Finally, I’m a blogger! =) I remember dreaming of being part of the cyberworld: selling stuffs online (via Multiply which I’ve always wanted to try but didn’t) and blogging (I was swayed by the “online diary” craze in the early 2000 but I also got so lazy to blog after one or two entries). Well, this year, I have a lot of deadlines for myself, and one of them is to blog regularly.
You’ll be reading more of my passions. Right now, I’m really addicted to running. Seriously addicted that I have “peklat” on both my knees and I recently got injured and had to wear a cast for one month. Time matters: Target Time, Personal Time, etc. (which are also the reasons for my injuries, hehe) I also spend on “nice” running outfits for my races. Vain, I know. But I can’t help it. Running makes me feel great. It’s brings out my competitive side. It makes me feel so healthy and beautiful (oh how i love the blush I get after an intense run!).
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| with Cla at our first 10K race for 2011 |
I started running when I was in grade school. Those 400meter dash races and relays. I’d always receive medals even if I’m not the first placer and it makes me feel good. I love awards.
In high school, my dad would drive me to school very early. I was in Bene around 6:30 am. My class starts 10am. So, what to do? Join the track and field team. Track and Field Varsity Team. Oh my, the training was so hard I think I dropped after a month (well, you know teenage years, being maarte and anti-spots were the trend for females). I also developed the "permanent muscles" in my legs.
In college, I tried to join UP Track and Field Varsity Team but it’s more deadly and not for a maarte girl like me. I forgot about running for the next three years in St Scho (I'm a Kulasa). During our senior year, we had a Fun Run to celebrated our Centennial. All students were required to run at least 5K. Being a drop-out runner, I didn’t know that 5K was that long, so on the day of the run, I just wore our Centennial shirt, skinny jeans, rubber shoes (sneakers pa nga yata eh) and walked the last 3K of the race.
Fast forward to when I was at my fourth job. The wellness trend was already in the air. Everybody would like to get thinner, enroll in a gym and share their detox diets. Fortunately, I won in a Trade Event raffle of a major TV network so I used the prize to enroll for an annual membership in Gold’s Gym and bought my very first “real” rubber shoes. A Nike rubber shoes. Investment.
I would always go to the gym everyday during those days. I loved the fact that I can go to gym after work (in Glorietta) and during weekends (in Alabang). I loved that it’s also the gym of Marc Nelson and I can bump into him anytime (one day, I did!).
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| My forever crush (Photo c/o Sports Unlimited's Facebook page) |
I loved that they had The Sexy Chef inside the gym during those times (Tuna French Kiss, i miss you!) and the sauna and steam rooms. The South Beach Diet meals in Sexy Chef, the sauna and steam room were my “rewards” after every work-out. And of course, along with having a disciplined diet those days, I got the slim figure I wanted (I’m not into how much weight I lost, but more on if I can fit in a nice sexy dress or a smaller-size jeans). I gave extra love to my gym outfits and rubber shoes (my rubber shoes were always clean because they were never worn outside Gold’s Gym).
But as they say, nothing is permanent. I got bored with my gym routine. I got extra-stressed with work. I renewed my membership for another year but I wasn't religiously working-out anymore.
Then, one day at work, we were assigned a new brand: Unilab Active Health.
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| My first 10K: Unilab Active Health's Run United 2 2010 |
We had to promote their upcoming events: Bike United and Run United 2. While working on Run United 2, we met Jaymie Pizarro (aka The Bull Runner). During our first meeting, when our getting-to-know-you discussion was about to end, she shared that they also mount events. The first was The Bull Runner Dream Marathon 2010, a full-marathon for first-time runners. All of the participants finished 42K. My officemate-boss-friend-financial adviser Cla invited me (in front of Jaymie) to join the 2nd Dream Marathon with her. Of course I want to decline, I felt nervous, was dead-air for the first 4 seconds, but managed to say “Yes” (even if I wasn’t sure I can finish 42K). When Jaymie left, we talked about her: “Ganda nya no?!” “Oo nga, kahit no make-up” “Grabe mom na sha pero mukha shang bata!”
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| with The Bull Runner, Jaymie |
And that’s what motivated me to sign up for the Dream Marathon 2011 (I told you I was vain!). In the registration form, there was a question, “Why do you want to join The Bull Runner Dream Marathon?” My answer was: "This will be my first achievement in 2011 and my birthday gift for myself." =) Lucky me, I got in.
So it was a training for almost 6 months I also signed up for. The running program, aside from providing encouraging words and facts, also stated that you have to run for this long during these days. When we were still on the “3-1” training (3-minute walk, 1-minute run, according to the Galloway method), I already signed up for my first 5K race in 2010 where I already applied “5-1” training. The training didn’t say we had to run a race, but I felt it was a short-term goal I can achieve and an avenue where I can apply my training. I also thought being advance would be better. I finished (my time was 44:21) but I was so tired and thirsty afterwards. It was October 2010. The race was “Run with the Light.”
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| wearing my gym shorts and rubbershoes |
It was just a neighborhood fun run and registration costed cheap, so I was totally in (together with my sister). But after the race, I learned that I should choose my races well, and go with a known organizer. Run with the Light was small-time so it wasn’t “the best”. It only got a 5/10 score from me. I honestly want to give a lower score but this one was my first (so, sige na nga) and I love Alabang (so, sige na nga uli).
I wish for the next Run with the Light races they would:
- start on time (It said 6am start time, but it was already 6:15 and they were still preparing the inflatable arc!)
- have portalets (We had to go to the restroom near VNC in Town Center to pee!)
- more water stations (Hydration is important.)
- have a baggage counter
- more marshals in the race course (to encourage tired runners and guide the way)
- provide DTAG (When I reached the finish line, they just manually wrote down my time in a piece of paper! In the "official race result," there wasn't a time beside my name! What a nightmare! Good thing I had my stop watch.)
- have more photographers (For first-time runners like me, running-in-action pics are priceless! Try photovendo.)
- have a website (that will update participants where to see their chip time, their photos, when will the next race be, etc) or even just a facebook page
Anyway, more on the personal and emo side of the race. I loved that I ran with my sister who’s an original runner. She reminded me to sway my arms more, breathe the right way and was my pacer. My brother was our driver, videographer and photographer. After the race, while our legs are still aching and we were still wearing our sweaty singlets, we fetched our mom and went to Pancake House in Madrigal to celebrate. =) Simple yet priceless family bonding.
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| My brother, Jack (in green shirt), and my mom who has the sweetest smile =) |
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| with mom and my sister, Suzette |
