July 3, 2009 · 12:42 am

Sisters in Sport

 

Sisters in Sport   Apr 26, ’07 2:57 AM
for everyone

Sisters in Sport

 I run for hope, I run to feel, I run for the truth, for all that is real

I run for your mother, your sister, your wife

I run for you and me my friend

I run for Life.

 -from “I Run For Life,”  by Melissa Etheridge

I had a happy childhood.  And when I think about it now, the greatest reason for this was my sister.   Sinag is just a year and a half older than I am, and we did almost everything together.  Being both hyperactive kids, we were really blessed with a huge playground—our compound housed three families, a furniture factory, two big abandoned rice fields, an ancient balete tree bigger than an apartment unit in girth, and plenty of caimito, santol, macopa, aratilis, bayabas, and mango trees….an impossibly idyllic setting considering we lived near the city.  I’m pretty sure all that time we spent climbing trees, running around barefoot, chasing after dragonflies and each other gave us a solid foundation for our future interest in endurance sports.  But she definitely went into all of them first—and I just copied what she did!  That’s how attached I am to her.

Girls RULE

The Original Team David's Salon

 

A lot of siblings I know go through some sort of rivalry, intense or not—and I can honestly say that, Sinag, being the truly truly kind-hearted person that she is, never really set up this kind of environment for me.  Yes, it does take two to tango, but I still maintain that it was she who set the tone in our relationship, being the older one (although at this stage in our lives I sometimes feel like I am the ate, haha).

 

My sister Sinag and her daughter Raya

My sister Sinag and her daughter Raya

Today I still enjoy that female bond—and much more. Being in sports has certainly given me a whole new extended family of remarkable women—all of whom I consider sisters.  Up to this day I am simply amazed at how strong, intelligent, and diverse they all are, and I consider myself extremely lucky at having the opportunity to be with them.  Each woman’s story is different, but all as richly textured and as interesting as one can imagine.

pinaytri brunch june 16, 2006 022

Pinay Triathletes Brunch 2006

At races we may compete with each other, and sometimes personalities do tend to collide, but these are inconsequential albeit necessary rites.  At the end of the day we know we are united in that which is all part of us and that which we all experience—what it is like in this country to be women in a supposedly male dominated field, and in how we believe with great passion that we are capable of breaking down all social barriers.

Asian Du Dec 2005 Small

Asian Duathlon Championships 2005

 

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Not too long ago I went to Misamis Oriental and Bukidnon for Senator Pia Cayetano’s Bike For Hope, wherein 500 cyclists participated. In line with the 100km bike ride, Pia also conducted seminars on breastfeeding and violence against women. I facilitated two Pinay In Action running clinics for 700 high school girls—with the help of fellow Team David’s Salon member Mona Valdes, Asian and National champions of Duathlon and Triathlon respectively, Ryan Mendoza and George Vilog, and the rest of Pia’s very able staff of women. We also visited a group of women entrepreneurs who showed us a thing or two about affordable and accessible alternative medicine and homemade products—I admired them so much because even though they obviously came from humble backgrounds and continue to face numerous challenges, their dignity and gentle spirit is evident.

 

With Mona and Pia atop Mt. Kitanglad

With Mona and Pia atop Mt. Kitanglad

Whether we intentionally meant for it to happen or not, the theme of our whole trip turned out to be women empowerment.  More often than not, when organizing certain activities, the personalities of the proponents will really shine through, and that is exactly what happened.  Just the day after all our obligations were finished, Pia, Mona, and I, led the group to a record-breaking ascent of 2hours and 27minutes of the third highest peak in the country.  It was a cleanup and ceremonial marking of the boundaries of the Mt. Kitanglad Protected Area in Bukidnon.  The lumads guiding us were amazed at how fast we, who were women, actually climbed it.  The three of us (who were just chattering happily up the peak) just shrugged it off matter-of-factly and concluded that any of our other regular female cycling and triathlon training buddies would have been able to do the same thing anyway.  If you have to know, we even went bellydancing that evening, and the next morning did some yoga, ran for an hour, went ziplining and whitewater rafting, and swam in the evening.  Our tired hosts, progressive politicians Tagoloan Mayor Yevgeny “Bambi” Emano and Congressman Nereus “Neric” Acosta just shook their heads and thought we were crazy.  We kidded them that they could finally rest when we flew back to Manila. 

 

Sandra and I at SEA Games

Sandra and I at SEA Games

It is with great confidence that I say this sort of well-balanced (productive and fun at the same time!) endeavor was possible only because we were women athletes.  No one else would be as energetic and as highly motivated.

 

I trust my sisters in sport—I will always be there for them, because I know that they are there for me too. 

 

Oona's Bday Aug 2008

Oona's Bday Aug 2008

There are countless awesome girls in our business, but these are the ones who are special to me, and I would like to honor them: Popo, Pia, Mona, Kaye, Sandra, Ria, Bing, Marita, Maritess, Nancy, Amale, Rizzo, Doray, LC, Mimi, Kim, Sally, Cherry, Taleng, Oona, Waya, Lala, and of course, my inspiration, my sister Sinag.

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July 3, 2009 · 12:40 am

Interbike Dreaming: Action and Fitness Goes To Vegas

Vegas Interbike Apr 25, ’07 5:57 AM
for everyone

 

 

Interbike Dreaming: Action and Fitness Goes To Vegas

 

Day 1: September 24, 2006

Fellow Vellum Sponsored Athlete Arland Macasieb and I get flown into the Casino Capital of the World.  Groggy from taking the earliest flight from the East Coast but immediately get energized upon catching a glimpse of the vast desert landscape from the plane.

 

House with Vellum Cycles CEO Chris Aldeguer and Design and Marketing Associates Michael Flores and Frank Gatdula and their families.  Spent the rest of the afternoon in the garage setting up the 8 bikes we were going to put on display at the show.  Feeling proud to be part of a successful Pinoy Bike Company.

 

Day 2: Working It at the Outdoor Demo

Our partners from Rotor, makers of the highly intriguing crankset and chain rings, ask for our help in setting up and running their booth at the Outdoor Demo.  The first two days of Interbike Week are held outside before the main event, which is the Indoor Expo.  It is set up in a way wherein people can basically try all the bikes/ bike accouterments they want for free.  For example: you can go to the Cervelo booth and grab a Soloist Carbon, ride it for three hours, and it’s all good.  Being a roadie with dreams of owning a mountain bike I borrowed a Gary Fisher and set out on a trail ride in the wilderness after staying at the Rotor booth for the majority of the day. My turn to play!  I remember that I need to write an article and take some pics for Andy.

 

Day 3: Hangover Ride

Even though our main objective for the week was work, we couldn’t resist joining one of the side events: The Hangover Ride.  Aptly named since most of the cyclists participating were pissed drunk the night before.  It’s a friendly, pedal-at-your-own-pace kind of thing, where you can start with some pros and finish with the most leisurely of bikers, and the wonderful thing is, day 1 rule still applies and you can grab the bike of your dreams and get to use it for this ride.  But of course we were loyal to our sponsors and paraded the Vellum bikes and spoke about it to the other cyclists—best way to promote it is to use it, right!  The Gu (energy gel brand) people were cool and had colorful purple jerseys and I ended up riding with them and maybe sampling a new flavor or two. 
Today the rest of the Vellum Sponsored athletes and teams from around the US like Areté and EMC² fly in and we all finally get to meet each other.  Judging from these guys’ legs, combined power output in the room soars up to the thousands. In the evening we host a dinner for the CarboTech people, the big-time Carbon company from Taiwan who manufactures our bikes, along with other brands like Pinarello, Bianchi, etc.

 

Day 4: Cycling Fan + Indoor Bike Expo = Kid in a Giant Amusement Park

Ah, the day I will not forget anytime soon:  Let’s just call it The Day Peter Reid Hung Out at the Vellum Booth to Chat. No, wait—we could call it The Day I saw Eddy Merckx. Or The Day I Partied with Mario Cipollini, and George Hincapie, Levi Leipheimer, Phil Ligget, Frankie Andreu Joe Friel, Bob Babbit….and so on.  Yes, starsucker, that’s me.  SO WHAT.  Like I told my friend, hey, I don’t get all worked up when I see actors, but super athletes? I adore them. I respect what they have accomplished and how hard they worked to achieve it. 

 

Backtrack to this morning: Team Vellum headed out early towards the direction of the Strip for the Sands Expo by the Venetian, where the whole bike extravaganza was taking place. As I walk in the HUMONGOUS trade center, I immediately go GAGA. It may have been only one of the few times in my life that I was overwhelmed and did not know what to do and where to go first.  After a while I realize I have indeed reached Bike Heaven. Oh Dear Lord, I do not know exactly what I have done to deserve to be in this place but I Thank You! 

 

We are determined to make a splash in the New Products Section, and our booth is an instant hit with the expo participants.  Just an hour into the show, Arland and Chris spot Ironman World Champion Peter Reid strolling casually by us and they shout frantically at me—“Ani get the camera!!!”  One look and I knew what they meant and what I had to do.  We ended up entertaining him enough for him to hang out for twenty minutes or so.  We like Peter.

 

The rest of the day was a joyous blur, and ended with a blast at the rooftop of the Rio Hotel.  Philippine Cycling icon Jazy Garcia and wife Mylene generously handed us their extra tickets to the Sinclair party where we saw the Lion King Mario and basically anyone who was anyone.  Shared a drink with Phil Ligget and he said he has fond memories of the Philippines from commentating in the Marlboro Tour twice.  We like Phil. We WORSHIP Mario. VIVA LAS VEGAS.

 

Day 5: The Strip

Our boss gives us a free pass for the morning and we go on a free swag expedition. I taste all the energy bars I can taste and by lunch time I cannot eat anymore. We run to the Reynolds booth because we hear that they are giving away stems. Other booths don’t think their products are attractive enough and place scantily-clad-hot-bodied athletes on bike trainers. I believe the passers-by ended up sweating more than they did though.

 

We walk a bit outside on the famous Strip and have lunch at Wolfgang Puck’s Spago at the Forum.  We are pretty much tired from gallivanting the whole week and finish off the night watching the Cirque de Soleil show, “O,” at the Bellagio.

 

Day 6: Time To Bring Out The Booze

I didn’t think it would be possible, but by the last day of the show I was so used to seeing the cycling stars and all the bike booty that I was content to just sit still and relax.  All over the expo you could see that everyone felt the same way, and instead of scrounging over to the Powerbar Station for bars and gels people were lining up for the free beer.  It was a very productive week for the crew and the bosses were quite pleased.  I made one last round to collect freebies then we finally packed up and headed home. 

 

As I sat in the plane, I looked over the Strip and smiled to myself.  It’s official: Interbike Rules.

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July 3, 2009 · 12:35 am

Seasons

Seasons Apr 25, ’07 5:55 AM
for everyone

Seasons

 

Ever wonder how it is to live far from the equator, where the weather and temperature changes markedly?  I know for a fact that I used to take for granted how fortunate we are for being able to train and race virtually year round.  When you think about it, sans the rain and pollution of course, living in perennially warm weather does have its benefits.

 

Living as an athlete in a temperate country, though, alters your perspective a lot.  I always tell my athletes that training should be done in blocks throughout the year, wherein you take a couple of months doing preparation, then the next months building up to some intensity, and then having a peak fitness period wherein you can race at your highest level.  After these phases, there is a crucial element that athletes in tropical climates tend to forget, and that is off-season.

 

I myself am guilty of ignoring this particular aspect, and that sometimes spells the difference in how good you perform for your next round of racing and training.  A lot of the time though, we think, “Oh, it’s the organizers’ fault, they put up races year round, what do you want me to do?”  Well, not be a race-a-holic, for one.  You still call the shots on which races you are joining or not.  Observe the typical beginner pinoy athlete and whenever a race pops up, he or she will tackle it gung-ho whatever the magnitude or distance of the event.  This is an admirable albeit somewhat idiotic quality, yes, but the problem is no one can sustain this forever.  There will come a point wherein working out will cease to be enjoyable and will start feeling like a chore.

 

Because I have forcibly removed myself from training and racing for the past couple of months and have been taking a breather in a cooler part of the world, I now fully appreciate the value of these training cycles and do not just mouth the words meaninglessly.  It is autumn as I write this piece, and along with the fall and turn of the leaves I am acquiring a sense of inner serenity and peace.  Yes, it is okay to take a break, and for the first time in a while, I have given myself permission to do just that.

 

I am always interested in experiencing how it is to be in a different environment, understanding different cultures, and educating myself about different people, that is why I know that when I travel I am constantly enriching my life and hopefully the lives of people around me.  Even though I have taken trips often in the course of my triathlon career, I normally time my visits so that I would enjoy relatively comfortable weather, and when it starts getting too cold, I leave right away.  Just this once, though I am not in a hurry to go anywhere.  There are countless things here that I am constantly learning about.  The chill has started to crawl in, and small details like a good pair of socks, leg and arm warmers or full gloves really do mean a lot.  Neat tricks like using plastic bags inside your bike shoes to prevent the chill from entering will come in handy.  The thermos-like water bottles I habitually use to keep the cold in I now need to store warm liquids.  It is hard, maybe much harder than the hottest training days back home because you have to be really smart about your preparation.  I have developed a tremendous respect for those who have to endure workouts in this weather.  Now I will think twice before I complain of the heat and make a wish that I were in someplace cooler, or vice versa. 

 

They say that to truly feel joy, one should understand pain and sadness first.  To appreciate what you have, you should try going without it for a certain period.  I don’t necessarily believe that what I have is better or worse, but doing things another way has made me closer to my brothers and sisters on the other side of the world, and it has made me realize that at the very core of things we are very much one.  We both have goals and wants, and we both still have to work and persevere to attain them.

 

Seasons were created by God for a reason, and I honestly have faith that this scheme that He has put in place can act as a good blueprint as to how we can run our lives too.  All of the phases we go through during our time here on earth are beautiful, depending on how you look at it.  Even though we face trials and ordeals, we need those to evolve and reach the next step towards wisdom.  And after all of it we do get an opportunity to take a momentary respite, recharge, and move on to discover a gazillion more wonderful things. 

 

I can’t wait.

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July 3, 2009 · 12:31 am

I suck

still running...Staking A Claim

By Ani Karina S. de Leon

I suck.  I laid it all on the line in my last race and still it wasn’t enough.  I could make up all sorts of excuses why I didn’t do well but I won’t.  I don’t even want to think of how much of myself I put into this one big event.  It’s ridiculous how all year long I’ve been focusing most of my energies towards it and right now all I want to do is bury it at the back of my head.  Hah.

 

I’m talking about the recently concluded Southeast Asian Games in which I took part.  Why did I want to join this thing anyway?  It seemed like a good suggestion at the time my friend convinced me into trying out for it.  I really wasn’t prepared for that first qualifying race (and I paid for it) but it was mostly out of curiosity if I could hack it that I joined.  Slowly, I gained momentum as the rest of the races progressed and what do you know, I did make the cut, which for me was a big relief.

 

Fast forward to the final lap of my run in the triathlon event of the SEAGames, wherein I felt like everything was happening in slow motion, but I guess that’s probably because I was actually going at the slowest possible pace you could ever imagine.  My legs felt like lead and I have no idea how I was able to commandeer them to move.  That’s when my last chance to medal was cruelly and quickly taken away from me.  I couldn’t hang on to the girl who passed me even when I tried to get my form together nor when as a last resort I summoned all the spirits I could conjure up.   As I eventually crossed the finish line I was in pain.  Physically sore, definitely, but I think it was my heart that hurt the most, and I was crying a couple of minutes longer than I should have if the aching was caused only by my throbbing body.

 

Lying in the hospital bed (straight from the finish line stretchered via an ambulance), I was confused.  What happened?  Was that it?  I was supposed to be fit wasn’t I?  My entire year seemed like such a waste.  I started to weep again in silence.

 

And then I stopped myself.  What was I doing?  I couldn’t wallow in self-pity now.  I had done too much and my friends and family had gone through a lot only for me to end up in this state, and I couldn’t allow it.  A voice kept ringing inside my head, and it was my teammate’s soothing words.  It’s the journey, not the destination.  That calmed me a lot.

 

This has proved to be a really colorful year for me in more ways than one.  I ended a long term relationship, I won races and I lost races.  My precious, precious custom-made titanium bike got stolen at a very crucial period in my preparation, and at different points during my training I had to ride my teammate’s bike when he wasn’t using it, a really heavy cruiser bike, a BMX bike (yes you read correctly), and an old seven speed racer, until I finally got my Vellum road bike right before my main race.  Too many times we found ourselves in strange and uncomfortable situations, like locking ourselves out of the house and climbing over the balcony so we wouldn’t miss a workout, living like sardines in a box without proper food for two months, often pissing off our coach because of our stupidity, getting lost in a foreign country, always running out of money, heck, how I could go on.  I had a couple of rough training patches due to injury and some pretty breakthrough performances.  I crashed big time going down a slope in the rain, and I will always have an ugly mark on my face to remember it by.  I have had a lot of good times and countless petty fights (which sometimes end up in brawls) with my teammates, whom I’ve had to contend with for the past couple of months, and whom I adore.  I found out who my true friends were.  I met new people and experienced new places.  I acquired new knowledge and imparted what little I knew with others.

 

Looking back, it was one big rollercoaster ride.  Throughout this whole thing though, I did feel loved.  I have been the beneficiary of numerous kind and selfless souls who have shared themselves with me willingly and because of this I feel like I have, indeed, emerged a winner.  And for the first time since I started competing, my family came out and watched me.  Maybe they all sensed that they were going to be part of something big. 

 

I do tend to forget it once in a while, but of course I realize that the Games is not about me nor my sport alone.  Yes, me and my fellow triathletes do contribute, but we are just bit players in a major production.  And what a lot of produce we had, the Philippine Team.  I am thrilled to have been part of this particular delegation, which for the first time in the history of the SEAGames claimed the overall championship.  The fact that the Philippine Sportswriters Association named no one athlete as Athlete of the Year and instead named the whole Philippine Team as the award’s recipient because of this overwhelming effort is an indication of its significance.  Theo, a sportswriter pointed out to me that it was my prize, too. 

 

Truth be told, I don’t feel like I have anything to be ashamed of even if I don’t have hardware of any color to show for it.  Someone wise reminded me of a line in the movie A Few Good Men which says that you don’t need to have a medal to have Honor, and although it took me a while to accept this, I do agree.  And naah, I don’t think I suck.  I am aware that just to get into this level already takes a certain amount of attitude and ability.  I am proud of what I do.  I was able to serve and participate in such a hope-giving demonstration for this much deserving nation.  I watched emotionally as our flag waved gracefully to the whole of Southeast Asia at the closing ceremonies.  Oh I would gladly do it all over again in a heartbeat.

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July 3, 2009 · 12:27 am

Becoming a Runner

Becoming a Runner Apr 30, ’07 10:36 AM
for everyone

Becoming a Runner

By Ani Karina Sarabia de Leon

(reposted from “Amped” column I wrote some years back)

“Excuse me, I couldn’t help but wonder—are you a runner?”

If I were standing in line for groceries or at the atm today and someone asked me that question, I would be totally tickled with the flattery and would be floating on cloud nine for the next couple hours.  Unfortunately and to my complete and utter devastation, queries like that are seldom directed towards me.

Aah don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining about how I’m built.  In fact people automatically assume that I am an athlete when they see me, as what I am is a sun-streaked, tan line-patterned, muscle-flaunting, generally perky kind of gal hauling around probably way more energy than what is considered normal.  Indeed, I’m happy to be me, thank you very much.

But what is it about the runner’s mind and body that makes me sooo want to be recognized as one?  I can’t say exactly why, but as a competitive triathlete I have secretly strived to achieve this kind of appearance, even though I realize that given my genetics this dream may actually prove futile.  Heck, now that I get a chance to thoroughly think hard about it, ever since I was a kid and would visualize what an athlete should look like, I know I always imagined the limber body of a long distance runner.  Without a doubt, it was also their mental tenacity that I was doubly attracted to. It’s just a remarkable combination to possess.

By some strange stroke of destiny and without my planning to do so, I have eventually made a serious career out of sports.  Countless hours of training and racing have already gone through my entire system by now, and with it, a relatively more mature perspective on what an athlete truly is.  And honestly—I still admire runners the most.  So I guess I was right all along.

But now it is more real to me.  Now more than ever do I have an even greater respect for those bloody hardcore maniacs who spend a good number of their waking hours clad in nothing more than bits and pieces of lycra and their worn down training shoes.  Why?  Simple.  It’s just so damn hard. Among all the sports that I do I, personally still suffer most when I run.

This may not be the case for everybody, and if you are one of those gifted few who seem like prancing gazelles that fly with the wind, then lucky you, is all I can say, embrace that gift and do not throw it away.

But I know that I am like the vast majority who initially feel unnatural and awkward trying out this running business.  And my message to that majority is—SO  WHAT.   Gazelles feel clumsy too when they are baby gazelles (sorry, didn’t know the exact word for that) learning how to walk.  Don’t allow yourself to be discouraged if you suspect that you’re taking longer than your mates to get to the speeds that you want.  There is a lot of running to be had, it’s not going anywhere, and no one’s going to take it away from you.  Hence, I suggest you do the wise thing and enjoy every moment of your journey into becoming a runner.  One day you’ll wake up and realize that you already are one.

I still like to have that vision of what an athlete should be like in my mind, but this time she has my face on her.  Cause you know what?  Why should I apologize for not being long and skinny like those classic marathoning fixtures you see out there?  I insist that I am defined by what I do, and not what I look like.  And we do what we choose to do, whether we are conscious of it or not, and whether we like what we are doing or not.

I am a runner.  Running is what I do, and I claim it as my birthright.  Slow running, fast running,   Ugly-ass running, beautiful running.  Group running, solo running, short running, long running, easy running, gutsy as hell kind of running….it’s all mine now.

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“Nothing splendid has ever been achieved except by those who dared believe that something inside them was superior to circumstance.”
Bruce Barton

“Even if you fall flat on your face·at least you are moving forward.”
Sue Luke

“Roger Bannister studied the four-minute mile the way Jonas Salk studied polio—with a view to eradicating.”
Jim Murray, LA Times

“No one can say, ‘You must not run faster than this, or jump higher than that.’ The human spirit is indomitable.”
Sir Roger Bannister

“The man who can drive himself further once the effort gets painful is the man who will win.”
Sir Roger Bannister

“Mind is everything: muscle–pieces of rubber. All that I am, I am because of my mind.”
Paavo Nurmi

“Hard things take time to do. Impossible things take a little longer.”
Percy Cerutty

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July 2, 2009 · 10:30 pm

My official website!

Me and my trusty steed, Pink Ceepo TT Killer....

Full Speed Ahead! Me and my trusty steed, Pink Ceepo TT Killer....

Well after all this time I have finally decided to set up an official website.  Am quite new to this so please bear with me while the site is under construction and if the posts will be semi-regular.  But will update as much as I can, and will centralize all of my online stuff here one by one in the hope of being more organized! Haha. Drop by again soon!!!

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