RANDOM #11

I never thought that I can go back to running once again after being dormant for quite some time. During my battle against depression I found my refuge from doing two of the things I really love; poetry and running. While poetry became an outlet to pour my emotions out, running has brought me back in shape-physically and you may not believe it...even spiritually. Running became a form of meditation where I can communicate with my inner-self and with the Almighty especially during my solo runs. Running has brought back in me the never-give up attitude and the virtue of patience  to confront any challenging situations. It may not brought back my youthful strength and candor but at my age it has given me a better perspective.

It's quite a difficult task to go back and regain that competitive spirit. I had to shed some weight and endure the harshness  of starting it all over again. It was disappointing at first but the urge to continue and persevere was even stronger.

It was the first week of December 2014 when I made a personal commitment to start a personal running program that will free me from being overweight, will keep me from taking meds to control my cholesterol level and give me back a portion of strength once I had in my youth. The simple program paid off and with an encouragement from a friend I started joining running races. It was fun races at the start then became more competitive as I strive to increase my mileage and improve my speed. A couple of months later I found myself joining four races at various distances.

It all started with a 5K fun run in Nuvali Sta. Rosa last February 1, 2015 where I clocked in at 40 minutes. A week later (February 8) I joined an 8K run in San Pablo City. I finished the race with a time of 55 minutes. The time for these two races may not be at par with those who won but for me they were simply encouraging.  I was able to set a personal benchmark to improve my performance.

A month later (March 8), I participated in a 10K race in Letran Calamba. After traversing a very challenging course, I was able to break the one hour barrier when I crossed the finish line at 53 minutes. A week later I Increased my mileage by joining a 16K run in Pagsanjan, Laguna. Running at pace with Police cadets and with participants younger than me I was able to finish it in 1 hour 38 minutes. Not bad for  a 47 year old running returnee.

Considering the time I invested on this simple program,  I can claim this as a remarkable achievement. But the depth of this personal achievement goes beyond the physical. It is about using the experience as I continue my emotional and spiritual journey. Just like every runner, I have my own reason.

There will be more races to come. There will be more personal attempts to test my limits. There will be more pains to endure. But I have to continue doing this. Stopping is not an option, because wherever I go this perspective will keep all my hopes and dreams alive. This outlook will simply define my own personal meaning of HAPPINESS.

RMP
3/15/2015