1:30:11. This was the time in my stopwatch when I completed my first 10k of gruelling, roller coaster run.
I almost gave up at 8k comtemplating that 8 kms. of hills would suffice to overpower McKinley Hill at the PSE Bull Run this coming Jan. 18 but an inner voice urged me to continue. Instead of going back to my previous route, I decided to change my scenery hoping that the new track would be flat.
I was wrong. It was still uphill and even longer.
I desperately needed someone to talk with. I could feel the pain on my knees and my legs and there was no one to encourage me to go on (where art thou Anna?).
Thank God I was wearing my takbo.ph visor. It reminded me that I shouldn't be caught walking or somebody might tease me that I should be sporting a lakad.ph visor instead (heh heh . . .).
I tried to focus on my surroundings to keep my mind off the pain that was starting to bother me.
I saw a very young woman clad in short shorts and spaghetti shirt pushing a stroller with a baby inside while carrying another baby in her arms. A toddler was right beside her, holding on to her hands. For a while there I forgot my suffering. I asked her if the three children were all hers and she said yes. My calculating mind estimated that she could only be 21, and her children could be 1 month, 1 year, and 2 years old!
(If only Eia didn't have a SPED class that morning, I may have interviewed the young mother for a few more minutes to verify if I was correct in my assumption.)
Have you experienced running uphill (and downhill) for 1.5 hours without taking one sip of water? I found this very strange 'coz I normally crave for water after only 3 kms. I also didn't feel hungry (well, THAT's even more strange). Now I know that 1 piece of pandesal with lots of cheese together with 1 cup of Swiss Miss chocolate topped with marshmallows will sustain me for the whole 10k hurdle.
Before I made my final turn, I passed by the buko store and I heard the grinning fresh bukos on top of the table talk to my stomach " come and get me. I am super delicious."
This was one temptation I couldn't resist. I didn't bother to stretch anymore . When I reached the car, I just drove right away and stopped in front of the buko store. After sipping the juice, I asked the vendor to cut my buko in half and asked for an improvised spoon out of its hard covering. This is my favorite way of eating buko. The country style, not the modern version. Eating the meat straight from the shell using its own husk as spoon.
As I was enjoying my sweet buko, I realized I had to go home quick for Eia's SPED class. I just ordered 1 more buko for my dearest Tatay and off I went.
What a fantastic way to end a straight 1:30:11 hill training run!
McKinley Hill, here I come!
