NOT A RANT POST: My Weekend in Subic (First of Two Parts)

By now, the local running world has undoubtedly heard and read about how disappointing the 2009 edition of the Subic International Marathon was. What was ballyhooed to be the country's most prestigious marathon turned out to be nothing more than a so-so out of town race. Yes, the vaunted Kenyan runners came, saw, and conquered. Yes, the scenery was spectacular (in the case of the full mary, it was spectacular until the runners were enveloped in total darkness). Other than these, SIM was a total let-down of enormous proportions.

For now, however, I'll let the rest of the blogging world worry about bashing everything that has anything to do with SIM 2009. Here's MY Subic story, delivered Average Rec Runner-style...

Saturday, 24 October

Together with wifey and my favorite niece (actually, my only niece hehehe) Jym, I hit the well-paved asphalt of the SCTEX at a little past 4:30 p.m. As had been the case during my previous trips down this highway, I found cruising down the SCTEX to be such a calming, almost surreal experience.

A few minutes after we hit the Floridablanca stretch of SCTEX, I noticed that the southbound vehicles had been redirected onto the northbound lane.

A few moments later, I saw them. Resplendently striding down the other side of the road were the brave and proud marathoners of SIM 2009.

Wanting to take in the atmosphere of the SIM 2009 full mary, I pulled over, stepped out of my vehicle, and, with indescribable envy, watched these gallant marathoners pass me by.



Unable to stand watching all of this unfold as I lamely stood in the SCTEX's center island, I boarded my car and decided that enough was enough - I'm heading for Subic to do about my first official half-marathon the following day. But then, this sight stopped me dead in my tracks:



The near-mythical, world-class Kenyan runners. Poetry in motion. The final straw. As I stood there watching in awe, all I could do was think to myself -- I've got to give this marathon thing a try. Soon.

I boarded my car and drove off to Subic. With Yellowcard blaring in the background, I rode into the clear Saturday afternoon thinking that, tomorrow, I will have my own battle to wage, my own race to run. For now, the long road to Subic continues...