RACE DAY: Cebu City Marathon 2026

I'm in week 10 (out of 16) of my Half Marathon training and below is a quick summary of what happened. The longer version is HERE.

• Trained while still healing and still very aware that my body has limits and opinions
• Mixed road runs and treadmill runs (treadmill saved my knees)
• “Easy runs” that were sometimes easy, sometimes not
• Tempo runs that never felt easy
• Long runs slowly building up to 16–17km, with walking breaks
• Strength training I actually enjoyed. Pilates and yoga.. attended inconsistently
• Right knee acting up early on
• Fueled mostly by bananas, Pocari, coffee, and vibes
• Training squeezed in between work, family time, trips home, basketball games, and real life
• Learned that showing up slightly tired still counts

Anyway, as a sort of practice ( B Race), I ran the Cebu City Marathon yesterday.

My first half marathon. And yes, I’m very proud of myself.

Quick throwback: 

I had a stroke last year. My left side took a hit. I worked hard for my health! This run is about me checking in with myself and seeing what my body could do NOW.

I was originally going to try for a sub-2:30. Then I got my period the day before the race. So I changed the plan. I slowed down, listened to my body, and decided to just.. run.

And honestly? I enjoyed the whole thing.

The first part felt manageable. Then KM 17 happened, CCLEX climb! Naglisngag2 jud ang akong ilong! I walked a little over a kilometer, waited it out, then ran the rest of the way to 21K. Conquering CCLEX is officially on my personal brag list.

Update: here's the official results! I can't believe I cracked Top 500 Women! Not bad for someone who was relearning how to move months ago!

Huge thanks to my husband, who has supported me through all of this without question, and to my cousin Titi for showing up on race day. That mattered more than you think.

About the Cebu City Marathon 2026 issues. Yes, they’re TRUE. I got my medal (some didn’t). I won’t get into it, but unless the organizers change, I won’t be signing up again. Still, big thanks to the hydration station crews, hype people, photographers, police, and medics. You're all solid!

Here’s a quick video of pretty much everything that happened.

And now, I rest. Then I continue my training tomorrow! 

'Til next blog! 💛

August Dump

Our August in pics/vids-at least most of it.

Showing off a milestone because on this day, Aug 3, I finally reached the point where my left hand is strong enough to touch my left foot, and hold the stretch! 

Pre-run fuel. The matcha was the worst. I mean, you can tell just by the color. I love saba!

Home is 💛!

Aug 9 - Ninang Sheena 

Aug 9 - This party rocks!

Aug 9 - we had so much fun at this souvenir booth!

Aug 15 - loved seeing my STA Flippers ’00 classmates on Zoom!

Aug 16 - Sachi. Their ramen is super yum! 

hubby's

like Takoyaki but flat and bigger

mine - I just ate half because the broth was so fatty. I brought the rest home and had it as my snack before the long run the next day.

loves et!

Happy dance after finishing my longest run at this point, 9k!

It was EASY!

I tried Manuka Wellness’ Oxybloom facial on promo. Regular price? 14,000 per session. Ummm… no, thanks! But it felt amazing, and my skin was glowing afterward. Maybe my fine lines got even finer?! I loved the facial scan and was flattered that, at my age, my fine lines are just on my forehead, years of religiously following a ‘hidhid’ routine paying off!

From my FB memories, one of my favorite pics ever! Inday Irene and I were having a blast during our dual birthday celebration with our girlfriends. I loved my Project Pink girls, and I miss them!

Aug 21 -My husband and I spotted Olsen Racela while watching the Cebu City Inter-Collegiate Basketball Tournament, and we also saw Rommel Adducul! We looooove catching high school and college basketball games, and we’re super excited for the 2025 CESAFI!

Aug 23 - I love dress-down Fridays! My 20s-30s self would totally laugh if she saw me now (my old blog: xinalia.blogspot.com)! 😁

Aug 29 - Monthly check-up: I passed with flying colors! My doctor even took me off my priciest medicine. WALLETS ARE HAPPY! Anyway, the waiting was real. We had to catch our spot on her ‘list’ early in the morning, and she usually shows up around 5-6 PM. So we napped whenever we could… snoring and all! Hahahahhha

I love this man so much! 💛

Aug 31. MY FIRST EVER 10K!!! I couldn’t be prouder of myself! This was what I was training for before my stroke (Training for a 10K with My Watch’s Plan). I was so down when I had to pause running because I couldn’t move my left leg. And now, and I rarely say this, but LOOK AT ME!!! The truth is, it felt easy! I wasn’t tired, I was singing, I was having a blast! That’s why I love running. It gives me a feeling no other exercise has. I’m also amazed at how my body has recovered. Thank you, Lord!

Too sweet! I just took a sip.

8:12/km at 143bpm??? ARE YOU EFFING KIDDING ME??? #proudtetta

After my long run, my husband and I went to our favorite cafe in Balamban (Cafescape, and man, IT WAS COLD! I loooove our weekend motorcycle rides. It’s therapy for my husband and pure relaxation for me. The food was yummmmm!

Thank you sa pitik!

Thank you sa pitik!

Thank you sa pitik!

hers and his

tweetweet's

mine! This is super duper yummeh - ciabatta, grilled chicken, pesto, cheese, tomatoes. I just ate half the sandwhich, about 5 pcs of chips, and the coleslaw.

August was a perfect blend of chill and fun. (No longer fat) fingers crossed September keeps the streak going! 

Thanks for reading. 'Til next blog! 💛

Chapter 42 (A Birthday Blog)

 How do you celebrate a birthday when you know you almost didn’t get here?

Right now, there’s about half an hour left before my birthday ends. My head is crowded with thoughts, and I’m not sure which ones to share first. This birthday isn’t just another candle on the cake. It’s a reminder that I fought hard to be here.

And here’s the part I can’t sugarcoat, the stroke I had was my fault. My lifestyle, my choices, my “I’ll be fine” attitude. All of it played a part. Admitting that stings, but it’s also what keeps me moving now.

I woke up at 12:45 a.m., realizing I’m 42. I’ve made it. While lying, I heard the rain outside and thought, “Please let it stop.” I had a 7.5 km run scheduled, and I didn’t want the weather to cancel it. By morning, the skies cleared, and we went to my favorite running ground in Ayala. I ran the full 7.5 km and walked another 1.5 km to cool down. Since I’m signed up for a 9 km race at the end of the month, I wanted to feel that distance on my legs. The verdict: VERY DOABLE!

After the run, we had breakfast at Bentang’s, because Sundays without their pancit feel incomplete. Then it was straight to Mass. The Gospel hit me hard. It was about selfishness and what happens when you only think of yourself. The priest spoke from his own experiences instead of taking jabs at others, which I loved. Somewhere during that Mass, my husband and I decided Sunday Mass should be part of our tradition again. We used to go every week, then laziness crept in. 

7.5k run and 1.5k walk after...

I signed up for Runna. I love it! It has everything-yoga, pilates, strength, mobility, pre and post run stretching. AND, their customer service is so responsive!

Bentang's pancit is a favee!!

From church, we went to SM city for my birthday buffet at Vikings. It’s tradition (buy-one-get-one promo for birthdays) and we’ve been doing it since 2017. The food’s definitely improved since last November (new chef, apparently). I avoided the dumplings because they still felt like chewy stress balls, but everything else was so good. I loaded my plate with salad, drank only infused water (okay, and one tiny sip of Sprite), and skipped rice and fried food entirely. My husband, now my unofficial “food police”, was quietly inspecting everything I ate. This is the same man who used to bring me random greasy food from the office, buy me cakes for no reason, and supported my “eat now, think later” habit. Times have changed, and I’m grateful.

We had planned to watch a movie after lunch, but we were so sleepy from waking up early that we went for a massage instead. I don’t remember half of it because I slept through the whole thing. Then it was home, and more sleeping. Here's a quick vid:

My birthday weekend started yesterday. My husband and I went to Zane's 1st birthday and Zach's  christening, where I was a ninang. They're both Janjan and Binbin’s son. Janjan is my husband's childhood friend.  I hadn’t slept since my night shift, so the trip to the church left me weak. Heat and exhaustion tend to lower my voice, and I felt it again that day. We still stayed for a while, enjoyed catching up with my husband’s friends who truly feel like family, and laughed watching him dance during the party. Thanks, langlang, for saying yes to sharing this video because it’s too funny not to!

children's parties are soooo fun!

So... how do you celebrate when you know you almost didn’t get here?

You celebrate with purpose. You run four times a week, you do Pilates (even if the side planks on the left side still feel like an Olympic event), yoga twice a week (and yes, I can now do a side stand on the left side! Progress!), and strength training once a week. You pass on fried food not because you’re vain, but because you’re fighting for your life.

Because I want to grow old with my husband and make fun of his wrinkly face
Because I don’t want my mama to lose me so soon
Because I want to be there for my nieces and nephew and see them grow old
Because I want to grow old with my siblings (laughing at the same dumb jokes)
Because I want to teach, lead, and train more people
Because I want to travel until my passport can’t keep up

Because I don’t want to lose me so soon

I still have fears, especially about food and health, but those fears keep me careful. My faith in God is what anchors me. I know I’m still here because of Him, and I’m choosing to make that mean something. 'Til next blog! 💛

September Recap

September just came to a close, and I couldn't be happier about it. I've always followed my annual horoscope, and last year, I knew September was going to be shitty for me, but it turned out to be even worse than expected. I felt a bit burnt out at work, which was terrible timing since I had so much on my plate! Normally, I'm used to working nonstop from 8 to 5, but this was a whole different level of exhaustion. To make matters worse, I had to tackle all the tasks on my to-do list from the end of August because that's when everything started to go awry. You can definitely tell this Tetta (auntie) is feeling pretty worn out! As I said, I'm so relieved it's over. Now, I'm ready to embrace October with open arms. There's always a sense of relief when a new month begins, a fresh start. I've managed to catch up on things I was supposed to do last month, and I'm giving myself a pat on the back for that. Also, just to clarify, I work for a company and have a boss who truly respects work-life balance, so I haven't had any take-home work.

Obviously, I haven't had much time to blog lately. What I've been doing during my free time is spending quality moments with my husband. I also juggle running, walking, and Zumba sessions with my neighbors every Tuesday and Thursday. So, consider this a laid-back update where I'm just sharing some of the photos I've taken. By the way, my new phone is AMAZING, and I now weigh 70 kg (I've lost 4 kg)! So, despite everything, I still feel incredibly blessed. I've always been lucky and grateful. Speaking of blessings, MY HUSBAND IS THE BEST. Seriously, I don't know what I'd do without him! 

Okay, here are some pics and videos I captured last month.

RANDOM PICS:

I absolutely loved this, but I'm glad it's finally gone! It was the downfall of my diet!

The entrance to the neighborhood. Nice, right?

We don't eat carbs! 🤣

Time to put these back into their boxes! Do you guys also do that?

My Zumba ladies! Look, if I can be even half as vibrant as these women when I reach their age, I’ll be happy!

RIDE TO BALAMBAN (Zero Visibility):

Look at that happy face! He's thrilled he got the Zero Visibility stuff.

With our cousin, Tit. We had to snap this picture as proof that we took this route to Balamban.

Here we are! 12 years together with my bestest friend! Look at that fog..

TOPS:

We went there at around 3am so imagine looking at the city lights, with the cool breeze, no crowd, and with the Tweetweet! One of the best!

Not really the best photo but this shows my jawline. Enough said! 😁

Alright! That's all for today. 'Til next blog! 💛

Review: Seargao Seaview Cafe

Yesterday, my husband and I went to short drive to Argao for the christening of Amor and Ian’s adorable daughter, Pau-pau. Ian is one of my husband’s closest friends from college, and every time they reconnect, it’s like watching him light up with memories and joy. I always enjoy these moments when he gets to reminisce about his past, it’s like seeing a different side of him, full of youthful energy. Also, it doesn't hurt that Amor and Ian’s girls were beyond adorable. Aberdeen, their older daughter, was glued to her phone. I honestly couldn’t stop smiling at how seriously she was into it. Oh, and the food? DELISH. Filipino parties always know how to hit the spot.

Fast forward to the drive home, and we were both feeling the post-lunch sleepies so we needed a caffeine fix ASAP. Enter Seargao Seaview Café, a total accidental discovery that turned into a highlight of our day. We rolled in expecting a quick coffee, but wow, did we luck out!  Surrounded by lush trees and overlooking the sea, it was exactly what we needed for a quick break. We chose to sit outside, close to nature, where the soft breeze and the scent of the ocean and leaves made the experience even more peaceful. It was total zen vibes.

Here’s my review:

The Place: 10/10
Green, clean, and silent. What more could you want?

The Service: 10/10
The waiter deserves an award. I casually mentioned I was parched, and the dude brought me an entire pitcher of water. Like, yes please! Talk about above-and-beyond service.

The Drinks: 10/10
We had Mango Graham Shake, Iced Tea, and Caramel Macchiato that had a surprise touch of cinnamon (which I looovee on coffee). All were delish. I may or may not have been eyeing their food menu, and trust me, we are coming back for that!

Here are our pics (warning, there's a lot!)

So what started as a quick trip for a christening turned into a day full of adorable kiddos, amazing food, and a new favorite café by the sea. It’s days like this that remind me how much fun it is to just go with the flow and that coffee by the ocean with the hubs is the best kind of reset. 

'Til next blog! 💛