Life Begins at 40

CEBU, Philippines -  Life begins at 40. Figuratively speaking, it means when you turn 40 years old, you can feel the wear and tear of your body, thus, you will have to start taking medication for your heart, sugar, cholesterol, liver etc. But for Ms. Rhoda Caballero Oporto, her life began at 40 years old the other way around as she is now the Ultra Marathon Queen of Cebu. She finished first in the women’s division and 4th in the overall standings during the WEST Coast 200km race held last November 1-3. The lung-busting race covered the route from Subic, Zambales to Alaminos, Pangasinan. She finished the race with an incredible time of 36hrs and 53 minutes. She also completed with flying colors and won first place the  Speedo50 50km last October, Antique 160km last September, 1st KMK 100km last May,  6th overall in the Bataan Death March BDM 102KM last March, and in the recent Milo Cebu elimination race, she landed at third race, even beating runners half her age. I have had a chance to chat with Ms. Rhoda last weekend and she kindly shared some of her secrets.      

Ms. Rhoda started running at 39 years old, on February 13, 2011 to be specific via the SM to SM 6km run. At first, it was out of curiosity and envy considering that most of her friends are into running. He eventually joined runs regularly, almost twice a month but at short distance only. “wala gyud koy proper training ato,” she said. In the summer of 2011, she joined the Runner Academy, a running clinic conducted in Ayala. That inspired her to take up running seriously because of stories from veteran runners, physical educators and therapists, and fellow beginners as well. She started training and eventually joined the full marathon. She’s now into ultra races to further test her limits. Incidentally, Ms. Rhoda is one of the pioneering participants of the METAFIT Boot Camp two years ago. She is a true testament that you can always change.  And it is never too late to start a new beginning for the betterment of one’s life.     

For you to enjoy your life at the fourth decade, start early. On your 30th birthday, pick up a sport. It may be swimming, biking, running, badminton, football or dancing. With just a little as two weeks, this will turn into a habit.  Eat healthy, or eat and drink in moderation. Avoid deep fried foods, colored drinks and alcohol. Start now! Remember If you quit now, you will soon be back where you started. And when you start, you would be desperately wishing where you are now.

PACQUIAO’S LEGACY

This Sunday, streets all over the Philippines will once again be deserted and  crime rate will drastically go down as our ‘Pambansang Kamao’ Manny Pacquiao steps in the ring to face a much bigger and younger opponent in Chris Algerie at The Venetian in Macau. Pacquiao is heading towards the end of his boxing career and I don’t know what motivation he has except for the prize money. Pacman has already cemented his name in the world of boxing by winning the belt in eight different weight divisions and beating the lights out of boxing greats like Marco Antonio Barrera, Juan Manuel Marquez, Erik Morales, Shane Mosley, Ricky Hatton, Miguel Cotto, and even bigger fighters like Antonio Margarito and Oscar de la Hoya.

For me, Pacquiao must retire after this fight, win or lose. He has no more  point to prove at this stage. My fearless forecast though is Pacman by knockout on or before the sixth round. In the event the fight goes the full distance, it’s still Pacquiao by decision. For Algeiri to win, he must be aggressive right from the start and go for a knockout between the third and fourth round. This will be a must win for Pacman, for him to retire in a winning note. Go Pacman, Go Manny, Laban Pilipinas! (FREEMAN)