A Whole New World with Nanay’s Alzheimer’s (Part 9)

THEN and NOW:

1. I used to dose off when Nanay talks non-stop. Now, the situation is reversed. Nanay sleeps when I begin to talk.

2. Nanay used to love veggies. She looks at them now with hostility.

3. Nanay started walking everyday when she retired. Then her walks became irregular. Then shorter until they completely stopped.

4. Nanay loved gardening before. Whatever she planted bloomed and bore fruits. We had santol, avocado, papaya, banana, jackfruit. Those days are over now.

5. Nanay used to dance aerobics and lift dumbbells even after she retired. Her exercise now consists of stretching, bending and pulling when she changes her undies and clothes.

6. Nanay stayed in Pampanga Mondays to Fridays. She travelled to Las Piñas Saturdays then back to Pampanga Mondays. She no longer leaves the house now except for Sunday Mass and joy rides around Philamlife Village.

7. She doesn’t recall staying in Marbel or in Pampanga. She knew she was a midwife but forgot she worked with Philamlife for 50 years. However, there are some recurring flashbacks that happen every now and then.

8. She still remembers her brothers and sisters but sometimes, she forgets who are still living and who already passed away.

9. She used to boast before that for 365 days a year, she prayed the rosary 365 times. She still recalls the Joyful, Sorrowful and Glorious Mysteries when prompted. 

10. She still recognize everybody in our household. I tell her everyday that I am her only daughter. She knows her daughter’s name is Norberta but she has no memory of our past as mother and daughter. Not a single one. One time, she did not remember me at all. She knew Gio and Eia as her grandchildren but she forgot their mother. I had to hold myself together to prevent a nervous breakdown. I know it isn’t Nanay’s fault to forget her one and only daughter but it still pained me. I have no choice but to be strong for her and my 2 precious jewels. So help me God.

A Whole New World with Nanay’s Alzheimer’s (Part 8)

 A very close friend once told me: “Your mother talks non-stop like a radio. But unlike the radio, she cannot be turned OFF” heheheh . . .

Yup. That’s Nanay. She could talk straight for 24 hours and I am NOT exaggerating. We were in Pampanga visiting the wake of her relative. The people there took turns talking to her! Even when she was eating, she was talking continuously. She only took a break when she used the bathroom.

Her favorite story at home was when she topped the Midwifery Board Exam with a grade of 99%. She would tell this story over and over again but we didn’t mind. We responded as if we were hearing it for the first time.

When Nanay stopped talking, we knew something was terribly wrong but we just pacified ourselves that she probably got tired of talking already. 

She no longer tell stories now but mumbles to herself “ENOUGH, ENOUGH, ENOUGH”.

This could stem from the fact that when people ask her before the secret of her physical well-being, she would answer “enough food, enough exercise, enough rest, enough sleep, enough stress, and enough money to last you a lifetime.”

When Nanay washes her hands she would sing “ang lahat, tatalikdan ko”. This is the last verse of “Paghahandog Ng Sarili”, the song we normally sing during the Offertory in the Holy Mass. She also sings this when she walks inside the house or when she’s just sitting down and when she’s taking a bath.

At night when I moisturize her face, I let her massage her neck so she could exercise her hands. She would do so while counting in hundreds. For this I have no idea why. I guess in her mind, she is probably counting her money!

Some Good Things Never Last

My heart skipped a beat when Barbra Streisand’s song “Some Good Things Never Last” played over the car radio on our way home this afternoon.

Flashbacks of forgotten memories flooded my mind as if everything only happened yesterday. I tried to hit PAUSE but I couldn’t stop my brain from REWINDing.

We were in his office when he gave me a shocking Directive which totally wrecked me. He instructed me never to visit him nor call him unless I was on the verge of dying. I could have stabbed him thrice and pleaded in court that my action was a Crime of Passion but I didn’t. I did not demand anything from him. I also did not accuse him of anything. I just walked out of his office. And out of his life.

It only took me a few months to recover from a previous romantic relationship but this time, it took me more than a year to gather the broken pieces of  my disheveled life. Losing a best friend was a thousand times more devastating than losing a boyfriend.

As Barbra’s song goes . . . I thought we were lovers . . . I thought we were friends. I guess when reality steps in the dreaming ends.

Unrequited love is undeniably the most painful of all human experiences (next to death of a parent). I had to revamp my whole life to start anew without him by my side. It was a desolate journey.

I thought the crying would never stop. I thought I could never forgive him.

But miracles do happen. Through time the deepest of wounds healed and unconditional love prevailed.

We are back being friends and catch up whenever our schedules permit!

Letting go is an agonizing process but completely necessary to find yourself again and live your life with confidence, honour and dignity.

How God Answers My Prayers

God answers my prayers in 3 different ways:

1. He immediately gives me what I want.

2. He doesn’t give me what I want but He gives something BETTER, not necessarily for me but for my loved ones.

3. He doesn’t respond for a loooooong time. When I am about to lose faith and hope he whispers to me:“Stay still. Listen. Trust in the Lord thy God. The BEST is yet to come.”

OK Lord. I have prayed for a SOULMATE long enough. I have stayed still for as long as I could remember. Maybe the best that you have in store for me is to remain single for the rest of my life? Then I accept—with my whole heart, mind, body and spirit!

Farewell, my Soulmate. I have to let you go before we even see each other . . .

A Whole New World with Nanay’s Alzheimer’s (Part 7)

My mother is the most positive person I’ve ever known. My father is the most negative. Opposites do attract each other right?

A particular situation may be negative from any angle possible but Nanay will naturally find something positive about it. On the other hand, even though an incident is bursting with positive energy from all sides, Tatay will deliberately extract something negative about it.

My father and mother clash on anything and everything on the planet. On one of their anniversaries (they survived 55 years of marriage), I gave them a mounted poster of a dog and a cat lovingly embracing each other with the caption “it’s because we are so different from each other that we have so much to share”. Touche.

One time, Nanay told me that Tatay visited her. I asked her if he was already inviting her to go with him to heaven. She answered “No. He just woke me up and told me to eat”. I jokingly told her “I am sure Tatay will never fetch you to go with him because he is now very happy not having you opposing him.”

While Nanay is soft-spoken, gentle and kind, my father was loud, aggressive and brutally frank.

Alzheimer’s Disease did not change Nanay’s demeanor. She never fails to express her gratitude whenever someone does something for her, however miniscule. She does not only say THANK YOU but utters “thank you, thank you, thank you.” She doesn’t grumble when she asks for anything. She doesn’t raise her voice or lose her temper. She easily says “sorry” when she thinks she did something wrong,

But one thing definitely changed. Nanay told me “I LOVE YOU” only ONCE in my entire lifetime. This was when I was about to enter the Operating Room to give birth to Gio by Caesarian Section. Nowadays, she tells me she loves me EVERYDAY, whenever I kiss her goodnight and bid her sweet dreams before I leave her room.

And when I whisper in her ears “I am Nora, your one and only daughter.” she would answer back “I am Imang Toning, your one and only mother.”

Even with Alzheimer’s, Nanay has kept her sense of humor intact!

To be continued . . .

My Love for Carbs

When it comes to Carbs, I believe that God so loved the world that He gave us Carbs to enjoy heaven on earth.

Whenever Gio takes a bite of my Sister’s home-made brownies, he would declare: “heaven does exist Mama, because I swear I am in heaven now. Thank God for your Sister!”

If God gave us Carbs because he loved us, we should also love Carbs right?

Why am I talking about Carbs now? Well, I just want to take a breather from updating the Series on our journey with Nanay’s Alzheimer’s Disease. Also because my new running buddy Jay and I were talking about Carbo Loading last night.

Carbo Loading is crucial in a training program to avoid “hitting the wall” during a Marathon or Ultramarathon. There are varying views how Carbo Loading works but these are mine:

A day before a Half-Marathon, I include 1/2 cup of rice during lunch and dinner. And additional serving of 1-2 Carbs.

2-3 days before a Full Marathon, I include 1/2 cup of rice during breakfast, lunch and dinner. I also eat an additional 1-2 servings of Carbs each day.

5-7 days before an Ultramarathon, I double my total Carbs intake everyday.

I used to wonder what Carbo Loading meant. The Carbs intake described in journals was my usual food intake. I just couldn’t get it. I couldn’t practice Carbo Loading because I was actually Carbo Loading everyday! I only realised what it exactly meant when I decisively removed rice from my diet and applied portion control in my daily servings. After adapting a healthy lifestyle, I finally got to experience Carbo Loading before a race.

Eureka!

A Whole New World with Nanay’s Alzheimer’s (Part 6)

Today I will tell you a secret. To hide the identity of the persons involved, I will simply refer to them as A and B. 

Here goes:

Through the recommendation of a very dear friend, we consulted Dr A for Nanay’s failing memory. He prescribed a series of tests including a Psychological Exam which took Nanay 2 days to finish. Based from the overall results, Nanay was positive for Alzheimer’s but negative for Depression.

During our first consultation with Dr A, he asked me how I knew the Doctor who referred him to us. I told him she was my classmate from Grade 1 to 2nd Yr High Sch. back in Koronadal City. He was impressed that we are still friends. And I found it weird that he asked for my friend’s specialization and where she was practicing. My friend recommended him to us because they were classmates in Medical School. How come Dr A didn’t know anything about my friend? Was he having pre-Alzheimer’s symptoms?

In our next meeting, we showed him all the results of Nanay’s tests and exams. Naturally, I had so many queries that I desperately needed to know. He answered in very general terms, not specifically directed to my questions in particular. And before I could voice my apprehensions, he started babbling about his own mother having Alzheimer’s. 

When Nanay’s meds ran out, we came back for our third consultation. I planned to ask him again about the questions that he failed to address. Before I could even ask him, he poured his heart out on his dedication to his mother, making him the only one in the family who devotes time for her, insinuating that his siblings didn’t care. He had lots of bottled sentiments and fears. The way he opened up to me, I should have charged him the Consultation Fee of a Psychotherapist! I decided then and there to look for another Neurologist.

Dr B is the exact opposite of Dr A. For her, a Psychological Test was NOT necessary. Just by observing and conversing with Nanay, she automatically deduced that Nanay was going through Depression. She did not even bother to read the 3-page Psychological Assessment which Nanay took 2 days to finish!  She requested more laboratory tests/exams and we complied.

Dr B was more engaging to Nanay and she answered my questions that Dr A failed to settle. She even showed Nanay the actual exercises that she should do everyday. And she gave us activities that we could do as a family for Nanay to participate in. I was more satisfied with her than Dr A on this regard but I couldn’t fathom why she would trust her instinct over the result of a tedious and meticulous Psychological Test. Her conclusion that Nanay was in a state of Depression depressed me.

In our third Consultation, Nanay’s Cholesterol was at a normal level but she still prescribed medication for it. According to her, it is for maintenance. Now THAT bothered me. For 90 years, Nanay never took any maintenance drug. Given this and her previous presumption, I now plan to look for another Neurologist.

So the secret is out. You don’t only seek for a second opinion. Search for a third one!

To be continued . . .

A Whole New World with Nanay’s Alzheimer’s (Part 5)

 If there is one person in the world who abhors eating, that would be my mother dearest. She is the only person I know who loses appetite in front of a table with colorful varieties of food. Her lifelong dream was for a scientist to develop a serum that would enable her to refrain from eating for 1 whole year while maintaining her strength and stamina.

So unlike her only daughter. My passion was, is, and will always be food! My stomach has the ability to expand itself to unlimited capacity when served with various sumptuous dishes.

People in Pampanga compared Nanay’s eating to a bird. They swear a bird eats more than her! Pampanga is famous for its gastronomic delicacies but Ima (Kapampangan word for mother) would rather eat alugbati (malabar spinach), saluyot (jute leaves) and labong (young bamboo shoot). 

But indeed, people change. 2-3 years ago, she told us she didn’t want to eat veggies anymore! So we gave her meat instead. However, she would just chew the meat and extract the juice, not swallowing the piece. Nowadays, she would just eat fish and Henlin siomai.

She was never fond of sweets. Eating dessert was a mystery to her.  Puzzled, she would ask “how can you still eat something after eating a meal?” I would bluntly tell her that the word dessert appears in the dictionary for a reason heheheh . . .

But surprise of all surprises, Nanay started eating a domino-like portion of Snickers after lunch just before the pandemic. She only stopped doing this around 3 months ago.

She used to eat 1/2 cup of rice but this was slowly reduced through the years. It is already a great miracle if she could finish 5 half-filled spoons of rice now. 

Nanay weighed 99 lbs when she was transferred from South Cotabato to Pampanga. She was 110 lbs when she retired. Now she weighs 85 lbs—my weight when I turned 15. I was 90 lbs when I graduated from college (average increase of 1 lb every year).  After only a month with Coca-Cola, my weight ballooned to 105 lbs! (Gaining an average of 1 lb every 2 days!)

Our greatest challenge now is how to coax Nanay to eat. She would always tell us that she is not hungry. It takes a lot of patience and persistence to convince her that it is only in her mind that she is full but in reality, she has not eaten yet. One time she told me: “Ayaw ko ng kumain. Ikaw, kahit na sa pagtanda mo, malakas ka pa din kumain.” (I don’t like to eat anymore. Unlike you, you will always eat a lot even when you grow old.”)

Well, no argument in that!

To be continued . . .

A Whole New World With Nanay’s Alzheimer’s (Part 4)

 I finally got to sleep in my bed last night. For 2 nights, I just squeezed myself on the rocking chair fronting Nanay’s bed. I cannot leave her because she just changes clothes in the middle of the night and go out to wake up her faithful driver, telling him she had to attend a meeting. She was up all night for 2 consecutive days so I had to watch her closely. Now, she is back sleeping like a log.

When Nanay’s Neurologist briefed us last November 2023, he told us to be ready for anything. He kept reiterating that the medication will not cure Nanay. It will only delay the worst from happening.

We breezed through 2024 without any major concerns. Nanay was passive. Her story telling greatly reduced, seldom talked but still responded to questions and inquiries. Rarely would she initiate conversations.

Nanay’s morning walk became irregular until it completely stopped this 2025. But she would regularly request her driver (now caregiver) to give her joy rides around Philamlife Village.

For her TV viewing, she used to watch EWTN, tennis and golf matches. Slowly, these became infrequent. Her only TV viewing now is the Kapamilya Mass celebrated by Fr. Tito Caluag. We attend this daily.

Nanay still prays the Grace before Meals, remembers the Joyful, Sorrowful, and Glorious Mysteries of the Holy Rosary, and responds in the mass.

She may forget everything but she will probably always remember that she topped the Midwifery Board Exam with a grade of 99% heheheh . . .

To be continued . . .

A Whole New World with Nanay’s Alzheimer’s (Part 3)

 For the past 2 days, Nanay talked almost non-stop. The other day, she thought we were still living in Marbel. Yesterday, she thought we were in Pampanga. She was bubbling about her agents and secretaries, meetings in her office, sales strategies, business opportunities, real properties. She couldn’t believe she already retired in 2012. She even thought Tatay was still alive! And she thought Gio and Eia were still going to school. She was planning to bring them to their respective schools. Then out of the blue she asked me if I was still looking for a husband. I told her I am not. Of course I lied heheheh . . .

She barely slept for the past 2 days. She was busy talking to people she thought were in her room. She was even laughing with them. I heard her mention their names and they were all friends and relatives who have gone ahead of us. She was conversing with them in her native tongue, Kapampangan. She kept telling me to prepare food for them.

At 5 AM this morning, she finally fell deeply asleep. I did not wake her up until 12 noon but she did not budge until 1:00 PM. She told me she didn’t want to eat anymore and when I cajoled her, she gestured to throw punches at me. I held her tight and after a few minutes, I managed to lift her up from the bed and we proceeded to the dining room.

She ate everything I prepared for her but only after a lot of convincing. She immediately went back to sleep after eating then drank her Ensure Gold @ 5 PM. After that, she dosed off until 7 PM to eat dinner. Again, it was a struggle to ask her to eat. She only took 5 spoons of rice with fish. Did not touch the grapes which used to be her favorite. 

After brushing her teeth and personal hygiene, we started with our evening ritual. I asked her to change her clothes herself so she could at least have some form of stretching, bending and pulling. After that, breathing exercises: inhale deeply through the nose then exhale slowly in a whistling manner. 5-10 reps. Then eye drops for her glaucoma. Moisturizing the face came next, followed by massaging her body with lotion from arms to toes. She was already in dreamland before I kissed her good night and sweet dreams.

I wonder what awaits tommorow . . .

A Whole New World with Nanay’s Alzheimer’s (Part 2)

 We were briefed by Nanay’s Neurologists and they pointed out the following:

1. There are two types of patients’s reactions to Alzheimer’s Disease: Aggresive or Passive. Aggresive behavior includes overtalkativeness, defiance and violent reactions while Passive is the exact opposite. Unlike his father, Nanay is passive.

2. There will be an evolution of Nanay’s facial recognition and memory. She will still recognize and remember the people who lives with her inside the household but eventually, we should expect the worst. Time will come when she will also forget us.

3. There will be changes in her daily habits. They will disappear one by one.

4. Her food intake will be lessened day by day until such time when she refuses to eat anymore that we will have no choice but to bring her to the hospital.

5. Her memories of people and places will slowly fade and might be completely erased someday.

6. Her preferences might change. Treat them with respect.

7. Do not force her to go out with you when she declines.

8. Encourage her to do some form of exercise everyday. Her body will deteriorate rapidly when she doesn’t move.

9. Avoid asking her the name of the person in front of her. Better to introduce the person right away.

10. Do not expect the medication to reverse Nanay’s condition. There is still no cure for Alzheimer’s Disease but the meds will hopefully slow down the process.

To be continued . . .

A Whole New World with Nanay’s Alzheimer’s (Part 1)

My mother was the first female provincial District Manager for sales of then Philamlife, now AIA Phils. Her area was South Cotabato. The Main Office was in Marbel (now Koronadal City) where we used to reside and a Branch Office in Dadiangas (now GenSan, the hometown of Manny Pacquaio) which we visited once a week.

Nanay’s family was originally from Pampanga but her parents settled in South Cotabato during the Magsaysay administration. In 1977, she was promoted as Agency Sales Manager for Pampanga and later on, Olongapo was included in her area of responsibility as well.

From an ordinary underwriter specializing in Salary Deduction, she rose to fame leading a Powerhouse Sales Agency in Pampanga/Olongapo. She served her beloved company for 50 solid years.

Nanay focused on her career and loved playing tennis, golf and bowling. Our house is practically a museum of her certificates, plaques, trophies, prizes and magazine write-ups.

She practiced a very healthy lifestyle. Even at a ripe age, she has no maintenance meds. According to her “I am not a car. I don’t need maintenance.”

My mother lived her life to the fullest. She earned the namesake “Mother of Perpetual Help” because of her kindness, gentleness and generosity.

When she retired at 78 (there’s no retirement in Sales so she actually resigned), she still dressed up and wore make-up everyday as if she’s going somewhere, Then after a few years she stopped doing this ritual but still meticulously groomed herself whenever she goes out of the house. Then one day she declared that if we want her to live longer, we just let her stay in the house and not force her to go out with us. Of course we still tried to convince her to join us during special occasions. Then came the pandemic. We were 8 in our household but I was the only one in and out of the house. After the pandemic she would only go out for Sunday mass but she still managed to walk a few blocks around our house every morning.

During meals she would tell the same stories all over again. We didn’t mind, as we knew oldies tend to repeat themselves. Then the story telling stopped. We told ourselves she probably got tired of talking already. We noticed changes in her behavior like telling me to stop giving her books for she no longer wanted to read. She used to love watching tennis and golf matches but that also stopped. There were memory lapses here and there but we thought they were simply part of the normal aging process. A Seminar on Dementia was held in our Parish and we attended. After that eye-opener, Nanay agreed to undergo the necessary series of tests and exams. It was then confirmed what we dreaded most: She has Alzheimer’s. 

To be continued . . .

Tribute to Ss Lou, Our Beloved Cluster Head

There are people who make a difference in other people’s lives. Ss Lou did beyond that. She made other people’s lives better. I, for one, became a better person because of her, so is every person who was fortunate enough to encounter her in this lifetime.

Ss is not a typographical error. She calls me Ss Nora so I call her Ss Lou. According to her, Ss stands for Soulsister. (God apparently couldn’t find a suitable Soulmate for me so He sent a Soulsister instead heheheh . . .)

I rejoined Handmaids Of The Lord in 2003 but it was only during the pandemic that Ss Lou and I became close. Call me snob, introvert, or whatever but I deliberately stayed in the shadows to hide my true identity. I was afraid to be known or recognized, fearing to be given responsiblities that would sacrifice my crucial obligations as father, mother, daughter, and homemaker to my family.

Very few people exhibit the same generous disposition as Ss Lou’s. Even those days when I strictly maintained significant distance between us, she was always showering me with kind words and gestures. It was her unrelenting spirit that finally broke down my wall and welcome her into my chaotic world. 

Ss Lou was the kind of person who will move heaven and earth to help anybody in need. She would pray unceasingly to lift up our individual concerns. She would go out of her comfort zone to lighten the burden of the oppressed. She would spend extra hours to think of ways and means to improve something that needed to be mended. She would love unconditionally and give readily without expecting anything in return. She was always beaming with joy, happiness and enthusiasm that would melt even the hardest of hearts. She would inspire you to believe in yourself, do your best and serve with grace, humility and gratitude to the Almighty.

Thank you Ss Lou, for letting us experience God’s redeeming love through your unparalled faith and devotion. Though I still cannot accept the harsh reality that you will be gone forever, thank you for making my 67th birthday uniquely memorable by allowing me and the countless people who adore you bring you to your final resting place. Hard as it is, I bid you farewell. You will be greatly missed, never to be forgotten. We love you, Ss Lou, now and forever!

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What is The Perfect Day For You?

 It was raining cats and dogs this morning, courtesy of Typhoon Crising but still went out to replenish our zero stock of fruits. Dropped by the water refilling station before going home. While trying to keep myself dry under the makeshift tent, a man was venting out his frustrations over a reckless driver to the water station staff. He had a distinct piercing voice that I would rather not listen to but I couldn’t run out of the tent because of the pouring rain. I tried to think of happy thoughts to distract myself of hearing his lamentations and I thought of this: “What could be the perfect day?”

Picture this: The perfect day must have the perfect weather—sunny but not too hot. I am joining the 100km Ultramarathon with a group of running friends who are highly motivated, properly trained and strongly determined to finish the race. We lift each other up through the 100km race route with our inspirational quotes, funny anecdotes and tear-jerker stories. When we hit the unavoidable wall, we cling to each other for support and encouragement. As we slowly approach the FinishLine, I see my family cheering for me with a bouquet of red roses and ice-cold beer. All the pains and aches in my body disappear and I fly like the wind! I receive my trophy, finishers shirt and medal but the flowers, hugs and kisses and beer from my family are the ones that would make the day perfect!

How about you? What do you picture as the perfect day?

(You may reach me via Messenger or at ndelr62@gmail.com. Stay safe everyone!)

What is Your Diet? (Part 1)

 This was the question randomly thrown at me this morning before we practiced YOGA.

Almost instantaneously, I answered: “Diet does not exist in my dictionary. I don’t patronize any. I eat anything and everything, anytime I want.”

We proceeded with YOGA so I did not have time to explain what I really meant.

Let me qualify what I said.

Yes, I do eat anything and everything, anytime I want BUT I practice portion control—except when I am celebrating someone’s birthday in an Eat-All-You-Can Buffet. Unlimited Lunches or Dinners are usually scheduled in advance so I purposely fast the day BEFORE and the day AFTER I binge on my favorite food/desserts.

My typical day looks like this:

I take Herbalife 24 with oats and banana after my morning run. On days that I don’t run because of the rain, I only eat when I’m hungry. I take papaya, a cup of oats, boiled egg, and dark chocolate drink. At other times, scrambled egg with spinach and tomatoes on toast.

My lunch consists of fish with sidedish and 1 slice mango eaten with rice. If pork or beef or chicken is served for lunch, I wrap it in lettuce with kimchi. My dessert is sweet sampaloc/dark chocolate/peanuts/Hi-Chew and Coke Zero. Take note that some days, I take sweet sampaloc and dark chocolate and peanuts and Hi-Chew and Coke Zero all at the same time for dessert.

When I’m home, my snacks become my early dinner. It consists of pandesal with kesong puti and spanish sardines and fresh carabao milk.The number of pandesal depends on how hungry I am. But usually 1-3 pcs.

At 12 midnight, my son Gio takes his lunchbreak (US based) and we snuggle to watch 1-2 episodes of The Golden Girls together. I normally don’t eat with him but when I do, I take a cup of trail mix with milk.

I am 67 years old, 5’1” tall with vital statistics of 37-29-38 weighing 120 lbs on good days and 124 lbs on bad days. I already quit fantasizing for 115 lbs. but still dreaming to lose 1-2 inches off my waistline  heheheh . . . Instead of killing yourself for a Barbie-like figure, focus on gaining strength, wellness, and endurance. Your world will be more enjoyable!

(For comments/reactions, reach me via Messenger or ndelr62@gmail.com. Stay safe everyone!)

Soulmates Do Exist (Tribute to my Friend D)

Some people wander through life silently wishing to find their soulmates. Some are lucky without even looking while some (yours truly included) never caught one even if they fervently pray for it from dawn til dusk.

D and I first met in Cebu, when I was taking a break from my wayward thesis writing. She was then the apple of my friend’s brother’s eyes with whom I was staying. Anybody can easily fall in love with D. She was beautiful, smart, soft-spoken, kind, well-mannered, hard-working, helpful, honest and caring. Without further ado, we clicked in an instant. Naturally, I flew back to Cebu when they finally decided to tie the knot. I was profoundly honored to be part of their once-in-a-lifetime wedding entourage.

Fastforward to 2002. With Ate Ella and 2 children in tow, we made our Great Escape to Cebu. Unfortunately, my friend and her family were out of the county during that time. D graciously offered their marital house for us. That is when I discovered that D and her husband (my friend’s brother) called it Quits. Strange how we could have the same fate when we practically have opposite personalities. I was shocked beyond words. Unlike me, D was the kind of woman any man would choose in any given moment. On top of her exterior and interior attributes, she is a master chef and baker. 

In the midst of her personal struggles, D made sure that we enjoyed ourselves in Cebu. Thanks to her unconditional love, I have never seen my children as happy as they were there. I swear we could have stayed in Cebu forever but Nanay begged me to return to Las Piñas to take care of Tatay who suddenly couldn’t walk because of our frightening disappearance.

Strong as she is, D moved on with her life and fearlessly migrated to the States. Knowing her, I believed in my heart that things will definitely be better for her there.

Guess what? She is now joyfully and happily married to the man of her dreams and doing her passion—cooking and baking!

I just loovvveeee happy endings. Happiest birthday my dearest friend! With all that you are, you deserve the best. Thank you for being you. I hope someday I get to meet your darling hubby and indulge in your yummy masterpieces there in the US.

Yes, soulmates do exist but I just wonder how God picks the person He will bless it with. Have you found yours?

Still waiting hahahah . . .

(Thanks for dropping by. For comments/reactions, you may reach me via Messenger or ndelr62@gmail.com. Stay safe everyone!)

My Typical Training Program

There are a lot of training plans you can find in the internet. Based from my 17 years of passionate love-hate relationship with running, here is my typical weekly schedule. The distance covered will be dependent on my targetted race.

Monday: Easy Run (Level 1-2)

Tuesday: Strength Training

Wed: Speed Interval Workout (complete Workout below)

Thurs: Tempo Run (Level 3-4)

Fri: YOGA (bonding with my son Gio and daughter Eia)

Sat: Rest (I do my marketing/Grocery shopping)

Sunday: Long Run (Level 2-3)

The Levels are numbered 1-5: 

1 = Brisk Walk

2 = Slow Run

3 = Normal Run

4 = Fast Run

5 = Sprint

Below is my Complete Speed Interval Workout:

Warm Up: 5-10 mins. Level 1-2 

Alternating 30 sec Level 5 and 30 sec Level 1-2 (Repeat 5-10 times)

5-10 mins. Level 2-3

Alternating 1 min. Level 5 and 1 min. Level 1-2 (Repeat 5-10 times)

Cool Down: 5-10 mins. Level 1-2

When you are pressed for time, you can still finish the complete Workout in only 30 mins. When you’ve got enough time, the longest Workout will take 1 hr. 

You actually have 2 Rest Days if you are not practicing YOGA. You may spread them 3-4 days apart.

(You may reach me via Messenger or ndelr62@gmail.com. Thanks for dropping by!)

Are You Ready to Run the Marathon?

 If you think you are ready, then nobody has the right to tell you that you’re nuts to attempt it. But it would certainly help if you already did the following at least once before training for the marathon.

1. Finishing 5k in 30 to 35 mins.

2. Finishing 10k in 60 to 70 mins. 

3. A sub 3 hr Half Marathon.

 I believe that speed should come first before distance. This is to equip you with the much-needed confidence that you will reach the FinishLine within CutOff. If it takes 1 hour for you to finish 5k, try to improve on that first before trying to run 10k. Others aim for a personal best of sub 30 mins for a 5k but for ordinary mortals like you and me, 30-35 mins would do (mine was 31 mins.). When running 5k becomes a breeze for you, that’s the time to level up to 10k. Again, there are others who are obssessed with running a sub 1 hr for 10k. (They tell themselves: “If Piolo Pascual can do it, why can’t I?”) Don’t be so hard on yourself. 60-70 mins. will suffice. 

For 1 whole year, I stayed with 10k like my soulmate. It became my comfort zone. I could run 10k without stopping and still looked fresh and bubbly at the FinishLine. I had no intention of running the Half Marathon until Jaymie Pizarro announced The Bull Runner Dream Marathon for first-time marathoners. I did not even think twice. I registered right away. And so I ran 21k for 3 consecutive months before TBRDM. My first Half Marathon was at the Condura Skyway, clocking at 2 hrs 37 mins.

For scientific tips and guidelines, visit runnersworld.com and marathonhandbook.com.

If you think you’re ready, join me in the Cavinti Road and Trail Marathon this coming Dec. 14, 2025.

Good luck with your training!

(You may get in touch with me via Messenger or ndelr62@gmail.com. Stay safe everyone!)

There’s No Easy Way

 It has been ages since my last post. I have always made a personal goal to put a smile on your face when you read my blog. To lighten the burden you are carrying, to have a relaxing break amid the chaos happening around you. When I am down and grieving, I know I cannot fulfill that mission. That is why you haven’t heard from me for a while now. 

There’s no easy way to get over a heartbreak. As Ziva of NCIS aptly put it: “one does not get over the loss of a loved one. You just have to go through with it.”

Life is short. Savor each moment when you can still breathe, laugh, and love. Do not waste your time holding elephants in your chest. Let go of hurts, bitterness, frustrations, supressed anger. Forgive others who have hurt you even though they seem not to care. Forgive yourself. You are not perfect. So is the rest of the human species. You can no longer change the past. You have no choice but to accept that. But you can choose to be better today and every day thereafter. 

Nourish old friendships but always be open to new relationships. It might even surprise you that there are still good folks out there. People who are kind, thoughtful, generous, caring. And some will still love you just the way you are.

In joy and in pain, give thanks. For how can one experience true bliss and happiness without going through pain and suffering?

(For comments, you may reach me at ndelr62@gmail.com. Thank you for dropping by. Stay safe everyone!)