Wednesday, October 7, 2009

The Glory that was Greece, The Splendor that is Subic



Subic's 300




On October 24, 2009 in Subic,

thousands of men and women will engage in a road battle of body and mind.

Among them are 300 brave runners doing the marathon for the first time.



I am fortunate to know some of the 300 brave men and women,

and to run alongside them that fateful day.




My friends, Prepare for Glory ... for that night we run and dine in heaven!




The call of the marathon proved too strong
To warriors who delight and thrive in competition
In Subic we battle the toughest foe - the animal within,
wanting to surge ahead, yet needing to be reined in.



EO


On the Battle of Milo he should have fought,
but runner's knee left him dejected, distraught.
Wiser, more prepared, he stands among the rest,
In Subic we hope he'll set a personal best




MARK



The warrior from Manila has a simple plan
And the goal sought is not a fast run
For to finish in itself is sweet victory
Full mary comes before fully marry


CHIPS
(in white Unicef singlet)

Light on his feet, fast with his stride
Silent waters run true and deep
Diligent disciple of Mizuno Running Clinic
In him I foresee a strong finish




EDU


The true measure of a man is not the size of his biceps,
his charm with the ladies nor speed at which he runs.
Rather it's his ability to laugh amid the flood and storm,
to press on and complete life's marathon.




ARGONAUT


His Quest for the Golden Fleece brings him to Subic
where he hopes to vanquish the many-headed Hydra that guards it.
Prophet Phineas gives him an amulet to slay the little hydras,
stating the enemy are really the tiny, doubting voices within his heroic self.





CRAIG & JUSTIN (Team Logan)




On the hills of Baguio Craig pushes son Justin on stroller,
building the strength and stamina to complete a marathon.
But the real ace on the sleeve of Team Logan
Is parent's love for their beautiful, innocent son.





GAB



Some men live in delightful nonchalance
With light humor and carefree demeanor,
But faced with a challenge, they stand and suit up
Ready to do battle, to the finish line they shall go!






DOC ART



With the seriousness of a child building his Lego City,
Pediatrician Art believes the task can be done.
For what is a marathon but a battle of the body, mind and heart
Where one begins the run with his body, and finishes with his heart.





GERARD


Forty-two kilometers to prove one's worth
To the harshest of critics which is oneself.
The battle begins the moment one decides to run,
and ends when he reaches the finish line.





JET

The smart runner battles with his mind

Strategizing, reconnoitering, like in the Art of War
Measuring, tabulating, charting the course
Victorious is the runner who give his marathon utmost thought.





NAO




Fair Nao is child of Hera with Mercury
Light, swift, smart and enduring
Child of the Gods, she is marathon-born
If only she would heed its call.

Humble Nao says descendant of Gods she is not
Whatever gifts she had, she sowed and slowly nurtured.
Marathon is a decision that should not be rushed
She will run in Subic if her heart so desires.






Half-marathon Virgins




RJ


Good things come to those who give and wait.
For RJ, time has come to do his first half-marathon.
Blessed is he for an army of friends will cheer him on.
Those who support runs supported.




MARGA


A hand that soothes, a heart that cares
Shining Light of the Angel Brigade
On the roads of Subic she shall reap
Fruits of her labors and innate kindness.


JULIE


It was not so long ago when she did her first LSD in Montalban,
And when she did her 10K in the steep hills of Baguio.
The seemingly shy girl has come out of her shell,
Brave, boisterous, laughing on her way to her 21K.


TRACY

A dash of speed, a dollop of charm
Big eyes and lips that smile;
Endurance and speed that belie her looks
plus all the wits for that 21km dash.




PNP's Finest




Photo source


A few good men is many enough
to transform an institution into a beacon of hope.
Running ennobles, transforms and molds
Scalawags to do-gooders, young men into heroes.

To run along with these men and women
Is to salute the good and discourage the rotten
On their graduation day, their 21k Achievement Run
Our cheers, our thanks, to our Nation's Finest!


11 comments:

jetpaiso said...

excellent entry bro! good luck to all warriors! may the good Lord bless us all!

Jinoe said...

Goodluck to the brave 300!!!
Wait... bakit wala akong nakitang mga abs dyan. :P

Anonymous said...

Nicely crafted, SW! We who are not fortunate enough to run with the 300 can only look up in awe. I hope you guys fare better than King Leonidas and his men did in Thermopylae!

I wish you well, a safe journey, and a happy smile at the Finish! Aroo, aroo, aroo!

Anonymous said...

Wow! Good luck to the brave ones! Greatness awaits you, take it, it's yours! =D

Anonymous said...

wooha! let's fight!

aroo, aroo, aroo!

eo

Rico Villanueva said...

Jet, thanks. May God bless us all.

Hi Jinoe. Conservative daw yung mga modern warriors kaya naka-singlet at di kita abs. :-)

Thanks Mike. I curious what your alter ego will say about Subic's 300 (haha). Definitely we shall fare better than King Leonidas and his men.

Hi Dennis. Greatness we shall take, along with the loot bag if there is any :-)

EO!!!!!!! Ikaw ang aming pambato!...
For Sparta! For Takbo! Aroo, Aroo, Aroo!!!

Sam The Running Ninja said...

Wow thanks for this! Now I know the faces behind some of those names!

Good luck to all.

We shall kick-ass on that day hehehehee

Gingerbreadman said...

Awesome. Well-crafted. I thoroughly enjoyed this Rix :) I'm excited na for SIM! Think of all the fun times we would be having with Tito Caloy!!!

gerard said...

Amazing entry Rico!

So this is what the photo was for.

We will conquer Subic! :)

Rico Villanueva said...

You are welcome, Sam. You wanna know their faces so you'll know whom to target, right? Hehe...Yeah, let's kick ass...I hope to kick my ass with a higher butt kick. I must, I must, refine my form, or I will bust!

Thanks Luis. Glad you like it. It was so damn hard to do meter and rhymes, but I had fun making this. Excited too for SIM. I wonder what GBM's report on Tito Caloy would be? Hmmnn, so many possibilities....

Thanks Gerard. Now you understand why that Dudut Jaworski-look-a-like-of-sorts picture of yours won't do. haha. Yeah, we shall conquer Subic! Aroo, aroo, aroo!!!

argonaut said...

Thanks rico... I'm having goosebumps while reading this... Will do my best and will aim for the best in my search for the golden fleece...