I grew up around the Ateneo campus. I spent more than half of my life there as a student. From grade school up to high school and then finally to college, the big blue and white was my home for greater learning.

The thought of driving to school just to run amuses me. I go to the campus around 2 or 3 times a week just to run. I know it sounds crazy but its not. The campus is just a mere 5 minutes away. I leave work at around 5 pm and arrive at my house a little before 6. I change and pack up some of my stuff for the run and head off to Ateneo by 6:30. It has been quite a ritual for me, jogging around Ateneo. The campus has become my training grounds. If I wanted to do some hills, I would include the road going down to the covered courts. If I wanted to do some speed runs for a certain distance, I have a 2 kilometer route planned out around the campus. If I just plain wanted to run, I’d just do it around campus. I can’t fully describe how I love running around the campus because if I did, It would be a big understatement.

Last Sunday, Ateneo had a fun run around campus. I mistakenly joined this because Tricia popped me the online registration for the run. Not knowing the big races that would coincide with the run, I signed up for it. Weeks later, I found out that the Timex run was on the same weekend as the Ateneo run and things were a little too late, I’ve already gotten my race bib and singlet by that time.

It was a very easy 5 kilometer run last Sunday and by easy I mean hard and long. Note the irony that even though I’ve ran a countless number of easy 5 kilometer runs over the course of my running career, before yesterday, a sub 30 5k was not to be seen under my résumé, and for that reason I say that yesterday’s run was an easy and sweet 5k but I really mean hard and long.

The hard and long of it is attributed to the fact that I ran my heart out yesterday. The 5 kilometer route yesterday was something that I knew so much I would have been able to finish the run blindfolded and with a mo-hawk. Having to spend at least 2 runs a week around campus and more will have had to pay-off someday and it did yesterday. I came to the campus prepared. I came to the run yesterday with a mindset of how I will run the route. I came to the race yesterday with only one thing in mind, finish a sub30 5 kilometer run and live to brag about it here in my blog. With me writing this entry, you would think that I was successful last Sunday. To put it humbly, I was.

I ran a sub23 minute 5 kilometer run.

It wasn’t easy though. Having ran longer distances, I would have thought that I would have all the endurance and all the lung capacity to easily finish a run like that yesterday but it wasn’t the case. I started out pretty fast. I was in the middle of the pack at the starting gate and as soon as the starting 3-2-1 count down ended, I weaved my way in and around of the other runners. I was having a jolly good time for the first two loop around the campus. As I was approaching the second loop, I started to have some trouble. The cool air wasn’t really helpful. A cool breeze is always a welcome Turkish delight but too much of it and I have trouble breathing because the air would get too thin. I was panting like a diesel engine yesterday as I ran the last two kilometers. Two high school kids passed me and I felt my esteem drop like hot pan. I tried to maintain my speed up until the finish and that’s what I did.

I crossed the finish line panting. I crossed the finish line breathing so hard that I was like a fish out of water. Looking back at the timer, I saw 22 something minutes and all that tired feeling went away.

Yes, it was an easy and sweet 5 kilometer run yesterday and by easy, I mean hard and long.