Running Without Music

San Diego County TNT

Posted by Marvin Tabangay under videos

It’s very interesting to see what other chapters are doing, so I came across this Viddler video of the San Diego County TNT, who is training for the Half & Full Marathons taking place at Walt Disney World, Phoenix, and Carlsbad in January 2009.

Are You a Newbie?

Posted by Marvin Tabangay under websites

Are you a beginner level runner? Runner’s World has a channel just for you!

Beginning Runners: RunnersWorld.com

Here’s some advice for the beginning runner:

• If you train with a team, or coach, don’t be afraid to ask them questions (I mean ANY question) because that’s what they’re there for
• Don’t try to race (or even mentally race) that person next to you, they could be runners of a different level anyway
• Hydrate!
• Buy your shoes at a specialized running store, not Footlocker or Big 5.

There’s A LOT more you’d have to take into consideration, so I recommend you check out Beginning Runners: RunnersWorld.com for more tips.

$2.62

Posted by Marvin Tabangay under fundraising

I’m always looking for new and interesting ways to fundraise for the Team. Jamie, a mentee of one of my friends still in Team in Training has an interesting twist in her marketing. She’s asking each person to donate $2.62, which is a mere $0.10 a mile. Remember back in elementary school when you would ask your parents and family to sponsor a lap? It’s pretty much the same concept. It’s like the Sponsor A Mile campaign from my friend Michelle, mixed with the affordability of the Dollar Project by Erin.

Go ahead and donate $2.62.

SF Nike Women’s Marathon Slideshows

Posted by Marvin Tabangay under photos, videos

My friend Carlos, who was a mentor with the Fall Team In Training season, ran the San Francisco Nike Women’s Marathon put together this awesome slideshow of his experience:

Inspired yet?

Music: Trash Menagerie Mixes

Posted by Marvin Tabangay under audio, websites

What?!? Music on a blog called Running WITHOUT Music? Ok, ok, I admit, I do run with music, but only on treadmills. Do you know how boring it is running on that thing past 20 minutes? I know many of you still listen to music, so I’ll feature music that pump me up on my indoor runs. One website that I frequent for good house music mixes is Trash Menagerie. I love running to house music mainly because of its high beats per minute (BPM), and it reminds me of good times at the club. Yes, I’m tempted to just get up and dance on my runs. You’ll find some great mixes by well-known DJs like LA Riots, Little Boots, The Bloody Beetroots, Chromeo, and Crookers.

Right now, my favorite is Foamo’s House Party Mix. Check it!

Run, Fatboy, Run

Posted by Marvin Tabangay under movies

This movie has been out for a while, but I do know that a lot of people have not seen this yet. I’ll try to review running-themed movies from time to time. One night, I rented Run, Fatboy, Run because it came highly recommended from a friend. It’s a romantic comedy written by David Schimmer (you know, Ross, from Friends), and starring Simon Pegg (Hot Fuzz, and Shawn of the Dead), and Thandie Newton (Mission Impossible: II). The main character who Simon plays, Dennis Doyle, gets cold feet right before his wedding, and leaves his pregnant fiance, Libby, behind. He realizes he made a big mistake, but he found out his ex is now seeing another man, Whit, who plans to run the Nike River Marathon in London. Dennis thinks his only way to win his ex’s heart back is to beat Whit in the marathon, which he is clearly not a runner, and has not been training for. You’ll see his challenges, which I know many of you could relate to, during his training.Overall, it’s one pretty funny romantic comedy. Although, not the best, but it’s great to watch on a lazy Sunday afternoon with runners alike. I’d recommend this if you can relate to marathon running. If you can’t, you may have a hard time understanding some of the running jokes. For the relationship aspect of the movie, it’s not too strong, but it’s present. Does he, or doesn’t he win her back? I guess you’ll have to pick it up for yourself.

Logo T-Shirt Party

Posted by Marvin Tabangay under events, fundraising

Everyone loves themed-out parties. Last Sunday I went to my friend’s fundraiser at South in Santa Monica. It was called the Logo T-Shirt Party & Sunday Funday. Here were the details of the party:

Put on your hottest/funniest Logo T-shirt and come celebrate Sunday Funday with us!!! For $5 admission you receive DRINK SPECIALS!!! $3 Beer / $5 Well Drinks!!! Pay only $5 for Beer Pong or to enter our Flip Cup tournament!!! We will also have a silent auction - AMAZING PRIZES!!! YOU DO NOT WANT TO MISS!!!

Sunday has never looked so good! All profits and proceeds go toward The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

Unfortunately, I did not bring my camera (I know, I know… bad me), and I also got there late. I still donated $5 to the cause, but there still seemed to be a lot going on . My friends were still playing beer pong, people were singing Karaoke, and I could see the winning prizes from the silent auction on some tables. I enjoyed the drink specials, as well as seeing some of the funny t-shirts people had on. My favorite was on my friend - “I Need a Stiff One.” Go ahead and interpret that yourself.

LLSpotlight - Why LLS

Posted by Marvin Tabangay under videos

LLS posted a new video on their YouTube channel, with overview of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS). It’s a first of a series titled, LLSpotlight. John Walter, President & CEO and others talk about “Why LLS?”

Battle of the Unsigned Bands

Posted by Marvin Tabangay under events, fundraising

Last night, I was honored to be a judge of my friends’ TNT Fundraiser at Joe’s Tavern in Los Angeles, CA. It was called “The Battle of the Unsigned Bands“, which was also promoted by a local radio station Indie 103.1. Four well respected LA bands performed in hopes to win the grand prize of a two-page spread in Obscene Entertainment Magazine.

The bands were (in order of appearance, with links to their MySpace Music Profiles):

• HiFi Silence
• Mandorico
• The Mark Lantham Trio
• Cityzen

Each band had such unique styles and sounds, from elements of punk, hip-hop, rock, and ska. It was difficult to judge, but it was overall very fun. I was able to meet some of the bands afterwards, and it was awesome to put on such an entertaining show for free, to help out the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. There was also a silent auction going on at the same time, which included Autographed UCLA Football by Coach Rick Neuheisel, DVDs, iPod Shuffle, Fox Lot Tours, Reebok.

View the Flickr gallery here

Looking Back.. Wayyy Back

Posted by Marvin Tabangay under experiences

Running full and half marathons, jogging along the beach, spin classes at 24Hr Fitness, and row classes. I love to do all these things, and I don’t think I’ll ever stop. Five years ago, I wouldn’t even think about doing any of these things. I thought I probably would be married, have a few children, and settling down.

Thinking during Spin Class the other day, I realized that this is what I used to do as a child. I remember back in first grade, I would race my friend around the playground, probably showing off in front of the girls nearby. In elementary school, I LOVED riding my bike everywhere. I would bike a few miles just to buy baseball cards. The neighborhood I was in was fairly safe, so my parents would let my friends and I bike everywhere within reason. We would go from the park to my friend’s house, and so on. I guess it’s my childhood memories that are pulling me back to my running and biking roots.