Survived my first 21-km!

I was so surprised that I didn't vomit or crawl to the finish line on October 11, 2008 at the Adidas King of the Road race at the Fort in Taguig. For someone who just started marathon training in July, got injured for a month from over training, then resumed training mid-August - -I am very very happy, thrilled that I completed the 21-km distance (i.e. Fort-Buendia-South Super-Buendia-Heritage Park-Fort), finished in 2 hours 17 mins (note: arrived late and started running 4 mins after flag-off)... and didn't experience any pain that day! Note though that I felt the tightness in the thighs (lactic acid build-up) and some muscle twitches the next day and on the third day after 48-hours, feverish and deadweight. My therapist called it delayed onset of fatigue.
Anyway, a lot of things contributed to this 21-km milestone! First of course is the training. After the heel spur and plantar facitis fiasco that kept me off the track for a month, my coach (Mario Canjas - 0919 657-5124) resumed training slowly. He focused more on endurance and gradual building up the workouts in terms of time instead of mileage. He reduced the training from the previous 6x a week schedule to 5x a week with Sun-Wed as rest days. The weekly workout consisted of 2x speedwork, 2x fartlek and a long run on Saturdays where the length is increased each week by 30 mins. Plus 1x-2x Core training with Pilates instructor Cecile Sicangco. At the last 5km when I felt like I was about to hit the wall, I just tucked in my tummy and remembered her saying to use core muscles.
I still had to contend with my prevailing heel and foot injury and mind you, had additional injuries - like the shin splints on my left leg and patella femoral pain syndrome on my right knee. The plantar actually disappeared when I started wearing my specially moulded orthotics (from Ortho Frey 634-2705). The second factor is therapy. My weekly therapy sessions with Sante's acupuncturist Dr. Butch Ong was increased to 3x a week and also with intuitive nerve therapist Miguel del Prado. Note that Jo the healer left for Russia and found instead Miguel.
Third is nutrition and rest. I started taking Timelab's Endurance Fuel during training and Whey Protein after (both available at Health Express) and the chinese herbs presecribed by Dr. Ong. I also started taking a lot of carbs - pasta and bread. And most of all, sleep. I'm in bed at 10pm!!!
Lets see how I fare in New York on Nov 2!! Wish me luck.

Rehab madness

Pain is a way of our body reacting from physical stress and telling us to stop and rest. Well, last July 24, after a 5-km warm up, i had to tell my trainer Mario Canjas that my left heel really really hurts. He normally tells me not to baby the pain, mind over matter.. But its the same pain I had before I left for New York which was relieved by following Dr. Bengzon's advise to do RICE - Rest, Ice, Comrpess and Elevate.
This setback is a major disppaointment since I'm training for the New York Marathon (NYM) this November 2008 and I am already doing mileage build up of 30-40 km a week.
I rushed back to Dr. Bengzon. The xray (photo) indicated a heel spur (bone outgrowth) and plantar fascitis and recommended this time, to do rehab. I went to see Dr. Bonifacio Rafanan (Medical City, tel 706-3649) who prescribed daily rehab for two weeks (tens, laser, heat packs, ultrasound, stretches and 20-min eliptical).
This is the third week of not runnig. Dr. Rafanan yesterday confirmed what my dorn therapist (Jo, the healer at 0918-9110035 or contact AWHAI at 753-1468) said - my left leg is LONGER than my right which caused the heel spur, My left leg was trying to compensate the imbalance. Plus, my left hip is higher due to childhood scilosis. He added MORE rehab exercises to address the lower back, hip and strengthen knee, soleus muscles, achiles heel. Total rehab protocol is now two hours long. The good news is, he said I can do the NYM!!! Aside from 3x a week rehab, I can now run on treadmill and hit the oval next week for 30-minutes light jog.
I'm trying to accelerate healing ... Polo-Tri Ria V recommended miracle ortho/acupuncturist Dr. Butch Ong (tel 435-8014) of Sante Center in 7 Masaya St. in Quezon City who has cured several triathletes and also nerve healer Miguel del Prado (who's now in Spain with polo team).
All in all.. I'm doing 3x a week rehab in Medical City, 30-min treadmill everyday, dorn therapy with Jo the healer, pilates with Cecile Sicangco (to strengthen CORE), 2x a week weights with Jocel, lets see how many times with Dr. Ong who I'm seeing on Saturday... this is madness!

Weekend bout with Sacroiliac

Just sharing my wknd bout with sacroiliac dysfunction, low back pain (midline). Man, it was painful to walk or drive. I initially felt pain on my lower back brewing last Friday and the next day (Saturday), after my meeting in the afternoon, headed straight to the traditional chinese wellness center recommended by Zenaida Seva at Ortigas Center called Beijing Tong Reng Tang or TRT (tel# 638-4382), touted as the most authentic herbal pharmacy in China which is now in Manila.
A Dr. Wang diagnosed me by checking my pulse and tongue and assured me that pain will "go away." The treatment started with ox-horn scrubbing (guasha), cupping (ventosa) and then acupuncture with electric current and heat. He then prescribed an assortment of chinese herbs which was cooked in TRT and packed in an airtight plastic pouch (total of 14 pouches); and also prescribed a marble-size medicine called 'Tongren Dahuoluo Dan' to be swallowed whole. The protocol to be taken twice a day was to "expel wind-evil and relax the tendons" and to remove "pains in the limbs and trunk... stiffness of musles and joints, having difficulty getting about."
The first treatment somehow alleviated my lower back pain but it transferred to my right leg, radiating from my groin down my knees to my toes and it was very very painful to drive. So the next day, went back for another treatment. This time, Dr. Wang did acupressure on my back and then addressed the right leg area (groin-knee-toes) with acupuncture and electric current. Believe it or not, the pain instantly disappeared. But he said my lower back may take some time and recommended to have it x-rayed.
I trotted to Medical City right away to have my back checked and x-rayed. The resident said I had degenerative bone (L1-L2) and my problem is just muscular-skeletal and presciibed myonal (muslce relaxant), arcoxia (pain reliver) and of all things Voltaren (!!!) which has been taken off the shelf by FDA because it may cause serious cardio vascular side effects, such as MI or stroke, which may result in hospitalization and even death.
Unfortunately, this is my second misdiagnosis at the Medical City ER department. First time was 2001 when the ER doctor described my stomach pain condition as gastroenteritis and 3 days later, I was opened up for acute apendicitis at MMC. I showed my x-ray to chriopracter Dr. Sonny Uy last Monday who said that the xray indicated sacroiliac and did the usual cracking of bones (aligned my hips, etc). He said that I twisted my hips and need to be bedridden to avoid putting weight on my hips - i.e. no sitting, walking or diving.
The chinese herbs of TRT helped put me to sleep most of yesterday. So, now I'm okay (hopefully) and need one more adjustment with Dr. Uy.
According to Dr. Michael Amaral of back.com, this ailment typically strikes 30s or 40s women who has had children. "It is thought that the relaxation of the sacroiliac ligaments necessary for childbirth does not fully reverse, and that a subsequent minor trauma may sublux (partially dislocate) the joint and cause pain." I'm more of the "younger women may develop sacroiliac problems as a result of sport or other injuries. The condition also occurs in men, but less frequently and usually from more severe injuries, often involving lifting while the trunk is in torsion." Ha ha... I don't know how Liana can bear the pain though. She has a similar problem but I guess more acute.

Goa break and 'openings'

Goa was a good break - sun, saltwater, beach and skin exposure! We're all clad up in Mysore so its great to be in tank tops in this sweltering heat. Our travel agent booked us at a very touristy place though up North called Calangute. We should've listened to Gai who warned us that Goa is huge and recommended Palolem beach!

The province is divided into three areas - the North, Central and South. It would take more than a week to explore the beaches. Since Goa was a Portugues colony and half the population are Catholics, we opted to visit the churhces (also we're temple-fatigued already). Interesting to note that the body of St. Francis de Asisi is in the Basilica in Old Goa.

Most of the Yogis at Mysore go to either Purple Valley (South) or to Vagator (North). In Vagator, they stay at a vegan resort called "Beam me Up". We went there for dinner last Fri night and enjoyed quattro formagi pizza. Actually, our trip to Goa was a culinary delight since we took a break and indulged mostly in non-Indian fare.

Now we're back in Mysore. We have a WEEK left. My knee is acting up again. Maybe for being crammed up in the car in Goa and the 3-hour transfer to the airport (travel time to Mysore to Bangalore). Most of the yoga students here refer to aches and pains as 'openings'. Even the 'experts' experience pain and do some kind of therapy. It seems like there is a thriving therapeutic or healing business here - from intuitive healer (Francis), rolfer (Ken), traditional thai massage (Enzo), chiropractor, accupuncture (Sean), ayurveda (dr Kumar), wholistic (dr Jag). Dr. Jag is half the year in Mysore and the other half in Brunei. Fellow Philippine-yogini Joelle Goudsmit is currently apprenticing with him.