Last August 28, 2012 Red Bull of Europe brought in Celtics pg Rajon Rondo at Ronac art center in San Juan for a clinic with selected UAAP and NCAA players. Rondo introduced them to the Euro Step, the floater and dribbling skills. He was assisted by several local pro ballers and coaches.
Rondo explained its use in real game situations and how they run plays with KG, Truth and Brandon. He then told the participants to keep practicing since everyone has a chance to make it in the NBA.
It’s the season where leaves start to turn
in the country halfway across the world, and it’s also the season to crank out
your own personal style and show the world how you feel with your own colors!
Be it passionate red, sunny yellow, harmonious green or even loyal blue,
there’s surely a Converse Chuck Taylor Colors collection to showcase your
rebellious side, just like the rebels of yester years!
Celebrate your life with a color and cut
that represents you for P 2,390 at selected Converse stores nationwide!
Last June 5, a handful of running enthusiasts went into an event organized by Safeguard Active. This is to see who can withstand or break Coach Rio Dela Cruz's 20 meter sprint time of 2.3 seconds. A lot took the challenge, including celebrities and seasoned runners. In the end, the top five were chosen to compete with Coach Rio and among those five, one was able to reach the goal of not only beating the great running coach's time, but also in an actual sprint race.
Events like these makes you realize the wonders done through athletics. Through running and generally in the field of sports, miracles happen inside an athlete whether it be an achievement, going through adversity or simply the training and the journey through that moment of glory. Inside the annals of sports history, there have been lots of stories told in epic and legendary proportions namely, the chosen ones, those who exemplify greatness like the Jordans, the Bolts, the Phelphs, the Gretzkys and the list goes on and on. It's like the greats are tailor made with their destiny set. That leaves the rest of us, the guys these legends dominate through.
However there is a certain group of people who refuse to be grabbed in the norm, the underdogs. These are the people not expected to do anything impactful, the people that should just be warming the benches cheering and giving cups of water, those who should just go by their day jobs, those who the analysts laugh at and are being written off. This is about them and how they were able to tackle adversity to rise to the challenge and win. Their stories told gives us a guiding example on how hard the perceived norm has to be and how they had overcome.
Their stories have transcended as a huge selling point in mass media. Books, movies and TV series just to name a few. Here are some famous underdogs that have transcended to become an inspiration for all of us, Pop culture wise. Underdogs do sound fine when it comes to movies, fortunately they aren't just limited to the movies. Here are some real life examples:
The Olympic games in London may have already ended, but their stories will live on. No, I am not talking only about those who claim dominance, like the NBA stars once again winning gold through their superior talent or Phelps breaking the gold medal record. I'm talking about certain individuals who shouldn't even be there or should have been escorted out of the playing field.
Twenty years ago in Barcelona, Sprinter Derek Redmond of Great Britain was one of the favorites to win a medal at the 400 meter dash event. However at the middle of the track, he torn his hamstring which led him to to hop and eventually lie down in pain. Instead of bowing out from the race, He still limped through the finished line with the help of his father shoving down security who wants him to stay down. The crowd gave him a standing ovation and the moment has become one of the brightest moments in Olympic history.
This is the father and son tandem of Rick and Dick Hoyt, a legend in running and triathlon circles. Rick was diagnosed with cerebral palsy that limited his movements. Rather than being kept in an institution, Rick was taught how to live a full life. One day he asked his dad to compete in a triathlon and without hesitation, the dad agreed to it. Since then, the duo had competed to countless marathons, duathlons and triathlons altogether.
Rather than being jailed to the walls of mediocrity, these individuals decided to break the norm and defy the odds. Being a real life inspiration to us all. Teaching us to never settle and never quit.
After all, these stories are my inspiration with all the athletic pursuits I have done. Through the past 2 years I have been joining countless fun runs, gym training, basketball games, even rugby training. Sometimes to the tune of running through the storm (Milo 2011, RU2 2012) or having 2 races in a day ( PBA Fun Run, Camp Run) the thought of attaining those "little miracles" make it feel that we commoners can also rise to the occasion given the proper dedication and attitude.
This year, I even made a training diary to help focus and stay motivated. As of today, for the year 2012, I had ran a total of 439 Kilometers, losing 13 pounds and achieving new personal bests for 10k, 15k, and 16k distances. After training, I make sure to practice proper hygiene with Safeguard active lying in my gym bag since health is important and to prevent illnesses which can hinder me from training and competing. Remember, Safeguard Active won’t let bad hygiene distract you from exceeding your athletic limitations and in beating your personal best!
After Vibrams had shelled their own "foot glove" in the market with
the five fingers, several other companies have tried to make their own
version of a minimalist shoe. One of those brands is Italian shoemaker
fila with it's own barefoot shoe, the skeletoes. Today we review the second iteration of the Fila Skeletoes.
We know Mcfarlane has been dropping the ball with no new poses and tons of repaints with its NBA sportspicks line, The good news is that enterbay is finally doing its line of NBA stars in its 1:6 glory. We finally got a glimpse of the action as it was previewed at the last NBA 3x tournament at the MOA music hall:
I'm not a fan of the purple and gold but the details blew me away. Too bad they're just releasing 1 figure per 4 months. Lebron and Blake comes next, followed by Drose , Linsanity and KDtrey5.
I was able to borrow a game issue jersey from a friend of mine. So I checked it out for a review.
There are 3 reasons why this jersey never made it to the public market. First, when the jersey was unveiled to the public, Powerade had a losing record (2010). Second, the jersey design required it to be fully sublimated, it would be very time constraining and high in production costs although Accel had shown its ability to make sublimated running, basketball and football kits. Last, despite being the 4th most popular squad, the team has disbanded. It is highly unlikely that Accel or the PBA merchandising office will be able to mass produce one. We can hope and pray that they'll produce one in their retro line but that it still remains a long shot. One good thing going for them is that the jersey designs and team logos remain a property of the league, not the company.
Today, we take a look at Converse's newest entry into the training/ running line with the Auckland Racer Remix
Part I: The Aesthetics
The Look
Over the past years, Converse had been trying to update and modernize its previous lines and styles to make it not only wearable in the fashion world, but have a clear and functional use in sports, training and fitness applications. Such attempts were mildly successful with the release of the Weapon Evo (2009), Star Player Evo (2010) and Pro Leather 2k11(2011). Over the more recent releases, it has enjoyed collaborating with the R&D of its more famous sister company, Nike. While the technology transfer in the previous years may not be as prevalent as the other competitor's sister companies (Adidas Climaride/ Reebok Zigtech technologies), it is nice to see that Nike and Converse are finally working hand and hand.
Being an update of the Auckland Racer, a popular training/ ruining shoe
made by Converse a few decades back, the designers at the star chevron
brand figured out some ways to update the shoe, particularly with the
help from its sister company.
And what an update it has been. Gone are is the heavy canvas/ leather
combination as it was replaced by a suede/ mesh upper skin.This results
in reduction of weight and addition. Take note that there are 3 colorways for the Auckland Racer Remix. Each colorway features a different lightweight material. Although among the 3, the Navy/ Orange variant looks the most modernized.
The Sole on the other hand, had the major upgrade as it has been infused with a sole that is quite similar to Nike free. The pre cut soles and the soft midsole provides a near minimalist feel when running.
The heel area provides a rubber strap support similar to the weapon evo basketball shoe models.
The breathable mesh and rubber star chevron logo.
Part II: The Test Run
I did a test run after acquiring the said shoe, but the real test begins when I started using it for an actual run. Last May, I joined Medicard's Medirun event in the 10 kilometer category. The route was a simple run around for 1-2 kilometers in BGC, followed by a trek to buendia flyover and take a U turn and run back to the starting line.
The Start
The Nike free technology invested in the
sole made the shoe light and spongy. It did have some initial pain
running around the first few kilometers around BGC.
Running up the Buendia flyover
This is where the shoe impressed me. I
have tried a lot of shoes through my 1 1/2 years of running and some of
them quite fail when handling the stress of a steep uphill,
particularly the Buendia flyover. The Auckland Racer Remix's Nike free influenced cushioning system was effective in coping up with the stress of the incline as we did cross the dreaded flyover twice in the race. After the end of the race there were no blisters present.
Overall, while the Auckland Racer Remix isn't one of the most advanced trainers around, it is still an all around training/ running shoe. The problem for most runners or those who travel and work out is that they have to pack a training shoe as well as a casual shoe hence minimizing space in luggage and compartment. This running shoe does both of that.
The shoe retails for 3,990 also comes in 2 other colorways
