Author Archives:

Age is Just a Number: Achieving Your Dreams at Any Stage in Your Life from Dara Torres—twelve time Olympic medalist in swimming (four of which was gold) and the first American swimmer to compete in five olympics—is all about swimming.  But, runners, and even non-runners, stand to gain from reading this book.  It’s about an individual who realizes that she can achieve anything no matter the obstacles—whether it was age, naysayers, injuries, or real life.  It just so happens that Dara found her passion in swimming.  Even if your passion is in running, biking, or multisport, this book will inspire you.  Well, that’s what it did for me.

Dara Torres was an Olympic swimmer in her teens, pursued a comeback at 32, and yet another comeback at 41 as a young mother. She broke her own world records set in her younger days and competed with younger swimmers…and won.  At 41, she didn’t only get to the Olympics, she bagged silver missing gold by only one one-hundredth of a second.

Wow. I loved her strength of character, her discipline, how meticulous she was with her nutrition and training, how competitive she was, and last but not the least, how she balanced this all with motherhood. She calls herself a Type A++ person, one who wants everything done fast, correctly, and with 100% effort.  That’s pretty much me (I don’t know if that’s a good thing!) in my, uhm, far more ordinary and mundane world.

Here’s just one of my favorite excerpts from Page 219: “I am who I am—a competitor at heart. That hundredth of a second doesn’t gnaw at me a little; it gnaws at me a lot. I’ve heard people say it put the focus on my comeback in the right place, on blowing open the possibilities as we age. But that’s not how I think. I’ve wanted to win, at everything, every day, since I was a kid. And time doesn’t change a person. It just helps you get a handle on who you are. Even at age 41, I still hate losing; I’m just more gracious about it. I’m also aware that setbacks have an upside: They fuel new dreams.”

Thanks to Jun and Mariel for giving this book to me at the perfect time: when I turned a year older last month and a full month before I got this stupid injury.  It’s helped a lot in keeping me strong (and bull headed) despite the setback.

Sighting: BULL CLOUD

Date: May 22, 2011

Time: 3:26 PM

Place: Buendia Ave. cor. Ayala Avenue

Frequency: rare Bull Cloud is said to appear once every 1,005,555 years

Discoverer: imaginative and observant non-runner named Jude aka TBR’s brother

I consulted a new doctor today upon the advise of a triathlete doctor friend. I entered his clinic expecting the worst. I had mentally prepared myself for terrible news: a fracture, a shoebox cast, and no running for over 2 months. (That’s what I get for scaring myself with my own “expert” xray readings. Now I know I can never be a doctor. Sigh.) All I prayed for was permission to swim. That’s all.

You can imagine my surprise when, after pinching and pressing on the injured left foot, the doctor tells me: There’s no fracture. My guess is that it’s Morton’s Neuroma.

I was ready to jump for joy and pop the wine bottle to celebrate along with the birthday boy hubby and swim squad buddies Adel and Bic who came with me, but then, I had to stop and ask: Wait a minute. What’s Morton’s Neuroma? And, is that better than a fracture?

WHAT IS MORTON’S NEUROMA?

Runner’s World describes it as a “pinched nerve between the metatarsal bones in your foot.” Yes, it’s a nerve problem, not a muscle or bone problem.

WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS?

It could be Morton’s Neuroma if you feel a tingling sensation in your toes (which I used to feel periodically after long runs) and pain in the ball of your foot which can lead up to your toes (which I feel now every time I take a step!)

HOW DO YOU GET MORTON’S NEUROMA?

– Wearing high heels. (Occasionally guilty)
– Wearing tight shoes while participating in high-impact sports like running. (Frequently guilty)
– You’ll be more prone to this if you have bunions, flat feet, or hammer toes. (Bunions and flat feet. Forever guilty)

HOW TO TREAT IT?

My doctor did this:
– He injected steroids and anaesthesia to relieve the pain
– He prescribed Celebrex and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
– He advised me not to wear my shoes too tightly
– He ordered rest from running for one week. If his prognosis is correct, I should be well in a week. If there’s still pain, he will order an MRI next week. (Positive thinking, guys!)
– And best of all, he allowed me to swim! Woohoo!

I would’ve done cartwheels in the doctor’s clinic if I could when he shared the good news. Or, if the hubby was not around, I would’ve hugged that good doctor after calling him “my miracle doctor” (which I really did!) No words could describe how happy I was—and still am—over this news.

For now, I am in full bed rest—well, until this evening—which is truly a major feat for me. I am relieved. I am thankful. And, boy oh boy, am I blessed to have the chance to run again soon.

C’mon sing with me and Kanye…

As much as I detest Kanye for treating Taylor Swift so rudely, I would have to admit that his voice—and that song of his above—has been playing on my mind almost the entire day.

What doesn’t kill me will only make me stronger.

As soon as we arrived from Bohol, I headed straight for an xray, the results of which I’ll present to Dr. Canlas tomorrow when I visit him. I’m no doctor, but I am freaking out over what I’ve seen below…

Does it look like a fracture to you? I’m trying to be optimistic about this, but it looks like I fractured my middle toe, doesn’t it?  Well, I can tell you this, it definitely feels like it.

After seeing the results this afternoon, I gave myself 30 minutes to be completely worried and depressed over this as I binged on a Starbucks oatmeal cookie and tamarind candies. After that, I took control and allowed Kanye to win me over.

What doesn’t kill me will only make me stronger.

What doesn’t cripple me will only make me a better runner.

What keeps me from running for now will only make me want to run even more.

Let’s see what tomorrow will bring.

Bohol was fantastic. We spent four full days completely immersed in the beauty of Bohol: its beaches, food, and people.

– We stayed at Amorita Resort. We had a pleasant stay but the absence of a nice beach front, lap pool, and a gym was an issue for this bull –

– with the in laws and kids. We were a huge group of 30 –

– kids playing around with the scenic view behind them –

Being our first time in Bohol, we toured the province…

1) We dropped by the blood compact monument,

2) huddled over those cute little tarsiers…

Little Miss Bull Runner brought home two of them and tucked them into bed. Meet Mitty and Nitty…

3) patiently waited for dolphins and spotted them!

4) hung out at Balicasag Island and swam with the fish and fed them at a nearby marine sanctuary…

5) ooohed and aaaahed over those amazing chocolate hills that weren’t all that chocolatey at that time…and,

5) just spent a lot of time swimming and bonding at Amorita Resort.

I also had a wonderful dinner with Congressman Arthur Yap of the 3rd district of Bohol—a family friend who proudly declares that he carried me as a baby and even changed my diapers!—and his friends at a beautiful, homey resort called Ananyana…

– with Dato and Cacai Arroyo, Pael and Christine Romualdez, Cong. Arthur Yap, Emma (owner of Ananyana), and hubby and I –

After telling Arthur about my foot injury which kept me from running and my desperate need for a pool, he was kind enough to make arrangements for me to swim at Eskaya Resort. I dropped by the following evening to view an infinity pool surrounded by candles—get this—all to myself! My jaw dropped as I dropped my goggles and swim cap on the floor. It was beautiful! I lost myself in the stillness and silence of the serene waters that evening.  I swam the best 1.3km here.

– I fell in love with this pool! I must return! (Photo courtesy of www.eskayaresort.com) –

Unfortunately, with all the fun activities, my foot injury went from bad to worse. By the last day, I could barely walk. I stayed in our room with my swollen foot elevated and countless orders for ice and room service. By the time I departed for Manila this morning, I was in major pain. This is me in the Bohol airport flashing the fakest smile ever ready to get an xray as soon as our plane landed in Manila…

If and when I return to Bohol, I made a mental note to do the following:

1) Come back uninjured
2) Run in the man-made forest
3) Run around Balicasag Island in Nike Frees or Evo Barefoot shoes
4) Stay at Ananyana or Eskaya