tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-62563500110096878342012-02-09T09:01:05.772-05:00My running log and other thoughtsFrancis de los Reyes IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05551600849998271122noreply@blogger.comBlogger451100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6256350011009687834.post-67759451306488175742007-12-06T21:31:00.000-05:002007-12-06T21:40:17.400-05:00

It's been one fun journey. I feel truly humbled by the whole marathon experience. The support from family and friends was phenomenal. I would like to thank the following folks- my GK Home Partners, for their generosity. I was able to raise a total of $5100! This is enough for more than 3 houses for 3 poor families in the Philippines.Maraming salamat (Thank you very much) to all of you:Bryn

Francis de los Reyes IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05551600849998271122noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6256350011009687834.post-11476569881828039692007-11-15T00:59:00.000-05:002007-11-15T01:03:46.256-05:00

It took a week and a half to finish writing the story of my first marathon. I wanted to describe what I felt during the entire race- everything was so vivid. So it turned out to be a long piece. I decided to divide it into sections, but to read it in the right order, you have to start with Part 1, then Part 2, etc. Sorry, but that's the way the blog goes...Hope you enjoy this first-person

Francis de los Reyes IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05551600849998271122noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6256350011009687834.post-30036718067849012712007-11-15T00:58:00.000-05:002007-11-15T00:59:08.682-05:00

Miles 23-25Shortly after we passed the big crowd, Jeff and Eddie went ahead of me again on Edwards Mill Rd, as I had to walk and stretch my cramping legs. This time, I played some more strategic games, like “I will catch up with them at that point up there”, or “I will run when they are taking their walk breaks”. This was the part when I felt most tested. I was alone, and left behind, running

Francis de los Reyes IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05551600849998271122noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6256350011009687834.post-27783048356267476822007-11-15T00:57:00.000-05:002007-11-15T00:58:09.963-05:00

UmsteadAfter one water stop and more gu (the stop had only Espresso flavor, with caffeine- I tried it anyway; conserving my own stash for later), we finally go to Umstead. Jeff and I needed a quick break, but there was a couple lined up at the single port-a-potty, so I told Jeff we should just do what we always did at Umstead – go off the trail and hide behind some trees ☺. So that’s what we

Francis de los Reyes IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05551600849998271122noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6256350011009687834.post-89979946005548613382007-11-15T00:56:00.000-05:002007-11-15T00:57:02.668-05:00

Miles 6-10We saw a line of them on Glenwood. It wasn’t one of the blue ones the race organizers had put up. These were on a construction site, but several runners were doing the same thing. We went up a little alley, through some construction materials (iron rebars, etc.) and made a quick trip. Right after this was a water station, so I guess we filled right back up. By this point, Gil was

Francis de los Reyes IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05551600849998271122noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6256350011009687834.post-12144999251820324822007-11-15T00:54:00.000-05:002007-11-15T00:56:10.065-05:00

Woke up at 3:30 AM. I think I got 4.5 hours of sleep, but I feel ok. I didn’t want to drink coffee. I was awake. I had spent an hour before going to bed laying out what I will wear- the shorts, the GK Hero’s Run jersey, the long-sleeved shirt under it, the fuelbelt with 2 flasks (1 water, 1 gatorade), 3 “gu”s (1 lemon, 2 strawberry-banana). I had pinned my race bib (#511) perfectly on the GK

Francis de los Reyes IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05551600849998271122noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6256350011009687834.post-5818615001567657772007-11-05T19:30:00.001-05:002007-11-05T19:30:59.629-05:00

Well, here I am, ready at 4:48 AM, all dressed for the City of OaksMarathon. The start time is 7 AM ,we're supposed to be there by 6.The GK volunteers are setting up two tents, and it will be a wholemorning party while they wait for 10 of us to cross the finish line.There are 3,300 participants, relatively small compared to some ofthe big marathons. My race number is 511,and I am hoping to

Francis de los Reyes IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05551600849998271122noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6256350011009687834.post-14250377792345902352007-11-03T17:15:00.000-04:002007-11-05T19:32:32.072-05:00

It's 5:14 PM, Saturday. Less than 15 hours to go to the start time. I just got back from the City of Oaks Marathon Race expo, and got my race number and ankle timer. I am nervous, excited. I also bought the coveted 26.2 decal, as well as a knee band for my right knee, and some BodyGlide. I hope I am ready.I only got one run in this week. I did 3.5 miles last Tuesday, doing mile repeats at

Francis de los Reyes IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05551600849998271122noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6256350011009687834.post-80450340305539053142007-10-29T21:37:00.001-04:002007-10-29T21:41:42.421-04:00

It's the homestretch now, and more pledges are coming in. Thanks to the following who have supported my run for GK/ANCOP.Rok and Mila EvangelistaSami RizkallaVictor MandapatBob BordenTasnim HassanWith these new home partners, my goal of raising enough for two houses is becoming more possible! Thank you again, friends- your support will keep me going during the marathon!

Francis de los Reyes IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05551600849998271122noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6256350011009687834.post-20478589328653105282007-10-29T21:24:00.000-04:002007-10-29T21:37:12.783-04:00

Ok, so I got the new Asics Gel Kayano 12 last Thursday. I ordered it the previous Sunday, but it took several days to arrive. I finally got to test it last Sunday. Jeff and I ran 7.4 miles at Umstead, our old Graylyn to Reedy Creek and back. The Reedy Creek to Graylyn is the actual 4 miles through Umstead that we will run in the actual marathon, so I thought we should conquer it one more time

Francis de los Reyes IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05551600849998271122noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6256350011009687834.post-24433738559051372662007-10-21T20:48:00.001-04:002007-10-21T21:02:38.743-04:00

Two more weeks to go before the big day, and I am getting antsy. Have I prepared enough? Will my knees hold for 26.2 miles? Do I need new shoes? I haven't run during the week because of a trip to San Diego. Am I behind?Part of that was answered this weekend. Yesterday, Jeff and I ran at the treadmills at our gym. This is a new Lifetime Fitness gyn- it just opened early his year. I showed

Francis de los Reyes IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05551600849998271122noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6256350011009687834.post-71119377451950382352007-10-20T13:12:00.000-04:002007-10-20T14:07:37.136-04:00

While the training has been hard, but fulfilling, the real reason for the GK Hero's Run is raising awareness and funds for Gawad Kalinga- ANCOP (Answering the Cry of the Poor). It has been truly humbling to have friends and family support my run for GK. All funds go toward building houses for the poorest of the poor in the Philippines. I would like to say "THANK YOU", "Maraming Salamat!" to

Francis de los Reyes IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05551600849998271122noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6256350011009687834.post-83447595525877581192007-10-20T12:47:00.000-04:002007-10-21T21:06:58.729-04:00

So Oct. 13 was 3 weeks before the marathon- our final long run. We are supposed to taper off after this, and try to recover and avoid injury before the race.After some consultaton, we decided to try the American Tobacco Trail in Wake County, instead of Umstead. This was because Umstead had the punishing hills, and the goal was to go for distance. The plan was for the half-marathoners to go to

Francis de los Reyes IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05551600849998271122noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6256350011009687834.post-83041795533653486722007-10-20T12:41:00.001-04:002007-10-20T12:47:38.766-04:00

I'm way behind on posts- it's just been one hectic week after another. So to play catch-up, here's the quick rundown...Week of Oct. 8, I got in 2 runs of 3 miles and 3.5 miles respectively, straight runs on the treadmill at 5.3 mph. Ave. heart rate was 155-160 bpm.Then, on Oct. 13, the GK Hero's Run team went to the American Tobacco Trail. Efren, Victoria, and Eddie V. ran 13 miles, then Jeff

Francis de los Reyes IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05551600849998271122noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6256350011009687834.post-60315233975613767442007-10-07T13:38:00.000-04:002007-10-07T13:49:10.543-04:00

Some weeks are just crazy. The past week, I couldn't find time to run. After last Sunday's 20-miler, I was hoping to do two 4-milers during the week. But between classes, making exams, meeting research sponsors, and sumitting a research proposal, I didn't have the time or energy to go for a run.So I hoped the long run planned for Saturday was going to be ok. Jeff and I did 7 miles at Umstead,

Francis de los Reyes IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05551600849998271122noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6256350011009687834.post-60948974500177996352007-09-30T19:23:00.000-04:002007-09-30T19:46:02.823-04:00

In the hullabaloo at the start, i had forgotten to put on my knee brace for my left knee, and it bothered me a little bit for the first 10 miles. When we got back to the van, I put it on, and the pain went away (or at least didn't bother me as much). We chugged on Gatorade, refilled our fuel belts, then started miles 10-20.The second half was okay, but all the hills at Umstead started to appear

Francis de los Reyes IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05551600849998271122noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6256350011009687834.post-65731223497956464432007-09-30T19:00:00.000-04:002007-09-30T19:22:22.901-04:00

The plan was to meet at Umstead State Forest, at the Graylyn entrance at 5:30 AM, since if we were going to run more than 4 hours, it would be late by the time we were done. So I tried to get to bed early, but still started sleeping around 11 PM. Up at 4:45 AM, and driving to Umstead a little after 5 AM. Someone forgot to tell us that 5:30 AM in late September was already dark. On the drive,

Francis de los Reyes IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05551600849998271122noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6256350011009687834.post-68580311424133233922007-09-26T22:27:00.000-04:002007-09-26T22:54:51.526-04:00

Just finished 4.2 miles of straight running. There was no pain, just pure running joy. My legs just kept going. I was aware of my form, and could shift my footstrike to more forefoot or midfoot. This must be what it should be. My heart rate was a little high, or my monitor was kooky, because the treadmill reading was very different from my wrist monitor reading. For example, the treadmill

Francis de los Reyes IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05551600849998271122noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6256350011009687834.post-52427796703490064512007-09-24T17:18:00.000-04:002007-09-24T17:27:16.865-04:00

Sometimes when you don't plan things, things just happen (duh!). So the rough plan for Sunday's long run (I couldn't do it on Sat because of Mia's tri) was to run 18 miles. Only I hadn't really figured out a route in Umstead. So Jeff and I just sort of started to run. When we got to the Reedy Creek T, we turned right to the West Gate. This would have been 4 miles one way. However, I

Francis de los Reyes IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05551600849998271122noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6256350011009687834.post-72687376913909360372007-09-24T17:08:00.000-04:002007-09-26T23:00:31.191-04:00

The fitness bug has bit the family. Since I've been training to run the Raleigh marathon to raise funds for GK, my family has been more aware of fitness. Mia, my 13-year old daughter, joined me on several runs and found this kid's triathlon in Raleigh. She and her friend Annetta (Jeff's daughter) signed up for it- the event was last Saturday. I think it went really well for a first tri. It

Francis de los Reyes IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05551600849998271122noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6256350011009687834.post-5596333056909299052007-09-18T22:18:00.000-04:002007-09-18T22:42:13.538-04:00

It's been another crazy week. I ran just 4 miles last week, and no long run. I was at the Toronto International Film Fest to watch the movie "Pisay", a film about our high school class, directed and written by my high school batchmates. The plan was to do 8 miles on Sunday, but we hardly got any sleep Th. and Friday night, and was traveling Saturday. So my body was wasted on Sunday.The good

Francis de los Reyes IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05551600849998271122noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6256350011009687834.post-85009160323845063112007-09-12T23:25:00.000-04:002007-09-12T23:31:21.096-04:00

It's been quite hectic, I couldn't find time to run during the week. So I decided last night to go to the gym around midnight to run on the treadmill. When I got there, no one was at the receptionist's table, and the front doors were locked. I could see people (a few) working out, but no staff. So I decided to come back home and run on our treadmill. I did 45 min, around 3.5 miles, average

Francis de los Reyes IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05551600849998271122noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6256350011009687834.post-68306774756837009062007-09-11T23:01:00.001-04:002007-09-11T23:17:57.913-04:00

Today, I started sending out email to friends and family about GK and why I am running this marathon. My plan is to also send actual letters to a few others, to ask them to support me and GK as I train for and run the Raleigh marathon in November. I guess I should have done this earlier- my running mates have all started. I may be the last to start my partnership drive.I suspect there are a

Francis de los Reyes IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05551600849998271122noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6256350011009687834.post-67943550543055186112007-09-09T12:36:00.000-04:002007-09-09T13:05:13.166-04:00

This week was just o-so-busy; I wasn't able to run much or post. I couldn't even get to the gym- and did the treadmill at home, before the kids woke up. I got about 2.5 miles in last Thursday morning, that was it. I felt tired the whole week- just too many things to take care of at work, several deadlines. I wasn't getting much sleep, either. I was running on fumes the whole week.So

Francis de los Reyes IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05551600849998271122noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6256350011009687834.post-52734741979764559352007-09-03T01:04:00.000-04:002007-09-03T01:22:48.188-04:00

Saturday, I ran with Efren from the GK Hero's Run Team. He was scheduled to do 8 miles; I planned on 14. So we went to Umstead, and did the Graylyn to Reedy Creek to S. Turkey Creek and back. We ran for exactly 2 hours, so I figured we did at least 8 miles. Then I continued and ran for another 1.5 hours, to Sycamore Trail, then Graylyn and part of Reedy Creek and back.A few running notes- at

Francis de los Reyes IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05551600849998271122noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6256350011009687834.post-23065400080807312342007-09-03T00:44:00.000-04:002007-09-03T01:04:45.007-04:00

This is a late post- should have written this last Friday...One of my students had her MS defense last Thursday. She did an awesome job- great presentation, great thesis. I probably gave her the most challenging MS project, and she did it. She learned, worked hard, and had a really good attitude throughout her studies. I am quite proud to be her adviser- she is one of those students whom you

Francis de los Reyes IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05551600849998271122noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6256350011009687834.post-24428483884086193732007-08-29T23:03:00.000-04:002007-08-29T23:50:46.246-04:00

I had the best short run Tuesday night on the treadmill at the gym. I started doing 5.5 mph, feeling that the usual 5.3 was too slow. It must be the heel up running- quick touches on the ground meant a faster pace. I felt I could have run much faster, and no pain! It was bliss. I met one of the run coaches while stretching, and she told me about this cardio program at the gym, and that there

Francis de los Reyes IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05551600849998271122noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6256350011009687834.post-86559289911734113202007-08-28T12:20:00.000-04:002007-08-28T12:36:56.185-04:00

For the first time in weeks, Taekwondo was not painful. Of course, I still didn't try hitting the bags, but at least the running and other excercises did not hurt as much. I planned on running close to midnight yesterday, but it just didn't happen. Instead, I spent maybe 3 hours trying to get Mail in Mac OSX to work with my work IMAP.For more than a week, I haven't been able to use Mail- I was

Francis de los Reyes IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05551600849998271122noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6256350011009687834.post-54963424652662544182007-08-25T22:23:00.000-04:002007-08-25T22:42:06.294-04:00

They showed "The Karate Kid" on TV today. It's one of those movies you have seen a hundred times, but you still watch it. Maybe because Pat Morita has the best lines of any stereotypical old Japanese sensei- he is Gandalf, Dumbledore, and Miyagi the apartment super/mystic martial arts guru with the sense of humor. So he had this whole message about "balance". Daniel-san- learn balance! You

Francis de los Reyes IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05551600849998271122noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6256350011009687834.post-9455366158429353302007-08-22T22:14:00.000-04:002007-08-22T22:22:27.435-04:00

I haven't posted for a few days. It has been hectic- the start of a new semester, switching over to a Mac from a laptop PC, new students arriving, etc. Meetings run from morning to late in the afternoon, and I have even missed eating lunches.I also haven't run since Saturday. My knees felt weak on Monday, then I think I was sick Tuesday, slightly sick and uber-busy on Wednesday. I plan to run

Francis de los Reyes IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05551600849998271122noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6256350011009687834.post-40593697828434117932007-08-18T18:28:00.000-04:002007-08-18T19:07:58.289-04:00

I had to add up the miles Jeff and I ran today at Umstead Park- it was 10.4 miles of trail. We hadn't planned the route, so we just sort of decided to go from the Graylyn entrance all the way to Reedy Creek. Well, we got to the Reedy Creek gate, and we felt we would be shortchanged if we just ran back, so we decided to go past Graylyn trail and continue on Reedy Creek trail, past airport

Francis de los Reyes IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05551600849998271122noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6256350011009687834.post-60473793506352341622007-08-18T00:19:00.000-04:002007-08-18T00:29:24.142-04:00

I ran 3.5 miles last night (Thursday) on the treadmill. There was no other time available except at 10 PM, so I went to the gym. Just a few people around- maybe less than 12. I ran the first 20 min at 11:15/mile pace. Then I did 10 min run/1 min walk after that. I figured 3.5 was a good place to stop. The left calf had some pain the first 0.6 miles, but it went away. My average HR was 150

Francis de los Reyes IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05551600849998271122noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6256350011009687834.post-34617322318391405172007-08-14T23:17:00.000-04:002007-08-15T11:16:29.128-04:00

Today was a blur. Going to the office with 13-year old and 3-year old in tow, finishing edits on a manuscript, meeting new graduate students, meeting with existing grad students about research, arranging faculty meetings, dropping off one kid at the dentist's, picking up another kid, and then coming back to the dentist's - that was the whole day. I planned on taking the kids to the pool in the

Francis de los Reyes IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05551600849998271122noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6256350011009687834.post-57281888107388674432007-08-13T11:10:00.000-04:002007-08-13T11:18:26.435-04:00

This morning I skipped my gym run club's run and went solo on the treadmill. I ran 4 miles on 10 min run/1 min walk (5.3 mph/3.3 mph). The calf pain in the left leg went away after 0.5 miles. I ran pretty much pain-free the whole way! the key is really making time for stretching before the run. However, my HR was somewhat higher this morning. The overall average was 151, and I was in my

Francis de los Reyes IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05551600849998271122noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6256350011009687834.post-12212700795766824902007-08-12T22:20:00.000-04:002007-08-12T23:03:33.415-04:00

First the running info- no run today, it's rest day. I may run tomorrow with my old gym run club. Or else just run in the morning on the treadmill. Either way, I hope to do 4 miles.On to the title of this post...For the past few days, I have been thinking about coming home to the Philippines. This is something I have thought about for the past 15 years, of course, but recently I received two

Francis de los Reyes IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05551600849998271122noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6256350011009687834.post-60508534841560841832007-08-11T18:04:00.000-04:002007-08-11T18:30:14.703-04:00

This morning, Jeff and I ran about 7 miles at the Umstead State Park. We started at the Graylyn Rd entrance, then from the Graylyn trail to the Reedy Creek Trail, to the N Turkey Trail, then back to the cars at Graylyn. My daughter Mia and Jeff's daughter Anetta biked ahead of us, coming back every 2-3 miles to give us their water bottles. Those two are training for a teen's triathlon in

Francis de los Reyes IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05551600849998271122noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6256350011009687834.post-15098903103918813212007-08-11T01:03:00.000-04:002007-08-11T01:31:25.254-04:00

I know this is supposed to be about running and GK, and I know I should be in bed, resting for tomorrow's long run (actually, in 5 hours), but we just got back from watching Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. The book itself is dark, and I personally think it would be challenging to make a great movie out of it. But this movie failed to live up to expectations. I actually think the

Francis de los Reyes IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05551600849998271122noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6256350011009687834.post-90179947711565098242007-08-10T01:21:00.000-04:002007-08-10T01:30:17.722-04:00

I was supposed to do 4-6 miles today, but somehow, the day ended without me ever getting to the gym. It's too hot to run outside, so the gym or the treadmill at home are the only options. Between meetings at work, trying to finish a research report, and driving the kids to piano, I just lost track of the day.But mostly, I spent a lot of time emailing people. My highschool email group as well as

Francis de los Reyes IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05551600849998271122noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6256350011009687834.post-32577793162050097132007-08-08T21:31:00.000-04:002007-08-08T21:40:07.849-04:00

I didn't run today, just Taekwondo in the evening. It's too hot to run outside anyway- it was 102 deg C in the afternoon, with a heat index of 110! I was stretching the whole day, mostly my calves. Taekwondo was more bearable this time, maybe because I didn't kick the bag. I worked mostly on form and hook kicks. My left calf is still tight, even with stretching all the time...We watched a

Francis de los Reyes IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05551600849998271122noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6256350011009687834.post-59719219107801098022007-08-07T17:05:00.000-04:002007-08-07T17:11:09.022-04:00

This morning I went to see a personal trainer to look at my biomechanics. If it feels like I've been to the gym every day, it's because I have, since Saturday...Anyway, my wife had a $35 gift card, so the 1-hour consult cost me $44. The results? First the good news- my arm form is almost perfect, and I keep my ear, hip and feet alignment pretty well. I have a little bounce (just a little), and

Francis de los Reyes IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05551600849998271122noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6256350011009687834.post-18945437222280474392007-08-06T23:47:00.000-04:002007-08-06T23:55:25.793-04:00

Well, today I ran 4 miles on the treadmill. It felt good- I ran 2.5 miles then ran/walked the rest at 5 min/1 min intervals. Run pace was 11:15, walk was 3.7 mph. There was the pain in the soleus at the beginning, but it went away. I also did the body-age test at the gym, and I was measured, prodded, pinched- and finally, was told my "age". This 38 year-old has a 35 year-old body! Woohoo!

Francis de los Reyes IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05551600849998271122noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6256350011009687834.post-61008106165956791972007-08-05T23:36:00.001-04:002007-08-05T23:36:55.132-04:00

For us, the greatest proof was what we saw on the ground, in the Philippines. My daughter Mia and I joined the 2006 Bayanihan Build in Quirino Province. We worked for one week alongside the beneficiary families in building their homes. We dug foundations, poured concrete, made partitions, painted walls. We saw firsthand the bayanihan spirit that building a community evokes. We shared stories

Francis de los Reyes IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05551600849998271122noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6256350011009687834.post-57363521972586369892007-08-05T23:34:00.000-04:002007-08-05T23:35:47.367-04:00

Below is the text of the little speech I gave at the two screenings of the GK Movie "Paraiso" in Cary, NC.Good afternoon. Magandang hapon po sa inyong lahat.Once in your life, you become part of something that is bigger than anything you’ve ever experienced. Two years ago, my wife Bembe literally stumbled onto this organization called Gawad Kalinga. On her highschool batch email list, a former

Francis de los Reyes IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05551600849998271122noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6256350011009687834.post-89198327725784896032007-08-05T15:46:00.000-04:002007-08-05T23:22:19.325-04:00

I actually started training in May, using the Jeff Galloway method. This is a run0-walk strategy ( I have settled on 5 min of run/1 min walk). The idea is to rest your leg muscles (when you walk, you use different muscles in a different way) so that they don't tire as easily as continuous running. So you get stronger over time, and actually can pick up the pace in the last few miles! Or at

Francis de los Reyes IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05551600849998271122noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6256350011009687834.post-19588267843937928632007-08-05T01:13:00.000-04:002007-08-05T01:43:56.567-04:00

Well, we're off and running!I started this blog to serve as my running log as I train for my very first marathon. On Nov. 4, 2007, I hope to be at the starting line of the City of Oaks Marathon (www.cityofoaksmarathon.com). I am training so I can run/walk/crawl 26.2 miles. All the books I've read say only 1% of all people has done this- complete a marathon. Well, I like my odds already :)I am

Francis de los Reyes IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05551600849998271122noreply@blogger.com0