Category Archives: Random Thoughts

July 3, 2009 · 12:43 am

Sitting Still for Dummies

Sitting Still For Dummies Apr 26, ’07 2:57 AM
for everyone

Sitting Still for Dummies

(Or how to cope with an annoying injury that’s driving you crazy)

Okay, somebody please help me out here.  I feel like I am once again forced to struggle with something new and foreign and nobody really left a set of instructions for me to follow.  I hate not knowing what to do.  But more than that, I HATE not being able to do anything.  Workout-wise, that is.

That’s right, I’m injured. My kneecap is not tracking properly and I can’t run, I can’t bike on my beloved hills, and I definitely can’t race.  Super bummer.  It doesn’t even matter anymore how I hurt my knee, (but just in case you do wanna know, it was from stupidity, not from overtraining…although that does count as a form of stupidity too) the point is, I can’t do what I love doing.  I told my best friend the other day that I felt like a kid who was prohibited to frolic around with the other kids in the playground.

Well here I am, cut off from my daily endorphin indulgences and sadly unequipped to remain stationary but forced to be so.  The thing is, you can’t stay mad at your situation forever (it gets boring too- for you and for other people) and I figured I probably won’t be the only one who will encounter this predicament so I have decided to be useful and share some of the little nuggets of wisdom I have come across in the past two months.  There is a book called “The Art of Doing Nothing” by Veronique Vienne and Erica Lennard and I must say it makes perfect sense to me right now.  I stole some of my favorite “art forms” from the book, mixed it up with my own findings, and tried to make it as dummy-friendly as possible for the rest-challenged personality.

“Being” is more compelling than “Doing.”  I grew up in a household wherein everyone was always preoccupied with either work, hobbies, or planning other diversions for work and hobbies.  It seemed like no one ever spent their waking hours wasting precious minutes on “trivial stuff.”  I thought this was how I should measure myself as a person, but I know now that I had it wrong.  My worth will not be lessened if I do more or less.  Personally I think this is where a lot of addictions stem from, because we feel like we shouldn’t be idle and if we are watching tv, or chatting online, drinking, smoking, etc. we feel like we are doing something, but we really aren’t.  We should learn to appreciate ourselves a little bit more, just as we are.

Adopting The “How Do You Know It’s a Bad Thing?” Frame Of Mind.  Can we really say with certainty that every single thing that happens to us is either good or bad?  Yes, I do feel left out when I can’t train, and it’s very easy to let negative thoughts pollute my psyche, but going with the flow of things is a much better alternative…further down the road know I will find out why this is happening right now, and it might even be good for me.

Sleeping and Napping.  I definitely have more capacity to produce quality work when I am rested and refreshed.  A clearer mind and a well-recovered body can do wonders.  I can’t emphasize this enough.

Unclutter.  A clean environment and a worry-free mind affects every single aspect of your life.  Meditate and hold a vision of your ideal self without all the inconsequential baggage that your harried lifestyle usually carries.

Learning Not to Feel Guilty.  Most serious athletes or people who work out regularly feel bad when they don’t get to work out.  But just remember that this is only a temporary and necessary thing.  Not resting will make your injury last longer, and that is bound to make you feel even worse.

Making The Most Out Of The Cards You are Dealt With.  Explore your options at this time.  What is it that you can work on while you are out of commission?  Maybe now is the best time to work on your strength and flexibility, areas that aren’t usually given enough attention when you are busy doing all of your other workouts.

Actually Having Fun.  Just enjoy this moment and spend it doing things you’ve always wanted to do on your own, with family, or with friends.  Yes, there is another world out there, offering so much potential for growth and happiness.  Borrowing the title of a great film, Life Is Beautiful…and it would be foolish to get stuck in a quagmire just because you fell into one for an insignificant second.

Leave a comment

Filed under Articles, Random Thoughts, Running

July 3, 2009 · 12:42 am

Sisters in Sport

 

Sisters in Sport   Apr 26, ’07 2:57 AM
for everyone

Sisters in Sport

 I run for hope, I run to feel, I run for the truth, for all that is real

I run for your mother, your sister, your wife

I run for you and me my friend

I run for Life.

 -from “I Run For Life,”  by Melissa Etheridge

I had a happy childhood.  And when I think about it now, the greatest reason for this was my sister.   Sinag is just a year and a half older than I am, and we did almost everything together.  Being both hyperactive kids, we were really blessed with a huge playground—our compound housed three families, a furniture factory, two big abandoned rice fields, an ancient balete tree bigger than an apartment unit in girth, and plenty of caimito, santol, macopa, aratilis, bayabas, and mango trees….an impossibly idyllic setting considering we lived near the city.  I’m pretty sure all that time we spent climbing trees, running around barefoot, chasing after dragonflies and each other gave us a solid foundation for our future interest in endurance sports.  But she definitely went into all of them first—and I just copied what she did!  That’s how attached I am to her.

Girls RULE

The Original Team David's Salon

 

A lot of siblings I know go through some sort of rivalry, intense or not—and I can honestly say that, Sinag, being the truly truly kind-hearted person that she is, never really set up this kind of environment for me.  Yes, it does take two to tango, but I still maintain that it was she who set the tone in our relationship, being the older one (although at this stage in our lives I sometimes feel like I am the ate, haha).

 

My sister Sinag and her daughter Raya

My sister Sinag and her daughter Raya

Today I still enjoy that female bond—and much more. Being in sports has certainly given me a whole new extended family of remarkable women—all of whom I consider sisters.  Up to this day I am simply amazed at how strong, intelligent, and diverse they all are, and I consider myself extremely lucky at having the opportunity to be with them.  Each woman’s story is different, but all as richly textured and as interesting as one can imagine.

pinaytri brunch june 16, 2006 022

Pinay Triathletes Brunch 2006

At races we may compete with each other, and sometimes personalities do tend to collide, but these are inconsequential albeit necessary rites.  At the end of the day we know we are united in that which is all part of us and that which we all experience—what it is like in this country to be women in a supposedly male dominated field, and in how we believe with great passion that we are capable of breaking down all social barriers.

Asian Du Dec 2005 Small

Asian Duathlon Championships 2005

 

………………………………………………………………………………………………

 

Not too long ago I went to Misamis Oriental and Bukidnon for Senator Pia Cayetano’s Bike For Hope, wherein 500 cyclists participated. In line with the 100km bike ride, Pia also conducted seminars on breastfeeding and violence against women. I facilitated two Pinay In Action running clinics for 700 high school girls—with the help of fellow Team David’s Salon member Mona Valdes, Asian and National champions of Duathlon and Triathlon respectively, Ryan Mendoza and George Vilog, and the rest of Pia’s very able staff of women. We also visited a group of women entrepreneurs who showed us a thing or two about affordable and accessible alternative medicine and homemade products—I admired them so much because even though they obviously came from humble backgrounds and continue to face numerous challenges, their dignity and gentle spirit is evident.

 

With Mona and Pia atop Mt. Kitanglad

With Mona and Pia atop Mt. Kitanglad

Whether we intentionally meant for it to happen or not, the theme of our whole trip turned out to be women empowerment.  More often than not, when organizing certain activities, the personalities of the proponents will really shine through, and that is exactly what happened.  Just the day after all our obligations were finished, Pia, Mona, and I, led the group to a record-breaking ascent of 2hours and 27minutes of the third highest peak in the country.  It was a cleanup and ceremonial marking of the boundaries of the Mt. Kitanglad Protected Area in Bukidnon.  The lumads guiding us were amazed at how fast we, who were women, actually climbed it.  The three of us (who were just chattering happily up the peak) just shrugged it off matter-of-factly and concluded that any of our other regular female cycling and triathlon training buddies would have been able to do the same thing anyway.  If you have to know, we even went bellydancing that evening, and the next morning did some yoga, ran for an hour, went ziplining and whitewater rafting, and swam in the evening.  Our tired hosts, progressive politicians Tagoloan Mayor Yevgeny “Bambi” Emano and Congressman Nereus “Neric” Acosta just shook their heads and thought we were crazy.  We kidded them that they could finally rest when we flew back to Manila. 

 

Sandra and I at SEA Games

Sandra and I at SEA Games

It is with great confidence that I say this sort of well-balanced (productive and fun at the same time!) endeavor was possible only because we were women athletes.  No one else would be as energetic and as highly motivated.

 

I trust my sisters in sport—I will always be there for them, because I know that they are there for me too. 

 

Oona's Bday Aug 2008

Oona's Bday Aug 2008

There are countless awesome girls in our business, but these are the ones who are special to me, and I would like to honor them: Popo, Pia, Mona, Kaye, Sandra, Ria, Bing, Marita, Maritess, Nancy, Amale, Rizzo, Doray, LC, Mimi, Kim, Sally, Cherry, Taleng, Oona, Waya, Lala, and of course, my inspiration, my sister Sinag.

Leave a comment

Filed under Articles, Biking, Environment, Pinay In Action, Random Thoughts, Running, Travel

Tagged as , ,

July 3, 2009 · 12:35 am

Seasons

Seasons Apr 25, ’07 5:55 AM
for everyone

Seasons

 

Ever wonder how it is to live far from the equator, where the weather and temperature changes markedly?  I know for a fact that I used to take for granted how fortunate we are for being able to train and race virtually year round.  When you think about it, sans the rain and pollution of course, living in perennially warm weather does have its benefits.

 

Living as an athlete in a temperate country, though, alters your perspective a lot.  I always tell my athletes that training should be done in blocks throughout the year, wherein you take a couple of months doing preparation, then the next months building up to some intensity, and then having a peak fitness period wherein you can race at your highest level.  After these phases, there is a crucial element that athletes in tropical climates tend to forget, and that is off-season.

 

I myself am guilty of ignoring this particular aspect, and that sometimes spells the difference in how good you perform for your next round of racing and training.  A lot of the time though, we think, “Oh, it’s the organizers’ fault, they put up races year round, what do you want me to do?”  Well, not be a race-a-holic, for one.  You still call the shots on which races you are joining or not.  Observe the typical beginner pinoy athlete and whenever a race pops up, he or she will tackle it gung-ho whatever the magnitude or distance of the event.  This is an admirable albeit somewhat idiotic quality, yes, but the problem is no one can sustain this forever.  There will come a point wherein working out will cease to be enjoyable and will start feeling like a chore.

 

Because I have forcibly removed myself from training and racing for the past couple of months and have been taking a breather in a cooler part of the world, I now fully appreciate the value of these training cycles and do not just mouth the words meaninglessly.  It is autumn as I write this piece, and along with the fall and turn of the leaves I am acquiring a sense of inner serenity and peace.  Yes, it is okay to take a break, and for the first time in a while, I have given myself permission to do just that.

 

I am always interested in experiencing how it is to be in a different environment, understanding different cultures, and educating myself about different people, that is why I know that when I travel I am constantly enriching my life and hopefully the lives of people around me.  Even though I have taken trips often in the course of my triathlon career, I normally time my visits so that I would enjoy relatively comfortable weather, and when it starts getting too cold, I leave right away.  Just this once, though I am not in a hurry to go anywhere.  There are countless things here that I am constantly learning about.  The chill has started to crawl in, and small details like a good pair of socks, leg and arm warmers or full gloves really do mean a lot.  Neat tricks like using plastic bags inside your bike shoes to prevent the chill from entering will come in handy.  The thermos-like water bottles I habitually use to keep the cold in I now need to store warm liquids.  It is hard, maybe much harder than the hottest training days back home because you have to be really smart about your preparation.  I have developed a tremendous respect for those who have to endure workouts in this weather.  Now I will think twice before I complain of the heat and make a wish that I were in someplace cooler, or vice versa. 

 

They say that to truly feel joy, one should understand pain and sadness first.  To appreciate what you have, you should try going without it for a certain period.  I don’t necessarily believe that what I have is better or worse, but doing things another way has made me closer to my brothers and sisters on the other side of the world, and it has made me realize that at the very core of things we are very much one.  We both have goals and wants, and we both still have to work and persevere to attain them.

 

Seasons were created by God for a reason, and I honestly have faith that this scheme that He has put in place can act as a good blueprint as to how we can run our lives too.  All of the phases we go through during our time here on earth are beautiful, depending on how you look at it.  Even though we face trials and ordeals, we need those to evolve and reach the next step towards wisdom.  And after all of it we do get an opportunity to take a momentary respite, recharge, and move on to discover a gazillion more wonderful things. 

 

I can’t wait.

Leave a comment

Filed under Articles, Random Thoughts

July 3, 2009 · 12:27 am

Becoming a Runner

Becoming a Runner Apr 30, ’07 10:36 AM
for everyone

Becoming a Runner

By Ani Karina Sarabia de Leon

(reposted from “Amped” column I wrote some years back)

“Excuse me, I couldn’t help but wonder—are you a runner?”

If I were standing in line for groceries or at the atm today and someone asked me that question, I would be totally tickled with the flattery and would be floating on cloud nine for the next couple hours.  Unfortunately and to my complete and utter devastation, queries like that are seldom directed towards me.

Aah don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining about how I’m built.  In fact people automatically assume that I am an athlete when they see me, as what I am is a sun-streaked, tan line-patterned, muscle-flaunting, generally perky kind of gal hauling around probably way more energy than what is considered normal.  Indeed, I’m happy to be me, thank you very much.

But what is it about the runner’s mind and body that makes me sooo want to be recognized as one?  I can’t say exactly why, but as a competitive triathlete I have secretly strived to achieve this kind of appearance, even though I realize that given my genetics this dream may actually prove futile.  Heck, now that I get a chance to thoroughly think hard about it, ever since I was a kid and would visualize what an athlete should look like, I know I always imagined the limber body of a long distance runner.  Without a doubt, it was also their mental tenacity that I was doubly attracted to. It’s just a remarkable combination to possess.

By some strange stroke of destiny and without my planning to do so, I have eventually made a serious career out of sports.  Countless hours of training and racing have already gone through my entire system by now, and with it, a relatively more mature perspective on what an athlete truly is.  And honestly—I still admire runners the most.  So I guess I was right all along.

But now it is more real to me.  Now more than ever do I have an even greater respect for those bloody hardcore maniacs who spend a good number of their waking hours clad in nothing more than bits and pieces of lycra and their worn down training shoes.  Why?  Simple.  It’s just so damn hard. Among all the sports that I do I, personally still suffer most when I run.

This may not be the case for everybody, and if you are one of those gifted few who seem like prancing gazelles that fly with the wind, then lucky you, is all I can say, embrace that gift and do not throw it away.

But I know that I am like the vast majority who initially feel unnatural and awkward trying out this running business.  And my message to that majority is—SO  WHAT.   Gazelles feel clumsy too when they are baby gazelles (sorry, didn’t know the exact word for that) learning how to walk.  Don’t allow yourself to be discouraged if you suspect that you’re taking longer than your mates to get to the speeds that you want.  There is a lot of running to be had, it’s not going anywhere, and no one’s going to take it away from you.  Hence, I suggest you do the wise thing and enjoy every moment of your journey into becoming a runner.  One day you’ll wake up and realize that you already are one.

I still like to have that vision of what an athlete should be like in my mind, but this time she has my face on her.  Cause you know what?  Why should I apologize for not being long and skinny like those classic marathoning fixtures you see out there?  I insist that I am defined by what I do, and not what I look like.  And we do what we choose to do, whether we are conscious of it or not, and whether we like what we are doing or not.

I am a runner.  Running is what I do, and I claim it as my birthright.  Slow running, fast running,   Ugly-ass running, beautiful running.  Group running, solo running, short running, long running, easy running, gutsy as hell kind of running….it’s all mine now.

…………………………………………

“Nothing splendid has ever been achieved except by those who dared believe that something inside them was superior to circumstance.”
Bruce Barton

“Even if you fall flat on your face·at least you are moving forward.”
Sue Luke

“Roger Bannister studied the four-minute mile the way Jonas Salk studied polio—with a view to eradicating.”
Jim Murray, LA Times

“No one can say, ‘You must not run faster than this, or jump higher than that.’ The human spirit is indomitable.”
Sir Roger Bannister

“The man who can drive himself further once the effort gets painful is the man who will win.”
Sir Roger Bannister

“Mind is everything: muscle–pieces of rubber. All that I am, I am because of my mind.”
Paavo Nurmi

“Hard things take time to do. Impossible things take a little longer.”
Percy Cerutty

Leave a comment

Filed under Articles, Random Thoughts, Running

Tagged as

July 2, 2009 · 10:30 pm

My official website!

Me and my trusty steed, Pink Ceepo TT Killer....

Full Speed Ahead! Me and my trusty steed, Pink Ceepo TT Killer....

Well after all this time I have finally decided to set up an official website.  Am quite new to this so please bear with me while the site is under construction and if the posts will be semi-regular.  But will update as much as I can, and will centralize all of my online stuff here one by one in the hope of being more organized! Haha. Drop by again soon!!!

Leave a comment

Filed under Random Thoughts

Tagged as