Just Another Runner

These are what happened on my second year of running. I finished my first marathon! I did it on Dec. 4, at the Quezon City International Marathon. I also did my first 6K, 16K, 21K and 32K. My goals for this year were to do a 21K and a marathon. DONE! I improved my personal bests on the 5K (0:33) and the 10K (1:16). I did a total of 14 races this year: 1 5K, 1 6K, 4 10Ks, 1 16K, 5 21Ks, 1 32K, and 1 42K I helped my wife finish a half marathon - something she said she would never do. I ended last year at 186 lbs. It didn't change this year. My waistline didn't change too. I thought that after training for and finishing a marathon, I would at least have a normal BMI. Oh well. I still have plantar fasciitis and for the first time I have a dead toenail (on my big toe; from my marathon). About my running gear: I retired my Mizuno Wave Elixir and Nike LunarGlide, and replaced them with the New Balance 870 and Nike LunarGlide 2. I bought 2 new Nike running shorts, 2 New Balance c

I've read in a lot of running blogs that all runners will get this sooner or later. It's like a badge. When you see this on someone, he or she either runs or drops stuff. Well I never had it until my first marathon. I noticed it only a few days after. Now, I too have the honor of having the badge.

Imagine that. After crossing the finish line of the 3rd Quezon City International Marathon yesterday morning, I am now a marathoner. It truly is a miracle that I was able to finish a marathon, but the bigger miracle is that I got to the starting line in the first place. For a long time, finishing a marathon has been a dream. It was what was on my mind the first time I laced up to go jogging when I was just a lanky teenager back in the early 80's. I eventually fell in love with running. My family got used to the thought that it's something that I do when no one else seems to be doing it. That dream kept me running while other teenagers had "better" things to do. But because of a disappointment in running caused by an injury, and the impatience of youth, I suddenly stopped. The dream faded but not completely. Through the years, I would occasionally literally dream of running. The scene will always be of me running happily and effortlessly on my usual routes.