One foot in front of the other
I miss running.
In college, my Dad would drop me off at school on his way to work. Since he’d go to work at 7.30 am, I was usually in school by 6.30. Classes didn’t start till 9 and my friends knew better than to wake up early just to meet up with me. So I ran.
I can still remember walking down the dark hallways to stuff my things in the locker I shared with two other people. I’d take a small towel, a bottle of water, make sure my shoes were laced up, then run.
Jogging, running, walking… whatever it was I did, I distinctly remember the crisp morning air. It made the running all the more pleasant, the sun still being asleep. I’d run from one corner of the university to the other, then back again to my locker. By that time there would have been several sleepy students walking around the halls. I’d jog up to the restroom and wash up.
Refreshed, revitalized.
There’s no excuse for not running now. I hate saying I don’t have time. I just don’t make time. There’s always a venue to go running (back at college, also UP, my family’s neighborhood…). I just can’t get up that early anymore. I’ve accumulated so much sleep debt since I started working I’d rather sleep sleep sleep than run in the early morning.
But running did cross my mind again last week. It was inspired by the lead character in Sloppy Firsts (a Megan McCafferty novel). Whenever the character would describe her running, I’d get whisked back to my early morning jogs in college. Then weirdly enough, I began to miss it.
I think I’ll start running again. I don’t want to promise myself I’ll go back to it and be disappointed when things get in the way again. I’ll try to start again. I shall take baby steps first, one foot in front of the other, then let’s see how it goes.
April 22nd, 2008 at 3:17 pm
that’s good Toni. I know you can do it….
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April 22nd, 2008 at 4:15 pm
just don’t run for politics…
but i guess with your wit, popularity and charisma, you might win…
who knows?
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April 22nd, 2008 at 6:11 pm
i didn’t know you ran in the mornings, toni. hehe! i do know you’re good at fencing and a couple of other sports. and i still wish you joined me at enta. hehe!
i miss running too. i did my laps in the evening (after quitting from the track team coz i got the team jacket na which i lost. bummer! haha!) naman. anytime between 6 to 9PM. i miss the sweat! i stopped playing frisbee na rin because i’m just so tired from work and there’s tons of chores at home. sigh.
but i still miss running around ateneo. forever my favorite jogging spot!
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April 22nd, 2008 at 8:24 pm
on sundays, the guards are usually laxed lang. they let cars in because some families watch soccer games of the kids. i think sa gabi, di rin masyado strict ang guards. not too sure. sundays, tested na yan. hehe.
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April 22nd, 2008 at 10:20 pm
I wish I can say that I have passion for running but I don’t. I get tired easily.
Best of luck to you and I hope that you get to go back to running again.
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April 22nd, 2008 at 11:08 pm
I used to run with Krn before classes, in sophomore year! I was just in Ateneo last Sunday to take Matthew biking, and I started thinking about running again. Saw a few people jogging, hanging out sa Bel field, playing soccer near the grade school. It’s a great place to be and go to still.
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April 23rd, 2008 at 8:10 am
i always had an excuse, too (no rubber shoes, no running shoes, too late to jog, too tired from school/work, etc.) now that it’s summer and i got loads of free time, i still can’t jog. need motivation! *looks at flabby belly, sighs*
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April 23rd, 2008 at 9:15 am
now, thank you for the reminder, i haven’t been running for a while too, just because it feels so good to sleep in the early morning.
way to go toni, let’s do it!
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April 23rd, 2008 at 10:54 am
it’s so sad that our jobs have become our masters…goodluck on your new quest…ako rin, i keep on procastinating on my fitness
April 23rd, 2008 at 11:50 am
Every Sunday, UPD is full of runners. They start really early, and there’s a route that’s closed off to vehicular traffic. You may want to check it out. I did check it out weeks ago… but i’ve not gone back. My bad, too lazy! I wish you luck. And yes, I agree, take it one step at a time. It’s how I started my weight loss, which is now at 25 pounds.
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April 23rd, 2008 at 8:50 pm
Though I’ve never been sporty all my life, running around Ateneo does seem like a very enticing idea since there’s just so much greenery to see (marami pa rin ba up to now despite the “construction boom” there? Being from the South, I haven’t gone back in ages…) and the air early in the morning seems a lot fresher, right?
Good luck with your “running repeat”!
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April 24th, 2008 at 6:31 am
i know you can do it, toni! keep us posted!
April 24th, 2008 at 6:53 am
running seems to be the “in” thing in the phils nowadays. most of my friends at home have taken up either boxing or running.
anyway, ok lang naman at least lots of people are getting more involved in healthy activities.
teka toni, you fenced??? me too! please don’t tell me you competed sa mga inter-school meets dahil malulungkot ako if i find out na we crossed paths and didn’t get to meet! i cherish talaga those days when i was active sa fencing, kasi it was probably the only time in my life when i was truly physically fit, hehe!
good luck toni! i will be cheering you on from my virtual sidelines!
*shakes pompoms*
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April 24th, 2008 at 7:39 pm
I was never been a sporty girl. My cousins and I tried to jog when we were kids around the village early in the morning. After like jogging and short time of basketball, our moms would see us kawawa so they would bring a lot of foods. As in a lot! Yung bang picnic na. So ang ending, wala rin use ang jogging. Hehe
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April 25th, 2008 at 10:06 am
Candice, Toni — Oh my gosh, while you guys were keeping fit in college I really was sound asleep! Had no idea you guys used to run, hahaha!
But go for it Toni-girl! (BTW, if you’re worried about your knees you can run in the Moro indoor track. May entrance fee pero maliit lang.)
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