To all the women out there who think they are stuck in a rut, or feel like they have lost it somewhere along the way to motherhood, career, and whatnot, believe me, you can find yourself again.
I had always been sedentary growing up, except for the occasional softball in high school at St. Paul College Dumaguete. I was compelled to play since no girl in the bleachers would budge to do the unthinkable, and play for a losing team infront of your crush. I was also bad in the most humdrum childhood games of chinese garter and bagol.
It was during my mid-30s when I discovered my love for running. It was a time when I thought I had lost myself to taking care of my family, and finishing my second course in Nursing, that I didn’t really have time to take care of myself.
Time just flew, before I realized it, I had ballooned to more than 140 lbs. — a farcry from my usual 110-pound figure.
One day, my husband Dodix prodded me to take walks around the local track at the Perdices Stadium while waiting for our two kids to finish their daily training regimen with the Negros Oriental Blue Dolphins at the Teves Aquacenter right beside.
It was an ordeal for me to finish just five laps (about two kilometers) walking in the Oval. I would be out of breath, my legs would feel leaden, and my mind would just scream at me to stop!
But I kept going. I eventually started jogging around the tracks, and I was amazed I could actually do more laps, running slowly.
Then in 2012, I signed up for my first 10.5-kilometer race in the Dumaguete Adventure Marathon organized by Foundation University. I simply felt pure exhilaration the moment I crossed the finish line.
My mom later asked if I won the race. Well, I came in 10th among all other 10K runners but the more significant achievement then was that I triumphed over a sidestitch and impending leg cramps; I was victorious over a myriad of negative thoughts crossing my mind as I gasped for breath the last few kilometers; I succeeded in pushing myself beyond what I believed I was capable of doing.
Since then, I have gone to yoga classes; I did boxing sessions at Pure Muscle Gym in Daro; I have started being aware of what I eat. And all these things have made me feel good about myself.
The boundless energy I have the whole day, the lightness I feel inside, and the high I get shopping for clothes that actually look good on me.
There is a wonder in finding yourself again. You just need to find something that interests you, and to be selfish enough to earmark a “me time” for it.
You will be amazed at all the things you are capable of doing as long as you put your heart to it.
As for me, I still have marathons to run, and more headstands to do. And maybe hold my own yoga class someday. Who knows.
Sharon is married to Atty. Felix Araula II. She is a mother of three — juggling the caprices of two young adults and the tantrums of a pre-schooler. She took up Mass Communication at Silliman and Nursing at West Negros College in Bacolod City, and is now taking an MBA at Silliman. She writes stories in her head, and has yet to put them on paper. She says she loves the freedom of running and the tranquility of yoga.
Author’s email: SDAraula@yahoo.com
