Run For Life!
Nothing feels as good as being fit! A lot of people nowadays run daily in order to stay healthy. Running has developed into a fad lately.
A marathon is a long-distance running event with an official distance of 42.195 kilometers (26 miles and 385 yards). A marathoner needs the suitable “gear” and months or years of training to complete it safely.
Jimmy Yu, 44, a third placer in the 3rd Labor Day Coast to Coast 65 km Ultra Marathon event held last April 28 in Cebu City said: “There is nothing that can beat the benefits of marathons.”
In the past he was not health conscious. Drinking beer and smoking cigarettes were his favorite habits, until the doctor told him to stop his vices and he changed. He wanted to live longer for his family.
Becoming a marathoner and a runner helped him quit his vices and it eventually became part of his lifestyle. He shared that it is his secret to releasing work-related stress.
“Honestly, I feel weak when I fail to run for days,” he said.
At first, it was really hard for him to finish 10 kilometers without walking. Because of his patience, determination and perseverance, he now has the endurance that he never had before.
Participating in marathons for him is more exciting and fun if he does it with others rather than running alone. Training alone, for him, lessens his excitement and results in unfinished goals.
“By joining marathons, you can meet new individuals and gain new friends. You can also get advice and tips from them. At the same time, it enables you to train with other competitors who would like to race for a marathon,” he added.
Josephus Ortega, 40, who ranked 12th in the third Labor Day Coast to Coast 65 Km Ultra Marathon, shared that he used to play a lot of basketball.
The first time his friend, Yu, asked to run with him, Josephus laughed and told Jimmy that running is just so easy compared to basketball.
The first time he registered in a 10-kilometer marathon, he struggled. He didn’t expect that going to the finish line was exhausting. After that event, he said: “I will not run again.”
Yu did not stop persuading him to run again, so he gave it another try. Running has also helped him lose weight.
“I used to drink beer every day and running made me drink beer occasionally. My skin became soft and I feel younger through running,” he said.
Since a fun run is more on “fun,” it’s usually not a competitive event, meaning there may or may not be a medal for the top finishers. Fun run participants are those who don’t regularly train, or often those who just want to walk it. Fun runs are usually organized for a good cause that will help less fortunate people.
By joining these events, people not only enjoy the health benefits, but they will also help other people.