Running like a pro at adidas Runners Manila

MANILA, Philippines – People of all fitness levels are welcome to join as milestone plans are personalized with expert coaches guiding every step of the way.

The Manila runs will be led by three topnotch coaches: Jules Aquino, Maureen Schrijvers and Ani De Leon-Brown.

Aquino was a member of the UP Diliman Track and Field team. He recently launched a fitness and travel YouTube channel with his twin brother. 

Schrijvers was a Palarong Pambansa champion. She dominated the 100- and 200-meter dash events and led the NCR secondary girls team to first place finishes in the 4-x-100 meter relay and the 4-x-400-meter relay in 2012.

The “Iron Lady” Ani De Leon-Brown rounds up the captains. She was the first Filipina to qualify and compete in the Ironman World Championship and is considered as one of the most in demand triathlon coaches in the country.

“As captains, we’re here to push our runners to get better each week and have fun doing it.” Coach Ani said.

Now on to the sneak peek of the running program.

After registration, we were divided into groups under lead runners. Our leaders were Adele and Sieg.

The first station was warm-ups under Coach Frank. Warming up before doing any physical activity is my least favorite part (but I don’t want to injure myself either) so I was surprised that I actually enjoyed the warm-up, including the dreadful burpees.

The second station was to test our speed and agility under coach Jules and coach Lala. I liked this station better because I incorporate a lot of the drills when I workout.

I forgot to mention that in between the sessions, we were running across Bonifacio High Street. The bustling and scenic city somehow gave runners a different sense of security while running.

The last stop was in Ascott BGC for the after-run party where runners got the chance to mingle with other teams. As someone who is new to running, it was overwhelming to run with prominent running teams like the Ayala Triads, Team Titans, Urban Runners and the Snail Runners.

Part of what I like about running is that I can block others and just be alone; it gives me time to think about things in life.

After the runners experience, I now understand why some people choose to run with a group. There will always be somebody who will motivate you to push further whenever you feel like giving up. Will I try it again? Definitely.

For interested runners, you can check out the adidas Runners Manila Facebook page if you want to become a member. The first team run will be on Saturday at UP Diliman. Call time is at 5:45 am at the Palma Hall.