Pages said, however, that only about 4,500 shirts are available and a certain number will be allocated for each distance: 5K, 21K and 42K. The shirt costs close to P1,000 and since registration will likely be lower than that, it is more than a bargain for the runners. The Cebu City Marathon is scheduled on Jan. 9, 2011. Organizers will be announcing details of the run in the coming weeks.

Below is the design of the shirt. Click on the image to enlarge.

Nothing gets you off your rhythm as having to stop in the middle of the run because of burning and stinging sensations in your eyes caused by sweat. And with no water in sight, relief would have to wait at the next water station or even at the finish line.

BLOCKING SWEAT. Halo headbands have the so-called Sweat Block Technology, which channels sweat to the side of the face. I’ve been using Halo ties since the start of the year and have never experienced burning sensations in my eyes because of sweat. CLICK TO ENLARGE (PHOTOGRAPHED BY MARLEN LIMPAG)

Most running caps and visors have sweat bands that minimize if not stop sweat from getting into your eyes. But if you were to choose between buying a visor or a running cap, get a visor. Ironman Noy Jopson says he prefers a visor because he can pour water on his head and the heat dissipates easily.

But for heavy sweaters like me, the sweat blocking feature of Halo head gear is really magical. I use a Halo tie even if I wear running caps and have never had sweat getting into my eyes, which used to immobilize me in my runs.

Halo is a company started by Nick Holslag and his partner, two competitive athletes who wanted to solve the problem of sweat getting into their eyes. After two years of research and testing, they came up with Halo’s distinctive Sweat Block Technology, a seal that channels sweat to the side of your face.

SWEAT BLOCKING. The yellow seal in the Halo headband above channels sweat the side of the face and away from the athlete’s eyes. CLICK TO ENLARGE. (PHOTOGRAPHED BY MARLEN LIMPAG)

“The seal actually channels sweat to the sides, out of your face, even if it becomes saturated. It worked so well we were amazed. We had everyone we know from amateur to professional athletes try it out. The response was great. They loved it as much as we did. It was so good that we decided to patent the technology. The Halo Headband was born and is now the best headband on the market today,” Holslag said in the company’s website.

Halo products, however, are a bit more expensive than your regular headgear. They range from P500 to more than P1,000, depending on the model. They are exclusively sold in Cebu at Runnr in Ayala Center Cebu.

I’ve been using a pair of Optic Nerve eyewear since February and found it indispensable, especially with the searing heat and the early daybreak of the summer months. I even use it at night during the weekly Friday Night Runs that I organize.

Optic Nerve is a sunglass line geared towards sports, especially running and biking. The company has various eyewear models but all share key technologies: UV protection, active lens venting, carbon scratch coating, tactilite rubber components, durable nylon resin frames, focalpoint lens, among other things.

OPTIC NERVE. Optic Nerve sunglasses share key technologies like UV protection, active lens ventingto prevent lenses from fogging, carbon scratch coating, tactilite rubber components that prevent slippage and durable nylon resin frames. CLICK TO ENLARGE. (PHOTO BY MAX LIMPAG)

The owner’s manual that comes with the sunglasses says that its lenses offer 100% ultraviolet (UV) rays protection. Optic Nerve said all its lenses exceed standards set by the United States government on UV protection and impact resistance. The company said its polycarbonate lens resin makes its lenses exceed standards for “general purpose impact resistance.”

Given the many times that I’ve dropped my sunglasses and even individual lenses while clumsily trying to change them, I’d take their word for the impact resistance.

Optic Nerve sunglasses come with four pairs of lenses: smoke/grey tint, orange tint, copper tint and clear.

The smoke/grey tint allows only a 15% light transmission and is recommended for “intense, abundant sun conditions.” The manual said this tint “offers a true, accurate color definition, but offers no definition or contrast properties.” I use this tint in races and runs that start after 5:30 a.m.

The orange tint offers 64% light transmission and is recommended for variable light condition. The manual said this tint “offers a softer, more wearable color than yellow tint, and does a good job eliminating blue light from the spectrum to provide excellent acuity, contrast, and definition.” This is the tint that I use most of the time, even while running at night. This tint is good for races that start very early in the morning because you can still see things even if it’s dark but at the same time you’re shielded from the glare when the sun is already up.

The copper tint offers 27% light transmission and is recommended “for most general light conditions and some variable light conditions depending on light transmission.” The manual said this tint “is easy on the eyes and offers excellent acuity, contrast and definition while maintaining great color definition.”

The clear tint offers full light transmission and is recommended for extreme low-light to night-time condition. I used this pair of lens just once because I found that I could still run at night even with the orange tint since Cebu City streets are relatively well-lighted. If I were to run or bike in the neighboring towns at night, I would be using the clear tint.

Optic Nerve eyewear use the so-called four-point frame fit technology “to ensure each frame is well-balanced and has a secure and comfortable fit.”

DIFFERENT LENSES. Optic Nerve eyewear comes with different lenses for different light conditions. It took me, however, a few days to learn to change lenses with confidence because the process involved twisting the frame. CLICK TO ENLARGE. (PHOTO BY MAX LIMPAG)

Changing lenses, however, can be a bit of a challenge. It took me days to figure out how to change the lens because the twisting you need to do to remove the lens made me worry that I’d break the pair. It turned out that the Double TR90 frame is as sturdy as advertised and the lens later just popped out. In its website, Optic Nerve said it uses a durable and resilient nylon frame resin that has a lab-tested memory feature that keeps the frame from stretching out over time. The company said this ensures that the glass lenses will always have a snug fit.

Another key Optic Nerve technology is its active lens venting. All its lenses have vents that allow air to be forced directly into the lens area to help circulate air between the eye and the back of the lens. The company said this helps reduce fogging.

I’ve used the Optic Nerve glasses in almost all of my races and runs and could not recall fogging of the lens. In fact, this is the only pair of sunglass that I keep on even if I pour water on myself to cool off.

Optic Nerve lenses also come with focalpoint technology, which, the company said, eliminates “prismatic distortion.”

Another great thing with the glasses is its tactilite rubber components, which the company said reduces slippage when it’s worn even when the wearer is perspiring heavily. I perspire very heavily but I’ve never had the sunglasses slip or fall off my face.

Optic Nerve is available in the specialty running store Runnr in Ayala Center Cebu. Its sunglasses cost from P4,000 to P5,000, depending on the model.

The girl ran about 11 kilometers in what seemed to be her first 10K.

In the absence of a local certification body, you just take organizers’ word that their race routes really are the distances that they announce these to be.

MEASURING ROUTES WITH GOOGLE MAPS. Google Maps allows you to draw a line on its street, satellite and terrain maps to measure distances. CLICK ON PHOTO ABOVE TO VIEW LARGER IMAGE.

In most cases, they are, at least to within the margin of error of a few meters. But in some races, the distance is way off the chart you’d wonder whether the organizers actually measured the route in the first place.

To accurately measure a route, the best tool to use is a global position system (GPS) device. Many runners now use GPS watches to measure runs as well as determine such things as pace and even heart rate.

A popular GPS brand is the Garmin Forerunner line. Garmin is, in my opinion, the best GPS watch brand because it offers consumers a top-of-its-class device and an equally stellar after-sales support—the Garmin Connect website that not only serves as an exercise logbook that stores all of your runs but a repository of all the data related to each workout. With Garmin Connect, you can replay all your runs—a placeholder moves with your exact coordinates on a map and at any given point, you’d know your coordinates, distance and elevation.

If you’re really serious on your running, you’d do well investing on a GPS watch. It allows you to accurately measure your progress.

But if you don’t have a GPS watch, how can you measure your running route?

Race organizers drive through their routes and measure these using their car’s odometer. Some use bicycles. That method has varying degrees of success. I know of certain routes measured that way that came up short.

The easiest way to measure running routes is to do it online.

In the middle of this decade, Google gave rise to web mapping services when it started Google Maps, probably the best mapping application on the Internet.

For runners, Google Maps is almost heaven-sent. The website allows you to draw lines on street, satellite and terrain maps and measure points. That way, you can accurately measure distances.

To measure distances, go to maps.google.com and sign in with your Google account. If you still don’t have a Google account, sign up with the company’s popular free e-mail service Gmail to get one.

Once you’re in, go to the My Maps section and click on Browse Directory. Look for the Distance Measurement Tool and click on the Add it to Maps button under it.

To start measuring routes, just zoom into the area in the map where you want to run then click on My Maps and then click on Distance Measurement Tool. You can choose whether to use the Metric or English system.

Click on the point in the map where you want to start running. Continue clicking on areas where you want to run and the system will add it to the line. At the left portion of the screen, you will see the total distance of the route.

DAILYMILE. The social network for runners, triathletes and bikers offers a tool to plan and measure running routes. CLICK ON IMAGE ABOVE TO VIEW LARGER PHOTO

Another way to measure routes is to do it through DailyMile. DailyMile is a social network for runners and triathletes. It’s a community logbook for your runs and exercise sessions.

The site has a route planner section. In that section you can draw lines on a map and the system gives you a running total of the distance and even renders kilometer markers.

With the ease by which distances can be measured using online tools, there aren’t any excuses for organizers to make a mistake in the distance of their race routes.

The Standard Chartered Kuala Lumpur Marathon 2010 is one of the biggest running events in Southeast Asia and it is expected to bring many running enthusiasts from all over the world to the Malaysian capital.

For every purchase of a pair of Newton Running shoes in cash or through a Standard Chartered credit card, the buyer is entitled to one 1 raffle coupon. Customers are asked to drop filled up coupons in designated drop boxes in Runnr stores or in selected Toby’s Sports outlets. In Cebu City, Runnr is located in Ayala Center Cebu.

The deadline of submission of entries is on May 31.

Winners will be drawn on June 3 and prizes can be claimed at the store where customers bought their Newton Running shoes.

Participating Newton Running products are Gravity, Motion, Sir Isaac and Lady Isaac, and Motion All Weather.

For more details on Newton’s Asian Dream Race Promo log on to www.runnr.com.ph, www.tobys.com or contact their head office at 642-4414 to 15. You may also check out the RUNNR and Newton social networking sites on Facebook thru www.facebook.com/RUNNRstore and www.facebook.com/newtonrunningphils.

Dailymile is a website that serves as training log for runners, cyclists and triathletes. What differentiates it from sites like Garmin Connect is that it has a social networking component. It allows you to connect with other runners, cyclists or triathletes. You can view your workouts as well as that of your contacts and people near your location in a Twitter-like stream of entries.

MY DAILYMILE PROFILE PAGE. Dailymile is a cool social training log for runners, cyclists and triathletes. It now supports both Nike+ and Garmin devices. CLICK TO ENLARGE.

I used the site for a while in July but stopped visiting it when I discovered Garmin Connect. The site supported Nike+ but didn’t work with the Garmin Forerunner. Since I use a Forerunner 305 to track my runs, I had to manually enter records in dailymile and it was tedious. Without Garmin support, I didn’t have the incentive to continue maintaining my dailymile account. But for so long, the site indicated that Garmin support was “coming soon” so I didn’t delete my account.

Garmin Connect, on the other hand, imported everything from the device—total distance, GPS points, pace, elevation, heartbeat monitor data etc. The site also has a very useful and well-implemented feature to replay your runs.

When I checked back my dailymile account early this morning to approve a friend request, I found a notification for the beta testing of Garmin support. I registered my Garmin Forerunner 305 and was prompted to enter my Garmin Connect account.

KEEPING TRACK. Dailymile allows you to keep track of your runs—your fastest, longest and most intense. The site said my fastest run was during the Quota Club 12K classic, when I ran at an average pace of 5:27 per kilometer. CLICK ON PHOTO TO ENLARGE.

Dailymile supports Garmin devices through the Communicator plugin that users install to make their devices work with the Garmin Connect website. I had already installed the plugin in my computer so I was ready to import my runs. If you still haven’t installed the plugin, get it from the Garmin website.

To make your Garmin device work with dailymile, just enter your Garmin Connect username and password by clicking on the settings link at the top right portion of the screen and then clicking on devices link in the left menu.

Importing data from the Garmin Forerunner 305 took just a few minutes. At first, it seemed that the Google Chrome browser froze but when I checked my account, I found that dailymile had successfully imported data that were still in the device.

There were a few kinks, though, when I added details to the records.

Dailymile wasn’t able to render the map for my unplanned marathon last March 2 so I had to manually plot the run again. It also wasn’t able to render a map for my Cebu City Marathon 21K run and my Condura Run 21K. I also ended up entering the brands and types of shoes I used twice because the site didn’t prompt me that the data was already entered—the window that popped up kept showing a loading indicator.

The hours that I spent trying out dailymile today was a very pleasant experience. The site is more than just an excellent online logbook for your training and races, it is also a great community that will allow you to meet other runners and athletes. Dailymile even allows you to setup virtual races or challenges.

Dailymile was able to keep track of 42 of my runs totaling 517.39 kilometers. For all that running, I only managed to lose 10 pounds but the site said I burned an equivalent of 201 donuts and expended energy enough to power 56.33 television sets. It also said I earned 62 cheeseburgers, which I have no plans of ever collecting , and that I covered just .01 of the world.

While Garmin Connect will still serve as primary record of my runs, I see myself using dailymile more frequently to track my kilometers and be in contact with other runners. Are you in dailymile? Add me as a contact. Here’s the link to my profile page.

DAILYMILE lists your workouts in a stream of updates similar to what you see in social networks. CLICK ON PHOTO TO ENLARGE

R.O.X. is “the biggest outdoor sports and recreation hub in Asia,” the company said in a press statement.

Its shop in Ayala Center Cebu has two levels, packed with outdoor sports recreation gear and equipment for hiking, climbing, water sports, surfing, adventure travel, wellness, biking and even scuba diving.

ADVENTURE SHOP. R.O.X or Recreational Outdoor eXchange in the Active Zone in Ayala Center Cebu sells sports recreation gear and equipment for hiking, climbing, water sports, surfing, adventure travel, wellness, biking and even scuba diving. CLICK TO ENLARGE. (CONTRIBUTED PHOTO)

R.O.X. is “one-stop shop for all your outdoor needs.”

R.O.X carries brands such as The North Face, Columbia, Mt. Hardwear, Jamis, Keen, Eagle Creek, Habagat, Rudy Project, Blood Red among other local and international brands.

The company said it is also working closely with the Department of Tourism to promote the country and provide adventure tour packages like hiking, camping, river rafting, kayaking and eco-tourism tours like bird watching.

The R.O.X. shop in Cebu is only the second outlet in the country.

“R.O.X’s second store will give the Cebuanos, most especially its growing number of outdoor adventure enthusiasts, a whole lot of options for recreation sports, outdoor activities and explorations because Cebu is where the adventure is,” the company said.

On March 26, R.O.X. Ayala Center Cebu will be launched in a program that will have Tourism Secretary Ace Durano as special guest. Among the highlights of the launching is an R.O.X. outdoor wear fashion show.

The opening has been widely anticipated by Cebu runners. RUNNR stands out among sports shops because of its Footworx, an integrated system that helps runners pick the correct shoe for their foot-type and gait.

CLICK TO ENLARGE. A customer undergoes gait analysis through RUNNR Cebu’s Footworx system. The running specialty store finally opened its Cebu branch in Ayala Center Cebu last Saturday.(PHOTO BY MAX LIMPAG)

The system has three components: 1.) Footdisc Analysis System, which uses thermodynamics to determine foot types; 2.) high-speed video gait analysis where customers are made to run on a treadmill while a camera captures the way they run to check for their pronation angle; and 3.) Flashfit custom insole molding process that creates customized insoles while the customer waits.

I underwent testing by the Footworx system and found that I over-pronate and would therefore need Stability shoes.

CLICK TO ENLARGE. RUNNR Cebu sells items that were previously unavailable or hard to find in Cebu City.

RUNNR Cebu sells items that were previously unavailable or hard to find in Cebu City. The store sells Hammer power gels and bars Sport Beans. It also sells Fuel Belt and Nathan hydration packs.

The store also sells its own line of running socks, which are the best pair of socks that I’ve used while running. The store also sells Polar watches and heartbeat monitors.

RUNNR Cebu also has a good selection of running shoes and apparel. A prominent part of the store displays Newton Running Shoes, which are specially engineered for running. Toby Claudio, RUNNR founder, told Cebu journalists and bloggers in a recent briefing that he only runs in Newton shoes.

But he later found out that with the proper form and correct pair of shoes, he could run despite his bad back and knee injury. Now, the eponymous eldest son of Toby’s Sports founder Roberto Claudio, Sr. regularly runs and has even finished the half-marathon. He’s still planning to run his first full marathon and is considering doing it during the Cebu City Marathon on Jan. 10, 2010.

ONLY IN A NEWTON. Toby Claudio explains to Cebu bloggers and reporters what sets a pair of Newton Running Shoes apart from those of other brands. Claudio, who runs only in Newtons, is the founder of the running specialty store RUNNR, which will open in Cebu in the first week of December. CLICK ON PHOTO TO ENLARGE. (PHOTO BY MARLEN LIMPAG)

“Running is not as easy as it looks. It’s hard on the body,” Claudio said in a briefing last Saturday for Cebu journalists and bloggers on the opening in the city of his running specialty store RUNNR.

From “zero running,” Claudio said he was able to regularly run relatively injury-free after learning the proper running form, particularly ChiRunning, and wearing correct shoes.

“Many still use improper footwear for running. That and the lack of proper technique can cause pains. Then they stop,” Claudio said. “The solution is to get the right shoes. Choosing the wrong shoes can cause a lot of problems.”

Problems caused by wearing the wrong type of shoes are something RUNNR can help people avoid.

The store is known for its Footworx, an integrated system that helps people pick the right pair of shoes based on their foot type and the way they run.

The system consists of the Footdisc Analysis System to determine foot type. After that, the customer is then made to run on a treadmill for a high speed video gait analysis. Using a camera, the system checks the customer’s pronation angle as he or she runs. The customer can then compare different pairs of shoes to find out which works best for him or her. After that, the store can then craft a custom insole using its “Flashfit” molding process while the customer waits.

Claudio said RUNNR’s custom insoles, which are really custom-made and not like the generic orthotics being sold elsewhere, costs between P3,000 to P4,000. And if the insoles start to get out of shape, they can be re-flashed in the store for free.

STORE EXPERIENCE. RUNNR founder Toby Claudio says that apart from offering top-of-the-line brands, RUNNR offers a total store experience that inspires people to run and educates them on the sport. RUNNR Cebu will have information kiosks and the distinct environmental panoramic graphics that dominate the RUNNR store on Bonifacio High Street. CLICK TO ENLARGE. (RUNNR FOTO)

“These customized services ensure that whatever one’s requirements as a runner, the shoes and optional insoles minimize foot instability for better shock absorption, and minimize fatigue while reducing the chances of injury,” the company said in a statement.

Claudio said the gait analysis system will be offered to customers for free.

“It will always be for free but we’ll be setting up a queuing system especially for busy days,” he said.

To discourage the practice of groups of people deciding to have their gaits analyzed just because one member of their group had it done, Claudio said they might require token purchases like buying socks for those who won’t buy shoes in busy days.

Claudio said that when he went to New York City, the world’s running mecca, he checked out running stores and found a few that had treadmills on which customers can run to test out their shoes. He said he found at least three with video gait analysis systems but none with the advanced software that RUNNR uses. He said no store offered the integrated system that RUNNR offers its customers.

Claudio said RUNNR had the gait analysis system custom-made in Germany for running. Using the system, RUNNR employees can determine which pair of shoes works best for a certain customer.

He said his company’s goal is to train its workers to a point that by merely looking at a customer take three steps into the store, he or she would know the shoe type for that person.

Claudio said that they decided to open their second RUNNR store in Cebu because they see it as an underserved market.

“Every major city in the world has a running store. Cebu is a major city,” he said.

RUNNR Cebu will open in the Active Zone of Ayala Center Cebu in the first week of December.

He said RUNNR offers more than just a good lineup of products but a total store experience. He said a distinguishing design element of the store are panoramic environmental graphics that inspire people to run.

RUNNR will carry premier brands including Adidas, Asics, Fuelbelt, Hammer, Nathan, New Balance, Nike, Polar, Newton Running Shoes, and CW-X compression apparel.

Apart from these, RUNNR also sells books and educational materials on running. It will also have information kiosks to guide people on running.

“RUNNR will have everything that you need to enjoy running to the fullest,” Claudio said.

But when asked by broadcaster, lawyer and runner Haide Acuña what he would recommend to someone who has never run and who finds his or her way into the store, Claudio said, “I won’t even recommend that they buy a pair of shoes. Buy a good running book.”

RUNNR BRIEFING. Toby Claudio with (from second from left) The Freeman columnist Raffy Osumo, Marlen Limpag and Max Limpag of Sun.Star and CebuRunning, Dr. Raymund “Reel” Bontol, and Haide Acuña, the Marathon Foodie.

More than just a market, running is an advocacy for his company, Claudio said.

“Some people still have not discovered the joys of running,” he said. They plan to spread running through regular clinics in the store. He said RUNNR is looking for a local running coach who can be tapped for the store and for the clinics.

He said the mission of RUNNR is to get people into the sport and to help those who are already in it.
Claudio, who runs only in Newton Running Shoes, stressed the importance of the local government supporting the sport as a way to improve tourism.

“When you run, you realize how much you are capable of,” Claudio said.

He said he uses running to de-stress and “when I have a bad day, I really need to run.”

In RUNNR PRE-HOLIDAY TREAT, customers of RUNNR on Bonifacio High Street can get a free limited edition “I’m a RUNNR” t-shirt for a minimum purchase of P5,000. This promo is valid from Nov. 13 until Nov. 30.

Under the store’s NEWTON 4-DAY TREAT, costumers get 10% off any Newton racer plus the “I’m a RUNNR” shirt. Customers who will buy a pair of Newton Guidance Trainers will get a free Newton premium shopping bag and the limited edition RUNNR shirt. The Newton promo will be offered only until Nov. 16.

Since RUNNR Cebu still has to open in December, the only way Cebu runners can take advantage of the promo is to visit the store on Bonifacio High Street.

Below are copies of the posters of the promo: