going below 200

I've never been someone who's really that big. but at one point in my still young life, i tipped the scales at almost 200 lbs! during that time,
i thought i was fine. no heart problems (literal and figurative), no cholesterol, blood sugar etc. i've always thought of it as being normal, and besides, i was a student athlete when i was in college, I even got my ACL and MCL torn (warning, not a pleasant view) on my senior year in the squad. even after college i tried to be active into sports (even though i was not YET allowed to play badminton by my therapists then).
it never crossed my mind that i am THAT big (picture at your left for reference). all these time i felt it was "normal" and that it was a sign of health. also, i thought that a pet name was not that seriously aimed at making me realize that i am really 'tabachoy choy". well, so i thought.

at one point, my elder sister was always making side comments whenever we gather for meals that i am indeed, FAT/ BIG, tabachoy. at first i didn't mind it much. I didn't even notice that i ballooned that fast right after college. it wasn't like i liked being that big, there were times when i would be having a difficulty in finding clothes to wear primarily because i was big, or the style i prefer does not have any size left, etc. it was getting frustrating as i don't usually have those
problems in the past.

uy, kunyari pumapayat from before pero tignan mo, malapad pa rin

as badminton was the boom then, i tried it with a couple of college friends just for fun, and was hooked. i was not that competitive then as i was still getting my groove back from the injury i had in college, so i was a bit careful. eventually i was able to lose some weight off, but still i felt i was still fat, and that i was still slow and heavy for that sport. what i did to further lose weight was to ride the stationary bike at home which was getting cobwebs as a result of non-usage. this "biking" together with playing badminton, made me lose a few pounds, from the first image above to this.



at first i wasn't that much complaining with my weight, i was actually happy that i lost a few pounds, but still i thought to myself, maybe i could still shed some more pounds. i researched on the internet what possible activity i could do that would compliment my badminton game. since i'm also a cheapskate (at times), i thought of running. it started with the 1st Men's Health Miracle Run. at first i thought playing badminton was enough for me to be "fit enough" for running, and to think of if this way, from the images shown above, to this one below.

the weight loss was evident naman din, as you can see, i have a neck na in this picture, pero it wasn't enough yet for the runs. after that realization, i decided that i have to seriously start training for those type of events.

first step was to get a decent pair of running shoes
make sure that you have your gait analyzed first. you can have your gait analysis at running stores such as second wind, and runnr.

second step is to look for RuBus. (running buddies)
and join them in their group runs. here are some of the group runs t i've joined with these rowdy bunch of peeps

MARCH 8 LSD in preparation for Condura Run 2009

march 28 SSD (short slow distance) run with the noisy boys (docT, pao, me,carlo, doc roy, pojie, migs)

taho party after airspeed run & LSD around moa

Easter Run at Pasig/Ortigas area. break time from St. Martin hills

on top of montalban, first trail run with the gang. baptism of fire for my road shoes

botak 100K support station @marikina river banks

short slow distance run @ MOA

maragondon trail adventure with the gang

third, join run clinics such as Mizuno Run Clinic


lastly, takbo ka lang ng takbo...