staying alive

As part of my ongoing bid to live deliberately and eat whatever the hell I want without worrying about weight gain, I've decided to try a new exercise.

Spinning will now be included in my sketchy fitness regimen (if you can call my patchy run+yoga modus operandi a "regime").

I hear spinning works wonders for strengthening the core and the quads, and will eventually help me run better. I've recently hit a wall and can't seem to run faster or longer, so I figured I needed to cross train.


The other side of the small gym in the condo. To the left are the spinning bicycles. (I don't use those weight machines - scary!)

Luckily, I don't have to spend money going to a fancy spinning class because the little condo gym has TWO spinning bikes. Being a treadmill junkie, I've never paid attention to them before. But then I started noticing a neighbor - a foreigner, woman, in her early 30's like me - using them regularly. And two days ago, I read that Brooke Shields spins 3x a week. That sealed the deal.

Wow, I thought. If I want to age as well as Brooke is aging, I must spin. It's only logical. (Hint of sarcasm, in case you miss it.)

So yesterday, I started doing position 1, 2, and 3 as explained here:





I've never felt more like a beginner. I could only hold position 2 for 1 minute, and position 3 for 30 seconds. The simultaneous burn on my quads and my lower core was indescribable, and my heart was pounding out of my chest. This must be what bad sex feels like.

After 30 minutes of sitting, then "climbing hills" with positions 2 and 3, and then sitting again, I decided to cool down. I'll be back next week. MSP found me this complete spinning workout on YouTube. It's a series - there are SEVEN parts. I'm getting tired just thinking about it:



Once I figure out how I can mount my phone on the bike, I can watch this as I spin. I probably won't be able to keep up, but I can pretend.

Run like a girl (part 4)

One day, I will be able to call myself an intercontinental runner, running and eating in all the cities I will ever go to.

For now, I relish small victories, like yesterday when I won my first running medal.

That's right - I actually WON a race. I ranked third in the 8KM/5mile Road x Trail Running event down south in Nuvali, so I got a ‘bronze’ thingy around my neck.

(My bronze WINNER medal + my FINISHER medal)

It was a smaller event but joined by serious road and trail runners nonetheless. The competition was not as tough as in the bigger 10,000-runner races, where I usually rank only 30+ in the female category. Still, it was a hard run on a new terrain against worthy opponents, and I ran my best 8km time — around 46 minutes (less than 6 minutes per kilometer).

(Road x Trail banner)

The boyfriend and I were supposed to run this together. We planned a weekend vacation around it, complete with a hotel and all. Sadly, he got the flu about three days before the event, so I cancelled the hotel. I nearly cancelled the run altogether, but because he’s supportive like always, he insisted I do it. He drove me to the south and cheered me on. You gotta love a self-assured man not intimated by an alpha female :)

The new terrain and its uphills was a shock to my system. But my new Nike Free Run served me well. I started strong, rested in the 3rd to the 5th kilometer, and then finished strong. Great shoes, greater will power.

(Me stretching in my new Nike Free Run)

It started to rain like hell halfway through the awarding ceremony, so I never got my 5 seconds of fame and pictorial on the medal stands. I was simply handed my medal thimagingy. That was okay, as it was getting dark and I was starting to shiver from the strong wind and rain. I grabbed my bronze and happily went back to the tent, where I was chatting with other runners who were also wet and cold. After a few minutes, the boyfriend and his car pulled up.

We intended on driving back to the metro, but the rain was pouring so hard and we could hardly see the road. We ended up staying in a hotel, after all. By this time we were both down with the sniffles. We figured a nice, hot shower and room service may save us from full-on fever.

TecnoPark hotel overcharged at around $130, even though they advertised a weekend promo that could have saved us $50 or so. Eh, what the hell. The booking guy probably sensed the desperation in my eyes (hot shower please!) and figured I would pay anything—ANYTHING to get me out of my wet clothes.

(The overpriced hotel room. My condo is better.)

I missed my place, my nice big bed, my 700-count Egyptian cotton sheets. I missed Conan O’Brien at 11pm. I missed home. But the hot shower was relaxing and the food delivered to the room was edible. I fell asleep on the weird bed, anyway. I was too tired to complain.

After a nice big breakfast the next morning, I went back up to the room and finally took a picture of myself with my medals. I forgot to put on a more decent outfit. (Yes, this is a big ratty shirt I sleep in).

And that was that.

I'm back home now. The adrenaline has dropped and I can feel the sniffles. Maybe I'll veg out all day, eat fruits, drink green tea. Oh, and I need to do "carbo loading" - a concept alien to dieters but very useful for runners like me who love to eat horrible, fattening things.

Tomorrow, it's back to work.

Victory is short. Deadlines loom.

Even champions have to face reality.

He-he.

run like a girl (part 3)

Adidas King of the Road Race Results - Oct 24, 2010


So I finally did it.

Five kilometers in a just a little over 28 minutes.

And the cherry on top is that I outran thousands of men and women. I ranked 32 out of 2,578 women, and 218 out of 2,052 men. That means I outran 4,380 people.

(Don't believe people who tell you it doesn't matter what your rank is. They're just slow. Rank matters. You can only really compete with yourself, but ranking shows you the average so you can go past it.)

So, I guess it's time to advance to a more challenging distance? I can call myself a real runner now.

This is actually my third run. In the first run last March, I was just a little above the average at 36 minutes, and I outran 41% of the women. In the second run last June, I clocked in at a little over 32 minutes, ranking 119 of just 1,178 runners (mixed gender). That meant getting into the upper 10%, and for me, that was quite an improvement. It's NOT easy cutting four minutes.

Around August this year, I decided that I would cut my time by three minutes more - just enough so that I could run 5 kms in under 30 minutes. So MSP - who said that it would be hard to make me faster because I am already fast - put me on a training routine that didn't seem to work at first but finally kicked in on race day. Thanks, punk :)

And so here I am, finally, a runner. Not a jogger. R-U-N-N-E-R!

Some people ask me how I motivate myself to do this. I don't know how to answer that. I run because it's fun. That's the only real motivation. Those who lose steam in the first few tries typically run for the wrong reasons - to lose weight, to get into the hype, etc. Unless you truly find running to be fun, you can't get up early in the morning (after a night of too many drinks), tie your shoelaces, and run.

Running is a metaphor for life. It gives me the discipline to stay on course at work. It teaches me about commitment. It teaches me not to make excuses. And best of all, it proves to me that if I can think it, I can do it.

The mind really is more powerful than the body. I mean, I'm 30 but faster than most women 10 years younger. If that's not will power, could it be my British W.A.S.P. genes?

It's time to celebrate with a new running shirt...




...and a big fat chocolate cake :)

run like a girl (part 2)

Today on an impromptu run to support the World Food Program, I finished 5 kilometers 4 minutes faster than I previously did in the same running venue (The Fort).

I'm still not quite as fast as I want to be. My stamina is still lower than I wish it was. However, I know that my speed is not bad for a lazy recreational runner.

(A recreational runner is usually in the 10-minute mile / 6-minute kilometer ballpark.)



Thank you Drowning Bismuth for the free tickets :)

To friends who keep asking me about Chi Running, its' really simple. Watch this video:



* * * *

My problem now is this: I can't seem to combine yoga and running.

When I do yoga, my body strains its core muscles, making it much harder to run fast. I'm probably doing something wrong.

* * * *

Part 1 is here.

break me out

SLOW POKE

The next run is almost here, and I'm not ready.

In the last two weeks, life has not been "normal." The stress of working endlessly and dealing with someone's passing has taken its toll. I haven't been eating right. Sleep has been optional.

The shock and anger has subsided, thank God, and I'm slowly shaking myself out of this rut.

It hasn't been easy finding entertainment, but I'm succeeding. Last weekend I went on a walking tour of Old Manila, and tomorrow I'm tasting 100 French Wines. I hear there's foie gras canapes. I better NOT wear cashmere, because I'll just soil it with duck liver and Bordeaux. Sheersh! Hick!

* * * *

DEALING WITH THAT...

There are moments when I still feel deeply sad. She was like my sister, after all.

These moments come suddenly. Just a week ago, I was running like hell -- faster and stronger -- when tears just rolled down my face. I couldn't tell how much I really cried. Was that sweat or were they tears? I have no way of knowing.

So anyway, I just keep running.

run like a girl

I've been doing recreational running for officially one year now. If you count the months I could barely do 6KPH on the folding treadmill in the office (I call this my pretend running phase), then I've been at this thing for almost a year and a half.

Early this month, I joined an official running event which dear friend Barry helped organize. My speed has improved to 8.2KPH. It's not fast, but it is within the "ideal" range for a long-distance running where it's not the speed but the consistency that matters. My goal is to slowly improve my speed to 8.7KPH, and maybe 9KPH by the end of the year. I don't intend to run faster than that. I just want to go longer.

Why I am doing this

When I started running a year ago, my goal was not to lose weight or anything cosmetic like that. I just wanted to develop stamina for the great European adventure. That was a success. After all, I did brisk walk through 8 European cities. (Just a few months before that, I could barely walk around Hanoi.)

MSP also took up recreational running around the same time I did. I'm faster than him right now, but I know he'll catch up. You see, MSP was athletic in his younger days - he did soccer in high school and swimming in college, while I was...eh...I was debating. (I knoooow.)

Running also gives me a very welcome break from all the thinking that I have to do every day. Even if I'm just on the treadmill (of the free condo gym) running at 8.8KPH and looking out the pool, I am at peace. It's even better when I do actual road work in the UP oval. Exhilirating.



Fitting in

Weight loss was just a consequence of my running; it was never the goal. I have lost only around 8 pounds since I started, which means I lost it all slowly over one whole year. It was such a slow and steady weight loss that no one noticed it except me and MSP, who is the only regular checker of my ass size. Friends - even those I haven't seen in years - just say I look more toned. No one ever realizes I actually lost some weight.

Now I can wear skinny jeans without my hips looking like China, and I can do the Indian sit without getting the dreaded muffin top. Even more importantly, I still eat like an Italian and I drink wine like the French. For a foodie and whino nearing 30, that's all that matters.

Hobby, not sport

I have stopped losing weight even though I run regularly. Perhaps this - around 112 lbs - is where my body naturally sits. No complaints. I feel stronger and healthier now than I've ever felt. I'm still a "recreational runner" in that running is not my life (and I don't ever want it to be). I can't imagine getting more serious about it. I don't ever want running to feel like work.

What now

My next local run is in June, and then October.

Slowly but surely, MSP and I will eventually run the annual Great Wall of China Marathon. We're giving ourselves two years to train for this. We are not gunning for the marathon, but just the half marathon or the 10KM at the very least, depending on our fitness level by the time we decide to go. It should be a totally different challenge, as it is more about climbing than running. Bahala na.

I should stop taking the elevator.