Team Lucky Toe at the Globe Run4Home Run 2011 (Mommy and Me Mondays #12, Blue Monday #1 & Ruby Tuesday #12)

Running as a race has become a craze in the Philippines. Check out running portals and you will find all weekends of the year already filled with so many race schedules.

It is such a great opportunity to run for a cause. Since we had our first experience of running for a race when we joined Haribon Foundation's Million Hectare Challenge last year, my husband and I were all set to join more run this year. What sets us apart though is that we run for a cause.

Haribon Foundation was one of the 4 organizations to benefit from Globe's Run4Home 2011.
As a beneficiary, we were given free race slots to represent our organization.

@ the Haribon booth before the race

Yesterday, March 27, Team Lucky Toe was fortunate to have the chance to run at Globe's Run4Home. Since there were still extra kits, I grabbed the chance to get one for my husband and for Leon.

M run the 5 kilometer distance while me and our son Leon did a combination of run-walk-carry-walk-run at the 3 kilometer distance. We were with my office mate Nikki and her daughter Maxine. Leon and Maxine are like cats and dogs when in the office, we were surprised though that even during the warming up, the two were like good friends, and was holding hands most of the time. lol!

with Maxine, fooling around during the warm up exercises

Something to be proud of Leon was that even when he was already too tired, but upon seeing the finish line, he was determined to cross it, running! Some 50 meters away, he started running again and was even more challenged when he heard people cheering for him while he was running. I ran behind him, cheering him as well until he crossed the finish line.

added attractions for the kids,
2 Star Ship Trooper runners (walkers)

past the 1K mark and still running...

As a mother, looking at his face lit up upon crossing the finish line was something I cannot describe. He stood gallantly at beyond the line because he knew what he has accomplished. For a 4 year old toddler, 3 kilometer is definitely a long way to go, and Leon conquered it!

Team Lucky Toe after the race at the Haribon Booth

more shots after the race

got the chance to meet up with some
high school friends who joined the run, too

Until such time that Maia joins us again, when she's a bit older, the three of us are looking forward for the next run which will be next weekend, April 2 at the Hyundai Accent Run.

Hope to see you there too!

Hosted by Krystyn at Really, Are You Serious?

LuckyToe joined The Million Hectare Challenge

November 21, 2010 is already part of my personal history. I, together with my husband M and children Leon and Maia joined the pledge run organized by Haribon Foundation to help restore the Philippine Rainforest. Officially, our family team was named LuckyToe.

Team LuckyToe
1394 - M; 0038 - Hahai
0028 - Leon; 0023 - Maia

My husband M joined the 5K run category while me and the kids joined the 3K walk/run category...well, for obvious reasons, both kids are too young to do the distance but Leon definitely had fun running and walking around the 3K route. Maia of course was in her stroller the whole time.

M finished the 5K route 37.10 minutes and was ranked 37 amongst 130 5K male runners. While I did the 3K route in 30.05 minutes ranking 83 among 138 female 3K runners. Mine was a combination of run and walk since Leon was with me during the 1st kilometer of the 3K distance. He called it quits almost halfway complaining that he's already tired and was more interested in playing with the other kids at the kids activity area.

M crossing the finish line

Me, making faces right after
crossing the finish line chute

So far, both me and my husband enjoyed the event, the race component especially, because it paved our way to join in more races in the near future. For the kids, it's only tagging them along with us for them to be able to see and realize the benefits of running and practicing a healthy lifestyle.

Haribon Foundation made the event more fun by giving out freebies and special prices. Maia grabbed the youngest registered participant at 7 months old. The organization as well commissioned ColoursPhotoShoppe for a free photo booth for all participants and guest.

Maia with Daddy M accepting the youngest registrant prize.

Team LuckyToe having fun at the photo booth

Running is our form of exercise. We do not go to the gym to get fit, rather we make it our regular Sunday afternoon activity running, jogging or walking around UP's acad oval.

With the Million Hectare Challenge paving our way to more runs, I guess, joining in fun/advocacy runs will be a regular event for Team LuckyToe.

Hosted by Krystyn

The Pink Run: D'Feeting Breast Cancer (MYM/RT)

I was invited by my officemate Beechie to attend The Pink Run not as a participant but as an observer. It was held on October 17, 2010 at the Venice Piazza Mall, McKinley Hill in Taguig.

As mentioned before, we at Haribon will be having our own run, The Million Hectare Challenge. Since I'm head of logistics and Beechie, head of technical, for our event and since it will also be held at the same venue, we decided to look at how the organizers of The Pink Run managed their event, from physical arrangement to crowd management.

The Pink Run was a successful event, thumbs up to the Philippine Society of General Surgeons for an event-well done. Indigenous cancer patients are the beneficiaries of this fund-raising run. Congratulations as well to those who run the 15K, 10K, 5K and 3K distances to show their support for this cause.

From what we have observed, we will share to the committee and see what amongst it can be duplicated on our event and what not to do during the event. We hope to be able to generate the same number of participants, if not more. We also would want to make The Million Hectare Challenge a successful event just like The Pink Run.

There were turn-offs though, we were charged a parking fee of 50 bucks! though we were informed by the management of McKinley that parking is free on Sundays. This issue we have to clarify with Megaworld and for us to be able to inform our participants about it. Another major issue we really have to inform and ensure with with Megaworld is the issue on car breakage and burglary. We were informed that some cars were robbed either through forceful entry or through breakage of windows.We partly paid for the venue and we will demand what it is due from the Megaworld management. We want our event to be successful thus part of the success is the security not just of the runners/organizers but of properties as well.

Here are some photos during The Pink Run:

Start/Finish Arch

15K run about to begin

10K runners in queue

5K runners getting ready

3K runners waiting for the gunstart

The Pink Run message board

Mother & daughter tandem strolling after the event.
This we want during our event - a family quality time :)