My Runniversary

My first run happened last May 29, 2010.

This is the Kerygma Fun Run. I am a fan of Bro Bo Sanchez so, I registered on the longest distance of this event - 5K. Hahaha! My friend Mich was actually the one who insisted/forced me to join the 5K. I am hesitant at first because I dont have any idea how far that was. It was held at the MOA grounds. Thousands of people joined this event and I will never forget how fun my first run was.

In this first run, my husband and daughter were also there to support me. They are there waiting for me in the finish line. The 5K route on this event is known as the C-loop (technically it is 6K long).



After this one, I thought that running is not that bad. Actually I enjoyed it. Reaching the finish line after all the hard work in making all your steps on the route is really amazing! A few months after this, Mich again invited me to join her with our second run together and this time it is the Run for Humanity. Held last August 15, 2010. I registered still at the 5K category but Mich went all the way at 10K. We were late at this event so this is the first time I found myself running alone grasping for the U-turn while everyone is on their way back to the finish line. Still, that feeling of reaching the finish line is still there! Addictive. Awesome. Amazing!!!

My third running event is the 10.10.10 Run for Ilog Pasig. Mich wasn't my company here but my sister, neice, and a neighbor. I am in the 3K category  because my main issue here is just to join and when I joined, there is no more slot for 5K. Oh well, lets help the Ilog Pasig so being a pro-nature I signed in the 3K. No run made, pure walking. With all of the runners/walkers around you, you can't run no more. So there I was, walking from the start to the finish line.

Next up is the 3rd leg of RunRio Trilogy for 2010. The Unilab Run United 2! Considering my past runs without any training at all, relying on my friends optimism that I will still be alive after reaching the finish line, my friend Mich here signed us up at the 15K category! Why? Because we are always late in signing up so there is no more slots for 5K or 10K for this one and we ended up joining the 15K.  This is my first time to run at the Bonifacio Global City. So, packed with optimism, courage and gatorade, I hit the road in this running event with friends Lester and Mich without any training at all. Yes, we lived after reaching the finish line in 3 freaking hours! But it was fun and our route was filled with full of laughter!

 

I promised myself that I wont do that again!

Then came the 34th National Milo Marathon. I signed in to my official 10K run. I prepared for this one like making time to jog in the morning for twice a week. Roxas blvd is usually my route for practice. I was also able to invite friends to join this event. I finished 10K with an official time of 1:27:44. Not bad though.

My second 10K after this one is the PSE Bull Run. Held last Jan 9, 2011. I was alone on this one. For some schedule issues, I was the only one who was able to join this event. My very first autistic run. This run made me notice some things that goes with a running event such as water stations, event photographers, race organizers. This is also my first time to fly along the Kalayaan flyover. And my funny PR for 10K of 1:27:06!!!

Then from 10K category, I challenged myself to join a 21K category. Why? Because this running event is so special. This is the Condura SkyWay Marathon! I wanna enjoy more of the SkyWay and since I am positive that my body cant finish the 42K yet, so I registered at the half marathon category. It was fun! I found myself smiling and so excited as I entered that ramp entering the SkyWay. I was alone though. Mich wasn't with me again. But I dwelled into my idea of dragging my husband in this event and asked him to wait for me in the finish line. Something for me to hang on to be able to finish the race. When I reached the finish line, two amazing guys were waiting for me!

My husband and Coach Rio Dela Cruz!!! So here is me with Coach Rio and my husband taking the pic! lol!

And another most unforgettable idea on this special run of mine is of course, my first medal on joining races!!!

Learning the importance of training before joining every races, I searched for some ways on how to properly prepare for every races and found out about the Adination of Runners. It is a free run held every week headed by running coaches around the metro. I signed up at AnR-MOA because it is the nearest venue for me and considering that their route is the C-Loop which is one of the important route for me.

Again, packed with courage, I joined my first AnR-MoA run. I got to meet new people with my same interest in running. I was able to find people to look up to in this kind of activity. Gained new friends. It was just so unfortunate that when I got into my job right now, I wasn't able to join them in their weekly runs no more. Schedule issues. :( But we still get to see each other online and in every races we join though.

I was also able to bring my daughter Emily in this group one time. I also want my daughter to have this kind of physical activity which I know will benefit her in the future.

March 2011 came and I am again listed at the 21K category of the 1st leg of the Runrio Trilogy. With my friend Mich again this time we conquered the 21K in 3:09. My second half marathon. My second medal. My second pic with coach Rio hahaha! My picture here in this race won a shirt on facebook! My face looked bored here running that half marathon. So I registered this picture as my entry for TEAM BORING on facebook. A group of ultrarunners where every member is worth looking up to with their running performance.  And here is my winning shirt from them!

I was able to claim this shirt when I volunteered myself as a race marshall last May 1 at the World Youth Day Fun Run.  Another experience in this world of running - being one of the marshalls. I got to experience greeting marshalls Good Morning! and pushing them to go and run! Something that I always get when being one of the runners. I thank Coach Mar of Anr Moa/Team Boring for inviting me to be a part of this event. Also I am thankful for Anr MoA peeps because eventhough I am not a regular attnedee every week, I ccan still get to talk to them and they still inspire me in every run that I join.

Another autistic run that I joined is the Kapuso Fun Run. I registered for 10K. I joined this as my preparation for my third half marathon a week after this event. I am such a loser in this event. Though I was able to beat my PR because I finished 10K in 1:25. I dont have a camera, I noticed that there are no event photographers so as a remembrance, I lined up to their one and only photobooth! Good thing that I was able to see one of my high school friends who  also joined the event. She have a camera so I took the opportunity of taking pictures with her.

A week went by and its time for my third half marathon. The worst half marathon of my life! The Run with the Masters event! I am with Mich again and both of us don't have any trainings anymore. Courage if that is how you call it. We did hit the route of this event and found ourselves being the 2nd and 3rd to the last participant to hit the finish line. But even if I am the last person to arrive, that feeling of awesomeness in reaching the finish line remains the same.
The taste is still sweet. As long as I didn't give up, I endured the pain, the finish line is still fulfilling. I am still a FINISHER!

However, after what happened with my last 21K, I decided to go down the ladder a bit and registered my next run back to the 10K category. I registered 10K at the Goldilocks Fun Run held last May 15, 2011. I finished 10K in an amazing time of 1:17:57! I have my friends join me as well. Tracy and Joi, both of them were my childhood friends. I am just so happy that they are into running now. We are currently planning which will be our next run and fixing our schedules for it.

Today, May 29, 2011. I am registered at the Run for Integrity 10K. I am supposed to be there. I was supposed to be celebrating it by running on the same date I first stepped out of the starting line last year.

However, I am here on my bed. Blogging about it. Sharing my running experience within a year.

Sitting beside my 1 year old daughter Ashly who is suffering from cough and colds. She needs me now more than I need to give myself a run.

I'll stay with her today the whole day.

Celebrating my one year of running with her, I will make her feel better.