The Turtle Triathlete

Sprint triathlons are the best. It is hard enough because of the blistering pace that you need to maintain throughout the race but short enough that you'll still have the energy to enjoy the post-race activities. Although a short race, it doesn't lack in competitiveness. Some seasoned triathletes still join these Sprint races as part of their training or they just want to race -- like me 😊 One of the premier organizers in Manila, Bike King Philippines, holds some of the well-organized and exciting multi-sport races. Last June 9, 2019 was their annual short distance race in Vermosa Sports Hub, the Vermosa Sprint Tri. Team Banayad Family I initially planned to sit this race out and just document the race through videos and pictures of my wife and the kids. Instead, I did a last minute registration and made it a family event. This is the first event where all of us are racing. Usually, my wife and I would join a race and the the kids taking pictures or the other way ar...

When I joined my first Sprint Triathlon in June 2017, I set a high bar for myself. I thought with my background in Sports (running, varsity basketball, regularly hit the gym, plyometrics etc.) and my competitive nature, I can finish in the top 3 of that event. The swim leg was in an Olympic sized pool and I remember passing a good number of people in my wave. I also remember being very winded around the 500m mark and was not able to keep my pace the rest of the way. When I got to T1 there were still many bikes racked and my confidence went a little bit higher. On to the bike leg, slowly but surely other racers started passing me. I was trying my best to find the right gearing to keep up with the other participants. Going on the big chain rings my legs were burning. The constant spinning on the small chain rings wasn't working as well. It was a struggle going up the famous "Wall" of Clark Free Port. I knew I fell behind as there were more bikes racked. I racked my bike, p...

I am a Half Marathon finisher!!! 😁😳💪 Not something I thought I'd be able to say or write. In fact, I thought those running the Half Marathon and Full Marathon are crazy! 😂😂😂 I thought 10k was long enough for an average joe and anything longer is torture. I jumped on the crazy bandwagon because I just signed up for the IM Davao 70.3 this March 2019 and the last leg is a 21k run. I have got to run a 21k to experience and understand what to expect. THE RACE COURSE 📸 c/o Pinoy Fitness If you've been joining run events in Manila the race course should be very familiar. The race was at the Mall of Asia compound. The course starts in the Seaside Blvd parking area near Vikings. It goes through Seaside Blvd and making the first of many U-turns at Marina Way. You head back to Seaside taking a right turn to Diokno for another U-turn before you head out to Macapagal Blvd. You'll take another U-turn at Buendia Ave and take the same path back on Macapagal and Sea...

After entering he Triathlon world in June 2017 I soon realized that there are other Multisport events outside of the Swim-Bik-Run triumvirate. I knew about Aquathlon (which was the first multisport event we raced) and soon discovered Duathlon. The format is pretty much like a Triathlon but the Swim Leg is replaced by a Run Leg. In short you are doing a Run-Bik-Run event (hence the name Duathlon...duh me!). 📷 c/o PilDua 📷 c/o PilDua I joined my first Duathlon event on February 2018 (Pilipinas Duathlon Leg 1)   which was a 4km Run, 20Km Bike and finishing off with another 4km Run. It was then I realized that a Duathlon is not the younger brother of triathlon. It is a different beast all together which shouldn't be taken lightly even if you've ben doing triathlons. In fact, after getting off the bike and starting my final run, I felt a slight cramp creeping up my right leg. I had to take a short stop on the side of the run course to stretch my calf just to ensure tha...

I was never a strong runner, more of "decent" on my best day. Even during my HS varsity basketball days, I'd always be at the back of the pack during road work. I never had the speed nor lungs to hang with my faster teammates. Thus the love for running never really developed so as the pursuit to improve and get faster. Since joining organized runs several years ago there are several goals that I think are standard amongst runners and some are ones that are from my own list. There's the goal to run a 10k with an average pace of 5:30 (5:40 will also do). A sub-25 5km run. Finish a Half Marathon and eventually do a Sub-2 21k. Of course there is that goal of finishing your first Full Marthon (but I dream of doing it in another city/country...Chicago, Tokyo, London or Berlin perhaps 😄). The other goal that I've tried getting but failed doing is a Sub-1 10km run. My best 10k finish is 1 hour and 3 mins during the Pinoy Fitness Sub1 10k Challenge 2018. That effort in...

September 2009 was the first time I joined an organized Fun Run. It was the Crocs Prepair to Run event held in Mall of Asia. It was actually my wife who initially registered and I thought I'd go ahead and accompany her. I never had any love for running especially during my HS Varsity Basketball years. I hated road work and would skip it if I had a chance. My pace was slow, I didn't have the endurance and it felt so much like a chore (unlike the actual basketball practice which was a game!). It was a a fairly small event, no more than 2,000 participants across all age groups (didn't know that there was an age grouping that time). Running was not yet a craze that time and entry fees were definitely more budget friendly. It remember buying my first running shoes a couple of weeks before the event . It was the perfect excuse to buy another pair of kicks. I also bought that slim Nike watch that measures your steps thinking it would be more than enough to measure my runs (I di...