Figure Fridays: Nagaham Robot Romance Trilogy

There's nothing more influential Japan gave to the Philippines in terms of POP culture more than the Robot Romance Trilogy. Two of them (Voltes V and Daimos) became extremely popular in the 70s while the other one (Combattler V) was shown alongside 20 years later when the the two shows were having a resurgence.

 So without further ado, enjoy the images.

Figure Fridays: Star Spangled Man with a Plan

Legends come back

See you there!

With unity, there is completion.

 

Being late by 14 minutes in Run United 3 and upon learning the 15 minute cut off for Run United Philippine marathon, I decided to go to the venue early. And by the definition of early, not arriving at the BGC area an hour earlier only to be stranded by traffic due to the roads being closed by the 42k runners.  I left home by 1:00 am and arrived at BGC by 1:45 am. Upon arriving, Run United has never looked so empty and I was the only runner in the starting area. There were some 42k participants at the side, but no one at the starting area. 

The wait was quite long. Good thing there was a playground near the starting area to lie down to and take a power nap. When the activities have started bands, videos and other forms of entertainment were being shown on stage. Riovana was open as early as 1:50 with runners lining up for gel and bathroom breaks. 

After a few minutes, the full marathon participants were off and running. There were a few latecomers into their category and while they were allowed to run the entire course, were given a waiver to sign declaring their run as unofficial.  Then, it was the 21k runners time to shine.

The good thing about being early is you get to position yourself on front. This was probably the first time I was able to be on front on all 7 Run United races that I participated in. 

 (Photo from Running Photographer's FB page)  

So, this is how it feels to be in front of a big racing event (by big, meaning it has thousands of participants). Being side to side with the Kenyans (whom over took me in 3 seconds to win the event). The ultimate goal of this race is to break my PR 2:43 set back in Run United 1 to make up for the lackluster performances in Run United 2 (2:55) and 3 (2:51). I had to go as far as changing the training program from straight long runs to intervals. 

While being an hindrance when it comes to sleep,The early gun start is a plus within the race duration. Particularly avoiding sunlight for the 3/4th of the whole race. The first few kilometers went quite well. With my first one just a few seconds over 5 minutes. With the exception during the middle of the race, a 7 minute or less per kilometer pace is maintained.

By KM 16, I was able to clock in a few seconds less at the 2 hour mark, meaning if this was a 16k event, I already attained a PR. One thing that was good about this is the pace is very possible for a 21k PR even if I stopped by for a minute at the aid stations to have my knees massaged with omega pain killer. One thing I noticed is that training in intervals actually does a lot of benefit. The length of walk and rest periods are the same as before, but the speed seems to have increased. 

By the end of the race I was lucky to have attained a PR of 2:37.

The post race event, It the lines were gone, would be a great. But as it was crowded, I had to go to the essentials. Basically the Finisher's area, the Active health apparel booth, the Loyalty Shirt Section (Good thing I had emailed them countless times before going to the event). 

So there, after 84 kilometers of running, 4 days of wobbly legs and early travel, the Run united series is complete. Whether I'll be joining next year's event remains a question. But for now, It feels good to savor the moment. 

Review: Converse MVP Mid

Today we take a look at the star chevron brand's latest entry to its basketball line: The Converse MVP Mid. This is the first time Converse will benefit the flywire technology from it's sister brand. The MVP  mid, along with the all star legend mid are the star chevron brand's releases for this basketball season.

As of present, we have seen several sneaker companies share their technologies from other brands, be it their sister companies or not. We have seen Reebok's Zigtech soles develop a twin with Adidas CC series. Numerous training brands such as New Balance and Merell adapt it's soles from Vibrams.Then Converse's new trainer, the Auckland Racer remix also had it's collaboratory treatment from it's mother company with a Nike Free esque midsole.

Gametime!

The NBA starts in a few hours, so does the road to banner 18!

Urbanathlete

I have been an avid reader of Men's health magazine for a few years now. One of the things that intrigued me upon glancing their pages was the "Urbanathlon" a fun run held around the world featuring several obstacles such as the container van, the monkey bar and the wall.I was unable to join last year's event because it was held the same time as Run United 3. So when this year's edition was announced, it was a no-brainier to join.

Last Sunday, I got a taste of my first ever Men's Health Urbanathlon. Being able to register just a few weeks before the event, I decided to go for the 5k distance instead of the 10k or 21k. Another reason is that a hydration belt might be a hindrance when it comes to doing the obstacles particularly the military hurdle and the "Wall".

Review: Accel TR Miler

One thing comes to mind when looking at this shoe... Is it a running shoe or more suited to be a trainer? I've seen branding where this shoe is referred to as "RN" Miler and sometimes as "TR" Miler.  It's physical features and build tends to be more of a trainer that can be used for treadmills and fun runs alike.In fact, I have seen several runners wear this in longer distance races (16k and 21 k) and still perform well.

King of the Road

I was a bit weary about this race. I initially wanted to join the 16.8 k distance like I did the previous year. However, I was planning a bit of rest after back to back half marathons the past two Sundays (Run United 3 and Rexona Run). Besides, there wasn't really anything  significantly different from the other two race distances with the 16.8k. I then went for the 10k category this time.

What's good about this race is the organizer (Proactive) made a lot of things easier. First, we no longer have to register online and pay via credit card. Second,  there was a pre registration (which will ship the race gear) and in store registration which eliminates the procedure of claiming it in an event like last year. Third was finally having an option to choose singlet color which means no more "We only get what's available brouhaha".

PBA's 38th Season

Asia's first professional hoops league opens its 37th season with an awesome video. While some of the new fan group names are a bit corny, you cannot discount the effort AKTV gave in this commercial's production, notably the breathtaking CG effects.

Figure Fridays: Unreleased (Locally) Slam Dunk figures

As was previously reported, Chinese company "Chaoer" has been producing several "unlicensed" Slam Dunk figures using their own mold/ designs. While these figures are not considered bootleg, since they were never copied from an existing Japanese made figure, They're more of G-system or AKO hobby for Gunpla ot Fansproject for TF figures.

There have been several figures that were released overseas but has yet to reach local Philippine shores. An example are the 3 While the details are still far from being perfect, you have to admire chaoer for taking initiative in making new sculpts.

The first one is a mini diorama collection of the popular scenes and commercial outtakes in the series in SD rendition.

The next are 2 more figures that were of the same series as the Rukawa statue earlier made by the same company. They had added 2 more to the line since then.

A 23.5 cm statue of Sakuragi Hanamichi in dunk pose and AJ1 Breds.

The next one features Hisashi Mitsui in a shooting form, complete with Onitsuka Tiger kicks.

Here's to hoping we finally get to see them in local shores in the near future.

Spurs unveil new alternate jersey

The Spurs unveiled a new alternate jersey. This came to a surprise as the spurs is one of the teams that was known for having a simple look. While the uniform itself feels simple despite the alternate sub logo boldly into the chest,With the trend now leaning towards simple scripts on the jersey chest areas, this can be seen as a bold move in replicating the love em' or hate em' 90s era.

Run United 3 aftermath

In my nearly 2 years of running, this has got to be one of the hardest races so far for a number or reasons:

The gun time is unusually early even for a 21k race (most start at around 4:30-5:30 at the most). This one started way earlier than that at 4:00am. The 32k runs resulted in closed roads that made a lot of people in the 21k run, including me, late. Good thing I was still able to pass by close to a third of the pack or so to avoid the very bottom.

We then had to go through a storm. I did encounter some rainy runs before like Milo 2011 and RU2 2012. But the rain in this race is intense!. It was non-stop and the rainfall ranging from moderate to hard accompanied by strong winds. It was a bit hard seeing as rainwater continues to pour in my eyes. The rain did push through our advantage as it helped the runners ease the fatigue and heat.There were no floods but puddles did accompany us.This was also my first half marathon that had non stop downpour.

Post race was great. The photo booths had extreme queue lines and the post race kits, particularly the duffel bag was cool. It was bit weird since I got the 32k finisher's shirt instead of the 21k. By the time I noticed it it was already too late as the booths were already closed. I liked the 21k's color scheme better. The post race activities were okay but 21k and 32k runners were already too tired or too turned off by the long lines once they reach the finisher's area.

I finally finished the Run United trilogy. One more medal from the Run United Philippine marathon and it will be complete.

Review: Alaska Aces Jersey

Today we take a look at one of the previously released jerseys of the Alaska Aces, particularly the design of its 2007 championship run as featured in the book "Pacific Rims". The Jerseys were initially outfitted (Sponsored) by one of it's then assistant coaches' companies, And1. However, since local brand Accel owns the license for the current PBA Jerseys, they were the ones that produced for commercial release. Today we review the Jersey of one of the integral personalities in the book, 2007 (and 2002) MVP Willie Miller.

The commercially available one has the same trims and colors but uses a dryfit type of mesh as opposed to microshiny which most game issued jerseys use. It has black trimmings on the right side and gray piping on the left. The screen print is done for the black, white and orange areas of the logo and an opaque for the red parts, therefore saving an additional screen and textile paint color. A screen printed Accel logo and embroidered PBA logo finish the chest patches. A Surprising development here is that the jersey, despite being a commercially released one feels much more lighter than the game issued counterpart. The traditional jock and neck tag finish off the frontal details.

The back design features the player's name, number and Accel logo.

It used to sell for 700 bucks during its heyday bug nowadays, If you're lucky you might get one at half the price in discount bins. Pseudo "retro" jerseys like this one are starting to be a scarcity since once a player has been traded or a team changes its name, the team would have to purchase most of the remaining stocks.

The Pilipinas - Taiwan Twin Jersey connection

As you have seen in the ongoing FIBA Asia Cup, Smart Gilas Pilipinas 2.0 has been sporting a new jersey style similar to other Nike sponsored national teams around the world. Having the same cut and template means that one way or the other, we're going to have the same uniform as another team with a similar colored flag.

Enter their FIBA Asia Cup quarterfinal opponents, the Chinese Taipei National squad, same color, same cut, even the same font. While we're not complaining because those new threads are definitely awesome, we're also glad that we are getting the same technology as the top nations even if it is just jersey wise. One way or the other we are still going to end up with someone looking like us anyway since the colors red and blue are too common in flags. It is a good thing that we have the PHL coat of arms and the middle of the jersey (homage to the Caloy Loyzaga era).

Back in 2009 we had a similar issue with the Taiwan squad, but unlike now, it was still distinct because they had white trims in front and red at the back while we had red in the front and white at the back.

We then ended up changing to red come FIBA Asia 2009.

So, It remains to be seen if the PHL team will have a tertiary color but the recent kits are awesome by themselves. Be it having twins or not.

Just add color to your mood

PROMO RUNS: September 17 - 30, 2012

• Promo is open to all Facebook users currently residing in the Philippines
• Participants must first like the Converse Philippines Facebook Fan Page to be eligible
• Participants need to come up with their most creative explanations for their moods and share the color that best represents their mood.

• Tag Converse Philippines on your status messages when you share the photo to make your entry valid!
• Only one (1) entry per participant is allowed, so please be at your most creative when you post!
• 10 lucky participants will be chosen by the end of the month and announced the following week.
• Criteria for judging:
o Creativity 50%
o Originality 30%
o Number of likes 20%
o Total 100%
• Determination of winners will be done via tally of the total number of likes and the total votes from the Converse Philippines team.
• Winners will be notified via private messaging from a Converse Philippines representative.
• Metro Manila winners can claim their prize at the Converse Philippines head office at Unit E 2801 C East Tower, Philippine Stock Exchange Center, Exchange Road, Ortigas Center, Pasig City.
• Provincial winners can claim their prize at the nearest Converse store in their area.
• Claimants must present a valid ID as well as the private message received from the Converse Philippines representative confirming their win
• Cost incurred in securing the prizes is the sole responsibility of the winner
• Declaration of winners is non-negotiable and final

Mcfarlane NBA Series 22

While it is good to see that the line is still alive with new updates of the major transactions, It is still disappointing that all we got are recycled molds of the past. Kyrie Irving and the Brooklyn Nets' Jersey make their action figure debut. The question is: will we see Ray Allen, Jason Terry and Rashard Lewis in new threads come series 23?

TK Holdings Ryota Miyagi

After the Sakuragi Hanamichi figure released last year, TK Holdings will have a new figure in Ryota Miyagi under it's spirit of Takehiko Inoue line. It features the same highly detailed yet static pose. Out this autumn 2012.

Adipure 360: Another pair on the roll

 

A few months after becoming official partners with Gold’s Gym, one of the top fitness centers worldwide, premier sports brand Adidas has recently rolled out its campaign for Adipure 360 in selected Gold’s Gym branches around the metro. 

Adipure 360, the latest breakthrough shoes for training from Adidas is designed to give each and every user that much needed versatility and comfort during training. 

Its various features command presence on the gym floor:  flex grooves for maximum flexibility, an Ortholite sockliner with microbial protection, an outsole material that provides a lightweight cushioning, and a full bootie construction for anatomical comfort.

Getting the most out of a day’s workout from Gold’s Gym has never been so efficient and convenient with the Adipure 360. 

To check out the latest about this tie-up, you may visit Adidas’ Facebook Fan Page: Adidas Philippines or Gold’s Gym’s Facebook Fan Page: Gold’s Gym Philippines.

Smart Gilas 2.0 Jersey and Nike 2012 Team Pilipinas Jersey preview

Smart Gilas 2.0 Jersey

As we all know, Smart Gilas 2.0 had been sporting a different look come Seaba 2012. The new design had featured a lighter square pattern fabric. It had eliminated themselves of sponsors/ outfitters and used the MVP sports foundation logo instead, with the colors and design reminding us of the Smart all stars jersey used by NBA all stars in an exhibition game last year. We don't know if this is just a transitional phase of the Jersey while there is an ongoing negotiation with Nike and the national team. So far the new image has been successful for the national team, bagging 2 gold medals from Seaba and the Jones cup. This is not yet in the market and it being commercially available is still uncertain.

Nike Team Pilipinas Jersey

One thing we know is that the youth team (U-18) still sports the swoosh brand as its outfitter. Around the time of the London Olympics had started, a picture of the new design of the Team Pilipinas' jersey had leaked the web along with national team kits for other asian countries such as Korea.

The design is coherent with Nike's system of dress and is similar with other Nike sponsored national team designs such as Brazil, Korea, Lithuania etc... The back is similar to the past year's design while the front reminds us of other countries' kits. It has that internal back detail saying "Laban Pilipinas" (a feature usually seen in football kits like Man U). It does have a cleaner and more streamlined look.

While this new design has yet to be unveiled in international play, part of the team's kits that have the same design placements (shirts & jacket) had been used by the U-18 team in Mongolia.

This new Nike jersey is set to be released locally and can now be purchased online through http://jerseyhaven.multiply.com/products/listing/10377

Update 9 /12/2012:

The Nike 2012 Pilipinas Jersey has been given the Smart Gilas 2.0 Treatment for the Fiba Asia cup. Photo courtesy of United Philippine Basketball and Coach Chot:

 

Got Wings? Rondo in Manila

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.

PR: Just Add Color with Converse

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!