F_T: Better be an "I" not "A"

I never use the word “fit” to describe my physique. I am nowhere near to being in shape and I don’t need to be reminded of that fact every time I look myself in the mirror. My idea of an exercise is a good game of badminton (online!) and my notion of a good “cut” is rib eye and T-bone. If it’s any consolation, I go to the gym every once in a while and it’s been really quite a while!

Don’t get me wrong, I am quite sporty though. I bet I know (and played) more sports than you know, thanks to ESPN and Star Sports for teaching me how to become a noble spectator and an excellent commentator. I just don’t have the chance to play as much as I wanted to (Hey, you can’t play Rugby alone in your room or else, your family’s gonna send you to the nearest rehab).

 I “tried” working out regularly, “tried” to play as often as I can, and “tried” to do as many physical activities as I could. Again, the operative word here is “try” but it seems like I’m not trying hard enough. So in an attempt to save my dwindling fitness life, I signed up for Citi Bike Run Fun 2015.

Truth be told, I am not entirely sold on the idea that I would be running because I hate jogging and cardio workouts. The only running I did recently was running some house errands and running away from a failed relationship. If I could choose a better way to spend my GCD I would have chosen any other activity but this, I told myself at first. Then again, what’s 1K but an easy breeze, right?

Wait? I can’t sign up for 1K? They’re for kids?

            Well, I’ll sign up for 3K then. Oh, seriously? No slots available. It’s like Diliman enrollment all over again.

             I can’t run 10K yet. That I am absolutely sure so 5K it is. Challenging but what’s life without any challenges? You just got to get out of your comfort zone and redefine your limits. And how I wish I could actually run as fast as how my mind raced to get a mental picture of how 5k looks like. So be it.

                Before the signal went green, I got to observe and reflect on what have I gotten myself into. It’s nice to see officemates don their fitness outfits instead of their usual business suits. It’s good to finally see faces on those familiar names you would only see on your work email. It’s worth noting how different a person acts outside work as another facet of their personality unfolds before your eyes. And it’s nice to hear how the event also supports programs by the company’s partner foundations, promoting it’s advocacy of volunteerism and helping society.

                There were times when I thought my legs going to give up and my knees going to pop out but I actually managed to finish the race in about an hour. I thought I was going to be dragged to the finish line either by an ambulance or on a wheel chair but I was underestimating myself out there. I survived 5K with nothing but tired feet and pumped up heartbeat.

                So what do I take away from my experience from the race?

                I learned that you got to find your pace and not rush things. You run too fast and you’ll end up running on empty gas. You run too slowly and you’ll end up being left behind.

 I learned that you can always count on your friends when you feel like giving up. When something bad happens to you, some friends are just a call away and they’ll be right there in front of you.

I learned that you compete with no one but yourself. Only you know when to push yourself and when to hold back.  

                Finally, I learned that this race should not be my last and I should keep running to be physically and mentally better. For now, I am running out of words to say so I better sleep before I ran out of energy to post this thing. Next year, it better be an "I" that completes this word rather than an "A".