it's been a long, long while since i've written a detailed bit, so here goes. i'll be doing this with lots of pictures. they're not great, but i just wanted to have some kind of markers in my story. ;)
there are a number of reasons why doing my first half marathon was quite a different experience for me.
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| nope, running for chocolate is not one of them, haha.. |
first of all, i did it alone - which i actually preferred, because i wanted to run/walk at my own pace - no trying to catch up or having to wait for someone. secondly, i downgraded myself from joining the full marathon (for charity) in 2006 and 2007, so i didn't feel threatened by the 13.1 miles. but lo and behold, there were a few extra challenges thrown my way - i was sick for more than a week before the marathon, and i got my period two days before the event! yikes! but yeah, i couldn't pass up the opportunity for this long-awaited "adventure," even if i felt the works of my dysmenorrhea till the night before. i really really really wanted to do this "solo" marathon. crazy.
so. october 09, 2011. long beach, california. =) my siblings and some friends were doing the bike marathon, so i didn't go there by my lonesome self. and i heard that there were still a few gawad kalinga runners this year, so i went ahead and used my old shirt so i could support them in my own little way.
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| go GK! |
while waiting near the starting line, the announcers talked about this and that, welcomed back the loyal ("grampa-type") runners, and just kept the excitement flowing in the crowd. suddenly they called this lady beside me to come up to them and say hello. turned out that she's yolanda holder - current guinness world record holder for having run the most number of marathons in a year (106 in 2010)! haha, such a nice bit to add to my story. no picture, even if i could have asked her easily. too early in the morning for me. or i was probably too shy, as usual. hehe.
but june told me, i should take pictures of the mile markers coz they've got art in them. well, that i did.
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| @ 6:23:16am, i started walking the first mile with nina's song simula. ;) |
eto na, oras na
para magsimula..
today's the day, i'll start my way, the only way..
ang sarap magsimula kung masarap ang simula..
the sun greeted me on my way to the 2nd mile marker. i can still smell the cool air surrounding me, refreshing me, and keeping me company while i stared at everything around me. and this went on for the next few miles. lots to see!
oh, by the way, the regular start of the marathon is at 7am. i joined the early walkers, coz a walker is what i am. ;) i caught sight of the runners behind me before reaching mile 5.
then the elite runners started passing me by,
blocking my shot of mile 5 hehe.
still, i walked and took pictures like i was only there for the sights =p
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| i wasn't the only one taking pictures (brightroom - official photographer of the event) |
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| cheerers were awake by this time |
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| this was where the 4-mile stretch by the beach started. i loved it! |
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| just a place we went to for swimming a few months ago |
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| as i posted on facebook: sand + sea + skies + people = ahhh.. =) |
there's supposed to be a "wall" around mile 10. but how could i feel tired when i was surrounded by my fellow runners, including "grandma" below, just pushing through? besides, there were too many cheerers who wouldn't let me walk - i had to run whenever they shout words of encouragement. =)
when i got to the split, i thought of those two times when i went on to complete the full marathon. i wasn't scared then (i don't know why hehe), so yeah, i was still feeling proud of myself even as i continued in my course ever so slowly, but surely. ;)
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| refreshing blue skies.. |
my siblings finished their bike marathon in about two hours. they went to meet me during my last two miles. some of the pictures below were taken by them..
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| last mile!! |
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| still having fun! |
and just like that, i finished. =D it's always interesting to see the stats afterward. the marathon's website got cool graphs and stuff, and i also tracked my workout using the endomondo app on my phone. it just sucks (for the OC in me) that i forgot to stop the app right after i passed the finish line. but yeah, my official time is 03:31:03. ;)
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| pee break on mile 6 slowed me down =p |
such a nice play in the numbers: 6:23:16 am start time, 03:31:03 total time, and 10001 overall place. ;)
somewhere in between, i munched on half a banana, some pretzels, and chips from volunteers and spectators. i missed out on the m&m's (coz my hands were full with other goodies) and donut holes (coz they were on the other side of the road from me). but right after we took the picture below, we went to a bbq place for lunch, so everything was good as far as my stomach was concerned. =)
this entry is way too delayed. but i still got the high. i actually walked around the neighborhood this morning (only for 20 minutes - better than nothing). planning to do it regularly. =D
i also joined another half marathon two weeks ago - LA's rock n' roll one. i was only supposed to go to the expo the day before the run, so i can meet hannah over there and buy some PR bars. but the thought of running/walking stuck with me that whole day, so when i found a way to get into the event, i went ahead and grabbed it. =p
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| we bought 5 boxes, and got an extra big one for free ;) |
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| costume c/o hannah |
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| dressed up as emily WEBster (my reg 'sponsor'), aka SPIDERwoman =p treat or treat!! |
i just had to add this: i was chatting with a friend the other day, and i told her that i hope my passion/interest for running doesn't go away. i was confused by her reply -
hehehe, quite a CHANGE from usual answers like "you just have to nurture your passion" or something. but yeah, she's right. we should trust that there will ALWAYS be something good in the changes in our lives. we shouldn't force things to always be the way they were before - particularly those things that we can't really control. so for now, i'll enjoy every moment of my current high. i shouldn't ask for it to be with me forever, but i should look forward to always having various kinds of HIGHS in my life. ;)
