Thank You, Mark!

Today, Oct. 24, 2009 is the beginning of a new life for me.

Exactly after one month of PT rehab, I can now drive my old, reliable Revo--thanks to my young, equally reliable therapist, Mark.

My cast was removed on Ate Ella's 64th birthday, Sept. 23. I expected that things will return to normal as soon as I let go of this green fiberglass that kept me close company for six loooong weeks.

Like an innocent child eagerly anticipating her dream toy, I excitedly waited for that magical moment when I thought life would be the same for me again.

But just like my love life, things didn't turn out the way I planned them to be.

As soon as Dr. Sevilla cut my cast to free my arm, he blurted out these words which caused me to scream in horror:

He told me: "Di ko pala nasabi sa iyo. Pagkatanggal ng cast, mas masakit pa kaysa bone fracture."

I wanted to believe my orthopedic surgeon was only joking.



I prayed and wished that he was, but he wasn't.


And so, instead of a "back to normal" life that I imagined, a life of pain and misery and agony and suffering began.



(buti na lang di nakasali face ko sa picture . . . nakangiwi kasi plus may kasama pang luha at sipon hah hah . . .)

There are no words in any dictionary that could aptly describe the pain I feel every time my wrist is mercilessly twisted, my stubborn hand fiercely straightened and each of my hardened fingers stretched beyond their limits.

I even told my therapist that when I die, I'll probably go straight to heaven for I've gone through hell already. Mark was quick to reply: "Eh Tita, di naman po ako demonyo" (heh heh . . .)

When my PT rehab started, I could only move my hand 5-10 degrees. I couldn't even flex my fingers. The pain lingered all day long that sleeping was an ordeal.

Following the advices of my Rehab Doctor and therapist, I launched my own therapy program at home in the hope of speeding up the whole recovery process.

Hot pack was my constant companion. So with the lovable squeeze ball. Later on, the powerful laundry clip (I try to close it with my thumb and 1 finger), the water bottle as weight for wrist exercises, door knob rotation from left to right and vice versa, and stretching between fingers using thick rubber band.

All these exercises were extremely painful at first but slowly mellowed down as time went by.

I'm still in rehab.

My best friend Pain hasn't abandon me yet.

But I'm happy.

I'm happy because I can now drive and . . . I AM NOW COACHING MARK TO RUN HIS FIRST 5K RACE.

Thank you, Mark.

I'm sorry I wanted to punch and kick you during our therapy sessions.

Thank God for therapists like you!

First Race at Age 75

Tennis, golf, bowling -- you name it. My mother played these recreational sports and has brought home countless trophies for winning tournaments that she joined.

Except running.

My ever dearest mother has never joined a single race for the 75 years of her active life.


Not until the Family Fun Run last Aug. 2, 2009.

Gio and Eia begged their lola to bring them to Museo Pambata then run together in the Family Fun Run after that.

Poor grandma, cannot say NO to the persistent prodding of her 2 grandchildren.

As for me, I was overjoyed because whenever she goes out with us, I leave my wallet at home heh heh . . . .

It's good that Nanay exercises everyday following the different types of aerobics video.

And through all these years, she has maintained her 36-28-36 figure and 110-lb. weight.

I always tell her that she was born without any taste buds. Her whole meal intake is only half of my appetizer hah hah . . .

She couldn't understand why we still eat sweets after eating, when we are supposed to be full already. I tell her that there is such word as "dessert" in the dictionary and it was included there for a purpose.

She would end the conversation by saying that "I only eat in order to live. You live in order to eat."

It's no surprise that the 3k race was a walk in the park for her. She ran/walked with her grandchildren enjoying every moment of it.

Sadly, we had to leave right away for Eia was already complaining of stomach ache.

The following day, I received a call from the organizer, Mr. Kenneth Montegrande, inviting me and Anna (the meekrunner) for a breakfast get together.

With Anna and her runaholic family.

Unfortunately, Anna didn't make it because of an early corporate meeting.

Sorry Anna. I was treated to a sumptuous buffet breakfast at Cafe Bocobo and had a wonderful time chatting with Ken and his buddy (whose name now slipped my mind--probably because of my recent General Anesthesia?).

Before we said goodbye, Kenneth gave me these fabulous prizes!

The envelope contained P5,000 cash.

The Crocs Prepair I chose at MOA was priced at P2,350!

I was wearing my pink Crocs Prepair when I chased the closing time of RFC last Monday, Aug. 24, 2009.

Now it can be told: Ang Crocs Prepair, di lang pang walking--pang running pa!

Thank you Ken! Take care of yourself in the U.S.

Running With One Arm

My son Gio arrived very late yesterday, only to inform me that he needed fabric paint for his school project.

I immediately took a shower and then left for RFC Dept. Store right after dinner. After 10 days of having only one arm I surprised myself by becoming an expert in doing things using my forehead, teeth, chin, hips, thighs, knees and feet in lieu of my left hand's 5 fingers which are still sore and painful until now.

I was planning a leisurely walk from our house to RFC but when I glanced at my watch, I realized that RFC will close in 15 minutes. I decided to ride the tricycle at the next street but we didn't even reach the gate when it had to stop because of the long queue of vehicles trying to get out of Philamlife Village. Heavy traffic has been a familiar sight ever since our village became part of the "friendship route".

No time to lose. I gave the driver my fare then ran towards Zapote-Alabang Road going to RFC.

Oh no! Some stalls at the ground floor were already closed.

I flew to the 3rd floor and when I got there, the only remaining light was on the cashier area.

In between heavy sighs and breaths, I begged the person closing the door that I only needed pink and violet fabric paint. Staring at my fiberglass covered arm, he took pity on me and searched for the materials I specified. I hurriedly paid for the items, thanked the cashier and left.

On my way back, I dropped by my favorite fruit stand and bought 1kg bananas, 2kg santol and 1kg rambutan. I wanted to walk but had to take the tricycle for my arm started to be uncomfortably painful.

As I recall the events of yesterday, I wouldn't have made it on time but I did.

I made it because I ran.

Thank God I'm a runner!

Hah!

IMPACTED FRACTURE!

Friday, Aug. 14, 2009 was the perfect day for tennis and running.

My daughter Eia announced in the morning that she'd like to play tennis after school. It was their last day of exams and will be dismissed earlier than usual.

Perfect! From Eia's school we proceeded directly to the tennis court and there Eia enjoyed having the court on her own (her Kuya Gio was dead tired to go with us).

It's OK for me even if i couldn't play. I figured I could still run after I bring Eia home and change my shoes.

But after 50 minutes, Eia declared to Coach Sonny that it's my turn.

And so I complied and took over the tennis court.

I was only getting warmed up when I excitedly ran backwards to hit an overhead ball. The change in pace happened so fast that I suddenly felt out of balance.

By instinct, I tried to support myself with my left hand (was holding the racquet with my right hand) to prevent a bad fall.

The next thing I knew, I was down on the ground struggling with the agonizing pain in my twisted wrist.

Strange . . . in my mind, I thought "Lord, thank you it's not my leg or feet."

Coach Sonny yelled for help and in an instant, Coach Pitik was wrapping ice on my hand which he carefully placed on a bamboo splint. He also made an improvised sling to support my left arm.

Since it was impossible for me to drive, I called Ate Ella to come over to take care of Eia then we requested the tricycle driver to bring us to Perpetual Help Hospital.

I was immediately given an intravenous pain reliever (which didn't work so had to be given a much stronger dose an hour later) when we arrived at E.R. After securing my arm with the medical sling, I was wheeled to the X-ray room for a diagnostic picture of my forearm.

The resident physician contacted the orthopedic surgeon accredited by Philamcare but unfortunately, he was about to board the plane for an overseas trip (the other orthopedic surgeon accredited by Philamcare operating in Perpetual Hospital passed away last week involving a car accident along a flyover).

The advice was to cover my arm with a temporary cast and follow it up with an orthopedic surgeon.


And Dr. Lopez did just that.

My friend Mimi recommended other orthopedic surgeons based in Perpetual Help but nobody had clinic hours the following day, Saturday.


Yesterday morning, I had the chance to consult with Dr. Edgardo Sevilla.

I showed him my X-ray results which read:


IMPACTED FRACTURE ALONG THE DISTAL RADIUS.
AVULSED FRACTURE OF THE STYLOID PROCESS OF THE LEFT ULNA.

Dr. Sevilla suggested a procedure called "closed reduction" to remedy the problem.


However, I need to present to him a C/P (Cardio/Pulmonary) Clearance before he could implement the procedure. This, according to him, is necessary for patients 40 and above (ouch!) undergoing a General Anesthesia.

I thought getting the clearance was easy but I was advised to have a chest X-ray, ECG and 2-D ECHO before I'll be given one. I already finished the first 2 but will still have to wait until tomorrow for my 2-D ECHO.


Thank you Jay and Jaymie for the get well wishes over runradio.


Take care, everyone!

In Life And In Death--Thank You, Tita Cory!

Ever since I started training in May 2007, I have been dreaming to run with Jaymie (then the "newbie" runner, now the famous and fabulous TBR).

After more than 2 years and 2 months of rigorous praying, my dream finally became a reality!

And this elusive dream would have remained just a dream if not for Tita Cory's sublime intervention.

Even in death, Tita Cory proved to be powerful in unifying the Filipino people.

With Jaymie initiating the "Run for Cory", runners converged in Ayala Alabang, U.P., MOA, Makati and the Fort to dedicate one special run in honor of one great leader.

I was very fortunate to join the group of runners that ran around Alabang Country Club. Although many runners signified their intention to join, the gusty wind and rainshowers prevented most of them to fulfill this desire.

Thanks to Jun and Anna (the meekrunner), I had no problem arriving on the said venue before 7 AM. Soon after, we were joined by Bambi, Miguel and Jaymie, Sir Ipe, Francis, Ardy, Pat and other runners. Later during the run, the flying couple Mark and Tiffin just appeared from nowhere heh heh . . .




I don't know where this was taken but it was a place where the fast runners waited for me and Anna (thank you guys for patiently waiting for us). Anna and me were joking to each other "Easy run nila ang 7 mins/km, sa atin hard na yon."

It was my first run in Ayala Alabang and it couldn't have been better. I was in good company, running to honor someone great enough to be a hero and a saint.



Taken after that wonderful 8.7km run with the football field as background. I enjoyed it so much I was still energized to run another 5k but Anna had to go home right away.

Thank you, Jaymie for initiating this run. I promise I'll train harder so you won't wait long for me the next time.

And thank you, Tita Cory! Without you, this wouldn't have been possible.

2009 Family Fun Run

I know everybody who joined the Run for Home is now excited over the statistical results and analysis of the race made possible by the timing chip. I have read good reviews and a few not-so-good ones. Will talk about mine as soon as I nurse my broken heart on my frustrating results.

Anyway, let's take a break from "serious" races for a while. Forget about pace, forget about breaking PR.

Join the 2009 Family Fun Run for a change. Organized by Kenneth Montegrande as shown in the photo above, I'm sure I'll enjoy this event as much as I enjoyed the Manila Half Marathon Challenge last year.

Bring the whole family to Rajah Sulayman Park Manila on Aug. 2, 2009 and simply have fun! My kids and I, their grandmother, aunts, uncles and cousins will be there.

I can think of 10 reasons why you shouldn't miss this:

1. The race will start at 4 PM. No hassle getting up at 4 AM.

2. The kids can run/walk with you and finishing a 3k race is a healthy and fun way of spending time together.

3. For only P250 registration fee, all the members in your family can join. And there's even a prize for the highest delegation of family group. By the way, Anna (the meek runner) will run 10k together with the whole runaholic family. And just the same, she only paid P250 for all of them. That equates to only P50 per family member. What a deal!

4. Each family will get a cool singlet after registration and surprise FREEBIES after the race (not to mention the trophies and cash prizes for the winners). What a treat!

5. My first race last year was organized by Kenneth Montegrande. There were adequate kilometer markings, helpful marshals everywhere, unlimited supply of ice-cold bottled water. How refreshing! Also, the commemorative t-shirt was something you could wear everyday. Di lang pang sports, pang araw-araw pa!

6. The route will be along Baywalk, Roxas Blvd. A completely different scenery from that of U.P. Diliman and the Fort. Even the air that you'll breath will be different.

7. You'll get to teach the kids a little bit of geography and history while passing by the Ninoy Aquino statue in Baywalk, the U.S. Embassy building, Dr. Jose Rizal's monument in Luneta.

8. You may bring the kids to Museo Pambata before the race. Try lifting the phones at the Heroes Hall on the first floor and they could actually "talk" to our heroes and learn something not found in ordinary History books. Cool! There's also a Sports Room where they could rock climb, shoot some balls and visit the lockers of our famous sports personalities like Paeng Nepomuceno. There's a Science Room, where the kids can actually get inside the giant parts of the body! There's a hands-on activity room, music room, showcase of international dolls, and many many more.

9. If your kids love marine life, then bring them to Ocean Adventure at the back of Quirino Grandstand.

10. Take your kids a stroll in Rizal Park. Test their ability in geography with the giant Philippine map. You may even explore Intramuros if they still have the energy.

Before I forget: For P150, you may run as an individual if you can't bring the family. You also get a free singlet.

You may register at San Andres Sports Complex. Tel. No. 5151915.

Or contact Kenneth Montegrande. Celfone # 0917-3630004.

Or visit his website http://www.kjmontegrande.wordpress.com/.

See you all there!

All Alone in Run For Home

I'm supposed to start this story with the Pre-Race portion but for whatever reason, I couldn't position the pictures in the manner that they should appear. And so, I have no choice but to start this blog with the ending.

Post-Race:

Nothing beats the pleasure of meeting running friends after the race! (More so when you ran all alone during the race . . . )

With the sultry Running Diva, Roselle!

With the growing takbo.ph family!

A souvenir pose with Run For Home route map as background.

With a truly inspiring group of running friends Christy, Johnny, the One and Only Jaymie, Mariel, Jun C., Annie, Miguel, Jay and Vener! Finally, I got my copies of the TBR mag which the whole running community is raving about. Thank you, Jaymie!

With the soulmates and solemates Jun C. and Mariel! Hope to run with you, Mariel, in future races.

A very happy reunion with Johnny, Christy and Jay!

With the dynamic duo Vener and Christy, my ever faithful guardian angels!

With the lovely running couple Mark and Tiffin, Jinoe and a fellow takbo.ph family member.

That's me waving before reaching the finish line.

Now let's go to where the story should start.

Pre-Race:

I registered at Fitness First SM Southmall branch last July 11, 2009. The people who attended to me were warm and accommodating, making my stay at the lobby enjoyable even though it took me almost one hour to be fully registered. Anyway, watching the weight watchers sweating it out with the different gym equipments delighted my attention and didn't even realize that I was sitting there for some time already.

It rained cats and dogs for the whole week. Didn't get the chance to run even for a brief time. Came Saturday, July 18. It was the last day of picking up race packets. No choice but to go all the way to the Fort, or I won't be able to join the maiden voyage of the disposable timing chip (not to mention the P500 that I paid for it).

It wasn't raining anymore when we left Las Pinas City but when we were about to park the car in front of the Globe tents in BGC, strong winds crashed the Globe tents down to the ground. At first I thought they were the claiming booths. I asked the person who seemed to be the one in charge and he informed me that I could just walk and proceed at the back of the building near Nike. I could claim my race packet at the Globe tent situated in that area.

I saw the sign "Fitness First Registrants" and gave my coupon to the lady in front of a laptop. The other lady wrote my name on the race envelope and asked for my size. I told her "Medium". She placed my singlet inside and I was off in less than 1 minute. Wow! That was fast.

It started to rain again so I had to run back to the car. I braved through the muddy field in my newly bought bakya, inflicting wounds on my feet. But I didn't mind. I was too happy to look at my race bib and disposable timing chip.

Race Day:

Left the house at 4:50 AM and proceeded to the the same parking area where we parked the day before. No trouble getting a space. I made a quick stop at the portalet, missing the pre-race warm-up by Fitness First.

I then searched for familiar faces but saw no one I recognize. I guess everybody I know left already at 5 AM. Quennie's running in U.P. My cousin Jun couldn't make it. Oh no! That meant I'll be running alone (sigh).

Race Proper:

I positioned myself in the middle of the pack, beside the 16-year old Jennica. I started talking to her but I remembered Roselle's blog that some runners don't like to chat during races so when we crossed the starting mat, I slowly drifted away from her.

I'm used to train alone but I'm not used to be running alone in races. I needed a friend to talk with. I tried to talk to myself but it didn't work. It was a terrible, empty feeling.

The route was the same as that of the Mizuno Infinity Run last June 7. I should be able to handle it better this time.

Sadly, I didn't.

The first half went well. I crossed the mat at 32 minutes in my watch (although this wasn't reliable 'coz I forgot to start my stopwatch right after I cross the mat at the starting line).

On the way back, I had to stop for water before reaching the Buendia flyover. Something I've never done in a race. As I climbed the flyover, I felt pain on my upper thighs I had to stop and walk a few steps. I've never walked in a race either. Also, my left foot was killing me. I had no idea how I managed to ascend and descend the flyover.

When I saw the next water station, I again stopped and quenched my thirst. My, my, my. This race had a lot of firsts. The idea of not finishing the race was about to play in my mind when I heard the Marshal say "1 km for 10k runners". I said to myself: "I only have to run from the house to the guard house. That's all I have to do to finish this race." And so I went on to finish the longest 1 kilometer run I've done so far.

As I approach the finish line, the clock read 1:20:30.

I had a better time at Mizuno!

How could that be? I didn't run for 5 months and yet I finished at 1:20:01 in Mizuno.

Now that I had proper training, I clocked 1:20:30! I couldn't think of any logical explanation to this reversal of outcome.

I would gladly welcome your opinion on this matter if you have any.