As per my TBR DM training program, I am on Week
3. Week 1 and 2 proved to be challenging. For one, I had piles of research papers and quizzes on my table. On top of that I had taxing requirements in grad school. But of course a tight schedule is never an excuse to skip training so extra effort must be exerted in meeting my daily goals.
This week, I must say I have gotten
the hang of it. Aside from having completed my requirements and finished
checking the papers, it helps a lot that I found a training buddy – Kuya Ming.
Today, I am supposed to be in BGC for Bull
Session 1 with Coach Lit Onrubia. However, I have a presentation and final
examination in two of my major courses in grad school so I decided not to go to Manila and join Takbo
Para sa Kalusugan instead. Kuya Ming agreed to help me with my pace. I like running
with him because he motivates and pushes me hard.
When I got to Freedom Park this morning, I immediately
looked for Kuya Ming. He was out of sight. I didn’t worry though because I knew he’d
come. But when the host asked the 10k runners to line up, I started to worry [Ayayay!
I have somehow become dependent on him]. I stayed at
the back of the pack so it would be easy for him to spot me. Plus, there was no need to rush. Besides, my goals were to add mileage, increase my
endurance and most importantly finish the race strong.
Kuya Ming was nowhere to be found when
the gunstart went off. I reminded myself to stick to my training pace so as not to end up using all my energy that soon. I ran next to Kuya Matot who was paced by
another runner. It was a relatively controlled pace. It was a bit slower than my
training pace.
As soon as I reached the 5k U-turn, I added speed. Okay, I was actually a bit worried of my final examination in one of
my major subjects. I didn’t review last night. I wanted to reach the
finish line soon so I could go to school early and browse my notes. I saw
Kuya Ming along the way. I ran next to him with pace a bit faster than the
I did in the first five kilometers.
As we neared the finish line, we ran
past Teacher Jonnie and Kuya Melvin who were on their bikes. Not long after,
they were cycling next to us. They both teased me of something [which I shall
not mention in this post =)].
Few meters away from the
finish line, Kuya Ming signaled me to hit the gas for the final kick. My heart
thundered against my ribcage and started pounding out a jagged rhythm. I was
almost out of breath. When I reached the finish line, I instantly looked up and
checked my time. It read 47:49. Seriously?! I couldn’t believe it. Did I cross the finish line for 5k runners? Something must be wrong. With my pace, I knew it
was a rather unbelievable PR [Can somebody please provide me with the accurate
time? Please. Or I guess it’s about time that run organizers invest on electronic timing
chip.]. Nonetheless, I ranked no. 4. It doesn’t matter though. What mattered was hitting my goals. Yey!!!
After the race, we stayed a bit and exchanged pleasantries with friends and fellow runners. As
soon as the awarding ceremony ended, we parted ways. Kuya Ming went home while Teacher
Jonnie, Kuya Melvin and Kuya Matot drove off to Tanauan. I, on the other hand,
went straight to school to join another race: take my final examination.
As I write this entry, the clock reads
5:30 PM. I am on my fourth and last class. Oh, wait! The reporter just concluded her report. I am next in line. Gotta go! =)
