WHAT HAPPENED AFTER 6 MONTHS OF INTERMITTENT FASTING & 3 MONTHS GENTLE YOGA?

 You all know that I started 16:8 Intermittent Fasting last October, 2022 but nobody knew that I delved into Gentle Yoga since January this year. Yup! I certainly did! With Gio, my unico hijo and the one and only Ate Ella (my 77-year old Wind Beneath my Wings)

Coach Emy calls it Gentle Yoga but we are probably using different dictionaries because in my book, it should be called HARSH! I swear I could almost feel my bones cracking with each challenging pose and silently wished that if God plans to end the world soon, that particular moment when I was struggling to cope would be the perfect time hahahah...

Today, Easter Sunday, is my Resurrection Day. Today is the start of my new life without Intermittent Fasting. However, I am not saying Goodbye to IF forever for I might do it again someday—if and when my favorite son calls my legs “logs” and starts counting my chin again. 

So are you excited to know what happened after 6 months of Intermittent Fasting and 3 months of “Gentle” Yoga?

Brace yourself folks! 

I actually lost 3 inches off my waist and 4 inches off my hips!

How I lost these inches without losing significant weight will be answered in my next post. For now I am quite satisfied, happy and ecstatic with these overwhelming results!

HAPPY EASTER!!!!

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LESSONS LEARNED FROM MY FIRST DNF

 DNF is what we runners call a race that we Did Not Finish.

The Luneta to Tagaytay 60km Ultramarathon last Feb 25-26, 2023 was my first DNF since I started running 15 years ago. My running buddy and I decided to stop at Km 47.

Well, as the saying goes—there’s always a first time heheheh . . 

For those who already conquered an 80km Ultramarathon in the past (like yours truly), does it follow that they could easily finish the measly 60km?

Sadly, it is non-sequitur. So, what did I do wrong?  There are many actually:

1. While others swear that Undertraining is better than Overtraining, for me intensive training is still the best. I trained for almost 7 months for my first 60km Ultramarathon. This time, it only took me 4 months to prepare. I was then 59. Now I’m 64. I obviously undertrained.

2. I should have run more hills. Again, lack of proper training.

3. I should have done more tempo runs (pace faster than the actual race pace). 

4. I should have religiously done at least 1 Strengthening Training a week.

5. I should have done more back-to-back Long Runs.

6. I should have brought a tennis ball to roll my foot on, when plantar fasciitis strikes. I failed to foresee that I might be suddenly attacked by plantar fasciitis. Negligence on my part.

7. I should have done more heat trainings. Rain was pouring cats and dogs in my first 60km Ultra but last Feb. 26, the heat was intensely unbearable.

8. I should have done proper CarboLoading before the race.

9. I should have gotten enough sleep.

10. In my first 60km Ultra, I was already injured at Km 7 but I still finished the race. Why? What was the one motivating factor that propelled me to go beyond my limits?  It’s because I was then running for the benefit of the Down Syndrome Association of the Phils. Inc. (DSAPI). So many pledges came from generous people who would donate for every km that I ran. So quitting then was NOT an option for me. I had to finish the race to support the families of children with Down Syndrome for them to enjoy better lives. This time, I purposely did not seek pledges because I was reserving it for my supposedly 100km race at age 65 (I am now wondering if this dream could ever be a reality . . .).

(Thanks for dropping by. For comments, please email me at ndelr62@gmail.com or we can chat via Messenger. Stay safe everyone!)

This Is The Day We Get To Test Our Limits

Finally! The tine to test our strength and endurance is about to commence. While I was having a mental note of what else should I prepare for our much-awaited Luneta to Tagaytay 60km Ultramarathon, my favorite son was blabbering why I did not dye my hair hahahah . . .

I actually don’t mind being seen in public with my white hair but to preserve peace and unity in our household, I decided to give in to my son’s bickering. Praise God Ate Ella is still with us to lend a hand. No need to visit the beauty parlor. She colored my hair in a jiffy. 

Pansit Palabok and pork barbeque are my usual pre-race meal. They will arrive at 4pm. The whole family will attend the 6pm Anticipated Mass later because I am sure I would prefer to sleep tomorrow after coming from Tagaytay.

My cousin Wendel will drive our support vehicle and her wife Minerva will also be with him. So with Elvert, Ann’s darling husband. 

Dear God, give us please a favorable running weather. Send your angels and saints to protect all of us runners and our Support Teams. Mama Mary, please be with us every step of the way from Luneta to the Finish Line in Tagaytay. Cover us with the mantle of your maternal protection. Help us arrive there before 1pm tomorrow without any injury or accident or any mishap. These we ask in the name of Jesus and the mighty power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

(Thanks for dropping by. For comments, please email me at ndelr62@gmail.com or chat with me in Messenger. Stay safe everyone!)

Only 1 More Day And We’re Set to Go (Are We, Really?)

 One day left for our 60km Ultra and this morning’s post by the Organizer astounded me.

They gave us a list of Mandatory Gear that we should bring and among the 5 listed, I don’t have 3 namely: Reflective Vest, Blinker, and HeadLamp.

Thank God I don’t have high blood pressure or it could have rose to sky high. I immediately contacted my running buddy Ann and I was beyond relieved when she told me that her darling husband was already looking for them. Wow! Awesome! How could some women be blessed with loving and supportive hubbies?

After dinner Ann sent me the pictures of the gears they purchased from the Bike Shop of her husband’s co-teacher. Now I can sleep without any worries. Thank you Ann!

(Thanks for dropping by. For comments, please email me at ndelr62@gmail.com or chat with me via Messenger. Stay safe everyone!)

Last 2 Days

 Would you believe I survived the whole day yesterday without taking any solid meal, not kissing my First Love, and not indulging in any form of sweets?

The first thing I did when I went out of our bedroom was to grab our weighing scale and miracle of all miracles, I finally saw the much-anticipated drop in pounds! 

2 days before our Luneta to Tagaytay 60km Ultramarathon, I now weigh . . . 119 lbs.!

Nothing happened after 4 months of 16:8 Intermittent Fasting yet only 1 day of fasting and abstinence during Ash Wednesday, I lost 3 lbs. Hmmm . . . I should probably do this once a month.

What do you think?

(Thanks for dropping by my blog. For comments/suggestions, please email me at ndelr62@gmail.com or chat with me via Messenger. Stay safe everyone!)

Last 3 Days

 Only 3 days left before our Luneta to Tagaytay 60km Ultramarathon (which is actually 65.5km huhuhu....)

Today happened to be Ash Wednesday. For us Catholics, it is a day of fasting and abstinence from meat or your favorite food.

For someone who fasts everyday, how can this day be more meaningful?

Well, I plan to do the following:

1. No Coke until 12 midnight.

2. No solid meal until 12 midnight.

3. No sweets in any form.

Father Elmer suggested that we abstain from taking our favorite food/drink for the whole 40 days of Lent then we offer our savings derived from our abstinence on Easter Sunday.

For non-Catholics, think of it as killing 2 birds in 1 stone. You get to cleanse/detoxify your body and in the end, donate to a Charity you deeply love from the money you saved.

Last 4 Days

 Cross training this morning. Walked leisurely along the corridors of SM Supermarket for our bi-monthly grocery shopping. Eia was my capable assistant, making my life more comfortable.

After lunch, my massage therapist came to “torture” me. Angel is her name but she can actually bring you to hell, purgatory and heaven. With her magical hands, she can remove the lumps, bumps and nodules in your body but only after going through an excruciating  experience. While you scream at the top of your lungs battling the pain, she doesn’t stop until she could flawlessly slide her hands up and down your feet. 

Yesterday I suffered at the hands of the phlebotomist. Today I endured my massage therapist’s torment. I am curious what will happen tomorrow.

4 days before our Luneta to Tagaytay Ultramarathon, somebody posted in FB that he ran the whole route and the total distance was 65.5 km! Wow! My running buddy and I need to revise our strategy inorder to finish the race within the 14-hr CutOff time.  

Nope. I am not nervous. I am FREAKING nervous!!!