Home // Archive by category "Otherstuff" (Page 2)

Running in Sagada, with Iyer and Kundera

Running in Sagada

Sagada: one of the best places for mountain running

Sagada has always been one of my favorite destinations in the Philippines. The cool clean and crisp air, the mountains covered in a thick forest of evergeens, the clearest dome of blue that is the sky over the town, the cliffs carved by eons of rain and sun which are just begging to be gripped and climbed, and the friendly people and their unique culture–all of this always makes for a transcendent retreat.

Last year, on All Saints Day, Kara and I went there on a much needed vacation. We were also looking forward to witnessing the unique custom of Sagada on Novemeber 1st called Pinag-aapoy. Here locals build a small bonfire on their loved ones’ graves instead of lighting candles.

But first, I had to get my runnng fix that morning. I was training for a 21k trail run that month and needed to keep my cardio level up. And Sagada was just perfect for running. Read more [+]

At the Camp Aguinaldo Bike Trail

Biking in Camp AguinaldoWhile trying out Camp Aguinaldo’s bike trail, I thought about zombies.

Yes, I love zombie apocalypse films and TV series. I am having serious withdrawal symptoms right now with the next season of the Walking Dead not set to air for several more months. I need my regular zombie flick fix where survivors are constantly on the move evading the undead, hunting for supplies, and fighting off other survivors who seem to be worse than flesh eating ghouls. As sickeningly antisocial as it may sound, survival in this scenario seems like the greatest adventure one can ever have.

I revisited the Camp Aguinaldo bike trail on Saturday last week, just before supertyphoon Labuyo slammed into the Philippines. While biking through the section of the trail where old, rusting, abandoned military vehicles were dumped, I was reminded of scenes from The Walking Dead. It’s part of what makes the place special. Read more [+]

Paragliding at Antenna Hill

Antenna Hill will soon be famous for things other than mountain biking

Who didn’t dream of flying as a kid? Almost everyone I know once tied a towel to his back, pretended it was the cape of some superhero and jumped off some fence or roof in a split second make believe of flight. As kids, we we wanted to soar through the air, like Superman, Peter Pan or the child warrior Atreyu on his luck dragon Falcor. Those were great times, weren’t they?

But somewhere along the way, age and the reality of adult concerns got in the way of dreams and imagination. We gave up fantasies of taking to the air in favor of a car, regular visits to the mall, flat screen TVs and the latest gadgets.

Fortunately for me, I am getting to relive this childhood dream thanks to some odd luck and an even odder Japanese dude. Read more [+]

Pinoy Sets Record At US Ultramarathon

Simon Sandoval

Simon Sandoval, the Pinoy ultrarunner who set a new record at the Western States 100-Mile Endurance Run

(Note: This post is intended for Media Release. If there is anybody who would like to make a NEWS item on printed or broadcast media about this post, you are encouraged to use, copy or make this as your reference. Please SHARE this post to any of the Social Media outlets and platforms. Thank you!)

Simon Sandoval of Makati City, Metro Manila sets a New Course Record for a Local Pinoy Ultra Runner at the 40th Edition of the Western States 100-Mile Endurance Race (WS100), considered as the oldest and most prestigious ultra marathon mountain trail race in the world. He finished the race in 27 hours 9 minutes 53 seconds with a ranking of 156th out of 277 finishers in the second hottest edition in the history of the race where the temperature registered triple digits as high as 110 degrees Fahrenheit in the mountain canyons of the Sierra Nevada Mountain Ranges & Western States Trails. Sandoval was the lone representative of the country out of the 22 countries and 40 states in the US that were represented in the said race in this year’s edition. Read more [+]

Music for Faster Runs and Rides

Music for Running or Riding

A wise man once said: What is life without music?

Let me qualify that, as whoever this erudite hombre is, he obviously never lived in a place where wannabe crooners occasionally inflict their alcohol-addled versions of Pusong Bato on their hapless neighbors.

What the existential hallmark card writer should have said is: What is life without good music? Almost all human activities are made better when these are accompanied by good music. Researchers from the University of Southern Queensland’s Department of Psychology have also found out that listening to up tempo music can actually make you faster! Apparently when you move in sync with music you like, you perform better.

Read more [+]

Lance Armstrong, Doper

Lance Armstrong gets taken down by doping allegations. Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

Like so many of the people who believed him, who got inspired by his story, I tried to cling on to the idea that Lance Armstrong was one of the greatest cyclists ever. Even in the face of mounting evidence that there was something fishy about Armstrong’s superhuman feats in the Tour de France, I shrugged off the accusations as sourgraping by dope cheats and lowlife cynics who just can’t handle the idea that towering greatness does exist in the world.

But then came the USADA. Doubts began to surface and made me think if Armstrong was really the man he marketed himself to be. Read more [+]

Surfing in Baler

Surfers catching a wave in Baler

Catching a wave in Baler. Photo by Renato Ubay Jr.

This is a guest post from my friend Mick Ison, who divides his free time between motorcycling, wakeboarding and all sorts of other water sports.

 To Pinoy surfers, Baler needs no introduction. Along with La Union and Siargao, it is one of the most frequented surf spots in the Philippines. But being new to surfing, I had little idea of what to expect.

I had been hearing about Baler for the longest time. Unfortunately, I never really had a chance to visit the place. My luck changed when I reconnected with an old friend, Noel Lazaro, who invited me to tag along with their Surf Trip to Baler. And without any hesitation, I said yes. Read more [+]

Slacker In Motion

Fitness and physical excellence are secondary to the pleasures of the play.

Another blog about outdoor stuff? Why not?

For some time now I’ve been toying with the idea of setting up a website about the fitness activities I’ve grown to enjoy. I used to do websites before and I kinda missed tinkering with design and content. However, I kept putting off developing this site on fears that I might be mistaken for a hardcore fitness buff. The mere thought of this was horrifying. Obsessing about abs, and counting calories have never been my thing. And beer, donuts and crispy sisig will always be part of my checklist for nourishment.

This is not really a journal on how to be healthy. Getting mistaken for a fitness guru ranks up there in my list of nightmares, along with getting exiled to a country where booze is illegal, and the possible return of dialup internet. Read more [+]

Upgraditis or Gear Lust

How do you muster up the fortitude to resist buying new gear when your current ones still work?

So you just bought those new top-of-the-line racing flats. They look great, feel even greater, and they just cost you half a month’s salary. Expensive? Who cares? Because after a week of breaking them in, you feel like you could challenge Dean Karnazes to an ultra smackdown! Hey, bring it on Bikila. Usain Bolt, your days are numbered haha!

But a week later, you pass by your favorite running store. Something catches your attention. What are those things on display? What are those bright, shiny, gorgeous, kickass things? Salivate. Drool. They whisper to you: “Come to me baby… Take me home… Bring me home now and I’ll show you all the pleasures of the world…” Read more [+]

Monsoon Biking

Rain clouds brought on by the Habagat darken the Metro Manila skyline.

Mountain biking is one outdoor activity that generally becomes more enjoyable with a bit of rain. Trails get more challenging when the dirt gets soaked, and pedaling up a slope becomes even more of a mental game when mud enters the equation.

Mountain bikes are also all-weather machines that can take the worst of what nature can dish out and still get the rider to where he or she wants to go to. Read more [+]