I am starting to intensify my training for my bike-tour this summer.
I only have 9 weeks to go and I am still feeling sluggish and out of shape. I am 173 lbs - I gained 7 lbs during the Christmas season. I need to lose at least 15 lbs.
The other day I biked for 6 hrs and 30 minutes. My pace was very slow and I had leg cramps after 4 hrs while ascending some hills. Luckily the cramp disappeared once I descended.
This morning after mass I went out for a relaxing 2 1/2 hrs bike ride.
So this will be the weekly training program I will be following starting tomorrow.
Monday - 6 hrs (road bike) - every other week
Tuesday - 3 hrs (mountain-bike)/ 6 hrs every other wk
1 hr strength-training (back, shoulders)
Wednesday - 2 hrs (mt-bike)
Thursday - 4 hrs (road bike), 1 hr strength-training (lower body)
Friday - 2 hrs mt-bike
Saturday - no biking, 1 hr strength-training (chest, arms)
Sunday - 2 hrs (mt-bike)
I hope I will be able to stick to this program. I have so many other things to do - teaching, celebrating the mass and other sacraments, praying, writing, attending meetings, etc.
I need to be fully prepared for my longest bike-tour so far - over 4000 km around the Philippines. I am excited just thinking about it. Besides biking for a cause, I will be setting a record for being the first to bike around the country - from Davao to the tip of Luzon and back. Seven years ago I already set the record for being the first to bike across the Philippines - from Davao to Pagudpud (2083 km). I took the bus and plane back to Davao. The other summer I also set the record for being the first to bike around Mindanao (2182 km).
I know that this time it will be more challenging since I am older (I am already 53 years old), overweight, recovering from atherosclerosis and myrocardial ischemia, and constantly threatened by gout. So I have to bike slowly and make sure that my heart rate does not go beyond 135 bpm - that's why I always wear my heart rate monitor.
Here's a video clip of my training ride last Friday.
5 comments:
You must be kidding about your age. You are still physically fit. Certainly, you're only in your early 40s, if not exactly 41 years old.
Father, I'm indeed happy that you are health conscious and in good health. We seldom find physically fit who is intellectually gifted with a compassionate heart for the poor.
Do you have materials for the Church of the Poor? Bishop Bacani's article is helpful. Perhaps, a sort of an evaluation on the implementation of this PCP-II vision. My feeling is that more and more dioceses are abandoning this PCP-II program, particularly in making the promotion and organization of BECs a top priority in the ministry.
While the present Pope is more inclined to return to pre-Vatican II's values and practices, even to the point of redefining what poverty is, I hope that the Church of the Poor agenda continues to animate the Church leaders and the faithful in the Philippines.
I got a copy of your dissertation this month and I'm still reading it now. I also visited your web where BEC materials are available. I understand that you're busy with your ministry, but I think you need to update this web. I can't open some relevant reading materials you mentioned there.
God bless.
I wasn't kidding about my age. I will be 54 years old on October 6, 2008.
The number of dioceses that have adopted the BEC as a pastoral priority continue to increase. As of 2005 during the BEC national assemble, there were already over 75 dioceses. They continue to increase every year. The CBCP has set up a BEC national office that will help promote BECs all over the country. This is headed by Archbishop Quevedo. I help out as a resource person. Thanks for reminding me, I should update that website.
Hello Fr. Picx,
Good luck with the cycle around the Philippines of 4000km. That is an incredible cycle. In 1984, I cycled 300km from Dublin to Belfast and back the next day for peace. We were the only ones allowed to cross the border that day as there had been a bomb or bomb-scare... The beautiful thing is there is peace now in Ireland so it can and does happen. Thousands of people did the Dublin-Belfast cycle from both communities and it ran for a number of years. On a technical note, I was 16 years of age at the time, not 53. Your blog looks real interesting - we don't get much news here in Ireland from the Philippines.
We are not strangers by the way, I met you in 2003 when my cousin Tanya and I visited Davao to see our uncle Fr. Allen.
Good luck in your journey of a lifetime!
lingaw man kaayo imong bike practice dre. naa pa jud video.
good luck. uban mi sunod (hahaha)
along&bimbim
Fr. Picx,
Sa edad nyo father ay yakang yaka pa. Isa rin akong bike enthusiast noong araw, sa aking pagpasok nung ako ay nagtatrabaho pa sa Bigte, Norzagaray ay naka bike lang ako. Pangarap ko father na isang araw ay makasama ako sa inyong mga byahe na nagdudulot ng inspirasyon sa ating mga Filipino lalu lalu na ang mga kabataan. Mabuhay ka father.
GBU.
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