My marathon days are long over, but I continue to run with my #GirlsRunForBreakfast gang. These days, the breakfast is longer than the actual run.

 

I still get the marathon vibe, but only when I host the annual send-off party of The Bull Runner (TBR) Sun Life Dream Marathon.

 

The fun-filled party that I cohost with Ton Gatmaitan gives the runners the important race details, as well as exciting games, to get them all hyped for the marathon.

 

Today, Feb. 17, is the TBR marathon. Early birds would have started at midnight, and I hope they are reading this while having breakfast after crossing the finish line. Other Dream marathoners are probably still in mid-run at the TBR’s new home, Filinvest City in Alabang, Muntinlupa.

 

Now on its 10th year, the TBR Sun Life Dream Marathon is the first and only marathon in the world that caters to first-time marathoners. Touted as one of the top marathons in the country, this is like no other race. Registration is limited to only 1,000 runners on a first come-first served basis.

 

Those who are lucky enough to snag a slot are provided with a 22-week training program, free monthly running clinics and running talks, a send-off party and one of the best marathon experiences with full support from the community.

 

The race was founded by running blogger Jaymie Pizarro, also known as The Bull Runner, and CEO-athlete Jim Lafferty in 2010. Since then, over 5,000 runners have completed the race and are now full-fledged marathoners.

 

Visit www.tbrdream.com.

 

Free, fun workouts

 

Jaymie and I are also involved with the Sun Life GoWell Program. To treat its members to free and fun workouts, Sun Life GoWell recently held a GoWell Community Workout at SMX Aura.

 

The morning started with a Pound class led by Marge Camacho that consisted of a drumming workout to unleash one’s inner rock star. It was followed by NT Sweat Session, a dance, yoga and body weight session led by Nikki Torres, with DJ Patty Tiu spinning the music.

 

All GoWell members were thrilled to experience new workouts to challenge the body and work up a good sweat. As GoWell ambassadors, Bubbles Paraiso and I joined the active workouts.

 

GoWell is Sun Life’s wellness community that promotes a holistic lifestyle by helping people get fit and active, eat healthy, and live a balanced life.

 

Visit www.gowell.com.ph to sign up for your free account.

 

Vitamin drips

 

Since I have lessened my physical activities, I have increased my wellness regimen. I have discovered different vitamin drips and booster shots.

 

At our Chinese New Year party, Dr. Sheree Bondoc of CORE Clinic, the Center for Optimum Rejuvenation, gave complimentary vita-boost drips that help strengthen the immune system from deadly viruses.

 

The CORE Clinic is a functional medicine clinic run by Dr. Sheree, who is a fellow in Endocrine and Metabolic Medicine from the Metabolic Medical Institute of George Washington University. Aside from her functional medicine practice, she is also an OB-GYN fellow and a trained cosmetic gynecologist.

 

CORE patients are those who simply want to achieve or maintain “optimum health” as characterized by more energy, vitality and growing old gracefully.

 

CORE promotes optimum health by looking at the complex web of interactions in a patient’s history, lifestyle and physiology to arrive at a personalized treatment plan. The clinic’s goal is the same as Dr. Sheree’s, to help patients live long and live well.

 

Tel. 09178890512, e-mail [email protected], www.corephilippines.com.

 

New monument

 

On a heartwarming note, I recently attended the unveiling of a new monument to Don Joaquin “Chino” Roces, postwar publisher of The Manila Times and owner of the Associated Broadcasting Company or ABC 5.

 

The statue by sculptor Michael Cacnio shows Don Chino standing proudly, holding a newspaper.

 

The simple unveiling ceremony was presided over by Wilcon Depot founder William Belo and Makati Mayor Abigail Binay, whose father, lawyer and former Vice President Jejomar Binay, was with Don Chino in the parliament of the streets in the 1980s.

 

The Wilcon Depot IT Hub is one of the first establishments on Chino Roces Avenue, formerly Pasong Tamo, and was also the site of the old compound of ABC 5.

 

The Don Chino monument was an effort led by the entrepreneurial Mark Andrew Belo, president of Anstay Realty and Development, owner of the site. He told me that most young people only know Chino Roces as a street. He wanted to contribute to reminding everyone, especially employees at Wilcon, about the man behind the street sign and the values that he stood for as a freedom fighter and a compassionate entrepreneur.

 

Among the Roces family members at the unveiling were Joaqui, Don Chino’s eldest son and namesake, along with brother Eddie and granddaughter Sabrina. Also present were my parents Alex and Marixi Prieto, as Dad is a nephew of Don Chino.

 

Filipino dishes with a twist

 

Also among last week’s events was the first anniversary of Bench Café. Part of the homegrown brand that stretches from retail to various consumer goods, Bench Café is about food, Pinoy heritage and pride, a champion of Filipino craftsmanship and style.

 

It’s located at the Bench flagship store in Bonifacio High Street, and its second outlet has just opened in Greenbelt 3. The café is a partnership between Suyen Corp. and Foodee Global Concepts. Interestingly, both partners are headed by father-and-son tandems, Rikki and Eric Dee for Foodee, and Virgilio and Bryan Lim for Suyen.

 

Imbibing Bench’s social media hashtag and overall thrust, #LiveLifeWithFlavor, Bench Café celebrates classic Filipino dishes with a global, sophisticated twist, like what the brand does with its retail endeavors.

 

Ben Chan, Suyen Corp. chair, showed me around the Bench Café. I loved its well-designed, inviting interiors, the perfect ambience to enjoy mouth-watering selections.

 

 

 

 

More pics on Instagram at @seaprincess888.