Category: Triathlon

The Cobra Energy Drink Ironman 70.3 Philippines triathlon race in Camarines Sur is the country’s first-ever. The race will swim off (2K), bike next (for 90 kms.) and finish with a 21K run this Sunday, Aug. 23. Among the hundreds of triathletes joining are the trio of Gerry Malixi and Annie Neric, both residing in Cebu, and Manila-based cyclist Raul Romulo. They’ll participate in the relay race. I asked Gerry Malixi for the event details and their preparation. Here was his email…

Gerry, Annie and Raul

“Who would sponsor a bunch of 40-year-old, over-the-hill slowpokes?” This was the response I gave my good friend Raul Romulo when he said he would ask Flying V to support our stint in the first Ironman 70.3 race in the Philippines. Little did I know I was in for a major surprise.

Continue reading Tri-ing this Sunday’s Ironman 70.3 in CamSur

Chris McCormack, Cameron Brown and Terenzo Bozzone

To visit the site, click here.

Everybody’s talking about one of the most-awaited sporting events this ’09: the Ironman 70.3 event in Camarines Sur this August 23. Singapore Marathon runner Jane-Jane Ong is targeting to join. Gerry Malixi is swimming the 2-km. length. Noy Jopson, the former triathlon record holder, is one of the local favorites. Anton Regis will join. What makes this triathlon special, from among many reasons, are these: 1) This is the first time in Phil. history that an Ironman (a licensed brand/event) will be competed here and, 2) The event allows relay teams: One can swim, another can bike the 90K length, and a third athlete can do the 21K run. It’s perfect, right? And, doesn’t the three-person squad fit the name Tri-athlete? For details, visit www.ironman703phil.com.

Forty eight hours ago in this same box that you’re reading, I wrote about Anthony Regis. He’s a swimmer-turned-cyclist-turned-runner who, last September, joined the Singapore Ironman 70.3. That’s a grueling event where you swim 1.9 kms., bike 90 kms., then, when your body is downtrodden and all-wearied, you run another 21,000 meters.

In that triathlon’s first leg—the swim—Anton dove into the Singapore waters to swim freestyle beside 1,400 other triathletes. He finished the 1.9K swim in 52 minutes. Here’s his account of the next stage…

Few people can swim 1.9 kms. Few people can bike 90 kms.—roughly the distance from Cebu City to Bogo. Few people can run, unaided by car or tricycle and with nothing on the feet but socks and rubber shoes, the length of 21 kms. How about finishing not one, not two—but all three? Not one today, one sport tomorrow and another on Thursday—but one after the other? Back to back to back?

Anton Regis has accomplished that. Aged 29 and, for three years now, delightedly-living with his wife Zie (they have a four-month-old baby named Zoe Angelou), Anton works as a Software Development Engineer at the NCR Cebu Development Center at the I.T. Park. That’s his day job. His passion? On Sundays? During days off when he has free time to pedal, swim freestyle and jog?

To view all of Anton’s pictures, click here.

Anton Regis testing his bike

Three Sundays ago, when I enumerated my shortlist of Cebuanos whom I respect the most in sports, I failed to include one name: Oscar “Boying” Rodriguez. The chairman of the Danao City Sports Commission, Boying is one of this island’s most recognizable youthful faces. Mountain-biking? Running? Cycling? Triathlon? Check, check, check… Mr. Rodriguez has nourished all these.

Two days ago, Boying was back in vigorous action. With the assistance of the Municipality of Carmen and the newly-activated group called SugbuTriathlon, he organized the 300-meter swim, 15K bike and 3K run contest named the Carmen Mini-Triathlon.

I joined. So did 24 others. Jonathan Guardo, a veteran of four Tris, participated. So did Sambag I barangay captain Jerry Guardo and Tinago councilor Joel Garganera—both first-timers. The seasoned triathletes were in full gear at the Carmen Breeze Resort: RJ Balbuena (who biked to and from Cebu City), Eugene Sanchez, Ralph Arce, Franz Baguio, Anton Regis, Freddy-Boy Veloso…

If you know how to float on water and can swim the freestyle or breast-stroke, if you can mount a bicycle and pedal it forward, if you can plant one foot in front of the other and run, then I suggest you consider joining one sport.

Sorry, it’s not one sport. It’s Tri. As in “three.” You know, with words like “tricycle” or “triangle” or “tripartite,” this word is the same: It’s one sport partitioned with three legs.

Triathlon, it’s named, and, for the first time, I joined an event last Sunday in Catmon. It was a mini-triathlon—nowhere near the Hawaii Ironman—with distances that any regular exerciser can finish: a 300-meter swim, 15K bike and 3,000-meter run. My advice to all?

Tri is a must-try. Really, you should.

A 300-meter swim. A 15K bike. A 3K run. That’s all it takes to finish the Catmon Triathlon race on March 1, explained Quinito Moras, when I saw my high school buddy at the SM North Wing two Thursdays ago.

Go! I’ll try the Tri! And so, this tennis player-turned-long distance runner—with absolutely no plans of joining a swim-bike-run race a few weeks back—agreed to “Try the Tri.”

With only two practice swims at the Casino Español and two bike rides, at 5:45 a.m. last Sunday, off I drove from my Talamban home with Jasmin and Jana to the Bachao Beach Resort in Catmon.