SUBIC MARATHON- Finisher!

I never thought I would type these words out...at least not until after February 6th. But sometimes, things happen for a reason. Just like my last marathon nearly two years ago, I felt a strong Divine Intervention for me to join this race category.

It’s really weird how things turn out. This was supposed to be my last long run before Hong Kong (actually as Hong Kong was just two weeks away, I thought it should be my taper mode). But Coach Alvin said I should try and do a 35-km long run that Sunday and to look for a race that would help me. The only thing I found was the Timex Run, which had 16-km as its longest distance. So even with this category, I still had to run 19-km to complete my long run! And running alone for this distance was never my thing… I would get bored, I would burn out, I would hate running, I would feel bad, etc etc etc. Solitary running is good for me but usually at just 10-km max! Anything beyond that would ruin my day!

Alvin and I kept switching plans on what to do for this weekend: do we run together in BGC, do we go to Subic together and run that same day, do we spend the night in Subic and run the race the next day? I was apprehensive with this distance as having hit the wall in both my 32km races (RunRio 3^rd leg and Rizal Day Run). What more with a distance of 42km?

So I consulted my better half to see what she thinks too. I was expecting her to tell me to run in BGC and just do the required distance (35-km). I was surprised to see how supportive she was and even suggested that we all go there as a family and spend the night in Subic. What? I couldn’t believe my ears! She was okay with me running the full marathon distance two weeks before my full marathon distance race?

With both Alvin and Per agreeing to my idea for the weekend, there was nothing else for me to do but sign up for the race and book our hotel room.

It was after I got my race kit and showed it to Per that she realized that I was doing a full marathon! All that time, she thought that Subic had a very odd 35-km race!!!! Well, I definitely took that as a sign from God. If there was no resistance from these two people, then HE wants me to run this race.

I was afraid that this might be considered as overtraining. I was worried about recurring shoulder pain and Plantar Fasciitis. I was worried about “hitting the wall” early on and wanting to quit. I was worried about the hilly route of this race.

I wasn’t even ready physically as just got well from a virus I got somewhere and the last run Alvin and I did just three days before was a slow and steady 10-km, to which I vomited six times during and after the run!!

But I also remembered one of my favorite biblical verse:

1 Peter 5:7 - Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.

So I prayed for a strong and safe finish, for a strong run, for a happy run. I continued praying and vowed to myself that I would use this race to talk to God and have an intimate conversation with Him during that time. Our very own quiet time: Just me, God and the long road!

But first, we had to drive three hours to Subic on a Saturday afternoon, check in at our hotel and settle in…

To Be Continued...