My Rave about the Wave (Mizuno Wave Rider 14)

I love shoes! Especially running shoes. Every time I visit a mall, you'll find me window shopping, analyzing, and fitting shoes over and over and over again. You may call me a shoe sales man's worst nightmare. Design is a must for me, and thank God that there are now many great running shoes that satisfy both the scientific and aesthetic tastes of running enthusiasts like me. In this renewed running adventure and for a runner with neutral needs, I went with the Mizuno Wave Rider 14.

Initially, I wasn't impressed with the design, but when I saw the mars red model , I knew I had to have this one. More than that, this shoe gave me the support I didn't get from any of my previous shoes. In fact, this shoe gives me the best of both worlds--cushioning and stability. In some commentaries, I noticed that a common complaint about this shoe is the high collar and the discomfort this causes the runner. Well, I guess that would depend on if you have big ankles and/or your ankle balls protrude. For my kind of feet and ankles, though, the shoe fit me like a glove. With thin ankles, I need all the support I can get, and this shoe provides just the support I need. On top of that, the mars red model suits us as "The Red Runners".  Teehee...

While I rave about this shoe, I would not encourage you to just randomly go out and get this particular model. Every foot has its own unique anatomy. You still have to visit stores like Riovana Runnr or taf (the athletes foot), get your gait analysis to learn about your pronation, and proceed to choosing the perfect shoe for you. 

For now, having the Mizuno Wave Rider 14 is my Cinderella ending. Instead of being given the shoe by a prince, my wife/princess got me this as a gift, and we both will run happily ever after.

Now to find the perfect shoe for her...

The Coach (or Coach-ess???)

Over the past three weeks, Michael has been diligently training since he started running again. When he decided to get back into the sport (and to pursue it seriously this time!), we knew he had to get some help. He didn't have to look far at all! My sister Noelle was more than happy to help him get back into running, train steadily and safely, and eventually, reach his goal of being a long-distance runner.

You see, my sister is actually an expert on the subject matter. She's more populalry known in the running scene as Kikay Runner, and rightfully so! She's a naturally talented athlete, having also been into the whole triathlon scene since 2010, and at the same time, she's someone who can sweat it out in all these physical activities and still look great. She's also got a big heart and never hesitates to offer her time and efforts to help people--hence, the commitment to coach Michael personally no matter the time and effort she'd have to put into it.

I'm not just saying this because she's my sister and I love her. It's the absolute truth, and if you want to see for yourself, visit KikayRunner.com.

Noelle designed Michael's training program based on his athletic background to make sure that he challenged himself enough, but kept within safety boundaries so as not to injure himself. He and I already have experience running several 5k races and actually did our first 10k run last year. He's also into weight training at the gym.

So, if you're curious as to exactly what my husband has been doing to improve his running game, here's Michael's 4-Week Running Program in a nutshell:

• Training Day 1: Diagnostic 30-minute run to measure how far he could run comfortably in 30 minutes to determine stamina
• Training Day 2: Sprint intervals (10 minutes of intervals consisting of 2 minutes sprint and 2 minutes walk) to improve speed
• Training Day 3: 8-kilometer long run to build aerobic capacity and increase tolerance for mileage
• Training Day 4: Diagnostic 10-kilometer run to determine baseline for 10-kilometer time
• Training Day 5: Sprint intervals (10 minutes of intervals consisting of 2 minutes sprint and 2 minutes walk) to improve speed
• Training Day 6: Diagnostic 30-minute run to determine improvement in speed over 30 minutes
• Training Day 7: 11-kilometer long run to build aerobic capacity and increase tolerance for mileage
• Training Day 8 & 9: Comfortable 5-kilometer jog to maintain running fitness while tapering for goal race
• Race Day: 12-kilometer race

I've personally seen how much Michael has improved though he is only on his second week. Makes me all the more excited to get back into running myself, all the more because I, too, will have my own personal running coach in Kikay Runner!

St. Luke's Eye Run: A Heart for the Eye

For the first run in this blogging stint, Marielle and I made sure that the run had to matter--it had to be close to our hearts. One afternoon, my sister-in-law gave us a heads up on the upcoming St. Luke's Eye Run organized by Without Limits. 100% of the proceeds from the run will go directly to a cause that is close to our hearts.

Our dear daughter Brooke, who joined our Creator two weeks ago, was born with a visual impairment. Many other people, both children and adults, are in need of a cure to problems with eyesight. By supporting the run, we not only remember our daughter, but we also do our little part to help give the beneficiaries an opportunity for a cure. They can have a chance to catch a glimmer of hope, and to see it literally.

Here's a short description of the St. Luke's Eye Run:

St Lukes will aim to have additional beneficiaries of twenty-five charity patients who will undergo major eye surgery (to be subsidized in full) at the St. Luke’s Medical Center in Quezon City. They (SLMC-IEI) will also embark on a nationwide awareness campaign for Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP), a preventable cause of blindness among premature babies.

When: Sunday, March 11, 2012

Where: Bonifacio Global City

Race Types and Registration Fees:

3K – P500, 6K – P700, 12K – P800 100% of reg fee goes to beneficiary
Update on the registration fees!  P500 for all categories (3k, 6k, 12k) due to more sponsors coming in.  That's definitely good news, isn't it?

The eyes are literally far from the heart, but figuratively, they are said to be the windows to the soul. Let's give the beneficiaries a chance to have just that.

Join us and make a difference!

For more information on the St. Luke's Eye Run, click here.

From the Sidelines

I got my husband Michael a new pair of running shoes today!

Since he seriously got back into running and decided to pursue it for good, it was only fitting for him to jumpstart his training with new gear. He chose the Mizuno Wave Rider 14, and broke it in with an 8k run around BGC this afternoon. He seemed pretty happy with his new running "buddies", and therefore, I conclude that it was worth every centavo.

While I'm still recovering from a caesarian section and am unable to workout for the next two months, I'm happy to cheer him on as he trains for longer distance running. With our baby Brooke as our inspiration, I have no doubt Michael will improve on his speed and endurance within the next few weeks and that I will be able to start strong in training as soon as I have fully recovered from the operation.

Now, to get myself a nice new pair of shoes as well... Suggestions?

The Reason and the Purpose

Why the name? What's this blog about?!?

Relax. Give this blog a chance to start. Last week, our dear daughter Brooke Gabrielle joined our Creator after nine months of pregnancy joy and three days of miracles. Our Brooke had a rare condition in the brain that didn't allow her to breathe on her own. But despite the fact that doctors said she would not make it through the day, she gave us 61 meaningful hours of life to teach us a lesson on perseverance and love. I thought to myself, "I need to find an outlet to put to practice what our three-day-old taught us. I chose to run... seriously.

My wife Marielle and I have been running 5k and 10k races since 2009, but we never really took it seriously. We were influenced by Marielle's sister Noelle De Guzman aka Kikay Runner, but our love for running fizzled out recently. As fad victims, I would attribute it to a lack of purpose.

Brooke gave us just that--a new found purpose. Now, Marielle and I run not for her, because she's got everything up there in Heaven.We run because of her, because of the valuable life lessons she left us with.

So to answer those questions above, the color red represents love. It's because of love that we run, and it's because of love that we share our experiences with you as a running/blogging duo.