Pre-Noche Buena Run (Dec. 24)

I love group runs! I like the experience of a morning of unbridled camaraderie doing what everybody loves to do–running! More so, it’s about meeting old friends and new and getting enough inspiration, making us all aware that we runners need each other, to motivate and inspire each one. And it’s about creating memories to last a long, long while.

We all would like to find time and schedule a run with our group. I always like the idea of an LSD run and it’s mostly for the purpose of training for the marathon or half-marathon in the weeks ahead. When no races are scheduled (a rarity nowadays), we do informal runs and attach an event to it, like say in honor of a specific person, day or event (e.g. Run for Cory HERE, whale sharks, etc). There are many group runs with themes that i have joined in the past like a despedida run for a friend who immigrated abroad, a valentines run, and a halloween run, among others.

So how about a run on December 24 to celebrate Christmas? It was going to be a night of eating, drinking and partying anyway so a run that morning would soften the guilt. Abby, a takbo.ph forumer had hatched the idea and many in the group embraced the thought so, the “Pre-Noche Buena Run” came to fruition! The run was held at the U.P. grounds and runners donned either green or red running gear to signify the Christmas colors.

Christmas will always be a perfect occasion to run so, Merry Christmas and a grand Noche Buena for the coming New Year’s eve to all! (Thanks to Bryan and Pio for some of the photos)

Posing before the run

It was mostly a red, green Christmas running affair

During one of the rest breaks

With BLC winner Bryan, sitting

With Doc Eire, Lauren and Jet

The early birds

Takbo.ph group

With Marga-licious

With Jet

Run For Cory- U.P. Campus Group

Symbol of Tita Cory

Words of grief, sadness and praise has been said about former president Corazon C. Aquino whose passing away last Saturday up to her interment today has brought an outpouring of love, support and tributes for the beacon of democracy and “mother” to all Filipinos. I was very saddened to hear the news of her passing as i was among the thousands who manned EDSA with some friends at the height of “People Power”  that swept Mrs. Aquino to power.

Funeral cortege on the way to the Manila Cathedral

People waiting at the Manila Cathedral

Inside the Cathedral

Cory being honored at the Manila Cathedral last night

In remembrance of her struggles, trials and selfless leadership, the local running community is paying tribute to this well-loved leader. A series of “Run for Cory” road runs has been organized for today, Wednesday which has been declared a national day of mourning and a special non-working holiday to mourn her passing and for people to have a chance to pay their respect before her interment this afternoon.

Run For Cory, U.P. Group

Front of Oblation

This morning, running buddy June Santiago and i decided to join the UP Campus group, composed mostly of Takbo.ph runners. It was raining intermittently when we arrived at the campus at about 5:15am and started our warm-up run. While we saw a group of runners bundled up the shaded stairs of Palma Hall waiting for the others to arrive, June and I continued our run around the academic oval and its outskirts.

By the time we returned back to the academic oval, the groups were already complete. All in all, there were about 30 runners, most wearing the I Am Ninoy technical shirts. Around the campus, yellow ribbons were tied on Acacia trees.

Yellow shirts!

At the academic oval

The run was a symbol of our appreciation for the courage she faced in the midst of tragedy to restore democracy and her humble moral crusade in leading this country.

June posing in front of the Oblation with flowers for Cory

Although many of us (sila lang) may have been too young or were not even born yet during the upsurge of “people power”, the influence and legacy of Tita Cory has not been lost in them–that her sacrifices for the country and her determination to restore democracy will forever be embedded in their minds.

Remembrance run for Cory

The first Cory Run

Run to Times Street

Cory's residence at Times Street

Garden of Eden

An outpouring of love

While our future leaders have promised to sustain all the moral ideals, courage and inspiration she installed, hers is still a tough act to follow as moral values are still lost to some who intend to lead this country.

We will never forget you, Tita Cory!