On Hiatus, Blessings, Sharing, and Recuperating

Plantar fasciitis, this word was previously alien to me that I don't even bother to take a chance to learn what it means until it took a landing on my own left foot. And like a new season that's fast approaching, it seems that this kind of injury has reached its blooming days not just to me, but coincidentally, to most of the runners whom I also know in person.

As the year 2011 unfolds, I have been blessed with a lot of race schedules as early as the first month of the year. I was also able to train good a few days before my first race where I was able to hit a good podium finish together with other six:30 running buddies. Little did I know that after this first race, I'll be sitting in hibernation and in envy to all those succeeding races that have crossed my senses. It was after that race that this "plantar" thing made a good planting on my left footing, lol! Because of this, a lot of race bibs had skipped from me -- the Greentenial run, St. Jude run, my should-be second take for a 26.2 mile race at the Condura Skyway Marathon, PDI's 25 for 25, and even the phenomenal challenge of the Last Man Running.

These five races, should've been another great experience for me, but indeed, God has plans. My hiatus paved the way for other runners who were not able to register on-time but still was able to join the fun; to a runner who wanted to make the Condura Marathon his last long run in preparation for the BDM; and to an officemate who has been addictedly working seven days a week, a great chance to have a taste of running where he was able to finish strong and fast on his very first race, his very first 10K, and despite of literally zero mileage training he clocked in with an official time of 01:10:59.

The blogging events has been a great instrument not just for me but also to those people who were indirectly blessed. Thank you very much to all those people behind these invites, specially to Mommy V. you really are makulit! hehehe... :)

Staying Alive and Motivated

Keeping myself motivated, specially at times when my body has already re-adapted to non-activity, is such a challenge! There are many times during my hiatus when I no longer want to even look at any race calendars, and disable my RunningAtom facebook account. But despite this, I still want to buy a new pair of running shoes that will be of help in minimizing or help prevent the re-occurrence of my plantar problems.

What kept me sane and motivated, are the running community themselves. Those running-related community and those people who continues to race despite their similarly-related injury, or much worse than mine. During the bonding and sharing moments at the ARC Kapihan (part 1), I remember how Ms. Michelle Estuar shortly narrates how she does her trainings and when in pain from those trainings. I never knew that she was injured during the CIHM 2010 but despite that, she raced as if she has no injuries, and grabbed the title of "Queen of the Rock".

The legendary finish of the "demi-god" Wilnar in the recent BDM160 was also such a great inspiration to me. Although an Ultra-Marathon race has not yet captured my heart, reading even some short phrases about their ultra-race, and the words of encouragement from facebook spectators, are enough to re-pump my blood's heatwave in running.

Browsing and reading the blogs of other runners, treading my eyes at their very first post, and getting to know that one runner, and how or what is he right now compared to when I first knew about him as the PhotoVendo guy, was also an uplifting moment. However different his experiences from me, somehow, it lit a small motivation for me, enough to make me say "ahhh.. ganun pala yun!"

Of Coming Back

A week of being unable to run, my body would already complain. "Ngalay" at "lamig" in every part of my body... more of like signs of aging (I have and hate to admit). And how much more if I spend more than a week, specifically more than a month of not being able to run? Well I don't really know, hehehe! Luckily, there's an office-gym where I was able to make around 4 or 5 strength training sessions spanning that more than one month of being at rest from running. Though my gym schedule was irregular due to an overwhelming blogging events, I was still thankful that I was able to do such trainings.

I was able to have my come-back run-training just last Monday. The influx of visitors for the 2011 Panagbenga Festival caused shortage of buses going back to Cubao/Manila which was also a blessing in disguise for me. I was finally able to run a good distance on a rolling downhill and few uphills from Burnham Park, towards Loakan to Kennon Road, then to PMA (will post another story for this). Although I was not able to make a rehab or therapy appointment for my plantar fasciitis, it was good to feel that after more than 12 kilometers, my feet are somehow back on track. Thus, for my next big run, a 21k at the Leg 1 of the 2011 RunRio Trilogy (Run United 1) I could say... that I am not yet ready, lol! Let's see how will my race go this coming Sunday. See you there!


"Don't ever let someone tell you that you won't be the runner you were before. Only think of yourself as being better and in time you will be better because of the training you will have to do in order to be that runner you once were." - Christina Carney