My running shoes have become giant erasers on my feet.
Every footstrike rubs away some memory of a previous indiscretion
with food or smoke or drink. Every successful mile releases me from
the grip of the demons of failure. Every starting line is another chance
to prove that my past will not determine my future.
-John Bingham
Like most people, I, too have my share of New Year’s resolutions. The year 2009 especially is very good for people born in the year of the Horse (if you believe in Chinese horoscopes). So aside from my perennial wish of being able to finish my thesis this year, I have added one that I am sure I would fulfill: that of running my second marathon.
I had already been training for the 2009 International Marathon for the Pasig River, confident that the lessons I had learned from mistakes I made last year—overtraining, not training consistently, not looking at where I was running—will bear me well in the scheduled March 8 run. I was running on schedule, I was running well, and instead of gaining weight during the holidays, I lost them. I had felt strong and ready for Pasig, vowing that I would redeem myself in that race.
Then came the hard truth—it had been moved, again! This time, it is tentatively scheduled for November or December. What a let down! A lot of runners have been disappointed, so much so that some of them had even thought of running a 42km as scheduled on that day.
The weird thing is that all of the marathons are now scheduled in the 3rd to the last quarter of the year, with the QC Marathon in October (originally February), and Clark in December (originally February as well). Of course, Milo will be held as usual in November. Why do they do that? There are not enough marathoners in the country. They should have distributed it throughout the year! Sigh.
Anyway, I just assure myself that my training will not be vain. After all, I don’t run just to train. I run, as John Bingham said, to erase all sorts of past indiscretion, and hope that with each footstrike on the pavement, I come nearer and nearer to my goal of becoming the best runner that I can be.
So mote it be.
I like your Quote. I use to have the same quote in my blog ……but changed it after a few months. <BR/>I got word from reliable source that is part of the Botak Organization that yes the Botak 42K will be on May.10, 2009 <BR/>But let’s wait for the formal announcement so we won’t be disappointed like the Pasig Marathon.<BR/>Raul Patrick Concepcion<BR/>http://runningshield.blogspot.com/<BR/>
at least that means a lot more time preparing… and a lot more tune-up races in between now and the big race. <BR/><BR/>welcome back, by the way. i also just started updating my own blog again after some inactivity. blame it on the holidays. 😀