RACE DAY: Puma Cebu Half Marathon

So.. I signed up for a 10K. Because apparently, surviving a stroke, managing diabetes and hypertension, and leading a team full-time wasn’t challenging enough. I decided to suffer in public with a bib number. Hahahaha

But honestly? I’ve never been happier to suffer.

I trained for 13 weeks with Runna (Pilates, strength, and yoga in between). I started with a 10K time of 1 hour and 27 minutes, and finished the race at 1 hour and 7 minutes (fine, officially 1:08:44, but my watch says 1:07:46, so opkors we’re going with that).

Let's me first show you my race results:

Chip Time: 1:08:44
Gun Time: 1:09:16
Pace: 6:52 min/km
Overall Rank: 278th out of 1,451 runners
Female Rank: 63rd
Age Group: (40–44): 9th

9th? 9TH???? THAT'S SINGLE-DIGIT CATEGORY, BABY!  I mean.. PAKPAK!!! 

Opkors this has to be the first pic aka the cover photo 😁

The week leading up to the race felt different. I was excited in a way that’s hard to describe, like aside from my husband and family, this race was something I was living for.

The night before, I laid everything out (just like every rookie runner), shoes (I wore my Puma Deviate Nitro 3 and brought along my Adizero as a back-up pair), bib, socks, and my orange race shirt. I couldn’t even sleep properly. I woke up at 11 p.m. like an excited kid on Christmas Eve. My husband, of course, slept peacefully until the alarm at midnight because someone in this marriage is normal, at least in this case.

I didn’t overthink my fueling this time. The night before, I had a proper carb party; Bentang's Pancit  with half rice and a fried egg. It has veggies and meat so I call that balance. The last time I did a 14K run (see blog here), I ate the same thing and felt great, so I went with what worked. On race morning, I had two slices of wheat bread with peanut butter and a banana. Then, right before the race, I drank half a bottle of Pocari Sweat.

By the time we got to the venue, my heart was racing because of excitement. I LOOOOVVEE THE VIBE! I finally get why people pay money for races like this!

my life and my everything!

this tetta is exzoited!!!

Gun start was at 2:40 a.m., and I appreciate that it started on time. And you know what, I cried at the starting line when the announcer said, “Thank God we’re alive.” It hit me so hard because yes, THANK GOD IM ALIVE!

Before my stroke, I couldn’t even finish 8K. I struggled with 7. But now, 10K is easy. And this? This race is proof that I am making use of the second chance God gave me! YES!

I wrote about my stroke here and my recovery journey here.

😁

Anyway, I enjoyed the first 5K. It was easy, I was singing, my playlist was amazing. And also, I’d say that I loved the route. It was roadside, then riverside, and it’s so cool because the lights just looked like stars. I stuck to my planned 7:00/km pace, though it's really tempting to sprint early. I didn’t take water until the 8th kilometer to avoid feeling heavy like in my past long run. From kilometers 6 to 8, I slightly sped up to around 6:45–6:55/km, then went all out in the last 2K, hitting around 5:00/km at one point. The road was wet. There were slippery spots, but honestly, it made it even more fun. I was hopping and skipping around puddles, laughing to myself. It was so fun and yes, I can hop now. hahha

Then my watch beeped,10 kilometers done. I decided to walk, and honestly, I still regret that moment. If I hadn’t slowed down, I might’ve landed in the Top 5 for my age group. With just 120 meters left, I started running again but by then, it was too late. Still, no complaints. I’m happy with my result. SO HAPPY!!!

As I neared the finish line, I slowed down to look for my husband, and there he was, smiling proudly and taking a video. That same warm smile he’s always had since day one made my heart full. After crossing the line (yes, I flexed a bit, hopefully they caught it on camera), I grabbed my loot bag and met him there. He asked how it went, and I couldn’t stop talking about it. When we saw the “PR Bell” for runners who beat their personal record, of course, we lined up. It was the perfect way to celebrate.

After that race, I just felt this overwhelming need to tell everyone, that this wasn’t just a 10K. This was me finishing as a stroke survivor, someone honoring the second chance that God gave me. This medal doesn’t just represent running, it represents everything I went through, the hospital days, the slow recovery, the tiny victories, the hard days, and the decision to keep showing up.

Right after I grabbed my medal, I took a selfie and sent it to my husband, mom, and siblings. 

With my friend, Vino, who finished strong, waaayyy faster than me! 💪

Then we finally sat down, talked some more about the race, ate the classic post-run banana, and decided it was time for breakfast. Ofcourse, I ate a lot. Of course, it had to be Bentang's pancit. After that, we grabbed some coffee, and I took a quick nap before heading out to watch the CESAFI games, our usual Sunday routine.

We didn’t finish the whole game this time though. Exhaustion hit us hard. I’d been up since 11 PM, my husband since midnight. We’re definitely not in our twenties anymore. It was the first time we didn’t stay for the final match, which was a bit of a letdown since it was USJR (my favorite team this season!) versus UC, both really good teams.

But honestly, by the time we got home, we were done. Completely wiped out. I slept for nine hours straight, and my husband for ten.

And that, my friends, is how my 10K went. 

I’m so thankful for my husband, my mom, and my siblings who’ve all been part of this journey and who’ve patiently listened to my endless running talk. Actually me and my brother, Kab, we always talk about running. He's my distant running buddy (he's in the US) who just crushed a half marathon in under two hours. UNDER TWO HOURS!! He’s amazing! I’m so proud of him! I can’t wait for the day we run together back home.

And to you, thank you for being here. Whether you found this on TikTok, Threads, Twitter, or (most likely) Facebook. 'Til next blog.💛