Help Me Run for Charity at London Marathon 2015!

Posted on November 29, 2014 by menchviduya

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There are six marathons that are part of the World Marathon Majors- Berlin, Boston, Chicago, London, New York and Tokyo. These are the biggest races in terms of field size and organisation. These races are also interesting because of the race course which usually takes runners around major city highlights, through the different neighbourhoods and boroughs and finishing at an iconic landmark. What also makes these marathons extra special is the coming together of different nationalities from all over the world. Runners travel from all over to take part in a one-of-a-kind sporting event.

I had made it one of my life dreams to finish all of the six marathons by 2016. I did not know about this league of major marathons until I read more about it at the 2012 Berlin Marathon. I joined Berlin Marathon so we can combine Oktoberfest and running in a single trip. But I was amazed by the whole Berlin experience that I vowed to finish all of the majors. So in 2013 I ran Chicago and this year, I got my New York Marathon entry after failing to get into the lottery for the past three years. I also ran the Tokyo Marathon this year after being lucky on my first lottery entry. Four down, two to go!

The race that started the World Marathon Majors dream, Berlin Marathon 2012.

Crying once again at the finish line at the Chicago Marathon 2013

A very cold race at the Tokyo Marathon 2014.

Happy to finish the New York Marathon 2014.

There are various ways to get into the major marathons of the world. You may get in via lottery, which is usually over subscribed because of the growing popularity of these races. You may also get a guaranteed entry if you meet certain qualifying requirements, depending on the race. For instance, you are assured of an entry in New York if you run nine of their local New York Road Runners races and volunteer during one of the runs. You may also get in if you hit the required qualifying times for your age group, as in the case of the Boston Marathon. But a big percentage of the race participants get in via charity institutions. These marathons are major contributors to non-profit organizations all over the world.

The London Marathon is the world’s largest annual single-day charity fundraising event. Compared to marathon majors in the US (Boston, Chicago, New York), the percentage of runners entering via charity is way higher at more than seventy-five percent of total entrants. I will be one of those running for charity when I run the London Marathon in April 2015.

The London Marathon is the world’s largest fund raising event. (photo lifted from http://www.dailymail.co.uk)

I am running for Scope, a charity dedicated to disability. This cause is very close to my heart and something I am truly passionate about because I was raised by my mom who is a person-with-disability (PWD). This is why I have always considered running as a privilege. Every time I run, I remember my mom who has never ran a day in her life. She has been a pillar of strength for me, inspiring me to be more and give more as a runner. I am reminded that the ability to run, to be an athlete and even travel the world for the sport are wonderful blessings.

In light of this and without sounding presumptuous, I would like to ask family and friends to just contribute to my London Marathon fund raising in lieu of a gift this Christmas. It would mean so much more to receive this gift of charity as this takes me closer to achieving a dream while helping Scope’s disability programs. Any amount will be very much appreciated and will go a long way. To give a gift of charity, kindly just go to http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/MenchieDizon. Thank you very much and wishing you a blessed Christmas:)

Eating on the Run

Posted on November 28, 2014 by menchviduya

I’m afraid to get hungry. I think I can stand the fatigue and exhaustion but not my tummy rumbling. That is why I have trained myself to eat real food before, during and after a race. Here is what my nutrition looks like for a full marathon:

PRE-RACE

3-4 Days Before: I treat myself to good steak BEFORE the race. I know that this is usually done after the race as a celebratory meal but this has been a tradition for me. This also has given me my protein supply that will last until race day so I can switch to increased carb intake closer to the race.

Steak as big as my face:)

1-3 Days Before the Race: I eat an increased amount of carbs but I don’t overdo it. I don’t like feeling bloated and too full so I try to still eat a pretty balanced meal with just an incremental increase in carbs usually from brown rice. I also start hydrating by drinking water throughout the day

Dinner Before the Race: I eat a hearty meal of rice and chicken or fish with fruits and vegetables. I also take in one salt capsule, to start on my anti-cramping nutrition. I continue hydrating.

RACE DAY

Breakfast on Race Day: I eat a full breakfast with mostly rice and fish. My trainer calls it “pagkaing mahirap” (food for the pauper). I also take a banana, hot choco and a couple of salt capsules, especially if I expect to run in warm weather. I also start drinking my race day hydration concoction composed of water, Gatorade, a couple of dissolved salt capsules and chia seeds. Sometimes I replace Gatorade with Bayani Brew, my favourite all-Filipino all-Natural iced tea. I usually bring a bottle of this special drink.

My special Bayani Brew concoction with water, chia seeds and salt capsules.

15 minutes Before the Race: I take one energy gel with my drink to give me a good starting boost.

I think I ate all kinds of food available at the New York Marathon starting village including this energy drink 15 minutes before the race.

During the Race: I try to vary what I eat during the race. On my first hour, I take a Kind Fruit and Nut Bar. Then I take a Clif Bar on the second hour followed by a Chia Bar on the third hour. I have also tried eating sushi, pizza, onigiri balls and rice cake during a race. I am lucky that my tummy can take different kinds of food while running. Beyond three hours I take an energy gel with water every 30-40 minutes since at this point the body will start to have difficulty digesting and processing real food.

My race day spread

Yes I’ve been caught eating pizza on the run.

Onigiri balls hidden in my running gloves for the Tokyo Marathon.

I drink at every station and alternate between water and energy drink.

I am a believer that nutrition is a big factor for a successful race. So far this race day menu has worked for me and I have not hit a wall because of this. I have also avoided getting cramps except for New York which was mostly due to the cold and my body not being used to a prolonged fast pace.

AFTER THE RACE

Within 30 Minutes After Finishing: I take a recovery drink of chocolate milk plus water. If there is beer at the finish line (like in Berlin and Chicago), I take that too :). I also eat the complimentary fruit.

2-3 Hours After the Race: I have a celebratory high protein meal like a burger or a salmon fillet. I wouldn’t mind dim sum too 🙂 I make sure that I also take fruits or smoothies that boost the immune system like berries. My body went through a lot of stress during the race and it’s easy to catch something right after because of this.

I highly recommend that you incorporate your nutrition in your training and not just wing it on race day. You have to know what works for you and listen to your body as you take in different kinds of food. Make it interesting so that you look forward to running for several hours, knowing that you will open a yummy treat every hour of racing. Happy eating on the run!

Eat well, run well.

Overcoming Work-Life Woes

Posted on November 27, 2014 by menchviduya

Over the years, I have been plagued by work-life woes as I try to balance the demands of work, family, training, volunteer work, etc. But I am happy that for more than a year now, I have come to accept that there is really no such thing as work-life balance and that I will just get tired trying to seek this state. It is just like waiting for Godot.

What I have been striving for instead is a work-life flow where all aspects of my life flows seamlessly into each other, where everything is just LIFE. There is no distinction but each component is given the time and the focus that it deserves. There is no struggle because you only make time for those things that matter. So work matters, give it its much deserved attention. Family is important, carve out its own time. Training fuels your passion for life, make time for it. This just means that yes you can have it all, but not at the same time.

So let me just share some of the things I have been practicing to try to make this work:

Build Habits

I think this is my most powerful learning. If you want to get better at something or if you want to grow a specific aspect of your life, rigour is very important. You keep at it even if at the start you seem to not be going anywhere. The act of doing something repeatedly is progress by itself. The goal is not perfection but practice. If something is important, it is worth doing at least 3x a week.

Have a schedule, have a routine and you will have more freedom to use your time. This may seem like two opposing thoughts but you actually can be more flexible with the use of your remaining time if you know that you have eked out precious time for your must-dos.

For instance, the only reason I was able to train for triathlon is by weaving it into a schedule that works for me. I am a morning person so I wake up at 5am every day to train at a gym that is accessible from where I work. I know that nothing beats outdoor training but I wouldn’t be able to work this out into a routine so I have mustered all my willpower to swim in a 4ft pool, bike on the trainers and run on a treadmill. Since I do my trainings first thing in the morning, I have the entire day to focus on work and the evenings are free for family and some socials.

Focus

I am no longer a believer of multitasking. Having too many things at the same time leaves you with a lot of half-baked work. The time spent to transition from one task to another is wasted resource and you end up more exhausted. I think it is Leo Babauta of Zen Habits who spoke about spending 90 minutes to complete a specific task without any distractions.

Prioritization is key to focus. If it is worth doing, it deserves your focus. It is too easy to get busy with all the little things and we mindlessly wade through all our tasks without assessing what is truly important. That is why we are all over the place and end our days feeling drained of all our energy.

At work, I try to keep my focus on three major tasks a day. I chunk my day so I spend time on each of these tasks. I try not to chat or get distracted by social media, text messages, email, etc when I am fully immersed in an activity and I strive to finish before I move on to the next task. Admittedly I am still a work in progress on this.

Being Mindful

Related to focus is always being clear about why we are doing things. Sometimes we charge on with our tasks without thinking of the intent, whether it is even necessary to do these. It does not hurt to pause and ask whether the steps we are taking still make sense in the overall scheme of things. It is easy to just continue doing the things we are used to instead of stopping to check whether these methods still achieve the goals we set out to accomplish.

This may seem like a mundane example but let’s take grocery shopping. I know the grocery lay-out like the back of my hand and I can just be on autopilot mode, buying the same things every single time. But as we try to practice being more mindful with what we eat and consume, I try to shake things up a bit and incorporate into my basket of goods more of the healthy stuff since our overall intent is to nourish our body with good fuel. We super love good food and indulge from time to time but when we do, we know that it is a treat that is enjoyed sparingly.

Work-Life Flow is something that I want to learn more about and I shall share whatever I gather on this topic on this blog.

“The goal is practice, not perfection”… from Teacher Tessie Anderson, yoga instructor at this quaint studio up in Baguio.

How You Can Afford to Travel – 5 Easy Steps

Posted on November 26, 2014 by menchviduya

I grew up very poor and only took my first plane ride when I was 22 years old. The year after that, I went on my first trip out of the country, to Singapore. So that explains my thirst for travel. After getting bit by the travel bug and after visiting over 50 cities, I can only live a life marked by wanderlust.

I have always been asked how I can afford to travel a lot considering I am earning average middle manager income. We are a regular working class family but somehow we have been able to go places with what we had. I have always been open to friends and colleagues about how we managed to do this so allow me to share some of my favourite travel hacks and best practices we have used over years. Some of the tips we have shared as well in our Travel Hacking article for Revel Magazine.

Prioritize What You Spend On

It’s easy to just spend mindlessly on big and small things so it pays to know what truly matters to you. Travel is important to me so I choose to spend on this. I rarely shop for shoes, bags and clothes and if I do, I never buy anything at full price. Clearance is my best friend. However I would willingly spend on high impact experiences while traveling (culinary tours, off-the-beaten adventures, etc).

It will also help to pack your lunch and refrain from eating out a lot. You may not notice it but the lunch meal tab plus the Starbucks and dessert adds up over time. We love to eat out and enjoy going on dates and dinners with friends. but we try to keep this at a manageable level by employing some money saving techniques. For instance, we have early dinner at home before going out for after dinner drinks or dessert.

Financial blogger Ramit Sethi said, “Spend money extravagantly on the things that you love, and cut costs mercilessly everywhere else.” If you’re a travel hacker, that means optimizing where every peso of your travel budget goes. So this also means that we don’t give each other expensive gifts on our birthdays; instead we go on trips and spend on having memorable experiences.

I love running, I love travel and choose to spend on these things.

We love one-of-a-kind experiences like Munich’s Oktoberfest. The beers are a bit more expensive during this time but there is nothing like being part of the world’s biggest party.

Set a Travel Budget

It may seem counterintuitive but having a budget set for the year has given us more freedom to make travel decisions. With a set budget you can choose to go on a few major trips or several small ones and not just charge blindly. Since you know your budget, you can plan better and plan ahead. Related to this, its good to have a separate travel savings bucket so you know how much to set aside on a regular basis. Making travel a part of your monthly savings will allow you to build your fund steadily and consistently.

Maximize Mileage Programs

For the past five years we have never paid full price for long haul flights. We have been loyal users of the Platinum Premier Miles card of Citibank and have been able to maximise it’s mileage program. What is good about this card is that you can convert it to miles of most airlines. So we combine miles earned with actual miles flown to get award tickets. We have flown to the US and Europe at very minimal cost. because of this. We also only choose airlines that are part of the same mileage program so we can accumulate miles faster.

Go for Great Deals and Book Early

I am a morning person and am usually asleep by 10PM but I stay awake for seat sales. I can’t count anymore how many times I have booked flights at dawn to get first dibs on these promo fares. I think the best deal I have ever bought was from Cebu Pacific for three Manila-Osaka roundtrip tickets for a total of Php 3,600 including all taxes. These flights are months (or even a year) in advance so it gives you sufficient time to plan for the trip and even take advantage of accommodation deals since you already know when you will travel.

I also go to travel fairs to avail of highly discounted accommodations for flights that we have booked in advance. I usually have a list of hotels/resorts to check out at the fair so I don’t aimlessly walk around and impulsively buy anything just because it is cheap.

Tickets for three to Japan for Php 3,600. Not bad at all 🙂

Try Alternative Accommodations

When it comes to accommodations while traveling, look for local accommodations instead of a hotel. We discovered AirBNB.com in 2010 while traveling around the US, and staying at locals’ apartments was a very rewarding experience. Our hosts were always very friendly, gave us tips on where to go off the usual tourist path, and the prices were lower than what you’d get for a hotel in the same area. Since you stay where the locals live, you can usually find interesting and cheaper dining places, groceries, markets, etc. It also gives your trip a bit more local flavour.

Our Airbnb host lent us traditional Bavarian wear for the Oktoberfest and even helped in fixing us up for the party.

These tips are nothing fancy nor extraordinary but have worked for us consistently. I will try to share more of these as I build this blog.

BONUS: Join Contests

Airline companies launch promos and contests and the mechanics are usually simple. There’s no harm in joining these. I am believer because last year I won two round-trip tickets to Europe via KLM 🙂

Free flights to Europe for a wintery post-Christmas trip.

Beautiful Frailty

Posted on November 24, 2014 by menchviduya

These past two weeks I have been made more aware about the frailty of our human bodies. We get injured, we get hurt, we get sick and all these are not entirely within our control. This is something that I have to come to terms with.

Last week’s injury was a reminder that I am not super human and that my body is limited and weak. I have been so used to walking briskly and moving fast that the past days have left me feeling frustrated as I amble and drag my feet, taking little baby steps. I am forced to slow down and take it easy. And be patient. Admittedly patience is not one of my strongest traits and it has taken so much of my willpower to accept that I just can’t be as fast and agile as I am used to.

The past few days was also spent looking after my dad. Just like me, he is always active, full of energy so it was a pain to see him in a hospital bed, looking old and tired. My parents are both young looking considering that they are in their mid-60s but I suddenly saw how they have aged. I’ve always had a picture of them in my mind and it’s one that depicts them at their most vibrant. Maybe I just have not seen them for a while that’s why they looked a little older. I should really visit them more often 😦

But it is also in the past week that I have realized how amazing the body is despite its fragility. Our bodies are wonderful vessels of being that we take for granted. But it heals itself, adapting, adjusting and making little tweaks to get better. It may take a while but at its core is a will to strengthen itself. We just have to keep working on it, and strive for constant practice. As in the past, my most powerful learnings happen whenever I am home up in the mountains. There is joy in coming home to where I started, finding myself and falling in love with life all over again.

Clarity and a more distilled purpose always comes to me whenever I go home. I’ve been to many places and yet I have learned my life’s greatest lessons by coming home.

First Time to Get Injured

Posted on November 17, 2014 by menchviduya

It was my first time to fall and get injured while running. First time also to not finish a race. I was off to a great start, flying and going fast for a sub 2 hours 21k run. I was just settling into a good rhythm and keeping a nice speedy steady pace when I suddenly stepped into a pothole right before the 5k mark. It was just too dark to see the road since we started at an unholy hour. I braced my fall with my palms and knees resulting to wounds on both my knees. But what got me a bit worried was the sprain on my ankle. This left me ambling on my left leg to avoid putting pressure on the injured leg.

A rescue motorcycle picked me up from where I fell and took me to the waiting ambulance. I was feeling jealous of the runners speeding past us but just focused on being thankful that I only had minor injuries from the fall.

It was my first time to ride an ambulance. The medics treated my wounds, iced my sprain and told me to practice RICE- Rest Ice Compression Elevation.

The limited mobility is frustrating since I don’t like feeling weak and helpless, given my control freak tendencies. As I move around on just one leg, I am reminded that my mom has been in this state for her entire life. She was born with polio and has never run a day in her life nor walked without the aid of her crutches. She has stood on just one leg for the past 60 something years. And here I am complaining of this minor inconvenience. I am reminded once again that running, racing and engaging in sport is a privilege.

Being raised by a strong and admirable PWD mom was my reason for choosing Scope for Disability as my charity for the London Marathon. I shall tell you more about this fund raising drive in the next few days. I will be appealing to the generous hearts of family and friends to make this part of the world major marathon dream a reality 🙂

The New York Marathon Experience PART 2

Posted on November 15, 2014 by menchviduya

I chose a very strong finish time, 3:30, and was assigned to the first wave. This was a wise decision since I did not experience the clogged and slow race start that friends who ran New York Marathon previously went through. At the sound of the canyon, we were off. It was the most amazing start as we were welcomed by the magnificent vista from the Verrazano-Narrows bridge. It was also very cold with real feel temperature of 0 degrees celsius combined with headwinds of around 48kph. But I had such a strong and fast start despite this.

Wave 1 runners raring to run after hours of waiting in the cold

Beautiful views as we cross the Verrazano-Narrows bridge. It was hard to take a photo while running against very strong headwinds.

Game face on! Happy to have a strong and fast start.

I was so pumped up and energized. I decided not to look at my Garmin for the entire duration of the race but I felt that I was going very fast. I felt extra confidence when I passed the 3:35 pacer several times and for a fleeting moment I considered that this might be my Boston Qualifier. I sustained this pace until mile 16 as we crossed the Queensboro Bridge. Then both my ankles and calves started to tighten. I told myself that this was just a passing pain and will eventually go away. It didn’t.

Trying to ignore the pain and instead focusing on the crowd presence as we run through the five New York boroughs.

I slowed down but I never stopped. I just focused my attention on the generosity of the volunteers as they handed over drinks and food. I absorbed the energy of the crowd as they cheered on and held up funny signs. I sang along with the bands as they played Eye of the Tiger. I gave high five to little kids, ignoring the pain that started to creep up all the way to my hips. I refused to stop because I knew that if i did, my legs would harden and I wouldn’t be able to move it anymore. Then I heard people shouting my name at mile 23. It was Gabby and JC cheering me on. Renewed energy surged through me and I just set my sights on finishing the race as I revelled in the cheers of the growing crowd leading to the finish line. I felt my knees locking at mile 25 and it was such a relief to see my best friend Neri and her husband Richard at this point. Their cheers gave me the extra push to plod on. Then I entered Central Park, the last stretch to the finish. I was just glad that I ran this route before the race so everything seemed familiar and comforting despite the pain. I felt my tears welling up and my emotions building up as I approached the finish line. I still cry at the end of every major race.

Running with all my heart and might made the marathon finish extra sweet.

The finish was extra sweet because I knew that I ran this race with all my heart, refusing to give in to the pain and the urge to stop. It felt great receiving the finishers medal and then getting wrapped in an insulated blanket then a poncho. I felt warm inside out. Just happy to be here, blessed to be part of the world’s greatest marathon.

Runners wrapped in blankets make their way to the exit.

Sea of blue as runners in warm ponchos amble their way to meet family and friends at the exit.

Sweet finish made sweeter by victory cookies from Levain Bakery.

The New York Marathon Experience PART 1

Posted on November 13, 2014 by menchviduya

Every marathon experience is different. But the New York marathon was extra special because I waited for four years to finally get in. Since it is the world’s largest and most popular marathon, a slot to run this race is much coveted with a lottery oversubscribed by eight to ten times. I persisted because I knew that if I kept trying I will eventually get a guaranteed entry after three consecutive tries.

We arrive in New York a week before the race and I couldn’t keep my excitement. I did a couple of easy runs in Central Park and couldn’t help but feel jealous of the beautiful running grounds that New Yorkers are so lucky to have. I do most of my trainings on a treadmill so you can just imagine the envy I felt. As we went around the city, I was imagining running through these neighborhoods lined with people cheering us on. I was giddy with anticipation. I couldn’t wait to run.

I also could not wait to go to the marathon expo, a runner’s ultimate wonderland. Every year I look forward to this expo like a kid waiting to go to a toy store. It feels like Christmas every single time. We went early on the first day of the expo at Javits Center and I was not surprised to see the place packed with other eager runners. A Filipina runner handed me my race packet and she said she would be running too. As soon as I got my race kit, I happily sauntered to the sports expo where you can find everything a runner would need from gear to apparel to nutrition. I went home with my loot of swags, shirts and of course my yearly pair of Newtons. I was a happy camper:)

Nice photo-op area at the marathon expo

The New York Marathon sports expo had everything a runner would need.

My happy loot:)

The New York Marathon is also extra special because we had friends who were there to support us. Usually, my lone support crew is my husband Gabby and it would just be a simple arrangement- we take out food the night before the race, he takes me to the nearest transportation on race day and he waits for me at the finish line. This time we were with my best friend and our other friend JC, appointed himself as my Marathon Concierge. We planned our pre race dinner, plotted where they would cheer along the way and arranged for after race meet ups. JC even prepared my corned beef, rice and egg breakfast 🙂 They even brought me all the way to the Staten Island Ferry Building. I felt spoiled.

On race day, I boarded the 6:15 am ferry to Staten Island, the race’s starting point. I was so amazed with the superb logistics management of shuttling over 50, 000 runners via ferry, bus and subway. It is such a complex start and quite challenging to organize but everything just worked with the help of over 10,000 volunteers and the NYPD in full force.

Exodus of marathoners at the Staten Island Ferry Building

We were brought by bus to the starting villages, color coordinated based on our bib color. I was happy to meet a fellow Filipina amidst the exodus of runners and we got to chat a bit before heading to our respective villages. I was assigned to the Orange Village. We were handed bonnets as we entered and told that there was food for everyone. Food gets me excited and I think I ate every single type of available food and drink while waiting for the race start. I sat beside an Aussie girl named Katy and she told me about her other sport, adventure racing. It’s always interesting to know what other things marathoners are up to. We also happily observed how the runners creatively put together pre race outfits to keep them warm during the long wait before the start. Some were even in bath robes and fur mascot costumes.

Runners waiting at the Starting Village

After two hours of waiting, wave 1 runners were called to go to the starting line. As I walked I could not feel my toes from the extreme cold. After the marathon, I read somewhere that this was the coldest NY Marathon in history. Brrrr.

Watch out for Part 2 of my New York Marathon story in a couple of days 🙂

Welcome to Wandermench.com

Posted on November 11, 2014 by menchviduya

I tried blogging almost a decade ago for our Manila to Morocco honeymoon registry and then tried it again with TinyTweaks, the beginnings of a mindful living blog. I guess I wasn’t much of a creature of habit back then and did not treat the act of writing with as much rigour as how I treat important aspects of my life now. They say the third time’s a charm and I would like to try again.

Allow me to share with you wandermench.com. It will be about the interesting intersection of travel, running and micro adventures. It chronicles how a full time working mom of two, wife, triathlete, marathoner and avid traveller tries to make things work.

It is a personal journey. It celebrates the questions and challenges of 30-something moms/individuals who seem to want to have it all. It highlights building mindful habits as a way to align all that one wants to do.

It speaks of the joy of running in different places, of finding creative ways to run the world’s biggest marathons. It journals every step of the way as I strive to complete the World Marathon Majors in 2016. It will particularly highlight the road to qualify for the Boston Marathon, the holy grail of marathons due to its very stringent qualifying times.

wandermench.com is in itself an experiment of creating something, everyday, and keeping at it. It is about choosing to do things that are important to us and weeding out those that leave us unhappy and unproductive. It stands for a commitment to share and give more of myself to a world that has bestowed me with so much. It is my way of saying thank you.

wandermench

Daily rambings on habits, practice, mindfulness as I try to sort myself out.

Author Archives: menchviduya