My Return to Run United 1

The Run United 2015 21K Finisher medal

I run too.  I started running around 3 or 4 years ago.  I can't exactly remember but, I do.  I ran a marathon once, and did a lot of half marys (half marathon or 21 kilometers).  I stopped for almost a year due to a knee injury.

March 8, 2015 happens to be my return to the running scene through Unilab Active Health's Run United 1 - the first of a series of 4.  I ran 21K and I did finished it and got that handsome medal in the picture above.  It was a bitter-sweet moment.  A time to push my limits and exceed myself.

I was a bit nervous to run 21 Kilometers again.  I felt that I did not train hard enough to complete it, though I know deep inside, i can finish it.  I am not a fast runner, in fact, my fastest 21K was completed in 2 hours and 20 something minutes.  My goal is at least to make it to 2 hours and a little over 10 minutes.  That's an ultimate goal at the least.

Anyway, on this comeback run, my goal was just to complete the course in 3 hours.

I was running almost the entire course.  It all started at the back of Two E-Com Building in the MOA Complex, all the way to Macapagal Boulevard, then infront of Aliw Theater/Star City, a right turn towards Baclaran and Coastal Mall crossing Buendia and EDSA through the fly-over, a U-turn back and crossing the 2 fly-overs again going to Kalaw, U-turn back to Star City-Macapagal-MOA.  I had a few walk breaks, when I get to hydrate.  It was a feat for me.  For the first time, i was running for almost 20K.  In the past races, I would be walking from KM 18 until the last 200 meters to the finish line. This time, I wasn't.

The last kilometer proved to be the most difficult distance to conquer as i was really exausted, and my legs started to feel painful on every step I made.  But seeing the finish line pushed me further until I crossed it.   My time, a few minutes before my 3-hour target. 

Mission accomplished.

Next week, March 15, I will have another 21K to conquer.  Good luck to me.