It had always been my dream to compete in an international triathlon, and do a full marathon of 42 kilometers before I turned 50. In fact, I had been telling about this dream to my friends, even before I actually started running.
I started running in 2011 and by August of that year, I was joining races — 5K, 10k, 21K. When I was in a huge sports store one time, I casually bought trisuits and other swim gear — without much thought. Then by the following year, I simply found myself transitioning to triathlons — like it was the most logical thing to do.
In each race that I joined since then, I always made sure I trained properly, because of the fear of having a heart attack in the middle of the race. Afterall, I’m not 27 years old anymore. (That was some 22 years ago!)
Knowing fully well that this year 2013 is my golden year — the year I had to do a triathlon and a full marathon — I signed up for the Xterra Off-road Triathlon and the 2nd All-Women 50K UltraMarathon (AWUM). I registered for the AWUM only because my triathlon team mates Maru Rodriguez, Janeth Gravador, Sheila Flores, and Joy Quiamco also did.
Since the triathlon and the ultramarathon involve two different training methods, I had to decide which to prioritize: My heart was really into triathlon so I focused my training on it. I swam, biked, and ran two days each week, with one day for total rest. I swam with coach Nino Pinero, biked every Sunday to either Balili or the wooded trails of Valencia with the Dumaguete Adventure Runners, Bikers, Swimmers (DARBS) or the IronMan triathletes of TriONe, and occasionally ran with the other ultramarathoners Puying Tecson, Vivian Sy, Joyce Solomon, Rose Paras, Irma Pal, and other runners.
Most of the time, however, I trained alone and at my own schedule. I tried to avoid long runs beyond 10K because these made me too fatigued to be able to do the swim or bike regimen the following day. I had to do these training sessions as early as 4 in the morning, or by 7 at night so they wouldn’t get in the way with family time or my medical practice.
All throughout the three-month training period, the thing that bothered me most was the fact that I couldn’t give 100 percent of my time to my family; and with the little time left that I could have with them, I was mostly too tired to even have quality time.
Long story short, I didn’t get to compete at the Xterra triathlon because of a series of unfortunate events — the reasons for which I can now clearly see. But at that time during the Xterra weekend, I was feeling so sad and so very disappointed, I resolved to focus all my energy, attention, heart, mind, and soul to the AWUM — of which I knew nothing about. I had never even done a full marathon.
Barely three days before the AWUM, I started reading up on the Internet on how to finish an ultramarathon. Even on our bus ride to Cebu on race day, Irma and I were still debating on the merits of doing a 15-minute-run & 5-minute-walk combination. I couldn’t even make up my mind when to take energy gels; I ended up bringing 12 in my pockets. It was getting pointless.
At the starting line at Cebu’s Plaza Independencia, I was almost in panic mode. There I was, just a few minutes into running an ultramarathon, banking on a training regimen faithfully done for a triathlon, and still without a clear plan for the next 50 kilometers! I started to feel nauseated, felt like vomiting, which actually progressed into a stomach ache kept on recurring all throughout the race. To this day, I don’t know if those were just butterflies in my stomach or if it was because of the sumptuous all-you-can-eat buffet of grilled pork that my team had three hours before the race.
I just tried to stay calm and continued to pray. I had decided earlier to run the first 16 kms. of the race for my daughter Claudia Isabel who is graduating from elementary; the next 16 kms. for my mother Linda Mercado who has been on dialysis the last two years in the US and was recently hospitalized; and the final leg I wanted to run for myself, for my 50th year on April 11. I kept this in mind during the race especially during the most difficult times.
At gunstart, I felt that almost everybody just started to rush. I reminded myself to stay at my pace, but you see, adrenaline is hard to ignore that at 1.5 kilometers, I was already getting out of breath. I settled back into my pace of 8.5 minutes per kilometer. After all the pounding on asphalt and concrete for some 25 kms., my feet were starting to hurt. I tried to ignore it, and instead thanked God, out loud, for each of the blessings he has showered upon me. After a few kilometers, the pain just disappeared.
By dawn in the later part of the race was spent mostly battling fatigue. I passed a lot of runners who were starting to walk. I alternated between running and walking, and I turned on my iPod containing Irma’s upbeat songs of the 80s. The playlist was so dated, it distracted me from the body pains, as it brought back rich memories of my high school life.
The last two kilometers on Mactan Island may have seemed the longest for me as my leg started to cramp. I prayed aloud to God to make it go away. And miraculously, it went away. When I saw the finish line up ahead, I shouted out loud, “Thank You, Lord!” I crossed the finish line with Alan Parsons Project’s Eye in the Sky, so happy that it was over, and that I did it in good form, and in very good time at 7 hours-18 minutes.
Looking back, I can say that finishing an ultramathon is more about mental than physical endurance. You meet a lot of obstacles along the way, but you just have to keep moving forward. What is important is to have confidence in yourself, to always keep a positive attitude, and to ignore all negative thoughts of failure. The ultimate goal should be to arrive at the finish line “in one piece and smiling”.
What I learned from this experience is that God has a plan for each and every one of us. And in his perfect time. I may have missed the much-desired international Xterra triathlon, but He granted me the grace of completing not only a full marathon, but an ultramarathon at that; finishing strong and in very good time. And before I turn 50.
Our dreams actually have a way of coming true, no matter how impossible they may seem. Albert Einstein had said, “Never give up on what you really want to do. The person with big dreams is more powerful than one with all the facts.” (Cynthia Mercado-Cabrera)
Dr. Nini Cabrera, a swimmer and sprinter in her younger days, is an obstetrician-gynecologist at Holy Child Hospital, Silliman Medical Center, and at the Sacred Heart Pharmacy across NOPH. She wants to go by the optimal recovery rule of Rest One Day for Every Mile Ran before her next race. Which means, bonding time with husband Atty. Carlvic Cabrera, Cody, and twins Gabriel and Rafael in the next weeks.
