Category Archives: Bullish Insights

With classes starting next week, I asked my incoming 1st-grader, Anton, if he wanted to sign up for football after school.  I expected an enthusiastic “yes” from him.  After all, it wasn’t too long ago when—after enumerating the number of sports he could get into: golf, swimming, football, or running—he adamantly said “My sport is football.  Nothing else.”  

Anton dabbled in a couple of 2k races, but “retired” after the PIA run for no other reason but “It’s so tiring.” From that time on, every time I invited him to join a race with me, he would shake his head and I swear I could almost see sweat dripping from his forehead.

– Little Bull Runner during the Pinay In Action run last March ’08.  He is obviously exhausted. –

So, there I was waiting for my little boy to tell me he wanted to take football when he surprised me with “I don’t like football anymore.”  The mommy in me was worried so I began to blurt out “But, sports is important for you.  It’s not about studying all the time..”  Then, he interrupts me and says “I am going to be a runner!”  I reminded him about the last race and how I thought he didn’t want to run anymore, but he says “I’m going to start running again.  I’m going to run a marathon!”

Oh, I was ecstatic!   Sure, a marathon and a 2km race is one and the same for Anton, but that doesn’t matter… as long as he runs!  Little Bull Runner is back in the game.

This morning, I lay flat on my back in the middle of our garage as the hubby slowly backed up the car making sure both right tires ran over my left shin.  Then, cringing in pain I cried out “Do it again! This time slower!”

Okay, it didn’t exactly happen that way.  For the most part, only the intense, grit-your-teeth pain is real.

– My left leg gets some ice before the “massage” – 

I went for my third visit to the physical therapist this morning.  After eight days of shin pain, limping, and absolutely no running, I knew it was time to bite the bullet—or, in my case, the towel if I wanted to run again…quick.  

Since last week, after consulting my doctor about this shin pain (which, as it turns out, is not at all related to my runner’s knee— how lucky am I, huh?), I’ve been to 3 therapy sessions, which to put it quite simply is not my idea of fun.  

The doctor ordered the therapist to “release” my shins, which is probably the scientific world’s version of tough love for athletes.  By “release”, the doctor means that the therapist will massage, push, shove, depress, elbow, manhandle the area of injury for around 5 minutes until all those tiny lumps in the muscles have disappeared—and the patient has been reduced to a little helpless fetus who can barely utter a sound due to exhaustion.

The two “release” sessions last week were tough and, silly me, each time the therapist would attempt to do her stuff, I would pull my leg away in fear of the pain that was about the run through my body.  In hindsight, I wonder if she got any work done at all.

On the second session, as she tried to push on my already bruised leg (which was released two days before), I shut my eyes saying “ouch ouch ouch” reaching almost a meditative state only to have my doctor enter the booth to say as politely as he could “Please be quiet.  You are going to scare my other patients.”  I wanted to pull my shirt over my face in embarrassment.

Today was different.  Eight days of no running had turned me into a monster over the weekend and I had to put an end to it.  Last night, I told my hubby in the bravest voice possible “I’ll visit my therapist tomorrow and ask her to release my shins and get rid of these lumps—no matter how painful.  I just want to run again.”  The hubby nods in silence, but I read his mind and it said “I hope you know what you’re doing!” Then, I immediately add “Do you think taking a double dose of Ponstan before the session will help?”

To cut a long story short, my therapist did release my shin again this morning.  And, as I was very cooperative (you should’ve heard me screaming “Bring it on, Lady!”—kidding!), she was able to reduce the lumps significantly, although not entirely.  The towel she gave became my best friend during those long 5 minutes of my life; it became my mask (one must cover one’s hideous, pain-filled face), sound-muffler, tension-reliever and, of course, sweat-absorber.  It looked like I had been to hell and back in all of those 5 minutes, but when the therapist assured me that I could run again as soon as these lumps were gone, I knew it was worth it.

So, yes, I do feel that a car ran over my shins this morning.  But, I have a feeling that one last session of tough love on these bones of mine will get me running again by the end of the week.  Anything for running, baby!

Before Doc Fit’s Takbo Para sa Puso, there was another celebration for a fit doc. Last Thursday, Happy Feet met up out our favorite carbo-loading spot for Doc Oknoy’s birthday party.

– Birthday Boy (in black) at the center –

Doc Oknoy may have turned 40-something but he has the energy and wit of a man half his age. His humor and cheerfulness is contagious, one that makes you just want to be around him when you’re lamenting over an injury or whining about a bad run. He’s just one those guys who can lift your spirits just by the sound of his laughter.

There were no runs that evening. But, even so, there was a lot of talk about races, heart rates, and most especially, about other Happy Feet runners who were not there (hee hee!) It was a night of laughter and camaraderie among people whose lives were brought together by a shared passion for all things running.

– Happy Happy Feet runners: Jan, Daniw, Stephen, Banggi the Priss, Doc Oknoy, Marga the brutal sex master, Ka Totoy, Photographer Ben. Seated: Michelle, Joy, TBR, Sensei John Ting, Master Mon –

Happy Birthday again, Doc Oknoy! And to all Happy Feet-ers, see you again at the next race…or the next party! Chaia, we missed you!

Just wanted to let you know I’m alive and kicking.  A bit down and depleted from the tumultuous week I had—a rollercoaster of sorts due to the evil injury that came and went every hour of every single day.  I didn’t know if I was injured, recovering, fully recovered, or just going insane.  All I know is that I did all I could to alleviate the tightness in my legs during the past week.

I skipped blogging for two reasons:

1) I was getting really frustrated furious about the injury.  Had I ranted about it over here you would leave your computer screen with your eyebrows connected as one, both nostrils flaring, then you’d head straight for your boss, husband/wife, or best friend and yell at them for simply breathing.

2) This baby Macbook Pro of mine needed some upgrades.  It was the first time I parted with it for three whole days (not counting vacations) and, while I thought I would die of boredom, I actually felt liberated from the reins of the world wide web…and oh yes, work.  (Forgive me for not answering your comments yet.  I will soon!  Let me catch up on work first!)

Anyhow, I’m back.  I’ve got my 10k race bib for Doc Fit which I’ll be exchanging for a 5k due to the injury.  For now, my 10k debut (not that it’ll be such a momentous occassion) will have to wait…just until June I hope.

Like a loyal, hardworking employee, I am distressed over this “sick leave” I had to take, anxious over the fact that—while I was away for just a few days—I may have lost my momentum at work.

It’s been four days since I was attacked by feverrhea. In TBR’s Dictionary, this is defined as “the fever that sets in after you’ve gotten dehydrated from intestinal flu, which always comes as a shocker due to the large amounts of blue Gatorade in one’s system, particularly that of TBR’s.” Oh well, I guess all the cups of coffee I drank during that seminar last week dehydrated me into pieces.

Anyway, I’m all better now. Flushed feverrhea out of my system and down the toilet. But, it doesn’t erase the fact that I lost FIVE full training days. I can’t shake the thought that I may have lost some of the fitness I worked so hard for the past few weeks. Five days is significant considering I’ve been running every single day except for Mondays for almost a month now.  Suddenly, all I did for the past five days was drink soup, watch TV, and…oh yeah…I finished seven banner designs and a flyer too.

Oh well, I’ll find out soon enough.  I will miss all three races this Sunday (as if I was planning to join all of ’em!  Just Pringles initially…until I got sick) but, if our weather permits, I’ll be running again tomorrow and the day after that and the day after that.

Good luck to all of you joining Pringles, Market Market, and Takbo Para sa Kalusugan!  I wonder which race will have the most runners.  Your guess is as good as mine!