Carrie: Pinay in Action

Last Saturday was our first time to join the yearly running event of Senator Pia Cayetano, Pinay In Action For the last 5 years Senator Pia together with the Filipino women celebrate the yearly event with a run to commemorate the month of March as Women's month. This event aims to provide women different channels for a healthy lifestyle and guidelines for a better future.

It was my second 5km run and I really enjoyed myself. With hubby beside me painstakingly enduring my running pace - yep he supported me all the way! Though the fun run started a bit late the women and our men supporters were eager to hear words of encouragement from the Senator.

The run was light and easy but I still have a lot to improve. At 46mins 50+ seconds I finished and was greeted at the finish line by hubby and new found friends The Meek Runner [Anna] and her hubby. We were all smiling and happy to have finished. Anna and her hubby have to leave early to attend to a previous engagement, hubby and I stayed on to the mini program and awarding of winners. Over all, the event was a success.

I hope to do this event yearly. I hope to become a Pinay In Action woman.


With Anna (the meek runner).


Finishing the race. Look at the time! Hahaha! It doesnt matter though. I did it! I had fun! I supported a very good cause.


With Senator Pia Cayetano.

Carrie: Pacing = Patience

When I run with hubby last Monday I decided to follow his lead. His pace was a bit slower than mine so I adjusted mine and shared with him the road, the cool-hot morning air, blue skies, the overall morning atmosphere in our village. As we were running I noticed that I had this urge to run ahead and do my own pace. Fortunately, I kept on with him and was surprised to discover that I had covered almost 2kms non stop. For somebody like me that was an achievement.

You see, when I start a hobby or a sport I usually end up doing all the wrong moves, why? because I want my cake right away. I always fall on the category of being impatient. Thus, since I started running my left heel always hurts, my whole body ache, and I ran out of breath. For 7 weeks now I have been running on and off and still haven't learned anything about pacing, endurance, strength, breathing and form.

Last Monday was the turning point. Because I waited, because I paced properly, I was able to achieve something I will never do on my own. Its never too late to start learning and the first thing I should learn is to be patient to understand pacing more.

Carrie: Running is to Dancing

Ever since I could remember I was a dancer. I love dancing especially with my late Papa. Papa introduced me to disco dancing, disco music, disco balls and John Travolta. Yes, I was that kid roaming around in parties trying my best to make the perfect imitation of John Travolta's signature move in Saturday Night Fever. Dancing before was associated with quality time with my Father then going to parties during college days and eventually as a means to my never ending quest to lose weight.

I have been through a lot of weight loss routines. Some work but others dont. Most of the time I end up eating more since I get so tired doing the routine that I felt I needed more to sustain energy. For days I would stick to a single routine only to end up disappointed. Then I discovered Tae Bo. Tae Bo gave a new meaning to my weight loss problems. It worked and I got results. Then I found myself longing to have someone to do Tae Bo with. My hubby Din was all willing to help and be my exercise buddy but he soon discovered that not all people could do Tae Bo. He told me the main reason he couldn't do Tae Bo is because he doesn't know how to dance. What!

Din my ever optimistic hubby suggested that I try running instead. At first I was skeptical, I couldn't do what he could. I can't even run around the compound. Then one day I tried and was surprised that I liked it. It was not an easy task...I was quitting every minute but I persevered and I was able to do it. It was like dancing to me...I had what they call runner's high but what I had was my dancer's high....a step with every beat, a move with every breath, a step towards loving running as I have loved dancing.

Din: Time to Run... Again!

Image from Dori's Shiny Blog.

When I was in college, during one of the summer sessions, out of curiosity, I took the Running for Fitness PE class. I told myself, this would be a run in the park (pun intended). Immediately after our first day, I realized I could not be more wrong. My leg muscles and feet were aching so much that walking was an ordeal. I thought, I should have taken table tennis instead.

I could have quit right there but for whatever reason, I stuck to my guns and continued with the class, painstakingly though, on the first week. Remarkably, during the second week, the muscle aches lessened and I was beginning to like running. Being an introvert, I was realizing that running was a very individual and contemplative activity. Four weeks later, as our final exam, we ran a 10km race sponsored by Coca-Cola. It was quite a memorable experience since I finished the race in less than one hour. Because of this accomplishment, I was hooked and continued running for more than a year... and then I stopped running.

Fast forward to the present, almost 20 years after, 10 inches more on my waistline and 25 pounds overweight. I do not know what hit me but suddenly I have the urge to start exercising again. Unfortunately, I do not know where to start. I looked at various exercise regimens such as Tae Bo and boxing but nothing piqued my interest. And then, just like the exercise urge, I have another realization, why not running!

As a result, here I am again, experiencing the same aches and pains 20 years ago but with a huge difference. I am no longer doing this to pass a class or even pass the time. I am doing this for myself! I may not be able to regain my previous waistline or get that killer abs, but putting myself back to the health lane through running is more than enough reward for me.