my first run

i have always wanted to join these running events. wanted but never attempted.

until now. i am joining the step out! AVON walk & run against breast cancer on 3 oct at the MOA grounds.

why? well, first of all, i am doing it for the cause. second, i am challenging myself that i am fit enough to run a 5k. mataas mag-ambisyon ano, di man lang nagsimula sa 3k. ah basta, gusto ko 5k. :) third, i want to be fit again. oh believe me, it's been a long time since i've hit the gym.

in my 20's (why does that sound like ages ago??), i was a permanent fixture in the gym. every day after work, i do my aerobics. the gym at paragon plaza was a short walking distance from my first place of work then. on weekends, i would go to ccp and join the aero classes there. yes, both saturdays and sundays. addict noh??



when i moved to sucat for my second job, i worked out in fitness first alabang. yup, everyday after work i'd commute to alabang and back. on weekends, i would meet up with girlfriends at the abs-cbn branch. aaahhh, i miss those days! we'd take several group exercise classes (spinning, les mills body jam, body combat and body pump GX), hit the sauna, and eat out after. no matter how much we ate, we'd rationalize that all those pounds will melt away the next time we work out. and somehow it did! ang papayat namin nun, promise! i was at my lightest, 113 lbs.

my gym buddies


for my third and current job, there was a gym in the building so i quit fitness first altogether. not to mention that i was in tipid mode already after investing in a condo. aba e i-compare mo ba naman ang php1,900 na monthly ko sa fitness versus php1,200 a year at the company gym! well, fitness has a lot more facilities and perks but i was also enjoying the aero classes and personalized weight training sessions (at no additional expense) at the company gym.

my officemates and i even found time to play badminton in the morning


medyo payat


i also got to try rowing at manila bay with the manila dragons team. ahh, what an exhilirating experience (never mind the murky, filthy waters and ugh! smell of the bay)! imagine getting up at 4am so we can be at the ccp grounds at 5am for the warm up exercises, then hit the waters at around 6am. we return to land at 7am, do some more stretching exercises and then go to work. yes, we did that during weekdays! i was so into it that i considered trying out for the philippine rowing team during one of their try outs but never did. oh well. then after i met my husband-to-be, he asked me not to row again as the boats were very unstable (yes, on several instances we almost capsized) and i don't know how to swim. :(

my oar and his buddies


then i got lazy. big time. visits to the gym became few and far between. to look best for my wedding, i thrived on fresh fruit shakes and tuna sandwiches on wheat. lost 25 lbs in 2 months (waistline was down to 26!!!), but not that i'd recommend it. i was very dessert-deprived then, as i have cut out all sweets from my diet. and everyone knows i love dessert. so, i gained everything back. and more. :)

26inches


now i am back to working out. how? i wake up early in the morning and put on my exercise videos (les mills body combat, usually). during weekends, k and i try to walk/run around the neighborhood (a round or two surely gets our hearts racing). and to prepare for the 5k run, my friend shared this guide The Couch to 5k in 9 weeks running program. funny, i have less than 3 weeks to get my mind and body in good, running condition. :)

me, aug 2010


i can do it. i can't wait for 3 oct. i am 388.