Category Archives: Bullish Insights

Running is the best medicine, at least in my world; laughter comes a close second. (Laughing during a long run—which is a habit that Annie and I practice on weekends—will probably make us live to 100.)

Yesterday, after complications arose from the operation of my ill relative that brought my entire family into stress and worry on Monday until the wee hours of Tuesday morning, I woke up exhausted from hospital duties with only a short break to care for the kids before I returned to the hospital again. I desperately needed to run; I knew it would relieve me of all my concerns albeit temporarily and give me strength to face yet another day of troubles.

So, like a crazed woman, I pushed my body to the limits by running under the intense 8:30 a.m. heat with barely 3 hours of sleep.  I planned on running just 8km, enough to release a few pints of sweat along with the anxieties that were dragging me down. The first 2k was a challenge, but before long I found my rhythm and ran somberly through familiar roads.

When you run alone, there’s no escaping your thoughts, no escaping your own reality. Just as you can jot down your own bucket list, solve a problem, or create a new business while out on a run, you also come face-to-face with your anxieties, fears, and worst nightmares.  As it turns out, all my worries started chasing me during this run.  My initial reaction was like what most of you would’ve done, I ran away from them as fast as I could. In less than a kilometer, I was pooped.

Then, as I slowed down, I suddenly thought of visualizing my anxieties in words—being the graphic designer that I am, they were in Futura Bold, 48pt, all caps in case you wanted to know—and they popped up not in front of me like road blocks, but under my feet. I started stomping on words like FEAR, EGO, BILLS, and the biggest of them all, DEATH. This all occurred in a span of just a few minutes, but at the risk of sounding melodramatic and psycho, these things actually did work. Gone were the worries, replaced with a new sense of hope and optimism.

My relative did well during the operation last night. He surprised doctors—who told us to expect the worst—by staying strong during a 2nd operation even after suffering from a mild heart attack on Monday morning.  He’s slowly recovering and we’re all keeping our fingers crossed.

So, yes, running is definitely therapeutic; I experienced that for myself yesterday. We might as well believe what those wise runners from old have said about the benefits of running on our health: A run a day keeps the doctor away and A mile of running is better than a pound of cure.

Guess what finally arrived: my trophies from the 2008 Philippine Blog Awards! Thanks to Mark of Sheeromedia for delivering them during the Hope in Motion race.

This shot was taken while they lay in the trunk of my car after the race, but these little babies have now found a special place in our home. I initially wanted to place them on the hubby’s night table to remind him how lucky he is to have a trophy-winning wife (mind you, not a trophy-wife) like me, but due to the limited space, I’ve conspicuously displayed them in our den instead where the hubby will have to stare at them as he runs on the treadmill.

We all know someone—a parent, grandparent, sibling, friend, colleague—who has/had cancer. But, for me, this week, a great big cancer scare never hit this close to home.  Suffice it to say that I spent much of the week at the hospital caring for this relative; waiting with bated breath for the biopsy and colonoscopy results; and praying endlessly for a successful operation that would remove the mass—at that time, we weren’t sure if it was benign or malignant—that blocked his colon.

Thank God the operation went well yesterday. Initial results showed that the mass is benign and my relative is on his way to a smooth recovery. Phew, nothing like a big scare like that to shake up your world and almost mandate you to reassess your life.

In the physical aspect, good nutrition and exercise are key to cancer prevention.  I hope you can say YES to these questions below:

• Are you conscious of your health?
• You do know that running alone isn’t going to cure you of all your health problems, right? A 21k doesn’t give you the license to eat all the junk in sight. 
• Have you been eating your fruits and veggies (specifically great cancer fighters like grapes, melon and broccoli) just like mom taught you? 
• Do you eat skinless chicken or fish more often than red meat?
• Do you use olive oil instead of butter?
• Do you enjoy home-cooked meals more than dining at McDo or Jollibee?  
• Do you drink tons of water?
• Have you already quit smoking? Or, you never smoked at all, right?
• Do you get a regular massage not just to relieve the aches and pains in your legs but also to alleviate stress?
• Do you put sunblock before a run?  Yes, it’s sticky and slimy but it’s worth the trouble, guys!
• Have you been running (or exercising at all) and not just sitting here reading this blog?
• Do you know what you just stuffed into your mouth?

Speaking of cancer, there’s an upcoming 8k race called Run Against Pain on October 18 at the Quirino Grandstand, Roxas Blvd.  This is celebration of Global Day Against Cancer Pain, for the benefit of the Pain Society of the Philippines.  

I’m still choosing between Run Against Pain, Takbong May Yabang at Alabang, and Paa-Bilisan on the 19th. (Click List of Races for more info)  Or, maybe I’ll just enjoy a long slow run on Sunday.  Let’s see.  

Last September 25, my Little Miss Bull Runner turned 4.  Mommy Bull Runner was busy with birthday preparations, which is why I didn’t post as often here. (This belated post is due to my playing catch up to all my missed workouts during the busy week.)

– She’s 4 already?! –

Little Miss Bull Runner shows potential for becoming a great runner. Every single day, she beats me at our 50m race. When I pick her up from school—as soon as we head out the doors—she yells out to me “Let’s race!” So, we take our starting positions then I’ll dictate “Ready, Get Set…STOP!” at which she’ll tentatively take a few steps, laugh at herself for her mistake, and scream “Mama!”

As race official, I restart my countdown “Ready, Get Set…Go!” and we take off. She wins by a step every single time! I never let her win (parents aren’t supposed to do that); she does it on her own. However, I am considering revising race rules soon as I believe my frequent losses are a result of my heavy load: I carry my shoulder bag, laptop, her lunch box and school bag during the race!

The unique thing about Little Miss Bull Runner is her running form; that’s why I know she has a special talent for running. I can already imagine her as a varsity track star leaving all competition in the dust with scouts enlisting her for scholarship due to her patented, aerodynamic running style.

You see, Little Miss Bull Runner runs with her right arm outstretched, whirling about like a propeller. She always, always runs this way whether she’s racing with me or Kuya; she’s running at school; or playing at home.

– Notice the right propeller arm –

When we interviewed her about this, she replied in her own words that running that way would make her faster. How so?  She has no idea; she said it was the famous mouse Jerry (of Tom and Jerry) who runs this way when he’s being chased by the mischievous cat Tom and he never gets caught. Don’t argue—my little girl has a point.

Mommy Bull Runner is hoping (and praying) that she will end up having the same passion for running as I do. But, if not, I just want to see her grow up to be happy and healthy in her chosen path.

To my Little Miss Bull Runner, happy 4th birthday!

I couldn’t believe it either. But, yes, it’s true; Jennifer Lopez isn’t just a singer and dancer, but she’s also a triathlete! J-Lo, along with other celebrities such as Matthew McConaughey, Jamie Lee Curtis, and Felicity Huffman joined the celebrity competition of the Nautica Malibu Triathlon last Sept. 14.

– Ladies, who wants to stand beside J-Lo in a race? Er, not me!-

– I thought she would’ve worn something sexier –

J-Lo, who gave birth to her twins only 6 mos. ago, finished the sprint triathlon—1/2 mile swim, 12.4 mile bike, and 3.1 mile run—with a time of 2:23:38. On Chelsea Lately (new show on ETC), I laughed out loud when the host said that J-Lo crossed the finish line with her butt following a few seconds behind her!

Well, I’m not a big fan of J-Lo, but she deserves a big congratulations for finishing—same goes to her butt!

– Lance Armstrong’s BFF, Matthew McCounagHEY…hey…hey. Now, he’s the one I’d like to be running alongside with during a race –

* Photos courtesy of Bitten & Bound