So it snowed today. Yeah I know, this is New York, so that shouldn’t be a surprise  — until you realize it is only October. Well, you do experience something new everyday.

Like the feeling of having to step through sloshes of snow using your preserved Miles Davis Kobe V’s. How about the silly notion that wearing a thick wool coat will keep you dry? Pfft. The apartment building where we stay is about a hundred paces to the subway platform, but I looked like a ran through a minor snowstorm.

My current snow/rainboots

One thing I managed to get right, was purchase two pairs of Heattech under layers from Uniqlo the other day. If you can manage to look past the thermograph/heat-retention mumbo jumbo, the fabric that they use is definitely lighter and feels more natural than your typical thermal. This counts for a lot since people will feel the need to put on more layers as the holidays come around.

Time to stay warm

I’m starting to get used to all the walking, but this winter thing is something else.

*Images borrowed from Sneakernews.com, Syracuse.com, and Trendland.net.

New York, New York

I took this picture last Thursday while sitting in a soup kitchen on 51st and Lexington. The skyline was hazy, the wind blowing just hard enough to make all those umbrellas turn inside out. It was difficult to imagine that it was only half past four. It was New York’s way of saying — Hey man, this is the real deal.

If you look at my previous post, I sincerely hope that the big change in my geographic location counts as the “upward spiral” I have been waiting for. I am optimistic because of the loved ones I have left behind, my fat dog who I have had as my roommate for the past 5 years, and my friends who have managed to help me realize where I should be. I am doing this for all of them.

Most of all, I am doing this for my wife, who has had to endure several years of what you see in the picture above.

Ask the people close to me, and they’ll tell you right away that I’m the type of person who doesn’t like a day to go to waste. If I had the flexibility, I’d want to eat breakfast at 5, be at the gym by 630, and at my desk by 9am, and be able to watch a movie by 6. Sadly, the traffic in Metro Manila makes this kind of schedule impossible. Instead, I am up by 430, at the office by 6, and off work by 430 at the latest. When people hear this, you’d usually hear “ano yan graveyard shift?”.

These people can call it what they want, but while they are still going after a deadline, I am already on my way home.

The main point of this post is this — growth isn’t only characterized by the job title that you have, or the places where you think you should be at, or the amount of money you should be getting paid. At the risk of sounding like some middle aged guidance counselor, growth can also be characterized by the time you have for your other passions. This can include sports, videogames, school, or whatever you think floats your boat. Some people even have to leave their current jobs just to find out how lucky they were.

If you think you are stuck, just keep this quote in mind. My wife Mariel got it from one of her Yoga instructors (who was just inspired by their studio’s move from the 2nd to the 3rd floor lol). You can also read about her experience here.

“It is when when we move around in circles and find ourselves in the same spot that we ask ourselves, ‘Why am I here again? Why is it that I never learn?’ When in fact, we’re actually moving in an upward spiral, not in circles; that when we end up in the same spot, we’ve actually gone one level up.”

If you’re one of the few who have managed to come back and check if I am still alive, well, here I am. Along with my nth blog theme change, I’ve also changed the secondary header of my blog to “So many sports, too few days in the week”. You have no idea how much I would like to define that phrase even further.

Not in running, buddy.

In my recent attempts to understand this sport more clearly, I’ve encountered guys who look like fat bastard. I’ve run into douchebag types on the track oval near my workplace as well. I’ve met guys who don’t look the least bit like they’re fit. But the moment they lace on those running shoes… Oh man, it’s on.

Sunday’s Adidas King of the Road marathon was no different. Though my gameplan was to just keep my eyes on the ground in front of me and let my music set the pace, I just couldn’t.

It mattered more that someone I knew who frequented Aysee’s sisig had joined the 21k marathon. My confidence also took a hit whenever throngs of women who looked nothing like runners were passing me left and right. Kulang nalang talaga eh yayain ko sila lahat sa nagbabasketball, badminton, or any other sport I knew I could beat them in (just to make myself feel better). Lol. I guess this is what Adidas meant when they said that every runner is different.

The thing about the sport, is that it can strip you of all preconceived expectations regarding a person’s performance. As I continue to discover how fast and how long I can go with this training routine I’ve started, I have to keep in mind is that though I’m running with (not against) thousands, the most important thing is everyone finishes.

See everyone at the Men’s Health Urbanathlon on November 22nd, and New Balance Power Race on November 29th!

]]> http://justanothergame.com/2009/10/26/image-is-nothing-pacing-is-everything/feed/ 1 http://justanothergame.com/2009/10/22/not-yet-ready-to-run/ http://justanothergame.com/2009/10/22/not-yet-ready-to-run/#comments Thu, 22 Oct 2009 08:52:57 +0000 Alvin Jimenez http://justanothergame.com/?p=1173 So today is Thursday, and the Adidas King of the Road 2009 race is two days away. Any runner out there will tell you — there’s just no friggin’ way anyone can cram their training for any marathon. Well, here’s what I managed to squeeze into my schedule over the past month or so since I acquired my Nike+ sensor.

In case you’re curious, the graph above represents the distances I’ve done, segregated by km per day. And what category did I join for Sunday’s marathon? I joined the 10k. So yes, based on estimates alone, I’ll probably cross the finish line in at least an hour and thirty. In runners’ terms, that’d hella slow.

Oh well, I do know that the P500 I paid to register netted me a cool Adidas singlet which was such a pain to claim (see previous post). In any case, goodluck to everyone joining the Adidas King of the Road 2009. See everyone at The Fort!

I know what you’re going to say — that I probably look like a douche when I bring, wear, or use the thing during my runs.

My answer to that, is that I really don’t care.

• My Ipod Touch helps me fend off boredom when I run. I am incapable of running long distances at a uniform pace. This is Mr. Short Attention Span you’re talking to here.
• Believe it or not, those Nike + sensor thingies actually work. I know a heart rate monitor is more useful, but I can’t afford the thing (besides I’m not a hardcore runner). Though far from being 100% accurate, hearing the automated voice say “Workout complete” is actually rewarding.

The moral of this story? There’s no need to worry about perceptions when it comes to your health. If you need that Ipod, dri-fit shirt,  or new pair of running shoes (No, I’m not trying to justify a potential purchase) to keep you motivated, then go for it as long as you can afford it. A few years down the line, you’ll realize that you’d rather be a fit douchebag than an overweight, unfit, tub of lard.

And oh, Mariel, thank you again for my Ipod Touch and kickass earphones.

I can only hope that this first post out of the 30 I’m supposed to finish by same time next month isn’t an indication of how I want to do this. Posting a minute right before the stroke of midnight shouldn’t count. Though I should still be high after seeing Kobe up close for a good 30 minutes or so, today, the world lost a very cool guy.

Raoul Erana had been battling with a brain tumor for the past two or so months before today. Everything was so unexpected.

I wasn’t that close to Raoul. Since he used to work with the womens’ titles, the only time we’d talk to each other was during our weekly pick up games in Valle Verde. During the two or more years I had the chance of sharing an office with this guy, never did I remember ever seeing a frown on his face. I usually don’t like it when people think that lahat ng bagay nadadaan sa tawa, but this guy had a knack for it without coming across as irresponsible. That was just how he handled things — with that infectious smile on his face.

I think everyone who knows him will agree with me that it’s how we’ll all remember him.

Rest in peace, Raoul.

As with everyone who who has started their own blog, the number of days in between posts seems to dwindle as the days go by. Just see how often I posted in my first few months and you’ll see what I mean. I’d like to think that there isn’t a lack of post worthy stuff to put out there, and all I need is a more time management. It’s just funny that I would get the push I needed from the unlikeliest of people.

Well anyways, in the spirit of blog announcements, I can only hope I churn out enough quality posts for the next 30 days.

My fiance finally got a Plurk account. Yep, that’s the big news!

Sometime in May, Mariel and I actually had a petty quarrel about it. She complained that the first and last thing I did in a day was “update others about myself and find out what other people were doing”. An accusation which, I could not come up with an “acceptable” explanation for.

People who don’t belong to my line of work think that Plurk may just be another social networking tool. But really, the concept behind it is much more interesting. Type in a few words, sentences, and http’s, and boom — a few hundred people find out about it, and spread to another hundred, and so on. There’s so much more to this social networking thing that I have to talk about it in a different blog all in itself. It just so happens that in the course of the past 30 days, Mariel has put up a new blog, updated her current template, and accomplished a 30-day blog challenge.

Make no mistake about it, trying to convince or educate people with more traditional mindsets when it comes to these things can really test your patience. The payoff however, is well worth the trouble. In the end, it can even become a new source of inspiration.

If you have the time, please visit the following blogs:

• NY Minute Now
• 30 Day Blog Challenge
• Beauty in the Big Apple

Add her up on the following social networks as well:

• Twitter
• Plurk

Without bias (and if you’re looking for a light read), you’ll find yourself clicking previous entries until them posts run out.

P.S. Please help me convince her to jump to WordPress

More than the craving for chicken however, both of us were curious about the new menu they were promoting through numerous ad campaigns. We all know what Mc Donald tried to do when they added a few salads to their menu — do a little damage control regarding a documentary done by Morgan Spurlock. They found out soon after that they had to do better than that.

For one, they had to give up some of their best upsell strategies. And two, they really had to make a concentrated effort to change the public’s perception. If you visit their site now, you’d be glad to know so much has changed. I guess the question is, when can we expect the same thing to happen here? Right now, I’m sure that a Big Mac combo is sure to net you more than a thousand calories. Ugh.

It’s been done numerous times before. Some are more successful than others. Some think a simple logo change is enough to change perceptions. What Kenny Rogers did here in the Philippines is improve on a menu that wasn’t really unhealthy to begin with. Though I’m paying more than I would usually do for a combo meal, peace of mind is something I would gladly spend on.

Check out Kenny Rogers’ complete menu here.