Team RuBu: Pink October Run 2009

Team RuBu: Pink October Run '09

With all of it’s founding members (Yogi Hen, Baller Coyote, and Raymond St. John) already not connected with the company, it took almost a year for the Running Buddies to get together again and to continue the goal of making a mark in the world of fun runs. I didn’t mean that in the competitive sense, let me make myself clear. I did say fun runs, right? I'm not discounting our abilities but I'd like to think of us as avid supporters only. Although we do have colleagues who can compete with Cebu’s top runners, most of us, including yours truly, join for the fun, the cause, and the activity itself. Fun runs make for great pictures and you get to rub elbows with local celebrities plus, you get to run side-by-side with a lot of eye candies. That's fun with a capital F!

Cool singlet

Pink October Run, organized by the Philippine College of Surgeons - Cebu Eastern Visayas Chapter with the help of Rotary Club of Cebu Fuente and Cebu Gloria Maris was held yesterday with the start and finish lines at The Terraces, Ayala Center. This was the first event in a series of sports activities lined up for the month of October to celebrate Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

RuBu with Donna Cruz-Larrazabal

I was slightly hesitant to join due to lack of practice but Pink October Run was so worthy a cause to support. If we waste money on a pointless drinking spree which leaves us with fewer brain cells, then surely, we can spare just Php150 to support the Breast Cancer Movement. With only four days before the run, I was able to convince 13 people to join. Apparently, I haven't lost my touch. Not everyody made an appearance but 11 participants from our group (including 3 friends from Stream Global Services, formerly, Etelecare) is quite a good turnout.

RuBu with lawyer and broadcaster Heidi Acuña

Half a kilometer and we were already gasping for air due to lack of practice. But none gave up, of course. After the race, dead tired and standing on wobbly legs, we somehow found the energy to pose for pictures. That's fulfillment for you. A hundred pictures, one peach mango pie, one Julie's bread, and a bottled water after, it was unanimously agreed upon that we'll join more fun runs (and we'll make sure to do practice runs).

Cheers to pink health!

Baby You Can Drive My Car

As previously ranted, I am the most physically-uncoordinated person that ever walked. I'm a klutz; grace seems to elude me.

It's not one of the traits she's proud of but sadly, I take after my mother in this aspect. When I was 12, my father taught my mother how to drive. On Sundays, the entire family would go to the public school grounds and while we children played, my mother got her driving lessons from my father. I can still remember the last time my mother occupied the driver's seat of a car; they almost got into a mishap. The details are vague but if my memory serves me right, they almost ran into a kid so my mother swerved. Then she lost control and they would've fell off a ditch hadn't my father reacted fast enough. My mother swore off driving after that.

Now, I believe that what happened in your childhood influences the way you think or act in your adult life. For every time I imagine myself learning how to drive, I'd automatically think of this event and I'd lose my nerve. I would take on every reason that comes to mind just so I could put it off, scaredy cat that I am. If my best friend hadn't pushed me and nagged me into getting my SP and enrolling for lessons, the year would've ended with me none the wiser.

So how did I do? Brushing aside the occasional panic I induced on my instructors and the much-repeated "sa starting gani, kung buhi-an ang clutch unya dili nimo gas-an, mapalong jud nang sakyanan", I think I fared pretty well. I was uncharacteristically agile at following verbal instructions. I once maneuvered the steering wheel to the right using my left hand and at the same time set the gear to 1 using my right hand. I can multitask!!! It's truly unbelievable. It's empowering. This may not be much to you, but it's something I thought I'm incapable of doing. There may just be hope for me, after all.

Image from Google Images.

Run Buddy Run

I am not into any physical sport. If you'd ask why, my answer would be is that I lack the physical and mental coordination needed to play effectively. I'm not sure which field of intelligence coordination belongs to but I sure was not gifted with it. This also explains why I have difficulty following, memorizing, and executing dance moves. I really don't mind however, there have been quite a few times when my inabilities have frustrated me enough to make me wish I were good in sports and in dancing.

Despite my shortcomings, I found myself joining the 3rd Seminary Fund Run last November 30. So how did I get myself into it? It was Yogi Hen who introduced me to the idea. I thought, "Why not?" I can run. It's not complex. Plus, I already own running shoes. There was one thing that was bothering me though. Can I make it to the finish line? When I told Yogi Hen about this, he invited me and Pretty Pidz, who was also a first-timer, to practice with him. He gave us an advice on how to ensure we finish the 5K run: jog for 1 minute and then walk for 2 minutes. We did this in Abellana for 12 rounds which was roughly equal to 5 kilometers. The total time it took us to finish was 49 minutes. Who cares? I wasn't joining to compete. I was joining so I could prove to myself that I can finish a 5K run and so I could shoot one duck down. Joining a marathon is part of my Things-to-Do-Before-I-Die list. There was no point in wasting an opportunity.

I am now officially a loud and proud member of Team RUBU. The founders of the team are Jam Master Yogi Hen, Baller Coyote, and Doraemond. The name, coined by the Jam Master himself, stands for Running Buddies. It makes you think of things-better-left-unsaid which was why I was at first hesitant to use it. But RUBU is pretty catchy and it got to me eventually.

There were about 20 of us who joined the Fund Run and we are looking to increase our number. We don't require you to be a pro runner. In fact, bums (like me) are much welcome. If you think you have what it takes to make it to the finish line, then i dare you to run, buddy!

Year 2

We celebrated the 2nd year of ABP operations in Cebu last Saturday. The first edition of the ABP Amazing Race was held in the afternoon. The unlikely winners who made the race really "amazing" all came from my team! Ha! Never underestimate underdogs.

Party in the evening was themed Safari Night Camp. Managers, supervisors, analysts, trainers, and agents all came in dressed up accordingly. This is me all ready for the safari (I bought my coaster earrings for a mere P26!) with my tools of trade for the night. The games and the presentations were all crazy. The party was so much fun!

After-party was at Kalye 80's and at YO.U. Booze galore! Everybody had a good time. I went home at 6AM and I slept with a smile on my face. What a fun-filled day it has been!