The Run for Sight was a huge success. Organized by the running doctor Yong Larrazabal, the run dubbed as the premier running event in Cebu live up to its name in terms of how organized the whole event was. From the starting point up to the finish line, the details where practically met. I don't actually believe its the premier event in terms of the quality of runners as majority of the participants where students from the university, a monopoly of some sort who just came to run a little bit and walk the rest of the way.
This time I was joining with the intentions of improving my previous 10K PR which stood at 57.15 in the last ABSCBN Kapamilya Run. After the Milo 21K run, I did some rounds in doing speed intervals at the oval and hills training which is abundant in our place in the hope to improve my time. I'm not actually as gifted like others in terms of running fast to I was contented to improve my time to around 55mins. By 4AM I was already awake, took a quick shower, ate a light breakfast consisting of two bananas and drank over 20 ounces of water. I did some 15-20mins stretching afterwards. By 4:45AM off I drove to the race venue with so much spare time to warm up which I did with an easy jogging for 2 kilometers only after I got bored listening to Andrea Bocelli's Toscana. By 530AM, the participants started to arrived until the whole venue was already almost full fifteen minutes before the starting gun. While waiting I met my long time college fraternity brother and good friend Eugene Sanchez who happens to be a triathlete himself. We talked on how difficult it was for him to be able to run the marathon due the the preparation it requires preferring middle distance running of not more than 21K. He was actually complimenting me how I manage to really pursue it, which actually was already a motivation for me coming from a well known triathlete. I said I was a slow runner. I bet he was expecting a sub50 10K time and when I said the fastest I got was 57mins, it must be beyond his initial expectation which was perfectly alright for me as I've come to understand that unlike many others who can run really fast, my body cannot. When he said his fastest time was 39mins. and is expecting for a 47mins on this run got me a little embarrassed for like him my initial expectation was this guy could not have run that fast.
But again, he has over 10 years experience in competing in triathlons so just thinking over it got over my initial embarrassment. It was a fool of me to misjudge him. I said to him to go ahead and don't wait for me. So at 6AM off the race started. Inadvertently while we were talking we were in the front pack. By the time the gun went off I ran too fast just like most of those in the front pack. I started my Garmin and their registered a pacing of 4.04/km. Big Big mistake! I knew I started too fast and by the 3rd kilometer, I was slowing down, my breathing heavy as if my body was one locomotive train that lost all its fuel. I did manage to slow down to around 5.30/kms for about another 3 kilometers which was probably the most agonizing time physically as I taught my body to run to that pace. A high school classmate zoom ahead of me which surprises me as he usually runs slow when we met once in IT Park. He was running the 5K though and I still have another round to go so it was a good decision not to run his pace. By the 6th which was a another loop back to the finish line the condition improve as I my body adapted to the pace. By the 7th, I started to push my way back to a faster pace. I was gaining and actually ran past several runners. By the 9th km. I was pushing hard as I could, the determination to beat my time foremost in my mind. I was actually doing self talk already a mental challenge more than a physical one. By the last half kilometer my watch registered a pace lesser that 5mins/km. which i maintained with a couple of guys beside me. I look at the clock when the finish line was about 10 meters away. It reads 51.35 and clicking . By the time I check in it was 51.38. I did it! I broke my 10K PR time by almost 6 minutes! I was happy never mind that I was beaten again by actress Donna Cruz who happen to checked in at 48 min. something. Never mind if Eugene Sanchez zoom past to a comfortable 47min. as he predicted. Never mind if one of my staff ran his first 10K to a fast 46mis. I am fully aware of my limitations and accept with humility and pride the fact that I can't run as fast as others. I was most happy because I beat myself and in the end WON!
I know realize just like the recent book I have read, and which I discovered after successful completion of several running challenges as fast as I could, which gave me the confidence that, within my own limits, I could achieve whatever physical or academic target I set myself, as long as I was prepared to make the necessary effort. I learned that the rewards of running, as in life, come only in direct proportion to the amount of effort I am prepared to exert, and to the extent to which I can summon the required discipline and application.
Eating lechon after the race with all the YYKredit Runners.
Now its time for serious prepping up. This is it, the last 16 weeks before the marathon. Serious training like the easy slow long distance running of 20K-32K on Sundays is looming ahead. I know mentally I'm ready for it. I hope my body can respond as well. Lets get it on!
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