Let the Running Begin... Friday, January 5

Excuses are tacky, success is sexy.

I've always have taken a no excuse approach to training, not only to my own training but with those I train, those I coach.  Having said that, my move to The Fort, BGC, wasn't going to become an excuse I'd use to get out of training so I laced up my shoes, packed my backpack, and hit the road.  

Off to Makati I ran.

Running is actually my strongest sport.  I would have gone to the States with a running scholarship if it weren't for the fact that in my last year of high school I got really sick.  I was sick for over two months and then hospitalized because doctors didn't know what was wrong with me.  I was dropping mad weight, not able to stomach food and then, at the worst of it all, my throat swelled up and it hurt to even swallow my own saliva.  I resorted to spitting my saliva into an empty pop can beside my bed and sleeping around the clock.  It wasn't until I was put into the hospital that they found out I had mono. "Worst case they've seen", the doctors told my parents.

So running isn't an issue for me but adding the weight and awkwardness of wearing a loaded-with-gear backpack for the run, now that makes it a bit more challenging.  I've always loved running though and in Korea I really restarted running when things started getting really stressful for me.  Running then became a source of disconnection.  When I ran, people couldn't call me, they couldn't text message me and they couldn't just show up to talk to me like they did when I was at Hulk's.  They'd simply have to wait till I returned.  It was nice, too nice actually, so consequently I started running more often and doing longer runs.  

My run to Makati from The Fort is 4.3kms so that's 8.6km round trip.  The difficulty lies in the timing of it though, in addition to dealing with wearing a backpack.  I like to train at 10am on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays so that means I have to leave my house around 9:30am.  I train at the boxing club for about 2 hours but that means I'm now running home at high noon, when the day is at it's hottest.  Thankfully McKinley is shaded but when you're in the city, both in Makati and BGC, you're totally exposed.  Instantly you become like an ant under a magnifying glass; it's brutal.  Then there's the fact that on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays I like to train late.  Not sure on how lite McKinley is in the evening but I guess we'll see tomorrow.