Running Away From Home
The runners (from left to right): Benedict,
Maridel, Baby, Connie, Marivic, Gemma,
Paz, Techie, Joemarie, Razen, Joen
and Chris.
Running. A few years back, you would get puzzled looks from people if you tell them it was what you did for fitness and fun. It was not the thing Filipinos, especially non-athletes, did.
Nowadays, more and more people are discovering the joys and highs (as well as the aches and pains) of running. Case in point- a few of us hardy and determined souls from Iloilo travelled all the way to Pampanga to join the New Balance Power Race held at the Clark Freeport Zone. We are a mixed bunch of experienced and novice runners intent on pushing our usual weekly long runs. We decided to leave behind the familiarity of Iloilo roads and experience the Pampanga terrain.
We call our group the I.B.A.H. runners. Don't ask what it stands for – you will immediately understand the moment you see us, or you could go to C Italian Dining where you can see I.B.A.H. spelled out in all its glory on a big platter displayed in that lovely restaurant. C was where we did our carbo-loading before the race. Oh, the panizza, the risotto... The food was so good we went back again the following day.
On race day, we all woke up early. We could feel the energy and the adrenalin before the race. Yes, runners are bright and chirpy even at dawn before a race. It's just one of the things that distinguishes runners from joggers. (lol)
The 25k runners started at around 5:45, a few minutes earlier than the 10k runners. They were given RFID's (radio frequency id's) to strap around their left ankles to monitor their time. There was no need for them to jockey up to the front. Their time started only when they pass the starting point, not when the starting gun went off. On the other hand, we 10k runners did it the old-fashioned way. If we wanted to start the minute the starting gun was fired, we had to position ourselves up front. We were caught unaware, so we were at the back of the pack. When the frontliners were around fifty meters away from us, our group hadn't even passed the starting gate. It added a few minutes to our time.
The race route was so scenic with large, shady trees, manicured parade grounds, and well-paved roads. It made up for the agonizing hills that felt like they went on forever. When you thought you were at the crest and a reprieve would come next in the form of a downhill run, would see runners ahead of you slowing down as they began the ascent of yet another hill. And that was even before we reached the halfway point.
I'm sure all of us were having crazy thoughts as we almost crawled uphill. I was blaming Iloilo's flat roads that didn't prepare us for uphill runs. I was asking myself if I was really supposed to run parallel to the ground when navigating hills. My darn body was almost parallel to Mother Earth out of its own volition! I had to muster all my energy to look upright.
But then again the polite race marshals, the abundant drinks, and the cool, cloudy day spurred on exhausted bodies. Most of all, the sight of the finish line brought on a mysterious source of energy you didn't your aching legs and bursting lungs still possessed.
In the end, all the I.B.A.H runners did quite well. We all reached the finish gate strong and still running. We had no injuries--just the usual aches and pains. We pushed ourselves hard but we didn't forget to enjoy the run. There was abundant laughter at the end of the race. The sense of accomplishment and satisfaction from a race well-run saw us tired and smiling on the way home to Iloilo. Are we joining another race? Bring it on!