AN ONGOING LOVE AFFAIR

I'm in love!!!! Dwelling in the moment, can't wait for the next event, head over heels, blindly falling into the spiral... committed....dedicated...

Everytime I give time and make an effort, the deeper I fall.

But it's not what you think.

For those who know me, mushy-ness is not in my vocabulary.

I just can't help but be mushy about.... running.

I *heart* it. Haha.

It's like going on a date, the anticipation is there (I wonder how my run will go?), the excitement even (dodging cars or keeping pace and trying to beat a personal best is exciting) , the letdown when runs go bad (real bad, like crashing on your 19th kilometer and limping back to base for 2kms)... but I still do it, and go back and try and try again.

I wish everyday was a Long-Run-Sunday Day. I love the feeling of long runs, as it makes your mind wander with questions like "if 7-11 is open 24 hours, why do they have padlocks?". Sometimes I play the game "what is that house having for breakfast?" whenever we run in a residential area (like Urdaneta or Corinthians). And it's not a mindless physical activity. You actually focus and concentrate on form, so aside from thinking about random things, there is a certain seriousness in it for me.

Today ran a 14k. Next week we up it to 16k.... we're really trying to train for a 42k by this year. The most I've done is a 21k (in the Subic Marathon) and as we had a break right after that race, we decided to go back to the basics and start with a 10k which we did last week. Can't wait for next Sunday!!!!

For those who have never run outdoors, its a very grounding experience. Time flies, your feet fly, your mind flies, you see poop and flies (sometimes) hehe. Call me crazy but running for me is like Yoga for others, or maybe Tai Chi. It centers you, makes you strong mentally and physically too.

Running has made me a friendlier person. I smile and say "Hi" to complete strangers now. Which leads to "It's you again!" when you see them a second time around, to more meaningful exchanges as chance encounters become more frequent. I think it made me more confident too, as it has prepared me steel myself when needed, but become flexible at the same time too in how I deal with people. I've learned to not take things too seriously, to laugh and relax more, to not be as guarded as I used to be.

And the people you run with, for some reason the sweat, time and effort is bonding in itself. Basta. Aside from talking about running, you get to talk and talk about many many things not because you have to fill the silence but because, well, you have time to spare and share what's really on your mind.

*SIGH*