Run to Read

I will always remember 2010 as a year of "1sts" for fitness, and for winning.

First 3k at a full run.

First 5k at a full run.

First 10k. A full run, at that.

This is also our first time to mount a race. :)

Run to Read is my friend Anne's "baby". Funding the building of libraries for school kids is her way of making the country and the world a better place. What started out as getting pledges for every kilometer run, will now end up as an effort engaging thousands of Filipinos to run side by side to promote literacy.

In the last few weeks, the time I've spent working on the project, and even just thinking about it, has led to some of the brightest spots of my day. Gradually growing on me, the race has become my "baby" too.

I've actually been trying to figure out why I have so much heart for the project, considering that I've only been running for a few months. I've always been a reader, so yes, I do understand why reading and literacy are important. But there are probably many other ways to help the cause. What I wanted to understand is why running had to fit in the equation. Why does it matter to me?

In his acceptance speech in the 2005 Kid's Choice Awards, Will Smith repeatedly said, "The key to life is running and reading."

I agree with what he says. After mulling about this for days now, I also have my thoughts about it too.

Farther

I've always loved this BPI ad. About how they promise to take us farther. Running and reading take us farther.

In reading, every page flipped could be a journey to a brand new idea, a beautiful what-could-be. And when we act on these ideas, when we take the next step of turning what-could-be into a reality, whether or not they work out, we take ourselves to plane higher than where we started.

More than just literally going from point A to point B, running allows us to go beyond ourselves. When you get up and run in spite of it being a rainy morning or a weary evening. When you slam against the wall in the race but you push on to finish it. When your heart and mind carry your legs all the way to the finish line, you finish in a different place, as a different person. More of a winner each time.

Stillness

I've also realized that I've found so much calm and stillness in running and reading. Even with the ambient noise of people around you, or the music in your iPod, when you run or read, you are alone with your thoughts most of the time. And in this day and age where people have difficulty turning themselves off, much solace can be found in that brief respite from the confusion.

I heard this question before, "Are you happy with the company that you keep when you are alone?" Happy or not, I think people love running and reading because these moments of stillness are the times when you can dig deep in your soul to discover who you really are. You may not always like what you find out, but at least there is peace in being true.

Some random thoughts. I just needed to write so that I could understand my heart better. They say people should do what they are passionate about. If I could figure out why the project mattered so much, I might figure out what to do with my life. Because I'm just a few months' shy of my quarter- or mid-life eval. ;)

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