by Carlo Sampan
After a good 20-minute drive from Magallanes thru MCX we arrived at Vermosa Sports Hub in Daanghari. It was around 7am when we entered the gate of the newest and hottest premiere sports destination in the south. We were scheduled to have our coordination meeting at 10am with all the involved staff for Turbo Sprint on August 12, so we decided to come earlier to try out the pool.
Parking was not a hassle with the spacious lot of the hub, and it’s free! Upon entry and registration, we were greeted by the friendly staff members Cass and Nicole, who briefly offered Pool Rules and membership rates. We paid PhP220 per person for the pool fee, inclusive of the pool usage and locker rooms. Not bad for what they are offering, especially if you live within the vicinity. The lockers are free of charge, but you have to bring your own lock and it is on a first come, first served basis.
There were about 10 swimmers before we started our training, but we were told that during other days, the pool can be packed as early as 5am. But with the 10-lane built of the pool, everyone has sufficient space to have a good swim workout.
Protected by the Hamilton sunblock courtesy of Clara International Skin & Body Centre, we were ready to take the plunge at around 7:20. We decided to do the ‘feel good’ workout given by a good friend and elite triathlete, Coach Jenny Guerrero. She said it’s something that we can do for tapering, when getting back after a long absence in training, or just a typical I-want-to-swim-and-feel-good-after workout. Here’s the workout set:
• 200m swim choice
• 200m swim drills
• 100m kicks with kickboard
• 200m inverted butterfly kicks
• 3 x 200 swim freestyle, alternate easy and moderate every 25m with 1 min. rest every set
• 4 x 100 underwater kicks then sprint the rest of the 50m
• 200 cool down
And yes, finishing it actually feels good, especially if you’re wearing your Funky Trunks or Funkita from Neptune Actives.
As for the swim experience, I don’t think we have seen a public pool with this clear, blue and clean water. The depth of the outdoor pool is 6.5ft all throughout the pool, so if you are planning to swim, avoid stopping in the middle so as not to disrupt other swimmers. When we swam though, there was a platform provided where you can stand at the start of the pool. Following the standards of a world-class pool, there are marks on the lane lines, which help you in your training and have an anticipation about the length of your swim, say for example, you need to count your strokes. You can tell that it is well-maintained, because it doesn’t have that strong chemical feel and smell while you’re in the water. It didn’t actually hurt my eyes when I did the cool down with my Funky Trunks goggles.
There are covered benches on the sides where your family and friends can wait (and take your action shots) while you are swimming. The breeze of the winds in the south adds to the whole laid-back experience at Vermosa. As for the shower and comfort rooms, you can consider it as a post-work out motivation with the quotes on the locker doors, and an extension of cooling down with the strong water that seems like an aqua massage. You’ll definitely enjoy it, but be mindful of the use of the water and conserve it!
After everything comes the best part – breakfast. Unfortunately, there are still no available food stalls or restaurants at Vermosa. However, you can order your favorite Subway sandwiches through the reception, but allow at least one hour for delivery. Maybe you can order it already before your workout, or an option is bring your own breakfast. What we did was we drove to the nearest available food chain (at Prima Mall), but it took as about 30 minutes just to get to the place with only a stretch of less than 2 kilometers.
Overall, swimming at Vermosa was definitely a good experience and highly recommended. We can say now that we are Turbo Sprint ready! Participants are in for a treat! Premium raffle prizes and Vermosa memberships will be up for grabs as part of the program! See you all next week!
Turbo Sprint Ready! Trisports Team and Vermosa Team joining forces for Turbo Sprint 2018
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Carlo Sampan is the Marketing Communications Head of Trisports Solutions Inc.