Exactly a year ago, the official mobile app of the TCS New York City Marathon reported in real time
with live footages that my wife Katherine finished in 5 hours, 47 minutes, and 42 seconds! Every
member of the Cleantech team, whether runners or supporters shared their own moments with great joy
as did Kathy. Her smiles beamed in the photos she shared with me. Even thousands of kilometers
away over land and seas could not separate me from feeling just as exhilarated over my Kathy’s first
ever full marathon and the feeling stayed with me into the following year.

I only had humble goals for myself following my first two half marathons last year. It was a journey
that started from half-heartedly joining Cleantech invitations to lesser distances like five to ten
kilometers in previous years. The better sponsored loot bags and inclusions for the half marathon were
enough for me to join Cleantech’s elite runners even if it simply meant brisk walking most of the way
and a few jogging here and there. Kathy started me off this year with January’s 10 Km. Women’s Run,
jogging beside me to tug at me all the way to the finish line.

I signed up for Hoka Trilogy Run Asia thinking it would be “kind of fun” empathizing with
everybody’s post run pains at Cleantech. Finishing my last half marathon within regulation time gave
me the confidence to perform at the same level with Leg 1’s 16 kilometers, Leg 2’s 21 kilometers, and
Leg 3’s 32 kilometers. As each leg distance increased, I gradually took preparation training seriously
and even did cross training by hiking 4 mountain peaks with a combined total height of more than
4,400 meters above sea level. Then the opportunity to join the runners of Team Cleantech at the
50th Berlin Marathon came last May.

My excitement over this opportunity quickly melted away when I did the 32 kilometer Leg 3. I barely
had it together in finishing within regulation time so the thought of even just an additional 10
kilometers started to weigh heavily on me. 599 kilometers of running and walking from January to
August plus 7 post Trilogy Run Asia training sessions still did not give me complete confidence
coming into Berlin. I suddenly learned that the hardest part wasn’t getting my body in shape, but rather
getting my mind in shape to endure the expected strain of a really long run. I felt pressured at the
thought of possibly not finishing on time. The weight I needed to lose was less on my body than that
on my mind. My body has endured a lot at this point but it’s my mind I had to convince that I could
actually pull this off. It shouldn’t matter for my first time but finishing on time in an Abbott Major
Marathon is still a very tempting goal, if only for pride. I was not sure I would have another chance
like this again.

As if my personal anxiety wasn’t enough, Kathy and I had a two day “argument drama” prior to gun
start on whether to stick to my prepared pace strategy of “Japanese slow jogging” all the way except
the last two kilometers for a negative split performance or Kathy’s insistence on doing Edwin Almario’s
suggested 4 minute jog, 1 minute walk pace cycle so I could finish earlier (which was harder for me).
For marital peace until the end of our Europe vacation, I gave in to Kathy.

I completed the Berlin marathon with a personal best time of 6 hours, 39 minutes, and 37 seconds, way
ahead of my declared 7 hour target, but I had to undergo two and a half weeks of recovery period.
Kathy sacrificing her possible best pace to be my pacer, Kimberly and Anna’s mid-course pain
medication assistance, Edwin’s strategy, our Lord Jesus Christ’s grace, and His mental picture at the
finish line came through for me in achieving this feat. I wanted to say to our Lord that “I have fought
the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful.” (2 Timothy 4:7).

John Bingham, the “Pied Piper of the Second Running Boom”, would probably call me a miracle like
he did himself. To quote him: “The miracle isn’t that I finished. The miracle is that I had the courage to
start”. I thank Coach Aboy Castro and the rest of the Cleantech team, especially my Kathy, for making
it possible for 99 Kg., grief-stricken me to start dreaming again and become a “Berlin Legend” along
with the best of Team Cleantech. 84 Kg. I now aim to do monthly half-marathons for the rest of my
life, just because I can and want to for myself 😉