What I Did for Love

1. Accompanied and taught officemates to swim at lunctime - the only common time we've got.
2. Swam along a friend for 1.5km straight to convince my friend that it is possible.
3. Taught a host of friends the basics of swimming.
4. Organized a mock aquathlon to convince friends that it is fun and doable.
5. Did number #4 four times for different sets of people. This became the SWAC series.
6. Paced a friend for the slowest, craziest 5k, enroute to my friend's becoming an ultramarathoner.
7. Organized race support for our group of first-time marathoners.
8. Rallied friends to support fellow runners besieged by Ondoy.
9. DNF'ed a marathon to accompany a dehydrated friend to a hospital.
10. Wiped out the bitterness of the DNF by loading drinks into my vehicle the following day, vowing never again would I and my friends suffer from dehydration. Camping out on a hill with friends cheering other friends out to do their first pikermi.
11. Witnessed friends learn how to bike.  Biked with friends on their first century ride.
12. Risked my half-ironman training plan, did very long runs with a friend, and ran a marathon because I promised my friend it will be fun and glorious thing to do on one's birthday.
13. Signed up for another half-ironman because I want to witness friends do it.
14. Walked several kilometers to the run route of a long distance triathlon, organized an impromptu cheering squad of street kids, and screamed ourselves hoarse clapping and cheering Go,Go, Go.
15. Picked up my bike after a half-marathon, tucked in water bottles in my bag and clothes, and went back and forth to deliver water to a well-loved, first-time marathoner friend and her posse of pacers.
16. Repeat number 15 for a string of second-timer marathoner friends.
17. Commented on friends' blog every now then because I knew they needed the encouragement.
18. Pushed friends to write blogs because I knew they have the knack for it.
19. Founded a team to solidify our love for multi-sport.
20. Became the reluctant leader who sometimes bore the brunt of things.
21. Squeezed creative juices to raise funds.
22. Moderated, mediated, bridged or tolerated differences in a forum
23. Brought people together. A few even became couples.
24. Wrote a blog and shared my personal stories.
25. Never stopped believing in the power of love and the triumph of the human spirit.