Cebu Sports Blog by John Pages

Bionic man Bernard Sia turns into Ironman

Only 17 mornings remain before the most awaited sporting event in Cebu starts: the Cobra Ironman 70.3 race. One of the 2,150 triathletes joining is my friend from way back in high school, Bernard Vonn Sia.

The Executive Vice-President (EVP) of the family-owned Cebu Bionic Builders, Bernard is also a devoted husband to Cress and a proud dad to Cooper, Brie and Bliss. Here’s my full interview with Bernard…

What sports did you engage in in the past?

“I played bowling quite regularly when the SM Bowling lanes opened in the late 90’s. I was a part of ABC (Architect’s Bowling Club) representing the supplier section. This went on for about 5 years or so playing an average of 15-20 games per night 3-4x a week. Joined at least 4 or 5 tournaments a year only and never championed. hehe! After that, I took a swing at golf when my dad also started playing. Loved the sport, never had a handicap lower than 32 though and had already numerous injuries like tendonitis, back pains (bulging disc at the L4/L5) & even broke my nose! Yup my own golf ball ricocheted and hit my nose missing my left eye by half an inch. I was also part of SAGA (Society of Architect Golfers & Associates) again representing the supplier section. I’d play 2-3x a week diminishing when I got married and especially when we started having kids. The time spent on the fairway is just too long for a new family.”

How did you evolve into getting into triathlon?

“Well, it all started October 2011 when my medical check up showed a slightly high cholesterol and some other ailments. Cress then told me to get some exercise (during that time I almost had zero physical activities). I had actually been putting of exercise for the whole year of 2011- but these medical check ups shake you up you know.. a wake up call of sorts, this coupled with over 10 months of get togethers with Bendy Benedicto and everytime we would meet up we’d talk about his trainings and how it has improved his physical well being.

“So, to get the ball rolling & push myself, I registered for a fun run, not just any fun run, it was the CCM 2012 (Cebu City marathon) 21K half marathon. Take note I have never run and have never joined any fun run of any distance prior to this. This was when my kumpare John Pages would have his patience tested because I would call him almost everyday for running tips, running forms and the like . I would view videos on chi running, read on various training methods and download some training programs online. 2 months to train for the CCM half mary 2012 and I think i did 2:38 on my very first half mary. After that I found myself joining a half marathons once a month until this day.

“Since it wasn’t advisable to run everyday to give our joints a rest, I just figured, why not get a bike? a road bike probably since I’m in my 40’s? bike around the city as cross training? So I did, without any idea that there was a huge bike community in my circle of friends alone. The second I got my bike, it opened up a lot of new and old connections sharing the same enthusiasm for a healthier lifestyle. First ride, Ryan brought me straight to Willys in Busay. Second Ride, Mike Fernan rode with me straight to Danao. Majority of the guys I was riding with were all triathletes and all training for Ironman 70.3 2012 – so i kinda got sucked in their bike training while still doing my runs.

“The swim part was last. I just toyed with the idea of: i’m running & biking, swimming probably? why not? could it be possible to teach a 40 year old the basics of swimming? So, a month before my first Tri Race, I asked Franz a triathlete and swim coach the basics — boy did he have a hard time!! it’s really hard to teach an old dog new tricks! But it got done. It was frustrating but it got done.”

When was your first triathlon event?

“My very first Triathon Race was a sprint distance at the Tri United 3 in Alabang, Manila. I chose this race, well because it had a finisher’s medal and that was a good remembrance of your first Tri. 900 meters in the LaSalle Zobel Pool that lasted 39 mins; 30 km. biking around Ayala Alabang for 52 mins & 7 km run around narra park for a total time of 2:23landing a 41st place out of 68 age groupers. Packing & unpacking the bike was hell! will probably not race an out of towner again. hehe!

Can you talk some more about last year’s IM? And the Fearless Hot Mammas?

“Since I was already riding with friends training for the IM and i was regularly running, 2 weeks before IM last year, I was trying to sell myself on facebook by posting status update volunteering myself in case anyone needed a biker or runner for any relay team. The last update i posted 2 days before the event: “Last chance for anyone looking for a Cyclist or Runner to substitute any last minute back out sa Relay for IronMan 70.3this Sunday. Guaranteed time: Ride: 3:40; Run: 2:35”. That day I got a message from Francis M & Marget V. referring me to the same team: the Fearless Hot Mammas. Their runner Maimai H. narrated to me that their biker actress Jennylyn Mercado could not make it because of some misfortune (found out later in the news that she was swindled her money for this cebu trip). And the rest is history.

“I didn’t have any expectations as I was literally a last minute substitute so i went around my business of registering and bike check in just ‘going with the flow’. The night before the race though i slept early and took lots of water. Left the house at 2AM to make it to the 4AM cut-off before they close off the roads. The anxiety set in an hour before swim start. Heart Rate started to rise as there were so many watching in shang that i had to make sure I don’t fall while trying to mount the bike. hehe! on the route, lots of people & children were cheering and that made a difference. Southbound was very difficult, the headwinds were so strong I couldnt go faster than 20kph! I just paced myself ‘just to survive’. Going back and up the bridge was another ordeal, could I still have the energy to pedal uphill? Saw some guys already walking their bikes up — then told myself: “this is just another willy’s ride, just another willys ride”. got back to shangri-la 34 minutes faster than my target time and it was time to relax. I waited for our runner at the finish line excited, I mean exhausted. hehe!

Did you decide right after the event to join the full IM this year?

“I think I was already considering it immediately after but when i saw the exhausted faces of the finisher I said “nah! I’m not that crazy!” It would later turn out I was that crazy! I decided with finality to join this year’s individual half Ironman about 2 months after.

When did you register, the first day when the online reg opened?

“Yes, I registered the first day and first minute online registration opened that was December 1, 2012 8:00AM! I then found out that it only took 4 days to fill up all the slots!

How has your training progressed from Aug of last year until now?

“Right after last year’s IronMan70.3, most of my training involved getting the hang of the swim segment and also joining sprint and olympic distances just to get the ‘feel’ of triathlon and also so as not to do too much too soon. The official training allegedly started around March after the Xterra Triahlon race. So far I have build up my training base mileage the first 3 months making sure I can survive all 3 distances for each discipline with some brick (doing 2 at the same time) training here and there – sort of building up the endurance. I also joined a lot of races making it part of the training. The last 2 months until now is more specific with more brick trainings and more intensity but shorter distances and time.

“It is difficult to train solo as well, I was doubly blessed when last year our CCA (Cebu Contractor’s Ass.) had asked us to form a fitness group that we now call Built to Tri and early this year I was invited by the premiere Tri – Running Group TTB (Team TytsBogdo) to join their fold. The seasoned triathletes from TTB has become my mentors in this new sport while the guys in Built To Tri have been moral boosters and vice versa. The camaraderie in these groups also have given a new meaning to Training.

“I just have to say this though: Training for ironman is not easy. If you get to chance upon my workout logs on Daily Mile, you will see the time that was/is spent on training. My mileage though is nothing compared to the others who dedicate more time and of course gets better results. I aim to finish and make sure not to loose track of my goal in all of these: ‘To be healthy for my family”. Right now, it’s family, business and training — anything more I take in will be impossible for me to handle.

“My weekday trainings are usually before the crack of dawn and finish in time to wake up my kids, have breakfast with them and bring them to school, everyday. This means if i need to do an LSD (Long Slow Distance) run, i have to start before 4:00AM otherwise all weekday morning trainings are short and intense. I’d sneak a 30minute swim during lunch, eat for 30 minutes and be back in the office immediately or do a Brick Swim/Run late afternoon but after the swim, I’d run to the house to save time. My weekends used to be consumed with every Sundaytraining but over the last 2 months I felt it wasn’t doing any good forSunday family time, so I’d either do a long bike ride on a Saturday and report for work a bit later in the morning or do a quick Sunday morning training to finish before 8:00AM, in time when the kids wake up. LongSunday trainings are now about once a month with some simulations or bricks. Again, i cannot stress this enough, my time for family is a no compromise – and I thank my wife for her gentle reminders as trainings can be addicting and you lose track of yourself.

“As far as my progress of my training is concerned, I can’t really tell. I think it is innate in us to under value ourselves thinking, we’re still slow, it’s still difficult and I think up to some extent, that’s good, it keeps our foot on the ground and not be complacent. So, to answer your question: I have not progressed, but have become healthier?? Is that a valid answer?

What events have you joined?

“After my relay participation in ironman last year I have joined:

Tri United Leg 3 – Sprint Distance – November 2012
Cebu Loves Tri Leg 1 – Olympic Distance – November 2012
Cebu Loves Tri Leg 2 – Olympic Distance – February 2013
Xterra Off Road Tri – Relay 10K Run – March 2013
Talisay Triathlon – Sprint Distance – March 2013
Nat’l Age Group Triathlon – Olympic Distance – April 2013
Tabuelan 111 Triathlon – 111km distance (1.2km short of a 70.3) – June 2013

coming up after Ironman 70.3 will be Defy 123 – a 1km swim, 110km bike, 10km run in the island of bohol come october – a birthday race if you must say. :)”

Of the three disciplines, what gave you the most difficulty and why?

“First it was the swim because I was a new swimmer and especially if the water was rough but I kinda overcame that already, now my challenge is the run especially after the tabuelan race, I feel I need to improve my run after biking 90km.”

What are your expectations this IM?

“I‘m hoping for the same professionally organized race, better hydration & nutrition support for the bike & run part, a nice cool rain free weather and of course good and safe race. Other than that, I saw in the race route it’s practically the same as last year so the same expectation of some challenging under currents in the swim part, strong and grueling headwinds on the bike part and super hot and sunny run! :)”

Why do you think this sport is so popular today?

“I can probably attribute it to social media? People see what other people are doing so they go with the fad probably? A bucket list of sorts. The downside to this is the lack of education and respect for the sport which might cause injuries or fatalities. I have read of a lot of deaths or injuries from triathlon racing. That’s why as far as my training is concerned, I train using my heart rate as basis so I don’t overtrain / overstrain myself. Our TTB elders also always remind us of the dangers of overtraining or doing too much too soon, our version of cruel love hehe!”

What will your farthest swim, bike ride and run be in preparation for IM?

“The farthest I’ve swam is the 2 km Olanggo challenge; a 120km bike ride and 21km run during the once a month fun runs. I hope this will be enough to prepare for IM.”

With the Cebu Marathon, how will you describe your experience?

“Honestly and at first I thought it was a bit pricey but after my first full marathon at this year’s CCM, I have to tell you without any biases it was worth every cent of the fee and more. the race route was very safe with marshalls everywhere and I think it’s the most important factor. The support crews were manned by very competent people, sometimes overqualified with no less than doctors on some parts. Hydration, Nutrition, Ice Bath were in surplus. They even have efficacent oil spray on some stations. The route was also filled with lively cheerers, bands, some music, and more. Lots of photographers that openly share their photos as well. and of course last but not the least, I can proudly say I ran my first marathon at home: Cebu.”

What has sports and exercise taught you?

“Ironically John, though training for IM70.3 is very time consuming, it has taught me time management. It has extended my sense of patience, forbearance and humility. Sports is a good release of stress from other factors in your life as long as you don’t let the sport stress you out.”

Do you pray before, during or after an event/training?

“I have this practice of kneeling infront of Senor Santo Nino at home before any training asking for a safe workout and to ‘bring me back safely to my family after each training’. We also pray as a group before a long ride or event asking for protection and safety. I have a rosary that I bought in our Lady of Manaoag in Luzon when my wife (then girlfriend) went there that i place on the stem of my bike, that I touch and say a little prayer also before a ride.”

What if Pacman loses this November 24?

Good-bye. The simple truth is, if Manny Pacquiao gets defeated a third straight time (in his upcoming bout in Macau), that’s it. He stops. He retires forever from boxing.

Two weeks ago, our group of sportswriters met for lunch. Among the many stories that we exchanged was talk of Sarangani’s congressman.

“Rios (Manny’s opponent) is young and he’s very, very hungry,” said one colleague. “Compared to Manny who’s getting older and getting farther and farther away from boxing.”

My friend’s conclusion? “I think Manny will lose.”

Ouch. All things — the good, included — come to an end.

I recall our family’s insightful conversation one evening with Wally Liu, the owner of Primary Structures and one of our island’s most respected businessmen. Wally was telling us stories of business. Any business, he said, will always have a start and an end. Businesses, no matter how strong and mighty, will have it’s ending.

If Wally speaks of business, that applies even more to sports — where the body gets punched, the skin gets wrinkled.

Pacquiao is 34 years old. He’s not thirty four years young. Brandon Rios is young at 27.

Look at what happened to Anderson Silva. “The Boast” is 38 years old. And did you notice the “Anderson Knows” shirt that he boastfully wore upon entry to the octagon? I hope Manny knows that those “Nike knows” shirts are dimalas.

Manny used to be the “Pound-for-Pound No.1 in the world.” Today, he’s the “Pound-for-Pound No.1 in GenSan.”

Pacman better shape-up. Literally and figuratively. His last climb on the ring was in December 8, 2012. And we know his last memory of that bout. Or shall I say, given his temporary loss of consciousness upon the face-first fall, he’ll have remembered it from watching the DVD.

It will be more than 11.5 months (exactly 350 days) in between that Juan Manuel Marquez knockout and the Brandos Rios bout. That’s a long, long, long, long time. I scoured through Pacman’s previous encounters and he’s never had a gap this long. Ever. (Consider that, in his first year in boxing, he fought 10 fights in 1995.)

And it’s not like he’s been training this entire 2013. He’s busy. Manny is forever busy. Busy with all things except boxing. Busy as a father to Jimuel, Michael, Princess and Queenie; busy as a (now) faithful husband to Maria Geraldine Jamora; busy as Mindanao’s most famous solon; busy shooting basketball free-throws; busy as a God-loving and Bible-reading Christian.

Of the latter, this is, obviously, very, very good. Manny, as all reports have indicated, has renounced his sinful ways and become an honest, good boy. This is good. And bad. Because as good as this is when it involves his entire life and his relationships with Jinkee and his family, this hasn’t been all-too-good with boxing.

I’m no boxer but the mentality is to kill. It’s a savage, cruel, I-will-make-you-bleed sport.

I repeat: Manny’s becoming “good” is good. But has it softened his killer instinct? Has it mellowed his aggressiveness? Has he realized the whole meaning of life — that it’s not all about beating-up people?

I don’t know the answer. But it’s very possible that all these factors — Manny’s age, his long-standing myriad of activities that only Superman can follow, his newfound heart and surrender to God — that all these may have transformed him into a good guy/lousy boxer.

With his coming Nov. 24 bout: I hope Manny wins. Who Filipino doesn’t? I hope he wins and retires.Knowing him and Mayweather, they might be texting each other for a mega-bout in 2014.

But I hope he retires. He has nothing to prove. He is already the greatest Filipino athlete ever — and one of the greatest Pinoys in history. Fifty years from now, when Jose Rizal and Ninoy Aquino and Carlos P. Romulo will be discussed in the history books of our great-grandchildren, “Manny Pacquiao” will be one of those names. From kargador to the most famous Filipino ever, what a life. It’s time to stop the joyride. Time to gamble and win — then stop — in Macao.

Andy, not Anderson, is the Champ

Randy del Valle, a friend from Cebu who’s resided in London, England since 2009, was at the Wimbledon Gentlemen’s Final together with his son Luigi two days ago.

“We arrived at Centre Court of Wimbledon around 12:30 noon,” he said. “We passed through Gateway 518 and sat on seats 354 and 353 on Row ZE.”

Ticket prices? I asked.

“£130 each,” Randy said.

In pesos, that’s a high P8,500 per ticket. Not your usual Cebu Coliseum prices, for sure; but this is the most prestigious tennis spectacle in the universe with the world’s top two ranked players.

“What a day!” Randy e-mailed me, just hours after witnessing the historic victory of Andy Murray over Novak Djokovic. “This is my best Wimbledon experience after being here for the fifth time.”

With coach Tommy Frederiksen, friends Jourdan and Jingle Polotan, and my two girls, Jasmin and Jana, in our home theater room, we watched at 9 P.M. the other evening. And while the 32-stroke rallies were intense and exciting, nothing compares to watching it in person.

Randy continues his personal observations: “The last game at the 3rd set – what a thriller! The centre court was about to explode. When Murray broke 4-5, the crowd went wild and you can see a good mix of tension and excitement. With 3 championship points at 40-0, we were on our feet until the deuce and 2 break points. The see-saw truly was a thriller and I actually expected Djokovic to break and that we’ll go to 4th set — but finally after the 4th championship point, Murray did it and became the first British man to win the gentlemen’s bracket since 1936 (77 years ago).”

On a hot London day that Randy describes as “scorching but nice” (he and son Luigi happened to be seated in the shaded area), he saw plenty of celebrities: Prime Minister David Cameron, Victoria Beckham, Sir Chris Hoy (the cycling champ) and some Hollywood celebrities. He added: “The crowd was great – can’t imagine another tennis spectacle with this type of atmosphere – a lot of firsts… It is definitely called the Murray Mount (farewell Henman Hill) – went there to see the crowd and wow, it’s huge… After a lot of upsets in the 1st week, this truly is the best ending of a great Wimbledon 2013!”

NOTES. What a tournament! After all the upsets, injuries and unpredictabilities, it ended with the two world’s best players on center stage. A few points…

Sabine Lisicki: that was painful. Usually, after a few games into the match, the nervousness subsides. Not Lisicki. Not until the score was 6-1, 5-1 and she was two match points down did she resurrect. But it was too late. We all felt sad for her. With her normal game on grass, she’d have won. Her 125-mph serve is as fast as Serena’s. The entire Wimbledon finale overwhelmed her. Sayang…

Andy-Nole: I actually found the final not as exciting as one where Roger or Rafa is involved. As our group (who watched) analyzed why, we realized the reason: these are two overly-steady, we’ll-never-miss players. Unlike Roger’s forehand or Nadal’s topspin or Del Potro’s running crosscourt angle, Andy and Nole are content to jab-jab-jab until one commits a mistake. They rarely go for the big, knockout shots. This was a game of fitness and mental fortitude. The man with the steelier nerves, wins.

Best quote from Andy: “I think I persevered. That’s really been it, the story of my career, I had a lot of tough losses, but the one thing I would say is I think every year I always improved a little bit. They weren’t major improvements, massive changes, but every year my ranking was going in the right direction.. I kept learning and I just kept working as hard as I could.”

Anderson Silva: ha-ha; I know, he’s no tennis player. But, like millions of you worldwide, I watched the fight last Sunday noon. Hambog! Can you believe how much he was taunting Chris Weidman? He was too cocky. And that’s what happens to people who believe they’re too good and invincible. Can you imagine if the same thing happens to one who’s just as boastful, Floyd Mayweather, Jr.?

Gov. Junjun Davide leads Cebu’s Ironman 70.3

At a meeting in the Capitol recently, Gov. Junjun (seated, 2nd from right) with (from left, seated) Atty. Mark Tolentino, Dr. Peter Mancao, Princess Galura and Hembler Mendoza, among others

When he was still with the Cebu City Council, I had met Hilario “Junjun” Davide III several times.

During the Cebu Sports Awards when POC Chairman Monico Puentevella, now Bacolod City mayor, graced our awards night at the Casino Espanol as guest speaker, it was Junjun Davide who attended the affair representing the Cebu City government.

When I was president of the Rotary Club of Cebu West — just a few months after he narrowly lost to Gwen Garcia — I invited Mr. Davide as speaker. Our Rotarians had a terrific night listening to the eloquent son of our former Supreme Court Chief Justice — also because Junjun happened to be a high school (Sacred Heart School) classmate of four other Rotarians: Bobby Yap, Alvin Tan, Benjie Cimafranca and Maxwell Ahyong. These moments happened a few years back.

A few weeks ago, I happened to be in close contact again with Governor Davide. This time, when the organizers of the Cobra Ironman 70.3 triathlon race — Sunrise Events, Inc. — needed to coordinate with the new provincial leaders.

July 1st, 2013; Monday morning early this week, on the historic first day of his governorship — and inside the improvised room in the Capitol that temporarily serves as his headquarters — I had the opportunity to meet with the new governor again.

We chatted. He read a message that we videotaped and was aired the following day when the Cobra Ironman 70.3 was launched in Shangri-La Makati. We met again last Thursday morning when he joined the organizational meeting between Sunrise Events (led by Princess Galura) and the province.

Gov. Junjun may not be a triathlete or a runner like Mayor Mike Rama — but he has vowed to fully support the August 4 event that is the Ironman.

Atty. Mark Tolentino, the Provincial Administrator — a close friend since college and a fellow member of the Brotherhood of Christian Businessmen and Professionals (BCBP) — is the lead person in behalf of the Capitol. He’s helping organize this huge sports event that will have 2,150 participants (including two world champs, Pete Jacobs and Chris McCormack, going head-to-head). It has been challenging. The new Provincial leaders began their term just last July 1 and the IM70.3 is on August 4. That’s a little over one month.

But thanks to Atty. Mark Tolentino (a runner who finished the 42K at the Cebu Marathon) and Gov. Junjun (plus the so many volunteers, including Dr. Peter Mancao, who has accepted the challenge to head the Medical team) this will be another proud moment for Cebu tourism and sports.

Wimbledon and Randy’s personal Grand Slam

Randy del Valle has been residing in England since the late 2009. Since his transfer from Cebu to London, he’s been watching sports nonstop. His current craze? Of course, the world’s most prestigious tennis spectacle…

“We went to Wimbledon last Thursday (2nd round),” said Randy, a top executive of the oil giant Shell. “This was the day after the big storm where a lot of players retired and got eliminated — King Roger, Maria Sharapova, Victoria Azarenka (injury), Ana Ivanovic, John Isner (injury), to name a few, and two days after Rafael Nadal’s big upset.”

Together with his wife Christine and son Luigi, he watched plenty of grass-court tennis. “We did not have tickets to the big courts but were able to see some good games in Courts 3-18 (Jeremy Chardy, Bernard Tomic and Sam Stosur plus doubles match of Leander Paes and Radek Stepanek). It was a good afternoon until the rain came at 5:30 which eventually postponed the games to the day after.”

Apart from Wimbledon, Randy has watched plenty of sporting events in London. The Olympics of 2012. Formula One in Silverstone. And, for soccer followers, he’s a Chelsea fan. “My sister sometimes gives us tickets as she’s with Samsung – I was also able to watch a Barcelona game at the Camp Nou in Barcelona this year.”

But his favorite sport is tennis. This year will be the fourth time that Randy has entered the hallowed gates of the All-England Club (Wimbledon).

His passion for tennis started when his late father, Ruel Sr., got him and his siblings to play and follow the game. “I remember my dad to be an Ivan Lendl fan,” Randy said. “I got interested during the Sampras-Agassi days and cheered for Andre, even practicing his double-handed backhand in college.”

GRAND SLAM. To all tennis fans, if you think the story thus far of Randy’s Wimbledon visits are enticing, listen to this: Randy has watched — in person — all four Grand Slam events. Yes, no error in typing there; all four: in Melbourne, Paris, New York and London.

“I’ve always wanted to experience and watch the four Grand Slam events,” Randy narrated. “Last year, I realized that our planned holiday in New York coincided with the U.S. Open and took the opportunity to look for tickets on the first week and got lucky to get one.

“Early this year, I happened to be in Melbourne for work and took the opportunity to watch it over the weekend with my friend Joey Baring who lives in Melbourne. My friend Joey, who is also a tennis fan, watched the tournament everyday (Australian Open has this 2-week daily ticket available)!

“And having watched the three consecutive grand slams, I asked myself why not make it a ‘personal’ slam. I asked my family for to us to drive to Paris to watch the French Open in May and at the same time have a holiday in France since Luigi is also on a school break. This time my sister Ruby’s family joined us.”

How does Randy describe each of tennis’ four majors? The Australian Open, he says, is very sunny, relaxed and free (people wearing shorts and drinking a lot of beer while watching). The French Open is “very strict as they monitor tickets thoroughly.”

“Fun and free and the venue is huge—I find the night matches better than day matches as it is cooler and yes, the crowds yell a lot!” he described the US Open in New York. Wimbledon follows strict tradition, says Randy. That — plus the grass courts — make the London grand slam event extra special.

How he’d score the four? “If I were to rank them, I would say: 1. Wimbledon, 2. US Open, 3. Australian Open, and 4. French Open.”

With his favorite Grand Slam event that’s currently played in London, here’s one final word to keep all of us envious. Randy has tickets to watch the Wimbledon men’s final this Sunday. “We were fortunate to get a couple of tickets from Luigi’s allocation at the British Tennis-Lawn Tennis Association (LTA),” Randy said. “Hope it will be a Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray finals – and Andy finally winning his first Wimbledon.”

Tony Galon runs 42K x 6 = 250 kms.

To you and I ordinary mortals, running a 21K is considered an accomplishment. Finishing a marathon — the 42K — is a major, life-changing achievement. How about the 50K? Or the 100-km. ultra-marathon? These are considered “crazy” distances reserved only for the diehard lovers of pain. Well, guess what? There’s more.

Last June 14, a 250-km. race — the countrys’ longest footrace — was held in Cebu. The South-to-North 250K started in Santander and, after passing through 20 cities and municipalities, ended in Bogo City.

Joel Cuyos finished first with a time of 42 hours and 39 minutes. The others who completed the distance within the cutoff time were Zenchen Lagapa (43:19), Wilnar Iglesia (43:19), Rodney Cabahug (46:40), Tony Galon (46:58), Randy Rubio (47:02) and Barry Red (47:37). Three women joined the race and it was Rodah Oporto-Cabellero who finished (12 minutes after the cutoff time).

I interviewed Tony Galon, the 43-year-old president of the Cebu Ultrarunners Club (CUC), and here’s his account:

“At Km70, I had a blister on my left foot and later on the right foot around km100. It’s also the first time that I experienced hallucination. I can see people at a distance — yet they were only plants, trees or road signs. One time I wondered why there’s a bus lying on the road. Was there an accident? It was the shaded part of the road covered with tree shadows.

“Sleeping while running/walking. I took a nap between Aloguinsan-Toledo. I can’t control my eyes; they closed by themselves. I stayed in the middle of the road following the lines and after a few seconds, opened my eyes and aligned myself in the middle of the road. In Aloguinsan, this sleeping habit stopped because of the many stray dogs…

“Along Tuburan-Tabuelan, I was alone because my support crew, John Domingo, helped another teammate. My headlamp had no battery and it was very dark. I can barely run and felt disoriented. I can’t understand everything. My mind can’t hold on as it seems it was a never ending 8km in Tabuelan. I needed fuel (food) as I didn’t have proper intake in the past 2 days.

“I ate a chocolate bar given by Agnes Perez with her husband Garry, joining the Tabuelan 111. But it wasn’t enough; I still can’t focus. Luckily, there was a barbecue station and I asked for barbecue and puso (“hanging rice”) but it was only 1 puso. Soon after I reached Tabuelan, I felt disoriented and cold. I noticed that when I ran I had no sweat and felt hotness in my body.

“I decided to stop and sit down and later decided to take a habal2x going to Bogo City. I have no light for the Tabuelan-San Remigio route and the km. marker says 33km to go to San Remigio plus the 8K going to Bogo City. With my situation, there’s no way I can take the marathon length. I stopped a habal2x and asked the fare going to Bogo. It was P300 and my money was only P100.

“While talking and negotiating with the driver, Ronald and Mazil Rubic (my in-laws) saw me together with Keith and Annabelle Dinoy (CUC members who joined Tabuelan 111). It was perfect timing. They gave me food, medicine, massage, hot soap, fresh dry cloth and a flash light. I stayed for an hour in this area just to recover. From then I was in a good condition and started running again plus my wife (Alfie) and John Domingo arrived. I ran the whole stretch except the part when there was heavy rain and I took a nap inside the car waiting for the rain to stop.

“The rain did not stop. Alfie advised me to use an umbrella to save time so I can reach the finish line within the cutoff time. I ran to Bogo City with an umbrella. On the last 8K, I thought the old city hall was the finish but it was the Martinez Gym. I ran like an UNGO was chasing me until the finish.”

Amazing! Tony completed the 250K in 46 hours, 58 minutes. He was one of only seven runners (out of the 20 who started) to have finished within the 48-hour cutoff time. As baseball’s Tommy Lasorda once said, “The difference between the impossible and the possible lies in a man’s determination.” What a story of perseverance by Tony.

Other inputs from Tony:

Tony is presently working at Systech Telecom Ltd, a hongkong based company dealing with hotel wifi internet, bt we have also a music division that is exclusive handled the Asia Pacific for Vienna School of music board. Wife is Alfie Galon, a PE teacher and volleyball coach from St Theresa’s College.

Said Tony: “We have 2 boys, Aaron Gabriel, 13 yrs old and Luke Daniel, 9 years old… I started running last Dec 9, 2009 after i was convinced by my wife to run… Founded the CUC – Cebu Ultrarunners Club. The facebook group name is Beyond 42k.. Cebu Ultrarunners Club, last March 2011 and became the president thru election July 2011 till present… I have also created/founded this “I am a blood donor runner”. A group of any runners (all over Phils) that are willing to share their blood without any pay. We already donated blood to many people runners or not.”

Marathons of Tony: Cebu City Marathon(s), Condura Marathon, Kawasan Marathons & Aboitiz Race to Reduce Marathon. Ultramarathons: Bohol 50-50, Mayon360, CUC100K leg 1 and leg 2, Bohol 50 Miler Ultramarathon, Ultrahamster(s), Summit 60K, 1st Coast to Coast 65K Ultramarathon and 1st 50K Cebu Ultramarathon. Others events are Xterra(s), Trail Marathons in Mt Patag, Silay City and MSIG Sai Kung 50K Trail in Hongkong and various 21K and fun runs

Congratulations!

Mike Rama: A runner who runs Cebu City

Rama (center) and Labella (to his right), in tandem (photo taken over five years ago, last Feb. 2008)

Each time I give him a call to ask if he can join a 5,000-meter run along the streets of the city that he manages, he never says no.

Running for public office. Running for exercise. These two types of runs he cherishes.

Mayor Michael Lopez Rama — had he not been a life-long public servant — would have opted to become a career basketball shooter. He’d rather be wearing high-cut basketball shoes than his trademark leather boots.

The long-sleeves polo shirt wrapped with coat jacket? Sure, he has to wear this attire when he meets VIPs. But, I’m sure, he’d exchange this quickly for long, baggy basketball shorts and a sleeveless jersey.

Several years ago upon the initiation of soon-to-be Provincial Board Member Raul “Yayoy” Alcoseba, we played basketball. It was at our family’s school gymnasium at Bright Academy in Banilad.

Rama vs. Alcoseba/Pages. Mayor Mike (then our vice mayor) brought along his entire clan. It was a Sunday afternoon. From our end, it was my brother Charlie, dad Bunny, uncle Ray Pages (the former PBA player), Coach Yayoy, his children Momon, Rocky, and nephew Ryan…

I don’t remember the outcome — it doesn’t matter. What matters is that, for two hours, we passed and rebounded and flicked spinning lay-ups. And, if you’ve played basketball with him, you know Mike Rama’s strength: the outside jumper. He converted on several long-range missiles.

That’s basketball. With running, he enjoys the exercise that we (and incoming Vice Mayor Edgar Labella) all enjoy — jogging, sprinting, lifting one leg after another. In each of the past Cebu Marathon events, he’s there. At 4:30 A.M., when everybody’s still snoring, he’s at the Cebu I.T. Park, stretching and bouncing his long legs, ready for the sweat.

Last January was extra fun. We all know that “Gangnam Style” was the hottest dance song. When Annie Neric, our co-organizer/emcee, started dancing, guess who gamely joined her at the starting line during the warm-up?

Mr. Mayor, of course. Mike Rama danced Gangnam. He then wished the runners good luck. Next, off he ran… step by step, without stop, the five kilometer distance beside his son Mikel.

CITY HALL. Last Tuesday, I had the privilege of being inside his cavernous office inside the Cebu City Hall. Thanks to the invitation of Edward Hayco, our tireless chairman of the Cebu City Sports Commission, the city mayor was surrounded by over 50 sports personalities.

It was a courtesy call by Ed Hayco and he brought along some of Cebu’s top athletes: dancesports gold medalists (with Eleanor Hayco), karatedo champions, archers (led by Dondon Sombrio), sports commissioners like Nimrod Quiñones, Ryan Aznar, Brian Lim, Bernard Ricablanca, volleyball’s Eric Licain, and CCSC’s executive director Brando Velasquez.

Looking refreshed after taking a couple of weeks’ vacation after that extra grueling campaign period, Mayor Mike was relaxed. To the many young athletes listening to his every word, he imparted numerous lessons in life.

“The heart is the most important,” Mayor Mike said. “You may have the talent, you may have the resources, but if the passion doesn’t come from within — your heart — then you can’t be a true champion.”

Mayor Mike talked about two of the 10 commandments. “The most important are to love God to love your neighbor,” he said. He then pointed to his right wall where a black-and-white photo of him as a young boy was displayed. “That’s my only medal,” he explained, as dozens of medals glistened from the necks of the athletes that surrounded him. “I was the valedectorian in elementary.”

After his inspirational words, everybody joined him for the picture-taking. Presented a gift by Ed Hayco, he took off his formal jacket and wore the sports shirt. Then, after being given a bow from the archers, he placed it alongside his personal photos — showing everyone how much he loves sports.

“To whom much is given, much is expected.” Our mayor is a lifelong sportsman. We expect nothing less than the best era in sports from Mike Rama.

It’s a bird. It’s a plane. It’s…….

Michael Jordan? Yes. Today’s version. The way King James played two days ago reminded us of His Airness. He unleashed 3-pointers. He soared for lay-ups. He drilled 18-footers as effortlessly as free throws. The entire world’s basketball population — hundreds of millions of us, earthlings — expected the best from our planet’s best. He delivered.

It may be premature to compare MJ to LBJ — No. 23 had six NBA rings and five MVP awards compared to No. 6’s two rings and four MVPs — but the way LeBron played on the biggest game of his career was vintage Jordan.

The pressure of that winner-take-all Game VII was unbearable. LeBron had been ostracized for his transfer to Miami. He has been labeled as “Choker” for the occasions when, with seconds left on the clock, he’d rather pass than drive.

LeBron’s performance this season (26.8 PPG, 8.0 RPG, 7.3 APG), in these playoffs (25.9 PPG, 8.4 RPG, 6.6 APG) and especially with his Game 7’s output of 37 points (five 3-pointers) and 12 rebounds — these numbers should silence the harhest of critics.

LeBron is the world’s greatest athlete today. That’s undeniable. Nobody comes close. But as examplary as his statistics reveal, what I recently found most remarkable about the 28-year-old is this trait: He’s humble.

Yes, LeBron is a nice guy. If you listened to his post-game interviews, he didn’t call attention to himself. He thanked his teammates. He applauded San Antonio. He used the words “I’m blessed” like a priest would in a homily. LeBron is blessed. He knows it. We know it. But what’s amazing is that he doesn’t put extra focus on himself — unlike Kobe and, at times, Chicago’s No. 23.

In line with this selfless attitude, he’s also not “buaya.” (Again, sorry to Kobe fans but this differentiates the two.) Didn’t we often complain that he looks to pass more than to score?

LeBron is like a little kid in Disneyland. This amusement park is called the American Airlines Arena. “I’m from Akron, Ohio. From the inner city. I’m not even supposed to be here,” he says, with all gratefulness. When he was asked in the press-con what motivates him, he said that he plays the game “to inspire the youth to play basketball or to become better at what they do.” Perfect. He knows his role — to be a role model.

GAME 7. Didn’t the final game mirror the entire NBA Finals series? Every single minute was close — until the final moments. One team wouldn’t lead by more than four. It was the same in the entire series. But in the end, in James vs. Duncan, the current MVP defeated the former MVP.

James converted on his jumpers. Duncan missed two nearby attempts that could have tied the game at 90 in the final minute. The Spurs didn’t score another point. It was that close. “Probably, for me, Game 7 is always going to haunt me,” Duncan said.

What I enjoyed most about the NBA Finals — one of the most-followed in history — was because so many players emerged as heroes. Ginobili in Game 5. Wade in the fourth game. Danny Green’s record 27 3-pointers. Tony Parker’s heroic basket in Game 1. Miami’s Big 3 scoring 85 in Game 4. And, of course, the one shot that will forever be etched in our brain’s internal hard drive: Ray Allen’s 3-pointer in Game 6.

In Game 7, apart from LBJ’s 37 points (scoring nearly 40 percent of the Heat’s entire team score), the hero was Shane Battier, who made six of eight 3-pointers. “I believe in the basketball gods,” Battier said. “I felt they owed me big time.” Like I said, a different MVP for each game. (Interesting stat: among all the Miami players, only five scored last Friday; Allen, Miller, Haslem and Bosh had zero points!)

How about Kawhi Leonard for the Spurs? With Tony Parker a non-factor (him scoring only 10 points will not win the trophy for his team), it was the 21-year-old who aggressively attacked and scored a crucial 3-pointer in the dying minutes. Like Paul George of Indiana, Leonard will be a youngster to watch.

But that’s in the future. For now, there’s only one champ with the initials “MJ.”

Mr. James.

Improbable! Scorched and burned, the Heat survive

Forget the loss-win, loss-win, loss-win erratic first six games of the Miami Heat. Forget the fact that the last time they won back-to-back was 12 games ago (last May 15). Forget the idea that Miami has been inconsistent, that each time they seem to gain the momentum, they falter.

They won’t falter in Game 7. Not after yesterday. Not after dying and coming to life. Not after trailing by as much as 10 after three quarters, not after being 5.2 seconds away from humiliation and ridicule — not after the ups and humps and bumps they’ve endured since the NBA season started last October 30.

It comes down to one game. Broken down to four 12-minute quarters, that’s 2,880 seconds. In each of those seconds, the entire world, from Balamban to the Carribean to Talamban, will be glued to their TV monitors tomorrow (9 A.M., Phil. time) for this grand finale.

This is why we love sports so much. It’s like a movie. Only, better. Because in reel stories, we can predict the ending. (Superman always survives.) In the real world, we never know.

But this we know: Momentum, for the first time, will be behind the backs of team black-and-red. How can they not ride on the inspiration from Mike Miller’s one-foot-with-socks three point shot? Who could have scripted a better 3-pointer — and he’s not Danny Green.

After yesterday’s thriller and this see-saw series, tomorrow will be one of the most awaited of sporting events.

GULLAS. A huge basketball fan, here’s Congressman Samsam Gullas: “What comes around goes around. We may have forgotten Tony Parker’s shot during Game 1 and how that hurt the Heat. Well, Allen’s 3 with 5 seconds left was a dagger that may be embedded on the Spurs heading towards Game 7. Advantage heat on Thursday. But since the ball is round it may go either way. Not to mention LeBron showed us that the he’s clutch after all. Someone who wouldn’t agree that LeBron was 95% of the reason Miami won that game is truly a Heat or LeBron hater. Heat would be crying now if it wasn’t for the best player in the planet.”

STEPHANIE FROM MIAMI. Thanks to the help of friends (among them, Spanish Consul Anton Perdices, my former classmate), I was able to find someone in Florida who can give us the feel and atmosphere in Miami.

Stephanie Ignacio, watching Game 6 with family (all Filipinos) at a Miami resort, said they “almost got kicked out for screaming too much.” Here’s Steph, straight from Miami yesterday:

“Right now I am answering this as I watch Game 6. So far its been nerve wrecking… There’s a lot of screaming and excitement as you can only imagine a close Pacquiao fight in the Philippines. It’s what we wait for all series, this is it!

“I have been to many games, but the most recent game was against the Pacers. They played strong but ugly… It was a good game all the way through.. To the last buzzer of the 4th qtr, Lebron gave us a shot for overtime. Of course, we won.

“To say that I am a HUGE Heat fan would be an understatement… There aren’t a lot of Filipinos down here that I can say are as crazy. But if you live here, you’re bound to be that ‘crazy’ Heat fan. As for any Filipinos Heat parties going on tonight.. I don’t know ha! But one thing I do know is, my family, the Ignacios are in a crazy screaming match as we speak..

“It’s big for the city because the Heat are pretty much the only good team in Miami. They account for a large amount of revenue for Miami. Even though the Marlins just built a new stadium they still can’t draw in fans.

“Over here in south Florida, we idolize the Heat. Especially when it comes down to the Finals, everybody gets together and makes a party out of it. It’s as fun as it is almost a serious event for us.”

FINALLY… LeBron said: “It was by far the best game I’ve ever been a part of. The ups and downs, the rollercoaster, the emotions, good and bad throughout the whole game. To be a part of something like this is something you’re never going to be able to recreate once you’re done playing the game and I’m blessed to be a part of something like this.”