Eco Downpour

I was awakened by the heavy downpour in our area at around 3:30 am last Sunday. As I woke up, I was wondering whether the scheduled Ayala Mall’s Eco Dash would push through. At around 4:00 am the rain stopped which prompted me to wake up Swthrt and prepare for the race. We usually don’t have much ritual before the race. For a short distance race, a cup or two of coffee would be enough to boost us. By 5:00am we were set to go to the race site, at the BHS. It was still raining when we arrived at the Fort Bonifacio. To our amazement, there were already lots of people converging at the starting area. The parking lot where we usually park was already full. We parked at the next available parking area near Honda. There we met with other members of Team Honda (the new kids on the block, hehehe). Actually they are officemates of Swthrt whom she recruited, and now regularly joined races.

Team Honda

After we saw the release of the 21K runners, we proceeded to the starting area to check in for our 10K race. Up to this point the rain never stoppred. It even from time to time gets stronger as we patiently waited for our release. We met with other bloggers while waiting for the gun start. Soon the gun fired, and Swthrt and I were off to a good start. We reached the Kalayaan flyover without any problem. There was water all around and it was truly a wet and wild race as we sometimes have to skip and jump to avoid pot holes filled with water along the way. It was fun running in the rain as seen by faces of runners who joined the race. It was a new course at least for a portion of it. We reached the turn- around point inside the Ayala Center after 34:36 mins. where we were given straws. On our way back, Swthrt started to complain of pain on her shin. She was thinking the lack of practice run for the past two weeks might have caused it. Anyway, Swthrt continued on and we finished at 1:11:+ for the 1oK.

Xty and Vener

Dra. Doray, Bards and Coach Titus adding extra kilometers after thier 21K

GIFTS

“Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given us.” Romans 12:4-6

As a runner, I was always a good finisher. In the 400, I used that last ounce of energy to pass people on the back stretch. I was a closer. But my start was a completely different story. I almost always started off too slow and spent the entire race catching up. There was another girl on my team who had the exact opposite problem. She was a great starter, but could never hold on in the end. Although we had completely different running styles, we ran about the same times. We began to practice together and we fed off each other’s strengths. She came out strong, so I learned to do the same. My start improved tremendously as did her finish.

In life, God gives each of us different gifts- unique ways to share our faith and love in Christ. Working together with our special gifts, we can accomplish more as Christians. You should always realize the great potential of using your gift to encourage the growth of others and yourself.

- Brooke Thompson

When the Masters ran

Advocacy and Volunteerism

Mommy Milkshake Marathon, now on its third year staged another successful fun run for the family last Saturday, September 5 2009. A fun run to promote an advocacy on motherhood, race registration was free. This was our second time to join the event. Last year everyone in the family joined the race. But this time, JM, our eldest son missed it due to an intramurals at school. It was a festive mood when we arrived at the Fort despite the rain. According to the organizers, the number of runners exceeded their expectations. I have noticed that even the elite runners participated in. I even saw Hardcore Team members supporting the event. After we registered and got our race numbers, we had the time to meet friends who also joined the fun run. We registered for the 3K category with our son Josiah. We had a great time. Josiah had all his antics and stuffs. He even asked his mom, Swthrt to pour water on him during the run. It was nice to see families run together and have fun. It was a great bonding moment for families. For sure we will continue to support this fun run and the advocacy the organizers of this event are promoting.


To the organizers, Congratulations and more power!

The Masters 15K Run was another event of a different kind. It was a no frill but all thrill race as the runners put it. It was a labor of love and volunteerism all for the joy of running. Runners donated resources (money, sports drinks, bananas, etc.) and time (volunteer race officials) to be able to put up the 1st Masters 15k. The venue was ideal for runners, the place was free from vehicular traffic and less polluted air. Despite the heavy downpour in the early morning of Sunday, runners still trooped to Camp Aguinaldo for the race. The race started a bit late than the announced 5:30 starting time because of the bad weather. It was still dark at around 5:30am and to ensure the safety of the runners the gun start was moved to 6:00am. The masters (35 yrs old and up for women, 40 yrs. old and up for men) have the time of their life as they only have to compete with their age category where a medal was at stake in each division. After the race, everyone was treated with a refreshing ice cold beer, sports drinks, ice drops, bananas and more. Everyone had a great time including Swthrt and I who volunteered as race officials, water/beer station aid, and photographer. Next time, as we will qualify for the masters, we will surely be on the race as runners, hehehe!

Congratulations to Bald Runner for staging the event.

ETERNAL VICTORY

“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.” 1 Corinthians 9:24

Do you ever catch yourself completely caught up in sports? When it’s your favorite team playing, sometimes everything around you can become invisible. While it’s great to support your team, we can’t forget what is important in our lives. You might be the star athlete on the track team or the baseball team’s biggest fan. Yet that connection should not come before your relationship with God.

When true discouragement comes in life—real problems that go beyond how a sports team is doing, God will be there to help. He can build you up and encourage you in ways that others cannot. He is not fickle like fans who give up on their team, or coaches who berate their players.
All the hard work we put into sports should never be greater than the effort we pour into serving in God’s Kingdom.

After all, we are gunning for the ultimate prize. The feeling of accomplishment and excitement after your favorite team wins the biggest game of the year is nothing compared to the everlasting riches in heaven.

—Natalie Creech