It was a year ago when I began blogging what seems to be a decision of a lifetime. From being a couch potato, I worked hard all year to live a relatively healthier lifestyle. I say "relatively" because there were so many times when I failed and gave into the temptation of McDonald's. Hehe.

The photo at the left was taken during a coverage at Bacolod. And on the right was taken today, January 1, 2013.

It was running that took most of my time this 2013 because it was a physical activity that demanded the least eye-hand coordination. It is also the most budget-friendly. My first pair of Adidas rubber shoes, which was a complete steal because I bought it on sale, lasted for a year.

Me and my running buddies joined several 5K races before moving into 10K. But after my 16.8K run with Adidas, I decided to push myself harder when I trained and joined a half marathon during the last leg of the Run Rio's Run United Philippine Marathon.

In the last quarter of the year, I also got into yoga. I attended several community yoga sessions with Teacher Chaya. Though classes were temporarily stopped, I continue to practice at home, and, at times, in the office with my colleagues.

I was 140 pounds when I started my Project Tikgirl blog. A year later, and, not to mention that I ate a lot over the holidays, I am now 133 pounds. To be honest, I was a bit disappointed because I expected that I would be losing more than seven pounds.

So the task this 2014 is to work and train harder. Happy new year and cheers to a healthier 2014! For now, task completed.

Days after I conquered my first half marathon race, it's still hard to believe how I managed to do it -- especially with little preparation I had. Just the other day, my running buddy Shiela posted on my Facebook wall a course map of the 21 K route and how she, too, could not believe how she managed to finish the race.

That's me before crossing the finish line

I finished my first 21 K run in 3 hours, 11 minutes. I don't think that's bad for a first timer, right? Here are some interesting facts I found at Runrio website. You can get the results of the third leg of the 2013 Run United Philippine Marathon here.

It's interesting to note that I was ahead of about 28 percent of men runners. That should count for something, right? Haha.

Shiela finished her first 21K race in 2 hours, 32 minutes. Now that's better! I'm sure that with more training she can finish the race in 2 hours.

Mike, or the self-proclaimed Project Tikboy, finished his first full marathon -- yes, that's 42 kilometers -- in 6 hours 15 minutes (chip time). I'm super proud of him! I know he can do a lot better next time because we swear to pour more time and dedication to our training in our next run.

Kudos also to Coach Rio and the rest of his team for the very very organized run. There's a reason why he is one of the most sought-after running event organizers. I saw it for myself in the two runs I participated under your Run Rio's watch. Woohoo!

Next year, I'm going to do a full marathon! For now, it's task completed.