I've finally given in—I've officially entered my running era. Lol. Running seems to be a big thing here in Cebu. There are plenty of running events almost every other week. You know me, I love hiking and outdoor activities, but I've never really been into fun runs.
My main reason? I'm not a fan of running on roads; I much prefer trails. Plus, fun runs can be pricey. A typical 6km race can cost between 800 to 1000 pesos. But recently, I finally decided to give it a shot. I joined my first fun run at Lexmark for our Lexmark Dash 13 event.
Team Yuwi for the win!
Firstly, I wanted to see how I'd do running compared to hiking. I'm used to hiking up to 20kms, but running was new territory. Secondly, the registration fee was surprisingly affordable—only 400 pesos, which included a dri-fit shirt and snacks at the finish line. No medal, but for the price, it was fair and lastly this is my first event I am able to join here at my new company.
Lexmark Dash 13 was open not open for employees but also for our family and friends and so we invited some friends from my previous job, which turned it into a mini reunion. I hadn't practiced much because of heavy rains the week before and my last hike was almost a month ago. My daily walk to the bus stop and climbing 16 floors to the office were my only preparations.
On race day, there was a Zumba session before the race started. I'm not much of a dancer, but I joined in and had fun with everyone else. The event had three categories: 13km, 6km, and 3km.
The 6km race started at 5:30am. We did some stretches, which helped shake off my sleepiness from the night shift. I started slow, gradually building momentum. I managed to run for 2km straight before switching to brisk walking and then running again. By the 4th km, I was out of breath—clearly, practice is crucial for running. Despite being unprepared, I pushed through and finished in 54.43 minutes, placing around 51st. Not bad for a newbie.
Felt victorious as we ended the race and collect our finisher certificates. It really was a whole lot of fun being able to do my first run with Lexmark Family.
And of course we ended the race day with a bountiful breakfast with my Accenture Family.
My first fun run was a success. I now understand why people enjoy it—it's exhilarating to run alongside others and a great way to connect and make friends.
While I'll always love hiking more than running, this was a good start. Who knows? Maybe I'll sign up for a 10km race next time.
That's it for now. How was your weekend? Do anything interesting?
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