The Anthem Philatelist

I've on occasion been asked, how do you remain fit? Now, I'm going to reveal my secret- Hormesis. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger. This is the basic layman concept of hormesis.  Our body responds to transient, acute physiologic stress or discomfort by triggering the adaptive stress response pathways. This reaction makes  our cells - especially the mitochondria, (the powerhouse of the cell) work better, making our body more efficient machines. The stress should be acute; chronic stress leads to debility and disease. One of the most common hormetic activity is exercise.  We stress our heart and muscle  to a certain degree and our body responds by making our muscles stronger, bigger and more adaptive to stamina. As in life and hormesis, too much of anything, including exercise is bad. I ran too much in my 40's and I injured myself then. So now in my 50's, running has become an occasional activity. Fasting is another hormetic activity. I have always skipped bre...

I've been road running for the past 3 years. A few days ago however, I ventured into a different running adventure-  trail running.  Earlier on, I always wanted to run in varied off-road terrain, but friends warned me that injuries are higher in these types of run .    A colleague of mine, dislocated his knee and another had bruises in his shins and foot courtesy of the rocky terrain. My witty, humorous, fitness loving travelmate  Dr. Clifford "Ipyok" Aranas almost collapsed due to anaphylaxis after being bitten by a bee. Some even got lost (due to absence of signs) and became severely dehydrated (due to lack of water stations).  So, I told myself: "I'll have to prepare for this event"- the first ROX (Recreational Outdoor Xchange) Trail run in Liloan , Cebu sponsored by Salomon .    After much reading from various books and frequent site visits to Runner's World , I came up with these strategies, which I call the ABCDE strategy, for a successf...

I'm a nocturnal creature. My physical and creative powers are at its peak after the sun sets. In the country where I live, I always have difficulty waking up very early. It takes me some time before going into full gear; that usually occurs later in the day. It is a struggle for me to join morning runs because I always felt that I would fall back to sleep while running. There has always been this theory in my head that if I lived in the other side of the world, where it's daytime during our nighttime, then I would become a daytime creature. This was proven right when we visited the United States and stayed for long   a few weeks ago. Upon awakening, I go into full throttle and hit the road for an early morning run. I never experienced jet lag since arriving in the Land of the Free.    I love running in the cold and in environments where the scenery is picturesque. These qualities were present in the nature preserve park adjacent to where we stayed. Running is...

This was my first night run in Cebu . My UP classmate and Sunstar editor, Michelle So , had been prodding me to join their weekly "Ungo" (vampire) night runs from their office to IT park and I always had my excuses. I had my apprehensions about night runs considering the unpredictable temperament of our drivers and the condition and safety of our roads. The lighting around some portions of the North Reclamation area around Parkmall was also not very good. One slip due to a puddle can twist those Achilles tendons or tear you tarsal ligaments.    But this was different; my wife wanted to have a trial run before their STC  Reunion Fun Run later this month and so we decided to run together- a sort of test run. Also knowing that you are helping the hearing-impaired provided further incentive to race in the night. But due to unfortunate events which will take afew additional pages to explain, I was left to run alone.   It was drizzling that afternoon, and the wet...

At the fragile age of 4 months, our youngest child, Vianna, was stricken with leukemia . The news hit us hard and it forever changed our lives. The prognosis was bad- Infantile leukemia, had far worse outcome than childhood leukemia. A very grim picture was painted by the 2 of the 3 pediatric hematologists we consulted and her chances of survival beyond infancy was slim. One doctor from St. Lukes Medical Center , however was optimistic; assuring us that 60% of his patient survived- he only had 3.   With our friends and relatives fervent prayers and with God's magnificent grace , our dear Yanna, is now in remission and is celebrating her one year on Earth. It is for this reason that my wife and I decided to run in her honor in the Pink Run - a race for people with cancer, a celebration of the gift we call Life.    We dedicate this run to her; even wore a special-made metallic pin with her picture on it (from Abby Ponce) . We love you Yanna dearest. We th...

This is my longest road race so far, 10 miles or 16 kilometers, which i finished in 1 hour and 45 minutes. I felt awesome during the run although I felt my thighs were beginning to harden during the last 3km.    During my previous races, I noticed this lady (which I later knew was named Twinkle ), dressed in a flashy attire, who I thought was older but definitely faster than me. I tried to run near her until the 10 kilometer mark, after which I sprinted, leaving her behind. I maintained my pace at around 6- 6:20 per kilometer.     My wife who was waiting for me at the finish line was worried that I might not finish the race because the heat was burning (we started late) and she knew I hated the blazing heat. Luckily, I anticipated this, and wore my Nike Dri-fit cap and hydration belt with an electrolyte drink.   I followed the running rule to drink at regular intervals and not wait until your thirsty to prevent dehydration and heat stroke. I arrived at...

The World Heart Day Race unfolded last September 27, 2009. This was my first competitive race ever- a 10K which started at exactly 6 am at the Cebu Provincial Capitol area. The original plan was to run for 5K, but due to the insistence of co-runner, Roy Trani , I went for 10. Being a nocturnal person (that's why I'm always Mr. Late for class) waking up at 4:30 am to get ready for the race was really an effort, but I thought, this is a race for the heart and only those with a "heart" will survive the race.    After packing my running stuff and carb loading with a slice of bread and a teaspoon of crispy peanut butter , my wife and I were off to the venue. She had to come or else, no one would take pictures of me running.    This is a momentous event for a first timer. We then proceeded to the booth to get our singlet and race number (008)- "a lucky number", my wife commented.   At the starting line, I mentally told my self that I would run to en...

I always run with my iPod. Music gets me motivated to run and there's never a dull moment running with it. I usually play the alternative, nu-metal and emo-screamo stuff coz it really gets my nerves going and prevents me from falling asleep while I run. Ha Ha. Current favorite artist in my playlist include Linkin Park (my power artist), Billy Talent, AudioAdrenaline, Chickenfoot, Flobots, Guano Apes, Inward Eye, Our Lady Peace, A Perfect Circle, Rev Theory, Taking Back Sunday and Thousand Foot Krutch. My favorite instrumental piece is the Shard by Steve Jablonsky, composer of the Transformer score. It is the background piece in the breath taking chase scenes in the movie. I imagine my self being chased by the Bad bots and this really increases my pace. My favorite running gadget is the Nike+ iPod Sport Kit. In this gadget, you can press the center button in the hardest phase of your run and immediately your powersong plays to give you the added boost of energy. I love...

37 minutes treadmill (5K)

Club Ultima 5Km 44:20

I never thought I could do it, but I did. I had been using the treadmill for > 15 years as an adjunct to my resistance training in the gym; I never really enjoyed plodding on this motorized machine. But since a month ago when my wife lovingly asked me to buy one for her, I find myself using the contraption more than she does. With its imposing presence in our bedroom, we have the freedom to walk/run whenever we want.    I run in the morning or late at night- it doesn't really matter as long as I'm running. My wife walks on it while watching her favorite movies and keeping an eye on our one year and 8 month old Vincent busy at play. This day, a month after we got the treadmill, I ran continuously for 49 minutes covering a distance of 5 Km- a personal best so far. I'll continue running for its health benefits and for the natural high it gives.. what an endorphin rush !