June 16, 2010

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.

2 comments:

  1. Nice story, Mark. It was nice to bump into you ... was it at Nature Valley Run ... anyhow you did fine. And yes, you looked thinner. Good job!

    ReplyDelete
  2. @ Running Diva - thanks! Yup, at Nature Valley. Hope to see you more. :)

    ReplyDelete

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