IF THE SHOE DOESN'T FIT, CUT IT---Or Coach Rio's Road to Success

(c)annacarmellaledesma

The track oval has been his playground since Grade 5 where he ran shoeless, but swifter, against bigger and older kids. Now, this once shoeless little boy has now conquered numerous running competitions including Ironman 70.3 and the Boston Marathon to name a few. Get to know Coach Rio dela Cruz’s sole and soul, how he did it and what it took him to where he is today.

Coach Rio is indeed conquering the world kilometer by kilometer. His love affair with running started in fifth grade when he volunteered to run against two of his classmates when their track and field coach, in Industrial Valley School in Marikina, asked his classmates to try competitive running. Despite him being a “saling-pusa” he finished first.

But as he went to sixth grade the unfortunate happened: he suffered from shin splint that hindered him from competing further in the track and field division. As with all inopportune circumstances, this door has been closed. But in reference to the old adage of a door closing, a life-changing window sprung open for him in the form of long-distance running.

“I gave my injury chance to recover then joined my first ever 5km. race soon after. But there was a problem,” remembered Coach Rio. “I was over aged for an elementary student so I registered under the high school category. I won and that was where my running career started.”

Running barefoot competitively from Grade Five until First Year High School, Coach Rio didn’t let the rather painful and scraping earth he was stepping on get in the way of his dreams. So much so, that he was more than ecstatic on the day he was given his very first running shoes.

But alas, the young Rio never seemed to get through without trudging on rocky and hurdle-infested paths. There was a teensy bit of a problem, again. The shoes were a tad small for his growing feet that he had to cut off the forefront of both shoes to expose his struggling toes and be able to wear it. And fit, it did! Devoid of shame, this record-breaking rookie of the year awardee blazed his own path until he was able to achieve a degree of Bachelor of Physical Education, College of Human Kinetics, University of the Philippines, Diliman where he later on became a part of as a coach.

Running gives back

Coach Rio, shared that running—like electricity to a light bulb and spider senses to Spider Man—gives him power like no other.

With running, he added, people living a sedentary lifestyle can become healthier and less prone to sickness and injuries when paired with proper food and vitamin intake. With running, anyone can be super.

Aside from the healthy benefits that running has given Coach Rio, it has also showed him how to have a life free from hunger and poverty.

“It suddenly occurred to me that running would not put food on the table,” his blog read. “I needed a fallback plan, in case my running career didn’t take off, or I become debilitated either by a running injury or old age. While I probably won’t go hungry working as a Physical Education professor, I felt that life had so much more to offer. And so, with nothing but my ambition, passion for running, some start-up money, and my saliva, I dabbled into the world of events organizing. And with that major shift in priority, my running career has taken a back seat since then.”

Since then, a handful has happened in this Afro hairdo-sporting running machine. From being a shoeless school boy to a Timex and Nike endorser, to an ambassador of running and fitness in the Philippines, Coach Rio has proven that running is more than just moving the legs in a fast, alternate motion.

More than the motion itself, running, for him, became his source of inspiration and success.

“I have the luxury of time to think of the things that have happened and are happening in my life each time I run,” he shared. “It’s also de-stressing because I think of nothing but positive things like I pretend that I am competing in the Olympics. Running gives me a certain high that I cannot exactly explain.”

Swifter by the kilometer

To date, Coach Rio has conquered Ironman 70.3 with his relay teammates and the recent 42km. Boston Marathon—and he’s nowhere near stopping.

“I want to leave a legacy that because of running, I was able to somehow change the world and contribute to the improvement of lifestyle of people in my country in my own little way,” he said.

BACK TO REGULAR PROGRAMING

So this is what I've been up to lately--cuhrayzee. By that I mean bajillion months of not being able to publish my thoughts on the interwebs. First, I forgot my password; second, I have crossed over to an entirely different universe which I call The Beauty Industry. From editorial/publishing, I am now inching my way through this newfound planet. Tough? Yes, simply because I am an alien in this world and add to that the fact that I am such a low-maintenance, Angelo-Suarez-poetry-geek who doesn't care too much if I look presentable or not. Fun? Hell yes, because I get the best of---not one, not two, but THREE worlds! 

From being a writer-editor to a makeup artist, I am now strutting in the shoes of a training specialist for the world's number 1 makeup brand though I have yet to prove to the company and to myself that I AM WORTH IT, but what the heck I am still working for ze world's number 1 makeup brand. (Paulit-ulit?!)

Aside from, of course, training, the position I am in right now also allows me to practice my writing skills through module development; hone my public speaking shizz; aaaand!!! (drum roll please) DO MAKEUP!!! Not just makeup for some random person but for Project Runway Philippines 3 and Philippine Fashion Week 2012! Mucho thanks to the product manager and the brand makeup artists who believed in me and in what my hands could do (at least :p)

Okay, so there. Quick run through of what has happened in my very bipolar life.


Ahhh, it feels so darn good to be writing again. Good lord! It's as if I am reunited with my first love. Anyway, before things turn yucky, allow me to present to you some photos that would, in one way or another, sum up my long vacay from writing. Enjoy! :)

 (Did makeup for Sir Jeffrey Rogador)

 (Doing makeup for a modeling agency)

 (Cherry on top: Team collab landed on Vogue Italia website!)

(Whaddaya expect?!)

(Grateful :D)

RAINY DAY UKAY FIND :)

I loooove ukay-ukays because I used to tag along my mom whenever she visits a newly-opened ukay shop in Novaliches. I remember how mother ever so patiently rummaged through heaps and heaps of mixed clothing and racks of shoes just to find that pot o' gold of a garment that would complete her spontaneous ensemble for the day. So I guess that's where I got my knack for finding treasures in a sea of clothes and shoes and bags.

Just yesterday, I paid this new ukay store near my house a visit and just as I was about to give up, my eyes darted to the shoes section and found this baby! Despite not knowing what the brand is and the fact that it came with no pair of shoelaces, I still bought it for the whopping price of PhP 150.00 ownlehh!!! :)





How 'boutcha? What are your recent ukay finds? :)

PASTEL-CLAD PORMA :P

With Lourd Ramos as your boss, you should never be caught wearing crappy outfit or any kind of ensemble drastically lesser than his fab, everyday get-up! :p

I AM A NEW CREATION

Ze quick yet epic transition from being a magazine head writer to an operations manager and marketing officer in a short span of time was absolutely not a walk in the park, but being an athletic creature, I kinda enjoyed "THE WALK" :)

I now help promote and market my makeup guru's very own baby--Creations by Lourd Ramos Salon. I remember I casually wrote about it the other day then poof! I am now part of the salon I featured days and weeks and months before.

So here I am now, writing about this new found career path, typing away at the reception area while waiting for the closing time. Well, actually I'm at a loss for words right now so might as well show you some pics of my "OFFICE" and "CUBICLE" and how "I SHOULD LOOK LIKE" :p

Enjoy!

(ze view outside my "cubicle")

(ze view infront of my "cubicle")

(my BOSS :D)

(the employee :p)

tuwenti-porK

Posted this on Facebook on my birthday (February 21, 2011). Just sharin' :)

Look who’s 24 today! Too old to be young and too young to be old, they say. But when it comes to lesions and lemons that life occasionally throw my way, I say, I’m still a kid who’s got a lot to learn. Listed below are 24 things, realizations, kembulers, and whatnots in my 24 years of walking ‘round ze Earth…okay, ze Philippines, with a Post-it stuck on my back that says “Kick me or I Kick U”.

Numbuh 1: When in doubt, wear black. (Please don’t comment about my skin tone, I know, I’m forever in doubt)

Numbuh 2: In school, grades are nothing but numbers so enjoy, make friends, and don’t be too selfish with your test answers—get into the habit of sharing. Heehee.

Numbuh 3: A writer’s only as good as his last article.

Numbuh 4: I’m not a perpek Englisher unless we speak Inglis in da haus often or I live in de America for many years or I’m an amerikano when I was a petus. So pak op! Wag magpapanggap na inglisero o mag-feeling porenjer kung mula split end mo hanggang ingrown eh Pinoy na Pinoy ka dahil nakakasuka. Well, maliban na lang kung si Charice Pempengco Pempengmo Pempengnatinglahat ka na at kailangan mo na talagang mag-ingles para maintindihan ng buong mundo. Ngunit post ko naman ito kaya pagbigyan muna.

Numbuh 5: When things get shitty, release, stand up, wipe yo ass, and flush it.

Numbuh 6: Friends whom you’ve shared your The Moffatts, Hanson, N Sync, Backstreet boys, and LFO days with are the ones who can definitely stand your craziness when you get older. Try calling ‘em up and say you’re finally willing to swap your Justin Timberlake poster with her Taylor Hanson centerfold.

Numbuh 7: Vampire and wolf sagas are cute only when the likes of R. Pattz and Taylor Lautner and Kristen Stewart play the roles. J.Lloyd Cruz and the rest of the Immortals? Uhh.. I don’t think so.

Numbuh 8: The last thing you’d want to do in a workplace is to make true friends.

Numbuh 9: Call it goal-setting, power of affirmation, law of attraction, or the miracle of owning it but whatever the documentary The Secret says, I believe, is true. In grade six, when my article got published in the school paper and, modesty aside, I was semi-declared as the first elementary student to ever be so and when my article about my Science teacher was published in Junior Inquirer the same year, I kinda had this feeling of ownership over a title—that I will become an editor-in-chief in 10 years. And poof! Hello Tinker Bell EIC :p In my Junior year, one friend asked me what my sport was. Of course, he’s unaware that handing out a cup of water was my sport then, so I told him Soccer/Football. Good thing he didn’t bother asking more questions; he must’ve realized that I was just pulling his leg so he said “Weh” and left. But thanks to you, my friend, for believing in me, I am now a football player. Next time I see you, Imma kick yo—ass? :p You attract and become what you think about most.

Numbuh 10: No one can put a talented man down. You may have skillz that killz but I got talent that—nevermind.

Numbuh 11: Padre Pio is real. I stand by what I say. HE IS REAL.

Numbuh 12: Never let your job title get in your head because after all, it’s just a title no matter how you inflate it. I’d go for an inflated paycheck than that.

Numbuh 13: That traveling ‘round the country ain’t baduy. It’s fun and enlightening, actually.

Numbuh 14: Sleep when you’re sleepy, or take a power nap that doesn’t go beyond 30 minutes or you’ll get a headache.

Numbuh 15: As Regina Brett said in her book, your job won’t take care of you when you are sick but your friends and family will. TRUE!

Numbuh 16: It gives this warm, fuzzy feeling, like you’ve found a new friend, when you’ve made amends with your sworn enemy way way back. Try texting or FB PMing your “unfriended” friend no matter how much you hated each other in the past and take it from there.

Numbuh 17: Once in your life, you’ll find your master—your guru—who will teach you the ropes and lead you to a straighter path.

Numbuh 18: Always be thankful.

Numbuh 19: It pays bigtime not to leave early in a presscon. Hello C6-01! :p

Numbuh 20: Give makeup discounts to bride-friends. They’ll love you for it.

Numbuh 21: I realized I never liked movies that have scoops of gore in it. But I love zombie movies—it makes my cousin clap 10 times whenever zombies attack and run after the bida. Seeing my cousin do that in a movie house is priceless.

Numbuh 22: Lablab your boypren and his family and they will love you back. Hello Iturraldes! Labyoooo Dada!!!

Numbuh 23: NO Family is ze beyst. We stick together through fatness and thinness; in sickness and in health; win or lose ‘til injuries make us fart.

Numbuh 24: Bigby’s restaurant and café, located at 3f, Mega Atrium, SM Megamall, is THE BEST!!!

MAKEUP FOR CCA CENTRAL

Yep, I am a professional makeup artist now heehee. Many many thanks to my mentors, Mama Lourd Ramos and Master Jim Ros :p

Did makeup for Chef Janice and some CCA students :)

I AM SAD...

...so I had my nails painted bright orange and neon pink at Nail*A*Holics!!! :)

I had their Cloud 9 Manicure, Pedicure, Foot Spa, and Seaweed Wrap with additional hand spa for PhP 1,030. Heehee :)

And since I am a football player, I pretty much deserve this treatment given the fact that five months have passed since my last tootsie care.

This was my first time to try Nail A Holics :D

PLANTS VS. FROLICS

January 29, 2011, Ian and I are officially together for four years and two months. Woohoo :) I'm kinda too harassed to elaborate right now so why don't I just let the pictures speak for me...for now?

Enjoy :p

(This heck of a signage, which he painstakingly hanged by their gate, greeted me)

(in their ancient carriage; on the way to BHS)

(Sonja's cupcakes are LOVE)

(introduced him my fave ECHOstore delight, Taro Chips!!! :D )

(reason why we left BHS ASAP :p... TACOS!!!)



(then headed to San Beda for their FROLICS 2011...to play PVS :p )

I WISHED FOR A PERFECT PALETTE...AND GOT IT!

Late post, I know. I just want to share what I got for myself last Christmas :)

FINALLY GETTING NEAR A DOG

Never in my life did I imagine getting near a huge dog--until that fateful Doggies Choice presscon :p

Doggies Choice, a leading brand of pet care products recently hosted an intimate mini-press and bloggers conference at Dolce Latté resto, headed by Doggies Choice Brand Marketing Head Kirk Chester Dy.

Well, we've had dogs but I was never close to any one of 'em so imagine my surprise when their mascot, Diku, stood behind me for kamote-knows how many minutes :p I was shaking and I even held on to Shen because one, I'm scared of mascots, and two, I've had a pretty scary experience with dogs.

So combine the two and watch me die :)

As Kirk Chester Dy explained:

“Our main weapon against ticks and fleas is an ingredient called FENOBUCARB BPMC that is safe for dogs and humans as well. It is very effective in killing these terrible pests which can cause more serious skin infections if left unchecked. The best thing is it shields and protects your dog’s skin from these parasites long after applying."

...I was shaking in fear and humiliation. Heehee :p

And as he continued to explain:

“In curing this dreaded dog disease, many bizarre and unfounded remedies have sprung up such as application of cooking oil and worse engine oil! The latter can be very harmful not only to dogs but us humans as well since it contains a lot of toxic substances. However, with all these weird claims, one herbal treatment was scientifically proven effective as a "Mange-Buster." This natural, environmentally-friendly and non-toxic pesticide came from the Madre De Cacao plant which is the active ingredient in our Anti-Mange line. Once applied, Madre De Cacao acts as an effective anti-parasitic, safely eliminating mange causing fleas. The only downside to Madre De Cacao is that the extraction of the needed component can be slow and messy. We also added sulfur to the Anti-Mange line to complement Madre De Cacao. This also makes it an effective anti-fungal product line.”

...I was still drenched with trauma and fear. Bwahahahaha :p


Anyhow, I went home with a bag of Doggies Choice goodies for our new Labrador we named Jag. (Originally I called him Aso :p) We tried the products on him and I think he loved eeet!!! :)

WHEN BORED, I PAINT...MY FACE

Let's just say, I'm a struggling makeup artist. An orphan, simply put. I've always loved colors and how the hands can transform a blah-looking thing or a blank page into a marvelous creation, of course with splashes of colors and splotches of neon brights.

For years, I have not paid attention to the art and craft of makeup artistry until my friend, Ching Dorado, who once hosted a cable tv show asked me to do her makeup. Then my love for this kind of art sparked, evolved into a huge flame and never stopped burning ever since.

Thank heavens and the good Lord because months after, I got the chance to dip my shaky toes into the world of professional makeup artistry through the kindness and support (...and adoption) of Jim Ryan Ross, Senior Color Artist of Maybelline, and Lourd Ramos, Ambassador and Chief Makeup Artist of Smashbox Philippines.

I guess they saw my potential and invited (more on adopted :p) me to join their team. My first ever "PRO" gig was during Mutya ng Pilipinas 2010 at the Resorts World Manila.

WHOA. and WHOA. and WHOA some more. MNP!? You gotta be kidding me :p

But then again, my masters, Lourd and Jim, together with my supportive team mates (Verna, Ria, Yrynn, Donald, Apriel, Claire, Camille, Tin, and others who I might have forgotten to add :p), simply told me to do my thing and make my imagination run wild. Also, as a makeup artist, it's important, they said, to OWN IT. Yeah. OWN IT. Meaning you have to walk the walk and talk the talk and should there be any instance when I don't know what to do, their only advice is: "DON'T SHOW YOUR FEAR AND BELIEVE THAT YOU KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING EVEN IF YOU DON'T."

Makes sense right? It's a matter of attitude and belief in your craft, in your team mates, and most especially in yourself.

Ooookay. Back to regular programming :)

Few weeks ago, I felt bored. As in bored to bits. So what's a bored makeup artist got to do? Grab that trunk and scour through it for the brightest and wildest colors for quickie inspiration. But since I just finished watching (for nth time) Edward Scissorhands, I decided to whip up a girly version of Eddie.

Here goes...




Bwahahaha. Kaloka lang. :p

ZEN Health Jan-Feb 2011 Featuring Bea Alonzo

ZEN Health Jan-Feb 2011 issue featuring Bea Alonzo!!! Woohoo!!! :)

WRITE IT DOWN, MAKE IT HAPPEN

I am going to be an EIC

a pro makeup artist

and a 5-goals-per-game striker by 24!

-- inspired by Henriette Anne Klauser's Write it Down, Make it Happen :)

BTS: KRISTINE HERMOSA COVER SHOOT FOR ZEN HEALTH MAY-JUNE 2010

Among the many photo shoot's I've managed to organize is Kristine Hermosa's for ZEN Health Magazine May-June 2010 issue :)


Photos by Ria Regino
Makeup by Mickey See for Shu Uemura
Hairstying by John Valle for L'Oreal Professionnel
Styling by Miko Calma
Clothes by Cinderella
Shot on Location at Dusit Thani Manila
Special thanks to Ms. Danelle Ruth Palang


BTS shots taken by V. Glenn Orion

ALL PHOTOS ARE OWNED BY ZEN HEALTH MAGAZINE UNLESS STATED OTHERWISE.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

ENJOY!!!

WATER COLOR PALETTE? LIPSTICK PALETTE? C'MOWN!

One of the perks of working for a magazine, a lifestyle magazine at that, is getting to have first-hand info and yeah, latest scoops on everything under the sun. Each time we get to have a photoshoot, I always find myself standing near the makeup artist; observing each stroke of the brush and how colors or unimaginable combination meld into one awesomely beautiful piece of art.

Stupid and non-stupid (:p) questions spurt outta my mouth whenever I get near our guest makeup artist. And it always amazes me that I leave the shoot venue with a handful of tips for me to bring home. One such tip is if you got lotsa lipsticks and you've got lotsa clients to do makeup on, MAC's Owen Sarmiento let me on in a secret. He showed me his trolley and there I saw, palettes and palettes of lipsticks housing various shades of MACs...and then the secret spilled:

"I just emptied and thoroughly washed water color palettes then turned it into lipstick palettes. Cheap yet functional," Owen said.


Woohoo! So months after the revelation, I immediately headed out to my fave bookstore and bought a clear, plastic water color palette; emptied and thoroughly washed it like Owen instructed and scooped some from the tubes and into their new home! :p

Here's my own:




Kayoooot right? :p

CALIFORNIA BERRY: Cup o' Goodness Sans the Guilt

Ice cream or yogurt?

Two options. One critical decision you’d have to think of before indulging yourself to yumminess. For those natural dessert lovers, the former would definitely be their major choice. Health-conscious dessert-lovers, however, would probably opt for the latter as it has been well known to be healthy and good for the body.

How about mixing the great qualities of these two equally delicious desserts into one product that is sure to melt your heart of cravings?

People nowadays are getting more health-conscious; the growing popularity of healthy foods being offered in the market is really inevitable. Yogurt, for one, has been experiencing warm and favorable reception since it’s been introduced in the market. In the Philippines, yogurt is being enjoyed more when it’s frozen or ice cream-like, thus, the bloom of the frozen yogurt business in the country.

Yogurt’s rich, creamy texture is the result of milk fermentation and coagulation—adding a tangy, slightly astringent characteristic with unique zest in its flavor. Aside from its undeniable addicting taste, yogurt is loaded with calcium, phosphorus, Vitamin B, riboflavin, protein, lactic acid while helping you to lose weight as well.

The presence of live cultures or bacteria in yogurt helps to restore the intestinal tract to normal after antibiotic intake, at the same time help reduce the growth of harmful bacteria in the intestines. Also known as probiotics, it also helps in prevention of constipation and eases diarrhea.

The name CaliforniaBerry was derived from a simple reason that it

originated in California with assorted berries as a favorite pair of most consumers of the product. Undeniably, the brand has established a real asset of its own and has gained product patronage many years ago, reflecting the amazing benefits and cutting edge features of authentic yogurt in each cup.

Enjoy the plain, fat-free CaliforniaBerry yogurt starting at an affordable price of Php60 for small, Php85 for medium, and Php115 for large. Order a medium or large size and add pizzazz to its unique flavor by adding your favorite three topping combinations for a price of only Php30. Toppings available are from candies, cereal, chocolates, to syrup—with fresh fruits and nuts as constant favorite varieties. Chocoholics and candy lovers will surely go crazy with chocolate chip, white chocolate chip, M&M’s, cookies and cream, rainbow sprinkles, and marshmallow. While rice crispies, almond clusters, blueberry, cherry, strawberry, green apple, peach, pineapple, mango, kiwi, and banana double up the health benefits and taste of CaliforniaBerry’s silky smooth, natural yogurt. Customers can also try CaliforniaBerry’s Signature® Flavors.

So, the next time you feel like satiating for a cold ice cream but wary of its horrifying calorific contents, switch to CaliforniaBerry and indulge your senses in their nutritious yogurt selections. After all, enjoying a dessert doesn’t always have to be guilt-ridden.