by Rose Buenconsejo
I promised to write after each stage of Tour de Cebu I had joined in (well, just because I’m a blabbermouth). For me running is a gift, and finding people who would take you running is a double gift. But of course, it’s not bad running alone – it’s a triple gift.
Running with a group is such a merry experience. But running alone will let you experience tranquility, and not to mention the courage of doing it alone. So I would love to write about each stage, in the thought, that I’m sharing this gift by writing about it.
It took me quite some time to write my Tour de Cebu’s Stage 6 experience (stage 8 has just finished) for sharing in runnroo because I’d been trying to rephrase and find better and a more positive adjective to describe it. But I cannot find other ways to describe it but it was ‘frustrating’ for me.
All I can remember of that day was that I wanted to cut open my chest, rip my lungs out and strangle it. I was so frustrated of why it’s so slow, why it is so behind my feet, why it cannot give me a faster pace!!!
If you had seen me run, which I’m not sure if I can call it running, you would have advised me to walk instead because I have a better chance of reaching my destination faster. I’m a sweeper’s worst nightmare! =) I’m that slow.
So weeks before stage 6, I’d been practising the perfect landing (for me though) – running with balls (landing on balls). Because I thought that that was my key to becoming my faster-than-the-turtle pace. But then stage 6 slapped me with such a sad reality, that running is more than the form. It has something to do about time, patience and more balls.
Being in the ‘tech’ world where it’s so fast paced, where all is just one click away, where every thing feels ‘urgent,’ patience and time are something I only get to meet in Paulo Coelho quotes. That’s why stage 6 got me so frustrated because I could not understand why I cannot get running right away.
Joseph probably had noticed my ‘whack-ness’ that he’d slowed down for me and taught me about pacing — to find the pace I’m most comfortable with. So after a few KM pacing with him, it came to me that improving my pace / endurance is something that time can only tell when I can finally master them.
And, so I shut down all the noises in my head, and forgot about pacing and such. Being able to find the joy in distance running, and a fan of runners are more than enough for me now.
This was what I saw when I turned my back when I said to myself enough of ‘catching up and just enjoy.’ I had a fascination with ‘lantay,’ and this is probably the most beautiful I’d seen yet.
Maybe if I had ran faster, I would not notice this lantay. It took my breath away — peacefully beautiful.
So stage 3 was being emotional, 4 was being creative, and 6 was about frustration.
P.S.
A few more pics from my phone.
Happy birthday, Jean!
after swimming, while waiting for the bus
Organic stuff.
jackfruits display on the roadside at santander
Another organic stuff.
free-range chickens abundant at oslob
And, not so organic stuff.
MSG overloaded sari-sari store at samboan
More (blurry) pics from my phone here>>.
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