I have been running here and there but it was just Sunday when I decided to officially join the Avon Kiss Goodbye to Breast Cancer Run. It was hard to wake up before 4 am and get ready for event.

My good friend, Roselle, promised to pace me all through out the entire distance. We started at the back of the pack, just maintaining a nice steady pace.  Knowing that this is my first run, in xx months, she kept checking on me if I need a water or a walk break.  But I guess, the training I had the previous weeks paid off. We passed by all six u-turns, several water stations and still on the same pace when we started. I was happy to see and share the road with people I know, though only a few of them,  in the running community.

We were done in 1 hour and 12 minutes. No walk breaks. Nice steady pace all through out. Good weather. It was such a nice come back race for me. Thank you to new friends in Avon for giving me a bib, to replace the missing one, for me to join the race.

Congratulations to Avon and race director Rudy Biscocho for putting on a wonderful event that raised funds to fight against breast cancer in the country!

with Noelle, Ada Cruz-Lopez of Avon and  Roselle

with Race Director Rudy B, Vener and Roselle

Meanwhile…

Breast cancer has overtaken lung cancer as the most prevalent form of cancer in the Philippines.  However, several studies have shown that there are ways to decrease breast cancer risk even in high-risk women.  Some points here (sourced from Mayo Clinic and Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center), as a reminder, towards a healthy lifestyle:

1. Control weight. Eating a healthy diet will help you maintain a healthy weight and may decrease your risk of other types of cancer, as well as diabetes, heart disease and stroke.

2. Stay physically active.Research suggests that increased physical activity, even when begun later in life, reduces overall breast-cancer risk by about 10 percent to 30 percent. All it takes is moderate exercise like a 30-minute walk five days a week to get this protective effect.

2. Breastfeed for as long as possible. The longer you breast-feed, the greater the protective effect. 

3. Limit alcohol intake. Women (and men) should limit intake to no more than one drink per day, regardless of the type of alcohol (beer, wine or liquor).

4. Do not smoke. Accumulating evidence suggests a link between smoking and breast cancer risk, particularly in premenopausal women. Not smoking is also one of the best things you can do for your overall health.

Indeed, An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!