All Saints' Day Weekend Run

One thing I always look forward to during weekends is my long run. However, I decided to stay away from running last week because I needed to recover from a bad cough. With the long All Saints’ Day weekend, a friend suggested running on Saturday, October 30 and Monday, November 1.

With my wife planning a trip to Divisoria with our household helpers on Sunday October 31, I figured that my friend’s suggestion would be the best way to go.

I ran 5 kilometers last Saturday in 34:50 minutes just around our subdivision and 11 kilometers last Monday in 1 hour, 19 minutes at the UP Academic Oval! What an experience! Now my legs hurt, but as they say, it’s a good kind of hurt.

Birthday Run in UP

It's been more than a month ago since I last ran on the UP Academic Oval. Since my injury late last December, all my runs in UP have ended in disappointment as the all too familiar pain on the side of my knee would show itself midway into my first round. Today was different because for the first time in seven months, I left the place happy that I was able to run without any pain.

Thank you Lord for a great birthday gift.

It was just 2 rounds (approximately 4.4 km), but it's a start. The knee still isn't capable of going farther even if my heart and lungs appear to still be strong enough. Although I already noticed it before, I was reminded as to how different it is running on the road compared to running on a treadmill. The road isn't a completely flat surface and definitely requires more effort. Nevertheless, the road is so much more interesting than the treadmill. When I'm in the gym, I usually get impatient after around 20 to 30 minutes. On the road, I can easily entertain myself with the sights and people around me.

I want to run in UP again next week. Just 2 rounds at a time for now so my body can adjust properly. I would want to experience the pain ever again. I have to think long term.

UP Oval at 4:30 A.M.

I just want to share that had my first experience running at the UP Academic Oval at 4:30 A.M. last Sunday and it was great! It was still very dark and there were very few runners along the oval. My favorite scene was when I had just passed The Oblation going counter-clockwise at around 6 A.M. and they had just turned off the street lamps. I could see the natural light of dawn like a mild glow that was getting stronger and stronger against the silhouette of the trees all the way down Quezon Street.

What was I doing in UP at such an early hour? To answer this, I think it would be best to explain it this way: Our household help left last Saturday to attend to their relatives in Marikina so my wife and I would not be able to run at the same time on Sunday morning. Here is a conversation between me and my wife:

Me: I need to run at least 6 rounds around UP tomorrow.
Wife: I need to run period. It’s been such a long time since I last ran.
Me: Okay. You can run tomorrow morning. I’ll run in the afternoon.
Wife: You can’t run in the afternoon. We’re going to the Dutyfree.
Me: How about I run in the afternoon and you go to the Dutyfree?
Wife: (No words. Just Dagger looks.)

I ran. She ran. And we both went to the Dutyfree.