When the weather [CANNOT] destroy it all… Part 2

Sentiments zigzagging the mind, 11:29 of Oct 2.  The morning after the stormy braveheart run yesterday.

Today, I got surprised seeing plenty of e-mail exchanges in the MPG runners’ thread about the Running Aid3 workshops.  Actually, Carla, Jihan, Dree, & Cha (the core group of MPG runners) were talking of several different things other than Running Aid3 -  topics like plans on doing rock climbing to selling her climbing shoes at ebay, to getting news if the group pushed through with the trail running plan at La Mesa, to teasing each one if we were indeed just MPGs or ” Hardcore” now…  and to rumors like this:  

Dree:  “ I spoke too soon, no one’s/nothing’s stopping Cathy.  She ran around lunch time today under the rains.  Iba talaga powers ni El Presidente.  “    (Oct. 1, 4:40PM)

But of course that wasn’t a rumor!  Truth is, I just didn’t have any idea my running buddies were already talking about my loony run yesterday in e-mails. 

I had a loony run yesterday.  I told a friend in SMS, “you know there are always weird things in UP everyday; today I decided to be that” when he got pretty shocked about my running despite the rain.  My running buddy, Dree, could not stop laughing at my budding running addiction (I wonder though if it’s still ‘budding’ as it almost seems to be on its greatest heights now, hahahaha!), and I’m beginning to wonder if she’s finding me the bizarre type already.  That cannot be!  I still need Dree for my pseudo locker room benefits whenever I do my evening runs in UP!!!  (Just kidding, Dree.  ;D  You know just how glad am I to find somebody who’s so easy to drag in practice runs and races!  And you’re one of my best buddies on earth, Ms Dree!)

Anyway, for a short recap of my braveheart a.k.a. loony run yesterday:

*  The day won’t end with me defeated.  Woke up for the second time at 10:25, did more carbo-loading (this time I finished the whole loaf of bread ) and drank more water.  I figured the rain was going to get tired anytime soon so I should be ready to step out and get a quick run despite the drizzling skies.  After 10 minutes of eating, scanning TV channels, and chitchatting with my housemates about the typhoon, I got my clothes ready and texted Dree, “Get ready.  We’re running.  I’ll be there in 20 minutes.”  That sounded more like a military order, I know. 

*  Lone runner too.  Aside from being a loony runner, I, too had to be a lonerunner yesterday.  Dree had to cope with her hassle-of-femininity-cycle and could not run.  But I had to drop by her dorm to get my pseudo locker benefits.  Let’s say some people are just really kindly to me, hahahaha! 

*  Scandal begins.  When I began my run, it was around 12:25PM, the rain poured a rather little harder it couldn’t be called drizzle anymore.  Some people began staring at me.  There’s a crazy girl over there running under this downpour!  What did I care, I was in my nice new Adidas singlet for the KOTR race -  I was invincible!  Bwahahaha!   

*  Confined to Acad Oval, for now.  I had previously planned of trying a different route in the campus.  Hmm, medyo nasusuka na kasi ako sa Oval ngayon… I run there every other morning I want a different scenery this time!  But with the course of events yesterday, I changed my mind and opted to circle the oval again.  Taking the other routes I had in mind would mean meeting along more cars and jeepneys on the road while running.  Heck!  The fact that I was running on a stormy day was scandalous enough I wouldn’t possibly desire to attract more audience!

*  Happy but Heavy Feet.  I finished one round of the oval and my feet began feeling heavy when I reached Vargas museum.  My running shoes has a breathing technology on the front side which is tantamount to saying it’s ultra porous when it’s raining.  I felt like I was helping heap up water from the streets with the amount if water that got into my shoes!  After one lap, my feet became all heavy I had to stop running and began walking instead.  Upon reaching Oble, the loony runner in me struck again and I suddenly decided to try the U Ave. route, then crossing to ISSI, passing by gym, university theater, then back to the oval. 

*  Search for the Stairs.  The reason why I had to go back to the acad oval was not to run some more.  I wanted to do the stairs workout, either at AS steps or Eng’g steps.  Good thing I even had two options with these twin-looking buildings.  I thought I should go for Eng’g as there were still students in AS, yes, even on a stormy day like yesterday!  When I reached Eng’g, it looked perfect as there was literally no one around but a red car temporarily parked infront of the steps with its machine on, obviously waiting for someone.  I walked slowly to be sure it would have left the Eng’g steps by the time I approach the area.  The red car wouldn’t leave.  I waited some more but it wouldn’t.  Hmp!  So I crossed to AS thru the Beta walkway that was supposed to be scary to traverse except for the fact that there was another girl walking ahead of me on the path.  When I reached AS steps, I realized I would have a different set of audience for my stairs workout.  The As front was under renovation and there were Manongs everywehere!  Hay naku! 

*  Panhik-panahog, finally!  So I crossed back to Eng’g thru Beta way and this time I ran;  I sprinted, actually.  The red car was still there when I was approaching the steps but I saw a girl with umbrella hopping into the car.  I muttered, she must be it!,  the person they were waiting for… okay red car, take your leave now and let me do my stairs workout in peace, oh pleasssse!   True enough, the red car left and I eagerly began my up-and-down traversing of the stairs.  I finished 20 sets (1 set consist of one all-up and one all-down) in about 2 minutes and I realized I was gasping for breath like I just finished two laps of the oval.  I think it’s an effective workout.  I felt something tingling at the back of my legs while walking back to Dree’s dorm to get my things.  I want that feeling I think I’ll do more stairs workout from now on. 

*  Roaming photogs bother me!  By the way, there was also this funny incident while I was doing my stairs workout on Eng’g steps.  On about my 12th set, I saw two guys passing by Eng’g building armed with an umbrella and, SLR cameras!  As I had feared, the guy holding the SLR camera began aiming his shot on me while I was doing the “panik-panahog” exercise on the stairs.  Gosh!  The world won’t leave me alone in this loony run and workout!  I changed my angle so that from his view I’d be blocked by the bushes bordering the right side of the steps.  I guess they noticed I was trying to hide from their view so after about 3 minutes, they left.  Had they been successful in immortalizing my loony attack that day through pictures, I wouldn’t really know… 

*  Any craze has an end too.  At 1:34 I was back in Sanggumay dorm and Dree greeted me with an excited face, perhaps all too curious of hwow things turned out for me.  I told her stories of my loony run that day.  When I arrived home, it was already past 2 o’clock and after changing to dry clothes, I went straight to the kitchen and declared a foodfest to myself.  I finished one entire serving of Hawaiian chicken, one full serving of sauteed ampalaya, and one cup of rice.  After finishing a good run, I stuff my belly with the appetite of a carpenter!  And I know there’s no reason to be guilty as I just splattered my sweat all over the streets.  ;D

The foodfest though had to be quick as I had another appointment by 4PM yesterday – an outreach to a drug users rehab in Bicutan.  This was unexpectedly another adventurous streak for the day.  We rode atop an open truck from QC to Bicutan – amidst the winds, the drizzling sky, and the pollutions! 

Life is like riding an open truck.  You never know what sky has to offer you for the day.  Ride it in good cheer anyhoo.  ;D 

When the weather destroys it all… (Part 1)

Sentiments rolling in the mind by 10:48 AM.  Stormy Wednesday Holiday in Manila.

We were supposed to do trail running this morning at the La Mesa Eco Park.  I was excited like what.  I carbo-loaded the day before and this early morning when I woke up.  I skipped coffee (almost a mortal sin for me!  haha!) and just drank plenty of water to match the slices of bread I consumed this morning in fear of coffee causing me to be dehydrated during the run.  I even recall excitedly preparing my outfit the night before -  a white fitted shirt plus the Adidas KOTR singlet on top of it, and a white running shorts.  I should look squeaky clean with it!, so I thought.

Dree broke into pieces my trail running dream  with this text, “Cathy, Romel texted asking kung tuloy pa tayo… umuulan kasi daw sa kanila.. I told him na di na nga siguro so he’s in Bulacan now…”  I replied, “Ha?  But it’s not raining here, tuloy tayo…”  After that SMS, I heard a weird sound from outside my bedroom window.  It just began drizzling outside.  To cut the story short, our plan of trail running did not materialize.  Shame on you, rain! 

I later learned from my landlady that Manila was, in fact, on a signal no. 2 storm alert today.  Whew!  How can I be so clueless about weather news sometimes? 

So the next best thing -  when the weather corrupts your training plan -  is to resort to horizontal training (a.k.a. “sleep”), the power of which one should never underestimate.  So I went back to bed at 6:10 AM and finished my horizontal training at around 10:25 AM.  That was plenty of training already, for an otherwise hardworking runner who was obliged to be lazy on her training day because of the weather.

Oh, when the weather destroys it all…  Then again, I’d be gladly stepping outside today the very moment the rain stops.  I even thought of getting my self a raincoat, AND WEAR IT WHILE RUNNING, to adjust to rainy days like today.  By the way, I just forget it’s not just a rainy day today; a  stormy day even.