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I do.  Definitely.

Some eat more after a long run, or after a race, or after speedwork.  Not me.  I eat more when I’m not running at all.  When I’m training properly, I feel healthier so I naturally lean towards better food choices.  

When I can’t run, it seems like my hands are compelled to grab unto something, anything (e.g., Cheetos jalapeno flavor) to make up for the lack of movement in the legs.  The hands and fingers then coordinate—as my feet and legs would do the same when I run—to plop that digestible form of matter unto my mouth for quick consumption.

What’s most worrisome is that, due to my sheer depression from the lack of runs, I don’t even notice the food sliding down my throat and building a home in the comfort of my own tummy.  Usually, I’m watching a DVD, surfing the web, or dining with family when I suddenly have that overstuffed, bloated, I-want-to-vomit feeling and I think Uh oh, I’ve had more than enough again.  Then, panic creeps in, with the next thought: Shoot, how will I burn this if I can’t run?

Needless to say, that is exactly what I was telling myself last night as I stood on the dreaded weighing scale: Shoot, how do I lose the weight I gained over the holidays?  Why did I have to impose that 7-day running ban on myself? Maybe it’s time to break the ban?!!

Fortunately, I paid my favorite PT a visit at Moro Lorenzo this morning. (He’s my favorite because he’s the only guy who cured me of my shin splints and this he did literally overnight.)  After teaching me new drills to strengthen my quads and pull my kneecap inward, and as he poked at my ITB with long, scary needles, he nonchalantly told me that I should just continue with my training.  What?  No need for my 7-day ban?  It was music to my ears.  Woohoo!

I tried my best to keep my composure, even under so much pain, but deep inside I was already thinking of where I should run next, with whom, and what healthy meal I should be having for dinner.  Goodbye leftover Christmas treats.  It’s time for some salad!

“Consider goals as launching pads to something far greater.”

– Cyndi Laurin

Ever since I came across those aforementioned words in 2007, I stopped making resolutions and marked each New Year with GOALS instead.  Here goes…

ONE-DAY GOAL: To start eating properly tomorrow—as in the way normal human beings do without gorging on ridiculous amounts of dessert.

FIVE-DAY GOAL: To stick to my “7-Day Self-Imposed Running Ban.”  Oh, I didn’t tell you about this yet.  Since Singapore, I’ve had a lingering knee pain that won’t go away due to my non-stop running.  So, on January 1— yes, the first day of the year—I reluctantly promised myself I would stop running for 7 long days (ouch!) to give my knee time to heal. (To tell you frankly, I’m just on the 4th day and I think I’m gonna break soon.)

2-WEEK GOAL: To run The Bull Run 10k without any pain.  (The Bull’s gotta run The Bull Run, right?)  And, to decide by this time, if I’m foolish enough to join the Philippine Marathon on March 8 even with these nagging pains.

FULL 2009 GOALS:

– To run a full marathon faster than Katie Holmes (5:29:58).  If not on March 8, then maybe New York which is even better timing for me.  Hey, a running girl can dream can’t she?

– To run a sub-2 hour half marathon.  

– To beat my 10k PR of 46.57 by the latter part of the year.

– To enjoy every run and race regardless of my time.  (Easier said than done, but I promise to work at it.)

– To say goodbye to Runner’s Knee and shin splints forever.  

– To remain consistent with cross-training activities that keep injuries at bay, such as biking, swimming, bikram yoga, and strength training.  (Hate to admit it, but since October, I focused solely on running as work and family obligations limited my training time.)

– To stop talking about Lance Armstrong too often with hubby.  When a 7-time tour de france champion and 2-time marathoner is all you rave about, then your husband may do one of two things: 1) wonder if you’re having an affair with Lance (yeah right!) or 2) realize that you’re no Kate Hudson.  Either way, I lose.

– To do another triathlon after my first marathon.

– To find a way to give back to others through running.  (I’m still brainstorming but I’m certain that I want to use running—and this blog—to make a positive change in this world.)

– To continue to love running as I do now and as I’ve done since the day I started in 2006.  Some people have a love-hate relationship with running, but mine is all love, baby. (Never could relate to New Balance’s love-hate marketing campaign since I haven’t had a day that I dreaded nor detested it.)  And, I only hope that running will love me back just the same by allowing me to run longer and faster for the rest of 2009.

Have a great 2009 to all of you! 

Just got back from Subic with the hubby, kids, and my side of the family.  We spent three full days of lounging around at the beach, eating to our stomach’s delight, and enjoying each other’s company.  

{ 7 SIBLINGS }

With my Dad’s recent passing, we thought that the first Christmas without Dad would be most difficult for my Mom, so we decided to bring her out to Subic.  We are seven siblings—2 of whom are out of town—so the five of us from Manila packed our bags, along with our families or girlfriends, for some rest, relaxation, and a long-delayed family trip.

{ 7 KM }

Of course, hubby and I packed our running gear too.

We were like empty nesters on the first night as the kids chose to sleep over with their cousins.  This, however, gave us the opportunity to run together early the following morning without worrying about them.

At 6:15 a.m., we stepped out of our hotel, Subic Yacht Club, and faced the chilly breeze near the dock behind our hotel.  We warmed up with a light jog along the sidewalk of the main road, Rizal Highway, to avoid the few cars that were cruising on the roads.  In hindsight, I don’t know what would’ve been a better choice: running on the road and risking death, or having to run through that sidewalk comprised of slabs of concrete connected to each other with holes in between each one, which left us staring down at our feet throughout the run to avoid stepping into a hole.

After a few kilometers, we made a left on Binictican Drive towards Subic Homes where the rest of the family stayed.  Now, these asphalted roads had less traffic and were lined with trees on both sides.  I ran in front of hubby, both of us with our ipods on, in a leisurely 6:30 pace.  We practically owned the roads at that time so, like the queen of the road, I started singing aloud along with Beyonce.

When we reached 3.5km at the Subic Golf & Country Club’s driving range, we made a u-turn, ran through those dreaded sidewalks, and arrived at the hotel for a total of 7 km.  We could’ve gone farther, but we had to make it back in time for the beach.

{ 7 LBS. }

I think I was stuffing adobo into my mouth, dipping chips into salsa, or dropping Food for the Gods unto my tongue throughout the entire trip.  It was a food fest, I tell you.  And, despite that 7 km (or 405 calorie) run, I managed to gain a whopping 7 lbs. in three days…

S-E-V-E-N!  Can you believe that?!

I’m guessing three of those pounds is water weight, so that’ll be gone by tomorrow morning.  As for the four other pounds…oh boy, it’ll take more than a good night’s sleep to get rid of those, but I’m definitely not allowing them to join me in 2009.  Two days of discipline should take care of them…I hope.

S-E-V-E-N…sheesh.

It’s the day before Christmas and I just love how slow and sleepy everything is until family and friends gather together for Christmas eve dinner and mass tonight.  

This morning was quite the opposite for me though.  It was filled with energy and laughter and food and chatter.

At 6:30 a.m., Annie, JunC and I met for our unofficial Christmas run along the roads of Ayala Alabang.  We had no goals—no target distance nor time—all we knew was that we would run at “kwento pace.”

Somewhere in the middle of the run, I parted ways with them as I decided to head back when my knee started bugging me again.  I finished 10km while they ran a fast and hilly 9.5km.  We met at the park where we had our little potluck picnic:  Annie brought skyflakes, dip, and pichi pichi, I brought bananas, sports drinks, and oreos, while Jun brought his favorite fig newtons.

By 8:30 a.m., I was back on the road headed for Greenmeadows on the opposite side of the earth.  I was to meet my cousin from New York, Celine, at the clubhouse pool for a swim.  By the time I arrived, she was headed for home, so I swam an easy 500-meters at the crystal clear pool all by my lonesome.  I hadn’t swam for over two months since my Dad’s passing and I hadn’t realized how much I missed it; it was so calm, almost like a cleansing and purging before the New Year.  

This afternoon is all about rest and relaxation before the long and merry night ahead.  Stop reading this already and take a quick nap.  I should be getting one soon too…

– Kim showing off her running profiles from Ben Chan to friends. More photos of Kim here –

KIM O’ CONNELL: OUR NEW RUNNING MOMMY

First time I met Kim was at the Animo Run. We bumped into each other after the race and spoke briefly.  That was it, but I knew I would never forget her: She spoke with a unique accent, such a gentle voice, and a very pleasant and cheerful disposition.  Meeting her was like coming home to mom (and, by the way, my mom has a slight accent too.)

A few months after, I learned that Kim was being coached by my coach, Coach Jo-Ar.  Still, we rarely saw each other.

Come November, when Annie and I were searching for a hotel to stay in for the Singapore Marathon, Coach Jo-Ar informed us that he had told Kim about us and before we knew it, Kim had helped us book a hotel room!  By the time we arrived in Singapore, Kim was like our 2nd mommy: dropping by our room to check on us, giving us MRT cards, hosting a pre-race carbo loading party, and making sure we were all set before we left.

Kim arrived in Manila only last January and it comes as no surprise that, in such a short time, she has amassed such a large number of friends.  She’s such a delightful person to be with.

KIM’S CHRISTMAS DINNER 

Kim and her husband, Patrick, invited us into their beautiful home last Sunday for a wonderful Christmas dinner among, as Patrick cheerfully revealed, around 45 of Kim’s running friends and only 5 of his colleagues.  

Kim and Patrick, who I met for the first time that evening, were gracious hosts throughout the evening.  The dinner was scrumptious…and sinful (so the thought of dieting in my mind was immediately replaced with super crispy lechon on my plate), live vocals from Nino Alejandro was outstanding (for a while there I thought David Cook was serenading me) and, of course, the company of running friends made the evening even more delightful—and interesting.

I had the pleasure of dining with Patrick, Bald Runner, Capt. Espejo, Melvin from Fort Striders, Coach Rio, Coach Jo-Ar, and my hubby.  One doesn’t need to wonder what we talked about for the most part of the evening.  Running and everything about it: marathons, ultras, competitive running, recreational, road races, track, PATAFA—you name it, we talked about it.  

After that evening, I realized that, as much as runners are bound by a common love for running, we are still very different in so many aspects: how we allow it to affect our lives, how we train, who we train with, our running goals, our vision for the sport in the country, and so many more.  

If I could just add one more thing to my Christmas Wish List right now, it would be this: For all of us runners—especially the movers and shakers of the running community now—to work as one to make 2009 a bigger and brighter year for running.  Collaboration is the key, not competition.

To Patrick and Kim, thank you once again for inviting us.  To Kim—the most kind-hearted, generous, and caring runner around—I feel fortunate to have met you.  You look soft on the outside, but you are one tough and courageous woman!  Go for your Ultra!