Of Life and Races

In life, sometimes you thought you have picked the best race. The kind of race you believed to be “your race”. The route was a long stretch of pavement which did not include any uphill or downhill course. There were water stations every two kilometers. Cheerers were every corner to uplift your spirit. The weather appeared lovely. Every now and then you would run past darling kids with chocolates, chips, and banana to offer. Of course, how could you say no to them? You fellow runners were doing pretty well too. Everyone gave the impression of being kind and nice. There was no dreaded cut off time. Plus this particular race was unique. Although the route was a long stretch of pavement, there were connecting roads going right which all lead to the finish line. You could always turn right anytime. One of a kind, right? 

Everything was in place; smooth-sailing. Indeed you thought you were having the best race of our life until somewhere along the route you were taken aback. The weather changed abruptly; you realized you were tramping a rough road with steep slopes; going up was close to impossible; water stations were nowhere to be found. You tried hard to push but exhaustion got the better of you. Finally you thought hit the wall. You tried your best to go on and think of happy thoughts. Remember what Peter Pan said, “happy thoughts and a little bit of pixie dust make one fly’. You continued to run and think of happy thoughts until all you could think of was literally “HAPPY THOUGHTS”. You wanted to give up; flag down an ambulance or simply stop somewhere and hope that the marshals would sweep you. But the fighter persona in you asserted to continue running because you wanted to see what was beyond everything. However, you realized it was not what you wanted anymore. You thought there are other races to vanquish; there are other places to discover. Finally, you decided it was high time to turn right.

DNF? No. I certainly did finish the race. My time chip recorded 2,590 hours. Yes, three years! It may not be as long compared to others who recorded 20 or more years. But hey, when I race I compete with no one but myself. I set my own pace. I start slow and once I have gotten the hang of it I add speed. That is how I do it. Sure, pacers help me speed up but I always believe that my race is mine alone. Advices form the veteran runners are appreciated. However please understand that it is my race. I listen to my own body. It tells me when to slow down, speed up or even when to stop.

To organizers of the previous race, fellow runners, everyone, it was one beautiful race. Three years is a mean feat! Thank you!

Come June, I will join a new race. I somehow feel I lack training but I am hoping to learn along the way. I am nervous. I have a very long list of what-ifs. See, I have no idea of what kind of race it will be. This time though, I decided to have a pacer. Although He paced me in my last race, I was just a little bit stubborn to listen. I am glad though that He is very patient and sticks with me no matter how mulish I am. I am not crossing my finger in this race but I am surrendering everything to Him.

I am not wishing for an easy race but I am praying for a forgiving, understanding, and loving heart so that I will continue to see beauty and find joy in little things. I also pray for courageous and brave heart that nothing would scare me – not even the fear of the unknown. And most importantly, I plead for a humble heart that is able to surrender everything to Him.

“A warrior knows when a battle is worth fighting. He bases his decisions on inspiration and faith.” – Paulo Coelho, Warrior of the Light, A Manual

Run for Health

I have not been joining fun runs in Cabanatuan City and I hate to admit it but I gained weight. Hence, I decided to get back to serious training. Plus it is summer; there is really no excuse to miss training.

Now there was a fun run I joined this morning. It was dubbed Run for Health. It kind of rang a bell; it sounded like Miles for Health, a fun run my friends and I organized last year. Hahaha Okay, I zipping lips on that part.

Going back to race, I got to Cabanatuan City at around 4:30am. There were a few runners in the area so I thought the race would probably start at 5:30am. Having joined several races outside the city I realized many lack discipline in terms of time. Tsk. Tsk.

It was only after an hour when runners started arriving. I just kept my disappointment to myself. After all everyone seemed excited. Some started warming up while others were busy chatting with their fellow runners. I was just observing them when an acquaintance approached me. We exchanged pleasantries and had a little chit chat. We talked about, yes you guessed it right, running. I tried to appear interested but the impatient persona within insisted to just go home. I did not wear my wrist watch but the sun was up and I could tell it was close to 6:00am. I was getting edgy. I did not like the idea of running late. Talk about the scorching heat of the sun!

Alas the gunstart went off. What a relief! I kept a relatively slow pace. I knew I had to speed up a little because 14k was no joke. It would soon be hot and I did not apply sun block. I was a little sad though because my male runner friends were not around. No one would help me with my pace. Tsk. I missed them. =(

Back in the start line I saw four ladies. Five brave ladies including me. All three sprinted off. I thought I wanted to keep up with them so I pushed a little harder. When I ran past third lady, I maintained a relatively fast but controlled pace.

Everything seemed okay but trouble started when stray dogs appeared in the picture. They were everywhere like onlookers ready to bite anyone. I had to be very cautious not to get near them. In addition, I became very preoccupied with the dogs that I realized the runner ahead of me disappeared. I did not know whether he turned left or right. He was simply out of sight. Now where were the marshals? What made things worst was the water station was nowhere to be found! Oh good heavens. I had a bottle of water handy but it was half empty.

Things were just displeasing. However I tried to look at the brighter side; one fine day; kind and cheerful onlookers were everywhere.

So when the sight of the first water station appeared I thought it was a miracle. I filled my bottle and head on. The volunteer was nice and started small talk. As soon as I had my bottle filled with water I thanked her and head on. Along the way I reminded myself to save my water because I did not know where the second water station was located. In all fairness, the second water station was not too far from the first. But since my bottle was still full I decided not to stop. I did not know how far I covered so far but in the entire time I only saw two marshals; one was on bike and the other one was in Melencio Ext.

The road was familiar. Heading straight would lead to Kapt. Pepe. I wondered though where the third waster station was placed. My bottle was half empty again. But since it was futile to blame anyone I composed myself and brushed away negative thoughts.

Not long after I reached Phase 2. It was a relief. Finish Line was few kilometres away. Although I tried to squirrel away the remaining water in my bottle, from time to time I would hope for another water station. Thankfully, the third water station was in sight. To my dismay though there was no water anymore. Argh. It was just sooo disappointing.

I, however continued running. After all it was about one kilometer away from the finish line. I prayed for more patience and understanding. “Let’s get it over and done with.” I told myself. Thus, I was pleased when I crossed the finish line.

I landed in rank 4. All the while I thought there were only five female runners for 14K category but there were actually six of us. Okay, it was not really biggie but I did not see the girl who landed third at the start area. I thought there were only five of us. Oh well I could be wrong. She must be somewhere in the middle of the pack; I must have not noticed her. However, a friend of fellow female 14K runner asserted there were only five girls. Oh well, like I said no biggie. She could be somewhere; maybe she was with the crowd and only joined us when the gunstart went off. Besides, she was one of the fastest female runners in the city – no doubt about it.

Lessons Learned:

1. Bottled water is necessary especially in races in Cabanatuan City.

2. Be flexible; most races Cabanatuan City don’t start on time.

3. Patience keeps one’s sanity intact. Some things are beyond our control.

4. Compete with no one but yourself.

5. ENJOY THE RACE, no matter what.

Run United Trilogy 1: My Race, My Pace

Just a week after my first full marathon, I was back to training. Although not as rigid as the past six months I decided to be back on track. I was even excited in the idea of joining more races. I thought I was more than ready to conquer distance less than 42K. Or so I thought.

Along with my friends Christian, Philip, Teri, Patrick, and Raymond, I traveled to Manila to join the first leg of Run United. Like in the past, the group traveled in the evening so as to have time to rest while in the bus. I was excited because there were new runners added to the group – Teri, Patrick, and Raymond.

Unwanted Visit

MOA was so awake when we got there. The music was at full blast while the runners were busy with their pre-race rituals. I, on the other hand was desperate to find a portalet. Too my horror an unwanted visitor just arrived. Girl thing. Now that’s over-sharing, but it proved to be detrimental to my performance. 

The Boys and Girls

Since we arrived early at the venue, we still had ample time to prepare and of course took pictures. Thanks to Christian who always made sure he had a camera handy. We talked about our game plan. Of course, like what I said in my previous entry, these boys pamper girls but once on race track their competitive side reveals. I thought it would be nice to just take things slow and run with Teri.

Not long after, we joined the crowd for the much awaited gunstart. We wished everyone luck and safe and took some more photos. Haha Wouldn’t it be nice to have photos of fresh us? I was sure those kind of photos would not be captured as soon as we start running and perspiring.

Our cajoling was put to stop when the gunstart went off. We started out really slow since there were runners ahead of us. Teri and I ran alongside while the boys were ahead of us. I suggested Teri the Galloway technique but she thought she wanted to finish her race at her own pace. Thus, I decided to speed up a little to catch up with the boys.

I managed to run next to the boys. However Philip was few hundred meters away from us. The boys in turn decided to catch up with him. Ayayay! The pace was getting faster and I could feel my heart rate going up. I knew it was a bad idea. We barely reached KM3. I tried to slow down a bit. I could still see them but I knew I had to be kind to my body. When I stopped at the water station, I decided to stick to my pace. I somehow realized Teri was right; her race at her pace.

Galloway no way!

Run United Trilogy 1 was my 7^th half marathon. My personal best for this distance was 2:46 in my first which was Milo Marathon (Manila Leg). For some reason I got stuck to it that it never improved. I managed to keep it at that range in my succeeding half-marathons. I blamed Galloway for it. I thought my walk breaks just added extra time. I decided it was high time to throw away Galloway. I continued running at an easy pace with stops at water stations. I wanted to break my PB.

Regrets. Regrets. Regrets.

So the slow pace run continued. Half of the time my mind was busy motivating myself while the other half was pleading for a walk-break. I scolded myself. Okay so there was a debate going on in my mind that I didn’t notice the new route. I failed to enjoy the serene moment of Metropolitan Manila. Tsk. As I wrote this entry, I realized that the extremely busy city could also be put at rest.

At KM13 the unbearable pain in my right knee dawned on me. Having an extremely high tolerance in pain (i.e. undergoing tooth filling without anaesthesia) I decided I could handle it. But my dysmenorrhoea added more weight. At one point I couldn’t figure which was aching – my right knee or my tummy. When I was close to passing out I realized it was best to do Galloway. I did 3:2. Both pains were increasing at each step so I thought I needed longer walk break. I was pretty sure Jeff Galloway would be sticking his tongue out on me, the stubborn runner.

Each time I stop for cup of water, I looked for a medicine kit. The pain would not just go away and putting my foot in front of the other was the most difficult task I could think of. At some point I wanted to just stop and get some help. But, I, the stubborn runner maintained that I could do it.

Last 2 minutes... err 2K

In basketball, the last two minutes is the most crucial part of the game. In my case, the last two kilometers was the most painful part. The pain was just unbearable. At one point I spotted an ambulance and I thought of hopping in. But the stubborn persona insisted it was less than a kilometer. Surely there would be medics near the finish line so I thought the pain could wait. I decided to just walk my way to the finish line. However it appeared that walking was twice painful than running. Thus, I maintained a very slow pace making sure not to put much pressure on my right knee. Imagine the picture? I was limping. I felt terribly sorry for myself.

2:59 and medics to the rescue

As soon as the volunteer put on the most coveted medal around my neck, I went straight to the medics area. I sat helplessly on one of the benches and waited for someone to assist me. Good thing there was an available volunteer to help me out. He massaged my right leg. The pain would not just go away. Each time he bent me knee I would close my eyes to blink back the tears ready to explode anytime. At long last tears started flowing. I surrendered to my emotions and let the tears flow. I thought once tears were gone, pain would also be gone. I only wished my friends were there to support me. I regretted the idea of not bringing cellphone in races. =(

Lesson Learned

Leg 1 taught me one important lesson. Each race is not a competition with someone else but with one’s self. One may outrun her fellow runner but may put herself at risk of not being able to run again. I realized the value of patience. It is not only something I should confer to others but most importantly to myself as well. I have to be patient with myself. Sure I want to improve but things do not happen overnight. In the book The Tao of Pooh of A.A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh said “Rivers know this: there is no hurry. We shall get there someday.”

The Bull Runner Dream Marathon 2013

Six months ago, I started my training for my first full marathon. I initially used the training program included in my welcome kit but since it was designed for a beginner I started looking for a training program online. Good thing a friend gave me an individualized training program. I thought it would match my ability minus getting bored.

Although I tried hard to stick to my program I cheated most of the time. I knew it wasn’t something to be proud of but there were just so many things goin on that I couldn’t stick to it. Long weekend runs were taken for granted. What made things worse, I gained weight after the holidays so come January I was obsessed in trying to lose weight. Crunch time combined with diet resulted to unhealthy me.

While I felt physically unprepared my mind asserted otherwise. Tiwala lang, I would always remind myself. Things changed though when I met my fellow Dreamers at the send off party. I realized everyone seemed emotionally and physically ready that I thought pushing through with TBR DM was a not so good idea.

And then finally here comes the BIG DAY…

I was glad I joined Dream Run in September so getting to Nuvali was no longer a problem. Although I knew I could handle it alone, I decided it would be nice to be with friends for the much needed support. Two of my trusted students went with me. We left Cabanatuan City at around 5:00pm and got to Cubao at 9:00pm, just in time for the last trip to Balibago. During the trip, I desperately tried to sleep to no avail. I just couldn’t. I realized the team should have travelled early in the morning so that gives me ample to rest. I should have. I should have.

 

The team stayed in Mc Donalds. My students were hungry and we had to wait for someone too. We decided to just stay there until midnight. Besides we doubted if we could find a room when there was a huge event in Nuvali the following day. Again, bad idea. I lacked sleep.

Past twelve and we decided to go to Nuvali. Music volume was at max. I could barely hear my own voice. Or I guess I was just too nervous. And before I head off to the start area, I did my last minute rituals. There wasn’t enough time but I knew I had to. My anxiety was eating me up.

When I thought I somehow knocked my anxiety out, I, along with my students went to the start area. I took my time chip which was personally handed to me by the organizer herself – Jaymie Pizzaro. Once I fastened it on my right ankle my students and I had a big group hug. After which, I joined my fellow runners for a prayer. I couldn't remember how long it took but somehow it felt so surreal that when I opened my eyes I stepped on the blue mat – and the race began...

Galloway all the way…

I knew I lacked training. And if there was one thing I was holding on to, it was only tibay ng loob. Of course, that wouldn’t make me finish my first marathon alone. Thus, I decided to scrimp and save my energy. I thought it would be best to do Galloway from the start to finish. It was 4-1; four-minute run and one-minute walk. I stuck to it until I reached KM5 and I thought I was bored. So I decided to run the next 5K at an easy pace without stopping. Good thing I had a bottle of Pocari handy. I knew there were enough water stations but I just needed something to hold, somehow the bottle became my company. Remember the ball made of coconut in Castaway?

Girl Scout Promise—Laging Handa

I wore running shorts with pockets. I thought I could use my pockets in bringing stuff I might need along the way. So I kept a small jar of Vaseline in my right pocket while in left was a tiny bottle of Omega Pain Killer. Thanks to Marlon who reminded me to bring pain killer. I started using it as soon as I hit KM10. The Vaseline also saved me from chaffed inner thighs.

Dream Chasers

I’d say TBR DM was the best race I have joined so far. Every runner was treated extra special. Although unlike other runners who tagged their whole running team and friends with them, I only had my two trusted students with me. But I never felt alone or sad along the way because there were many Dream Chasers. Plus, their posts where strategically placed in routes where the runners needed a boost. They handed the runners chocolates, banana, chips, energy gel, and they cheered for every everyone on top of their lungs. I bet my fellow runners would agree if I say we needed it.

KM 32

The Galloway continued. I hung on to 4:1. However, having not included even at least one 32K in my training I felt I was about to hit the wall. See, my cheating part had taken its toll. Putting my foot in front of the other seemed impossible. Plus it was around that area where there were slopes. Going down was easy but going up was near impossible. I thought it was time to prolong my recovery period so I decided to do 3-2; three-minute run and two-minute walk. Along the way I kept on reminding myself that I only needed to cover 10K. If I could cover 21K then 10K would be a piece of cake. Hahaha so talk about self-reverse psychology!

Last 4K

The last 4K seemed to be the most difficult part. There was a twist in the route. Runners had to turn right and make one loop before heading to the finish line. The Finish Line was few just hundred meters away if I head on but of course I needed to turn right. I had to remind myself that if 10K was a piece of cake the 3K was… was… was… It was around this time when everything seemed challenging. And to my horror it rained. Although it somehow refreshed my body, my shoes and clothes became damp that gave me an uneasy feeling. I had to apply Vaseline on my inner thighs again to avoid chaffing.

Fellow Runners

When I registered for TBR DM I only knew one fellow runner; Belle. In fact she was the one who encouraged me to join TBR DM. And since I was not able to attend in any of the running clinics my network was limited. However during the race everyone seemed to be my long time friends. We cheered for one another. Every time I ran past a limping runner I asked him if he needed help. The same thing happened to me when I had to stop and apply Vaseline. Just the thought of making sure everyone was okay was enough to inspire and motivate someone. I may not meet those runners whom I shared road on my first marathon but they will forever be cherished. I will forever be thankful for being extra nice. Two things I realized: being nice is contagious and it isn’t difficult to be one.

Photogs

Another thing I loved about TBR DM was the gazillion of photographers (now that’s exaggerated). But kidding aside, there were so many photographers everywhere. So who didn’t want nice photos? For someone maarte like me, I would want photos of me smiling beautifully despite the struggle. So I guess somehow the photographers motivated me to go on. At one point I was battling with myself whether or not to prolong my walk break but when I spotted a photographer, I decided I should run. Hahaha

Finish Line

Just before I had my final right turn, I came across Team Logan. “You can finish it under 6 hours. Go for it!” were the words of Craig. One could guess it was definitely the sweetest. With my right knee aching I did my final kick. I could hear cheers of admiration from the onlookers which made me run faster. I ran with my remaining strength with a big smile on my face. It was like a scene taken out from a movie – and the world around me stopped moving, all I could heart was my heart beat, I was running towards the finish line on a slow motion with my both hands raised as if praying and glorifying God for helping me conquer that freaking 42 kilometers. (Okay, that was so dramatic. But who could blame me, finishing a marathon itself was a dramatic experience.) As soon as I crossed the finish line I looked up and the time read 5:58:11.

PS

Ms Jaymie, it was definitely a life-changing experience. Words are not enough to thank you for all your efforts in coming up with the best race for first time marathoner. Every single thing about DBR DM will be cherished. And I shall always boast of being part of  TBR Dream Marathon 2013. 

Run4Kids

I have been running for a little over a year. When people ask me why I am so into it I say it keeps my body healthy and fit. I join races mainly because of the benefits I get from it; NO Ms. Universe-like reasons such as to save mother earth or run to save lives.

But this time, it was a different kind of story. It was the first race which I supported and became part of not because of what I could get from it but because it was the only race which objective I found genuine – the Run4Kids.

Run4Kids was organized and made possible by the University Student Council of the university where I teach. I initially agreed to be the host of the event but when I saw the medal, I decided to run too. Marlon, one of my runner friends, was to help me with my pace. (Yay, I admit, I'm a lazy runner!)

When I got to the university, I immediately went to the stage to help out my partner. Not long after, 10K runners were asked to assemble at the start area. Marlon and I patiently waited for the gunstart. As soon as it went off we sprinted off. It was a rather fast pace. I knew I’d tire up soon. But I realized there were three girls ahead of us. Our goal was to run past them before we slow down to recover. Thus, it was a relief when we finally did. We ran past the two girls but one of them was just too fast. I decided it would be futile to catch up since she was hundred meters away from me.

Along the way I kept on asking for walk breaks. Good thing Marlon didn’t push me hard. I was not used to a faster pace in longer distance (I told you, I am lazy runner.). But from time to time I would check the female runner behind me. See, I really wanted to win. Soon enough we were nearing the finish line. I was overjoyed when realized I bagged Second Place with a time of 57 minutes. A mean feat!

PS

Thanks to my pacer. 

Condura Skyway Marathon 2013

In Economics, I learned that people face tradeoffs. To get one thing, I have to give up something else. Making a decision requires trading off one goal against another. Thus, when I started running I thought I would have to give up travelling. I thought running and travelling are two activities I couldn't do at the same time.

MYTH. In fact running makes me travel. Yesterday, my fellow runners Christian, Phillip, Marlon, Kuya Jojo, Teri and I went to Filinvest City to join Condura Skyway Marathon. Okay, so I was no longer the only girl this time. Teri, a mountaineer/runner was with us.

When we got to the venue, I wasn’t surprised to see thousands of runners sporting the white and blue tech shirt. After all I belonged to Wave F. Teri, however, belonged to Wave B while the rest of the boys belonged to Wave E. I wanted to run with the boys so I sneaked to Wave F crowd while the marshalls were busy checking other stuff. Haha

While we were waiting for the gunstart, my friends and I exchanged pleasantries and wished each others’ safety. Soon enough we heard the gunstart. I knew I wouldn’t be able to keep up with their pace so I decided to stick to my pace. I started really slow. I didn’t want to use up all my energy that soon. I didn’t get enough sleep the previous night so I thought pushing myself too hard might cause me to tire out soon. Good thing though Glenn, an acquaintance from Cabanatuan was also taking things slow. We ran side by side with a really slow pace. But when I thought my body was ready to speed up, I decided to increase my speed. 

Along the route I noticed the flickering of lights of the buildings. From afar, it looked like fireflies with different colors dancing to the rhythm of the early morning music. The roads were deserted. Very few cars can be spotted. Everything seemed to be at peace with the universe. It was one tranquil early morning sight. Magical indeed!

As soon as I hit the U-turn, I decided to do Galloway. Lack of sleep the previous night had taken its toll. Although my mind dictated me to go on my body was just too stubborn to follow. Plus, Fluid Trainer was a wrong pair for a half-marathon. I realized I should stick to stability shoes on long runs. My right knee started to throb in KM 11. Although tolerable, I needed walk breaks so as not to hurt my right knee too much.

Not long enough, I reached the tollgate. I was elated but at the same time a bit cheesed off for the road soon became crowded. 42K and 21K runners now shared the road with 10K and 5K runners. The scene was comparable to a maze. And since many decided to just walk off to finish line it became a challenge. I had to be extra careful not to hit or bump my fellow runners. This continued until I reached the finish line. The event was just jam-packed and moving around seemed impossible without bumping the person next to you. My vexation continued when 21K runners were asked to go straight to the Active Health Village to get the medal. I thought I was too tired to walk another half kilometer. Besides I needed to look for my friends too. And given the number of crowd, it would be very difficult to spot them. Thankfully, I spotted Kuya Ming, Rose and Matot. While we were having a little chitchat I spotted Phillip. “Thank God!” I thought to myself. Soon enough, I spotted Christian. I was too tired that all I wanted to do was sleep so we decided to go to the parking area where Kuya Jojo’s van was parked. After freshening up, the team decided to head back to Cabanatuan City. While inside the vehicle, Christian and Marlon crowed their photos. I was jealous that I didn’t have photos taken at the photo booths. But I was too tired to line up or even walk around the Active Health Village. As they show off their photos I fell asleep.

Enviro Run

Okay, so I have recently been branded as “one of the boys”. It’s a tough name, believe me. Being with boys can be very arduous especially when their competitiveness starts to heat up.

My theory was proven right after my friends Phillip, Christian, Marlon and I joined Enviro Run at Tiendesitas. We were all aware that the route was not only confusing but exacting too! The route included steep and long uphill spots and it required the runners to make three loops before heading on to the finish line. So I had only one fear in mind – getting lost along the route. For crying out loud, I didn’t travel all the way to Manila just to get lost in a race. Thus, I requested my friends to run in my pace. I even added that it would be lovely to reach the finish line together with friends and running mates. I crossed my fingers and fervently hoped my charm would work.

Alas, it did but did not last long. When the gunstart went off, my friends and I started with a rather slow pace. Christian said he wasn’t after beating his PR. It would just be his training for the upcoming Condura Skyway Marathon. We were running side by side with an easy pace until we reached the first uphill spot. I slowed down. But the three of them went off. I thought I’d be able to catch up but to my dismay it was a long stretch of steep uphill course. Soon, my friends were out of sight. I started to panic. I didn’t want to get lost along the way. I tried to sprint off from time to time and recover in between. My fear only disappeared after finishing my first loop. Thank God, I didn't get lost.

The second loop was rather easy. Although I dreaded the long stretch of uphill course, I still managed to finish it without stopping in the middle and just wished somebody would kick my ass and roll down the road (no pun intended). Thankfully there were marshalls everywhere to guide the runners. Soon enough I got my second cord. Along the way, I saw a fellow runner who seemed to be lost. She asked the policeman which way to go and the policeman told her to turn right. There were other runners listening so everyone turned right. I knew there was one final loop for 16K runners so I called the runners attention and told them to run another loop unless they signed up for 10K. And since all of us were 16k runners, we went straight ahead for the final loop.

As soon As I got my third cord, I was extremely happy. It meant one thing; I was few kilometres away from the finish line. Thus, I gathered my remaining strength and poured it out on my final kick. Not long after, I was few yards away from the finish line. It was one sweet moment. The fear of getting lost was totally gone and was replaced with exhilaration for finishing another race.

PS

So what happened to my friends? As soon as I reached the finish line, the first thing I did was look for them. I found them under a huge tree impatiently waiting for me. They joshed about me getting lost for it took me so long to complete the race. I just brushed them off. I was too happy to allow anyone spoil my day. Enviro Run taught me one thing, being “one of the boys” means being tough. Sure they pamper when out of the race track but it’s a different story when we are on our running outfits.