I'm so excited to share the first entry in a series of posts I'm doing called Hey, Tuesday! Basically, on any given Tuesday, I'll be talking to interesting people in sport via social media. Then I'll be posting screen captures of our chats online the very same day. This means no editing and no censorship! Just serving awesome social media realness for you all! ;)

First on deck is Drew Arellano - TV show host, Ironman, entrepreneur, husband to actress/host/triathlete Iya Villania, and pretty much all-around cool guy in the local tri community.

My two favorite moments from yesterday's LPT:

Waiting for the gun start...

and crossing the finish! :p

Look at that relieved face! Most athletes consider the LPT as the 'fun tune-up race" leading up to the Half on the following week of the Challenge Laguna Phuket Tri-Fest. But yesterday was not much fun for me. You know those days where you feel completely flat, and no matter what you do you can't even push hard enough to get your heart rate up? Yeah, it was one of thooose. You know it's bad when you get out of the swim behind people you normally swim with, and especially bad when you don't have enough fingers and toes to count the AG men that passed you on the bike... The legs somewhat cooperated on the run, thanks to a lot of cheering and shouting from the Thanyapura gang - Jurgen, Konrad, and Konrad's mom! 6th of 7 pro women... Not the result I was looking for, but glad to still have burnt enough calories to earn my Thai favorites: crispy fish and green mango salad, and Singha!

Getting to travel to new places and meet new people are some of the best things about racing. I highly recommend doing at least one event a year somewhere you've never raced before. For athletes who race often like myself, this could be quite a challenge over time. But lucky for those of us living in the Philippines, new destination races are popping up everywhere, and they're only a road trip away!

Last Friday, my friend LC Langit and I took a 6-hour bus trip to race Tri NOAH in Narvacan, Ilocos Sur. We did the inaugural olympic distance last year, and we were eager to come back for the longer version last Sunday, November 16. The bike course was extended out to the beautiful coastal highway, and the new run route took us through the small villages nearby.

Gorgeous, spectator-friendly set up at the Narvacan Outdoor Adventure Hub (NOAH). Swimmers could be viewed over by the bridge, and cyclists passed this road for each of the three bike loops.

We took the Partas bus that departed from Cubao at 10:00pm, and arrived in Candon city at 4:00am, where we stayed with our very gracious triathlete friend, Charlie Lao. Two tips: (1) Travel in the evening! It's much faster and you can sleep through it. (2) Arrange for a home stay instead of booking a hotel. It's always more fun to hang with the locals - they'll know all the important things, like what the race course is like, and where the best places to eat are! 

Yep, LC and I got the kids' room. Ahhhhhhh zabenyaaaaa! (Sorry LC, I had to post this :p)

Hello, everyone! Welcome to my brand new site, and thanks for checking out my first post! It's been an incredible year for triathlon in the Philippines, and I am so happy to be a part of the tri community during these exciting times. The Ironman 70.3 Cebu sold out 2,500 slots in 20 minutes, which is unprecedented in WTC events in Asia. The Challenge-Family brand came in with one tough half-distance in Subic, attracting a good number of foreign participants for an inaugural race. The Unilab Tri United series expanded with four races, ranging from sprint to half-distance. And a slew of other local series and unique destination races have all served to grow the triathlon population around the country.

2015 promises to be even more impressive with two Ironman 70.3 races, two Challenge Half, two 5150 races, three Xterra events, an ITU Asian Cup race, and a continuance of the local series events! 

But before we start planning for next year, let's take a look back at some local favorites from 2014. Feel free to share your race reviews in the comments section, especially about the races that I wasn't able to join!


Tri NOAH 

Month: November    
Location: Narvacan Outdoor Adventure Hub (NOAH), Ilocos Sur
Distance: 1.8-km swim, 60-km cycle, 15-km run
Highlights: clear waters, coastal bike route, shaded run route, beginner friendly, fun atmosphere


SAFEGUARD ACTIVE 5150 BOHOL

Month: October     
Location: Bellevue Hotel, Panglao Island, Bohol
Distance: 1.5-km swim, 40-km cycle, 10-km run
Highlights: beautiful host hotel and white sand beach, roads totally closed to traffic, excellent organization


MT. MAYON TRIATHLON

Month: August       
Location: Legazpi City, Albay
Distance: 1.5-km swim, 40-km cycle, 10-km run
Highlights: best new race of the year, majestic Mayon Volcano in the backdrop, best transition area views, big local government support, cheap hotels and food, beautiful rolling bike course and very hilly run, excellent organization


COBRA IRONMAN 70.3 CEBU

Month: August      
Location: Shangri-La Hotel, Mactan Island, Cebu
Distance: 1.9-km swim, 90-km cycle, 21-km run
Highlights: total road closure, entire course lined with spectators, cheering squads and marching bands on run course, massive race expo, most exciting race atmosphere, biggest number of participants, plenty hotel options, international flights direct to Cebu from KL, Singapore, Hong Kong, excellent organization

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