My father, my mentor

As a child, being the eldest of the four siblings in the family, I believe I was the pet of my father. When I was still a kid, Papa was the one who taught me how to draw and to paint. He always supported and encouraged me to join poster-making contests, which made me more confident for who I am today. He was not an artist by profession, but a lawyer and a journalist, but his love and passion for arts was invaluable. We shared the same passion. Whenever he went on travel, I would always be with him. He never treated me as a girl, but one of the boys which boosted my confidence to become more independent.

Looking back, I am convinced that he was the one who introduced me into running. I remember vividly those days when I would join him during his 45-minute early morning runs. We would run from our home to the town plaza then drop by at the bakery to buy a freshly-baked hot pan de sal then head home to our waiting mom to eat breakfast together. There were also times that Papa was in-charge of the kitchen while mom was teaching us with our lessons. Being a lawyer, he never hesitated to do some kitchen chores when needed. He loved to cook us with delicious foods.

But great times always come to an end. At 52 he was taken away by our Creator. Nevertheless, I will always remember the values and all the good things that you taught us. Papa, wherever you are now, I’m still going to greet you a HAPPY FATHER’S Day! I miss you and I love you.

To all the fathers and fathers to be, HAPPY FATHER’S Day!

Earth Run 05.31.09: Conquering the hills

Rain, rain, go away, come again another day! As a child, I would recite that famous rhymes while staring at the window, wanting the rain to stop, so I could play in the backyard. But the rain seems never heard my pleas so my siblings and I would just run outside to gladly play while my mother would shout at us to stop and get us inside.

Last Sunday, I remembered those rhymes and wanted to recite it just to let it stop so I could join the scheduled race for that day. I was up at about 3:00 in the morning when I heard the heavy downpour on our roof so I thought the start of the race would be delayed but I readied myself just the same. I registered for the Earth Run for a 5K event and I was confident that my knee would cooperate with me this time. So I checked my gears and by the time I finished my coffee, the rain temporarily stopped. IceOne and I headed for McKinley Hill in The Fort just in time.

There were hundreds if not thousands of runners in attendance when we arrived. The atmosphere was a welcome treat for me as this will be my first race since I stopped three months ago after I finished my rehab. I was quite nervous and afraid that I wouldn’t be able to finish as this route was very familiar with me because this was the culprit where I injured my right knee and got an ACL. The hilly course here is as difficult as you could imagine it to be, but I was ready to conquer all my fears.

The race started at exactly 6:00am with a slight downpour which was an advantage for us runners. I started with a very slow pace and was glad that IceOne paced me all throughout the race. Water stations were ample and positioned in every 2.5 kilometers. I did have some walk breaks but it was only when I got some water to pour on myself. I was quite satisfied that I can again finish a 5K without the pain. How I miss running…

I know I am not yet completely healed but I was able to conquer the hills!

at the finish line after conquering my fears

with IceOne

with baby

with our group