ACCOUNTABILITY

“And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.” Hebrews 10:24

A friend and I go to the YMCA every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. We lift weights, run on the treadmill . . . and we run our mouths. Sometimes the mouth gets the better workout! We also spend time encouraging each other and lifting each other up in prayer. When you say, “Let’s work out at 5:00 am,” most people would say, “No way!” And believe me, many days I travel or stay up late on the phone with clients, so 5:00 am comes too quickly. Then why do I go? Accountability! I know my friend will be there, and if I don’t go, the phone will ring, asking me where I am and giving me a hard time. I go because of the accountability.

Do you have anyone who holds you accountable for your spiritual walk? The Lord commands us to encourage each other and pray for and with each other. So find a friend, and whether it is at the YMCA working out or in a small group, hold each other up.
—Robert Walker

Weekend long run at UP

It's been a long time since we last ran inside UP Diliman. Last Sunday was a welcome treat for us to run on roads covered with trees. We have prepared for this run and so we woke up early and we're at UP campus as early as 5:00 am. We even caught the organizers of the race (YesRun) scheduled for the day setting up the starting area. Our target was to have a long run at a comfortable pace. We started it with a warm-up run around the academic oval and did some stretching before proceeding with our goal workout. We ran on routes we have never run before. Below is the route where we did 3 rounds completing an aproximately 15K distance.

Photo Talks - New balance Power Run 09

Official travel and running

One thing about my work is that I get to travel to places to video/photo document our office’s projects and events. Last Dec.2-3, I was in Zambales to document the on-going seminar- workshop on the country’s disaster preparedness. It was a multi-agency collaborative project called “READY Project” wherein maps on different hazards such as landslide, storm surge, earthquake-induced hazards (e.g. gound rupture, liquefaction, tsunami) were plotted and disseminated to different baranggay officials nationwide for them to be aware of the different hazard-prone areas and make appropriate contingency plans. The event was held in a resort in Iba, Zambales.

Having foreseen an opportunity to run, I brought running shorts and singlets with me. The first day was all work. The following morning, I woke up at around 5am and at 5:30am I was out to run. I ran a few rounds around the lighted basketball court of the resort and along the pathway as it was still dark. Just before the sun was out, I went to the beach shore to continue my run.

I ran for an hour, good enough to give me a good sweat before taking a bath and get ready for another day’s work. We returned to Manila after lunch.

New Balance 09 race recap

I know this posting was very much delayed but for the purpose of having our races chronicled please bear with me. This race was sort of a birthday run for Swthrt, having celebrated her natal day the day before the race. Her siblings with their families visited us at our new home.

On race day
We woke up early for the race. Ed, Swhrt’s brother who usually join us in our run in Batangas came along with us to watch the race. We arrived at the assembly area a few minutes before 5:00am. We saw Vener and Xty who generously gave me some safety pins for my race bib. Swthrt and I had a couple of rounds at BHS for our warm up before stretching. Though it was necessary, we seldom do it in a race because of lack of time. But for this race, we really have to warm up since it will be a 21k run. After a very short opening remarks from the organizer we heard the horn that marks the start of the 21k race. Swthrt and I had a very good start. Though the place was quite familiar to us, it was a new race route for us. Swthrt was running consistently covering the part of the route from the starting line all the way to SPD station wherein we took the GU espresso flavour that I bought the day before the race. It was our first time to try and I’m hoping to get a positive effect. But honestly, I don’t feel any significant change on my energy level. I was actually experimenting on it in preparation for a greater challenge in the future. Swthrt continued to run consistently at a comfortably hard pace for her going to Bayani Road. When we reached halfway of Bayani Road near the “Libingan ng mga Bayani” our pace slowed down a bit. The heat of the sun was draining us and was sort of taking our energy. It was a good thing that there was a sufficient supply of water and sports drink along the way. We actually did not consume all the vit-water we have on our hydration belt. After taking the turn at the Bayani-C5 U-turn point we started to have walk breaks along the way especially at areas having steep slopes. As we turned right to McKinley Hills, we prepared for the worst. True enough this part of the course was the toughest, the latter part of the course. It was really the determination to finish that kept us running. After conquering the hills and returned to Lawton Ave, the worst is over. We crossed the finish line happy and contented with our run. It may not be a PR for Swthrt but it was her first time to receive a finisher medal for a half marathon race. In her first two half marathon races, the Globe Run and Adidas KOTR, only certificates were given to the finishers. We let go of going around the different booths set-up near the stage and left early since we have guests at home. It was a great birthday run for Swthrt!

Some thoughts
It was a well-organized race. Sufficient supplies of water and sports drink, medal and freebies were given right after crossing the finish line. Swthrt even got a free NB socks since she was wearing an NB shoes. Enough marshals especially on the early part of the race. One thing though, vehicles were allowed inside the cone marker along Lawton Avenue at the latter part of the race posting danger to slower runners still traversing this road. To make things worse, runners were running with the traffic flow. I have to run behind Swthrt and kept on reminding her to stay near the sidewalk to avoid being hit by cars. Other than this, it was a good race.

Congratulations to the New Balance race organizer!