Half Marathon Virgin No More.

**Written on the evening of January 8, 2012 with some edits made today**

 January 8, 2012. Cebu City Marathon day.

I woke up at 3:00am, got all my running gear ready, and ate 2 pieces of toast (Pan De Manila wheat bread is the bomb!). My brother who’s a lot more experienced when it comes to races instructed me to eat some Chippy to help in water retention so I don’t get dehydrated easily. I had to make sure I was filled up enough because my next scheduled food intake will be on the road already about more than an hour later. It will be in the form of GU Tri Berry Powergels. I did my stretching while waiting for James to finish getting ready then we loaded our stuff up in the car then headed to the race venue at I.T Park. I also made sure I had my emergency p100 in one of the compartments of my hydration belt JUST INCASE I will be too weak to finish the race and will need to get a cab.

Oooookaaaaayyy, here we go! THIS IS IT!

As we walked to the starting line we saw a beautiful fireworks display and heard the gun start. Gaaah! Late nami! We had to weave our way through a throng of people who were running 5k. One race marshall said “21k runners mo? GO GO GO!” I made the sign of the cross and said a little prayer to the high heavens to PLEASE let me survive the race.

My plan was to go on a very slow but steady pace. I went ahead of James thinking he’d eventually catch up. I had my music blasting in my ears and just focused on enjoying the long road before me. Before I knew it I was passing through the 1km, the 2km, 3, 4, 5km marks. I loved that there were Sinulog contingents dancing on every water station. It was truly entertaining and it got my mind off things for a bit. Out of all the many tips I got from my brother and Coach K the one that stuck to me was “hydrate, hydrate, hydrate” so I made it a point to stop and take a few sips of water and to walk for a little bit. By then I was doing about 8 to 9 minutes per km and I intended on going on steadily on that pace.

These were the times I just truly savored and enjoyed every moment. When there were no other people in front of me I sang along (loudly) and even danced to the beat of the songs playing in my ears just to entertain myself. Kevs na sa mga people nga mo tan-aw. Haha! Of course there was a lot of Michael Jackson tunes there. I knew there was still a LONG LONG way to go so I just took it easy, admired the view, checked out the other runners in front of me, and once in a while reported to my brother and Coach K via text message on where I was already. After about 1 hour of running, as I was nearing Plaza Independencia, I took 1 of my 2 Tri-Berry Power Gels. It gave me renewed energy and strength to power through the next few kms.

Probably my most favorite moment (second to crossing the finish line) was when I approached the SRP tunnel. For some reason I felt so giddy and excited. I only wished I had a nice camera with me at that time instead of my lousy cellphone camera. But I took some snaps on it anyway.

Here I am inside the tunnel with one of the motivational Castrol signs. Thanks to an acquaintance and fellow running enthusiast Alexander for taking this photo!

I was star struck when I saw Women’s Health magazine editor-in-chief Lara Parpan run past me in her uber sexy pink ensemble. God she’s HOT! (Photo credits: E. Atillo & Thanks to James for tagging me on it in FB)

photo by E.Atillo

When I passed the tunnel going to SRP I had been running for about 10km already. The sun was shining bright and my legs were starting to feel worn out. I knew the 21k Turning Point was near so I promised myself I’d walk once I reach it.

I felt so incredibly relieved when I finally saw the sign that said “21k Runners U Turn”. I told myself, if I already made it this far there is no reason for me to NOT finish the race. 10.5k to go!!!

A few meters from the turning point I ran into my brother and we paused to take some pictures on his iPhone. I told him, near na ang turning point! Go go go go!

At that time the sun started to REALLY shine so bright. I could feel my face heating up so I used some of my baon water to splash on my face and arms. At this point also my right thigh started to feel so painful I had to stop for a while and massage it. Weariness and pain were starting to bear down on me that as I passed through the tunnel again I just walked. I refilled one of my bottles with Pocari Sweat at the water station and drank a lot of it too. All this time I kept splashing water on my face. Exhaustion started to settle in around the 15th km.

When I reached the entrance to Magellan’s Cross, I  was so happy to run into old gym acquaintances who I knew were running enthusiasts. It was so nice of them to give me kind words of encouragement and bright smiles. It was enough to get me going for the next kms despite the pain I was feeling on my right thigh and left knee. As I made my way back towards Fuente Osmena, about a little over 2 hours of running already, I took my other Power Gel to give me more energy.

Before reaching Capitol I stopped by the ERUF station where some doctors rubbed and sprayed Omega Pain Killer on my legs. I felt so relieved afterwards. In fact, my legs felt reborn! I’m not exaggerating. This is another photo by E.Atillo of runner Kikai Lopez showing just how the Omega guys did their jobs. I think it was my brother who came up with the “It’s More Fun In The Philippines” concept. Pretty cool huh?

photo by: E.Atillo

I also had a pretty nice shower courtesy of the Chinese Fire Brigade. My face and arms were feeling so hot by then so the cold water was very relaxing. I powered through the entire Escario stretch feeling confident that I will make it. By this time it was really more of a “mind over matter” thing. I tried to NOT look at the long stretch of road before me. Instead, I looked down at the pavement and focused on just putting one foot in front of the other. Coach K’s voice kept ringing in my head “it can be done, it can be done, it can be done”.

As I passed through the Escario stretch my stomach started to grumble so I knew I had to get food somewhere. As I turned towards Lahug I grabbed half a banana from one of the water stations and chugged down more Pocari Sweat just to satiate my hunger. By the time I passed the UP grounds I was feeling so excited knowing that I was nearing the finish line and that I just might make it before my target time of 3 hours 30minutes. This was one of the last motivational Castrol signs that I came upon and at that point, it was just what I needed.

Before I knew it I was right in front of the “LAST 1KM” sign. God, I seriously felt like crying out of joy and sheer happiness. I wanted to hug and kiss that last 1km sign.

And because I felt like I still had enough energy in me to push myself, I ran with all my might, with all my heart, and with every bit of strength left in me from the last 1km sign all the way towards the finish line. That for me was the highlight of the run. As I entered IT Park I could feel my heart swelling with pride and joy. My legs didn’t feel any pain or exhaustion anymore, like I haven’t been running for the past 3 hours. Then I heard someone yelling my name from somewhere and saw my friend Wendy with her camera. So of course, I paused for a photo op. Thank you Wends!

Feeling nothing but sheer bliss, excitement, and an amazing sense of accomplishment, I crossed the finish line with a big smile on my weary semi-sun burned face. 3 Hours, 14 minutes and 18 seconds. OMG OMG OMG OMG. I MADE IT. I freakin’ MADE IT. *fist pump*!

My fellow first time half-marathoner and former dance classmate Jam was the only familiar face that greeted me at the finish line. We high-fived and congratulated each other saying “OMG. Na human gyud nato Jam!” I’m proud to say this girl finished her 21k in 3 hours and 6 minutes. Amazing!

Back in I.T Park I was still in such high spirits. I texted my closest friends to tell them that I SURVIVED! I walked around for a bit, stretched my tired, aching legs, and went back to the railings to wait for my brother James. He made a new personal record which made me so proud of him too. Here he is as he crossed the finish line. I tell you, my phone camera is so lousy. Haha!

And here’s a photo that one of James’ friends took with his iPhone. Half marathon Mumuys in the house!

After the race we drove through Jollibee to get ourselves a longganisa meal each because we were famished beyond words. We then dropped by a Select store to get 2 bags of ice cubes. When we got home we soaked our feet in a pail of ice and screamed out in agony. It was painful but it had to be done. Over breakfast at home James and I enthusiastically regaled our younger siblings with stories from our race. In the words of our favorite comedian Rex Navarrette they told us “I’m so FROUD FOR YOU!”

Later on about a little over 2 hours after I finished my race, I received a call from Coach K. He had crossed the finish line after his 42k and was calling to say we needed to have a HEAVY celebratory lunch. So I showered quickly and made my way towards the lunch venue. I thought I had it bad with my limping action but when I saw Coach K approach me, hoo boy. He could HARDLY WALK. Hahaha! :p Midway through lunch he told me “Happy kaayo ka noh! I can see it in your eyes” YES. I was happy despite not being able to feel my legs anymore. Happy doesn’t even begin to describe it. I had just finished my first half marathon and I was mighty proud of myself.

So there. That is how my first 21k race went. I am a half marathon virgin no more! Yeah baby! For someone who couldn’t even run for more than 5 minutes on the treadmill last year, THIS is already an amazing accomplishment. Right now my legs and feet are so painful I think I will be bed-ridden until tomorrow. But all the pain, all the exhaustion is just so WORTH IT. Now I know why people have gotten addicted to running. Because nothing can compare to the feeling of crossing that FINISH LINE. There is absolutely NOTHING like it.

At this point I’d like to thank once again Coach K for making me sign up for the race in the first place. I had my doubts then but with all the training runs we did I just gained more and more confidence in myself. And if it weren’t for my brother who gave me that one final motivational push, I probably wouldn’t have had the guts to finish the race. To all the supporters and well-wishers, thank you. The year 2012 will be all about pushing boundaries and stepping out of my comfort zone. So far it is getting off to a GREAT start.

p.s I just have to post this before & after photo. 30+ lbs is NO JOKE man but I DID IT. **pats self on the back**

The Road Towards My First Half Marathon.

In December of 2010 I joined my first fun run. It was called the Run For Downs (Down Syndrome) and was sponsored by my former gym. It was a 5k run which I did with my friend Jihannee. I swear that I felt like dying after the 48 minutes that it took me to finish the race. I was so out of breath and so exhausted. It made me wonder how come people actually enjoy running in the first place.

My second run was a 3k in February 2011 called Run With A Smile this time with another friend Anya.

 My time was 23 minutes and although it was a lot more enjoyable than my first run, I still couldn’t wrap my head around the idea that people have gotten addicted to running. You pay several hundred bucks to torture yourself just to run from the starting line to the finish line. Then what? *scratches head*

In March 2011 I ran another 5k for the World Vision Backpack run with a few friends (Jihannee, Lauren, Nkomo, & Anya). At that time I was gym-ing regularly so I was in pretty good shape. I finished way ahead of my running buddies with a time of 45 minutes. A vast improvement from my last 5k. But still, it didn’t spark an interest in me for running.

In July of 2011 I joined my second 3k at the De La Salle University Centennial Celebration Run just because I wanted to somehow be a part of the 100 Year Anniversary of my dear Alma Mater. I wasn’t able to prepare for this run at all. So I found myself gasping for breath after every few minutes of light jogging. Goodness. I was SO out of shape.

For my 3rd 5k run, I joined the 2011 Pink October Run together with my dance classmate Kimi and my usual running buddy Jihannee. By this time I had already enrolled in Fitness First and i’d been seriously gym-ing for a few weeks. I thought I’d have it easy but still, I found it so exhausting. I struggled to reach the finish line with a time of 40 minutes. Did I think by then that I’d jump into the whole running bandwagon? uh… NO.

When our former customer now turned running buddy Coach K first invited me to go running with him I was so hesitant because I was worried I’d hurt my knees. See, when I was a kid I was diagnosed with Osgood Sclatter disease because I was born with a very disproportionate body. My tiny legs couldn’t carry my very heavy upper body anymore that my knees started to crack. I had to wear knee braces in school everyday. I wasn’t even allowed to play Chinese garter with my classmates because it involved a lot of jumping up and down which would impact my knees so badly. I had to be excused from all the strenuous activities in P.E class. During recess I had to stay inside the classroom just so that I won’t have to go up and down the stairs as much. When I heared mass I’d sit down or just stand up during the parts when we were all supposed to kneel. My doctor warned me that if I didn’t lose weight I might end up in a wheel chair at a very young age. The only exercise I was allowed to do was swimming.

So in high school I started training with a swim team at the sports complex and joined my school’s varsity team. I started losing weight and eventually I did get over my knee condition. Apparently it is something that most people get over once they hit puberty. So I was Osgood Sclatter free but my knees now have permanent bumps right below them. It looks so ugly like I have double knees. I also still can’t kneel on them for long periods of time.

Fast forward to December of 2011. I had lost almost 30lbs and was feeling confident enough that I could give this running thing a chance. My newfound running buddy Coach K and I started by doing a 5k run around IT Park which we finished in 39 minutes and 50 seconds. It was December 11, a Sunday. The next big race was the Run United which I had already signed up for several weeks ago. Coach K told me to try finishing it in 35 minutes to which I said, sige Coach, I’ll do my best.

The following day I received a frantic call from Coach K. “Sign up for the Cebu City Marathon this January 8. Mag 21km ka.” I went, “NO. No. No” I can’t possibly jump from a 5k straight to a 21k. That is IMPOSSIBLE. My next target should be a 10k or 12k. Plus, I’ll only have less than a month to prepare. You’ve got to be kidding me. But Coach K was adamant. “I have complete confidence in you that you can do it. IT CAN BE DONE lagi Micks. Kaya man na nimo. We’ll train together.” Whew. OK. sige, fine. I signed up for the Cebu City Marathon thinking well, i think I’ll just finish up to the 10th or 12th km then hail a cab or ride a jeep if di na gyud kaya. :p

At the break of December 13 dawn I woke up at 3:30am for my first long distance run with Coach K. The plan was to do 12km at a very VERY slow pace around IT Park. Coach K went “You know Micks, one day you will find yourself actually wanting to get up early in the morning to run. Pangitaon na gyud ni nimo.” After 1 hour and 50 minutes of jogging we finally finished our 12km run. I couldn’t believe I survived it. However, that night I found myself in so much pain. There was a lot of discomfort on both my knees that my brother told me to apply ice packs on it. This time I started to have serious doubts again. What have I gotten myself into?

The entire week after my first long distance training run I felt under the weather. I had terrible cough and colds and my body felt so weak that I had to take a day off from the gym. It was my first absence in over 2 months of working out 6x a week. gaaah! If running 12km has this effect on me I wonder how on earth I am going to survive a 21km run. ayayayay. Coach K advised me to get myself a knee support. The first of many accessories for running that I’ll need to invest in.

 December 18, 2011 was the day of the Run United. By then I was feeling a lot better thanks to Berocca and lots of Solmux. I was so pumped and excited because I knew I prepared enough. I have been working out regularly for a little over 2 months, I have been jogging on the treadmill for 20 minutes on an average of 7.5 to 8 speed for about 3 to 4x a week, and I’ve been feeling A LOT stronger. I was also excited because for the first time the official race singlet actually fits me! Hooray!

 For the Run United my running companion was my friend Karen. During the entire race Karen and I went on a steady but very slow jog. We never stopped to walk except for the 2 water stations. And although I didn’t finish in the 35 minute target, I still made a new race personal record which is 39 minutes flat. Yay me! Most importantly, the Run United was the first time I felt that SPARK. I was on such a high after the run that I thought to myself, hmmm… I think I could start to really REALLY like running.

 One day after the race I met up with Coach K (who made new PR on his 21k! yeahboi!). “I’m proud of you mickiego. Really proud of you. I am now more confident that you can finish your 21k for the CCM.” So with that, we continued on with our training runs. In December 20 we did another 5k run in IT Park. All this time I continued increasing my pace and distance on the treadmill at the gym just to build up my stamina. I still had serious doubts about the upcoming half marathon. In fact I hadn’t told my brother (who ran his first 21k during the Run United) about it. I was scared that I’d get comments from him like “What?? You?? 21k? You’re going to hurt your knees! No Mic! You’re not yet ready!”

It was in December 23, a mere few weeks before the CCM when I finally had the guts to tell him. “Mag 21k sad biya ko.” James went, “Oh? Sige! Let’s run together! Sayang there’s no 21k finisher medal in CCM. But kaya na nimo!” wow. That was the only boost I needed to make up my mind about finishing the race. He then made me model his 21km finisher shirt and medal from the Run United and he’s lending me the shirt just until he’ll lose enough weight to get to wear it.

That night I was scheduled to have dinner with Coach K and a few of our friends. I texted him and said “Coach, I have good news.” When I met him I said “I’m running 21k this January 8. It’s FINAL na.” On the next week I frantically crammed as many workout as I could just so that I could rack up some mileage.

December 25 – (Christmas na Christmas nag dagan2x gyud ko. haha!) 7k evening road run with Coach K

December 26 – 7k run on the treadmill at the gym

December 28  – 12k solo evening run at IT Park

December 31 – 12k morning run with Coach K at the Ayala grounds

January 2 – 14k morning run with Coach K from Shell Mactan to Movenpick and back

January 4 – 5k run on the treadmill at the gym (my last training run before race day)

January 5 – 1600m solo swim

The 14k Mactan Run was my longest distance and we finished in 1 hour and 58 minutes. Coach K told me that if I stay on that pace I just might be able to finish the 21k in more or less 3 hours. Target is not go over 3 hours and 30 minutes. “IT CAN BE DONE!!!” was his famous line. That 14k run gave me the confidence that I am going to survive my 21k. What’s 7 more kms right?

The best thing about getting into a new hobby is the buying of new gear. Since it is the season of giving, 2 of my running angels so generously gave me running gear in my favorite color. I received a pink hydration belt from my brother plus this watch that communicates with a chip that I put inside my shoe to measure my pace and distance.

Coach K gave me this awesome pink New Balance visor and a pair of iBungee shoelaces so I wouldn’t need to tie my laces up every now and then. Weeeee!!! Thank you guys! I told myself, I can’t let these boys down. I have to be worthy of these new running gear.

January 5, just 3 days before race day, Coach K and I picked up my race pack at the Ayala Active Zone. There was a moment of confusion there since none of the attendants could find my pack. According to their records someone had already picked it up for me. I went, Hello? That’s impossible. I can’t NOT REMEMBER if I asked somebody else to pick it up for me. They told me to come back after another few hours but I said NO. I have absolutely NO OTHER TIME. Sus. This is what I get for having a very common full name. I should register with my middle initial next time. Apparently, the organizers confused me with some other runner in the 5k category with exactly the same name. Minus kaayo mo CCM organizers. Boo! But with the help of Coach K’s convincing powers and well, just because he knows a lot of people, we managed to go home with a new race bib number and my singlet. Bilib nako nimo Coach. Hahah! :p

January 6 was carbo-loading day with Coach K. That morning I had my weigh in with my trainer at the gym and I was elated to find out I had dropped another 5 lbs. yeah baby! So I allowed myself to indulge in pizza and pasta and lots of PEP TALK from the Coach. After dinner we surveyed the 21k route by car. I suddenly felt SO NERVOUS as I pictured myself on the road. I had fears of cramping up, of getting dehydrated, of getting too weak to finish.

When I got home that night my brother helped me pick out my outfit for the race. He lent me this SUPER TIGHT compression top that was so figure hugging it made me so conscious. But he insisted that it was the proper running outfit. So sige, I told him to please take my photo. I don’t care if I have to crawl my way towards the finish line at least I look pretty decent in my outfit. LOL!

 January 7, Saturday. I made sure to hear anticipated mass. I only had 1 prayer in mind and that’s to survive my first half marathon in 1 piece. I said Lord, Ikaw na bahala nako.

Cebu City Marathon 21k HERE I COME!!!

2 Heartbreaks & A Bet.

A lot of people have been asking me what the real reason is behind my determination to FINALLY lose all the excess weight. To most of them I just usually joke and say it’s my fear of going back to my old FAT FUGLY self. While that is partly true, there really are 3 other factors that contributed to my weight loss.

year 2009. around 183 lbs.

year 2011. around 179 lbs.

First, there was heartbreak number 1. An ex boyfriend and I enrolled at Fitness First in the hopes of losing weight together as a team. We only ended up hitting the gym together TWICE then things turned sour after that. I had already signed up for a 4-month membership and I didn’t want my money to go to waste. And also because I wanted to prove a point, that I could do this whole weight loss thing on my own, I worked my ass off at the gym. I dug into my life savings and signed up for personal training sessions. The gym membership plus the personal training fees were SO EXPENSIVE. I just wanted to make sure they were all going to be WORTH IT. Also, there is that scene at the back of my head wherein I’m looking so incredibly sexy as I walk past that person and all he can do is stare at me with his jaw on the floor. *evil laugh*

On my first day at Fitness First, September 12, 2011, I weighed in at 178.8 lbs. I stared in disbelief at the weighing scale and thought “what have you done to yourself mickiego? How could you have allowed yourself to grow this big?” My personal trainer immediately put me on a weight loss program focusing on a lot of cardio exercises coupled with strength training to help me build muscle. Muscle, according to her, aids in the burning of fat. So I should not be afraid of bulking up if I do weights. I told her, “I’m willing to do absolutely anything. Just get me back in shape please.” The goal was to lose 7 to 10lbs per month. If all goes well, I should be able to reach my target weight of 120lbs by March 2012.

I would say the first few weeks of regular gym-ing were the hardest. I had to sacrifice a lot of the things that I used to enjoy like my cooking, staying up late at night to stalk people on FB, to read blogs, watch TV, etc. I made it a point to sleep as early as 1:00am as opposed to my usual 3:00am so I could wake up early the next day. I had to make a total 360 degree turn in the way I lived my life. Since I started to embrace the joy of cooking early in 2011, I didn’t find it particularly difficult to alter my diet. I have been eating a lot of veggies, chicken and fish even before I started hitting the gym.

All I had to do was to teach our house help basic recipes that she could prepare for me. I had to give up cooking time to make way for gym time. My everyday diet started to look like this:

Pre-gym: a bowl of Oatmeal w/ Peaches OR Fitnesse Cereal

Lunch: Salad (composed of romaine lettuce, tomatoes and cucumber) with chopped hard boiled eggs, grilled or breaded chicken or fish (and sometimes bacon!) I don’t include dressing because I rely only on the meat to give it flavor. I also have a cup of coffee (or two) together with my lunch.

Dessert/Snack: Apples (or sometimes I’d have a banana, or oranges and grapes). Apples are a staple in my everyday meals.

Dinner: Grilled or breaded Chicken or Fish w/ brown rice (or mashed potatoes) plus stir-fried veggies (usually a medley of eggplant, broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots.

I bought this set of 3 containers from Lock & Lock around last year and they have been my best diet companions. I take them with me as I leave the house in the morning and I make sure my food is just within reach at all times. So whenever I go hungry I do not get tempted to eat anything else other than my baon.

 The hardest thing to give up when it came to my diet is SWEETS. I have always had a thing for cakes, pastries, bread, cookies, and chocolate. They are my ultimate weakness. However, it came to a point when I’d ask myself “how many more hours on the treadmill or the elliptical do I have to do just for me to burn this piece of cake?” Indeed, that saying that goes “A moment on the lips, forever on the HIPS” is SO TRUE. So I started to carefully watch everything that entered my mouth.

Then an old acquaintance entered the picture. Itago nalang natin siya sa pangalang Coach K. He’d been inviting me out to coffee for a few times after learning about my recent “heart break”, tweeting to me things like “kinsa man away nimo? coffee ta na.” But I always pretended to be preoccupied with other things. But one night I finally invited him out to dinner along w/ my girl friends. That was the night Coach K and I made THE BET. The first one to lose 10 lbs will win P1,000. Goodness. That’s some huge money there. I didn’t want to have to pay that amount just because I’m FAT. hahaha.. So I worked harder. Also, because I wanted to show Coach K that I’m better than him. :p Na challenge akong beauty!

On my next weigh in, September 30,2011 I was 171.4 lbs. Almost 7 lbs lighter than 2 weeks ago. I was AMAZED when I saw the numbers on the weighing scale. I wanted to hug my personal trainer out of happiness. WOW. 7 lbs in 2 weeks. How did I do that? It was on that day when I made the resolve to keep going at this. RESULTS make everything worth it, I tell you. Coach K was the first person I called after I learned about my weigh in results. I was just 3 lbs. away from winning P1,000. I remember that day very clearly. Coach K told me “ani nalang micks, dagan lagi ta. i tell you, you are going to lose weight faster.” I was like, huh? running? me? But I’m too fat and I have very weak knees. I have to lose weight first. That became another motivation for me to work harder at the gym. I have joined a few fun runs in the past, some 3k and some 5k but I always found it so exhausting. Maybe if I did lose some weight, say around 150lbs, I’ll think about this whole running thing again. If I’m lighter I’ll probably find it more enjoyable. And yes, I eventually won the bet but it took Coach K a couple of months before he could pay up his P1,000. hahah!

Fast forward to the month of October. Cupid somehow found his way into my life and I found myself starting to like this other guy. I met him around a year ago and communication lines started to open again. For a little while there I thought, oh my goodness. I have found THE ONE. I was inspired more than ever to keep going, to work harder at the gym, and to stick to my diet. There were times when I’d be at a party or a gathering and there’d be so much food in front of me but I’d only eat a cup of yogurt that I brought from the house. It was so hard to resist temptation yet I knew my efforts would be all worth it. By the end of October I weighed in at 164lbs. I was beginning to actually SEE results.

October 2011. around 164 to 166 lbs

Friends would tell me my face looks smaller and that I look so much better. They just don’t know how happy those comments made me feel. Before I knew it I was already wearing clothes from my closet that used to be too tight for me like this pair of skinny jeans. Damn. It felt so good to finally be able to squeeze into them again.

skinny jeans! yeaahboi!!!

November rolled around and I found myself nursing another heart break. Although there was really nothing between me and my so-called “THE ONE”, for some reason, it hurt me. A LOT. To me it felt like he was the one that got away but at the same time I never really had him in the first place. I don’t know if that even makes sense. All I know is that my pride and ego took a pretty good beating. Since I am not one to wallow in my misery, I focused all my efforts into my weight loss. This second “heart break” became the ultimate driving force for me to keep going and going. My everyday gym-ing composed of group exercises, personal training sessions, and cardio exercises became my diversion. Going to the gym became my reason to wake up in the morning. I focused on my bi-monthly weigh ins making sure that each time I faced the weighing scale I would be happy with the numbers. All this time I maintained my 2x a week dance sessions which I believe helped me a lot in the weight loss department too. This photo was one of the first Before & After  layouts that I posted on Facebook. Man, I was FLOORED by the responses I got from my friends. I knew there were a lot of people cheering me on and rooting for me. And NO, not a single Like or Comment from the person behind heart ache number 2. OUCH.

It was in the later part of November when my personal trainer at Fitness First told me to join their New You Achievement Awards (NYAA) contest. It is not a weight loss contest as many people tend to believe. The winner will be chosen based on the number of lbs lost as well as the story behind their weight loss. The more inspiring, the better. During the pre-judging interview I was asked, “So what made you decide to lose weight?” I was honest with them and told them, “Well, it’s really because of 2 heart aches”. Most of the judges just laughed at my answer. I probably would have laughed too if it weren’t the truth. There were 8 other contestants all with their own stories, all with their own reasons why they made the decision to shed the excess weight. While my story probably wasn’t as sob-inducing as the others, I still enjoyed my Fitness First NYAA experience. This photo was taken during the pre-judging. That’s me and my trainer Charlemagne. My legs look so disgusting. haha!

To join the contest I was required to submit before and after photos. And since I operate my own photography studio for a living I thought to myself, why not just give myself a photo shoot? After all, it is not everyday that I get to join contests like this. So I booked my favorite make up artist WWZ, dressed up, and posed like there’s no tomorrow. Kapoy man sad d.i mag mow-del but was so happy with the results. Here are 4 of the “AFTER” photos that I submitted. At the time these photos were taken I had already dropped 17 lbs.

During the awards night, December 6, 2011, all contestants were made to walk one by one on a stage. Our “stories” were presented to the audience with a matching dramatic background song called “This Is My Now” by none other than one of my weight loss inspirations Jordin Sparks. It felt nerve-wracking to walk down a ramp in heels facing many of the gym goers but I managed to survive without tripping and falling flat on my face. It also helped that there were 2 familiar faces in the crowd none other than Borbies my dear friend, my dormie and fellow gym-goer (to GAIN weight, not to LOSE)

weight loss-er and weight gainer

and of course, Coach K! I always tell people he is the reason why I was so determined to lose the first 10lbs. I just didn’t want to lose a bet with this guy. U-uh. No way. No how. So, yeah, he just had to be there. And also because I needed someone to take photos. haha Thank you again Borbies & Coach K for the moral support!

because I didn't want to lose p1,000!

That night was also a moment of pride for my trainer Charlemagne. God, I don’t know what I’d do without her. She’s been so supportive of me from day 1. This is us all glammed up for a change instead of our usual gym outfits.

 I didn’t win the NYAA but the experience was so inspiring. It gave me even more determination and motivation to keep going. Around the first week of December, I finally reached 151lbs. And as a promise to myself, I thought about the whole running thing again. Coach K had been continuously prodding me to go running with him and so I finally gave in. Our first training run was a 5k jog around I.T Park which was then followed by my 4th race, the Run United last December 11, 2011. For the first time I actually ENJOYED running because I felt so much lighter, I had more stamina and endurance to finish the race without huffing and puffing for dear life. And the HIGH I got after crossing the finish line was just awesome. I told myself, if I’d get addicted to running it will be because of this race.

 One training run with Coach K led to another and soon I found myself looking forward to running. From doing only 5k, we slowly made our way to 7k, then 12k, then 14k. The next thing I knew I was preparing for my first half marathon. I am going to devote an entire entry about the road to my first 21k so I will stop here for now. This photo was taken 2 nights before the big race last January 8. Weighing in at 145 lbs.

 I have another 25 lbs to lose before I reach my target weight of 120lbs. It seems like a mountain to climb but at this point I know that there is nothing that I couldn’t do. Having lost this much weight feels so empowering and has inspired me to aspire for new goals. In fact, I am currently working towards joining my first TRIATHLON in 2013. I know it seems like a tall order now but I know that there is nothing I couldn’t achieve if I put my whole heart and mind into it. We bid goodbye to the year 2011 a couple of weeks ago and with it I bid goodbye to my old self too. The year 2012 will be all about stepping out of my comfort zone, pushing boundaries, and exploring my limitations.

Also, since the heart took a pretty good beating last year, in 2012 it will take a rest. To the 2 boys behind the heart aches that led me to where I am now, well, I never thought I’d say this but THANK YOU. Now I am a true believer in the saying that things indeed happen for a reason. On to a stronger, happier, and most importantly, SEXIER 2012! Let’s gooooooooooooo Mickieeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!!!

An Open Letter To The Universal Forces

More than one person has told me in the recent months that if I ask for something, I mean REALLY ask for it, I have to put it out there for the universal forces to see. One Tita told me before to “Ask, believe, and receive.” Another cousin also told me recently “PRAY for that SOMEONE! And when you pray, BE SPECIFIC, up to the teeniest detail that you would have wanted in a man. And never, ever settle for anything less because somewhere out there, God is preparing someone special who is a perfect match for you”

So yes, at the risk of sounding a bit desperate, I am writing a letter to the universal forces for somebody to love. I am 27 years old, a lot of my peers have gotten married and are having children and are all moving up in life. And while I am perfectly content with everything that I have right now (a thriving business, a functioning body and a strong mind, a loving family, a incredibly supportive set of friends, etc.) sometimes I find myself wishing that my “someone” will come along soon and sweep me off my feet. I have loved and have been hurt and broken 2 times in the past but I don’t want to give up hope just yet. This is my letter to the universal forces and I am putting it out here in my public blog just so that the higher beings out there will have better access to it.

Dear Universal Forces,

These are the qualities that I am looking for in a man. The man who I hope is out there just waiting for fate to make our paths cross. The man who will someday strike a friendship with me then who knows? From there he could be the one I will spend the rest of my life with.

1.)   He should be strong-willed, driven, and passionate about his chosen craft. There is nothing I admire more in a guy than someone who knows what he wants in life and does everything he can to achieve it.

2.)   He should share the same interests with me especially when it comes to music, books, movies, and food. He and I should be able to talk endlessly about our favorites. It wouldn’t hurt if he’s also a Michael Jackson fan, if he appreciates the music of Adele, if we can talk about John Grisham books, the latest movies, old and new songs, and if he can go on a food binge with me every now and then.

3.)   He MUST BE a dog lover. This is a non-negotiable for me because I can’t imagine a life without dogs in it.

4.)   He must enjoy karaoke and he must not be embarrassed to belt it out in front of my friends.

5.)   He must get along well with my family and friends. The last thing I need is a boyfriend who I have to defend from the people I love most in my life. So he must be the type who’ll exert extra effort to win their approval and good graces.

6.)   He must be a good listener and a good conversationalist. He and I must be able to talk about everything and anything under the sun and still not get bored with each other. After all, at the end of the day, when you’re too old and too tired to do anything together, all that you have left are your conversations. So he must be the type of guy who’s genuinely interested to know about how my day went.

7.)   He doesn’t have to have movie star looks. He just has to be healthy and physically fit so that he will live a long life.

8.)   He has to be able to sway me with big words because I am just a sucker for guys like that and well, I just have a thing for words myself. And no, I’m sorry I just can’t be with a guy who can’t string sentences together and who doesn’t know the difference between YOUR and YOU’RE. A guy with a pretty good grasp of the English language is all that I’m asking for.

9.)   He must be the type of guy who will treat me with respect. I believe that as long as you have respect for a person the rest will follow. I am done with guys who belittle me, bully me, and treat me like crap.

10.)                   He must enjoy traveling and exploring new places with me. He must also be a lover of the beach and the underwater world so we can go swimming with the fishies together.

11.)                   He must be willing to fight for me and he has to be courageous enough to show me how he feels. In other words, he must be the type of guy who wears his heart on his sleeve.

12.)                   He must be the type of guy who’d write me love letters every now and then. Flowers and chocolates and all that gift-giving is not that important to me. But the gift of words will stick with me forever.

13.)                   He must not be afraid of the dark and of little things like cockroaches, lizards, and rats. Guys like that are sissies. It’s so easy to get a slipper or a shoe to kill a cockroach.

14.)                   I enjoy cooking. So I’d like a guy who appreciates my cooking but will tell me honestly if my dishes need improvement.

15.)                   He must share my dreams for the future with me. My dreams are pretty simple really. I just want a nice house, a car, maybe 2 children and 2 dogs, a business that allows me to do the thing that I love most, the chance to travel to a new place once in a while.

16.)                   He must have that religious commitment to attend Sunday mass with me. I am not a very religious person myself but I do pray and hear mass. So at the very least, he has to be that type of person too.

17.)                   He must be willing to share with me his interests too just so that I could be introduced to a new and different world.

18.)                   He must be the type of guy who’d be proud to introduce me to his family and friends.

19.)                   He must not be torpe. Or if he IS torpe in the beginning he should be able to get over it and just make a move already.

20.)                   He will be my confidante, my best friend, and my very own cheerleader. And I will be the same to him.

21.)                   Lastly, and MOST IMPORTANTLY, he must be faithful and loyal to his commitment to me.

I know this seems like a very tall order. But you know, Universal Forces, once you let me cross paths with him, I PROMISE to love him with all my heart and soul. I really do believe that only time will tell. For now I shall wait patiently and continue to improve on my own life so that by then I will be ready to love him completely. I know I can’t hurry love and it’s better to take time to really get to know a person before we jump into anything. So yes, I understand that there will be a lot of waiting to endure. But I will embrace the wait, I will embrace the journey because I know that if it’s meant to be, it’s going to happen.

Thank you for taking time out to read my letter dear Universal Forces. Crossing my fingers that Mr. Right is on his way to cross paths with me.

Love,

Mickie

Spreading my wings.

it’s been three long months since i last posted anything here. tonight i found myself with a little bit of extra time to spare for my little home in cyberspace so i figured i’ll just make one long picture-filled post to round up the goings on (going ons?) in life with mickie as of late.

part of growing up is opening one’s self to new experiences. and that is exactly what i have been doing. i’m proud to say that i have pushed myself beyond my comfort zone and have welcomed new people and new hobbies into my life.

one of those hobbies is dance. ever since i enrolled myself at Spotlight Dance Co. around the middle of last year i have absolutely LOVED every moment of it. i enrolled myself in summer class this year and found myself performing on stage again for the summer recital. the show was entitled A Tribute To The Music Icons and i proudly danced to my love Michael Jackson’s Man In The Mirror for the finale. it was one of my proudest moments EVER. i’ve also grown a lot closer to my dance classmates and i’m happy to say that i have really found myself a set of new friends in them with whom i share the same love for dance. i love you girls! these are some backstage pictures from the summer recital :

our official group shot w/ Teacher Marie

all that jazz

me, chin & jam in our “widow” costumes

picture picture backstage

the jazz ladies in our finale costume

proudly showing my white glove

the Michael Jackson themed shoes i wore courtesy of Suelas plus my matching glittery glove. this was my Man In The Mirror finale number costume so beautiful noh?

here i am w/ my ever supportive friendships who came to watch the show.

my fans! hahaha!

this is me and my dance classmates at K1. we celebrated our successful recital w/ several hours of singing, dancing & bonding. i miss them already!

multi-talented singer-dancer classmates

then there’s my new love for cooking. ever since i started my One Dish A Day Project i have found a new reason to wake up in the morning. i never thought cooking could be so enjoyable. i love the feeling of slicing through meat and vegetables, the sound of the sizzling frying pan, and until now, i get amazed it how food turns into a different color when they’re cooked. haha.. i know its so babaw. but it just amazes me for some reason. and when i get good reviews from friends and family i feel so much happiness in my heart it just makes me want to cook more and more and more. hahaha these are a few of the dishes i made followed from recipes in different issues of Yummy magazine and from the internet.

Baked Cheese & Tuna Spirals

Herbed Butter-Lemon Chicken w/ Sweet Potato Mash

Grilled Rosemary Chicken w/ Potato Salad

then of course, there’s the friendships! i truly am one of the luckiest persons alive just because these girls are in my life. we have gone a long long way and these past months our bond has grown even stronger. i know these girls have my back no matter what. this summer we’ve been on a number of adventures together and we’ve welcomed each of our plus one’s into our tight little circle. here we are at our first summer get away in the southern part of the city.

17 years of friendship

beach buddies

and here we are food trippin’ somewhere up north

Co Jordan for lunch!

me and mdm Lauie w/ the best halo2x in the city

and at our last hurrah for the summer. we rented a boat and headed out to the beautiful waters of Mactan.

gone boating!

then there’s BBabies who just turned 1 year this week. yes, 1 year. i can’t even believe it myself. it’s been a series of ups and downs for me and my business partner but we’ve managed to hang on. i am happy to be doing something that truly makes me happy and although the business side of things sometimes frustrates the heck out of me, i always go back to the first and only reason why i went into business in the first place. and that’s to make beautiful memories for our clients and WITH our clients. seeing our customers being happy w/ our service makes me want to go on. if i get to do this for the rest of my life i know i will be fulfilled. i never forget to say thank you to the high heavens for giving me BBabies and for letting me live my dream. Happy Birthday BBabies!!!

then there are milestones in life that i am so happy to be a part of. my good friend Sheryl got married to her high school sweet heart a few weeks ago and it was a momentous event for a lot of us. i can’t be happier for these two. theirs is a love that has truly stood the test of time. Congratulations Cynric & Sheryl!!

11 years to forever

here i am w/ the newly-weds and some of friends from high school.

reunited for the big wedding!

oh, and speaking of milestones, i am SO PROUD to say that i will be godmother to a new baby that will probably be born on my own birthday next year. gaaaaaaaahh!!!!! sooooooo exciiiiiiiited!!!!!!!! i have to keep mum about all the details for now but when i’ll be given the go signal to spread the news, i will surely update this blog.

then there’s some news from my family too. last March i was THE PROUDEST SISTER IN THE WHOLE ENTIRE WORLD because the results of the Philippine Bar Examinations finally came out and MAR2X PAAAAAAAAASSED!!!!!!!!! wooooohooooooo!!!!!!! we now have a lawyer in the family! Congratulations, Mar!!!!

it's on the list!!!!!!

this is me and mom at the Supreme Court where Mar2x signed her name in the log book of lawyers in the country. i’m super duper proud of Mar2x!

it's official!

then there’s my ongoing love affair with Michael Jackson. i will not say anything more. heheheh his voice still makes my heart skip a beat and his smile just makes me melt. i love you Michael!!! todo mi amor eres tu King of Pop FOREVER!! this is the birthday greeting that my staff at BBabies made for me. hehe.. obviously, it’s all about MJ! thank you girls for this!! (i wish im still as thin i was in that picture :p )

MJ birthday greetings

whew. told you this was going to be a LONG post. so yeah… life’s been treating me pretty ok lately. i hope i get to update more in the weeks to come. signing off for now!

p.s. the baby darling loves are all doing ok this is Choco & Kimi at the first birthday party of their son Kyle.

baby loves

My One Dish A Day Project.

i remember clearly how i said back in January 2010 in this post that i want to learn how to cook. Somewhere in August and September of 2010 i started preparing my own meals after i got inspired by health & fitness blogs especially Julie’s blog called Peanut Butter Fingers . For about 2 months i did the whole cook/bake/make dish then take a picture then eat it then blog about it. But after a while i got too caught up w/ other things and realized that blogging just takes way too much of my time. When i stopped i also realized that i fell off the healthy eating wagon and went back to my bad habits. I guess keeping track of what you eat really helps you if you’re trying to lose weight.

So here i am again, i will make another attempt at healthy eating & living a well-balanced life. And since i am so inspired by the reality cooking show Junior Masterchef i have decided to brave the kitchen again to prepare my own meals. I am starting my One Dish A Day Project to record my attempts in the kitchen and to keep track of what i am eating.

I’m going to start w/ Saturday’s dish. I was inspired by one Junior Masterchef episode where the class made Chicken Schnitzel w/ Eggplant & Tomato Salad. It looked relatively easy so i decided to have a go at it and invited 2 of my best amigas over for taste testing/dinner. I included wheat pasta cooked with bottled Light Alfredo Sauce from Classico which i bought at S&R and added broccoli (for nutrition’s sake) and chopped ham (for more flava’). Here’s the dish i am plating the dish just as Anya & Lau arrived. Can i just say plating is my favorite part of the entire cooking process?

not so masterchef-y. hahaha!

and ta daaaa! dinner is served!

chicken+pasta+salad combo

i love that Anya & Mdm Lau enjoyed the food as in they sincerely said it tasted pretty good for someone who’s a novice in the kitchen. hahaha :p i never thought i’d say this but it honestly feels so good to cook for other people. no wonder Ina Garten always invites her friends over to eat the dishes she makes. hehe

my taste-testers

we then spent the rest of the night watching DVDs, loading up on chips and popcorn, and getting drunk on red wine. it was the best time i had w/ friends in a long while. ’till next time girls!

good times!

the following day this was what i had for breakfast. sorry for the poor photo quality. i had to make do with my computer’s built in camera. this is wheat pancakes w/ walnuts & bananas plus my requisite cup of coffee i can’t wait to have these again!

wheat pancakes for breky!

and for today’s meals i prepared the following:

breakfast: scrambled eggs w/ ham, cheese, basil, parsley, and tomatoes over a left over wheat pancake from yesterday.

scrambled eggs = LOVE!

lunch: tuna nuggets (the ready to cook variety) on a bed of veggie salad

 

fishy lunch!

dinner: banana + almond butter sandwich. im so happy i found almond butter at S&R!! its the same brand that the healthy eating bloggers use! weeeeeeee! its so darn good!

yummmmmeh!

and lastly, i made my first ever Green Monster! this consisted of romaine lettuce (since there’s no spinach in the veggie chiller), banana, Anlene chocolate milk, a few drops of vanilla, a sprinkling of cinnamon & brown sugar. i blended them together and enjoyed my healthy smoothie it needs a bit of thickening though. Julie of Peanut Butter Fingers uses xantham gum but i dunno where to find that here in my part of the world. i still enjoyed this though! i want to make another one with spinach this time.

Greeeeeeen Monsterrrrrrrrr!!!!!!!!!

oh, can i just say that i cheated today and ended up eating 2 pieces of uber fattening sylvanas. they’re the ones from Dumaguete that are so ridiculously good. my brother just came from there so now our freezer is packed w/ so many sylvanas. i want to wake up tomorrow and find them all GONE! no temptations please!!! arrrrrrrrgh!!!!!!!!!

that’s all i have for now. can’t wait to wake up tomorrow and cook! i’ve been scouring the web tonight for recipes to follow and i’ve gotten a lot from this amazing lady of How Sweet Eats!  EXCITED!!!!!!