Every runner has his own story. As we gather at the starting line clapping and shouting and eagerly waiting for the start of the marathon at exactly 4am, I can't help myself but be proud of this thousand marathoners -- we are definitely a dedicated bunch of weirdos. Under the might and anger of tropical storm Kabayan, a thousand men and women gathered bravely bordering on foolishness and insanity.
Take a picture of that group of marathoners, gathered too early in the morning under the stormy weather only to punish themselves willingly for a 42-kilometer run -- you will basically know what I am writing about. Foolishness indeed. And that day, I am so proud to be one of a thousand fools.
This is my foolish story.
It is actually not an easy life to be this kind of fool. For countless Sundays, I get up by 4 in the morning so I can run by 5am and finish about 21 kilometers of running before the sun's heat become intolerable. Tuesday and Thursday nights, I go to the park after office works to run some more. Forty to fifty kilometers a week of running. Three times a week for seven months this year prior to that eventful morning of July 31. Thousands of kilometers and hundreds of hours spent running. This is my running life. A certifiable foolish way of life. You want to be a dedicated runner? You need to drop your sanity somewhere first (And the more dedicated runner you are, the more insane you become).
Take a picture of that group of marathoners, gathered too early in the morning under the stormy weather only to punish themselves willingly for a 42-kilometer run -- you will basically know what I am writing about. Foolishness indeed. And that day, I am so proud to be one of a thousand fools.
This is my foolish story.
It is actually not an easy life to be this kind of fool. For countless Sundays, I get up by 4 in the morning so I can run by 5am and finish about 21 kilometers of running before the sun's heat become intolerable. Tuesday and Thursday nights, I go to the park after office works to run some more. Forty to fifty kilometers a week of running. Three times a week for seven months this year prior to that eventful morning of July 31. Thousands of kilometers and hundreds of hours spent running. This is my running life. A certifiable foolish way of life. You want to be a dedicated runner? You need to drop your sanity somewhere first (And the more dedicated runner you are, the more insane you become).
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| Jesy and I before the 4am Gun Start |
On my way up the Baclaran flyover, after sprinting against the heavy rainfall after some 17 and more kilometers, my thoughts were like "This feels like some military training in the movies!" Rain falls down on my face like my usual morning shower prior to an office working day as my running shoes playfully stride on the slippery roads of Roxas Boulevard. Going towards the Buendia intersection under the Buendia flyover, I am closely following a few marathoners as we form a file of cadet soldiers about to be lined up for extreme physical tests and tortures. The rain never stopped falling nor did we ever stop running.
Yet after half of the full marathon distance, my body felt a bit cold and my legs, feet and shoes become heavier and heavier by each kilometer. I was slowing down much faster than I planned. After 10 kilometers, I was 5 minutes off my target. After 21 kilometers, I am off by 11. I was hoping the rain would help my cause, but speed wise, the effect was negative. I was following the track with the least amount of accumulated water thereby unnecessarily making the marathon distance even much longer! Add to this fact that my clothes are all wet and heavy. I got blisters on my little finger (right foot) because of my wet and now uncomfortable socks. Nerissa and her sisters got a good laugh when I show them my blister on top of a blister. I suffered the first blister before the half, then I kept on running with it. That's why I developed another blister on top of the other after the first blister exploded. Plus I also got a third blister right below the double blisters.
But hey, those are not to be my excuses when I have waited for months to run this Milo marathon. I guess I'm making the list because I really failed my planned marathon pace. Blame it on the bad weather (and my lack of long Tempo training and lack of marathon endurance). Another not-so-good thing, I told my mama when I got home that I used the wrong underwear. I got chafed high above my legs (left crotch and leg area just below the left butt) from Taguig all the way to the finish line in SM Mall of Asia. It was all my fault, I know that the underwear I used is too tight for running and I still used it. Not only am I foolish, I am hardheaded too for I thought that the petroleum jelly would be enough to combat chafing.
Back to the 21st kilometer, 1:44 hours have already passed and I am just halfway through. To finish 42.195 kilometers and make the qualifying time of 3:45 hours, I need to run the next half under 2 hours. OK, enough of the Math, time for a mandatory halftime break. I pulled off my Klicx chocolate from my pocket, an Advil tablet and a plastic filled with salt. I ate a banana offered at the hydration station, swallowed the medicine and gulped a cup of Powerade and a cup of cold water.
I had to tell the staff at the hydration table that those are just rocks of salt that I poured on my cup of cold water. From the look on her face, she must have been wondering what was that substance I just consumed.
Eugene Yasay, my fast and very strong Alpha 1 teammate, caught up with me at that point and asked what just happened. He saw me running fast from the start up to the 16th kilometer U-turn point in Baclaran. Then at the halfway mark, there I was resting under the hydration tent ('nakikisilong') and taking all of my time for a break. I told him I was OK and that I'll be joining him up ahead ("habol ako!").
Yet after half of the full marathon distance, my body felt a bit cold and my legs, feet and shoes become heavier and heavier by each kilometer. I was slowing down much faster than I planned. After 10 kilometers, I was 5 minutes off my target. After 21 kilometers, I am off by 11. I was hoping the rain would help my cause, but speed wise, the effect was negative. I was following the track with the least amount of accumulated water thereby unnecessarily making the marathon distance even much longer! Add to this fact that my clothes are all wet and heavy. I got blisters on my little finger (right foot) because of my wet and now uncomfortable socks. Nerissa and her sisters got a good laugh when I show them my blister on top of a blister. I suffered the first blister before the half, then I kept on running with it. That's why I developed another blister on top of the other after the first blister exploded. Plus I also got a third blister right below the double blisters.
But hey, those are not to be my excuses when I have waited for months to run this Milo marathon. I guess I'm making the list because I really failed my planned marathon pace. Blame it on the bad weather (and my lack of long Tempo training and lack of marathon endurance). Another not-so-good thing, I told my mama when I got home that I used the wrong underwear. I got chafed high above my legs (left crotch and leg area just below the left butt) from Taguig all the way to the finish line in SM Mall of Asia. It was all my fault, I know that the underwear I used is too tight for running and I still used it. Not only am I foolish, I am hardheaded too for I thought that the petroleum jelly would be enough to combat chafing.
Back to the 21st kilometer, 1:44 hours have already passed and I am just halfway through. To finish 42.195 kilometers and make the qualifying time of 3:45 hours, I need to run the next half under 2 hours. OK, enough of the Math, time for a mandatory halftime break. I pulled off my Klicx chocolate from my pocket, an Advil tablet and a plastic filled with salt. I ate a banana offered at the hydration station, swallowed the medicine and gulped a cup of Powerade and a cup of cold water.
I had to tell the staff at the hydration table that those are just rocks of salt that I poured on my cup of cold water. From the look on her face, she must have been wondering what was that substance I just consumed.
Eugene Yasay, my fast and very strong Alpha 1 teammate, caught up with me at that point and asked what just happened. He saw me running fast from the start up to the 16th kilometer U-turn point in Baclaran. Then at the halfway mark, there I was resting under the hydration tent ('nakikisilong') and taking all of my time for a break. I told him I was OK and that I'll be joining him up ahead ("habol ako!").
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| Eugene and I at the Finish Line |
I took two more cups of water and chewed my chocolate bar.
By this time, I was all alone with just two or three runners in sight ahead of me. I shouted with joy "Let's Go Jayson!", even went nuts to chant the Milo song "Growing up with Olympic energy.. Growing up with Milo.. Milo everyday!". Temporarily, all of the pains and fatigue subsided. The future looks bright even though the sun is still covered by rain clouds and pouring rain. Even still, we march on.
On top of the Kalayaan flyover in Makati, I saw a marathoner with only one arm for the other was cut around the upper arm. Then on my way back, after another U-turn at Lawton Avenue in Taguig, I saw another marathoner with no arms at all for both were cut off. If these men, can run a marathon, how much more can a full-bodied man like I am can? I had no reason at all not to keep on running. Besides all of my personal reasons to go and finish this race, these fellow runners motivate me even more. This is our passion. This is what defines us. No matter what the odds, our physical condition with all the pains and injuries therein, the stormy weather and the slippery roads, none of those can stop us from our pursuit. The spirit of the marathon lives on and we are very proud to say that "We are marathoners!"
To be continued...
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