Noah Gray Baptism 8.28.10

Invitation Card

Finally we were able to squeeze out a schedule for Noah's baptism after being caught in the flurry of newborn care duties. It was just a simple occasion among close relatives and friends, nothing really fancy. Indeed, it was a beautiful day to welcome Noah to the Christian world. The sun was bright, the clouds shimmering with its puffiness doting the horizon.

@ Sacred Heart Chapel after the Baptism Ritual

A Thousand Thank you to All who came.

To the Ninongs and Ninangs who came to celebrate the occasion with us bringing them their ever fulfilling duties to guide our child to the Christian values.

To our parents, relatives and friends who came by despite their schedules. Grateful is a understatement that we owe you.

To Father Mariano Cuarto for offering his service and bearing the noisiness of Noah who never stopped crying, we thank you.

Noah a day before baptism. Smile little baby!

To Sacred Heart Parish for giving us a venue to celebrate the happy occasion, may you continue to bring joy to countless baptism to come.

To Presents and Such for the wonderful giveaways, may these be treasured forever, memories of happy occasions.

To LMG Patries for the wonderful cake and cupcakes, beautiful and sweet it was!

LMG Cake

To Grand Majestic for the plentiful good food, it was such a blessing.

And to God Almighty, may you continue to bless and guide Noah to become Good Christians raised to glorify your name!

Dancing Pia @ Linggo ng Wika/MMIS

Pia dancing her heart out at Linggo ng Wika presentation at her school in Maria Montessori International School.

She loves to dance more than ever today. Do you know whom she adores? Lady Gaga! She follows her steps and moves like a wannabe. Its funny, its shocking at times to see her follow those sexy dance moves. I don't mind. Kids are kids and we just let her be herself. For us, we just sit back and be entertained.

The Aboitiz Half Marathon

Before the start of the race, I already decided to run this race on a relax pace. The flat route would have tempted me, so was the cool weather due the the rain hours before the race. For many of my fellow runners and friends, this race was a test whether they would meet the Milo half marathon cut-off time of 2:30 two week later to receive their medals, a rare occasion that their giving one for a half marathon. That should be translated to around 7 min/kilometer of running. For me, its not something I should be worried about knowing that I usually run within that pace on my LSD runs without much difficulty. I should have been more worried that my calf injury and left shin splints might flare up again. Thankfully it has not since I've shifted for running in ovals and treadmills for the meantime.

Popoy de la Pena and Me @ 8k mark

Except for a late start, (5:30 instead of 5:15) everything went well with the race. My brother Harold, Gerry and Doc Marc were at the starting line talking to three runners on VFF and commenting how it is to run on them. I saw many familiar faces too. The weather was a runner's delight. No sun; just cold, cloudy weather. And so like hundreds of eager mules packed in a cordoned area, we were released without even hearing the gun pop. At one kilometer, i checked my Garmin, it says a speed around 6:20/kilometer. Without getting winded, I knew it was the relax pace I needed to maintain. By the 3rd kilometer, I bump into Popoy, a fellow daily miler trying his first 21k race. He was also following me and thinking that this was too a nice pace and so we paced each other. By the time we reached SM which was around 8k, we already saw the kenyan runner on his way back!

Richard Ho and Me @ 20.8k mark. Happy Runners!

By the time we reached half way, I saw many of the familiar faces again on the turning point and bid the usual waves and hi. This time, Tytsbogdo runner Richard Ho joined us. We talk and talk and talk while maintaining the relax pace. By the time we had almost finished our conversation, we were back at SRP already. Time flies so fast when your busy talking.hahaha I didn't bring my hydration belt and by the time we hit the 18k mark, I felt so thirsty after we passed a couple of water station than ran out of them. It was at this point that we lost Popoy to cramps. Luckily the last water station had still in them. And so happily both me and Richard ran towards the finish with fellow Tytsbogodo runner Richelieu Ho took the picture you see above. It was a disappointment though that they didn't install a timer at the finish line. My chip time was 2:16:31 good for rank 123 out of 246 runners or top 50% of the field.

Its was a nice race overall. It was the first time to to meet DM's and runners from Tytsbogdo. Congratulation to Popoy for his first 21k and Marc for his 21k under 2:30. The next two weeks I'll take it easy before the Milo half marathon. See you on the roads!

The Meaning of Life

There are many videos out there that inspires me. This is one of them. Unknowingly while watching it, I realize that I have followed almost all of the things that it espouses. I hope it inspires you too and do the same.

My Birthday Present

My natal day came like a blur. No fanfare, no celebration. Not even a chance to blow a cake. But don't get the stillness of it as a sign that I have grown old, when we don't fantasize as much as before that our birthdays are times that we hang to have fun. The lack of fun or the presence of it doesn't have any strong influence on me already. Maybe I'm really old already or have matured in some ways. Times have change and I have transcend in to another place. The material gifts have been replaced by the hugs and kisses which doesn't come on my birthday alone but everyday. My daughter presented me her birthday card which I have presumed she made herself with much effort.These are the gifts I prefer, gifts of love.

The thirty six years of living in this world has shown me that the best gifts doesn't come materially nor it is to be asked or received. They are to be given. Last year, I celebrated them with the orphans of Asilo. Today, with the blessing of my wife I have decided to give an education scholarship to a boy in World Vision. Scanning the many prospects, I somehow wish if only I could or someone would have everyone schooled, it would have been a much better world out there. Life might have been unfair for them and not for us but we could changed it. The stroke of luck can be change if we do our share of giving back to humanity what life and God has showered on us.

In the end, I have to choose one and I gave it to a boy named Arneil. It would be my birthday gift for him from another birthday celebrant. I hope and pray he does well in school. I hope and pray that someday when he grows old and become mature, he like many of us would give back the gift of love.

Sleep Deprivation Kills the Run

For Now, I'm calling off my intention to run the Camsur Marathon on September 25. It would have been my second marathon in 1 1/2 years of running. It was a difficult but a fairly quick decision I have to make. The reason: Sleep deprivation. It has been a struggle lately, my body seems lethargic and I'm totally stressed out from the lack of sleep.

Since Noah, my 2nd child was born a month ago, newborn care has been a priority and comes with it the changing sleeping patterns that I was expecting but didn't expect it could have profound effect on my training. For one, the lack of sleep doesn't allow me to push hard as much as I want to. If you don't have sleep, you can't run. It is as easy as that. Recovery is not 100% and felt I have to drag myself to run. I tried but seems the more I try, the more the joy of running is taken away from the run itself.

I am not the typical conventional runner in the block. I run for recreation, not for competition. My only competitor is myself. I need that excitement, that joy that I usually feel when I run. Without it, any runs for me whether it would be a quick kilometer to the long runs just be short of a blah. I know I could run Camsur. I have had just enough training in me to run it. Looking forward too on two 21k races two weeks apart next week. These should be enough but I know my body is not conditioned anywhere at its peak. Then there's the thought of running Singapore two months after that. I rather be on the safe side rather push my luck and miss my chance in Singapore. I am not a big fan of the "Bahala na si Batman" stance. It just brings you closer to more complication, injuries et al. After Milo Marathon on Sept. 5, I'll assess again my chances.

As my friend runner JO had said: It takes a brave man to run a marathon but a braver man to know when to pull the plug.

I don't compete with others. Marathons and races won't go away. Take care of your body first, be prepared and run them another day.

Keep on Running!