Uphill, Downhill

To make up for my 'two steps back' yesterday, I made sure to go out this morning even if it was COLD.  I am sticking to my two rounds of the Parsonage - Coolong - Parsonage loops just so that I have a semblance of consistency in my route.  

I think I have figured out why I seemed to have gotten around the loops much faster the other day as compared to the first time I did a 25-minute jog.  When I went out the first time, aside from taking the Southleigh loop, I also used the pedestrian path on the side of the park which sort of winds up and down.  This made it a longer route than if I had ran (jogged) along the road.

I made it to twenty-five minutes again today.  There were times when I tried to increase my stride a bit so that I could progress from a jogger to a runner.  This is a result of my watching a TV ad showing a runner bump into unlisted home (if you are not listed, you are invisible -- it was an ad for home rentals).  The guy was seriously running.  Each step got him quite a distance from his initial position.  I said to myself, "now THAT is what I call running."   Well, as mentioned, I tried to RUN rather than JOG but ... it was tiring!  So I would eventually revert to my steady (short distance) jog.

After my first round, I was already huffing and puffing.  I considered stopping and walking but then decided that the downhill stretch towards Parsonage would provide some rest so I persevered.  True enough, the downhill was a good breather.  If I had stopped when I first wanted to, I wouldn't have made it to twenty-five minutes.

So by and large, I enjoy running my chosen route.  There is a bit of an uphill at the onset along Parsonage then as one approaches Coolong the road is flat.  There is another uphill stretch as one turns into Coolong then when the road curves turning towards Parsonage, one finds the (long awaited) long downhill.

When I am along the road going uphill and I see someone running in the opposite direction, in between huffs and puffs I envy the guy since he is running downhill.  But then I think, hey, I'll get a downhill run too, and when that happens, the other guy will be going uphill instead.

So it is all good.

Minor Setback

We all know that in order to lose weight one has to exercise and diet.  Well, I think I have taken two steps back because (1) I didn't get up to run this morning and (2) I had two servings from the lunch buffet.

I don't think yesterday's fire drill walk from the 24th to ground nor my after dinner walk to return books to the library tonight can offset the lasagna, prawns, fish, pork belly, ham, pizza, chicken curry, etc., etc., etc. that I had.

It is 10 p.m. and I still feel stuffed.  I dare not see the impact of that lunch in pounds, kilos or stones.

Gotta Keep Going

So this morning, after two days of inactivity, I dragged my body out of bed when the alarm rang.  I wore leggings and long-sleeves because it looked chilly outside.  (Yesterday it was raining so I decided against going outside.)

Off I went at 6:25am.  

I realised how short the Southleigh Avenue loop was after I got a bird's eye view of the area so I decided to run around the Parsonage - Coolong loop twice instead.   Somehow, I seemed to have reached the corner of Parsonage and Coolong near Windsor much faster than before because when I checked my watch, I was only on my twenty-minute mark.  (Maybe that short Southleigh loop is worth the extra metres.)  

I pushed myself to reach 25 minutes then brisk walked the rest of the way home passing through Kerrs Road.

Not bad.  

We'll see what the rest of the week brings.

Time is Relative

Five minutes running takes much longer than five minutes walking.

The corollary to that is -- Five minutes walking goes much faster than five minutes running.

I Did It!

I managed to reach my goal of running for at least twenty minutes this morning.  In fact, I made it to twenty-five minutes.

OK, I jogged for 25 minutes.  Does that count?

It does for me.

Mai was already awake as I was about to leave the house.  I asked her if she wanted to make her anything for breakfast.  When she said no, I took that as a GO-signal for my morning run.

It being a Saturday meant I didn't have to rush back.

Last time I ran, I made it to my fifteen-minute mark.  Today, I didn't feel as tired as before and figured I could make it to my twenty minute goal.   I opted to take a logical break after I had gone around my usual Parsonage Rd -- Coolong St -- Southleigh Ave -- Coolong St -- Parsonage Rd -- Coolong St loop.  By the time I checked my watch and reverted to walking from jogging, it was 25 minutes.

I did it!

Now, if I could only do this three or four times a week.

Pamper Your Feet

GIVE YOURSELF A PEDICURE
What will you need?
- a bowl of warm water
- nail clippers
- nail file
- pumice stone
- body moisturizer or foot cream
- essential oils
- cuticle cream
- orange stick
- warm towels
- thin cotton socks

1.  Use a pumice stone, or dry skin board, a good foot scrub to scrub away hard skin.  Remove rough or hard skin from the foot.  It is easier to remove this when the feet are dry.

2.  Once dry skin is removed, soak your feet in a bowl of warm water for around 5 minutes.  Add 2 - 3 drops of essential oils (such as tea tree [antiseptic] or peppermint [energizing] or lavender [relaxation/balancing].

3.  Dry feet (don't forget between your toes).  Clip toe nails straight across.  Use a nail file to smooth along the edge of each nail, stroking lightly in one direction.  Make sure that corners are smooth and that there are no sharp edges.

4.  Gently massage cuticle cream into base of each nail and thenpush back each cuticle with an orange stick.  (Cutting cuticles encourages more growth, so better not to cut them.)

5.  At this point, you can give yourself a foot massage.  If pressed for time, smooth a nourishing body cream or oil into your feet.  Put cotton socks afterwards to allow moisturizer to soak in.

MASSAGE YOUR FEET

1.  Make a massage oil consisting of 3 drops to 10 ml (2 tsp) base oil.  a combination of lavender, marjoram, and neroli oils make a relaxing mix.  Prepare your hands by putting a few drops of oil into your palms and massaging your hands together until they feel soft and warm.  hold your foot sandwiched between your hands for few moments, then stroke your foot with gentle sweeps towards your body, one hand behind the other.

2.  Massage each toe using your thumbs.  Continue by gliding your thumbs along the top of your foot towards your ankle and then back towards your toes, fanning your thumbs out to the side as you glide.

3.  Start to loosen your toes by sandwiching them between your palms and rotating them clockwise and then counter-clockwise.

4.  Massage each toe again, this time with your thumb and forefinger, give them a light squeeze and a roll.  Finally, gently pull each toe in turn towards you.

5.  Using gliding movements, run your thumbs between the four tendons on the top of your foot, moving towards the ankle.

6.  Firmly massage the sole of your foot.  Use your thumbs to eash out from the centre to the outer edges.

7.  Massage around the ankle and Achilles tendon area, making small firm rotations. 

8.  Complete the massage by stroking the foot.  Wrap it in a warm towel or blanket while you work on the other foot.

Toss It!

Quick Salad Dressing

1 T   olive, walnut, sesame or grapeseed oil
1 T   rice wine, pomegranate, red wine, champagne or balsalmic vinegar
spice this up with red onion, fresh garlic, herbs de Provence, Italian herb mix, fresh basil, fresh thyme, lemon juice, gourmet mustard, sea salt, cracked black pepper

Asian Salad Dressing

1 T   sesame oil
1 T   red wine vinegar
1 t    sesame seeds
1 t    grated orange rind
1 shake  red pepper flakes

Asian Salad

6 ounces grilled scallops
2 c total butter lettuce and green cabbage mix
1 c total julienned carrots, red pepper, radish slices
1/4 c mandarin oranges
1 brown rice cake crumbled over the top
1 T sliced almonds

Winter Salad Dressing

1 T   olive oil
1 T   balsalmic vinegar
1 t    gourmet ground mustard

Winter Salad

2-plus cups mixed greens
1/4 c   torn basil leaves
1 c      roasted veggies
1/2 c   cooked garbanzo beans
1 T      chopped walnuts

Shake It!

One can opt to replace a meal with a shake.

1.  Pick a protein

2.  Add fiber.

3.  Add a healthful fat.

4.  Add fruit.

5.  Add water and ice to create the desired thickness.

===================================
JJ Virgin's shake recipe

 1 - 2 scoops protein powder
 1 - 2 servings of fiber
 1 - 2 servings of fat like 1 T organic nut butter (not peanut) or 1/4 c light coconut milk (replacing water)
 1 c  frozen organic berries
 1 c pure spring water

Eat From the Rainbow

Some of the highest nutrient-level non-starchy carbohydrates are colourful

ORANGE : carrots, sweet potato, cantaloupe

GREEN  :  broccoli, spinach, avocado

RED  :  beets, red peppers, raspberries, pomegranate, cranberries, cherries

BLUE :  blueberries

PURPLE :  red onion, radicchio

BLACK :  blackberries, olives, seaweed

How Much is Enough

The next two chapters of JJ Virgin's book talks more about what to eat.

Non-Starchy Vegetables (30 - 35 %%)

- eat two or more servings per meal.
- one serving is 1 cup raw pr 1/2 c cooked
- arugula, beet greens, broccoli, cauliflower, lettuce (not iceberg), snow peas, summer squashes, watercress, asparagus, brussels sprouts, celery, collard greens, eggplants, jalapeno peppers, mushrooms, radishes, shallots, Swiss chard, bell peppers (red, yellow, green), cabbages, endive, green beans, kale, mustard greens, radicchio, spinach, bean sprouts, cucumbers, fennel, kohlrabi, onions, spaghetti squash, turnip greens

(High fiber, starchy carb choices - jicama, squashes, lima beans, turnips, black beans, great northern beans, navy means, yellow beans, bulgur wheat, steel cut oats, whole grains, lentils, legumes, barley, millet, artichokes, pumpkin, brown rice, rye, whole grain breads, yams, sweet potatoes)
Lean Protein (about 25%)

- eat about 4 to 6 ounces of protein at each meal;
- chicken or turkey breast : 9.5 grams of protein per ounce
- red meat or fish : 7-9 grams / oz 
- shellfish ; 6 - 7 grams / oz
- whole eggs : 6.2 grams / oz
- feta cheese : 4 grams / oz
- cottage cheese  (1/2 cup) : 15 grams / oz
- Greek style plain yogurt : 15 - 18 grams / oz

Healthful Fats (about 25%)

- eat one to three servings of fat each meal
- one serving is approximately 1 tablespoon of nut butter or oil, 10 small nuts, 1./3 an avocado, 1/4 c light coconut milk, 3 to 4 ounces of fish

High Fiber Carbs and Low Glycemic Index Fruits  (about 15%)

- eat one to two servings at each meal
- 1 slice of bread, 1/2 c of cooked grains, 1/3 c of beans, 1/2 medium yam or sweet potato, 1/2 c winter squash, 1 apple, 1 c of berries, a sliced tomato

Dairy and Nuts

Water

- drink eight to ten glasses of water a day between meals
- drink 4 to 8 ounces of water with meals because you don't want to dilute your stomach acid and impair your digestion

Fifteen Minute Run

I wasn't able to go off yesterday (Sunday) so I decided that regardless of the weather, I would go out this morning.  

Rina and I have been corresponding and I mentioned to her that we live in the hills area.  She said that I would learn to love the hills for my runs.  My experience with uphills have been a lot of huffing and puffing, so I had my doubts. 

I found out this morning that running (jogging) uphill is not as bad as it has been the previous days.  I run a different route now which involves going uphill along Parsonage to hit Coolong Road.  That stretch was about fifteen minutes and I wasn't huffing and puffing as badly as before.  The only reason I stopped was because as I was going through Coolong, I decided against going over the hump and passed the side of the road ... and got hit by a mass of spiderweb between the bushes and the road.  (Ugghh!!!)

So I walked for a bit and tried to get the spiderweb out of my face.  I checked my watch and figured if I ran, instead of walked, I could get extra running minutes before going home and still have enough time to shower and catch my bus.

Fifteen minutes of running.  Not bad, I say.  It is a definite improvement from huffing and puffing after crossing the street.

Do Not Eat

JJ Virgin's book starts off with what NOT to eat.  She knocked off some of my favorite things.  (Now you know that I will NOT be following her book, Six Weeks to Sleeveless and Sexy).

However, others may be more willing ... so here goes.

The Obvious Ones

cookies, cakes, doughnuts, candy, white bread in any form (bagels, muffins, etc.), waffles (I just got a Belgian Waffle Iron from the kids today), high sugar breakfast cereals, jellies (including sugar-free kinds), ice cream and frozen yogurts, creamy or sugary salad dressings, margarine, ketchup, vegetable oils (including corn, safflower and sunflower)

The Not-So-Obvious Ones

all sodas (including diet ones), energy and cereal bars, fruit juices (even the ones that are 100% natural), fat-free flavored yogurt, all diet foods (including diet salad dressings and frozen meals), microwave popcorn, anything with artificial sweeteners, processed soy foods, dried fruits, jam made with fruit, sugar-sweetened peanut butter, fat free chips

Best Ab Machine

One of the websites I visited said that the best ab machine ... is a fitness ball.

This book I borrowed from the library, Six Weeks to Sleeveless and Sexy by JJ Virgin has this guide.


YOUR HEIGHT AND BALL SIZE
4'11'' to 5'3'' :  55 cm  (about 21 inches) inflated
5'4" to 5'10"  :  65 cm  (about 25 inches) inflated
5'11" or taller :  75 cm (about 29 inches) inflated


When seated on the ball with your feet flat, your hips and knees should be at or slightly above a 90 degree angle.

Jeff Galloway's 15 Week Program

Goodness, week 1 has running for 10-15 minutes already. 

http://www.jeffgalloway.com/training/5k.html
I'm getting tired just thinking about it.

Gotta Run

08 February 2011

I woke up before my cellphone alarm rang.   Weather was pretty cool.   Off I went at 6:15 am in my (formerly one of my brothers') long sleeved Fred Flintstone t-shirt and shorts. 

Squeak .. squeak... squeak went my sneakers as I brisk walked towards Coolong Park.  (Something is wrong with my right shoe.  It squeaks.) 

Squeak-squeak-squeak went my sneakers as I started to run when I crossed the street. 

I am sticking with walk-run combination for the moment, just to get the blood pumping.  My legs aren't ready for long runs yet.  Maybe in a couple of days.

I got home before 7am with enough time to shower and still catch the 7:20 bus to the City.  Problem was I had drank two big glasses of water after my run.  In spite two trips to the bathroom before leaving the house, I was busting by the time the bus got to Sydney (about one hour from our place). 

I knew I wouldn't make it to the office.  I felt as if my bladder was going to burst.   So I made a bee-line to the Ladies Room at the Queen Victoria Building. 

Maybe next time I should just drink one glass instead of two.

Good Morning, Australia

It was nice and chilly when I got up this morning, sort of like a taste of autumn.  It was definitely better than the summer heat we've been having for the past week.

Knowing how life goes, I opted not to dilly dally nor to over-think whether I would go out or not.

I simply wore a long sleeved shirt and leggings instead of my usual t-shirt and shorts, then off I went.

On my way to the park, I met an elderly woman.  She was in short sleeves and shorts!

There were a number of people at the park today.  Several people were walking their dogs.
\
I aimed to get three sets of short period runs today.  My first two were for 3 minutes each while the last one, on my home stretch, was 5 minutes.

Small victories.

It is the last day of my two-week leave.  I go back to work tomorrow.  Hopefully I am able to wake up early and run before I go off to work.

We'll see.

Weekend Wobble

How wrong was I to think that it would be easier to find the time to run on weekends?

I woke up at 6am on Saturday.  However, having read that it is actually better to run in the afternoon, I opted to get additional shut-eye.  By the time I decided to get up, I had to make sure the kids had breakfast.  So instead of heading for the park, I headed for the kitchen.  I had promised Mai we would make French Toast to use up the remnants of condensed milk from the brazo de mercedes we made some time back.  I checked our bread and milk supply.  There was enough milk but if I used the bread we had on hand, there would be no bread left for snacks or sandwiches.

I decided that since it was First Saturday, I would instead go to mass then pass by the grocery on the way back.

So my walk to church, to the grocery and back was about all the exercise I got for Saturday.

How about Sunday?  

By this time, I had figured that it would be better to do a morning run than not to do any running at all.  The problem was that by the time I woke up, I had to do breakfast again.  We had Chinese fried rice if you are interested to know.  

I whipped up the Chinese fried rice in a jiffy.  If we ate fast enough and had woken up Gino, we would have made it to the 10:30am mass.  

Alas, it was not to be.  

Ardi said he wanted to eat his Chinese fried rice leisurely.  Poppop said he didn't want to wake Gino up.  

That meant that we would be catching the 6pm mass.  Consequently, it was declared a 'rest' day.

Cool Down

Cool down aims to prepare the body to stop. 

Slow down from a run to a jog and then walk for a few minutes.  Allow your breath to slow back to normal, and if possible do the body mobilisation (warm up Steps 3 and 4).  This will prepare you for a good stretch,.

The HOME STRETCH

a) Feet -- sit on a chair (barefoot) with both feet flat on the floor.  Now come up to the balls of your feet (tiptoe) and fully flex the toes (so that they spread out).

b) Shins -- kneel on the floor with your heels under your bottom, tops of the feet on the floor and your hands gently supporting you at each side.  Lift your right knee up, pressing the front of the right ankle and shin towards the floor.  Hold then repeat on the other side.

c)  Achilles tendon and lower calf -- stand on a low step or curb your right heel hanging off the edge of the support.  Bend at the knees and hips and, keeping most of your weight on the left leg, gently press the right heel down, simultaneously pulling the toes up.  Hold, then repeat on the other side.

d)  Upper calf -- standing in front of a wall, take a lunge forward with the left leg, keeping the right leg straight, with the heel on the floor.  Feet should both be pointing directly forwards, or the toes pointing slightly inwards.  Use the wall for support and keep your pelvis in line with your back (your bottom shouldn't be sticking out!).  To enhance the stretch, try flexing your toes.  Hold then repeat on the other side.

e) Hamstrings -- stand in front of a support between knee and hip height ( a chair or something).  Extend one leg and place it on the support, with the foot relaxed.  You should be at a distance that will allow your supporting leg to be perpendicular to the floor.  Now hinge forward from the hips, keeping the pelvis level and the kneww of the extended leg straight.  Feel the stretch along the back of the lifted thigh.  Hold, then repeat on the other side.

f) Quadriceps -- stand with your back to a chair or bench, and place the right foot on it, behind you.  Bend the left knee and keeping the right hip behind the midline of the body and your back straight, gently press the right thigh down until you feel a stretch along it.  Hold, then repeat on the other side.

To stretch the other three quads, stand tall with feet parallel and then lift your right heel, taking your right hand behind you to grab the foot.  Bring the pelvis to a neutral position and gently press the foot into your hand, keeping knees close together.  Hold, then repeat on the other side.

g) Hip flexors -- from a lunge position, with the right foot forward, take your left knee to the floor with the lower leg extended behind it, and adjust your position so that your pelvis is in neutral and your right leg bent at a right angle.  You can support yourself with your hands on the floor or on the front thigh (not the knee).  Feel a stretch along the front of the left thigh and hip.  Hold, then repeat on the other side.

h)  Bottom muscles -- lie on your back and bring the right knee close into your chest, hands wrapped around the shin, the knee fully bent.  Hold the position, release and then bring the knee towards the left shoulder and hold again.  Repeat on the other side.

i)  Hip rotators -- lie on your back and bring your right knee towards your right shoulder.  Keeping the right hand on the knee to anchor it, grab your foot with the left hand and gently pull it towards the left shoulder until you feel a stretch deep in the hip.  Hold, then repeat on the other side. 

j)  Outer hip -- lie face down on a hard surfact with your right leg bent at the knee, right foot resting against the left inner shin.  Now imagine you're trying to lift that right knee up, contractiing the muscles steadily and gently.  Repeat on the other side.

k)  Inner thighs -- sit against the wall or the back of the sofa with your legs apart and straight.  Shuffle yourself on to your 'sit' bones (the bony bits under your bottom) and rotate your feet outwards so that your knees are pointing away from one another.  Take the legs as far apart as you need to, to feel a stretch along the inner thighs.  Do not bounce forwards.

l)  Lower back -- lie on the floor and hug your knees in towards your shoulders, with your hands on top of the shins.  A tiny side-to-side rocking movement feels nice during this stretch - like a mini massage of the lumbar region.

Warming Up

Step 1 -- Lie down a few minutes, especially if you have been sitting or standing the whole day.

Lie face up, with your knees bent and your hands resting on your tummy, elbows to the side (for about 5 mins).

Step 2 -- Lie on your tummy with forehead resting on your hands, your tummy gently pulled in and your pelvis netural and level.  Start kicking alternate heels up to your bottom, making sure the foot travels all the way back to the floor between kicks and that your pelvis stays still.  As you continue, speed the movement up.  Aim for one to two minutes or count 120 kicks.

Step 3 -- standing up

a)  Take your ear towards your shoulder, keeping the opposite shoulder relaxed.  Move the head from side to side eight times.

b)  Now bring your shoulders up towards your ears and roll them backwards and down again.  Repeat 8 times.

c)  With your hands clasped at chest height and your hips square, gently rotate the upper body from one side to the other, looking over your shoulder as you do.  Repeat 8 times.

d)  Now slide your hand down the outside of your thigh as you take the body to the side.  Keep your hips perfectly still. Alternate from side to side, eight times,.

e)  Draw a large imaginary circle with your hips; rest your hands on your hips and take the pelvis as far to the side, back and front as you can, keeping your legs straight but not locked.  Do four circles in one direction and four the other way.

f)  Pull one knee gently up to the chest, release and lif the other knee.  Do eight alternate lifts, and on the final lift on each side, circle the ankle foud times in each direction.

g)  Finish by dropping your head to your chest and rolling through your spine, with knees slightly bent, until you reach the ground.  Pause, then roll back, 'rebuilding' the spinal column, vertebra by vertebra.

Step 4 - begin with a brisk walk and then progress to a slow jog before you build up to your usual speed.

TIME CRUNCH?  Skip steps 1 and 2 unless you are doing a long run, in which case, Sam Murphy recommends to complete the whole warm-up routine.

Sam Murphy's Seven Week Programme

I borrowed a running book from the library, Run for Life (The Real Woman's Guide to Running) by Sam Murphy.  She says one can be up and running in 7 weeks.  It is a walk-run four sessions a week plan.  I don't know if I will even attempt to follow this,

Week 1 -
 a)  walk for 2 mins - run for 1 min - six times (18 mins)
 b) same as (a)
 c) same as (a)
 d) 30 min brisk walk

Week 2 -
 a) walk for 2 mins - run for 2 mins - five times (20 mins)
 b) same as (a)
 c) same as (a)
 d) 35 min brisk walk

Week 3 -
 a) walk for 1 min - run for 3 mins - five times (20 mins)
 b) same as (a)
 c) same as (a)
 d) 45-min brisk walk

Week 4 -
 a) walk for 1 min -  run for 5 mins - four times (24 mins)
 b) same as (a)
 c)  REST
 d) 2.4 km (1.5-mile) timed run.  Choose a pace slightly harder than usual but not all-out.  Record your time,

Week 5 -
 a) walk for 1 min - run for 6 mins - four times (28 mins)
 b) same as (a)
 c) same as (a)
 d) 1 hour brisk walk including 8 3-min jogs

Week 6 -
 a) walk for 1 min - run for 8 mins - three times (27 mins)
 b) same as (a)
 c) same as (a)
 d) walk for 8 mins - jog for 10 mins - rest for 2 mins - repeat (40 mins)

Week 7 -
 a) walk for 1 min - run for 9 mins - three times (30 mins)
 b) same as (a)
 c) walk for 2 mins - run for 12 mins - rest for 1 min - repeat (30 mins)
 d) run for 20 mins!

Thia plan has (a) Monday, (b) Wednesday, (c) Friday and (d) Sunday.

Body Mass Index (BMI)

The ideal body weight for a runner is said to be 45.36 kg (100 lbs) for the first.1.52 m (5 ft) of your height, and a further 2.25 kg (5lb) for every 2.5 cm (1 in) above 1.52 m (5 ft).

If you happen to be more than 3 kg (7 lbs) over the 'ideal' weight, it is recommended that you consider walking as an alternative to running, at least for a couple of weeks (assuming you are able to get in shape).

Measuring your Body Mass index (BMI) to asses your body weight status.
a)  Measure your height in metres and your weight in kilograms
b)  Divide your weight by your height squared (W/H^2)

OK, here goes nothing again.

Writer's height in metres = 1.5494
Writer's weight in kilograms = 54

Height squared = 2.4006

Weight / Height ^2 = 54 / 2.4006
Writer's BMI          = 22.494

Now for the ideal body weight for a slightly vertically challenged writer:

Base height :  1.52 m                 Base weight :  45.36 kg
Extra height :  2.94 cm               Additional weight :  (2.94 * 2.25 / 2.5) =  2.646 kg
HEIGHT = 1.5494                    WEIGHT should be = 48.006

Oh dear, there you have it folks, I've known it all along ... I need to lose some weight.

(Arrgghh ... I need to lose a LOT of weight.  I am 15 lbs over my ideal weight.)

Now that I've done the math, the numbers cannot be disputed.

Five Minutes, I Ran for Five Minutes

Day 2 -- 04 February 2011

Instead of "running" under the heat of the sun before dinner, I decided to go off after dinner when it was cooler.  It was a much better time to run.  There was still nobody at Coolong when I went there.  The day before, there was nobody because it was soooo hot.   On that First Friday, I was surprised that there weren't more people at the park.  

Eventually, people walking their dogs and people going for walks surfaced.  I managed to increase my running time to five minutes.  That is a feat for essentially sedentary me.

I had left the house at about 8pm and got home before 9.  The path I take has sufficient lighting and there was still some light when I left the park, so I wasn't really worried.  It was just that there was still huffing and puffing on my part even if I was only just brisk walking most of the way.

Day 1

When Zeline left that Thursday morning, I was disappointed at myself for not having STARTED on any sort of exercise routine as I had planned.  I was in the tail-end of my two week leave (which started on 24 January) and there were more calories going in than out.  We had made coffee cloud, brazo de mercedes, orange cake, polvoron, etc. while Zeline was with us.

So after I marinated the whole chicken and stuck it in the turbo, I announced that I was going out.

It was 4:50 pm as I made my way out.  It was a warm, sunny day.  Not really the perfect day to get started on one's running but I figured if I didn't get started today, I may never get started.

I brisk walked to the park.  That is not something new.  I walk all the time.

I can do this, I thought to myself.

But then I had to cross the street and there was a car waiting to cross, so instead of taking my sweet time, I ran.  (My first run in a long time.)  Yes, that dash across the street was enough to make me huff and puff.

(Just so you know, I wanted to call my blog HUFF AND PUFF but blogspot had different ideas.  Armand's blog which at the moment is the extent of my literature on running stated that it was good to keep a running journal.)

So there I was approaching the park.  It had taken about 15 or so minutes to get there.

I contemplated just walking the whole time versus actually running.  Walking was certainly easier but I knew that I had gone off to the park to run.  

So I ran for a bit, starting at the downhill.  Gravity is certainly my friend.

As I "jogged" through the path, I said to myself, I can do this.  

In the words of the Little Engine That Could -- I think I can!  I think I can!  I think I can!

I stopped running soon after and reverted to walking.  Walking is good.  

Then I got back to the downhill part.  Time to get a little more running done.

I didn't get THAT much running done that day but I did manage to start.  I got back home at about 5:45 pm. all sweaty and tired.  

Considering I managed to let the whole of 2010 and January of 2011 pass me by already, getting out that Thursday was good.

It Starts

We all have to start somewhere, right?

Well I decided that it was time to start NOW.  

What am I starting?

Well for one thing, I have decided to start RUNNING.

NOW would actually be Thursday, 03 February 2011, 4:50 PM; and RUNNING is meant to be at least 20 minutes non-stop.

Why RUNNING and why NOW?

Well, the RUNNING bit can mainly be attributed to a very good friend Nikki who has been running for a bit over a year now.  She is running 10k marathons now and is much better shape than when she started.  She is a great inspiration for the sport, I must say.  Her husband apparently decided (this was in December 2009) that he wanted to get back into shape and start running again.  Nikki eventually joined him on the tracks although she herself  was never the varsity team type.  

As the months passed, Nikki's weight loss was noticeable.  I was duly impressed.  I was very happy for her.  She would post photos of her latest run in FaceBook.  I would cheer her on.

Going back to FaceBook, I found Rina, one of my best friends from Grade School.  She and her family are in New Zealand.  One day, she mentioned that she was corresponding with Sylvia, another of our Grade School gang and giving her tips on running.  

"What?"  I typed as we chatted, "Sylvia is running?  Wow!"

Rina replied, "Yes, running is the new black in Manila.  There are events almost every week."

I didn't think anything of this.  My de Santos hips were happy to be parked on the couch.  Although when I first discovered Coolong Park near our place, I thought to myself that this would be a good place to run.  

I left all this running business at that until Nikki sent me a link to her husband's blog the other week.  As I went through it, I thought to myself, running sounds like something I could do.

However, it was not the link that brought about the NOW.

The NOW was brought about by Zeline's arrival and departure.  

Zeline was scheduled for a visit from 16 January to 03 February 2011.  I thought that while she was here, maybe we could be exercise buddies.  I wrote as much in my messages to her as soon as I found out that she had confirmed her flights.  She wasn't very enthusiastic about the idea.  When she arrived on the 16th of January, she relayed how she had to dash from one airport terminal to another in order to make her flight.  "Did you have anything to do with that?"  she asked me.  (Sure, Z.  I wish I had that kind of special powers.)

While Zeline was here, we did manage to get some sightseeing and matching walking around done.   Unfortunately, that was as far as our exercise buddy activities went.

This morning, I brought out the weighing scale so we could check the weight of her baggage before she left for the airport.

Ten kilos.  Baggage all good.

Of course the natural course of things dictates that after you weigh the baggage, since the weighing scale is right there in front of you, you check your own weight.

Zeline got on the scale ... 50 kilos.

Oh, I was 50 kilos once upon a time.  That was a long time ago.   A very, very long time ago.  

The kids got on the scale.

Ardi was about fifty kilos as well, Mai, thirty-nine.

They looked at me in anticipation.

A l l     r i g h t . . .   h e r e    g o e s   n o t h i n g . . .

I step on the scale ... the scale that reads kilos and stones, instead of pounds.

Up, up, up it went ... all the way up to 54 ... fifty-four!

How many pounds is that?

Poppop did some calculations then said, "One hundred and thirty pounds."

WHAT?  I am 130 pounds?  Am I really?   I think I was only in that weight range when I was pregnant.

OMG!  OMG!  OMG!

I need to exercise.  I need to run.  I need to run NOW.

So that is how the NOW came to be.

By the way, I did my own calculations and came up with 54 kilos = 120 lbs.  Whew!  That's not TOO bad but I would feel more comfortable if I weighed a bit less and fit in my jeans a bit less snuggly.