Concrete Runners Season 3

omg how the hell did we even get this far?!  scrolling through my blog i'm noticing a lotttt of things missing from last year.  i guess i'll have to catch those up later b/c right now i'm still on a high from last weekend.

on saturday, we celebrated our Season 3 kick off for the Concrete Runners.  as most of you already know, just just started off as a bunch of friends that started doing marathons/half marathons together, somewhat jokingly calling ourselves Running Divas.  we eventually evolved into Concrete Runners and are now on Season 3!  looking back at the evolution is so amazing and exciting.  i can't wait to see what's next.

i got there quite early with the rest of the OGs and set up crew, around 7am.  we set up the tables and organized ourselves for the event.  people steadily rolled in starting at about 730/45ish am.  we had people register as they came and we started off our event at about 830am.  we had our kick off speech by Janice (my sister) and Clarice from Muscle Milk said a few words too. Abel lead our stretches and we were off for our run.  as always we trailed off in pace groups so people could be with others that ran roughly around their pace.

our run was a 6 mile loop that included a run across the beautiful golden gate bridge.  it was a little cold but nothing unbearable, especially once we warmed up from our run.  the clouds were minimal so the sights were clear and gorgeous.

we had about 127+ people check in -- plenty of food, chit-chat and laughter filled the park.  i got to see folks from all 3 seasons, meet some of the new crew, and welcome those that aren't officially Concrete ...yet!  i'd say it was a pretty good event.  thank you to everyone that came out to support the event.  and special shout out to all our sponsors Perfect Bar, Icelandic, and Frozen Kuhsterd.  i can't wait to for another event with Season 3.

Me time in Hawaii recap (late post)

08.03.15

this time last week i was wrapping up my week in hawaii.  i'm totally having withdrawls.  but i couldn't have asked for a better vacation.

my only real planned event while i was out there was mayjah rayjah.  and after island reggae fest i totally couldn't wait.

i arrived late wednesday night.  shay invited me to go to his rehearsal.  so, i dropped off my luggage freshened up a bit and got dropped off at his rehearsal.  i got to meet spawnbreezie, and btw got to witness some of his musicality at work.  amazing to be in that environment.  and as i panned the room and smiled and waved to the band. i haven't seen any of them since april.  i noticed behind spawn was kaipo.  eeeee.... omg hi! keep your fan girl inside.  totally have a lightweight crush on him.

so, i got to speak with spawn for a little bit after his rehearsal time ended.  there was a little break and i got introduced to kaipo.  and i of course got to chat it up with the band.  and then i got to sit on kaipo's rehearsal.  it was quick but i was blessed enough to witness him singing first hand in a little room.  so basically my own little concert.  lol don't laugh that's how it was playing out in my head. lmao

the next day, shay picked me up, we had breakfast and chilled for a little.  i got to watch one of his gigs, which i loved btw.  i love watching him work.  it's like i can see the gears moving in his head and then the smile on his face when he figures out how he's gonna add on with his musical influence.  and then it was off to rehearsal with sammy j!  YEAY!!! omg, so sammy j, is my FAVORITE.  he was at island reggae and i thought for some reason i would get the chance to meet him there.  nope didn't happen.  so i told everyone that my goal was to meet him in hawaii.  ummm hi!!! wish granted.  not only did i get to shake his hand and say hi, i was sitting in his rehearsal.  an up close and personal interaction with him.  we also chatted and we found out that we would be hiking up koko head the next morning.  and what do you know, we saw each other there too!  anyway, i digress.  i got to witness this man at work.  his runs....OMG!  so effortless and can go for days.  WOW!

and then of course who am i sitting next to?  kaipo is singing back up for sammy.  along with josh tatofi who is also an amazing singer.  so kaipo and i chatted a little between songs.  we laughed and he got me in trouble with sammy.  lol definitely a story i will remember forever.  ask me about it when you see me.

after sammy's set, kaipo rehearsed again.  and i got to see his gears tick too.  i love watching music develop and see how things all come together.  damn maybe i need to be back in the music scene for a living.  lol and can i say, the way that they all just switched instruments and were GOOD on everything they touched.  i couldn't help but feel a tad bit inadequate and unworthy of sharing the room with these guys.  lol  but glad i was there to soak it all in.

i don't know if you can read it in my words.  but WOW!  the musical talent that i was surrounded by in the first 2 days i was on the island.  i could have left completely satisfied if i only had those 2 days there.  luckily for me, that was only the beginning.

friday morning, my girl kristina from college picked me up and we went for a hike up the kokohead stairs.  it was a pretty challenging incline.  and the stairs are not consistent so you are definitely working and skillfully planning out each step be fore you take it.  oh and i know i mentioned it earlier, but while we were there, sammy j and messaged me on ig telling me that they were there.  and we actually got to see him and his friends on the trail.  that's were i took my second picture with him.  and i actually took some of their pictures at the top. anyway, it was great to catch up with my friend during the hike and over breakfast.  sooo glad i was able to spend some time with her while i was there.

later that day was mayjah rayjah!  candy and mana picked me up, and then we all enjoyed a night of good vibes and even better music.  so everyone asked me how it was.  and i can't even begin to describe it.  all i can say was it was soooo good.  and if you've been to irf, it's that times 10!  i loved every minute of it.  after the concert mana had to head to bed b/c he had work the next day, but candy and i decided to go to the after party and play a little while longer.  the line was sooo long.  luckily for us we ran into kaipo and i mustered up enough courage to ask him to help us get in.  i told him that we would pay, we just didn't want to wait in that disneyland line.  lol  well well... lucky us, he got us in and we didn't have to pay. 

so candy and i had a few drinks we and we got to enjoy the sounds of nesian nine!  whoa the music vibe is just not stopping.  woo hoo for me.  but, the night was getting long and candy and i decided we would call it a night.  butttt...as we were standing in front of the hotel deciding on if we were going to go back to the hotel or hit another bar, kaipo came down and convinced us to join him.  honestly it didn't take to much convincing. lol so the rest of the night was spent with him.  definitely, an eventful night to say the least. lol

the next day, candy and i spent on the beach for the most part.  and that night i met up with my roomies for the week at a club.  and the next day we spent on the beach again.  definitely a smile on my face.  and that night kaipo took me out and we danced and i drank the night away.  lol i do not know who i thought i was that night drinking that much.  lol 

the next day was my last day in hawaii.  i met up with a close friend from childhood.  and we had lunch at his hotel.  i wasn't feeling the best but i was glad i got to spend time with him.  and then i spent the day with my roomies at lanikai.  such a beautiful last day.  

the next morning, i finally got to pig out and boots and kimos and it was off to the airport. 

needless to say i had an amazing time! i'll post pics and maybe even video's later.

Concrete Runners Secret Meet 04.25.15

while we were in LA, for N+TC Tour LA, we were able to put a little secret surprise together for our Concrete Runners.  we told them that there would be an early run in the morning but didn't tell them anything else.  just just told them it was a secret.

we arrived at the park and they saw this:

the secret run was to run with Manny Pacquiao.  this would be his last run at the pan pacific park in LA before his big fight with Mayweather.

due to some unforeseen circumstances only a few of us actually got to run with him.  but here's the footage i got from that day.

N+TC Tour LA 2015

The this past weekend i got to participate in Nike's N+TC Tour again in LA.  i was a bit worried that they wouldn't do one this year, as last year we registered way in advance and this year they announced so much later.  but they announced and of course i was juiced.  not to mention i would get to experience it this time a Concrete Runner (no longer running divas) and i would have my squad with me.  IF we got in... this year it was by lottery.  but our OGs and team captains got in and a good amount of our members too.  we came rolling in 22 deep!  yee!

friday night consisted of an event they called SNKRS Courtyard event and an NRC run.  The event had light refreshments and a panel of guests that are a part of Nike Women.

part of our saturday afternoon, for N+TC we spent on a little scavenger hunt trying to collect the earrings they had a various stores in Santa Monica.  we get everything except one.


saturday night, it was off to N+TC.  dthis year you didn't get to pick your sessions.  they picked your session track for you.  there were 3 tracks, like their app:  get strong, get lean, and get toned.  and your classes were based on the track they put you in.  fortunately, for us (Concrete Runners) we all showed each other our schedules.  i didn't like my schedule too much, and got to see the other classes.  so, i just waited in the wait list line to see if i could get into the classes that i actually wanted.  of course my sister and i HADDDD to get in to Prevail, the boxing class.  And I wanted to take he Groov3 class, a dancing class with short choreography.  my last class was Pound, from what it sounded it like it was a drumming class.

luckily for me, i got into all the classes i wanted.  woo hoo!  last year, some of the classes were almost impossible to get into if you were wait listed.  like, only 2 people from the wait list would get in.  it seemed like this year, a good amount of people that were in the wait list line were able to get in.

so after our warm up workout.  which seemed like we were in divergent, btw.  pretty weird and cool at the same time.  my sister, me, and morgan rushed over to the Prevail class.  my sister and i were determined to get in, wrapping our hands in the wait list line.  lol hella OA (filipino term meaning over acting, basically being dramatic).  but we all got in!  woo hoo!  they had the room split up in four with a ring in the middle and basically did it like a circuit training.  we did plyo first with an ab workout, then did some footwork drills, 3rd we did some training to get your heart rate up with 2 lbs weights.  and lastly...THE MITS!! YESS!!  they only did one combo though.  which is understandable, knowing that this would be a complete introduction to a most of the people there.  jab cross, jab cross - half moon to the right - cross cross.  so one mitt guy to 4 girls.  he just went down the line.  he went to the first girl in our line, then got to janice, he wasn't expecting the quickness.  got to morgan, then me.  i finished my last cross and he was like "whoa, you got a lot of power."  second time around, he asked me, "do you fight?!" with my shy smile i innocently said, "well...yeah!" lol  the announcer in the middle caught me in the combo and announce, "wow we got pacquiao in here!"  he was talking about me.  why thank you! *curtsy

second class was Groov3.  janice and morgan went off to the spin class.  so i was alone until some of my fellow CR crew came in.  we did a cute little dance routine, a couple of easy 8 counts but definitely fun.  lots of boot popping going on in there.  lol

lastly, Pound.  i think i was most excited about this class.  i mean of course i was excited about boxing, it's a part of what i love.  but pound sounded fun and i didn't know what to expect.  i read the description and knew it had to do with drumming, but some reason i was imagining a workout like taiko drums.  it was basically a workout to a drummer keeping beat.  we would drum along on the floor, in a squat, lunge, bend over to one side drum that way.  i really don't know how to describe it but it definitely was fun.  and it definitely was a workout.  i got some footage, but it gives it no justice to how much fum it really was.  i was having too much fun myself to stop and film.

here are some pictures and footage of what i experienced. 

UFC 167 - 20th Anniversary

The gym that I go to for Muay Thai, Evolve Training Center, had a contest called "Refer and You Shall Receive." The basic premise was, if you brought in people and they signed up, you got points. At the end of the contest, who ever had the most points would win. 

 
I didn't really think anything of the contest at first b/c no matter how many people asked me about the gym, or who I brought in, in the past, no one ever signed up. BUT, it just so happened that my cousin finally brought in my nephew for Muay Thai and Ju-jitsu and she happened to also take part in the boxing for fitness class. I say FINALLY b/c I had been telling her for months already to just come in and check it out. And then, she decided to sign both of them up. At this time, I wasn't even thinking of the contest. I was just happy that someone that asked me about the gym, finally came through and would be sharing in my joy. But, lucky me, it just so happened that it was double points week. I wasn't even in the running and all of a sudden, I was a contender. WOO HOO! 

 
In the end, I WON!!! Yesss! The grand prize? A trip to Vegas for UFC 167, the 20th Anniversary of the UFC. That's right, my flight, my hotel, and my ticket for the fights were all paid for. 

I flew out Friday morning, with Mark and Audrey. And we tried for an early check in at the MGM (yes I did stay at the hotel venue!), unfortunately, it couldn't happen. So, we checked our bags in with the concierge and did a little eating and shopping. Later that night, we went to Light at Mandalay Bay and partied it up a little. 

 
Saturday, John flew in and we met with Mark and Audrey for brunch. And later we got to enjoy the fights! The first fight started at 330pm and I must say they didn't disappoint. And, so it had begun. None of the fights were disappointing, even the fights that were not even broadcast on TV were good. And, the main event, GSP vs Hendricks, even with all the controversy following the results, the fight was a great one. Every minute was exciting. The atmosphere in the arena, Bruce Buffer's introductions, the crowd's energy … I'm so glad I was able to experience that. This very well could be the only time that I will ever be able to experience this, I'm so glad that I was able to. It was an amazing weekend.

Thank you ETC for giving me the opportunity to enjoy this in person. So, much better than my big screen. lol 

Oh and I did stand only a few feet from Nick Diaz. No I didn't get a picture with him. I was too shy. I was just shocked that he was right there. And really he and his friends were in their own world, I didn't want to bother him, he was out for a night of fun. 

Here are the few photos that were taken this weekend.

Halloween 2013

Well this post is about a couple of weeks late, but I haven't been posting much and I am still quite pleased with my make shift Minnie Mouse costume, so better late than never right? Right!

Well, my cousin Jessica dragged me out, but honestly she didn't have to twist my arm too much. I hadn't been out in a really really really long time and some of my favorite dj's were spinning so why not go out and support the folks right? So, I thought about what I could do. I had these clip on Minnie Mouse ears that haven't been put to much use, so I decided to be Minnie Mouse.

So, I had to look of course for a red shirt. And the tank I'm wearing is honestly, the only red top that I have that isn't a 49ers top. And so I threw on some black shorts.

I wanted to make sure that I didn't forget the collar. In Kindergarten, I was Minnie Mouse for Halloween, my dad and I answered the door for some trick or treaters and a big kid was also Minnie Mouse, but as soon as she saw me, she realized she had forgotten her collar. I don't know why that memory resonates with me so clearly, but it does and b/c of it I wanted to be sure that I didn't forget mine. So, I went ahead with my pearl collar necklace.

I added the suspenders b/c honestly I just think they are a sexy accessory and it fit. The gloves were a last minute after thought. Minnie and Mickey are known for their white gloves, and just before Jessica and I were headed out, something clicked and I remembered that I had a pair of white lace gloves.

The makeup was quite simple. I did blush, bronzer, highlight and my eyebrows. The only thing I did that was quite different is that I extended the black eyeliner out to have 3 wings. Minnie Mouse is known for her 3 eyelashes. And of course I drew on the nose. I didn't draw any whiskers b/c Minnie doesn't have any.

Oh and the shoes. Can't forget about the shoes. You can only see a glimpse of the shoes in the first picture, but Minnie is known for her yellow shoes. So, I brought out my yellow dunks! Here are the few photos that I have from that night.

Philippines July 08 - 10, 2012

Another pictorial of my trip to the Philippines.  Enjoy!

This was one of the only days that I was able to have some time to myself.  So, I made sure to get a workout in.  Luckily for me, I was able to catch some of the All-Star game on the treadmill.

They have these rocking chairs places sporadically in places for the "elders" to sit in. 

We did try this.  It was kindda dumb.  But it was almost like the Days of Thunder ride at Great America, or the ride they used to have at Pier 39.

A little down time by the pool, so we decided to try the Manilla Sunset.  It was originated at the Shangri-La, Makati, so we have to try it out.

Entertainment in the lobby.

This is the biggest guava I've ever seen! 

Flying out to Boracay!

We just landed! 

After a quick flight and a 1.5 hour ride we were at the port.  The ride was a little bit tough for me with all the twists and turns.  So, I was grateful to be here.  This was our waiting lounge while we waited for our boats to arrive.  It was air conditioned, and they were waiting for us with a cold cup of calamansi and cool towel.  Check out my vlog to see.

Here are a few pictures of the water while we were out at sea.  It was only about a 15 minute boat ride to Shangri-La, Boracay.  Look at how the water changes color along the way.

The view as we entered the lobby.  GORGEOUS!

I thought this statue was quite interesting.

 

The view from our balcony

Our balcony.

The big pool.  There were other pools, but we spent all out time at this one.  I didn't take a picture of the other ones.

Step out of the pool and onto the beach!

This is the private beach.  The other beaches are partially shared with other resorts in our area.  Honestly they are so far apart, you won't even see the other resort or the people.

Our first event on Boracay:  dragon boat paddling!  Super fun! 

Now, time to soak up the sun and have me a drink!  The people must have though I was nuts!  I tried to get as much sun as possible.  And in the Philippines, they like be as white as possible.  You should have seen the shinanagins I saw with them trying to not get tanned!  It was quite hilarious! 

Some guests requested for this set up.  I wish I had thought of it!  It looked so nice after they added the tiki torches and the sun came down.

Check out this sunset!  I tried to take a picture of the progression.

There was a lot to do in the activity room.  I think we spent every night in here.  Here are my mom and aunt playing sungka.  It's the Filipino version of mancala.

They are trying to play foosball.

I have no idea what these statues are or what they represent, but I thought they were cool.

Pool tables.  I played every night.

Air hockey and basketball hoops.

Because our hotel is not at any of the ports.  We had to take a 15 minute shuttle ride to D-Mall.  This is where all the action basically happens.  

I thought this sign was pretty funny.  Instead of a hot stone massage, you can get a hot puka shell massage.

Who wants to get "Filipino tanned?"  Hahaha!!  This is just all kinds of wrong!

The beach at the D-Mall.  The sand was much finer on this side compared the beaches by our hotel.

Got me a little token from Boracay.  You can see him here drawing it.

Who wants to get their "eyelips" tattooed?  hahahahaa

I took this picture while standing in the water.

You have to go all the way up there to get tatted. 

A little totem pole that I thought was cute.

The Zorb!  You sit in this inflatable ball that rolls down the hill.  Pretty fun.  And a good way to cool off, it was HOTTTT in Boracay.

We all went driving on ATVs afterward

The biggest papaya I've ever seen in my life.

You can get red beans and coffee jelly in your Starbucks drinks.

Havaianas have got to be one of the most comfortable flip flops ever.  This is the Philippine edition.

Sail boats along the beach.  I just thought this was a pretty sight.

Boracay is known for the sand castles that are made every day.  But this was the only one I saw.

Boracay is also called little Korea b/c of all the Korean tourists.  There were A LOT!

Here's a little vlog:




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