Friday, May 21, 2010

Run and Represent

The Takbo.ph forum once had a thread that asked runners this simple question: "Why do you run?" There were a lot of brilliant responses, but for me, the one that stood out went like this: "Growing up, I was never the type that could put the ball through the hoop. But with running, I have an opportunity to be called an athlete."

I can fully relate to that statement.  I, too, was never the athletic type.  I always had a thing for basketball, but basketball simply does not have thing for me.  Being a part of a closely-knit group of guys that lived and breathed basketball, I was always (and still am) the one that had to get by on heart and effort.  Because of running, however, I have the chance to accomplish athletic feats that I never would have thought I'd be capable of accomplishing - such as representing the country in an international sporting event.

Yes, you read that right.  On 5 December 2010, I will be representing the Philippines in an international running event.  I have successfully registered for the Standard Chartered Marathon Singapore 2010, and I will run the full marathon with the Philippine flag proudly emblazoned on my singlet.  I did not earn the right to wear the Three Stars and the Sun by passing some try-out, or by hurdling some qualifying tournament, or by being selected by some governing body.  I earned that right simply because I claim it, because I am a Filipino runner, and because running continues to present me with opportunities such as this. 

I hope to do the flag justice by finishing the race and running my heart out in Singapore - simply because that's what an athlete is supposed to do.

6 comments:

  1. Hi Julius,
    Congrats! I can just imagine your excitement to wear the flag on your singlet in an international event. Train well, run well and most of all, have fun doing it! Cheers! - Jun & Mariel

    ReplyDelete
  2. keep those LSD miles coming as early as possible and then sharpen your training with hills, tempo runs, and interval/speed training..just remember, progressive training & hard/easy method in training..good luck and be proud to wear that flag/color!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Good luck Jules! We're all behind you and we wish you well!:-)

    ReplyDelete
  4. I also registered for the 42K offering of the same event and will be happy to cheer you and The Flag on to the finish line!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Very good post. May you train hard and well for this one Julius. I think that is awesome of you to wear your country pride. I wish you the best.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Hey Julius, another way to represent our country is to show the locals and foreigners how warm and friendly we are as a people. That's one thing I forgot to do during the race itself. I was so hanged up on my run I forgot to interact. There will be thousands of marathoners there, from your start till the finish. Be ready with your flag, a witty quote on your bib, funny and smart repartee with runners along your way. The best way to take your mind off the distance, humidity and crowdiness of the route is to interact with those around you. Enjoy!

    ReplyDelete