Desperate Measures

Back In The (Eternal Internal) Fight

I got back from France on the 17th of January and, two months later, I'm almost due to return to Siargao and I've barely written anything.

Well, I am still homeless whilst in Manila.  I'm still staying at a friend's empty apartment while my folks are rebuilding their house after the fire, and my only internet options are as follows:

1. The apartment building's student lounge - I'm staying at the university belt so most of the occupants in the building are students, hence the students' lounge.  The internet here is agonizingly slow to non-existent so I rarely spend any time here.
2. My folks' temporary residence - Only slightly better than the lounge.  And, of course, when I visit, it's to see my parents, so I try not to spend too much time on my computer.
3. A friend who lives right around the corner - Her internet is, by far, the best option, but she also has three boys so I try not to get in their way too often.
4. Restaurants and cafes - Hanging out here would mean having to constantly order food and drink that I do not need.

Hence the lack of blog entries.

Not to mention that internet and 3G/LTE speeds in Manila have gotten a lot slower.  With more and more people getting smartphones, the existing networks just aren't enough to provide anything approaching even halfway decent service.

Manila's notorious gridlock is also a metaphor for its burgeoning online traffic.

And now I hear that it's gotten even more impossible to get connected in Siargao.  

Beggars, choosers, and all that, I guess.  It wouldn't be so lamentable if we all went back to talking to each other or reading books, I suppose, instead of steadfastly choosing to remain hunched over our phones, hitting the refresh button... 

***

When I got back to Manila, I returned to boxing at Elorde's, thanks to Sylvia, who lives right around the corner from me.  She'd get me up early in the morning and drag me there.

I like Elorde's because I don't have to pay monthly fees and can drop in at any time.  They have a  daily rate of P250 for non-members, which gets me a trainer, allows me the use of all the equipment (kettle bells, free weights, etc.) and, if I wish, I can also avail of the services of someone who will stretch and massage me at the end of my workout.  While clients are not obligated to tip, like everywhere else, tipping well always ensures one of service when it is required.

I really want a speedball for Siargao.

Of course, when you add up the daily fee and the tips, it isn't really as cheap as it sounds but I think the stretching and the massage are totally worth it.

My regular trainer, Waldo.  Yep, I've had to legitimately use the line "Where is Waldo?" a few times.

   
I also train with Romeo, on the left.  It was during a particularly tough session with him that my knuckles ended up cut and bruised.  That was a good session.

I also finally wandered out into my apartment building's common areas and discovered the swimming pool.  

The 25-meter pool. 

I wish I had done it much earlier because, with the temperatures starting to soar and the school year ending, the pool is getting busier and busier, making it impossible to do laps.

And then I found out that there was a yoga studio only a few buildings down from me so, this month, I enrolled there and, so far, have been trying to do at least two classes a day. 

White Space on the 6th floor of Regis Center along Katipunan.

This is my nth attempt to get into yoga before leaving for Siargao, with the hope that, by the time I get to the island, I'll have enough momentum to cultivate my own practice.  To say that this is wishful thinking, of course, is a gross understatement as I have never ever self-practiced and am not exactly a paragon of discipline and determination. 

But going twice a day, almost every day this March, and witnessing small but significant victories over my twisted and imperfect body, inspired me to the point of almost - ALMOST - canceling my Easter plans to stay in town and stay immersed in yoga.  Almost.

For a while there, I almost forgot who I am and that this is what I do best:

Believe it or not, I'm still actually considering bringing a yoga mat.  I keep thinking that maybe I will surprise myself but, of course, my true self is yelling, "Who the hell are you kidding?"

 The struggle continues...

 

Boxing Blues

Yay!  I did it!  I went boxing Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and today, Saturday.  My voucher with Safehouse MMA is actually good until Monday but the gym is closed on Sunday and, with all the stuff I have to do before I leave for India, I've decided to try a new TRX gym a bit closer to home next week.

I've always enjoyed boxing.  I used to go to different boxing gyms in Manila and Cebu.  When I spent some time in Davao, I hired a boxing coach and train three times a week.  Although I've had the same pair of gloves since I started, I've acquired more than a few wraps along the way.

In these past few days at Safehouse MMA, my stamina has vastly improved.  In between bouts with Coach Dean, I'd launch straight into squat jumps or burpeees or push-ups or sit-ups.  I'm packing more power behind my punches.  Not only am I getting stronger, I'm also getting faster.

So I'm kind of sad that it's my last day of boxing.  I'd like to do it more when I get back to Manila in March - if I am staying in Manila, that is.  There's an Elorde's (boxing gym) very near the house so I have no excuse for not pursuing it should I want to carry on boxing.

But, for now, I'll have to hang up the gloves again for a while...

(Internet file photo.)

Scenes From Today at Safehouse MMA

Manny Pacquiao lookalike, Coach Dean Bermudez (left) has an upcoming fight so, today, he was training.

Dean's older brother, Darwin, coached me today.

***

Safehouse MMA Checklist:

• Comfortable workout clothes.  Bear in mind that there is no air-conditioning.
• Shoes are optional.  Most everyone is barefoot.
• If you are boxing, bring your own wraps and gloves.
• Filled-up water bottle.  One-liter bottled water is for sale at P40.
• If you intend to use the shower, bring everything you need.

*Safehouse MMA is located behind Max's Fried Chicken (which is beside McDonald's) along Quezon Avenue.

Round 2 At Safehouse MMA

When I went to Safehouse MMA last week, I boldly declared, "I'll be here everyday."  My next visit was today, eight days later.  My word is mud.

To summarize, these were the events that transpired last week (also known as Gai Olivares' excuses):

• Tuesday was Indian Visa Day.
• Wednesday - Ummm, I crawled home at midday...

• Thursday was a cultural day.  It was The Feast of the Black Nazarene.
• And Friday was Dog Day Afternoon.

And then I was in Cebu and only got back to Manila yesterday afternoon.

And, by the way, I'm still sick.

I don't think I ever got well from last December.  I was just starting to recover when a friend of mine from Siargao arrived in town.  We drank a bit (and possibly smoked) and then I was back to feeling like shit.  Or maybe the Black Nazarene was not amused by my "karaoke-ing" while waiting for it to pass...

Anyway, it still seems to be the throat thing, only much worse.  I've restarted taking the cough medicine that was previously prescribed to me - in the correct dosage, this time.  (I was too lazy to read the instructions before and was only taking half of the right amount.  Plus I may have stopped taking it before I had to.)

But now there's an added dimension of a cold to the throat thing.  I had been blowing my nose the whole day yesterday, but it was only when I was trying to sleep that I noticed that my nose was completely clogged.  Between the nose and the throat, I could barely breathe!  I had to sleep sitting up.  

I didn't sleep much.

Regardless of the state of my physical health, I dragged myself back to Safehouse MMA today for a one-on-one boxing class at 1 PM.  Of course, in the cab on the way there, I started feeling drowsy and almost asked the driver to turn back several times.

I'm glad I didn't.  

Dean's a really good coach, although I did ask him to take it easy on me today so that I could return tomorrow.  (We skipped the circuit training.)  He said I was right to insist on working out today, against the advice of friends and my better judgement.  "If you nurse your sickness, it won't go away.  Why should it, when you've been taking such good care of it?"

Wise words.

My unlimited pass at Safehouse MMA is only valid until the 20th of January, and I have a lunch on Friday and they are closed on Sundays, which means that I only have today, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday to try to get back into some sort of shape.

Rhombus, anyone?

First Attempt At Exercise...

... since - oh my - Dec. 20!  Ugh.  No wonder I've turned into a blob.

Last July, Cash Cash Pinoy was offering a voucher for one month of unlimited sessions (boxing, Muay Thai, wrestling or combat fitness circuit) with Safehouse MMA.  Time slots were 1 PM, 3 PM, and 7 PM and it was valid until January 20, 2014, so I bought a voucher with the intention of using it precisely at this time.

I am not sure if they sold many vouchers, or maybe it's because it's almost the end of the promotion period, but they didn't seem to know what to do with me when I got to the gym.  The guys behind the counter read the vouchers a couple of times and discussed its details, before they finally turned to me and said they could offer me one-on-one boxing lessons.  Indeed, it would have been difficult to put a group together considering I was the only one there.  Or I could come back earlier next time and join the 10 AM Caveman (?) or Muay Thai classes.  Seeing as I was already there, I said yes to the boxing.

A Manny Pacquiao lookalike called Dean put me to work.  To warm up, he had me jog around the room, jump up and down, do high knees, butt kicks, etc.  Then we were supposed to go four rounds with the mitts (with exercises in between instead of rests), but I was almost dead by the end of the third round so he made me do two rounds with the speed ball, then two rounds with a punching bag before doing two more rounds with the mitts.  Before we ended, he gave me a four-minute circuit (one minute jump squats with a medicine ball, one minute alternating push-ups with a medicine ball, one minute side to side jumps with burpees, and one minute plank-shoulder touches.  I couldn't do it.  I kept stopping, then I'd get rid of the medicine ball, then I'd quit altogether before the time was up.  Dean looked disappointed.  He then gave me some ab work to do.  While I was going through the crunches, toe touches, etc., my left foot  was cramping up!

I'm horrifically out of shape and have zero stamina!

Of course, on the way to the gym, I spied the Toasted Siopao place and nearly screeched for the cab driver to stop.  I jumped out and bought some toasted siopaos for us to share.

These asado toasted siopaos are P8 apiece, which the driver said cost too much for him.  (Internet file photo.)

On the way back, I saw a place that sells goat's milk and made a mental note to stop there next time.  And then I got home and had steak and mashed potatoes - among many other things.  Doh!

I need to lose at least three kilos in two weeks and I have no idea how I'm going to do it.  The house is full of food gifts from Christmas that are too delicious to ignore.  There are those damned ADB crinkles that haven't gone stale for me not to devour, the pili pie that we get every year from old family friends which, for some reason, tastes extra yummy this year, and those super thin, super buttery lenguas de gato that come in those white half gallon ice cream containers...

Hopeless...

But I hope to be back at Safehouse MMA on Wednesday (- tomorrow is Indian visa day) to find out what that Caveman class is all about.

Injured

Doing the kettlebell deadlift to high pull at yesterday's CrossFit.  Did three reps of 35 and I must have been too exhausted by the end and dropped my back.  I really wish they had mirrors at CrossFit Manila.  That way, we can watch what we're doing.  When one is tired and under pressure to do things fast, the form is the first to go, which can result in injuries.

Like so.

Pain is in the sacral area, around the coccyx.  It's not too painful.  Just uncomfortable.  Although maybe I cannot distinguish between pain and discomfort any more.  In any case, I am not happy because that means I need to rest and I don't want to rest.

I'm like a shark.  I need to keep moving.

I know I said I like pain, but I was referring to the pain associated with a good workout, not pain associated with injury.  I detest this kind of pain.  Because one can always work through muscle pain; but an injury, one has to respect and allow to heal.  Which takes time.

Not that I don't mind resting.  I'd lay in bed all day if I wanted to.  Especially now that "A Clash of Kings" finally has me hooked.  (Took its sweet time, didn't it, that book?)  But I don't like doing things that are forced upon me.  I only do what I want to do, not what I have to.  (Yeah, yeah.  So I'm a brat.  I'm a bitch too.  What else is new?)

(Internet file photo.)

Will talk to Rosan.  She's had a lot of back injuries.  Will also ask for Dindo's advice.  Maybe I can still go to kettlebell training and he can give me special exercises that won't aggravate the injury.

But then that still means I can't do CrossFit tomorrow.  Hmmm...  Maybe I'll box.

Dammit!

I hope it isn't anything serious and that it heals soon.  I need to keep moving.

Addicted to Pain: Kettlebell Training

No, not Kettle Corn or Kettle- Baked Chips.  Kettlebells.

Kettlebells are cannon-shaped weights with handles on them.  For those interested in their history, here is an interesting article.

I first came across the term "kettlebell" in fitness magazines.  Not that I read fitness magazines; I merely, occasionally, browse through them and I had encountered the word enough times to know that it was a highly recommended workout.

Then a friend of mine, Abe Tolentino, enthused about it on Facebook and I was glad to know that we had kettlebells in the Philippines.  I inquired after them but only seriously made an attempt to try it out after I returned from Thailand in late January of this year.

First, I contacted the Philippine Kettlebell Club.  They didn’t actually have a center but, if I bought a kettlebell from them, I could train with them somewhere in ULTRA.  Hmmm…

I got in touch with Abe, who had since become a kettlebell and Krav Maga instructor.   He gave me the contact details of the Philippine Kettlebell Training Center (PKTC) and told me that I didn’t need to buy a kettlebell.  I just had to show up.  With a towel and a water bottle.  Shoes were optional.  I liked it already.

The PKTC is located on the second floor of a dodgy, old, blue and green building off of P. Guevara in San Juan.  On the first floor are some badminton courts, and sharing space with the PKTC on the second floor is Krav Maga Philippines (KMP) and a creepy changing room that looks like the perfect hideout for a serial killer.  (I half expect someone to grab my ankles and drag me, kicking and screaming, underneath the aluminum stalls.)

Dindo De Jesus is both a kettlebell (he trained with Steve Cotter in Australia) and Krav Maga instructor (he trained with Eyal Yanilov).  He and his wife, Jessica, run both the PKTC and KMP.

Training was in session when I arrived.  They were mostly men in the class and, as I watched them sweat and grunt from outside the glass-enclosed room, I must admit I felt intimidated.  Too much testosterone in there.   But Jessica finally coaxed me inside and introduced me to Dindo.

Waiting for training to start.  The exercises are written on the mirror.

Dindo started me off doing basic exercises such as kettlebell deadlifts, haloes, squats and swings.  Seemed simple enough but, by the end of it, I was out of breath and was sure I was going to die.  The next day, I felt pain in muscles I never knew I had.  I was hooked.

Dindo demonstrates the halo while his wife, Jessica, looks on.

And I'm not sure if it was the kettlebell training every other day, or its combination with TRX, but I soon noticed that my arms were becoming more and more cut.

I was also ravenous!  My friends and I eat shocking amounts of food, but I started shocking even them - AND myself!  I’d have three helpings of food, rest, then go back for more.  Then I’d finish the chocolates in the refrigerator.  I was insatiable.  This went on for about two months and am now kicking myself for indulging.  With my metabolism that sped up, if I hadn’t eaten my weight in food, I probably would have reached the ever-elusive target weight of 115 or, even better, the Holy Grail of 110!  Alas, I was never any good at ignoring my hunger...

Kettlebell training is similar to Kinesis training in that it uses complex yet familiar movements to create functional strength.  For instance, the suitcase deadlift will have you pick up and set down a kettlebell that is at your side like you would a suitcase. 

And instead of working on just one body part, the movements made with kettlebells work out different body parts.  For instance, the kettlebell swing alone increases grip strength, works on the front deltoids, lower back, glutes and  hamstrings, engages the core and increases hip strength.  It also ups the heart rate so that one gets a good cardio workout from it.  That's a lot going on for one exercise.  Trust me, you'll feel it in the morning.

Abe was at the PKTC when I had my first kettlebell session.  When I confided in him about feeling self-conscious in the middle of a room full of guys, he told me, "Don't worry.  They won't mind you.  They're all trying to get through their own hell."  Five months later, I am one of those guys, groaning and yelling in pain as I go through one of Dindo's hellish exercises.

When I did Bikram in May, I decided to do it everyday and give kettlebell training a rest.  After a week of doing only Bikram, I noticed the distinct lack of pain in my body.  I freaked out.  I felt like I was missing out.  I resumed kettlebell training and did both that and Bikram everyday, as much as my schedule would allow.

Last week, I did  kettlebell training on Tuesday and Wednesday, CrossFit on Thursday, then, because of Storm Falcon, went to a boxing gym close to my home on Friday and Saturday.  Even when I was boxing, I could already feel that I was pain-free.  By Sunday, I was sorely missing the familiar aches in my muscles.  And, since I didn't train on Sunday and was hungover all of Monday, I felt like a total degenerate by Tuesday.  But after yesterday's session, my chest, shoulders and triceps are burning as I write this and everything is right in this world again. 

For as long as I am kettlebell training, I've accepted that I am going to have some sort of pain going on somewhere in my body.  I'd feel cheated if it weren't so.

***

A word of advice for first-timers:  Always err on the side of caution and go light at first.  If you're having difficulty or are too out of breath with the weight the trainer recommends, try a lighter weight.  It's better to get your form right before trying to kill yourself with something heavy.  Especially since you might be asked to do more than a few reps AND a few sets.  So be conservative with your weights.  Later on, after a few classes, as you get used to the movements and the kettlebells, feel free to increase your weights.  

***

Kettlebell Checklist

• Comfortable workout clothing
• Comfortable shoes and socks, optional
• Snug workout gloves, highly recommended - The snugger, the better, although they may not last very long.  Kettlebell training is tough and gloves don't last very long.  Some guys tape up their hands.  I haven't found the perfect gloves and my hands are horribly calloused.
• Wrist bands, optional - The kettlebells can bang up your wrists, especially when doing a lot of cleans.
• Knee bands, optional - If, like me, you like wearing shorts, then your knees may get scuffed when you do exercises that require you to kneel.  I've since started wearing knee bands to prevent further scuffing.
• Water bottle
• Small towel
• Toilet paper, optional - If you intend to use the scary toilets.

Exceed Excess

Okay, so last Friday and Saturday, because of the storm, I ended up going to Elorde's Boxing Gym instead of doing kettlebells or CrossFit because, well, Elorde's is about five minutes away from my house and I could always walk home in the rain should the roads be impassable.  It's a good thing I didn't have to.

What I did do was step on a goddam weighing scale while I was there and now I know that I am NOT five pounds away from target weight, but TEN.  AAAAAACK.

So I've decided to stop mucking about already and stop having these stupid conversations with myself:

Me:  Okay, will start dieting on January 1.

Me:  But that's a Saturday and you'll be hungover from New Year's Eve, so you can't start then.

Me:  January 2 then.

Me:  That's a Sunday.  Enjoy the weekend and start on Monday.

Me:  Okay, that didn't work.  Will start again on Friday.

Me:  Nobody starts anything on a Friday.  Do it on Monday.  It will be January 10 which is a good day to start.

Six months later...

Although, yes, I've already had that conversation with myself about starting again on July 1, a Friday, which is still a stupid day to start, I've decided that that day has to be today or I will eat myself into a stupor.

Will only get my carbs from fruits and vegetables.  And alcohol.  And the sugar from my favorite peanut butter.  And dark chocolate.

I sound very serious, don't I?

ANYWAY...

Since yesterday was my last day to indulge - you can see where this is going, right? -  I went out to lunch with my best friends, Ana and Chelu, and my godson, Solo.

We went to Old Swiss Inn where we ate ALL the complimentary bread and I had the open-faced Reuben sandwich and shared Chelu's pork knuckles and Ana's geschnetzeltes (shredded pork tenderloin in mushroom cream sauce).  With garlic rice.  Then we shared a chocolate cake and a carrot cake (I didn't rate the desserts) while Ana and I finished a whole container of ube lengua de gato (--  this one, I do; they're reeeeally good).

Old Swiss Inn's Zurich geschnetzeltes.  (Internet file photo.)

We waddled out of the restaurant.

Back at their home, Ana and I lazily lay in bed watching movies while Chelu, halfway into our second movie, made us bacon and egg sandwiches.  It was only after we washed it down with Coke that we realized that having that sandwich wasn't such a good idea.

Since we were quite sure that we were about to explode, we decided to skip dinner and I went home.

Well, not really.

I finally picked up some ice cream that I had from ordered a week earlier from Carmen's Best (which is, by the way, THE BEST ice cream) and was on my way home, when I got a text from Raffy, another BFF.  He's a flight attendant and I hadn't seen him in ages so I thought I'd swing by his place for a drink.

That one drink stretched from his place, to M Cafe, back to his place (with a few more friends in tow) to 4 AM. 

Our Swedish friends, Elsa and Peter, joined us at M Cafe and at Raffy's apartment.

The ice cream made its way back home, albeit in cracked and misshapen containers.  And I know my diet was supposed to begin today but having ice cream at four in the morning doesn't count because today only officially started when I got up from bed, which was at 11 AM, and I had Spam and eggs.  (But that's only because the maid wasn't able to get me congee from ChowKing. SSssssshhhhh!!!  - Of course, if she had gotten the congee, my diet would have been reset for July 1...  Gaah!)

And, although I did remember to set my alarm for CrossFit, there was no way I was going to be able to do that today, so I guess I will have to do kettlebells instead tonight. 

Am still a bit cross-eyed from last night and I would kill for a bowl of congee.  To paraphrase Steve McCroskey, I guess I picked the wrong week to give up carbs.

***

Update:  Still in a fog.  Didn't make it to kettlebell training.