Tuesday, January 6, 2009

on the right track

After two weeks of bronchitis in December, four weeks of holiday feasting and five weeks of no exercise, I am quite about ready to burst from my seemingly shrinking clothes. And today, being the last day of the Christmas season, seems like a good day to start getting back on the road to physical well being. Plus there’s the crucial fact that I just finished the last crumbs of that moist chocolate cake with mint icing in the ref. As long as nobody gives me another layer of irresistible baked goodies, then I’m on my merry way to good health.

I figured that boxing again this soon would be too abrupt and strenuous after weeks of being sedentary, and might just trigger an asthmatic attack. I thought walking and jogging would be a good start. There's the much raved about newly installed rubberized running track at the Perdices Coliseum which they say is so heavenly it's like you'll never get tired. Owws? The skeptic in me doubted that very much so yesterday I tried it out for myself. How many rounds would I last?

Rubberized red running track

It turns out I'm really not good at counting and I lost track of how many times I went around the track in one hour. And I don't remember getting tired, I just stopped because it was already dark.

And I remembered that once upon a time in college my friends and I would run around the campus at night, to put some oxygen into our book-numbed brains. Our favorite time for running used to be midnight, when we were too tired to study and too awake to sleep, until the dorm enforced an earlier curfew because somebody got mugged in campus while jogging at night.

So we ran during the day, in the rain or under the noonday heat of sun. Up to the Quezon Memorial Circle where, unbeknownst to me, somebody took my picture and put it on the cover of Health and Home, a health and fitness magazine. So, what can I say, except that once in my life I was a covergirl!

Some things are black and white.


But that was then and this is now. And the cold fact is, if you overeat and undermove, you’re going to get fat. No further explanation needed.




On the right track? Check!


So eating right and regular exercise would be the right moves for 2009. But you knew that already in 2008, and 2007 and 200… As Nike says, stop talking and Just Do It.

The people of Dumaguete are fortunate to have this really nice rubberized running track. How much does it cost to run there? Nothing! As it has been paid for already by our taxes. There’s just a glass-walled box there where you can donate any amount for the upkeep of the place.

I think it’s a waste that not a lot of people actually go there to make use of the track. But sadder still is the fact that there are some trash scattered around the place, mostly empty water and juice bottles, discarded by health buffs. As Gaya said, "We are a third world country because we have third world manners."


Fit 'n Right? Umm... not quite.




10 comments:

Nathan Manila said...

Hi! Where did you go to college? I remember walking around the Academic Oval, just to clear my mind. I still have to work on losing the pounds. lol.

ness said...

Hi, Tsinkoy,

College was in UP Diliman, which is very much like Silliman, with lots of acacia trees and athletic fields. We have to exercise so we can keep on eating the muy delicioso foods in this world!

Nathan Manila said...

Hi Ness! We did go to the same University! That is sooooo cool! Student number? heehe.

I hear you about the exercise. In fact, last night, I went to the gym for the first time in about a month, so I could get my cardio done with badminton. Alas, the holidays weren't over for my gym yet, and there was a gift-giving party for kids. Oh well. I am looking forward to the upcoming volleyball season though (it starts next week), and hopefully, I get my exercising back!

Bonedoc said...

Ness, thanks for hosting the christmas(first so far) of the TBR editions. Like you I just recovered from an illness (CAP I) that I never thought I would have...hence the blogging hiatus...

ness said...

Happy Centennial then to us, UP grads! BS Zoo ako, ikaw? Student number... hint: look at my blog banner, up there!

My time in UP Diliman was very memorable and here are some posts pertaining to it:

http://atrandomness.blogspot.com/search/label/UP%20Diliman

This is actually over there on the right, sa mga labels...

ness said...

Hi Doc Rems,

Glad you're up and about na. It is a bummer to be sick, ano! Before I got sick, I took good health for granted. It is now that I've recovered from that bad bout of bronchitis that I'm more appreciative of being illness-free.

Your last post is an interesting topic, I'm sure a lot of doctors have strong feelings and opinions about that! Pero lang, mahirap siguro gawing blog rounds topic as there are many non-MDs who read our blogs and ... ;p

Nathan Manila said...

Hi ness. Yup, happy centennial to you too! I had planned to be there for that, but my circumstances didn't allow for it.

I was a BS Molecular Biology and Biotechnology undergrad. It's pretty new, i think the first batch entered in 1987. And my student number is 97-569XX. :-)

I miss UP! And Rodic's! Hopefully, come March, I'll be able to have some. :-)

Eloisa said...

omigosh! I've been so wanting to go jogging there! :-) I lived near the sports center when i was in med school so i'd jog there regularly...i can't believe that they're opening this one na! I can't wait to bring my running clothes along when i'm previous/preduty. yey! :-) thanks, doc ness!

ness said...

Yey! Marami na tayo. Doc Geena and Doc Sheila are walking there regularly, too. Let's encourage the others pa!

Vk-mahalkaayo said...

kanindot sa?.....5 yrs. ago, dagan bya ko kay lagi sa figure n health...

nya kay gapataka na lang ko, jogging kay maka addict man...di ka dagan sa 1 ka adlaw, mora man duna kulang gyd n kapoy lawas.
nya di na makontento ug 40mins, kapin gyd sa oras....

resulta sa akong knie, onkel doc. advice me not to jog, walking na lang daw.

hala, karon kay nawala na gani, gitapolan....tapos, ako hobby ra ba kay kaon.

Nindota sa moto ni Nike uy.....

diay nice jogging ngan diri sa amoa kay dool mi ug forest, nindot gyd.
daghan pd mag dagan-dagan.....