Running on Will & Grace

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Power Run 15K
Sunday, Feb 15, 2009


I took a gamble that I could run 15K again.
I only had one goal for this race - to finish.
I cared not about time and racing pace.
I simply wanted to finish and regain my confidence.
I longed to triumph over pain.

I miscalculated traffic and waited long to park.
The 5K runners were already off when I started.
There was a rush to run after my wave,
but experience has taught me to maintain my pace,
even if runners more late than I was outran me,
even if it was getting lonely at the tail end.
In a race of hundreds, I was alone -
Racing against myself.

It was moments like these when I see my true strength.
As I slowly chugged along I reminded myself
that my strength lies not on speed,
but in my ability to fix my eyes on the prize.
The greatness of the prize is such that it washes away
all the tedium and drudgery I have to endure.
The prize shines so brightly it colors my views,
and renders even mundane things beautiful.

Every long run I do is like a purification process,
wherein every minute and meter I am being molded
To be fit to claim my rightful place on the finish line.

The first 5kms I was being purified alone.
It was a relief to see the rest of mankind as I approached CCP.
For at least one round of the CCP loop
I joined my fellow believers in the running ritual.
On my second round it was solitary purification once again,
but I assimilated enough runner's high to boost my run.

The rest of the run I was a man in motion
My engine may have been deliberately slow
but it had the hum of a runner with purpose and mission.
Along the way I would meet a few people
who would ran after you when you outpace them,
and walked as soon as they are ahead of you again.
It was a bit disconcerting, and probably impolite,
but I hope they got something good out of it.
Several times I felt like outdistancing them for good,
but that was throwing away my race pace
and endangering my end prize.

In the end my gamble paid off.
I took me 1:54:00 on personal time, longer than my 16K PR.
Because I was late, I barely made the 2hr official cut-off.
The host pronounced me as the last finisher,
even if five others were still waging personal battles behind me.
I hope the organizers recognize their feat.
We labored together, I cheered them on.
I saw the look of determination on their eyes.

It was not a perfect race.
There were runner complaints.
I had none and got what I wanted.
It was the slowest I have run despite a very flat course,
but I ran evenly and maintained form all-throughout.
A slow, sweet victory.

I made it to the finish line.
I am a runner healed of pain.
By sheer will
By God's grace