1142 Changing It Up

Jogging is starting to get "boring" for me. I'm struggling more to get out and jog every day, so instead of feeling down or getting upset at myself I decided to change things up today.

I did some kettlebell exercises instead of doing my 3 km jog. I was only able to do three sets of my kettlebell routine but my hamstrings were activated. I could feel the pain, and up to now they still sting a bit. I guess it comes with the workout I did.

Each set I did five reps each of kettlebell swings, goblet squats, Romanian deadlifts, kettlebell upright rows, two-handed kettlebell presses, two-handed hammer curls, and two-handed triceps extensions. At the end of the second set I could feel my hamstrings already. After each set I rested for a minute or so before doing the next set. All-in-all it took me ten minutes.

Now you may be thinking I should have done more, and I agree. However I don't want to risk hurting my hamstrings since I still have the rest of the day ahead and I need to work. So I'll probably stick to three sets and gradually increase the number.

Yes I'm changing my routine yet again. I'll most likely be doing MWF 5 km interval jogs and TTh kettlebell exercises, so similar to the routine I used to try to do. Hopefully now that I've been really active for the past three months I can be consistent with this.

So why did I lessen the jogs? Again, boredom. It was starting to become a chore to jog and I don't want to think negatively of exercise so I will change it up and hopefully the kettlebell exercises will also help strengthen my muscles.

Out.

1141 Twenty-Year-Old Blog

I just remembered that I started this blog twenty years ago today. March 22, 2005 was the date of my very first blog post and I started blogging because of a good friend, mentor, and former colleague. Rest in peace to Nelson, it was a pleasure to have met you, worked with you, and became your friend.

This blog has grown up as well, from a place to bitch and rant it evolved into something more censored and private, but still public.

Out.

1140: Classic Beetle Revisited

Yesterday I had a chat (online) with a good friend when I started rambling to him about a classic Super Beetle. It got me checking out the old links I had used as pegs and references for my dream Super Beetle build. I may have blogged about this before, but I am blogging about this again just so I can hopefully find these links a lot faster in the future.

Who knows, maybe when I look for these links I'll have the resources to do my dream Super Beetle build.

• Gerrelt's Garage. His aerodynamic mods on his Super Beetle are something I would love to have as well. A Kamei front spoiler and his custom made rear windshield mounted roof spoiler are two things I am definitely installing.
• The Salzburg Rally Beetle. This was my ideal build before, but thinking about it now maybe the best I will do to emulate it is the aesthetics. So either a silver body with black front and rear deck lids, or a different colored body with black and rear deck lids. Preferably high visibility colors like white, yellow, orange, or bright green. Ideally I'd also copy the performance mods done to real Salzburg Rally Beetles. And even better, they were all Super Beetles.
• Vintage Speed Taiwan. I've always been a fan of their Beetle roof racks and shifters. Pricey but I'm just dreaming anyway.
• Fuchs rims. These are my new dream rims for my Super Beetle build. Either that or the RS Watanabe 8-spoke rims.

That's it so far. I'm not even linking the aftermarket turnkey engines I was thinking off. I honestly doubt I can still get to experience this dream, so I'll just blog about it.

Out.

1139 - Jogging Plateau?

This March I started interval jogging for 5 laps (a little over 5 km). I've been able to do it but I've also noticed a few things about myself now that I'm doing 5 laps.

• My body needs rest. I tried doing my alternating 5 km interval, 3 km all jog routine I used to do with 4 km and 3 km distances. First week by the time Thursday arrived I was too tired physically and I was also feeling pain in my leg area so I decided to take that Thursday off.
• I tried to do 5 km interval, 3 km all jog, rest, 5 km interval, 3 km all jog for weekdays and I was able to do it successfully, but I honestly feel like that wasn't enough exercise. So much that I did a 5 km interval yesterday, Sunday.
• I'm going to try to spread out my rest days. Instead of doing it on Saturday and Sunday my plan is to now do 5 km Sunday, 3 km Monday, rest on Tuesday, 5 km Wednesday, 3 km Thursday, 5 km Friday, rest on Saturday. I started this already and will see if my body is still up for it come Friday.
• Overall I'm still able to interval jog my way to 5 km, and I wanted to try to jog farther yesterday but by the time I was approaching the house on my fifth lap I decided to just go home to rest. I should probably stick to my original plan of finishing one month doing 5 km and 3 km before moving to my next step which is hopefully being able to jog the whole 5 km. We shall see.
• I just hope this isn't a plateau, and I am hoping my body can adapt to the 5 km distance as the month goes by. If it doesn't I don't mind capping my exercise to a 5 km interval jog with a 3 km full jog. Then maybe I should start bringing back my kettlebell exercises on rest days.

We shall see.

Out.

1138 - Japan Surplus DA17 and Other Thoughts

I saw this Facebook reel a few days ago about a new style of left-hand drive conversion, and in it the guy mentions that they've also converted the signal light stalk to the left-hand drive position, which is the left of the steering column. So I guess I can safely assume that the wiper stalk is now in the right side of the steering column?

This is sort of amazing news on my end, since this was one of the reasons I had against owning a Japan surplus vehicle. I've also seen another local dealer of Japan surplus vehicles that has fixed the orientation of the wipers, so we're really getting closer and closer to a "true" left-hand drive Every Van.

And I will still stick to my idea of getting the base model DA17V and just upgrading from there. Yes I still want the auto-gear shift variant instead of the automatic variant. What I don't want is the variant with the auto-adjusting side mirrors since that most likely will be right-hand drive oriented. So just the basic side mirrors are enough. Power windows would be nice, specially since there are DA17 variants that have a top shelf for those with power windows.

So here we go again with my crazy wish list for a base DA17 Suzuki Every with AGS or automatic transmission.

• Left-hand drive orientation for signal light and wiper stalks.
• Convert to DA17W front and middle row seats. Meaning the "captain's chairs" second row seats for 60/40 (?) split folding instead of the bench seating.
• Add a ceiling mounted second row blower fan since the AC isn't that powerful.
• Add front fog lamps.
• Add a high quality front and rear dash cam, as well as a high quality rear back up camera.
• Install a roof rack and have it registered for roof rack usage. Also install a rear mounted ladder to reach the roof rack.

Those are the crucial mods I would want on a base model DA17V. Those will hopefully make it a bit more comfortable to ride and hopefully easier to drive around.

Out.

1137 - Car Camper Crazy Idea

I saw this youtube video being recommended on my feed, so I decided to give it a watch. Apparently the Toyota Aygo is mainly sold in Europe that's even smaller in dimensions than our Toyota Wigo. I wasn't able to finish the video, but I plan on watching it again soon. This did get me thinking again about car camping, with a slightly bigger base: the gen 2 (aka GE) Honda Jazz.

In terms of the interior I'd probably just have the second row seats fold flat, as well as the passenger seat. This will give me enough space on the passenger side to set up a sleeping platform. Behind the driver side I could probably go with a custom built camping box that can hold whatever I'd need for car camping. These would include a butane stove, cooking implements, rechargeable lights, and a drinking water container.

Add roof rails and a cargo box on the roof for other stuff, like clothes. Also a roof bicycle rack so I can bring my bike. We can change the suspension to adjustable coilovers and raise the ride height by maybe 3 to 5 centimeters, to offset the added weight and add better ground clearance should I take non-paved roads.

This seems like an ideal solo car camping setup, but then again I don't have the funds (yet?) to test my ideas out. Hopefully in the future.

Out.

1136: If I Could Have a Bicycle Collection

On the latest episode of Cade Media's The Wild Ones Cycling Podcast they covered a topic about having a bicycle collection. Now, I'm not as well-versed on bicycle years, models, makes, etc. However I do want to have a bike collection, but more a collection of bikes with different purposes. So here we go with my dream bike collection.

• Main bike. This would be the bike I'd use everyday If I could. This would most likely be that Ritchey Outback Break-away build I blogged about before. This would be my all-around all road bicycle. The main purpose of the bike is to be my main bike.
• Urban commute bike. This has to be a decent folding bike. Something I can use if I want to go around the city, then fold it and ride public transport. A Brompton isn't something I want since that seems way too expensive for an urban commuter. Maybe a heavily modified Tern bicycle or even some other cheaper brand.
• Cargo bike. Even though I said I disliked Surly as a brand because of how people seem to treat it as a "brand" that turned me off, I am a big fan of their Surly Big Dummy long tail cargo bike. I've blogged about this before, so this will be the bike I should use if I want to do the groceries or go to the wet market.
• Trainer bike. Zwift Ride with Kickr Core. Hopefully this training bike can make me ride longer at home. This is a fever dream since the unit itself is so expensive, add the monthly subscription to the app and that's it.

That's actually all the bikes I'd want. And to be honest since I rarely ride anymore I wouldn't mind just having one bike. The Ritchey Outback Break-away build.

Out.

1135: Random Car Musings

I will be posting in bullet points just to separate different ideas.

• My dad sold his Samurai, so there goes any dreams of restomods. Not that I had any funds anyway.
  
  
• I've been thinking about my old blog posts about two car garages, and I will still hold with my philosophy of one small daily driver and a slightly bigger number coding car/weekend road trip ride. Now though I'm starting to think going exclusive brands may be restricting my mindset.
  
  See, while I'm still a huge fan of the local Toyota brand, I would like to think that I'm open-minded enough to consider other brands. And while my top choices for a second car would all be Toyotas, the Suzuki Ertiga is starting to grow on me.
  
  Yes, if I could afford a second car it would be (in order) the Zenix Hybrid, a diesel Innova, or the top-of-the-line Avanza. All should be automatic transmission (since my wife's driver's license only allows her to drive automatics). I've been seeing quite a few Ertigas on the road, and strangely they look smaller than the Avanza. It probably has to do with their shape. Checking websites though reveals they're either the same size or slightly wider than the Avanzas. Which is probably good since I would still prefer Toyotas over Ertigas.
  
  Why not a Honda BRV or Mitsubishi Xpander then? Again, I still have huge faith in Toyotas. Plus in terms of affordability the Avanza is still the most affordable vehicle based off of Autodeal's website.
  
  
• Finally I saw a Dongfeng Nanobox electric vehicle yesterday. It looked nice, and the price seems to be pretty reasonable, below PhP900k. All these non-Japanese brand electric vehicles coming in to the local market at relatively reasonable prices have me thinking about owning one.
  
  One comment I read in a youtube review of the Nanobox had me thinking. The reviewer was talking about costs and basically just computed how much it would cost to fully charge the Nanobox vs how much a full tank of gas would cost for a similar vehicle. Of course the EV would win the costing hands down. I think it was PhP300++ for a full charge versus PhP1800 for a full tank of around 30L. However the comment mentioned that it might be better to include the cost of a replacement battery in the computation since you will need to change the battery of an EV eventually.

Anyway, it's not like I can afford an EV, or even a second car. So for now it'll all be musings.

Out.

1134 - End of February Fitness Updates

I've increased the distance of my morning jogs this February. My original goal was to do four laps, a little over 4 km, everyday. First week I did this something felt wrong on my Friday jog. I felt some pain on my (surprise, surprise?) right leg. So I cut my jog off at 3 laps.

After that week I just decided to do four laps for MWF and three laps for TTh. This will hopefully give me some time to "rest and recover" from my morning jogs. And it appears to be working.

The only time I didn't complete a morning jog was when I had to go out of the house for some work-related errands. And there was also yesterday, when I really wasn't feeling it so I just did two laps.

Speaking of feeling it, I've decided to try to do TTh as all jog instead of intervals. I had managed to do that this week, except for yesterday and only doing two laps.

So far I think my body is gradually adjusting to these changes I've been doing. I've noticed my average heart rate is getting lower during my jogs when my pace is around 8:30 min / km and above. Anything in the 8:20 min / km is where my previous average HR was. So I guess I'm starting to hopefully get better stamina.

Out.

[1133] New Restomod Idea

I keep thinking about the Suzuki Carry restomod that I didn't realize that there was another restomod opportunity staring me in the face. The Suzuki Samurai.

For context, my dad does have a Suzuki Samurai that is in dire need of restoration (or it needs to be sold from what he said). Anyway why focus on looking for a relatively really small car that will need surplus parts for the restomod when I can probably just dream about restoring and modifying my dad's Samurai?

To begin with, the base will be the Samurai. It's still a relatively small, narrow car. It's a long-wheelbase variant so it is around 4 meters long, but aside from that it's a pretty narrow vehicle. So what's my plan?

Well what I can say is that an engine swap is still my main idea. The current Suzuki Jimny, Suzuki Ertiga, and Suzuki Carry being sold here use the K15B engine and I guess that should be a good power plant for the Samurai. Then swap to an automatic transmission from the current Jimny. Maybe include the wiring harness, AC, as well as the brakes from the new Jimny.

So basically a Suzuki Samurai body with Suzuki Jimny internals. It's crazy and will most likely be expensive. But it would be so cool.

Then upgrade the sound system and lights, and a rear LED chase light bar, nicer rims but keep the tires as road tires and keep a set of all-terrain tires.

Out.

[1132] Car Ownership

I have no idea if the technology has just gotten so complicated or advanced, but it seems like it's probably safer to have your new cars serviced in authorized service centers.

My dad recently sent me a youtube video about some important things to consider when owning a Toyota Raize. I watched it and I realized it would be more practical to just continue maintenance in the service center even after the warranties and other stuff are done.

This is not a knock against service stations, or maybe I'm just being paranoid. I just think the more practical solution is to have experts maintain and repair the car than trying out independent service centers. This doesn't mean bad things may happen to the car in the authorized service center, but hopefully these bad things are less likely to occur. We shall see.

Another thing I thought about while watching the video is that it seems to me that these new cars are built to have an "expiration date" that basically means you should probably try to sell them after x number of years and buy a new car. I guess everything is disposable nowadays.

Out.

[1131] Travel

I've recently been watching a lot of local travel vlogs on Youtube. I guess it's one way I try to escape, by living life through someone else's point-of-view. The videos I've watched did get me thinking though.

Honestly I want to travel locally without flying. I want to try riding boats to Bacolod, busses to Ilocos, and maybe even busses to Iloilo. The only problem is no one wants to try it with me.

Sure I could do it solo, but being the introvert I am I honestly feel like that wouldn't be very healthy for me. I've travelled alone by plane, but that's different. That took at most, including waiting in the airport, around five-to-six hours, specifically when I went solo to Iloilo. And that trip was partly "business-related."

I want to try travelling to other places in the Philippines for a vacation, with the travel as part of the activity. Bus, boat, train, I'm game if you are. I'd even be willing to do a road trip if the person I'm travelling with can also drive and is willing to share expenses.

The biggest problem with a road trip is that we'd need a capable, practical vehicle. And that is something I don't have. Hopefully whoever will go with me has a capable, practical vehicle. Capable meaning ideally not a car so it can navigate bad and bumpy roads. Practical meaning fuel-efficient, reliable, and small enough to maneuver around tight provincial town roads.

Out.

[1130] Fitness Motivation and Pacing

I recently saw this IG reel from Hybrid Calisthenics and it talks a bit about two motivation types, intrinsic and extrinsic. He also mentions that intrinsic is the more effective way, adding that doing too much or too little may cause someone to feel frustrated or bored. This was about exercise.

This reel resonated with me because I realized how true it is when it came to me and jogging. I realized I would be more successful with achieving my targets in jogging when I did things "my way." My way meaning I would do my research, do my own program, and do my own pace. So yes while it took me a month of interval jogging 3 km x 5 days a week before increasing it to 4 km x 5 days a week, I never felt deflated or tired of doing that target.

Full disclosure though, I "failed" my first week of 4 km x 5 days. I was experiencing pain on my right leg on the fifth day and only did 3 km. So this February instead of doing 4 km x 5 days what I've decided to do is alternating 4 km and 3 km days. Hopefully this will give my body a little bit of rest and recovery so I can hopefully increase to 5 km and 3 km days by March.

Yes I just adjusted my targets. I thought I could do 4 km for February then 5 km by March before stopping intervals. For now I think I'll try 4 km and 3 km for this month and 5 km and 3 km next month. If I can do that regularly then by April hopefully I can try 5 km intervals and 3 km full jogs. We shall see.

Out.

[1129] Suzuki Carry Restomod Crazy Thoughts

I just realized that the Suzuki Carry being locally sold here uses the 1.5L engine being used in the Suzuki Ertiga. I'm guessing this means it'll be a tight squeeze to try to swap that engine to one of the old, locally sold Suzuki Carrys (Carries? What's the correct plural for this car?).

So we go back to my really crazy idea of just buying a Japan surplus DA-17V Suzuki Every Van's engine, brakes, and transmission to the older Suzuki Carry. I'm pretty sure it'll be easier to mount a 660cc RO6A kei car engine to the engine bay of the old Carry that most likely used a F10A 1.0L engine.

Then just swap the current transmission in so that we can have either a fully automatic transmission or the auto-gear shift transmission. As for the brakes, whatever calipers have more readily available pads and rotors in the local market will be the higher priority.

I guess one concern for the engine swap is that the Suzuki Every Van has space in the front for the radiator, brake fluid reserves, and coolant reserves. I'm not sure if the classic Carry has space for those. But then again, that's why this is a crazy restomod idea.

So to reiterate, find a locally sold Suzuki Carry/Super Carry and use it as the base. Engine, transmission, wiring harness, etc swap with a DA17V Japan surplus Suzuki Every. Modify to my tastes, and hopefully get to drive it around.

The only problem now is money.

Out.

[1128] Exercise Update

For most weekdays in January I did an interval jog for three laps a day. A lap is a little over 1 km where I do my jogs.

Wait, interval jog? Yes, a friend of mine told me some people do interval jogs to train. What I basically do is jog for 3 minutes, walk 1 minute, then repeat until I'm done with my morning exercise.

So again, most weekdays I would do this. It's been three weeks, actually. Starting this February I increased the distance to 4 laps, which is over 4 km.

I'm most likely sticking to interval jogging for now. I plan on increasing my distance to 5 laps come March, and hopefully by April I can drop the interval part of the jog. We shall see.

I've noticed some changes to my body since I started doing this. The biggest one is with my heart rate during exercising. My smart watch is a Tozo S3, a gift from my mom. Anyway, when I started doing this morning weekday system the duration of my aerobic and anaerobic heart zones was almost similar. I spent about equal parts in both heart rate zones. Note that these are the names of the zones when I check my information in the Tozo Health app.

Now I'm spending more time in my aerobic zone and less time in the anaerobic zone despite maintaining my pace of around 8:50 minutes per kilometer. I guess this means that my body is adjusting to the workload and it's less of an effort to power my jog.

Now I'm not sure if my understanding is correct but this aerobic zone could also be the "mythical zone 2" heart rate zone that I used to obsess over when I started getting interested in riding bikes again.

Who would have thought that I'd be able to train myself in this zone doing jogging of all things? I just hope I can maintain consistency with this and keep this up and eventually do 5 lap jogs every weekday mornings.

Out.

[1127] February 2025

And just like that, January is over. Sure some people have said it feels like a year has passed since the new year started, but for me it feels like a blur.

We're already in month two of 2025. Pacing is crucial, as well as a good perspective, to do well this year.

I hope this self-awareness and growth I am experiencing continues to trend in a positive direction.

Out.

Update on Self-Help Podcasts

This month I blogged about subscribing to a few self-help podcasts. This is an update.

I unsubscribed to one of them because one of the episodes I listened to turned me off too much from paying attention to the podcast. They interviewed a man who's trying to become immortal and reverse the ageing process.

At first it was interesting but when the guy starting getting into "finding out before conception" the best traits for your child it quickly turned me off. That sounds inhumane for me. Having a child is amazing and if you can choose to have it as healthy as possible is something nice, but the way he described it made it seem like you're just breeding for the sake of creating a perfect creature.

The other podcast I still listen to and download almost all episodes. That podcast is giving me a lot of new perspective on life that I hope can stick with me on my journey to be a better person.

Out.

[1125] Suzuki Super Carry Restomod Thoughts (Yet Again)

I just realized I've been thinking about swapping a Japan surplus DA17 engine and transmissions to a 1990s locally sold Suzuki Super Carry. What I didn't think about was the current locally sold Suzuki Carry.

Not purchasing one. Swapping all possible components of a current Carry into the body of an older Suzuki Carry. For context, they don't sell a minivan version of the Suzuki Carry anymore. I'm guessing this is because of poor sales or whatever. Most Filipinos think bigger is better so there are a lot of SUVs and massive pick ups plying the streets.

So would it be possible to do this? I don't know. The current Carry has a 1.5L engine based on the brochure. Then all models sold here are manual.

While I do know how to drive stick, I'd much prefer scooting around (as if there was no traffic in Metro Manila) on an automatic transmission. I'm pretty sure there's a way to do an automatic transmission swap but again, I honestly have no clue how to register a heavily restomodded car legally.

I imagine though that this would be a more practical solution to my restomod idea. Suzuki Carrys are locally sold so parts should be easier to find here. The only problems I have now are where to find the money for this and where to find a great builder for this crazy idea.

Out.

[1124] Suzuki Carry Restomod Thoughts

I recently checked Facebook Marketplace for possibly locally sold Suzuki Carry models. I saw one or two that might have been sold locally because of the plate number and the year model. And surprisingly they are being sold cheaper than some beater, project car Volkswagen Classic Beetles that I also saw in FB Marketplace.

So what does this mean? Nothing. I have no spare cash nor resources and know-how to do a restomod. I still wish I could though. My idea last year still stands. Find decent DA17 engine and transmission being sold, and transfer it to a local Suzuki Carry. If the brakes, AC, and electricals can be upgraded then do it as well.

The engine and the transmission are the most crucial things, I would think, for a successful restomod. It'll be the heart of the van, and a modern, fuel-injected engine with possibly an auto-gear shift or automatic transmission built for that modern engine might just be good enough to power an older model Suzuki Carry at both reasonable speeds and with good fuel efficiency.

All I need now is a huge amount of money, some contacts to help me out, and a shop willing to take on this challenge.

Easier said than done.

Out.

[1123] Self-Help / Motivation Podcasts

I recently subscribed to two podcasts, On Purpose with Jay Shetty, and The Mindset Mentor. These are totally different from the usual podcasts I subscribe to, which are more related to my interests.

At my age I think my perspective has shifted and I am more open to listening to these podcasts in the hope that I gain some useful insight from them. So far I have, now my issue is how do I implement them in my life and integrate them consistently.

Honestly there might just be a chance that I forget most of the stuff I listen to, but hopefully the information I get is enough that it starts a slow change within me so I can be an even better human being.

Out.

[1122] Resolutions

I don't have any resolutions for 2025. I stopped listing them before.

Change is continuous and should not depend on the changing of the year. I am on a constant journey to try to improve myself as a human being, a father, a husband, a friend, a relative, an in-law, and a professional in my field. And other facets of life that I may have forgotten to type. Basically I am constantly trying to improve myself, period.

As for goals, well health is still my number one goal. New mechanical weighing scale made me weigh more but that just shows me that the journey is challenging but not impossible. I've lost weight before, I can do it again.

I need to be consistent with my exercise. I know many people who have taken up running and are now jogging farther, faster, and longer than me. Comparison is the thief of joy yes, but I do know I need to push myself here because I do need to lose weight and I do need to improve my fitness more as I enter my mid-40s. Technically I'm already in my mid-40s but I'm slowly getting to my late 40s and I would rather be fit, flexible, independent, and still relatively strong when I reach that age.

So basically I still have my goals that haven't changed and don't have a deadline. I just need to keep getting better, healthier, and hopefully happier.

Out.

[1121] My Daughter

My daughter is growing up, and growing up fast. She's in her teenage years already.

I just found out earlier that her batch at school is organizing an interaction (or to use a term we used when I was in high school, a soiree) with an all-boy school. For context my daughter is studying in an all-girl school. Yes, those are still a thing here in the Philippines.

Anyway my wife and I gave her our blessing to attend. This will be the first event she'll be going that begins in the evening. It's a bit worrying for me since I can honestly say I'm a pretty overprotective parent.

So we'll see what happens when this event happens. It's an informal event that isn't sanctioned by the school, as far as I know. So we'll see.

Out.

[1120] 2025

It's a new year, and looking at myself I still have much to change and improve to become an even better person than I am now.

I'd rather not deep dive in this blog, since posts here are public. I do know it's a challenge to change and be consistent with the change. I am my own worst enemy but I am also taking the steps I need to better myself.

So happy new year, I hope for the best for everyone.

Out.