3 Is Greater Than 1 (3>1) | SBR.ph In[FOCUS] Team Edition

As soon as they launched  their website we knew right away that it’s going to be a big hit. Take it from us, there’s nothing we love more than chicks who kick ass and look pretty damn good while doing it.

Fresh from their 1-2-3 finish at the 2012 Ironman 70.3 Philippines Cebu, finally on SBR.ph, the super trio of Kim Mangrobang, Monica Torres, and LC Langit! 3 is greater than 1 !


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3 is greatest of them all

SBR.ph: Welcome to SBR.ph Kim, LC, and Monica (our suki!)!  Moni, first of all, congratulations for winning Ironman 70.3 Philippines Cebu for the fourth consecutive time! And thanks as well for always being available for an interview!

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4 in a row

Monica: Thank you for supporting 3>1! We ♥ SBR, the ultimate online multi-sport resource in the Philippines!

SBR.ph: For the benefit of our readers, can you guys give us a backgrounder about 3>1? What’s behind the name and what motivated you guys to start the site?

3>1: We met in 2008 and lived together for months under RP Team training camp in Subic. We became fast friends, despite our age differences, and shared everything from food & clothing, to the joy of winning & pain of disappointment & injury. In 2009 at our Kalayaan housing unit, we 3 even had to share 1 bed! In 2011, the local tri industry boomed and we started getting attention on and off the course. We received lots of messages of support and admiration and got asked questions on tips, training, etc. through Facebook and in person. We realized it was the right time to create our own medium to interact with the multisport community, and hopefully inspire others to take up an active lifestyle.

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Pre 3>1 Era

3>1 = (swim + bike + run) > 1 traditional sport

3>1 = (Kim + LC + Moni) > 1 average athlete/blogger

SBR.ph: Are any of you techies by nature? Who maintains the site? I can barely mix training and working on SBR.ph! How much more at an elite level! How do you balance blogging, training, and your personal life?

3>1: None of us are super computer savvy, so we had to hire a designer to build the site and make it idiot-friendly ;) We take turns blogging and coming up with contests and news bits and fun little posts. You’ll know it’s race season when we’re not super active on the blogs!

LC: I have to say mommy Moni tells us what to do! Hahaha, she’s the one who reminds us na we have to write our blogs and share on facebook… I barely go to facebook anymore, but I post stuff just for the website and promotions. I do the editing for the videos (I think that’s the only thing I bring sa website)

SBR.ph: One of the things that we eagerly watched last Ironman 70.3 Philippines Cebu (including the telecast on studio 23!) was the three of you battling it out for the win. Which makes us wonder, during a race, are you still best friends? Or do you switch to enemies mode and try to kick each others ass?

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Moni chasing the leaders

Moni: I switch to race mode! But I don’t join a race with a particular person as my target. My target is to do my best and beat as many people as I can overall (regardless of category). And I think ultimately, we three want to represent the Philippines as best we can, so it’s all about clocking in our fastest times.

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LC exiting the swim

LC: A race is a race. I don’t see them as enemies… They are my competition, so I want to beat them of course :)

Kim: my goal is to beat my time and do my best.

SBR.ph: Are you being civil girls?? Hehe Ok seriously, Kim and LC, you guys came out of the swim .03 seconds away from each other for a blazing fast sub 25 minute swim (24.05 and 24.02 respectively). Moni, you said before the race that you’ll be playing catch-up to these two the entire race. From your own perspective, can each one of you ladies tell us how your race went?

LC: I wasn’t happy with my swim… I was stuck at a comfortable pace because me and Kim were drafting with a big group. I made couple of tactical mistakes during the swim part. I knew I could swim faster than that. I’ll have to improve on some aspects of my swim leg. It was funny going out of the water me and Kim sprinting for the Alaska swim bonus (BAYWATCH STYLE) while everybody was taking their time. Hahaha I can now say I out sprinted Belinda Granger and other Pros. I felt strong on my bike, I knew I had to gain time and it’s my strongest leg after swim… But my lack of training (and it was just my 2nd race after a long break) catched up on me. Towards the last 30km, I was cramping. Last 15km I had to back off. Going to T2 I was just cruising and just trying to manage the cramps on both legs… On the run I had to stop because my legs just shut down. That’s the time Monica passed me…I got some salt sticks from Arland and Coach Dan Brown. Good thing I was able to finsh the 21km. All in all it was an okay race for me… and most importantly, it was a fun weekend!

Kim: I was not expecting a blazing fast swim. I got out and swam at a comfortable pace and worked hard on the way to swim exit.  The bike course was probably the hardest I’ve ever done. During the run I focused on keeping hydrated and keeping a steady pace.

Moni: My swim wasn’t as horrid as usual. Looked to my right and left and was momentarily pleased to come out of the water with people who are usually way ahead of me. Hi Coach Omar ;p On the bike I did as I usually do, time the interval from the point I see the girls ahead and the point I reach the u-turn (multiply the interval by 2 and guesstimate their lead). Before the second part of the m-loop, I had passed Kim, and I knew she was struggling because I wasn’t expecting to catch her just then. I just yelled, “Let’s go, Kim!” and didn’t look back. On the second u-turn, I saw that I had cut LC’s lead on me a wee bit, so I just held on to my pace and hoped I wouldn’t get a flat. On the run I decided to go conservatively on the first 2-3 k’s, and was surprised to pass several guys. Guess I was having an okay day. Was even more surprised to catch LC so soon. She was obviously cramping, but I didn’t have anything on me (I’ve never taken salt tabs ever), so I just shouted, “Come on, LC! You can do it!” I just kept trying to overtake as many people as I could after that, and saw the finish line at 4:48.

SBR.ph: How important is winning to you? Say you see one of the 3>1 girls suffer a flat during a race, will you give your spare? Or better yet, will you stop and assist?

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Besties eversince

Moni: I’d definitely throw my spare.

LC: Yes! Would offer help…Like Monica I could throw my spare Pittstop or CO2, but not my spare tire because of the 3 of us, I’m the only one using 650c :)

Kim: I will give my spare.

SBR.ph: Hmm ok.. Not the controversial answer we’re looking for! Hehe! Ok, how about this one? You’re in second place with 5 km’s to go on the run, you’re already cramping and you only have 1 salt tablet left. You see your 3>1 buddy, currently in first place, in front of you. Who takes the final tablet?

Moni: We are extremely close friends, but we are extremely competitive athletes as well. We would never expect one to make a sacrifice just so the other could win.

LC: No doubt, I’ll take it! Hahaha!

SBR.ph: Kim it’s no secret that you trained in Australia for a couple of weeks. Can you tell us a bit about the training camp? How did that help you training and racing wise?

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Kimmie at the Aussie Camp

Kim: Our training starts as early as 4am, 3x a day. The swimming discipline improves a lot.

SBR.ph: If there’s one discipline that you guys need to work on, what is it?

Kim: The bike discipline, need more training, training, training….

LC: ALL! Lots of improvement needed in all disciplines… Speaking of smiling… All my run photos during 70.3 were terrible! My hair was a mess (normal) and my face was ridiculously funny! :)

Moni: I really need to work on smiling. I hate my finish line and podium photos.

SBR.ph: LC, you made a lot of heads turn with your strong performances lately. And it definitely caught our attention as well as other old timers! What’s up with that? Are you getting back to training full time?

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LC getting back to form

LC: I’m getting back into triathlon, definitely! I’ve been out of the triathlon scene for almost a year or more. I’m currently working as a swim coach. I need to work to support myself, so the full time training is kinda out of the question as of now. But I would love to bring my old racing form back and get faster for sure. I’ll be doing more races next year so I’m looking forward to racing and chicking more boys! :)

SBR.ph: How often do you guys train together? Do you each share the same program? Who’s your coach?

3>1: Kim lives in Sta. Rosa, LC in Makati, and Moni in Quezon City. Training together can be quite difficult. We try to do key workouts or tough sessions together, like track or brick once a week. We also join run races and cycling races together as part of our training.

Moni: I make my own program. At the start of the week I usually ask LC and Kim if they wanna join me for a tough workout planned, or if they have their own tough sessions in the works I ask if I can join them.

LC: I make my own program also. But sometimes I swim with my beloved swim team in La Salle Taft. I also join my tri team, Polo Tri for some bike rides and run trainings.

Kim: I train with the national team under Coach George Vilog.

SBR.ph: Monica, being a brand ambassador for multiple brands, are you now starting to get infamous “ay mam kayo po ba yung nasa poster” question?

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Monica’s K-Swiss Ad

Moni: No, I usually get, “Hi Monica, friends tayo sa FB!” or “Uy, 3betterthan1!”

SBR.ph: Being bloggers and also ambassadors of the sport, does that add pressure for you guys to perform/race well? Does that motivate you to train? Act differently in public?

Moni: I don’t write, speak, or act a certain way just because I am sometimes labeled an ‘ambassador of the sport.’ I can’t be anyone else but myself. If people are inspired or entertained or informed by my blog, that’s awesome!

LC: Yes! I have to smile more even though I don’t usually smile (ask Moni and Kim) and fix my hair! :)

Kim: Yes, it does affect me to always perform and race well, which motivates me to train more.

SBR.ph: You guys are chicks that’s fast and kick-ass. A sure-fire combination guys surely find hard to resist! Aside from your phone numbers, what’s the most common question newbie’s always ask you?

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Mirror mirror on the wall…

Moni: “Single ba si LC?” and “Pwede mahingi number ni Kim?”

LC: “Hi idol, bakit ang cute mo?”… “LC, bakit ang hot ni Kim?” …”LC, bakit nag asawa na si Monica? Nabreak heart ko”

Kim: “Ma’am, saan ka po nagte-training, pwede po ba makisabay sa inyo?”

SBR.ph: What’s the WEIRDEST question/request that you got from a fan?

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Different teams | 1 blog

Moni: “Babae ka ba?” Actually not that weird anymore as I’ve been asked this quite a number of times now.

LC: “Nagsusuklay ka ba?” (Actually I do but my hair is not cooperating)

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We let you be the Judge.

Kim: “Ikaw ba si Kim? Bakit mas maganda  ka sa picture?” hahahaha

SBR.ph: Hahahahaha!! I’m sure a lot of newbie athletes ask you for advice. Do you also offer coaching services? Ahem, Coach Moni.

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“Coach” Moni’s Coaching Debut

Moni: I’ve done a few speaking engagements and clinics, and sometimes contribute articles for magazines. Right now I have a monthly column for Manila Bulletin Sports Digest. Sometimes I play the part of “bad cop” for my husband Jojo’s TriMac Coaching students, ‘cos of course, he’s the “good cop.” But personally coaching athletes myself – I’m not ready!

LC: Yes! And it’s my job to give advice! I try to help as much as I can. E-mail me at [email protected].

Kim: Not now. Maybe in the future.

SBR.ph: I’m sure a lot of people are wondering what it takes to train at an elite level. I certainly am! Without giving too much away, can you guys share a one week sample of your training block 3 weeks out from Ironman 70.3 Philippines Cebu race day?

Moni: 2 weeks prior to Ironman 70.3 Phil, I did something like this (can’t remember exactly ;p)

Mon AM Swim long

PM Bike 2 hours hills

Run 30min easy

Tues AM Run 1hour (20min mod, 20min med, 20min mad)

Swim intervals

PM Run track 20 x 400m at 1.30, jog 200m between

Wed AM Bike 3 hours (30min mod, 1hour TT, 30min mod, 1hour TT)

PM Swim pulling

Run easy 30min

Thur AM Swim TT

Bike 2hours hills

PM Run 1.5 hours

Fri AM Bike 8 x 6k TT, 3k easy between

PM Swim pulling

Bike easy 1.5 hours

Sat AM Swim 80 x 25m go on 40sec, every 4th easy

PM Brick

Bike 1.5 hours (30min moderate, 30min race pace, 30min hard) then straight to

Run track 15 x 800m @ 3.10, jog 200m easy between

Sun AM: Swim intervals

PM: Rest

LC: I don’t share my program! :) Kidding. I usually training in the morning. 4 times a week of swimming, 4 times a week of running, a long ride and 2 short rides. I have work so I cut down on my training milage. I have to sacrifice something.

Kim:

Mon-rest

Tues-swim bike run

Wed-swim bike run

Thurs-swim bike

Fri-rest

Sat-swim bike

Sun-run run

SBR.ph: If you can do one thing for the whole day what would it be? A. Swimming B. Biking C. Running D. Blogging E. Hamming it up for the camera F. ________ ???

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Don’t be fooled boys..

Moni: F. Firing up the grill, knocking back a few cold ones, and hanging out with my friends & family!

LC: F: going out with someone… Date…

Kim: F. hanging out with my friends

SBR.ph: What’s next for 3>1?

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These girls can seriously kick your a*s.

Moni: Working on becoming more competitive internationally. Personally, down the road definitely want to help develop the sport in the country. Hope to be part of creating/implementing a long-term and results-oriented program/system for developing world-class youth elite triathletes.

LC: I hope we get commercials!

Kim: I still gotta finish my school work!!

SBR.ph: When you’re not training or racing what keeps you busy?

Moni: Writing, cooking up contests for the site, watching movies and eating. I spend a lot of time eating.

LC: Sleeping and going out with friends… and I love to do outdoor stuff. Playing other sports is a treat for me.

Kim: School. Boys. Hahaha.

SBR.ph: Kim, you just broke a lot of hearts. Hehehe.. Talk to us about your sponsors. Individually and for the site!

3>1: Thank you Cherifer Premium, K-Swiss, Casscorr C-Plus, Tri-Q-Tra Biocap for all your support! And thank you pinoyfitness.com, SBR.ph, Multisport Philippines for featuring us!!!

Moni: Lucky to be on team HERBALIFE. Proper pre, during, and post training/racing nutrition is an absolute must for any athlete to succeed. Check out sports.herbalife.com. Awesome to be supported by K-Swiss and Rudy Project as well!

LC: Cherifer Premium, I take it everyday! I would not be able to work and train at the same time without it. Thank you BALLS channel and my Polo Tri Team.

Kim: proud sponsored athlete of UNILAB. .

SBR.ph: Any message to all your fans? How can they contact you? Anyone you wanna greet? :)

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Giving back to the sport

3>1: Thank you for always liking whatever we post, and occasionally reading our blogs, hahaha! E-mail us anytime at [email protected] or message us on Facebook.com/3isgreaterthan1.

SBR.ph: Thanks for the time LC, Kim, and Monica!

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3>1

Comments

comments

SBR.ph Team

A triathlete making a comeback and a true blue Scorpio. That sums it up quite nicely :)

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