I am back!!!

It is almost like the day you wrote that final day you wrote your school exam or standing at every start line and your stomach is trying to give you information that your brain don't understand. I am sure most of you know how it feels or at least one example... This is how I felt getting the thought again to blog running experiences again here in the Philippines. You see, it is not just about dotting down information others can use but more a intimate relationship with the person reading the blog, in this case with you.... :)

I had so many questions the last year ranging from... are you upset with us? to where have you been brother, man, Joe etc... Let me try and explain and in the same breath or ink blot, ask for forgiveness but hopefully you all will understand my excuses...

At the end of 2008 we went to our annual conference. I found out that due to the program there I wont be able to run as frequent as I wanted to. At that time I was also into biking for triathlons. As this was brought to my attention and the fact that I had to leave my bike at home, I became someone else.. I became rude to the people close to me, I lost my temper much quicker and became someone that no one wanted to know. I had to sit back for a moment and assess what is happening to me. It then hit me. Those of you that can still remember some of my previous posts telling you how overweight I was weighing a whopping 120kg and being unfit before I started running. At that time I was also smoking 40 cigarettes a day!!! Everytime we went to a restaurant we had to sit in a smoking session. When we went to the movies I made a break to go out and smoke.... Wow, I realised I am going through the same emotions, if I could not smoke I got upset and become someone else... here I am again but this time it is running! If I cant train, I become someone else.

I a sense I was happy getting to the root of the problem.... I WAS ADDICTED!!! Never thought one could become addicted to training. I had to do once again what I did when I was smoking and that was to give it up and not be a slave to anything. I took time out.

After more than a year, I am back and enjoying it again. It took me three months to try and get some of my fitness back but I am running again. A lot of things changed, the most biggest thing is the scenery as we moved in the mean time into a tribal location where we are busy learning the new dialect of Agutaynen getting ready to evangelize to the area where we are. I do mostly trail running (any advice will help) and train at the moment for the Provincial marathon here in Palawan. I was planning in doing the Singapore but was to late to register then decided to do the milo. The only problem is I need to run the 21km in 1:35min to qualify. If I make it then I will surely see you all again in Manila for the Milo marathon. Until then, if you are in Palawan, drop me a note and we might run into each other.

Thank you all for your kindness during the last few years as I have treasured that so much of the mng Pinoy. Friendliness is part of your day to day life. Also special thanks to the people at team baldrunner that was sending me messages, and also the great friendship through Rio, Jun C and Jaymie, you guys rock. The rest of all you running friends, keep running and see you soon again.

God bless