Running and the Wind

August Windsurfing

2011-08-21T22:14:00.000-07:00

A good day at the beach in August is a hit-or-miss thing. It's Habagat (Southwesterly wind) season and with the ITCZ in Central Visayas, it's either raining or raining hard or raining hard with lightning.

But my above average weather-forecasting instincts served me well over the past years. Conditions required: A low pressure or typhoon Northwest or Northeast of Cebu, high clouds in the morning, slight breeze at home, high tide and not a weekend (the lesser people at the beach, the better)

Thus, when I found out that such conditions existed, a vacation leave was immediately filed. When the required cloud height and breeze showed up, I immediately loaded the gears and we're off to the beach.

The high tide was great. It's sunny and what better way to even out those cycling shorts tan lines than to wear swim briefs! :-)

Wind was 10-15 knots South with gusts up to 18 knots. Kingking did not have problems controlling them with her 5.5m sail.

Mizuki and Geri were also there showing two different personalities (or doggonalities). Geri barks at the wave and runs back, frightened to get her paws wet.

On the other hand, Mizuki keenly observes the windsurer.

Starts swimming offshore.

And see if she can catch up with the windsurfer for that once-in-a-bluemoon windsurf ride.

She carefully calculates if she wont be able to catch the board, she still has enough energy to go back. If in doubt, just swim back.

Since we only have the car to carry the rigs this time, we only brought Kingking's 5.5m sail. I was amazed that at times, my 80kg body planed on this small sail. Did I lose weight?

Jibing continued to be a problem though. :-( If I can't jibe, I can never join a race.

The day ended with some photo-ops: Mizuki's chasing of the bird.

..and Kingking's shampoo commercial.

Aboitiz Marathon

2011-08-21T21:38:00.000-07:00

42KM

A marathon is a 42KM run (or jog or walk or crawl). It's a stupid sport but certainly not for the stupid. Joining a marathon without adequate training is stupid.

But I want to be stupid. I want to join an ultramarathon (the 100K challenge) and I figured if I can get away with doing a 42K with the training that I have, I think I can survive the 100K.

THE JOURNEY

July-August were race months. I dont know how or why but we ended up joining weekend races for 5 straight weeks, thus, the training will just be a track training on Tuesdays and a long run on weekends. Simple, right?

Tuesdays would be interval or tempo or negative-split or whatever-comes-into-my-mind run.

Week 1 was capped by a Chinabank 12K weekend fun run. My time was 1:14.

Week 2 was the triathlon run. Time on 10K was 1:15. (of course, after a 1.5K swim and a 40K bike)

Week 3 was the POGS 15K run. Time was 1:34.

Week 4 was the Maasin Half-Marathon. Time was 2:23.

With 4-weeks of training, I am ready for a marathon, right?

Well, I did finish the marathon but was reduced to walking at KM 25 & up and everytime I started and restarted running, my leg muscles would tighten up. Lack of mileage would be my convenient diagnosis for such. Time was more than 6 hours, inclusive of fun walks, race walks, three food stops & constant thinking of "Why am I doing this?"

Well, it was supposed to be a psychological training to prepare myself for the 100K challenge. If walking would not be a problem, I will survive.

But, walking is a problem for me. I don't enjoy it.

Thus, for now, no ULTRAMARATHON for me. It will make my life simpler. I will just be training for the Singapore 70.3 Ironman in March. The three Summit Triathlon Series (Olympic Distance) in Oct, Nov, & Jan will be great fitness exams.

1st Mayor Moonyeen Durano Triathlon Cup, Sogod, Cebu

2011-08-21T21:09:00.000-07:00

The challenges of training

In June, I structured my training to do at least two sports on the same week. With a full-time job, travel necessities, health, house chores, it was more of a challenge. Whenever I have to choose, I was just marking priority days, for example, Tuesday is a priority day for running at the track as my running group meets at this day (we call ourselves the Tuesday Group) and a Saturday bike-run brick.

It also helps to have an incoming race to aim at, thus, I was amazed to hear that an Olympic Distance Triathlon is scheduled in a month. The distance encompasses a 1.5K swim, a 40K bike ride & a 10K run.

The plan

The plan was simple: take it easy. I want to run when the run leg comes. I am capable of running a 6min/km 10K. A 7min/km run would still be an improvement over my previous triathlon.

The race

The race was graced by no other than the town CEO, Mayor Moonyeen Durano. Unlike other politicians who only stays at a sporting event as long as their speeches, Mayor Moonyeen was there up to the awarding (some 5-6 hours later).

Except that the transition area is so cramped, the race was very well organized. We had fun at the area before the race officially started.

This was Bazinga's 4th triathlon and her first Olympic Distance. :-)

SWIM

The swim leg was a one-way trip to the buoy and back at the white sandy beaches of Sogod. I will never ever join a race that does not feature a good beach. :-) (Maybe, I'll make an exception later but for now, that statement will stand)

I was taking it very easy on the swim and I was one of the late swim finishers of the leg. :-)

BIKE
The bike leg was nice but tiresome as there were four downhills followed by uphills (of course). At the through were bridges, thus we have to slow down. This takes the momentum out and thus, the leg (pun intended) was indeed painful. The rain did not help also as I was using dry lubes and when it poured, I can almost feel my chain almost giving up, thus I have to slow down at the last loop. (Lesson learned: always watch the forecast, even if you're not windsurfing).

RUN
The run leg was a one-way trip, from sea level to a higher level. I was feeling great, and the iPod was really of great help. As expected, I was doing around 7min/km but I was happy that indeed I could still jog at the end of a 1.5K swim and a 40K bike ride.

THE SIGNATURE FINISH

Of course, this race wouldn't end without Adz' signature flying finish. My photographer, yaya, driver, fiance marvelously captured this moment again.

I love triathlons!

Panglao Triathlon

2011-05-23T20:15:00.000-07:00

I planned to explore as many beaches as possible, not just in Cebu but also throughout the 7,107 islands of the Philippines. The original plan was to bring our windsurfing gears and document (through this blog) the wind patterns of the places that I've been to.

When I got bitten by the triathlon bug, it's time to revisit that plan, albeit with goggles, bike & running shoes. Triathlon not only makes us fit but also enables us to enjoy the beautiful beaches that the swim leg has to offer.

When I learned that the next triathlon event will be in PANGLAO, I promised myself not to miss it. How could I resist the white sandy beaches of the island? The clear waters? The sexy... err.. rocks?

The fallen coconut tree?

Panglao Triathlon

Panglao Triathlon is a race-for-a-cause event co-organized by Panglao Business Club & Sugbutriathlon. It featured a 1k swim, 30k bike and 7.5k run. The beneficiaries were the public elementary schoolchildren of the island.

In association with Team TG & my employer, Dyno Finance Corporation, we also gave a little extra to the beneficiaries. School items like notebooks, pencils and ballpens were turned over to the organizers before the race started.

Pre-race

The first transition area was in Dumaluan Beach Resort. There were about 80 triathletes who joined the event and an additional 20 relay teams.

This is the first out-of-town race for Bazinga, my Kona road bike.

We did the stretching with Team Chups. The team could shock the next triathlon event with skimpy outfits so you better watch out for them.

Briefing

The usual briefing followed for those unfamiliar with the race course.

Some were just enjoying the sand.

Some desperately wanted to play love to the camera.

Hazel, of TG relay team, was just awed by the elite competition.

Race Start

We assembled and waited for the gunstart.

Bang!

The pictures just wouldn't do justice on how elated we were for the crystal clear waters of Dumaluan. Many of us got lost as we were just enjoying the underwater view. I was off-course by about 20 meters when I raised my head to sight.

After the 1k swim, we "hopped" back to the transition area.

The bike leg was beea-yuu-tee-ful!

Good roads, less traffic, people cheering, trees, cameras, you name it!

It was also my best bike leg to date, averaging more than 33 kilometers per hour. Okey, I was drafting, but so are the rest. :-P

Sydney and my yaya, Kingking, also perfected their panning shots with me as the subject. I will always be glad for this opportunity. :-)

The bike leg was my PB (personal best) at 55 minutes, at the expense of running. I never trained for the high heart rate that I experienced during the bike, thus my run was reduced to a 7:45 pace.

Team TG runner Hazel was actually astonished of the different "atmosphere" during the run leg of a triathlon.

Special Thanks

We would like to express our deepest gratitude to Ted Zamora for making sure that no stomach was empty during our stay in Bohol. Thank you kaayo bossing! (Manganad ra ba ni sila!) Also to Yoyet and Manang.

Thank you also to my officemates in Dyno Finance Bohol, particulary George for lending me the car and Sylvester Bulilawa for the assistance. Thank you very much.

Dayo Triathlon

2011-03-21T21:47:00.000-07:00

After CCM, I got the chance to train again for a triathlon event in 4 weeks. I haven't swum in almost 2 months and my cycling was limited. I got myself a roadbike in late December but could not ride her yet. I was afraid that a petty accident could ruin our 3-month marathon training.

The DAYO Triathlon is a sprint distance event organized by sugbutriathlon and sponsored by the Dayo brothers (Cebuano triathletes who are now residing abroad.) This will be the maiden triathlon race of my new roadie: BAZINGA (a Kona Zing road bike).

Learning from the mistakes of my previous triathlon, I was more confident joining this event. With no speed training, I targeted a very conservative time of 1:30, broken down into a 20-minute swim (2:40 min/100m), 40-minute bike (30kph) and a 30-minute run (6 min/km)

With strong winds that day, the water was choppy and most were swimming slower than usual. I enjoyed it though.

The swim leg exit was a beach full of rocks so one should be very careful.

The bike leg was a 2-loop rolling terrain with very strong headwind. At one point, I was descending at 50KPH but a side headwind almost knocked me over.

Then there's the run leg and I felt that core muscle pain again. Later on I realized that I was too tensed during the bike leg. Relax man...

Disregarding the pain in my body, I attempted to do a "jump" shot before crossing the finish line. Kingking marvelously captured the moment.

I finished the event in 1:32. I did not reach my target but we had fun, which I believe is the very reason why we joined this sport. Next event will be on April 3: The Speedo National Age Group Triathlon.

CCM 2011

2011-03-21T02:09:00.000-07:00

The Cebu City Marathon marks our 1st runniversary and will be our longest run to date. Over the past few weeks, facebook status messages were all about marathons. I posted my favorite quote:

"Trying to explain the marathon is like trying to explain color to a man born blind"

I am so excited to see that color at the finish line.

My longest run was 33K 3 weeks ago (my birthday run) and since then, I tapered to around 20K a week. I did not do any speed drills as our goal was just "trying to finish".

The day (or dawn) has come. We woke up and got ready at 2 o'clock in the morning. Gun start was at 4 AM. We arrived at the starting line more than an hour earlier and met some members of our running group.

I felt amazed that exactly a year ago, we joined the 5K category in this very event and we only got to see the 21K runners who were assembling at that time. I never understood then why they would want to do that distance. Yet, here we are today, preparing on what will be the longest time we will be traveling by foot: 42.195 kilometers!

5-4-3-2-1 fireworks! CCM 2011 has been dubbed one of the best (if not the best) organized marathon in the country. Words cannot describe how well this event is organized. Closed roads, lots of marshalls, abundant hydration, massage station, food, entertainment, you name it! There was a showband at the SRP area and listening to them made me wanna dance while running. :-)

Anyway, we ran the first half as expected. The plan was to run easy and always hydrate at every water station. I love calculations, even to the point of measuring the number of swallows required to induce 8oz to my body. I still follow my rule: 8oz. fluid every 10-15 minutes + 40-60 grams of carbohydrates + electrolytes (potassium + sodium).

KM 21-30 was still okey as we knew already how it feels, nothing new. After KM 35, the time now travels faster (or maybe we were just traveling slower). We decided to just run/walk up to KM 40. After which, the excitement and adrenalin rush started filling our veins.

The finish chute appeared! What a beautiful sight! Finally, the "color" of the marathon unfolded in front of our very eyes.

And here's the medal.

...and the post-marathon nutrition (+ 2 lechons) as we celebrated with our running group

... and the group pic

..and the post-marathon party, with a dance instructor (good thing, there was no bending of knees :P )

We run, we eat, we partyyyyy!!! :-)

Windsurfing 2011

2011-03-21T01:32:00.000-07:00

It has been more than 12 months since my surgery and I was excited to try again my big sail in this cold and powerful Amihan wind. This season is windy and I was excited to sail again.

Feeling my renewed strength, I rigged my 8.2 sail and headed out.

The wind was at 18-20 knots gusting up to 25. I used to have no problem handling this before but today, I wasn't feeling that well. I had a hard time hooking up and footstrapping. I fell a couple of times and it was so difficult uphauling or waterstarting. I guess I have to be back to square one to have that "feel for the water and the wind" again.

After 5 or so times beam reaching, my arms were sore and my legs were tired.

And the most difficult revelation: I seem to not enjoy windsurfing that much anymore. Hence, the sport will be at the bottom of my priority list for the time being. I know it is temporary but I seem to like triathlon (that finding the perfect balance training for swimming, cycling and running) more. :-(

My Birthday Run

2011-03-21T01:18:00.000-07:00

It's been months since I updated this blog due to work and other commitments yet I feel compelled to write about three things since my last entry: my birthday run, my first windsurfing this year and race reports.

Dec. 19, 2010 -- the 12th month since Kingking and I got bitten by the running bug. Since January 2010, we enjoyed the running boom in Cebu and met new and fantastic running friends. Come January 2011, we will be celebrating our first runniversary and it is but fitting to do it with a bang: our first full marathon.

My 33rd birthday is a Sunday, exactly 3 weeks to go for the Cebu City Marathon 2011. Most of the running programs schedule this day as the peak training day in terms of distance. Hence, this would be the perfect day to celebrate my 33rd birthday by running 1km for every year of existence which coincides also with the longest run as suggested by the training program.

15 friends from our running group, "Ungo og dagan", a group that runs every Friday night, showed up. The route is from Consolacion (KM 13) to Catmon (KM 46), a scenic coastal road. Being a beach bum myself, the finish line is at our favorite beach resort in Catmon with some beach foods waiting.

We stopped at the customary kilometer marking to mark my birthday. Actually, we did food stops when there are interesting foods or drinks such as Buko Juice in Liloan, Ensaymada at Julie's bakeshop, Bananas, Bibingka, etc, etc. The abundant ATM's (automatic tubig machine) is also a welcome treat for runners as we only have to shell out Php1.00 for a 250ml hydration. I still carry though my hydration belt with powdered gatorade as I am very particular with the hydration/nutrition in my runs (8oz of fluid every 10-15 minutes, 40-60g of carbohydrates every hour, + sodium and potassium).

After 5 or so hours, we reached the town of Catmon.

The finish line:

...and the post-run nutrition:

Special thanks to my sister, brother and brother-in-law for preparing the food and bringing the van. As I was driving back to consolacion, I couln't help but smile how far we did travel that day.

'Till next year guys. :-)

Race Report: Naga Triathlon

2010-10-15T01:08:00.000-07:00

The Naga Triathlon was my second triathlon race. I was more relaxed preparing for this race as I kept improving my running time already and the long distance swim is not that intimidating anymore.

The race is scheduled at 7 AM and we arrived at the place around an hour before. My running friends, Coleen, Katol and Brian went along with us, trying to observe the race as they may have plans of joining next. It was a cloudy morning and after claiming my race kit, I proceeded to check in the bike.

There were two categories, SPRINT (2 loops) and SUPER SPRINT (1 loop). I figured that super sprint would be too short (and will not be value for money for the registration fee) so I signed up for SPRINT, consisting of a 1K swim, 30K bike and 7.5K run. There were about 50 triathletes and 4 relay teams. An elite triathlete (one of the fastest swimmers at the Kona Ironman Championships) and a local actor also joined the event.

After the briefing, we proceeded to the water for the warm-up.

The starting gun fired at 8AM and as expected, I have noticed and enjoyed again the CHAOTIC SWIM START.

I was happy with my swim split but made the mistake of using too much obliques and calf muscles. My left gastrocnemius was on the verge of cramping at the end of the swim leg. Time for T1.

Entering the bike leg.

The bike leg was a slight uphill climb and I now felt the weight of the bike on me. I was struggling to keep 30kph while others on their roadbikes/TT's were on the 35's. I trashed my quadriceps muscles on the process.

Time for T2

I was already wasted on the run leg as I can barely move my legs and my core muscles hurt. My pace was 2min/km behind my planned pace and at 10AM with barely enough hydration, I was on the verge of collapsing. I still managed to smile at the finish line though with the aid of friends who cheered for me.

Being 6-feet has its disadvantage also. Aside from the fact that you weigh heavier, have more swing weight and will never be a fast runner unless you're a Kenyan, you should also be careful crossing the finish line as you're forehead might get stamped. LOL

I had a good swim split, a so-so bike split and a bad run split. What did I learn?

1. Don't engage too much core and calf muscles on the swim leg. Save it for the run.
2. You can save time on T1 (transition from swim to bike) by wearing a tri-suit and put on the cleats when the bike is moving already. This way, all you have to do is grab the helmet, put on the sunglasses and get rolling immediately.
3. Get a road bike. TT bike is good but my longer femur is better for the road geometry.
4. Don't trash your legs on the bike leg.
5. Practice the flying dismount as it looks cool.
6. Get running shoes that don't require socks so T2 (transition from bike to run) will be minimum. Only 2 processes will be involved: (rack the bike + helmet), then slip on the running shoes.
7. Run as if there's no tomorrow (just kidding).

Except for the fact that the race started at 8AM or an hour late, I would rate the race 9/10 for the safety (lots of marshals and policemen on the bike leg) and well designed race course. Hydration was scarce but this could be prevented by bringing my hydration belt. We can't blame other triathletes for gulping too much water as we are in the tropics and it's very hot at 9AM onwards.

Another triathlon, in the books. :-)

The F.I.R.S.T. Program and where Running will take you

2010-09-16T00:21:00.000-07:00

The herculean desire to run just a little bit faster led me to try those running programs from the internet. Since I am the type of guy who likes to research and make myself the subject, I immersed myself to an 8-week program, the sole purpose of which is to make it to the MILO 21K cut-off time of 2:30 and claim that finisher's medal. I was very motivated.

I followed the F.I.R.S.T. program ( http://www.furman.edu/first/fmtp.htm ), which requires you to run only 3 times a week, the other 2 being cross-training. This means I can still swim, bike, play basketball or windsurf whenever the situation or weather warrants.

I got excited on the 6th week as it will be a real test if the program worked. The run was sponsored by Aboitiz for the benefit of the environment and as a windsurfer who enjoys nature so much, I have every reason to support the run. We assembled at 430AM at SRP and the weather was cool, having rained just 2 hours prior.

I also researched about the optimum hydration required, along with the amount of carbohydrates that should be infused in a certain period of time, hence I got myself a hydration belt. I also got myself a North Face singlet, having learned my lesson of wearing inappropriate shirt on long runs which caused my arms to chaff. Gun start was on time at 515AM.

It was extraordinarily cool that morning and I believe many have run their best times that day. Hydration was abundant and the route was well managed and safe. Add the truck with adrenaline-boosting drum-beats, the firetruck spraying water to the runners and the sight and company of my growing running friends and the atmosphere was really perfect.

The program worked as I was able to improve my 21K time from a slower-than-brisk-walk time of 2:59 during the Lapu-lapu run in April to 2:24. That day just marked my renewed love for running.

Two weeks later, the time has come for the Milo 21K. The pressure was somewhat relieved, having made the goal time of 2:30 on the Aboitiz run. It wasn't as easy as it was supposed to be, as I found out later. As with the Aboitiz Race, the Milo run was well organized and I have to salute the organizers for the job well done.

The first part of the run was fast, making the first 8K in 48 minutes as we were passing buildings in the old streets of Cebu.

Then came the part that separates the runners from the recreational joggers: the 10K SRP stretch wherein no shade is in sight. Unlike the Aboitiz run, the sun was just up there and the pavement was very hot. But as a windsurfer and triathlete-wannabe, the sun is my adversary, not my enemy, as he makes me a stronger and battle-tested athlete. The helpful ungo support team also made the ordeal a little easier....and fun!

The last few kilometers wasn't easy but somehow I was able to make the 2:30 cutoff, having finished the 21K in 2:26:30.

The medal was well-earned and will be in my wall as a reminder that the Milo 21K wasn't that easy. Everyone at the finish line was really really happy with their medals.

The program really worked!

After the Milo 21K Marathon, the next stop was: TRAIL RUNNING in Danao, Bohol, organized by The North Face, on the next Sunday. I did not expect that I would have to travel outside Cebu to join run events but this seems like fun. We departed at Saturday noon via Tubigon.

The better news, free carbo-loading on the night before the race. It was more like carbo-OVER-loading actually.

The run led us to the trails of Bohol and it was scenic, refreshing and fun.

River crossing was fun.

Crossing on rice fields is fun. Crawling is fun.

Running with the chocolate hills as your backdrop is fun.

Running in the forest is fun.

...and finishing the course holding hands with the Significant Other is....err......cheeeeessssy!!!

So, there it goes. Running takes you anywhere, literally, assuming you have the right pair of shoes.

A windy day, a shoe review and my first road run in the city.

2010-08-15T23:52:00.001-07:00

Last Friday, August 6 marked my "real" comeback to windsurfing. Eight months post-op and I am already cleared for big-sail surfing. The day was perfect: it's a holiday, windy, slight overcast, no lightning, no basketball game and I have nothing to do!

The forecast was windy in the afternoon and high tide in the morning. I was still at home at 9 o'clock when the wind started blowing. Since my legs aren't ready yet (I was doing interval run the day before), I was only able to go at noon. The beach was equally perfect, offshore winds around 12-16 knots, tide was still high enough to launch near the shore and only few beach-comers. Today, I will also have the opportunity to try my new Garmin 305 which can track my speed via GPS.

It was a very enjoyable day beam-reaching. At one point, I planed for about 5 minutes registering a maximum speed of 36kph (19 knots) so the wind must have gusted for more than 20. Cooool!

The not-so-good thing about Habagat is that the wind tends to be gusty, shifty and stops without warning. I had a hard time going back to where I launched. Sailing upwind while maintaining course is difficult but I enjoyed the tactical part of it. Wind became zero at 3pm so we called it a day.

Saturday was still windy but we only stayed at home to rest those legs as Sunday is fun run day.
The run was organized by VSMMC for the benefit of the congenital club foot babies. Since we have lots of friends at VSMMC, we did not want to miss it. The race was organized perfectly: lots of marshalls, abundant hydration, early start time, aerobics after the run and most importantly: FUN!

It was also my first race using the recently-acquired K-swiss KONA. My review? AWESOME! I got them purely because they look sexy. But apart from aesthetics, my feet loved them. They are very light, adequately ventilated and with real good cushioning. I tend to pour water on my head late in the run and the holes at the shoe's bottom drained the water well keeping my feet dry. They also fit like a glove after only two training runs.
I also tend to rotate between mid-foot and heel striking to rest some muscle groups and the Kona have no problems dealing with them. I was hoping to finish the 10K in less than an hour but fell short by a couple of seconds! Though my time was 1:00:35, I was glad because I was able to catch-up with Kingking, something I can only dreamed of in the past. (Thanks to Katol V. for the picture)

Did I mention that the shoes really look good? Here's the proof:

The next week found no wind and no low pressure in sight so we proceeded with the scheduled long run in the city with Kingking and Ted. We started at IT Park and since there was a race that day, we just went with them all the way to Carbon Market but turned back half-way at the South Road Properties due to lots of speeding vehicles who had no clue that there was a foot race going on.

We proceeded to the North Reclamation Area and found that the "other" race was still on-going. We were able to cover 15.5 km that day, just enough for our training. This run also marked the first time I used a hydration belt, the Fuel Belt Helium. They fit perfectly at my waist and the 4x8oz bottle is more than enough for me. The extra pouch holds the keys and spare cash well.

But the best part of the hydration belt is the color: RED! They go together well with my shoes! I think I need a new pair of RED singlet then! (and maybe red sunglasses too)

A training partner/girlfriend/lady in red completes the picture.

Thrilled for the week's forecast

2010-08-03T22:19:00.000-07:00

It's been weeks since I've been lurking at windguru hoping to find a glimpse of wind. Now the long wait has ended (hopefully).

Friday is a holiday in Cebu and wind starts to pick-up in the afternoon. I am very excited since the last time I get to use my big sail was still 11 months ago, right before my surgery. This Friday will also be an off-day for my running.

In the unlikely event that I'll get skunked at the beach, I will just be doing some open water swimming to cross train, hence I won't lose the preparations I am doing for the Milo Half-Marathon next month.

The forecast also showed no low cloud cover so this could mean high wind, no rain and no lightning. Another great news!

Windfinder also have a windy forecast in Visayas. Two reliable forecasting websites can't be wrong at the same time, I suppose so let's gear up!

See you at the beach! Boomshaka!

Race Report: Danao City Triathlon

2010-06-07T02:44:00.000-07:00

Since it's off-season for windsurfing, I decided to venture into a new sport: TRIATHLON. This will still give me time to be with the water while at the same time learn new skills.

So after 5 weeks of training (and losing another 10lbs), the time has come for my first tri (pun intended).

There were supposed to be two categories: sprint distance (750m swim - 20k bike - 5k run) for the newbies and olympic (1.5k - 40k -10k) for the elites. However, for unknown reasons, only one distance was announced.

There was no turning back and even though my longest swim was just 250meters, I signed up and got no. 11.

There were around 35 triathletes who joined the event with all sorts of bikes. The best one I noticed was this very very very very cooooool folding bike with drop bars.

The swim leg was perfect, with buoys and ropes forming a triangle. Two marshals in outrigger boats are manning the corners for safety.

At 730AM, the gun fired and we started. As expected, the swim start in a triathlon is very chaotic, with arms and kicks all over the place. I made the mistake of fighting my way and lost most of my breaths in the process. I could no longer find my seemingly-elusive swimming rhythm.

I survived the swim leg with the help of the ropes and finally appeared on dry land after 22 minutes. I rushed immediately to the transition area.

After putting on the shoes, bike shorts, helmet, sunglasses and watch, I immediately proceeded to the bike start. You can't mount on the transition area, so you must run with your bike to the line. :-)

The bike leg was enjoyable with marshals manning the busy intersections and at the turning point. I just kept spinning and disregarded the stiffness at my neck, back and butt. After 1 hr and 9 minutes, I am back to the transition area.

The arm is already wasted on the 1km swim and the legs on the 30km bike. With nothing left, I now have to run 7.5km at past 9am under the scorching heat of the sun. This is the time when you realize that nobody is really asking you to do this. :-)

However, when you see the finish line, the feeling is beyond comprehension. It is as if your relationship with your body is renewed. I finished the event in 2 hrs and 23 minutes.
I will definitely do this again.

Holy Week 2010

2010-04-07T21:28:00.000-07:00

I always love holidays, especially the holy week. It is a much needed break from our daily jobs and responsibilities. During this year's holy week, I managed to squeeze the two great activities that I enjoy: running and windsurfing plus a basketball game in between. I felt really awesome....and sore. :-)

The week started on Palm Sunday with a 12k Citirun race, starting at Waterfront Hotel Lahug, to JY square, to UP Cebu, to the Provincial Capitol, to Jones Avenue, rounding at Normal University and back. Kingking started ahead with a quicker pace, a full minute per kilometer than me.

(Thanks to Mr. Estan Cabigas for the picture, posted at his fb site)

I, on the other hand, enjoyed running with my 50-year friend Audie. He is my teammate for years now in our annual PICPA basketball tournament. This is his first 12k run so we are just pacing slowly. Well, even without him, I would still want to run slow.

My knees felt pain & were inflamed at Km 10. Well, what do I expect? They are supporting all 190lbs (85 kg) of me and they were only trained for around 2 months yet. I hope in time, they will adapt to the stresses of running while my body will try to lose those unwanted fats that adds to the knees' struggle. Running though gives you endorphins and the feeling is very rewarding. So even with the painful knees, wild breathing and exhaustion, I still managed to smile.
On Holy Tuesday, we played basketball at our subdivision's gym when my neighbor invited me. The game was rough as we were playing guys from the Philippine Navy. These boys never stopped running and are very competitive. My legs were fried after the game and have numerous brown spots in my arms. Well, no harm, no foul.

On Holy Wednesday, we went to the mall to check out some shoes. Runners recommend at least two different shoes so more leg and foot muscles are developed. I felt the need to get a highly cushioned shoe which led me to the New Balance 1063. I was lucky to find it at Athlete's Foot Ayala Cebu, with a 30% discount as an updated model is already available.
The black/yellow combination is a perfect match to my Oakley Livestrong Radar Path sunglasses, which also has the same color scheme. Add the Nike 2-in-1 black shorts with yellow side band and Nike Drifit black with yellow accent singlet and nothing is out of style. I wasn't this fashionista before I took up running. Now, it's time to get a New Balance singlet to go together with the shoes. Or maybe an Adidas Climacool top will also be perfect so I will have different brands (a la chopsuey) for my running outfit. (ewww...)

Anyway, the shoes were tested on that Holy Wednesday afternoon at IT Park. I experienced mild pain in my plantar fascia region after 7k but I believe this is normal for a new running shoe. Heck, the recommended first run is somewhere like 3k but it was my first time at IT Park so I got carried away.

Maundy Thursday was lazy day and we resumed activities on Good Friday. It was oven-hot outside and the perfect activity would be? BEACH!!! Most Catholics believe that God is dead during this time so they stay away from any activity. This simply means that there are less people at the beach.

We tried this SUP thing. SUP is Stand Up Paddle surfing and it's supposed to be fun. Well, it is, except that due to a smaller board, it's very hard for a big bloke like me. It's like I was learning to ride the board again. It was a good leg workout though.

The seabreeze start to come in around noon. This happens when land is heated up more than the water creating a lower pressure. Since high goes to low, air at sea moves to land creating WIND! It was just a mild 8-10 knots but enough to get back even with a smaller sail. I rigged immediately while Mizuki keenly watched.

Cruising at sea on this oven-hot day is a great privilege. The enjoyment and feeling of happiness is second to none.

The sail I am using is still Kingking's, a 5.5 Neilpryde Solo. My 8.2 Neilpryde Saber is still in storage because I am not confident yet of my inguinal canal. I will be using it at the first sign of the windy season. Since the start of this global warming thing, the weather is not following the seasons anymore. I am almost certain that there will be a tropical depression or even a storm at summer. In MAY! Mind you, it did happen two years ago. :-)

The Running Bug

2010-03-08T19:51:00.001-08:00

While waiting for the inguinal ligaments to regain full strength, I have to limit myself to smaller sails and lighter winds. Because this is less fun, I decided to explore other sports. We were introduced to running during the Cebu City Marathon, held one week before the Sinulog Grand Parade. We signed up for the 5k.

I ran my first 5k in 40 mins (8 min/km). We had to wake up at 430 because the run started at 530 in the morning. It was so tiring that I slept the whole day after the run, woke up just to eat dinner, and slept again thereafter.

Since then, I am beginning to fall in love with running. Compared to windsurfing, we do not need to haul, rig and tune equipments, not to mention, rely on the weather forecast which is somewhat unreliable at best. Compared to basketball, we do not need 10 players and a basketball court. All I need is a pair of running shoes, none really if I am running barefoot.

The best thing? I get to share it with my fiancee. (ayeeee!) We actually celebrated our valentines day with a run, a 10k dubbed Run with a Smile. We finished the run in 1:14 (7:24 min/km).

Cebu is enjoying a golden age in running right now with road races almost every week. We signed up for the rotary run the following week and finished the 7k run in 57mins (8:08 min/km).

I decided to stop playing basketball temporarily to devote more time, focus and training to running. With an untrained cardiovascular system and a heavy frame (6'1", 190 lbs), I am still at the slower end of the running population. I am also looking at my diet to shed some weight hoping it will do good to my running and be gentlier with my knees. I am used to tight shoes and my Adidas Attune running shoes is not an exception. I later found out that "tight" is not good for running. So, after reading various running reviews and running blogs, I decided to get myself a Nike LunarElite because they are ....ahmmm... cute. I also bequeathed the fiancee a Nike LunarGlide to keep her company while I am temporarily working in Ormoc during weekdays.

According to the running gurus, shoes are supposed to be broken in for a couple of kilometers for at least a week before deploying them for a long run. We were itchy and so, even if we got the shoes only a day before, we used them for the Quota International 12K classic. Even if I am running 20km/week already , the result of the 12K run was not what I expected because I burned out in the last 3 km and have to do walking breaks. Our time was 1:32 (7:39 min/km). It was still an improvement from our previous runs but I dont understand why the fiancee seemed to have no effort during the whole run. Maybe her tae-bo and pilates made the difference. Maybe it was the shoes. I should have gotten the LunarGlide instead! tsk tsk

I will be increasing my weekly mileage to 30km and do some speed and hill runs. Expect this blog to be about running until the 2010 Habagat (southwestern) season sets in.

Post Op Windsurfing

2010-02-01T00:22:00.000-08:00

It's been 5 months since I updated this blog. I had surgery last October 1 to have my inguinal hernia repaired. While not classified as emergency yet, my physician/fiance advised to have the surgery asap due to the type of activities that I am into. Nevertheless, the experience was much more enjoyable than I expected. (well, at least compared to my last surgery 15 years ago when I broke my left arm due to basketball) The recovery period was challenging. There was no definite time when I can resume my physical activities. The doctor ordered no contact sports and heavy lifting for 4 weeks. So, on the 5th week, I tried basketball but played very lightly. On the 8th week, I tried windsurfing but felt pain for 10 days! I was scared of re-occurrence and promised myself to rest for 8 weeks more. I just continued the light basketball games.

This is the 16th week so Kingking, Mizuki and I went to the beach but brought only the smaller sail (resisting temptation to bring the bigger sail which would require much effort). If you want to avoid the beach crowd, head to the beach on a weekday. You can almost have the whole stretch by yourself. We were there last Wednesday, sunny, high tide at noon with 10-12 knots of cold Amihan wind: perfect for my comeback!

Felt good to be back at the ocean again!

As expected, Mizuki is always trailing me, hoping to hop into the board.

So, I let her ride with me.

Like me, she also gained weight.

But she still has the balance.

She must have missed the beach as she was really enjoying every minute of it.

One thing she likes? Running behind children.

...especially if they run also. :-)

Kingking's turn to sail.

Mizuki challenges her.

Wind power vs. Paw power.

Guess who won?

Mizuki must have thought "I'm gonna get you, next time!"

We also sold our old superzoom camera and got ourselves a Digital SLR. In time, we hope we can improve our photography skills.

Another Epic Day!

2009-08-09T18:40:00.000-07:00

Another epic day yesterday of this 2-week Habagat run. Forecast was 20-25 knots in Boracay so Cebu should get about 15-20. It was Sunday and after the mid-morning coffee, we headed to the beach! I was amazed of the car's ability to carry the rig inside the cabin but the bad news is that the gf have nowhere to sit.

Anyway, at the beach, main wind line was very far from the beach, about 100 meters. But once you reach there, it was heaven. Clear wind and small chops. I adjusted the footstraps inboard and it makes footstrapping easier with lower wind requirement, although lack of control when really going full speed. I actually used the fishermen as my buoy so I will have a point of reference.

After about an hour, I feel I have to go back to the beach. Kingking rigged her sail and we take turns with the board. Due to a smaller vehicle, we can only carry one board to the beach. I also let Mizuki ride with me in her sail just for fun.

Mizuki felt windchill after surfing. So, I made him a cape and now she looks like a superdoggie. :P

Kingking actually enjoyed sailing herself and is tempted to go farther.

I really love her abs. When can mine be like this? hehe

The bad news about Sunday windsurfing is the crowd. You have to be careful not to hit those heads. Here is Kingking killing the engine farther from the beach.

It will be another week or two before another tropical depression sets in. Anyway, next week is low tide so the timing might be perfect. I hope I can get a bigger van/pick-up before next week so we can bring our gears conveniently to the beach already.

A no-work holiday with a perfect Habagat wind

2009-08-05T16:13:00.000-07:00

Southwesterly monsoon (Habagat) brings good wind but wet. However, if there's a tropical depression further north of the Philippines, Cebu gets good winds and a relatively higher atmospheric pressure. This translates to a windy and sunny beach day!

Yesterday was perfect. Forecast says it's 15-20 knots, high tide near noon and weather is cloudy to clear. It was also a no-work holiday because it was the late Tita Cory's burial. As planned, we honored her by wearing yellow and attaching a yellow ribbon on our sail. I finally found a good spot for the Habagat in Liloan where the SW wind is clearer.

At the beach, Mizuki keenly observed how to uphaul the sail. Looks like she is itching to hitch-hike with me again.
And yes, she gave it a go. Too bad I already took off. People at the beach were simply amazed of the dog's desire to swim by herself.

She tried it again when I came back from my initial run. I felt cramps on my calves at this time. Im becoming out of shape as I have also reduced my number of basketball days due to work commitments (at work or at home).

I just loved the yellow ribbon on the sail. It shows our nationalistic spirit.

Just a couple of meters from the beach is the main wind line and it's blowing hard while the water is flat. This could have been perfect to practice carve jibing but I chose to just enjoy speeding up and practicing control. I just noticed now that even a 1 cm adustment of the mast track makes a difference.

It looks like I have been shouting with joy. In reality, my core muscles are aching already, particulaly my abs. My calves are closed to cramping and my hamstrings are overstretched. I think it's time to go back to my windsurfing specific workouts in preparation of the amihan season in November.

My gf also was sailing with her sail, also having the yellow ribbon in honor of Tita Cory.

Mizuki's constant pestering of the kids almost put me in trouble so I just leashed her. She was also with her new sister (a Jack Russel Terrier) who was just introduced to the beach and still afraid of the water. In time, she will also be a swimmer, just like Mizuki.

Almost Done

2009-08-03T21:07:00.000-07:00

The fiancee just finished painting the planks and we really admired how it turned out to be. It was just perfect for the southwestern atmosphere.

Last Saturday was blowing like nuts. It was around 20-25 knots, perfect for the small sail. I was contemplating on testing the waters but also wanted to do some carpentry works. The rain made the decision easier for me. I thought it was better to stay at home rather than at the beach complaining about the rain and lightning.

And so, I decided to build a house for my tools. These babies helped me a lot in building the house. What was supposedly done in 4 man-hours, I can do so in 1. This means if 4 people can make a cabinet in 1 hour, I can do myself in the same amount of time or if 1 person can build the cabinet in 4 hours, I can do it in 1. Still makes sense?

Funds are limited these days so I made use of the leftover wood from construction and just bought another sheet. The hardest part was arriving at a measurement to maximize the wood available while still having a cabinet that's future-proof (i.e., always have room for one more tool). I ended up something like 14 3/4 for the sides, 15 3/8 for the top and bottom and 10 3/4 for the shelves.

The cutting was done on the floor but the mask gave me a lung-ache the next day. Maybe I will have to buy a battle-grade dust mask in the future for my sensitive respiratory system.

After all the boards were cut to size, here comes the easy part: assembling. It helps to have two drills, one for the pilot hole and one for the screw.

The most time consuming was attaching the piano hinge but it was worth it. It will give enormous strength to the doors. I bought a local hinge (for Php 140) because the top brass brand cost something like Php 2,100 which is not very practical.

I was lucky that the new plywood I got has a very good face which is perfect for staining and achieving that exotic hardwood look. I attached the cabinet to the wall using SIX! 3/8 lag screws on 5/8 galvanized plugs. Drilling a 5/8 hole in a concrete wall is like a having a volcanic eruption. I was filled with dust and have to take a bath right after drilling. These plugs have some 100lb capacity in them which would make this cabinet take 600lbs! That's the Adz' philosophy: always over-build.

Now that the tool house is done, time to put some furnishings. Tools are small items and organizing them is pretty tricky but fun. I started with the rulers, squares, screwdrivers and saws which take up the most space. Next would be the tapes, chisels, pliers and clamps which I would do during my next carpentry session.

Tommorrow's forecast looks promising and it's already sunny. I have also bought myself a yellow boardshorts in honor of Tita Cory, the symbol of Philippine democracy and non-violent revolution, who will be buried also tommorrow. We shall honor her at the beach.

Mabuhay tayong lahat! L-L-L-L-L

Time to finish the construction

2009-07-17T01:38:00.001-07:00

This post is totally unrelated to windsurfing, except for the fact that we chose this location for our house because it's nearer to the beach and we can go windsurf in a few minutes notice. The worst thing that can happen to a windsurfer is when he isn't prepared and there's a good blow coming (because the forecast is wrong!). Of course, when you live nearer to your homespot, you can stuff your gears immediately and be ready in no time. See, this is still related to windsurfing after all! :-P

Our house construction began in Dec 2007 and most houses are finished after 12 months. However, we decided to momentarily stop the construction when the windy season starts and resume the construction during calmer days. Hence, our schedule looked something like this:

Dec 2007 - started construction (even if it's Amihan season)

July 2008 - stopped construction (because Habagat is coming)

Sep 2008 - resumed construction (because Habagat is over), paintworks, interiors, etc.

Nov 2008 - stopped construction (because Amihan is coming)

May 2009 - resumed construction (because Amihan is over), fencing, pergola, hardscaping

July 2009 - stopped construction (in anticipation of Habagat)

You see, all the aspects of my life is already about windsurfing. :-)

So, anyway, even though I am an accountant in my day job, I just love to build things from woodworking to plumbing and electrical works. I build all the cabinets and most tables in the house. This explains why I have a complete line-up of hand and power tools at home. The labor money I saved is used to buy the power tools. What better way to justify my power tools spending spree!!!

When the construction began, I only have an electric drill, grinder, jigsaw and a couple of handtools. Most are owned by my dad whom I share genes of this building things thing. During the course of the construction, I have acquired:
1. a Maxsell electric planer during installation of doors (got it while it was 20% off at True Value Ayala)
2. a Makita 6.5 circular saw during cabinet works (should have got the 7.25 but the seller at Cebu Home Builders is very hostile so I went to Belmont and bought there instead).
3. a Yamato 200A welding machine at Belmont for gate steel works
4. an Ozito 18v cordless drill, Ryobi belt sander, Ozito cordless grass shear and hedge trimmer during hardscaping and landscaping works

I should now stop buying tools and build them a nice tool cabinet. I think after 1 house, they deserve their own home.

So anyway, the perimeter fencing works was finished last week except for the gate. What better time to buy a welding machine and learn the art of welding myself. My father have some working theory and experience and I asked him to start for me. Afterwards, I was on my own because he is very busy in his swine business (not swine flu).

One thing I have learned (the hot way) is to use proper clothing and protection since welding creates a lot of burns if you are not careful.

Striking the arc tests your patience big time but once you get the hang of it, it's actually easy and addictive. Welding the frame took about three days inclusive of the cutting and painting.

Our gate is not those fancy wrought iron designs. Just a faux wood (aka concrete board) to go along with the southwestern house design. I love the most part of cutting and installing the boards, except when I have to clip my long legs. It's painful and discomforting.

Fortunately, the fiancee volunteered to do the low side.

In time, she was doing the whole thing! I tell you, constructing a house is addictive.

Then, we remembered. This is the last basic permanent material that forms the house. So, we gave it a good ceremony for the last board to complete the perimeter fence. Kingking just completed the house.

It's amazing that 18 months ago, I just poured the first concrete of this house.

The first taste of Habagat

2009-06-04T00:41:00.000-07:00

It's Tuesday, I am on vacation leave, I am still high because of last Saturday's victory, I have fully recovered from the flu and the Habagat is here. Life is good! What more could you ask for?

I waited for Kingking to arrive from her 36-hour hospital duty and we headed to the beach at around 1PM. Windguru registered 20 knots, constantly increasing every 3 hours. It was oven hot outside so I put a modest amount of sunscreen while still at the house.

As expected, the beach is flat as an ironing board. Liloan is at the east side of Cebu so the SW wind is offshore. It was howling and you can see that the coconut trees are swaying wildly.

Yet, I was disappointed. Wind was very gusty, very shifty and inconsistent at best. I can't even go back to where I launched. The most planing I got was around 30 seconds. The picture shows the periodic gusts as seen on the water.

But well, what was I thinking? Offshore winds are never reliable.

But hey, at least Mizuki found serenity at the beach.

...until two creatures came declaring her frienemies:

Big mistake, children! Mizuki loves the water so you cannot just go to the water for protection, thinking she would stop. LOL

I am already looking for alternative beaches for this SW Habagat wind. I am thinking of Cordova which is protected by a reef and having a clear SW view but it's not a recreational beach area so there might be fish nets. Hey, they are working and I am playing so they should have the right of way.

Another might be Tabuelan and Moalboal, both at the west side of the island. They have good beaches and protected reefs so I can finally train for that carve jibe I so long.

So, next schedule will be June 20, in time for my fencing construction to be finished.

Soo happy to welcome HABAGAT!

2009-05-31T22:49:00.000-07:00

Habagat season officially started last week, I suppose. It was howling last Friday, around 20+ knots. I am, however, unable to go to the beach because I still have some unfinished business in our PICPA basketball tournament. The tournament started in January, in the middle of the AMIHAN season, and is constantly conflicting my schedule to the beach. But because I love to be competitive and dont want to disappoint my teammates and our sponsor, I gave basketball a higher priority over windsurfing.

And so, the last hurdle was last Saturday's championship game. Even though I was having a flu that time, I am ready to give it all. I reckon, 90 minutes of intense energy expenditure is much better than days of frustration and regret for not playing 100%. I was fortunate that our team played very well and the chemistry seems to be there. Though this is supposed to be a blog about windsurfing, basketball is still relevant because you are preparing every muscle for that planing wind at the ocean. hehehe :-) Tip off time! I was sick, I feel I dont have the legs and look, the green guy seems to jump higher than me. :-)

In time, just like in windsurfing, adrenalin comes in and I am starting to feel the rhythm. I dont have to find my shots, rather, the shots find me. It is analogous to sailing in a way that if the wind is not strong enough to get you planing, you head upwind so you get to the stronger wind earlier. (Do I still make sense?)

Our team was dominant in every aspect of the game. We won by a margin of 20 points, not what you expect in a championship game. So either we played very very good or they must have played very very bad. Either way, the team is very happy.

And as icing on the cake, I also got the individual MVP award. After all the sacrifices I made (e.g., not being able to go to the beach when there is a basketball schedule AND/OR have to sleep early for tomorrow's game instead of go out partying), I must say that this victory feels FREAKIN' SWEET.
Thanks team. It's been a pretty good run.

Sunday was howling 20-25 knots but I just feel my body couldn't handle it yet after strenous usage of my back, arm and leg muscles. I feared that it will be SURVIVAL mode instead of FUN mode. And so, I decided to postpone my first taste of HABAGAT 2009 tomorrow, JUNE 2, 2009.

I'M SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO EXCITED!!!!!

The resurrected sail

2009-05-18T17:35:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday was supposed to be the day the newly resurrected sail was to be tested. It was windy. However, I decided not to because my legs were tired and my balance was so-so. I play basketball on Friday and gets drunk afterwards. It used to be no problem before but now, I need another day of rest. Maybe I'm getting old.

I was fortunate that the weather gave me good wind the next day with no rain and no lightning. It's summer and hot so the wind came really as a surprise. We went to the beach at lunch, CAREFULLY rigged the sail and was amazed by the new monofilm panels. It looks like it just came out from the distributor!

The wind was still northeast, 8-12 knots with moderate chops. I was surprised that the sail feels more powerful this time. I could feel the pull during gusts and actually have "moments" of planing. The sail also gives more feedback whenever I am approaching lulls. I think that as the sail becomes more brittle, it becomes harder to sail so a new monofilm would bring back the sail's properties as designed.

As expected, Mizuki doesn't want to be left behind. There was one time when she swam towards me but I was headed offshore already. Fortunately, I looked back and found her swimming offshore, around 20 meters from the beach. The chops were bigger than her and she could drown once her energy is all used up. I immediately tacked and let her sail with me.

I enjoying blasting around, testing the sail at any angles, tacking and gybing. I fell only once at 4PM, which means I sailed for four hours straight. My arms and legs hinted that we are done for the day.

So, there it goes. I got concerned that the sail wouldn't perform as designed with a replaced monofilm and it did exceed my expectations. I derigged and enjoyed chatting with the locals. Mizuki, however, was out of gas.

Notes: I am almost certain that I would need a bigger board to keep me planing in light winds, a 80-85cm wide perhaps for my 190lb frame. I am now eyeing on the Starboard Futura 144 but will have to wait a few more months to free up my budget.

Update on my Sail

2009-05-10T05:15:00.000-07:00

My 8.2 Saber broke last April 4 and it was supposed to be replaced by an 8.5 V8. Unfortunately, the deal didn't go through because according to the owner, the cams broke while rigging the day before it was to be shipped to Cebu. He offerred me an almost brand new V8 (2009 model) but would cost twice of the second hand V8 (2007 model). With fencing construction going on, my finances are a little bit tight so new gears would have to wait a bit. I said I'll pass.

I decided to send the Saber to the Sailmaker in Boracay. The cheapest method is to send it via airport-to-airport cargo. However, because the sail can only be rolled rather than folded, it's a real challenge to send it in smaller planes. Planes flying to non metropolitan areas are smaller such as the propeller-powered Bombardier plane of PAL express.

The cargo staff measured the sail, then went to the plane and measured the cargo hold, went back again, and went to the plane again. After an hour or so, they said NO! The 8.2 Saber, which is 2.3m from luff to leach, cannot fit in the cargo hold of the bombardier. I tried other carriers to no avail.

I was desperate.

Fortunately, a larger plane travels to Iloilo where my sister is living. I asked her to bring the sail with her to Boracay in time for her vacation and so we worked out the details. It was a long travel for Saber, 200km by air from Cebu to Iloilo, another 200 km by land from Iloilo to Caticlan, 5 km by sea from Caticlan to Boracay and a few meters by hand to the sailmaker. Thanks, sis! Now you have to repeat the above in reverse order.

Initially, the two panels would only cost 10% of the brand new. After the sailmaker took a look at the sail's condition, he said it's more appropriate to replace ALL the panels, which brings the cost to 20%. The panels are brittle after hours of UV radiation and one small impact would be BAM!, the sail would have to travel again. I figured it would be economically advantageous to just replace all the panels.

One month of non-sailing made my waist line grew so I got very excited of my new cyborg sail. I just picked it up at the airport a while ago and the workmanship seems solid.

Wednesday's forecast looks promising so a vacation leave will be in order. I can't wait to sail Saber again!

Day 3

2009-05-10T05:14:00.000-07:00

Reserved

Camotes Getaway - Day 2

2009-04-14T20:52:00.000-07:00

It's Day 2 of our getaway and we decided to spend the whole day at the beach.

One of the best feelings in life is waking up in a tent, sleeping on hard sand, and just exploring our survival mode roots. Heck, I might try going into an adventure in a jungle, sleep in a tent, hunt wildlife for food and defend yourself from wild animals but that will be in a different blog sometime. :-) Good morning Camotes!

Full moon means noon and midnight will be high tide. Thus, morning & afternoon will be the opposite. Low tide means big beach!

We waited for the water to fill the bay. It was really an enchanting experience. We were just running around the bay chasing each other. Kingking was already in her pirate outfit while Mizuki was having the time of her life running and jumping around.

Mini pinschers are not known to be water lovers so we must have influenced her a lot for she felt instantly at home with the water. Here, she was waiting for Kingking to be near ashore so she could have a taste of the action.

Mizuki instantly became the beach mascot because of her colorful personality. When she gave it a go to ride with Kingking, people at the beach were applauding her.

Wind was onshore and water depth was waist high for the big bay. With white sandy beach and picture perfect scenery, this got to be the best place I've ever been to. I could take a picture of the girls in any angle.

Kingking decided to go further offshore where wind is stronger. But as there were rainclouds forming inland, the wind shifted to sideshore, which would make it difficult to maneuver due to the fish sanctuary. Seabreeze was strong in the area with increasing winds in the afternoon but the bad news is that the tide was already low. Thus, going there during fullmoon during non-monsoon months is not a good idea (as far as windsurfing is concerned).

I tried the rig and Kingking captured probably the best windsurfing shot in our vacation. I plan to frame this picture sometime.

Kingking decided to broom-surf also. Too much Harry Potter, eh? The water ebbed as fast as it flooded the beach and it was a long walk back. Grr... How quickly the day came to an end and the sun drained all our energies...

Camotes Getaway - Day 1

2009-04-12T22:33:00.000-07:00

The best plan is no plan at all and last holy week, we decided to go to Camotes without planning where to stay, where to go once there or what activities to do. We just stuffed the gears in the car and took a RORO ride to Camotes.

The trip lasted for three days and we took about 500 pictures along so I think it's best to divide this blog into THREE parts:

Day 1 - Finding our way to the island

Day 2 - The BEACH!

Day 3 - Side activities

DAY 1 - THE TRIP

The boat was scheduled to leave at 500 AM and as expected, we didn't wake up on time. It was a lucky break though because there is an "optional trip" at 11am and they gave it a go. Turned out there were only two vehicles aboard plus a few passengers. Had we made it at 500 AM, it could have been very crowded.

The cost of the passenger is Php 200 while the Car is 1,600 and SUV/Van is 2,500, both with the driver free of charge.

The boat trip is a long, boring three hours and as with any trip, the time to reach our destination seems endless. Well, what better time to repay our sleep debt. Kingking and Mizuki thought the same way.

We docked at Poro, Camotes which is still around an hour travel to Santiago Bay, one of the famous beaches of the island. Unfortunately, with the excitement just a while ago, we forgot to bring the map and so, we have to rely on our excellent sense of direction to find our way to Santiago Bay.

Camotes has two main islands and I remember that Santiago Bay is at the south-westernmost part while the Poro dock is at the southeern part located on the other island. We just drove westward. I was expecting to cross a bridge but it turned out that only a swamp connects the two islands. The swamp is filled with mangrove forest.

The west island is called San Francisco and you'll know why once you are there. The roads are excellent and planted with San Francisco along the way. I wonder who owns the name first.

Well, finding your way to the most part of San Francisco is a no brainer. I hate asking questions for directions. Real men don't ask questions. Kudos to the island for being very tourist friendly.

After an hour or so, we finally reached Santiago Bay. There are a couple of resorts in there with rooms and the cost ranges from Php 700 - Php 3,500 per 24-hour period. As expected, there are no vacancies so we have to proceed to the "public beach" which the locals called "barangay".

What we found out later is that the "barangay" portion of the beach is a MILLION times better than the resorts. In fact, it is the BEST PUBLIC BEACH I have been to. It featured the WIDE OPEN SPACE that we crave. The center portion of the beach encompassing more than half of the bay is actually owned and maintained by the barangay. It is extremely clean, has a grass park (read: rigging friendly for sails), kiosks, deck chairs, parking space near you, clean public comfort room, 24-hour gardener (who waters the plants even at midnight), 24-hour tanod police service, friendly staff who checks if you're okey regularly, friendly barangay officials, etc. I could go on listing the good things of that place all day! Santiago Bay is around 2km long, I guess. Cost to pitch a tent - Php 50, rent a kiosk - Php 200, Kingking said it was a very good deal.

Deck chairs are very well made. I might build one of these sometime.

The bad thing about the holy week is that the low tide is so low. The good news is that the beach becomes wider. It was dusk anyway and while it's windy, we decided not to rig up and just enjoyed the beach.

It was the first time that Mizuki gets to see and walk on a white sandy beach and she went wild and running and chasing creatures and children and digging holes finding crabs. Well, after the 5-hour travel, she must have been bored to death.

We just enjoyed the sunset after and rigged the tent. I can't wait to enjoy the water tomorrow.

The Summer Wind

2009-04-05T01:56:00.000-07:00

Towards the end of the Amihan (Northeastern Monsoon) season, there is usually a "last blow". This year it started last Wednesday, April 1 and may last for two or more weeks, I guess.

I decided to go to my home spot: Liloan Public Beach! Liloan is known for the big lighthouse with it's watchful eye. Here is a file picture of the lighthouse during "calm" days:

I kept following the wind movement at http://www.windguru.com/ and http://www.windfinder.com/ the past few days and prayed that it will still be windy 'til the weekend. Both of these sites registered winds of 12-15 knots and would be enough for my 8.2m Neil Pryde Saber.

At the beach, Mizuki, my pet mini pinscher, checked the conditions for me. Pets are already proven to get the traits of their masters and yes, my dog is already acting like a true beachbum, surfer and sailor. Wind was about 15 knots northeast and very consistent. Chops were around 4 feet. Mizuki seemed ready to face the ordeal and ready to go to ride the board when given a chance.

I rigged my gear immediately, stretched lightly, drank some water for full hydration and positioned the gear to waterstart. One thing great about this summer wind is that it's hot, sunny and windy, the conditions that are too perfect for windsurfing. There was really no need to adjust the settings on the Canon S3IS camera as the lighting was so even and perfectly placed. My brother just took the liberty in taking the pictures.

Interestingly, I just reviewed Guy Cribb's column on "Early Planing" at http://www.guycribb.com/ and applied everything as far as I can remember. Get low, look forward, light on the feet, stretch those arms and you should feel that you are on the edge of being catapulted.

My JP freeride 120L board was cooperating and was anxious to take off at full speed. I was pretty powered up in my 8.2m and was planing in no time. I attached the bigger fin (44cm) and set everything to the normal settings. Hooking in and getting to the footstraps was relatively easy at all despite the big chops. The only thing I feared when "fully connected" was the board might fly to the leeward side. Crashing this way might result to another injury to my fragile ankles. My left side already suffered a twist last week during an intense basketball practice which would take another time to heal.

One thing funny about last Saturday was I kept falling on the same spot FOUR TIMES! It turned out that a fisherman was having a fish net in the area without placing a rubber buoy on top and my fin kept catching it! It could have been easier to jump over the net because it was choppy had I seen the rubber buoys.

I believe it was really fun to look at a windsurfer traveling at 15-20 knots and get catapulted when the board suddenly stops. I remembered I crashed with my harness still hooked to the boom! I could drown this way especially when I keep laughing underwater. Being catapulted is also fun, albeit in another form.

Sad to say, all good things never last. My 2007 8.2m Neil Pryde Saber ended its life on April 4, 2009. I got that sail on New Year's day of 2007 and inaugurated it on the same beach. I can't really say about the durability of this sail because I have nothing to compare it anyway. My guess is that Neil Pryde makes very good sails, well designed, efficient, lightweight and maybe at the expense of some durability. Good thing, the sail still has enough power to get me back to the beach. I gave it a good mourning after for the fun we shared the last two years.

Because it was still windy, I immediately went home to get my gf's rig. Her sail is a Neil Pryde 5.5m Solo, around 40% smaller than my rig. As expected it was too small for my 6'2", 185lb frame. Maybe I just create too much leverage or I have a technique problem that I find it very hard to sail in windy and choppy condition. My back leg hurts after 30 minutes.

I disconnected the sail and played with the board instead. Mizuki couldn't take it any longer and as usual, wanted a piece of the action with the waves. Here's her video with a beautiful soundtrack:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vXKV6lxdFGc

Mizuki did have a few "moments" with the board!

I will have to go to Camotes next week without my sail. I actually already have a plan to get an 8.5m Neil Pryde V8 from Manila but the two working days next week might not be enough to get the sail to Cebu in time for my Camotes escapade. The size is perfect for my existing mast and boom so I will not have to buy another. The V8 is a more powerful sail with two cambers and one batten more than the Saber. This might give me 2 or more knots lower in my planing threshold. It has also better top end, hence, it should not get overpowered easily.

I hope there will be enough winds in the coming weeks so I can fully enjoy my new V8 before the summer starts.