BY GENEVIEVE DEGUIT-TOLCIDAS
It doesn’t matter how slow you go, as long as you don’t stop”. This quote was my inspiration on my journey to the All-Women Ultra Marathon (AWUM) held annually in Cebu in celebration of Women’s Month in March.
Falling in love, out of love with running
It was in the year 2012 when my husband Arthur and I took fancy in running when most of our acquaintances invited us to join them.
To be honest, it was mostly walking for me at the start because I simply had all the excuses in the world: I was tired, I just gave birth to our oldest Franz Anton, etc. I’m just tired….
But what really motivated me to get into a running habit was the warm welcome of the homegrown Dumaguete Adventure Runners & Striders family, plus the proddings of my close friend Deidre May Aranas. They were friendly, and encouraging, and I admired them for being passionate for the sport.
Just when I decided I was ready to be serious in training for my first full marathon, our second son was conceived! After giving birth to Arkin Fran, and maybe I was having bouts of post-partum depression, I gained weight and lived a sedentary lifestyle. Instead of finding time to exercise in the afternoons, I would look forward to just sit infront of the TV, catching up with the dayӼs news, while baby sitting.
I became too engrossed with family life (not that it’s bad) and our business, that I cared less and less about myself and my health and my fitness level. Then it dawned on me that this cannot be the case anymore. The realization that I was going through PPD was a blessing when I stumbled upon an article on the internet on the warning signs of post-partum depression. So I vowed to myself I would do all possible to get myself out of it. I pulled myself together, and just like riding a bike, started running again. I lost 13 pounds and brought my weight back down to 110 lbs.
The marathon dream
While running in the Perdices Stadium Oval one day, I saw some running buddies doing some exercises. I got curious on how they were doing it methodically, and why runners had to do it. I approached Coach Wilbert Laurecio who explained to me how these drills help in our running form, help us avoid injuries, make us run faster, then most of all, help us increase mileage.
I followed his advice and I was happy with the results. I actually felt stronger, and I ran happier, with not as many complaints and excuses. Surely, when I eventually joined some races in the locality, I felt confident that I can definitely finish, without much difficulty. I may not have been that fast, but I was certain I was running with ease, and more importantly, I knew I was running safe.
As months passed in 2014, Lhing Corciega, one of my training buddies, got interested in the 2015 AWUM. She was ecstatic to join, and convinced me to join, too. She told me we had at least four months to prepare. We figured that maybe we could easily breeze through the race, as we had become serious running “addicts”. I was hesitant at first, also thinking how much harder it is to get a slot to join since participation is limited, but why not take the chance?
Stumbling block yet a blessing
As Lhing and I were intensely preparing ourselves for the 2015 AWUM, I suddenly felt “something different” with my body. I never felt so sick before, but the feeling of exhaustion seemed kind of familiar. Then I missed my monthly visitor. I was in denial at first, as I was already so much in the running mode, and I had an upcoming ultramarathon. When it was confirmed that I was indeed pregnant with our third son, Aiden Fran, I broke down in tears. I loved the thought of having been given another blessing to our family, but I was also thinking about all the focus and fixation I had placed on finally running the AWUM. Of course, I had no choice but to put aside my heart’s desire for a greater blessing.
Finally, the AWUM experience
2017 was a challenging year for me. Aside from being a wife to Arthur, mother to three boys, entreprenuer, and all the other demands of being a woman, I was battling weight issues. After giving birth a third time, I again poured all my frustrations into food thus, gaining weight. Then I came to realise I had to do something, and I just knew that some serious dieting, coupled with running can put me back into shape.
So I started to painstakingly build my running program again to optimize my time during runs. It was a struggle, I admit. When I found out I could run 10 kilometers with minimal rest, I just knew the AWUM dream was at hand. What better way to celebrate my journey than to join an ultra-marathon that celebrates the uniqueness of a woman!
Registration day came, and since slots were limited, our fingers on the computer have to be quicker than the rest. Luckily, I was able to register. I was so happy yet, there was a voice inside me questioning my capability to complete all 50 kilometers. You see, I had never even ran a full marathon. But my heart was telling me I can do it.
My registration came as a surprise to some of my friends. They were advising me that what I was about to do was ‘suicide’ as I was never really considered a persistent endurance runner. So then I thought, well, there’s only one way to find out.
When I learned that Dr. Sheila Loo-Flores was also able to register in AWUM, I reached out to her to ask if I could train with her. She was also preparing for the Paris Marathon (which she has completed on April 8). And so we made our early Sunday mornings an opportunity to do our long runs. On some days when I felt lazy to train, I would motivate myself with thoughts of not finishing the race — if I didn’t train properly. For the next five months, I was training on and off. There were days when I had to practically drag my body out of bed just to make an early morning run. By the end of my training program, I still had doubts I was really ready.
Race night
When Arthur and I arrived in Cebu on the day of the race, I was already feeling jittery. After settling in our hotel room, I got some rest at 4pm and I started to prepare my running gear. To my horror, I found that I left my running shorts in Dumaguete!
I panicked, and we had to dash to a mall to buy one. I became frustrated as my plans of being relaxed before the race was getting ruined. I almost cried when we were stuck in traffic en route to the mall. By 7pm when I was gearing up, Arthur told me later that he was just observing how nervous I was, dropping things here and there, I could not even tie my own shoelaces, he had to do it for me.
When we arrived at the start line at the Cebu Capitol, I had goosebumps all over. I was just so happy to see the DARS Running Mommies. Their presence took all my fears away as their energy was contagious.
After a mass, we were given last minute instructions for the 10pm gunstart. The mood was very festive! I was in the company of strong-willed women who all had prepared for this ultra-marathon. I know everyone has her own battles and stories to tell. I could sense that the way they were geared up (some in bra tops, others in skimpy lycra running shorts) was not only for show but reflective of how they molded themselves to become what they are now.
I also witnessed how the AWUM is indeed a wonderful family affair. The husbands and the significant-others would look after and take care of the needs of their running-wives, -mothers, -daughters; become their instant photographers, and the children become the runners’ No. 1 fans/cheerer/supporters. Family members were beaming with pride, clapping, cheering, encouraging as they stood along the streets, waiting for their beloved runner to pass by.
Even after the first 10 kilometres of the ultra run, I did not feel any pain or discomfort. Maybe that was still my adrenaline powering me. I was so happy with the food stations that were prepared every two kilometers by the various running teams in Cebu. As much as possible, I would hydrate myself, and sample every food they had to offer. In some stations, I also would not pass up on their invitations for a much-needed leg massage and shoulder-back rubs.
It made me happier and more confident when I realized that I was actually able to pace with veteran marathoners and long distance runners. The support we would get from the barangays we passed was also laudable.
Indeed, running an ultramarathon overnight is exhausting, but when fatigue kicks in, all that is eased by the genuinely caring ways of the persons manning the food and water stations. What I enjoyed the most was the Km 46 station where we had the chance to freshen up, groom ourselves, put on lipstick infront of a huge mirror. At least, no matter how tired we actually were, we could look good at the finish line.
As we were drawing near the finish line, I looked at the faces of my fellow runners. Some looked spent, some looked happy, others looked relieved. I bet iI was looking relieved. Relieved that I eventually made it that far at 50 kilometers, and still carrying on after running eight hours and 28 minutes through the night.
I could feel my heart beating faster when I finally got to see shades of the finish line back at the Cebu Capitol. Tears welled up my eyes as I finished the race, humbled that there is a God who allowed me to do all these, and come out victorious.
So this is what AWUM is all about. It is a celebration of us women. Women who uplift each other, who stand united, and who strive to maintain a high standard of morals. It’s a reminder that if we women live up to what is expected of us, maybe, just maybe, the world will indeed be a better place for all of us to live in.
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