What is your secret to looking fabulous?
Being healthy is more important and I believe in consistency, in doing a daily run or any physical activity that elevates the heart rate to the aerobic zone for 30 minutes.
I also believe sufficient sleep and rest, and eating home-cooked meals as much as possible, can lead to good health and looking fabulous.
Has there ever been a time when you were not fit and fab?
Yes, during university, when I was focused mostly on my studies and socialising, and did not invest enough time to exercise consistently.
What is your diet like?
I eat a balanced meal of lean meats, rice and vegetables or salad for dinner, mostly prepared at home. I eat a light breakfast of toast with homemade jam, bananas, coffee and juice.
I typically have lunch with colleagues at a Thai restaurant that is a five-minute walk from our office.
What are your indulgences?
I have a sweet tooth and indulge in chocolate and strawberry ice cream.
How do you maintain a healthy work-life balance?
Doing my training run in the morning before work, focusing at work and spending time with my wife and dog bring joy and fulfilment to my life.
What are the three most important things in your life?
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Bio Box
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GIL MADRID
AGE: 55
HEIGHT: 1.69m
WEIGHT: 60kg
In addition to being passionate about basketball, tennis and golf, Mr Madrid runs about 70km a week with his five-year-old Maltese poodle Jack pushed in a pram. He mostly runs in the morning before work.
He covers 10km in about 60 minutes, running a loop around Gardens by the Bay. He lives nearby in Tanjong Rhu.
"My runs are done very comfortably at my aerobic heart rate zone, averaging about 130 beats a minute, as measured and monitored by my smartwatch," says Mr Madrid, who was born in Manila and grew up in New York.
Every Saturday morning, he takes the pace up a notch with a fast 5km run while pushing Jack in the pram at Bishan Park, finishing it in 20 minutes or less.
He is also the run director of Bishan Park's parkrun, which organises free, weekly 5km timed runs in East Coast Park, West Coast Park, Bishan Park and Bedok Reservoir Park.
Mr Madrid also competes in races such as the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon, Asics Marathon Relay and Garmin The Performance Series runs.
Mr Madrid, who is the head of sales in Singapore-based financial technology company Call Levels, loves running because of its "simplicity and elegance".
"For me, running is both a casual and competitive activity, depending on the situation. Because running is pretty much an individual sport, I can go for a run at any time and anywhere by myself or with Jack."
"I just need a good pair of running shoes, shorts and T-shirt and off I go. Most of all, running allows me to stay fit and healthy even at age 55," he says.
Mr Madrid is married to Ms Jill Park, 49, a regional director at property consultancy company JLL. He has been living in Singapore since 2010 and recently became a Singapore citizen. The couple have no children.
Family, health and career.
What is your favourite and least favourite part of your body?
My legs that power my daily runs and races are my favourite body part.
My least favourite are my toe nails that have become black or fallen off due to the 70km to 100km I cover in my training runs each week.
What are your must-dos before and after a workout?
Relax and start the training run slow, then keep the pace steady for 30 to 40 minutes, cool down the last 2km, then afterwards recover by eating a light meal to replenish the protein and carbohydrates used during the run.
How important is it for you to keep up with your fitness routine?
It is very important. It is a daily habit for the last 20 years to help me stay healthy and ready for various races throughout the year.
How are you keeping fit, given the coronavirus situation?
Despite mass participation events like races being cancelled for now in Singapore, I still do my daily training runs with my pet dog Jack in his pram.
Most of our training runs are done early in the morning with very few people outside.
How has your active lifestyle influenced your family and friends?
Before we met, my wife never ran.
Ten years later, she has become an active runner and even completed the 2019 Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon in a respectable time of four hours and 33 minutes.
I belong to the Singapore Shufflers running club whose members serve as constant inspiration for one another during training to improve and perform well during races.
What is the most extreme thing you have done in the name of fitness?
I ran a 90km uphill ultra marathon race in South Africa called Comrades and completed it two minutes shy of 11 hours. How extensive is your collection of sports-related paraphernalia? I go through annually at least six pairs of running shoes that are quite premium, as well as high quality running singlets and shorts. I also have a collection of at least 200 medals from various marathons and other races completed in every continent in the world, except Antarctica.
Would you go for plastic surgery?
No. Why go to the trouble and expense of looking fake?
Do you think you are sexy?
If healthy is sexy, then, yes, I think I'm sexy.
