Lifestyle: Running in the Metro (Ayala Eco Dash, 5th Octoberun Festival, Philstar.com Celebrity Run)

I'm not a health buff. Far from it. But over the past two months, I've been trying to adhere to a healthier lifestyle after snapping from a cheesecake coma and finding out that I have ballooned to 158 lbs.

Part of my "getting thin" agenda are the following: sign up for a gym, get a nutritionist and participate in more physical activities. I've done the first two. Now I have several opportunities to do the 3rd. There are about a gazillion fun runs organized by small and big orgs and I've signed up for a few of them. For the skeptics who detest the idea of jumping into the "running bandwagon", it may interest you to know that the races are being held for the benefit of certain institutions.

* ECO DASH: The Ayala Malls Environment Run

September 13, 2009/ 28th St. beside Bonifacio High Street

-Registration fee: P250 for 3 km/5 km

P300 for 10 km/21 km

P400 for on-site, all categories

-- Eco Dash (according to the ayalaland website) is "a race against time to save the environment". That sounds promising. Ideal enough to have as my first official run. Assembly and On-site registration is at 4 am and the race starts 5 am. I signed up last week at the Nike outlet in High Street and got my singlet. For complete details click here.

*5th Octoberun Festival

October 4, 2009/ Fort Bonifacio Global City

-Registration fee: P250 if you register between July 15 - Aug 31

P300 - Sept 1 -20
P350 - Sept 21 - Oct 4

An annual fun run organized by the Fort Striders Club this time for the benefit of the Real Life Foundation which provides scholarships to underprivileged youth. Did my registration at the ROX outlet in High Street. At ROX, you could also request for a personalized race bib for P150. The singlet looks nice too. Download registration forms and race map here.


*Philstar.com Celebrity Run 2009
October 11,2009/ Fort Bonifacio Global City
-Registration fee: P350 for 3km/5km/10 km
P450 for 21 km
-- Philstar.com, the online arm of The STAR Group of Publicationsl will have its first running event dubbed as Celebrity Run 2009 on October 11 at the Bonifacio Global City grounds.

The project will help fund the computerization projects for Philippine public high schools under the GILAS (Gearing up Internet Literacy and Access for Students) program. Gilas is a multi-sectoral initiative composed mainly of corporations and non-profit institutions spearheaded by the Ayala Foundation.

I signed up for the 5k run also at the ROX outlet in Bonifacio High Street and was told to come back on September 15 to claim my singlet and race kit. Interesting spin: Runners are invited to run as their favorite celebrity. Three participants will be named Best in Costume (Celebrity Look-a-Like). For more information, click here.


I'm also planning to sign up for the Subic Marathon this October. First, let's see if I would still be standing on my feet after the three races I've signed up for.

Am I killing myself? You could say that. But it's a healthier way to die thatn say, eating a vat of cheesecake or drowning in a cesspool of vomit with alcohol and bits of sisig.