Fatal foods, deadly delicacies.

I burn roughly 60 calories during every kilometer that I run. So let's say I've been following the general rule of 3 meals a day at 600 calories per meal, plus 2 snacks a day at 200 calories per snack, then I would have to jog nearly 37 kilometers to burn everything I ate that day. Of course this assumes that nothing else I did, burned any calories. But I suppose you get the drift: shedding off unwanted mass can be daunting.

What more if you were as I am, who can't resist a food trip?

The website thisiswhyyourefat.com encourages viewers to "submit your deliciously gross food" by uploading pictures of treats that do a good job of ending your hunger pangs but an even better one at ending your life all together. The photo above is of a Krispy Kreme Sloppy Joe--uh huh, ground beef, onions, and sweetened tomato sauce, not in a hamburger bun but in those famous glazed doughnuts. Hmm...I wonder how many kilometers I'd have to run to burn one of those. 

Meanwhile, here are more photos (and mind you, these are the tamer ones) from that website. Hungry, anyone?

DEEP FRIED BATTERED MARS BAR 

CHOCOLATE-COVERED BACON

BACON-WRAPPED MEATLOAF WITH A LAYER OF MAC & CHEESE

FRENCH FRY-ENCASED HOTDOG ON A STICK

CHOCOLATE-COATED CHEESECAKE ON A STICK

CORNDOG PIZZA

NO EXPLANATION REQUIRED

Running for my life

As a Christmas and birthday gift to myself, I purchased a new pair of running shoes, the new iPod nano, and a Nike + iPod sports kit, all to hopefully kick into high gear my attempt to run a marathon.

Ok, I'm not aiming that far. But I am aiming to lower my blood pressure along the way.  In truth, I started running more consistently again last year, but not at the level that I feel I should to keep away the meds. Then high school buddy John Alcordo told me he had lost 30 lbs running 3 to 4 times a week, and that he was setting a personal goal of 10K in 1 hour by the end of 2008. And so I picked up the pace.

What I love about my Nike + iPod is the data I receive after each run. All this time, I had thought that my usual route was a 5K distance. Not. Apparently more like 6.5K. And so I pushed further, going 7K, 2-3 times a week.  Last week, I started doing 8K. My time, close to 42 mins. My average pace, 5'15" per kilometer. Hmmm, maybe I should challenge John to a 10K run soon.

I guess you could say I am running for my life. I know I am not getting any younger, and that I have to repent for all the crispy pata, binagoongan, sisig, bagnet that my youth consumed. But more than that, I am running for my life because there are so many wrongs to make right, so many colleagues to learn from, so much family to love. I want to live longer to behold the successes of my nieces and nephews, to commiserate with my friends on their misfortunes, to absorb the kindness of strangers. One more pupil I could mentor, one more secret I could share, one more miracle I could witness, would certainly be worth one more kilometer on the road.