1:25:20

pitter. patter. pitter. patter. pant. pant. splish. splash. pitter. patter.

past the 2km mark, it seemed i have already covered 4km.  that wasn't a good sign.  inside my mind, i was asking what form and what mindset would i be in by the time i reach 5km?  then thoughts kept playing... if i go on this way, how could i go past 6km... it's still far from the finish... oh dear... could i make it to 10km? maybe i won't.  i was panicking so early in the race and it worried me but the rain showering us that night did me well.  it somehow helped me calm me.

pitter. patter. pitter. patter. pant. pant. splish. splash. pitter. patter

puddles and potholes were added obstacles to conquer.  in the darker areas of the route, floodlights were set up to help the runners navigate. i am sensitive to the glare and this proved to be another challenge for me. i was squinting, head bowed down to avoid the glare, careful not to bump into a runner in front of me and careful not to trip on one of the many potholes on my way.  i was running almost breathless and my muscles were tired and i couldn't be in a more uncomfortable situation at that point. but i came there with a purpose.  i have to finish the race. and by all means, i don't want to finish last.  so i moved on and pushed through. immediately my mind took over!  must run. must run!

pitter. patter. pant. pant. pant. splish. splash. pant. pant.

i have pushed through the pain. run. push. there still was breathlessness. push. run. i also pushed through numbing soles.  i kept thinking everyone running that night is feeling pain just like me.  i am pretty sure that the best runners do feel pain too.  the difference lies in how well each of us push through.

and just like that,

pant. pant. pant. pant. pant. pant. whoa!

1:25:20

under a starless rainy night, this was how long it took me to finish my very first 10km run.  

i've finally done it!  that's a checkmark for one of the items in my wish list this year.

it was still drizzling when we finished.  and i thank the rain for cooling my nerves.  i also have my running buddy hubby to thank. as always, he helped me go on.  he did not run his pace that night to be with me in my maiden 10.  and i am so glad he was there otherwise, i would have quit at the halfway mark.

and by the way, hubby and i did not finish last :)

pat. pat. pat... on the back

cheers, everyone!

weekend run fun

it's another weekend coming in really soon. 

i am gonna run around in circles (literally that is, laps around a tree-lined oval), again

... and i am excited!

it's going to be painful for me muscles :), tiring for me heart :)

illustration by michelemaule

but what i love most about our weekend run is the tummy treat after

... care for some fish balls (i like 'em crispy) and siomai for breakfast?

how about a greasy plate of tapsilog best drowned in vinegar?

nomnomnom :)

surviving another race

image by daniel mackie

yesterday, i woke up two hours earlier than usual.  this was because i was registered to run for Earth Day.

i am a novice when it comes to running.  i only run on weekends.  and when i have learned that i was running 5k just a day earlier, anxiety came in.  i did not have the luxury of time to psyche myself up for the race, just as i have in the previous races.  

so as i woke up on race day, i've prayed for strength both physical and mental.  i knew that if i was to run the usual way i run on weekends, finishing that 5k won't be easy.  during my regular weekend rounds at my favorite campus oval, i do not usually make 5k.  uh..oh...

 doing 5k i knew will require from me a little bit more of everything

a little bit more pain, 

a little bit more breathlessness, 

a little bit more lightheadedness, 

a little bit more sweat, 

a little bit more stretch, 

a little bit more songs in my head... 

but i finished the race! (46 minutes or so...)

Jacqueline Gareau has put it in words perfectly:

"The body does not want you to do this. As you run, it tells you to stop but the mind must be strong. You always go too far for your body. You must handle the pain with strategy...It is not age; it is not diet. It is the will to succeed.” 

half way through the course my legs were screaming... breath running out... 

my heart was racing so fast i was sure, it went ahead of me and was already in the finish line. 

really, it was the will to finish that saved me.  and really, the reason why the will was stronger was because i ran with hubby on my side. he was so sweet to agree not to run 10k so I could have a running buddy.  

i like it when we run together.  it allows me to push myself harder for reasons like... i feel guilty not making him run his normal pace (i run way too slow than he normally does), so have to run run run (and it's embarrassing to make him walk half the time)... it also comforts me to know that just in case i lose it while running, somebody will be there to catch my fall :)

thank you hubby for running with me.

i am looking forward to another one... a 10k perhaps... we'll see

psyching myself for another run

Last night, my husband told me that he signed me up for another 5k run.  I thought it was sweet of him.  Then I asked "when's the run?"  "on Sunday", he said with a smile.  Now here is what went on inside my head.

"whaaaa!!!!  Sunday is a few days from now!  I need to train!  It's been months since I last ran 5k!  Last Saturday, I did some running but that was not close to 5k!  I am not ready! what if I don't break my PR?! what if i don't finish it?! what if i walk half the time?! - that would be one hell of a blow for my ego.  No way will i walk half the time!  well, I can use a little breather... but only for a few seconds... great! I hope they have water stations!... what will I wear?... i just got a haircut, now I need hairpins!"


these thoughts run wild inside my head while I silently start panting. "huff... huff.. huff.." I am way too proud to admit my panic. Oh dear...

Now, here's the plan:

-  I only have Saturday to practice.  I will try to do two laps around the oval, I know too well that I should not get too tired if I were to run a race the following day
-  I will not think about breaking my PR, that's way too much competitive thinking.
-  I will run for myself.  I will not try to think about outrunning the person in front of me.  I will run at my own pace and enjoy the wind on my face
-  I have to find my i-pod! I enjoy running with music, I last longer when I have them on.  where is my i-pod? guess, its time to clean my closet :)
-  buy pocari sweat!  and gatorade for my husband.
-  I will read the Runner's World magazine lying around the house just to see if I can get any last minute tips for an anxious runner like I am... now, where did i see that magazine? hmmm
-  and last but not the least...  I will remember how it always feels to cross the finish line  whew!

Meanwhile, I am looking forward to Rodic's tapsilog after the practice run on Saturday.

Cheers!!!

learning how to run

Backtracking several months back....   I remember everytime i tell people  "I don't know how to run", I always get a quizzical look "how can you not know how to run?  It's human nature?"  Perhaps they didn't realize that i was referring to the sport, running.  When I have enrolled myself in a gym years back, I have always struggled with the treadmill.  It intimidated me.  I felt like a loser everytime I step on it because I couldn't get myself to run even 4.5 km/h for 10 seconds without hurting my feet and my legs.  Seeing the others beside me do it, makes me feel worse.  So, I said goodbye to treadmills and hello cardio dance classes!  Sure, I wasn't the most graceful student everytime, but I got what I wanted - a good sweat and cardio workout.

But you know what, I still did not give up on the idea that I could run! Why can't I? Am I doing something wrong? Are my steps awkward?  Am I too heavy, perhaps :) (but that's another story).    Was it the shoes? I thought to myself "nah, can't be the shoes, I'm wearing Nike Free!" I have resigned the idea of running and turned to biking instead!

Hah!  I love it.  It gave me a chance to workout outdoors.  Something I haven't done before.  I love the wind on my face, i love passing scenes, i love passing runners, i love passing slower bikers, i also love being passed by the faster bikers too.  I biked around lakes, parks, and discovered the beauty of the UP campus in Diliman.  Outdoor workouts have been a weekend habit since.  I bike, while my husband runs.  He got into fun runs and I willingly went with him in all of his runs.  I saw him off at his gunstarts and met him in his finish lines.  This has sparked my renewed interest for running.  I thought it would be nice to run with him during his races.  

Last April, we went out of the country for a vacation so I have missed my biking routine for quite a while.  My husband got me a pair of adidas running shoes during the trip and retired my hot pink Nike free. When we came back home, I have decided not to bring the bike to UP and try running.  Using my new adidas pair, I have planned to walk/run/walk around the oval for at least one lap.  I was told to slow it down and take it easy.  And that's what I did.  I also ran up and down the stairs of Melchor and Palma halls to get my heart rate up.  As I increased my laps, I also slowly increased my running minutes while decreasing my walking time.     I slowly found my rhythm and have been increasing my running mileage since then.  To date, I have joined and finished 4 fun runs.  Last weekend, I have finished my 2nd 5km run 5 minutes better than my PR.  I have been on a high and can't wait for the weekend so I can replace my homemaker hat with my sports cap and put on my trusty pair of adidas and hit the road. 

I knew how to run afterall!

And yes, it definitely pays to have good shoes.