A man was walking through the Olympic village carrying a long pole. A reporter came up to him and asked, “Are you a pole vaulter?” The man replied, “No, I’m a German. But how did you know my name was Walter?” Hehehe…
Taekwondo and Tony del Prado
“I’ve been running since 1996,” said Tony del Prado, “and was able to influence a few into running. One of them is my brother, Dr. Pons del Prado (who, in turn, convinced Dr. Yong Larrazabal to join the sport). I still run seriously but I avoid hitting the roads so as to avoid foot injuries. I’ve always had plantar fascitis. I do 99% of my running on the treadmills of Holiday Gym. I think I hold the record there for most number of minutes (over 3 hours) on a treadmill. Ha-ha.”
Tony, 47, has joined many races in the past. “But my favorites are the Singapore and Hong Kong marathons. It’s a yearly event for me and my brother. It gives us the motivation to maintain our fitness level. Although we only competed in the ‘half,’ it was exhilarating. The last HK marathon attracted 40,000 runners!”
Randy and Christine
If I had to change places with any one man today, it would be Randy del Valle. Last Tuesday, Randy and his wife Christine went to Wimbledon. Their eyes enlarged. Their hearts pumped thrice as fast. They savored the strawberries and cream. Their camera clicked and clicked. A major tennis fan, Randy finally lived his dream of watching a major. And what a major: the biggest, most popular, most revered major event in tennis, Wimbledon. Here are photos Randy and Christine took at the All-England Club. But beware: After viewing them, you’ll get a case of “envy” sickness. Enjoy these photos…
Guillermo Canas
Indian sensation Sania Mirza
Nicholas Kiefer
Tommy Robredo
Ping-Pong, not Piolo Pascual, at SM
Yesterday (Sunday) at 3 p.m., I strolled into SM City Cebu. There was a lot of noise. It was coming from the Entertainment Center, near SM’s Food Court area. Must be some actress, I said. They usually have shows every Sunday. The shouts grew louder. I was intrigued. It must be Piolo Pascual. I walked closer to the upper floor railing to look. NO! There was no Pinoy Big Brother activity. No one sang or danced. Two tables stood on four legs each. Four players crowded the two tables. It was Table Tennis. A competition. And hundreds of eyes were turning left and right to watch the little white ball fly on air. Ping-Pong is fun. It requires so much quickness that if your eye-hand coordination is a milli-second slow… then ping-pong’s not for you. Enjoy these photos…
Adidas and the Red Sea
It’s a Sunday morning and my alarm rang at 4:45 a.m. I made coffee, checked my e-mail, showered, dressed, and headed out the door with my wife Jasmin and daughter Jana to join the Adidas 5K race named “King of the Road.” When I arrived at the front of the Cebu Normal University, a sea of red swamped the road. Adidas outfitted 3,474 runners with red sleeveless shirts and three white stripes. Wise move. When the gun fired at exactly 6 in the morning, running shoes banged against the asphalt road of Osmena Boulevard.
5K Run? Nah… 42K Marathon!
Last Tuesday afternoon at 5:30, I strolled inside Nike Park in Ayala. I scanned the Swoosh items, gazed into their sale items, and toured around the aisles. Right beside, checking some sleeveless, Dri-FIT shirts, stood my good friend Dr. Vic Verallo. We shook hands, smiled, exchanged “How are you’s” and talked about the one topic that we never fail to discuss when we meet: Running. I told Dr. Verallo that my wife Jasmin and I were joining this Sunday’s Adidas 5K Run. Are you joining, I asked. He smiled. No, he’s not, and here’s why: Next month, in late July, Dr. Vic Verallo and two others from Cebu won’t be running the 5K. They’ll be running 42.125 kms. The full marathon! They’re joining the Milo Marathon– and it’s Dr. Verallo’s second marathon run. To train, the past two Sundays they’ve ran 30 kms. First, all the way to Liloan; the second, to Mactan, around Mandaue, and back to Cebu City. To Dr. Vic (whom I wrote a full-length article about here), good luck and God bless!
The Rafael Nadal Blog
The other night past 11 p.m. and over two bottles of Coke Light at Badgers Resto Bar in Banilad, my buddy Dr. Ronnie Medalle and I talked about Rafael Nadal. We analyzed his French Open victory. We exchanged pointers on how Roger Federer could have beaten him the past two Roland Garros finals they’ve met. We marveled at the 21-year-old Spaniard’s intensity. Then Ronnie asked, “Why are you more of a Nadal than Federer fan?” I paused. Good question. Dr. Medalle is right. When the world’s no.1 and no.2 tennis players face each other across the tennis net, I favor the lefty. Why?
Nike Ad
Remember the World Cup final last year? France versus Italy? When Zinadine Zidane charged like a bull and barged into the chest of Marco Materazzi? Watch this…
I Want that iPhone!
Ever since last January when Steve Jobs stood on stage in San Francisco and waved it to the crowd, billions have drooled at the thought of holding an iPhone. Well… well, finally, in what is considered “the most highly-anticipated consumer gadget in history,” the iPhone will emerge out of the cellphone shadows tomorrow (June 29) in the United States.
I love Apple. I own two iPod Shuffles and an iPod 30G Video. Last year, I purchased a white MacBook. To me–and to millions of Mac addicts around this globe–there is no company that produces more intuitive, more simple, more creative, and more stunning gadgets than Apple.
10 Golf Tips
1. Back straight and knees bent.
2. Form a loose grip.
3. Keep your head down.
4. Avoid a quick back swing.
5. Stay out of the water.
6. Try not to hit anyone.
7. Let others go ahead if you’ll take long.
8. Don’t stare while others address their balls.
9. Quiet please. Others are preparing to go.
10. Don’t take extra strokes.
Well done! Now flush the urinal, wash your hands, go outside and tee off!