A Reason to Run

My entire life I have been overweight. I have gained weight when I was in my early grade school because our family doctor found out that I had low blood platelet count and I need to drink this and that vitamins to boost my lack of necessary red juice. The side effect though is that, I will gain weight.

I was never active either being raised in a not so "outgoing" environment, I enjoy watching TV more than running on the streets. I always see to it that I get exempted from PE classes and I traded doing CAT for our school yearbook. I was never active. This maybe is one of the repercussion of how I dealt with my life. Naturally, I am a rebel. What my parents tell me, I do otherwise. So everytime my dad insist on me joining basketball or volleyball or even chess, I will create excuses why I can't and why I should not. My mom's being over protective did not contribute as much. She always wanted me inside the house rather than going out as I may "scratch" my legs or damage my skin, or something to that effect.

All of these being "inactive" made me gained weight. Weight, that I have consistently been battling with. In high school people talk behind my back by me being overweight and being bigger than the usual teen. I did not mind them and focused on the better part of me. I was outgoing, I was great with a lot of things, I am branded as the friendliest. All of these I did to compensate my being fat. All those times, I thought I was truly happy but I was really not. I am a person hiding inside the imperfections other people see. I was quite invinsible.

Then one day, a colleague mocked me for not able to breat well. I told him, "You know what? I'll hit the gym, get thin and will not recognize you as in, Who You?". That same week, I registered for the gym and started right away. After some very tedious diet and exercising. I was able to lose 20lbs. I was then same size when I graduated from the university. I was happy and thought that I was really thin. And then one day, by a very unpredictable eventuality, I met running. Everybody in the office was signing up for the Milo Manila Eliminations 2009. I told myself, if they are doing it, why can't I. I then immediately signed up for 10K. Same distance a friend of mine is running. I said, this would be great because I am already hitting the gym and I know I can do it.

I ran the race. I was tired. Dead tired. But after finishing the race tiredly, I felt good and I felt nice. So I told myself that I will repeat a run and be better next time. I did just that and signed up for a few more. I trained harder with the regular running along Roxas Blvd. No qualms, no plans, just finish the distance. I was then joining almost every single big race in Manila. I was signing up for every run I could. I even get depressed if I do not run a race on a Sunday morning. In short, I got addicted.

After all those addiction, people were then complimenting me. All of them saying, I lost weight. I look good. What did you do? I then looked at the mirror closely and saw a new me. I was thinner. I felt better and I lost another 20lbs. This time, I did not have to diet strictly and was just watching what I eat. I felt awesomely fabulous. I wanted to run and run some more.

People have different reasons why they run. And mine is simply, to get thin. I wouldn't be plastic and say, I would want to achieve something very different, I don't want to have a more friends and so on and so fort. I want to be thin and if the side effect of that would mean a better health for me, more discipline im my lifestyle and more focused in achieving my dreams, then I'd gladly take that as plusses of my running.

Running is a very good sport. It is something almost anybody can do. Regardless of your background, weight or athletic experience. Running defines no runner. And therefore I conclude I am a runner. A runner getting lighter through every finish line.

Hidden Goal: SUB Finishes....

When I started running, I had goals. Initially it was to loose weight but it evolved to more extensive one and would be sub goals. I decided then to have these as my goals:

21K Sub-2:30
10K Sub-1
5K Sub-30

So far, I have not achieved my goals for the 21K and 10K. The closest I've got was 2:35 and 1:04 respectively. But I am very pleased that during my first 5K last Sunday at the freedom run, I was able to achieve my sub-30 goal for the 5K. I clocked in at 28:05. I was very pleased. It motivated me to run more of 5Ks and escalate to 10K and try beating my goal. I know I could make it. I just need time.