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

a happy run

a happy finish after the happy run (with baby a.k.a. swthrt)

with Baby and IceOne

The Happy Run on January 25 was indeed a happy run for me not just because of the festive mood during the race, the entertainment, the water stations and the kilometer markers along the way.

The race was for the benefit of the school children of Bagong Tanyag, in Taguig City. Living in this city for almost 10 years now, I’ve been to almost all the places that are deprived of comfort and luxury. I’ve seen school children walking a kilometer or two on barefoot or sometimes on slippers just to be in time for school. In the evening some of them would go from one house to another to collect and dispose the neighborhood’s garbage just to earn and augment their meager centavos for their baon the following day. These children if given the chance to have a decent school and surroundings may have a bright future for them. We found this as an opportunity to help them in some other way however little it may be. We are thankful for being truly blessed that we can afford to buy our running paraphernalia, while some of them go to school on empty stomachs. We may have our own way of helping them but I am really thankful that we, runners, are united and one in doing our share for this good cause. Drew Arellano, Bianca Gonzalez, The Team Super, Coach Rio and the rest of the organizers did a very good job. Kudos to them!

For the lighter side, dahil masyado na ata madrama itong posting ko, I was really, really happy because I met Nora, the golden girl for the first time! At my bonus pa, I also got to meet her daughter eia!

(photo courtesy from life begins at 50) meeting the jolly golden girl for the first time

(photo courtesy from life begins at 50) with Baby, Nora and daughter Eia and Manny

Disaster Run sa Kabundukan: WORST RACE OF THE YEAR

This was a long anticipated run for us. Aside from being part of the DENR family which we advocate the protection of the environment and conservation of our natural resources, we were previously told about the hilly course of the race. So our team registered for this event ready for the challenge. After taking a break after the Adidas King of the Road, I finally decided to join being my last race for this year.

I woke up early and expected long hours of traveling as the race was located in San Jose, Rodriguez, Rizal. We leave from the office at exactly 4:00 am but to our dismay as the organizers never put up any marker to the location, we only found the place through the residents we asked along the way.

As we entered the oval, there were only few runners who attended the event and several of them were the elite ones from the Team Bald Runner and a few who we recognized from afar. We spotted Phillip aka The Foreign Runner and Bald Runner who registered for the 21K event. Tolits, IceOne, Ross and I were originally registered for the 10K event but we changed for the 5K event due to lack of preparation. I was afraid that my right knee would not cooperate again.

I started my run with a very slow pace together with Ice One and we increased gradually until the second kilometer. But to my dismay, my nike+ sportsband collapsed. IceOne continued to pace me until my right knee began to complain so I told him to continue without me and I will just meet him at the finish line. I ran alone and that started all the bulls^*(&%^ts that happened to me during the entire race. The route was almost flat but the roads were congested with motorists. Runners were told to run at the sides of the streets and those fu&%^%^in’ tricycle drivers kept on shouting at runners with offensive words. They were so barbaric at the runners. We were running while inhaling smokes from the vehicles. I also got lost because the marshals didn’t even know where to direct us the right route for the 3K, 5K, 10K, and 21K. Water stations were not also found and it’s a good thing that I hydrated myself with a bottle of Gatorade before the race. Lost runners complained to the marshals but they instead lead us the road to hell. My vote for the worst and the most unorganized race of the year definitely goes to this race…Runners… how do you rate this race?

Adidas KOTR: Endurance to finish

not even an aching knee can stop me to finish this race!

"impossible is nothing..."