FUN IN RUNNING

If there was one good thing that happened to myself during my over a year job hiatus after I went home in the Philippines, it was the opportunity to once again run my feet on the ground. Only this time, it was running for a cause. Honestly, I don’t know why I was so keen on running, and all this time, my interest for it never died. I don’t know why but maybe I am just a subconsciously frustrated runner until now. Yes, it might be true and right. Maybe that was one of the main reasons. Actually, when I was in grade school, I used to be a member of the athletics team of my school. In our practice sessions at that time, I never finished first place but of course never been in the last place. In short, amongst us, I was neither the fastest nor the slowest member of the school’s team. However, during the 4x4 200 meter relay competition, I was one of the slowest performers of that race. So as a result, our team ended up losing in the relay race. After that unfortunate event, I never joined in the running competition for the rest of my student years. Frustration engulfed my love for running. For long years, running was not my kind of thing anymore. I turned myself to other sports such as basketball and mind games (chess, scrabble).

For a couple of years, when I was in Qatar, I gradually started running again due to my noticeable increasing weight gain. I went to work in Qatar with only 70 kgs body weight but few months later, I gained almost 10 kgs. This was the time when I decided to run and sweat out some calories out of my body. Jogging had been my past time, my form of exercise in Qatar.

And then, my contract ended. I went back home. This is the point when I took running seriously. The over a year break gave me the chance to enjoy noteworthy running experience while I was looking for a new job. I started joining in some events like “Run for a Cause” or “Charity Run” or popularly known as “Fun Run,” which is very ubiquitous in the streets of Metro Manila and even to some provinces of the country. Fun Run is usually organized by some government agencies or private organizations celebrating their founding anniversary, some of charity events, of fiesta celebrations, or even just an ordinary day. Most of the time, it is organized for some charity cause. This is the good thing with fun run; it gratifies my love for running as well as kept my body fit and healthy and at the same time my registration fee could help the beneficiaries of the fun run. I run for a cause. This was now my mindset whenever I joined such events.  My attitude towards running had modestly changed. Not like before during my younger years when I run to win the race but now I run mostly because of charity cause.  Some people might not understand our attitude about this, but one thing is for sure, they would never ever understand us until they have tried and be with us. Ultimately, for me, running is both fun and healthy.

Here are some of my photos from the various running events:

This was my first run for a cause, organized by Civil Service Commission
on its 113th yr anniversary @ Quirino Grandstand
September 7, 2013
5K category: 19 mins 59 secs

Organized by Affinitea "Raise d Roof"
@ CCP Complex
December 15, 2013
10K Category: 1 hr 5 mins 04 secs

Organized by the Albay Local Government
for Magayon Festival @ Embarcadero
April 25, 2014
10K Category: 1 hr 4 mins 17 secs

"Takbo mo, Buhay ko Charity Run" @ CCP Complex
April 27, 2014
10K Category

Organized by Philippine Air Force
on its 67th yr anniversary  @ CCP Complex
June 1, 2014
15K Category: 1 hr 39 mins 

My last run 5 days prior going to KSA, Organized by Runner's Republiq
"Lets run Endure Conquer" @ CCP Complex
June 15, 2014
21K Category: 2 hrs 31 mins 25 secs

If in case you are interested and have queries about future schedules of various running events, there are two websites that are usually active for these events. Just check out their website, http://www.takbo.ph and http://www.run.ph, the schedules are posted there, some registration is done via online and some are in store. Register now, run and make a difference!