van..."WHAT ARE YOU DOING? GET THE COFFEE TOMORROW!" HAHAHAHA! It was too late we were in the drive through line and there was already someone behind us. A. RoseMarie decides to get out of the van and go inside to line up, so A. Cynthia takes the wheel and we wait in the car b/c there is NO CHANGING A. RoseMarie's mind.

Finally, we get on the road and we make it to the hotel. We all get our rooms and start getting ready. In the middle of doing my hair, I also do Cecily's hair, Monica's hair, and Roxy's make up (turned out spectacular by the way, I was pretty impressed with myself). I finally get my hair and makeup done so I walk around and see what else needs to be done. I get to tie some loose ends so I can be ready...oh yeah I forgot to mention, I am the MC (master of ceremonies) for the evening!

The night goes well, and I'm more than happy to be there to help and even happier to be a part of Roxy's special day.

This vacation was GREAT! More than I could've asked for...Family Fun is always the best.

my weekend events

so you all already know how my thrusday night went. GREAT! i love how inspiring music can be and how much joy it can bring. the weekend continued on with CREAM OF BEAT! i've been wanting to go this weekend's cream of beat, but didn't have anyone to go with. i hit up my girl sony, and i had a date. woo hoo! so we along with her cousin and her cousin's friend went. the night was EVERYTHING I WANTED IT TO BE. i haven't danced that much in FOREVER. hit after hit after hit. it was sooo hot in there i could have lost at least 5 lbs, but the music kept me on the dance floor. besides the few times i went outside to cool down/dry off (gross i know, but it was soo good and such a rarity to have good music like that) i was on the dance floor. sony...thank you thank you thank you for coming with me and driving. and thank you to all the dj's that made all my worries disappear for the night. i appreciate what you do as artists and am and always have been amazed at how much you can make or break a mood. needless to say my mood was great and my spirits high!


SATURDAY HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!!!
so saturday we went over to uncle jr's house for a family bbq. i've been watching my portions, but i definitely PIGGED OUT! it's ok we were all with family and the food was irresistible. i swear i always travel back to the food when ever we have parties like that. so the cousins chatted away, and then darrin, jackie, and i traveled upstairs to the bathroom. we had our own little conversation in there. lmao! the bathroom was soooo small i ended up standing in the shower. and then knock knock, nikko comes to join us. so then now me and jackie are standing in the shower, darrin is sitting on the toilet, and nikko standing in front of him. omg we are such a random family. but you had to be in there b/c it was sooooooooo freaking hilarious. i can't stop laughing as i type this.

ok off to the fireworks. so as a family we all go outside to watch some illegal fireworks. oh we had some safe n sane ones for the kids. and actually they were pretty nice. very good quality and very pretty for legal ones. so they are launching some illegals and needless to say they are all very pretty. and then they are looking for some kind of stand for this rocket. you should have seen all the uncles playing. i envisioned that this is what they were like in their heyday. like it was reminiscent in their childhood. the smiles and sneaky motions were sooo childlike, it was hilarious. so some how they decide to use the the jack for the car, they place the rocket in the handle and use the handle for a post. all of a sudden, all i hear are screams and the all the uncles running at us sheilding us from i don't know what. and then i see it, the rocket was a dud, it doesn't launch and it blows up right where they left it. i turn around to see that everyone has lined up in the garage, like a firedrill on a cruise. no one was hurt, and the air was filled with non stop laughter. we caught all the sound on camera, it was hilarious!



then it was off to big bang at 111 minna. jackie, darrin, keeks, and i indulged in some drinks and dancing. i had a great time dancing to shorkut's set. i have to say he never let's me down. there are very few dj's that can keep me on the dance floor non-stop b/c somehow regular dj's tend to throw in some whack mainstream song that just turns my mood. but i can truely say, he is one of the VERY FEW that keeps me there all night (all weekend in this case, he was at cream of beat too). and for that i thank you!

great weekend with family and friends...i have to say without any of you, life just wouldn't be! LOVE YOU!

my first and long awaited experience at yoshi's

where do i begin? i have so many emotions and so much inspiration running through me right now, i don't even know where to start. i'll just start with getting off of work b/c really that's when picking up the pieces of my lost soul really begins. when the daily routine is done and i am left with finding myself again and the searching doesn't cease. thank lord i have my friends and family to fall back on. the ones that can somehow bring me back to home base. and slowly but surely i am finding my way. i actually reconnected with some old friends, and one of them made a comment to me that really hit home. i don't even remember what exactly was said, but i do remember how it made me feel. and like i told him, it may have been just words between friends to you, but you made me remember a part of me that i somehow forgot.

ok seeee i told you, soooo many emotions running through me, that i don't know which conversation to start. lol. enough with the tangent, on with my night.

so my night began with cooking sinigang for my family and gizelle. my mom announced the night before that she was making sinigang, i volunteered to make it. so i did, and gizelle came over to eat. sorry i couldn't stay girl, i already had plans. then juv and i were off to dinner. always a good time with a REALLY close friend. we caught up and then it was off to meet with tiffany and priscilla.

i was really excited, i've been wanting and waiting to go to yoshi's to take in a good jazz show. being a music minor, i got study a little about the genre and immediately was drawn to it, but it was such a short part of the course, that i didn't get to fully indulge. well last night was what i was waiting for. the performances from BAYONICS, BIG BROOKLYN RED, and JAGUAR WRIGHT had me in a trance, had me dancing in my seat, my mind wondering in the art and found a connection to my soul. yes all of the above!

bayonics were great. big brooklyn red was awesome. JAGUAR WRIGHT was sooooo freaking AMAZING!!!! she's definitely on my must see list every time she's by me.

i find myself attracted to artists (of any form) that just let it all hang out. that are sooo moved by their own pieces that it moves me. the improvisation, the passion, the soul are what always takes me to a place in my mind that i feel sooo connected with them and the art that nothing around me matters. i swear in my past life i must have been some sort of performer, i love watching and critiquing dance, mostly professional forms. do i dance? no. but i find it funny that i feel like i have a trained eye. i can see where they need to point their toes (probably b/c of cheer), and where the technique needs to have a little more umph, and where the applause is worthy. i love all types of music, as long as the artist can take me to that place in my mind, either with the words, the quality of their voice, or simply a melody or beat of the background music. spoken word! oh how i love the feeling it brings. ok ok i can go on and on about the art i like. i think you can see where i'm going with the "i think i was a performer in my last lifetime."


tiffany! thank you thank you thank you for showing me a great night and making me feel like i've found a missing part to my soul.

saturday adventure

so...i've been telling myself that i need to get back on my workout routine. 1) b/c i want to fit all my "cute" clothes lol and 2) b/c i need to focus on something to better myself and relieve my anger, tension...everything!

so enough with telling myself, i gotta get on it! so friday night i decided that i would wake up early saturday morning and get it done. my mom just so happened to ask me to go downtown with her and when i told her about my plans to hit the track she decided to come along. weird, but welcomed.

saturday morning, we hit the track. she started walking while i stretched and prepared for my run. i ran a total of 2.5 miles, with her headstart she walked 2 miles.

then it was off to the city. we ate at the new sf centre food court. it's not so new anymore, but it was my first time eating there. and we walked around for a bit, i shopped a bit. not too much though...i made sure of it. then it was off to target for some essentials that i needed since i moved back home with my parents'. and then i had a great time at jerry and michelle's baby shower. great way to end the night!

big life change

well...i've been wanting to write this blog for a minute now and there have been things getting in the way. mostly, i didn't know exactly what to write. and to be honest i don't really know now. but, i'm letting my mind wander and my fingers do the talking, so please forgive me if you can't really follow my train of thought at the moment.

every now and then you go thorugh some big life changes that change the path that you've been traveling on. you may see it coming, but somehow you still hope that it doesn't. once it's there you have to deal with it. that's pretty much where i am right now.

my life is going down a different path than expected and i'm going through a REALLY tough time. i know i'm usually pretty resilient with anything that changes my life direction, and i'm sure that i'll bounce back with this one soon enough. time heals all wounds and this one is no different. i just think that this one will take some time.

i've finally come to face reality and the changes that have come. i'm still getting used to the adjustments, but have plans to help me get through this and take my next step in life.

first on the agenda, gut out my room and make room for alllll of my things. my cousin put it best, i have to fit half a house in one tiny room. next, pack up and get it all to my parents.

save money, get my car back to tip top shape (as much as possible), get the cards down to ZERO, and make it out to JAPAN by the end of the year.

THANK YOU everyone for your support. i know i am truely loved.

had to vent

if you know me, you know i'm really into my music. i even have a minor in ethnomusicology. when i moved back home after college, i had the privilege of working at my FAVORITE radio station. i was elated! unfortunately, my life situations didn't allow me to stay.

so here i am in bed, pissed at the current situation. every so often, the powers that be try to switch things up at the station. they try to rock us (the station and it's faithful listeners) on it's side and try to aide the rival station and make them #1 status. soooo frustrating! the first time i remember this occurring was in high school when they hired the dumbass baka boys for the morning show. they let go of one of my favorite morning shows for a second rate show that was on the side of irritating. the station continues to let me down with lame syndicated shows like the big tigga show on the weekends. but i simply try not to listen at that time.

today, i've found out that they have done it again! they let go of one my favorite personalities. such a disappointment. the show was very entertaining and even had #1 ratings. i guess being #1 doesn't mean anything to the powers that be. especially when they are trying to promote the rival station. a station that can never achieve the heights and status of my favorite. my favorite station is sooo reknowned and known by artists all over. there are so many times when i hear artists mention the station, stating that we helped in shaping hip-hop as culture and bringing it to the forefront.

i don't understand why the powers that be can't simply keep the #1 shows on and run with the success. why do they feel the need to bring the #1 station down and promote a station that strives for a higher status with little results every time?

all i have to say is BIGGGGGG mistake! i'm starting to lose my faith in radio...

great weather for a run

i finally got to put in some work on the track. =) i like running outside much more than running in a gym. running on a treadmill just seems sooo mundane to me. not to mention the annoyances that always seem to be there. (you know what i'm talking about if you read my blog about my gym etiquette pet peeves.) running outside allows me to people watch and bask my surroundings. and on the track, i'm able to time and count my laps much better.

the weather today was a bit chilly but not too windy. so my run was quite pleasant and i even took my jacket off after the first mile. today, i started with an upbeat warm up lap, ran 3.5 miles with some pick ups along the way, and cool off by walking one last lap.

today, gizelle and phil joined me at the track. =) gizelle got to try her sauna suit for the first time and phil did some circuit training. thanks for coming with guys! love the company.

my mini workout today

today was my longest run since lavaman...hee hee. it was only a total of 3.5 miles.

but, i am not training for my next event. my first BAY 2 BREAKERS! even though this is a small event, i'm really excited. B2B is a san francisco tradition and i wanted to finally be a part of it. especially, before they try to crack down and make it a boring event.

anyway, i got a training schedule for a 10k event of the internet and figured i would tweak it a bit for B2B, since that is a 12k event.

today, the schedule called for a 3 mile run. so i went to my favorite local track and started out with a warm up lap. i usually start walking and build up to a jog on my warm up lap, but it was sooo cold that i wanted to warm up faster. instead, i just started jogging. i ran my 3 miles, pushing myself even harder towards the end, and finished off by walking one last lap to cool down.

i averaged about 12 minutes per mile, which is what i normally do...well on a good day. =)

i won't be doing a run tomorrow b/c i'll be meeting up with friends. but i hope to run lake merced this weekend.

lavaman race footage

i was just sent a youtube link of the lavaman race. i was actually on the video! i'm there at 1:46 - 1:50 getting ready for the bike course.

what's next

so i've been back to work for a week now. i decided to give myself a break and i haven't done anything strenuous since lavaman. =P today, i'm going to start again and go for a light run. 4 miles total max, and maybe jog out 2 miles of that.

everyone has asked me what i am planning for next. and i don't foresee any more tris for the year but i do already have some runs on my calendar. the first on my list is the famous BAY TO BREAKERS 12K. that one is in my very near future...MAY 17.

then, i will be doing the WOMEN'S NIKE (HALF) MARATHON on OCTOBER 18TH.

i may find some stuff to do in between, but that's all i have on the schedule for now. if you know of any tris in the spring, let me know, i might be able to fit that in.

Lavaman '09 Race Report

It has officially been more than 24 hours since my race and I've been itching to write this. Once again I am on my iPhone so please excuse the mistakes. But, here it goes...

Saturday, the day before our race, our coach scheduled a practice day with a 15 min swim, 15 min bike ride and 15 min run all at the beginning portions of the courses, so we could get a feel for the course. The practice swim for me was pretty scary, I got stuck in a gigantic coral reef and got cut on 4 different places on my leg and foot. And, the wind really pushed the waves that day. The wind was also a factor on the bike course. So, I was a little pessimistic after the practice. Before arriving to Hawaii, I was hoping to at least finish in 4 hours 30 minutes. After the practice day, I didn't even think I would beat 5 hours.

RACE DAY. I woke up at 5am local time. Thank lord that's 8am our time b/c it wasn't as bad as it would have been. Anyway, I had all my stuff packed the night before, so all I had to do was get dressed have my breakfast and wake my parents up to get ready. Luckily, my parents actually woke up earlier than me, one thing marked off my list. I had my bagel and cream cheese and some Gatorade and took a banana for a little later. We were scheduled to meet in the main lobby at 545am, so we left the room at about 530am. We met in the lobby and while we waited for the others to arrive I and I had my banana. We walked or rode down to the transition. I had my parents with me so I decided to walk.

I set up my transition area and noticed that all the pros were set up right ok front of us. Then it was time to get body marked. My number was 115, and of course you can see it as tan lines in my arm now. Then I went back to check on my transition area to make sure there wasn't something I missed. Then it was off for our 10 minute warm up run that Coach Paul wanted us to do.

At 7am, I walked down to the swim start. We could have went for a warm up swim, but I decided not to. I simply stood in the water and acclimated. The mc anounced that it was time to get our waves in order and for everyone to get out of the water. It was time to take a cliff shot and my thermolyte.

730am the first wave went in all pros and relay swimmers
733am all men 18 - 39
736am all men 40+
739am all women 18 - 39 <~ that's me!
742am all women 40+

Like all other races, I started slow in the water. I started with a crawl stroke with my head out of the water and moved into a side stroke. When I felt my heart rate start slowing, I went into my regular crawl stroke. I rotated between the crawl stroke and backstroke to calm down and catch my breath. The water was so clear and beautiful. I could see to the ocean floor and I seen a turtle and some fishys swimimg beneath us. The water also leaked into goggles a couple of times so I had to roll on my back and try to get it out hoping it wouldn't leak again...of course I was wrong...I need new goggles! And thank lord for the surfers and other volunteers that were out there mKing sure we were on the right path and not in the coral. During practice the day before, I was stuck in the coral and got 4 good gashes on my knee and foot, which got me really anxious about the swim. Anyway, I got out of the water and looked at the clock. It read 48 something. Off to my bike.

I got to the transition area and ran down the wrong lane, oppsy! So I got to my bike, put all my gear on, ate another cliff shot, drank some water and I was on my way. Made a left out of the parking lot, already I felt the wind. A right onto the Queen K highway and all I could feel was the tailwind...woo hoo! Not too many hills until about mile 12 where we would turn right to go under the tunnel and go back ok the Queen K and back to the hotel. The hill we did go up was a short steep hill bit nothing too bad. I passed the people walking their bikes up and reminded those breathing hardly behind me to take it one pedal at a time. Out of the tunnel meant back on the Queen K and into the headwind. Here we go! I fought the headwind the whole way back. The wind was so strong I had to pedal hard to get down a decline. WTH! Anyway, I made it back to the transition area my bike computer told me I made it in about 2 hours. Good I made my bike goal. I tried to put my bike back into the designated slot, but for some reason, the tire inflated and wouldn't fit. I asked the random guy on the other side, to help me push the tire in. He asked if he could deflate it some to force it down. I, of course agreed. Turns out the random guy on the other side was CHRIS MCCORMACK! He won the LAVAMAN TITLE and finished at 1:49:43. Off to the run.

I just changed into my run shoes and was on my way. I nearly went out the wrong way, but my sister stopped me and pointed me to the other part of the transition area. We started on a path of loose lava rocks. I lightly jogged through that not wanting to trip and fall, especially so early in the run. We made a left out of the parking lot and here comes the wind AGAIN! I jog/walked fighting the wind and the uphill. At about 2.5 miles was our turn around. Woo hoo tailwind and a downhill...of course this was short lived. The course went through our hotel paths and then dropped into the outer paths of loose lava and coral...oh geez do they really want me to fall?! I tried to jog tbrought it but my ankle kept giving out on the rocks, and the path was no more than a foot wide, so I decided to walk it. There were even trees and branches that we had to dodge. When the trail smoothed out I picked it up and I picked it up again when I hit the sand. Finally, the finish line and the clock were in sight. To my suprise it was under 5 hours and I could still beat my goal and make it under 4:40. I crossed the finish at about 4:37.

Today, my dad found my official time and my splits and I did even better than that.

.93 mile swim - 41:18
25 mile bike - 2:01:28
6 mile run: 1:37:16
Total - 4:26:32

I know if the wind conditions were better my bike and run would've improved. And, if the run path was not so rocky I could've picked it up a bit more, but I am soooo please with my time. I was sooo nervous the day before that I didn't think I was going to beat my last olympic distance time of 4:51 or even 5 hours.

Much mahalo to everyone that supported me. I could

1day left

I'm here in my room typing this blog on my iPhone so please excuse any mistakes that may occur.

We arrived here in Kona a little before 12pm. My parents plane landed right after mine. They actually seen me walk down the stairs from the plane. So, I waited for them to get their luggage and we took a cab to the hotel. It was a Filipino guy and of course my dad talked to him the whole time. But, we did get some great tips from him including places for some good local and Filipino food. We'll try those places when we go to the other side of Kona.

The hotel is beautiful and huge. I still haven't gone around the whole thing. We did get to go the Queens' Marketplace and looked around and ate. We still have to visit the Kings' Shops. The original Roy's is there and we will have to eat there for sure. The menu apparently has more Hawaiian food to offer.

So...1 more day before my race. Today, is my very last training before my race tomorrow. We are going for a light swim I'm the ocean where we will be swimming in tomorrow. Then a light bike and a light run. Then I have to pick up my race packet. After that we have a last minute tire changing clinic. Let's pray that I won't need to use those skills tomorrow! Then it's off to the pre-race meeting. And then our inspiration dinner...carbs carbs carbs.

I'm feeling a bit anxious. I couldn't sleep too well last night. I know I will do fine, and my nerves will to away once I get into my swim grove. I've done his distance before so I know I can do it. Let's hope the rain and the wind stay away tomorrow.

Thank you for all the love and support you've all shared with me.

Aloha and mahalo from Waikoloa.

GO TEAM!

just about a week to go

today for training we met at sports basement in the presidio. we went for a beautiful 40 min run. the sun wasn't out but the air wasn't too cold and the breeze was light...perfect weather for running.

after our run, we got to pick up our information packets and our race jerseys. WOO HOO! i'm so excited. i'm gonna go through that packet as soon as i'm done with this blog.

but, i have just about a week to go for race day and this time next week i will be in HAWAIIIIIIII!!!! wish me luck and thank you for your support.

if you still would like to donate please click on the link at the top of the page.

ALOOOOOOHA! and much MAHALO!

training 3/16

yesterday, i dropped my bike off to get shipped to hawaii for the race. woo hoo! we are officially 12 days away from race day.

last night for training, i took my much missed spin class with elaine of course. it was such a good workout, i haven't sweat that much in a pretty long time. we were out of the saddle most of the time and did many many many sprint drills. i thought i was doing pretty well with the 30 second sprints and 15 second recoveries...and then we moved on to the 1 min spints 30 second recoveries. the first two i did really well, the third was getting a little harder and then it all fell off from there. i was still doing the sprints but it just seemed like the minute was lasting longer and longer and my legs were beginning to slow down...but i kept it going and sped them up as soon as i felt like i needed to. we did acceleration drills after that and i don't remember what else.

great class...i will be back on wednesday.

training 3/3 short blurb

last night as we were driving to the gym, i realized i forgot to drill list. oopsy, i did know that the beginers were to swim 1000 meters total and intermediate 1600 total.

i decided to take it easy since i was already tired from earlier and just do the 1000 meters (40 laps). so i decided to do the drills that have been helping my improve my stroke (14 laps, 350 meters) and just take it from there . so i started with a 50, and then a 200, a 300, a 200. then i stopped and did the math...hellloooo i already swam 1100 meters. i didn't have my watch and the clock on the wall is wayyy to small and far to read...but i knew not much time had even passed at all. so i just kept swimming...a 200 here, 300 there, 200, 100. i don't know exactly how much i swam last night, but i guess i'm much faster than i thought i was. and i just felt like i was a little fishy going much smoother through water.

more scrapbooking

friday night was spent at my grandparents house in the city. my cousins and i scrapped the night away. i got to add some of the final pages to my ironman louisville book. here they are:


my race numbers
ending the bike course and my war wounds
my fans! (the "love" chipboard piece is not secured down yet, I'll be moving it)

Pulido-Miranda Wedding

Yes folks, if you haven't heard the news cousin Cherylle and her boyfriend, Ron, are now engaged! Yesterday, Cherylle, her sisters, Gizelle and Tj, and Auntie Eva, Ron, and I went to a bridal show at Hillsdale. We had a chance to look at some vendors: photographers, hotel venues, cakes, all that good stuff. Ron fell in love with a filipino photographer. His books were really nice.

And then we (minus Auntie Eva), went to David's bridal to shop around. We picked some beautiful colors. I don't want to spoil it, so I'll keep that a suprise for now.

As you can tell...I'm really excited for her. I can't wait to start planning. She's just booked the church so we have a date! August 2010, I will be a size 4 again! hahahha!

training 2/21

Saturday's training called for a bike/run/bike and I was feeling quite sluggish but knowing that I need all the help I can get for the bike, this was not a training to miss. So, bright and early, I got up and ready and drove out to Fairfax.

The plan was to ride 8 miles to our destination get off our bikes run for 30 mins and ride back to our cars. 16 miles...whew! Piece of cake! UMMMM...NOOOO! The 8 miles to our destination is allllllll uphill or should I say upMOUNTAIN! Omg...turn after turn was another grade that I had to go up. Some of the parts were mild uphills but the majority were pretty steap grades. Thank lord the way back only had one major grade and that was at the begining of the ride, so the rest of the ride back I got to coast or speed down the downhills.

Thankfully, I don't think Lavaman will be that bad, so I should be ahead of the game.

valentine's training

yesterday morning i woke up bright and early at 6am.  i got my riding and running gear together, had a little breakfast and went to training in san ramon.

the training called for 100 minute bike ride, and a 15 minute run.  as you know, biking always makes me nervous.  and in the potential rain and wet roads, i was even more nervous.  luckily the rain held off, and i had a wonderful ride.  the hills were a bit challenging, not too steep but definitely long.  i ended up finishing my with 21.28 miles in 101 minutes.  my maximum speed was 29.9 mph (i love downhills).  and my average mph was 12.5.  woo hoo!  i remember when my average mph was only about 10.  great improvement for me.

and finished off my training with my fifteen minute run and then it was off to the house.

as a bonus!  my cousin cherylle and her boyfriend ron planned on having dinner with me and phil.  before they arrived, i received a text from her announcing their engagement.  woohoo!  sooo excited for them.

bday celebrations

this blog long over due, but i've finally found some time to get to it. this year i turned 27! and i don't know how i really feel about it yet. really, it just seems like another year has gone by. but i did have fun celebrating this year.

my first celebration was at mercury lounge before my parents and my sister left for their trip to pi. we had a great dinner and stayed for drinks as the rest of the party joined us after.

the saturday before my birthday, che and ron came to the city to spend the whole day with phil and me. we started off with lunch at cha cha cha's on haight. YUMMMO! ron never had it before, but i'm sure he was glad he did. we did a little shopping on haight and then headed to my house before the movie. we ended up watching taken, good movie if you want to see it. our last stop was bj's for dinner. wonderful time with the fam!

also, this year M.A.C came out with a hello kitty line. and, if you know me just a little bit, you'll know that hello kitty has been my thing since i was little and i never stopped. and, it just so happened scheduled launch date was right after my bday. i like to think they did it for me...lol!

and i got a sewing machine from phil's parents.  woo hoo!  i'm going to start sewing and making a whole new set of projects.  thank you auntie and uncle!

needless to say, i've had a wonderful birthday this year. thank you to everyone that has sent over the bday love and has celebrated with me.


my family at dinner


cousins celebrating with me


my hello kitt mac set

training 02.10.09

tonight is tuesday night and like all my tuesday nights should be tonight was a swim night. we had a pretty big swim goal today in our main swim. in the main set, i had to swim 750 meters, non-stop, TWICE! that's 30 laps in a regular 25 meter pool which is what pools normally are. now i know i could do this, b/c during my ironman training i could swim 42 laps in non-stop in half an hour. i wish i had my watch to time myself, i felt great in the pool today.

i switched some of my warm up drills tonight b/c as i stated before, i need to work on the arm part of my swimming. i should be getting more strength out of them, if you catch my drift. (haha no pun intended.) anyway, i think my drills really helped. during the main set of my swim, i seemed to feel more smooth in the water and i just felt like i was flowing so well. and my arm was a sore, which means i was using muscles that i don't normally use. =)

tonight there were a lot of people in the pool trying to do laps, very rare so i kindda had to work around some people. at first i was a little bothered, but then i thought to myself, this is gonna be worse on race day. andddd, i thought of the waves that the people were making like the waves the ocean is going to bring. so, in the end, i welcomed the company.

i'll add the routine i did tomorrow. thanks for following.

2/5 training

first, let me wish a very Happy Birthday to MELODY!

so, yesterday was a really long work day for me. i stayed over an hour later at work than i had to to finish up some stuff. and then i had to sit in the traffic that i go to work early to avoid. anyhow, i finally got home and sat for awhile before heading to the gym. i almost didn't go b/c i was uber lazy, but i did. thanks for the encouragement phil.

got my swimsuit, gathered my gear and we were on our way to 24. haha...stupid me, i forgot my towel, so i had to buy one there. ok good now time for my swim. the pool has been recently cleaned so there was no overly bad smell of chorline like there usually is. phil made a comment about me swimming now while the pool was clean, but i reminded him that i do swim in the bay where i can't even see my hand floating in front of me...obviously, it doesn't bother me that much.

during my swim last night, i decided to try a drill that our swim coach luanne told me to try. i know my front quadrant swimming (basically the arm part of the swim) could be stronger so i askes for some drills to help me out. i know what i'm doing wrong it's a matter of teaching my arms to do it the right way. so i tried the drill out. she told me to try swimming with only one arm doing the stroke. this would allow me to watch that arm more intently and focus on what it's doing. i don't know if i did the drill right, but i'll definitely try it again. i also did a drill that i've learned before that always seems to help me. swimming with fists, then 1 finger, 2 fingers and so on. that one always seems to help. i think i might encorporate it in all my swims from now on.

here's what i did last night:

Intermediate – 2000 Total Yards
Warm Up: 200 LVL 2 (15”RI_
6 x 50 (25 LVL 2, 25 choice drill) (20”RI)
200 K, 200 LVL 2 (NO RI)

Main Set: 300 LVL 3 (30” RI)
3 x 75 LVL 8 (30”RI)
1 x 75 LVL 3 (20”RI)
2 x 50 LVL 8 (30”RI)
1 x 50 LVL 3 (20”RI)
1 x 50 LVL 8 (30”RI)
200 LVL 3 (FORM)

Cool Down: 100 LVL 2

great way to end the day

yesterday was a run day so i decided to go to the skyline track before i had to get some errands done. the weather has been abnormally warm, so running on the track was great...light breeze and no head winds fighting you. and something about last night, maybe the dark, brought a warm calm over me.

i did one warm up lap and ran as much as i could before i had to go. so, i ended up running 3 miles, and did one more cool down lap. in total, i did 3.5 miles. i tried pushing myself just a tad bit more than i have so far this season and i tracked my time after every mile. the first and second mile, i was averaging about 12 minute miles, the last, closer to 13. i'm not feeling too bad today, so i think i'll push myself even harder next time. maybe i can average 11 minutes! =)

Louie Bonpua Annual Triathlon

Today was the Louie Bonpua Annual Triathlon. In past years, this triathlon was only for those training for Ironteam. So, naturally last year being a part of Ironteam, I participated. This was my very first triathlon ever. For the Ironteamers, this tri is an Olympic Distance, 1 mile swim, 25 mile bike, and 6 mile run. I ended with a time of 4 hours and 51 minutes.

This year the Winter Tri Team, who is currently training for Lavaman, was invited to join the Louie Tri. We were scheduled to do a modified Sprint Distance, roughly a 400 meter swim, 12 mile bike, and 3 mile run. This year, knowing what the course would be like, and knowing that I've already done the whole Olympic Distance, I was feeling quite confident.

First was the swim, and I have to admit, not swimming in the bay for quite some time made me a little nervous about that. But, once I got in and started swimming, it was like riding a bike, it all seemed soooo familiar. I got out of the water in great time, I guess...I heard a familiar voice yelling out a time, but the ear plugs and confusion you feel from swimming in open water restricted me from hearing what the numbers were. As I got my slippers on, I heard everyone I knew tell me what a great time I had coming out of the water and realized the voice yelling out times was DEB, my old Ironteam mate. I was excited to see her. I yelled thanks to her and headed up the stairs to the transition area.

I got to transition and prepared for my bike ride. If you know me at all, biking is my least favorite of the three. But, this time I was actually excited. The course was a bit familiar, and the distance was not scary at all. I mean, I did do 112 miles, and this time last year I was doing twice the distance. Not to mention, last year I did not know what I was doing on the bike AT ALL!

I had what I felt was was GREAT ride, and now it was time for my last event, the run. I took all my bike gear off and put my running shoes on. I went on my first lap and then my second. Although, I didn't get my full running legs on until I was a half way done with my second lap, I was feeling really good. And, from what my former Ironteam coaches were yelling, I was looking strong too.

Knowing my time from last year, and estimating my skills now, I was hoping to finish in just over 2 hours. To my surprise my time as I ran in was 1 hour 55 minutes and 24 seconds. WOO HOO!

It was great seeing my old Ironteam friends and seeing how awesome my mentees did on their first triathlon. I'm sure we were all glad to see the sun out for practically the whole race. Except for the head winds on some parts of the bike course, the weather was nearly perfect...well as perfect as you can ask for in San Francisco during Winter season.

And, a GIGANTIC THANKS to Phil, my mom and dad and Auntie Rose for coming out to support and volunteering for our event.

This is a video that I've posted in the past, but in case you would like to know a little about who Louie Bonpua was here is his story:

training 01.13.09

I've been sick in bed yesterday and today, and i was actually feeling a lot better this afternoon. so, i thought it would be a great idea to get out of the house and go to the gym with phil, les, and spell today...you know, sweat the rest out.

since it's tuesday, today was a swim day. so, i decided to get in a quick run (5 min warm up and 25 min run) and then move on to my swim. i've been a bit brave and have been doing the intermediate swims. since the ironman swims were so intense, these swims seem to be so much shorter, and i have to say i love the water, so why not?

here's what i did today:
warm up:
200 meters level 2, 150 meter kick drill, 100 meters level 2, 100 kick drill

main set:
2 x 200 (75 lvl 4, 50 lvl 8, 75 lvl 4)
4 x 100 (25 lvl 4, 50 lvl 8, 25 lvl 4)
4 x 75 ( 25 lvl 4, 25 lvl 8, 25 lvl 4)

cool down:
100 non-freestyle

in total i did 1750 meters, which i believe is actually more that what i will be doing on race day. so, i'm ahead of the game for the swim. woo hoo!

and although i did have a great workout today, i have to let some gripes out. if you read my sister's blog, you'll know we agree on some gym pet peeves. and please excuse me, if you think this is a little harsh, i know if you don't get my humor you may think i'm mean.

1) why on earth are you on the treadmill and talking on the phone? or even at the gym on the phone in full blown conversation? i mean if you are really on the phone for that long, are you really that serious about the workout!!! for goodness sake, and as a courtesy to the rest of us, please leave the damn phone alone!

2) first, let me say, kudos to you for trying to step your game up and run. but do you really have to be an elephant about the situation!?

3) and if you are running at an incline or at a speed where you are holding on to the sides for dear life, do yourself a favor and don't! if you are running at the correct speed or incline for your level you wouldn't be holding on to the sides. step it down a notch or two until you are actually capable of doing it that level.

4) i know that there are no lanes at 24, but if there are 5 people swimming in the imaginary (vertical) lanes, why on earth would your swim horizontally, messing everyone else up? ! can you please tell me what your logic is there?

an eventful saturday

Saturday, January 10th was as eventful as they come. My first event of the day was, of course, training. I drove to Walnut Creek and did a 90 minute bike ride. The day was nice and sunny, so the ride was very pleasant. This has been the longest ride I've gone on since Ironman, and like every ride on my bike, I was nervous at first. Once we got going, I was able to find my grove and was pleased with the ride.

Next it was off to Uncle Uly and Auntie Carol's for their celebration of life. Uncle Uly will be going through bone marrow treatment soon and we all gathered to celebrate his on-going recovery. In his words, all he is doing is getting a little oil change, and changing a few spark plugs and he will be as good as new. Uncle Uly, I am sending you all the best wishes during your recovery. Keep up your high spirits, it will take you far along your journey.

My next event of the day, was Cj's 16th birthday party. I was able to play a couple of games of Catch Phrase, and see how Pictionary Man is played. It's always a good time with great company. Unfortunately, I had to cut that short and move on to my biggest and final event.

Last but definitely not least was my bowling fundraiser. Like all my other bowling fundraisers, I held this at Classic Bowl in Daly City. I had a GREAT turnout. Every lane that I reserved was in use, and I even had to add on a total of 4 more lanes by the end of the night. Thank you Auntie Carol and Uncle Uly for bringing your party and my fundraiser together. And, to KeithO and all my guests, thank you for your support, generosity and your kindness. You all have contributed to such a great cause. I hope all the winners of the raffle enjoy your wonderful prizes.

With all of your help, I was able to raise a little over $850 and we still have to collect from the bar tab. THANK YOU ALL!

thanks bern

so bern asked me when i was available for a run. we chose tonight for our little running date. i looked at the schedule and it called for a 45 min run. so we first decided to go to lake merced and run, but we ended up not going there. instead we walked from my house up the hilly streets to skyline college's track, which is about 1 mile. i'd say a pretty good warm up. as soon as we hit the track we took off running, well a good paced jog. i was starting to think that i was really out of shape b/c at half a mile was already feeling a little tired. but i kept at it. and at the end of the run i was feeling really great. and we were both running at about a 12 min mile. so all in all i think i got about 6 miles in, including our walk to and from the track. so bern, thank you so much for the run. our talks are always hilarious, but mostly if it weren't for out little date, i think my tiring day would have had me defeated on the couch for the rest of the night.

starting 09 off right

last night was the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Cause for Celebration night. i have never been to a cause for celebration, but this season i'm a mentor, so i thought it would be great for me to show some some support and join in. i also thought it would be encouraging to my mentees who were there to see me involved. so, i called in so reinforcements myself, and asked my cousin jackie to tag along. she agreed and we went to see what it was all about. basically, we all cheered as they announced all the teams that were participating this season, ski, run/walk, tri (that's mine), cycling and so on. they went on to explain how much each team had raised so far and what could be done with that money. i didn't hear exactly how many researchers' salaries we could fund so far. but that researcher could be the next person to discover the new drug to help cure cancer.

they also had a talk about the bone marrow registry. i've heard so many things about it and i always wanted to be a part of the registry in hopes that i could help someone else out. but, for some reason i was scared. well last night i wasn't. i decided to join the registry. jackie did too. for someone in need for a bone marrow transplant, it has a lot to do with the person's ethnicity. one of the people that spoke is currently on the list for a transplant, but b/c his mother is british and his father is south american he is having such a hard time finding a match. now i know you are asking well what about his family. you only have a 30% chance that someone in your family is a match. and you need at least 20,000 donors to find 1 match. and, to top that off the number of ethnic people that are on the registry is extremely low. they are dire need of people of different ethnic backgrounds. and if you are thinking that the procedure is too painful, do your research. technology now has evolved, it's not that bad. so i encourage all of you to have a little selflessness and join the registry.