I look back at 2011 and rate it as a good running year for Runmanila.
1. I turned into a half-marathoner. From a serious 10K enthusiast I was able to transition to 21K running comfortably getting a personal best of 2:08 culminating in a 21K race in Singapore. I thank Coach Jeoffrey for giving me the training and most importantly the courage to step on the plate. I also acknowledge my running brother Gary whose strong steady pace I hang on to during these character-testing runs.
2. I have encouraged others to run. I am very happy my brother has picked up running as I can now be able to join out of town and out of country races. I also believe I have inspired people in our community to take care of their health by testing the waters of running. As I write this, I now understand that you need to talk about it more to excite people about it and start running. And I will.
3. Singapore Marathon. My dream of running in an international event became a reality when my brother started running also. I needed a running buddy and was too tentative to do it alone. And we did. It was a cramps-filled race but we loved every minute of it. We plan to prepare better and be back in 2014.
4. Maturing as a runner. After a great program under Coach Jeoffrey, I am now more comfortable on the technical aspect of running and can make honest training plans. Of course, having a personal coach will get you there twice faster and twice more effectively.
5. I raced a lot. I did not track my races this year. But I know I raced at least once every month. I plan to track my races this year.
Happy New Year to All of Us
Run Strong. Run Long.
