Two for Taft: Running for a Cause

I'm not sporty at all but this was worth the run.

I could still remember receiving a horrible phone call a few months ago. It happened minutes after the Bar blast in Taft. 

I won't further elaborate on the details but let's just say I almost lost someone very important to me that day. Quite traumatic actually and I couldn't begin to imagine how worse it was for him.

So when I was invited to join the fundraising event for the bar blast victims, Two for Taft, I immediately said yes even if I wasn't physically prepared at all. 

I tried preparing for the run during the first two weeks of January but I eventually gave in to my sleepy self. Good thing we signed up for the 3k. I would have been rolling all over the streets of Manila if we joined the 10k run! 

Despite running "only" 3k, it wasn't as easy as I thought it would be. I guess I am getting older. Uh oh! I honestly gave it my best effort - I did run most of the time, about 90% of the race. I had to walk whenever my right side would throb, fearful that my appendix might burst. 

I was trying to be competitive with my runner boyfriend, RJ. Whenever he would tease me about my breathing (more like panting), I would simply brush it aside and say, "Sus, wala nga eh, hindi nga ako pinagpapawisan eh." (Translation: I'm not even breaking a sweat) Yeah right! I was red as a tomato at the end of the race. My Chinese genes give me away! 

Our friendly competition quickly died down when a whole mob of jogging police took over our spot in the race! Partnered with police jogging chants that seemed to taunt us, we tried our very best to sustain our jogging rate in order to keep up. Sadly, we later gave in and stepped aside to let them jog as a unit. Two intimidatingly large groups of police came like mighty waves of the ocean, brushing us off helplessly to the shore. Haha, so much for being competitive! 

Haha an after the race souvenir from Rexona

We finished the 3k race anyway under 27 minutes. Wohoo! Not so bad for a newbie runner eh? I'm sure RJ would have finished it faster on his own but he was torn between being a competitive runner and a good boyfriend. I'm so glad he chose the latter. :) 

I'm not really this chinky eyed, the sun was just too bright

I'm really glad that I was able to take part in this event. Aside from getting the opportunity to jog with RJ, which I really love :), I'm also happy that I was able to help raise funds for the bar blast victims in my own little way. It may not be enough to cover all of their medical and rehabilitation bills, but I hope it goes a long way. 


I'm still praying for the speedy recovery of the victims and everyone else who were affected by the incident. 


For an update on the bar blast victims, click here.

PS. Just accomplished # 6 in my 23 List! 


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