CLOSED FOR GOOD

today marks the end of this blog.

time for a new face lift!

see you at http://runtintin.wordpress.com

TGIF

After a looong loong absence from writing, I find myself taking a breather on this lazy Friday, patiently waiting (more like impatiently) for the clock in my room to say 4:15pm.

So what brought me back? Simply because I now made peace with myself and my training schedule, laid all to rest instead of battling the turmoil and guilt of missing a run and not being able to do enough quality runs. Call it tabula rasa, time for a clean slate, and I think it all came about last weekend as I ran on the roads of Bantayan.

Maybe it was the thrill of focusing on the road that will take me to the town proper. The road was very straight-forward...no complexities, just smooth rolling hills with trees and fields all around. Had two reliable friends who ran and upped the pace with me as we did an Indian run, taking turns to lead and to follow at every kilometer. I actually liked the feeling. Had the chance to own up to my kilometer, was pressured to stay on pace with the thought of not lagging behind as someone else was behind me that would lag too if I did, and of course keeping up when it was my turn to be last of the line. The whole exercise taught me a few things. I think running alone most of the time that I've been here made me grow tired, simply because I had only myself to lead, not having a chance to give up the reins and follow someone once in a while. I guess that's the variety that running with a group brought me. Now that I've had my breather, it's time to start again and just do it. No ifs or buts this time.

I liken the feeling to a smoker who is trying to quit smoking and backslides into the habit. It really sucks, you feel like such a wuss for not being able to suck it up and do what you have to do. That's what I felt the few times I wasn't consistent with my training runs and finally succumbed to what we know as tamad-itis. So many excuses and so many other things to do when you know that at a drop of a hat, you could if you really really wanted to. So the second attempt comes, and the third, and the fourth, until you are ale to set out what you need to do.

I still am having difficulty finding a good, car-free, traffic-free, smoke-free and runner friendly place to run in regularly. Before I had BHS, now I'm still searching for a place big enough and feel safe enough for me to say, "this is my regular route". A place I can run in alone, or with friends. Bananarunning introduced me to the MActan Airport-Marcelo Fernan bridge route, which I did again two days back, and I think this is one of those routes I can get used to. It's not as quiet as BHS, definitely more cars as it passes the major roads chockfull of jeepneys, motorcycles and passenger cars. But I do like the road leading to and away from the Mactan Airport, as well as that point from the bridge upto the quiet road going all the way down to the corner you turn to which leads to Save More. Just a few pedestrians, no traffic buildup. A good place to zone out.

And so today marks the first day of my clean slate.

It's 4:15 already...thank God it's Friday... I'm off for a run!!