“Bakit ba pinapahirapan natin ang ating mga sarili?” asked the fellow runner I was pacing with as we traversed the Cebu-Cordova Link Expressway. It was four in the morning, and we were all exhausting ourselves to finish that segment of the 42km run before the intermediate cutoff.
It was a chilly morning. The weather has not been that good on the island for two weeks already. The presence of the LPA prompted much argument in the preparations made for the celebration of the highly-anticipated Sinulog—given that it has been two years since we had these in-person events.
“Nakakapagod na.” She continued lamenting while still dragging her feet, pushing forward, hoping to not get swept by the bus. Through our short interaction, I learned that she’s from Subic and that she purposely came to Cebu to join the Cebu City Marathon. Oh, the lengths we go to for the things that keep us sane.
While it remains a puzzle to some why we join marathon events when we could have opted to stay at home, watch movies or TV series, spoil ourselves with food that we so love to eat, and avoid all this physical pain, I guess there’s no specific reason why we still find ourselves spending our hard-earned money to register for events and book tickets and accommodation, not to mention sacrifice weekends to train instead of resting. As Yae Noguchi puts it in the First Love series: I like what I like.
So, even if it’s tiring and every part of our body screams in pain, we still do what we do. Because we like it. Perhaps because at that moment, we feel very much alive—not some programmed robots routinely doing the same thing over and over again. And we live for these moments, though short-lived.
Making that 16km Cebu City to Cordova loop was indeed strenuous—but seeing other runners hyping up, providing much-needed motivation (and nutrition) to others, and inching together towards the finish line makes the experience totally worth it. It was also great to run with friends, who finally made their first marathon, and colleagues who have moved from 5km to 10km.
Less than a year into this marathon madness, sometimes I wonder what could have happened if we hadn’t succumbed to Chiarra’s invitation to register for CN100 last year. Like many, like the mountains, running has changed the way I look at life and the people I’ve encountered.
The progress I’ve made is not that much. Still a buzzer-beater. Still can’t do a SUB1. But who cares. Life is too short to stress yourself out about things that you’re supposed to enjoy. Run when you can. Walk when you need to. No matter how slow. No matter how taxing. Just keep going. The finish line will always be there, waiting.
If you’ve reached this part, this is your sign to lace up your shoes and register for the next running event. If you’re in Cebu, there are numerous fun run events that are bound to happen: National Milo Marathon, SM2SM, GURL 2023, and many others. Tag along your friends, para daghan mong mamerese. HAHA.
Sure, it’s exhausting. But believe me, it’s always worth it. See you!
Dakilanglaagan 