The Finisher

5.. 4.. 3.. 2.. 1! Goodluck Runners!!

Those were the last words i heard from the emcee during the Adidas King of the Road marathon before i turned my ipod to its maximum volume.

And then I ran. I ran for 2 hours, 47 minutes and 49 seconds, to be exact.

the 21K route

Before the race: feeling giddy about having to finally run a half marathon

Let me take you to my thought processes throughout that extraordinary 21 kilometer run:

at the first kilometer:

With all the 4,000 plus runners going at it at the same time, you will definitely feel the urge and pressure to run with them. I just thought of what my co-worker always tells me: "Find your own pace. ‘Wag ka magpa-pressure sa kanila."

at 2 kilometers:

I was very confident running at my own pace already. All I could think about was how to zigzag my way through the other runners.. "Pa’no ba ako sisingit dun? Go left, overtake, go back to in the middle of the road. Ok."

at 4 kilometers:

Roughly 20-30 minutes have passed, and I’m still running! I tried to gauge if my legs were cramping, or if my knees were hurting.. Nope. so far, so good. I was just thinking: "Is my mom home na kaya? Grabe, pauwi pa lang yata mga kaibigan ko, ako nagpapawis na.."

at 5 kilometers:

I was starting to feel tired and I was panting already. I thought to myself, "Why? Why didn't I listen to my boss when he told me to train a lot for this?! He's not a tri-athlete for nothing, Pam! Oh well, too late for that."

at 6 kilometers:

"Dear God, please give me enough patience to run this one out and not walk it off na lang as soon as i get tired.........."

at 7 kilometers:

At this point, I noticed a dude who was running at the same pace I am in. He was not within the area of my personal space, so I didn't mind na halos magkasabay kami.

at 8 kilometers:

Ok, this dude is really running with me na. Good good! I have a pacer! I thought: "As long as he doesn't stop running, I won't too! And if he runs faster, I’ll run faster too. He'll be my pacer without him knowing. Haha."

at 9 kilometers:

"Why didn't I listen to my boss when he told me to train??"

at 10 kilometers:

"But I trained naman eh! Not lang as much as they all said I should.. Like once-twice a week for the past month.. *sigh*"

at 11 kilometers:

"No wait, I did train a lot! I was constant with my Bikram yoga classes! It helps you stregthen your knees and enhance your endurance.. Ha!"

at 12 kilometers:

"Ok great! My pacer dude stopped running for a water break. Ako na din!"

at 13 kilometers:

"I’m not hungry at all.. All I want is to see a sign that says 19kilometer mark, 2 to go.."

at 14 kilometers:

"Why didn't I listen to my boss when he told me to train??"

at 15 kilometers:

I think pacer dude knows he's my pacer dude. After water breaks, he'd glance at my direction and nod as if to say "O go na, run ulit!" Anyway, works for me!

at 16 kilometers:

"Why didn't I listen to my boss when he told me to train??"

at 17 kilometers:

Surprise, surprise! Without saying anything, my pacer dude tapped my arm. When I looked at him, he gestured, as if to offer me a granola bar. "Eh kumakain na pala to eh!" I declined though.

at 18 kilometers:

"If I signed up for the 16.8run, I should've been done by now!!! I think I can do this.."

at 19 kilometers:

"Ohmygosh. 2 kilometers left? Really? Really??"

at 20 kilometers:

Pacer dude looked at me and we both nodded. "Last K na, sprint time!!!"

at 500meters:

"Si RunRio ba yun nag-shake hands sakin!??!!! Ack!!"

at the finish line:

I wanted to cry. Literally. However, since my family wasn't with me, I would look crazy if I started bawling my eyes out to no one in particular. So instead, to celebrate my 21K finish, I congratulated and thanked my pacer dude for running with me. I got my medal and stretched the hell out of my calves and legs as I waited to be picked up for home. It was weird cause although my body felt tired, I didn't feel drained at all. As a matter of fact, I felt so energetic after! Maybe it was the adrenaline rush? Maybe it was the high of being able to finally run a half marathon? Maybe it was because I knew I finished it without incurring injuries of any sort? I don't know. It just felt really really fantastic!



my official CHIP time: 02:47:49


Ok, let me just tell you that I am not the athletic one in the family. Both my brothers are. And when they had a hard time finishing 21K themselves (Rain busting his knee during the run and Kuya having a fever for a week right after his race), my mom became very very concerned on how I'll manage to pull it off. But as soon as she saw me after the race, with my face all aglow, we both realized that yeah! I may not be the athletic one, but I sure as hell ran stronger than both my brothers did. Hahaha!

As I end this entry, I can't help but smile at the realization of how blessed I am for having all these amazing people around me: my mom who's my best cheerleader, my cool boss who forever supports my non-work endeavors, my newly found pacer dude, and my amazing friend who panics and runs with me in the Ateneo everytime I'd "cram" for the race.

Thanks guys a lot! Couldn't have done this without you. Sa Condura ulit! Haha!

When: October 23, 2011, 05:00H

Where: Bonifacio Global City, Taguig

What: Adidas King of the Road 2011