4-3-3

That's the number of minutes per "phase" I spent when I had my Monday post-sunset jog in Antipolo.

Yes, I was in Antipolo after my Sunday/Monday shift because it's been "too much" at work lately. I just needed my dose of endorphin and exposure to nature.

4-3-3. 

• Four minutes of running
• Three minutes of walking
• Another 3 minutes of running

After that was another 3 minutes spent specifically for walking and cooling down, which was quite extended because I just had to hang out longer. 

As I said, I needed my dose of exposure to nature. And I still need more. I still have to see lots of greens and breathe fresh air.

All in all, it was at least 15 minutes of exercise but it was enough for the day. It was better than having none at all as I would usually have to wait for Friday to have a run.

I really had to run. It's that crucial for me to induce endorphin release and have some fresh air. I had to get away from the city and immerse with nature. There may also be trees and a jogging track in Makati but they're nothing compared to what Antipolo and our hamlet have to offer.

Antipolo brings peace and quiet that Makati or even other place in the metropolis could not give. Besides, there's no place like home. Other place doesn't have our library that I sometimes or recently turned into a "gym" with the heavy books doubled as weights.

My improvised weights after my Monday post-sunset jog

Another Friday Morning Jog

It's that time of the week again when I return to Antipolo to spend my day off because it's where I could refresh, rejuvenate, relax, and recover best. Of course, I just go introverting.

As usual, jogging is a mandatory itinerary of my off-duty. You can't just not be tempted to run in our hamlet. 

Took a different starting point for my morning jog, for a change. So I ran for more than a kilometre. Aahh.. Endorphin!

There's a particular drive where running through it even for just one 'lap' is challenge enough. One can start either ascending or descending. 

By default, I went descending first. I think the 'stress' helped me warm up enough that I didn't have an abdominal oblique strained throughout my jog, which was the case the last time I had a jog.

I wonder if the image on the right looks like a flat surface. It’s nowhere close to that. It’s so steep I actually wanted to compute its slope. I still remember the formula (y=mx+b)! Too bad I don’t know the variables so I just jogged through it, for which you really have to #FindYourStrong. I specifically bought a pair of Saucony for roads like this.

I think I'm getting addicted to endorphin, which is not unusual. Had I gotten out of bed earlier I would've stayed longer outdoors, ran an extra half mile. My feet also had  to take things slowly. It seems to be in particular need to adjust with my change of routine.

My Friday morning jog was sort of liberating. As I was changing my usual route, I discovered that there's a drive where you could really feel and hear the whoosh of the wind. It's lovely.

The other thing I discovered, not scientifically discovered or I don't know, was a bug (left). It's the first time I saw such bug. The top image, a caterpillar, is a usual sight though. I usually see lots of it in our hamlet.

Now Playing: Backstreet Boys - Masquerade

Recovery Drive

For the past weeks, I've been frequently writing here even more than once a day. But as noticed, my last entry was on the first hours of September 1. Perhaps because I've been not feeling well during those days, especially over the weekend when I've been absent.

Once again, things have taken their toll on me. I've been absent for three days this past week and during those days, I was just in Antipolo. I had to use milieu therapy, though this is typically used for mentally unhealthy patients. I thought I could make use of the principle.

Being around nature is invigorating, but I must admit that despite those days spent outdoors though just in our hamlet I still need more exposure with nature. I need a dose of Vitamin-D from the morning sun and tons of oxygen from the trees up and down the hills of our hamlet.

Whenever I am in Antipolo, I would make sure that I get to have a morning jog. However, I had a sunset jog last Friday before going back to work. But I had an indoor exercise on Friday morning. Still, I have to admit, despite the doses of endorphins from my Friday exercise I know I still need more.

Had I made it out of work early this morning I could've gone to Antipolo so I could have another jog. But I left at almost lunch time because I had to finish a monthly report, thanks to my weekend absences.

Sometimes I wonder ♫ if this is a spell that I am under keeping me from seeing the real thing ♫ which I really need, the endorphins from outdoor exercise or simply an exposure to nature. Sometimes I just want to take a stroll but it usually turns into a jog as I am taking advantage of the opportunity.

Our hamlet is a pretty nice place. Well, it is a very nice place. Unfortunately I don't know our neighbours, not even one. Perhaps some have taken notice of me jogging every morning recently but I can't remember which ones have seen me jogging more than once. Well, I'm quite familiar with the old guards. They're nice people.

Perhaps I'll try mingling with a neighbour or two though I'm pretty sure I'll end up doing so with their dogs.

One of the advantages of jogging in our hamlet is having a beautiful view of the valleys and sky and trees. As last Friday's jog was a sunset one I also got to see a different yet still beautiful view of the sky.

This was taken just above our adjacent neighbour's roof, without filter.

I've been recently looking forward to returning to our hamlet in Antipolo, like always. One of the things I plan to do next is being able to jog again along Twiter Drive, which is a very steep and isolated drive in our hamlet. At the topmost of the road also live at least three dogs, which I think are dobermann. I still remember  in one of my jogs before when I reached the top of Twiter Drive with them awaiting almost blocking my path. I don't know what they're capable of but if it's dangerous, I'm glad to have made it past them safe and sound and whole. I wonder how it looks now.

Reviewing my Tumblr posts make me impatient on my next return to Antipolo. I would love to return tomorrow after my shift although we have a P-Team meeting at perhaps 6:30PM. Well, I'll just have to leave at 4PM.

I must make it happen, returning to Antipolo tomorrow. I really need some outdoor exposure. Just can't wait till my off-duty on Thursday. It feels like I'm going nuts if I can't see those lush greens again. Well, all I have to do is go BDO. Find ways.

Now Playing: Foy Vance - Guiding Light

Refreshing Antipolo

After my recent return to and departure from Antipolo, I've come to remember how much I love the countryside. I already miss our hamlet. I guess it's pretty obvious given my blog entry before this, When in Antipolo.

One of the things I look forward to whenever I return to Antipolo is the fact that I am pushing myself to really take time to jog. That's why I get more excited looking forward to my next off-duty.

So Friday morning was a jogging moment. What I loved about my jog this time was finding myself having two laps although there were quite a number of walks on my second lap.

The other nice thing about it was getting caught in the rain. I was actually already cooling down when the rain poured. I just took a quick shelter under a tree then decided that I would love to get soaked, just like I used to be when I was still a kid.

I am planning to return to Antipolo even before my next off-duty. Actually, I'm planning to do it tomorrow. I have other reasons too besides the refreshing effect of being in Antipolo. I guess work has been that stressful that I need something to clear my senses. And I would need to see a lot of green living things.

When in Antipolo

A lot of thoughts are going here and there inside my head that I wish I could go back to Antipolo for a jog, which I usually do whenever my head feels "heavy" with thoughts and what else, or go to Lala-Land so I don't get to hear these buzzes.

Going to Antipolo albeit just an overnight stay during my off-duty refreshes me so I get more convinced that once we move out of the condo, I'll definitely opt to stay in Antipolo. Never mind the travel.

I need our hamlet's peace and quiet, the green scenery, and the distance from the metro. Besides, I get to see my books on a daily basis. There's free food too.

One more thing, staying in our hamlet really motivates me to take a jog albeit the threats of rain.

A Friday Jog

It's good to be back home, in Antipolo. Truth is I can't remember the last time I was here. It's been that long.

The calm Antipolo brings makes me rejuvenated and the opportunity to run through some drives in our hamlet is energizing. Jogging at the Legazpi Active Park is nice. The last time I did was even productive, like I've gone the extra mile. Not literally though. Going for a lap and a half straight of jog is an accomplishment for me. But jogging in Antipolo is different.

For an introvert, having the tracks all to myself is exciting. I get to jog without other people around, though I don't mind seeing a few but that rarely happens. Jogging in Antipolo, in our hamlet to be exact, allows me to unload my thoughts. Not to mention that exercise is a great way of getting rid of toxins in the body.

Exercise does not only do good to our physical health. It does the same to our mental health. And they go hand in hand. Both need to be kept at their best.

Although it usually takes me just 15 minutes to jog in our hamlet, I dare say I've covered enough. I just can't push further because my usual situation doesn't allow me to. But it's better than not doing anything.

I decided this morning to stay a bit longer outdoors just to appreciate nature, do a lot of breathing exercise, and have some of indoor exercises out there. I also took a photo of a white santan. I was planning to stay longer although the rain already started pouring then I realized that my shoes would also get wet. :(

Tachycardia, on a Sunday morning ♫♫

I got to jog this morning. Same lanes. I was hoping for some improvement, knowing that I was able to finish a 5-km run albeit with lots of walk. However, I wasn't satisfied with my 'performance' this morning. I was even quite concerned.

While jogging I was reminded of my childhood, when I would have to take a break from running because my abdominus oblique would sting. It's the reason I wasn't able to keep running/jogging past a kilometre or two last May 15.

In fairness to my body in relation to this morning's jog, it was during an ascend when my abdominus oblique began to hurt. However, I don't remember having such experience before. It was even pretty early. I just find it bothersome to the point of a little anxiety.

After taking a break slash walk along the Taktak Drive slash Clarice Starling Lane, I went back jogging but my finish was not good. I was on tachycardia, even a little dyspnea. I haven't had that before. Well, I don't have memories of such before this morning.

To recover from tachycardia and dyspnea, I had to do a lot of breathing exercises. But I usually do a lot after a jog.

Back in 2009, when I've been jogging even as early as before sunrise, the main reason I am jogging is for cardio-pulmonary resistance. I wanted to make sure that my myocardium and pair of air-bags have enough resistance. You never know what would happen. It was my first step of taking care of my body, besides my conscious effort of regularly choosing healthy intake.

If I would compare myself this morning and my younger self, the latter was better. Understandable if we consider age, but I don't take that as an excuse. As a matter of fact, I should've done better.

Perhaps this calls for another clinical visit. I may have done and passed the stress test before, with a result just less than that of an athlete's performance. I've even played Touch Rugby for a time. But I can't dwell on those. I know my myocardium and what it went through before.

Am definitely looking forward to a visit to a cardiologist. I'll also be visiting my neurologist. He's got a clinic at the Makati Medical Center. And yes, I'd tell him I've been eating nuts and ice cream a lot. Woot!