Recovery in the Drizzle

After 7 weeks of following RW SmartCoach's 16-week training program, I felt like I'm going to hit the wall. I really dread what other runner bloggers are saying about this, and luckily the program prescribes 3 easy runs for the 8th week! Yey!

I was supposed to have my 6.44km recovery/easy run last Tuesday. However, I missed my alarm, and had a recovery sleep instead hahaha. But I guess this is an application of what they call 'listen to your body', coming from last Sunday's long run in Tagaytay, where the route was rolling.

That afternoon, I felt my heart was pounding like crazy. Like it wanted to get active before it normalizes its beat. I walked around Mall of Asia. Still, I can feel that it wanted a little more.

Good thing, running buddies from work, Ann & Tophen, invited me to run with them after office of Wednesday, in preparation for Earth Run on Sunday, May 31, in McKinley Hills, Taguig.

As we change to our running gears, the weather also started to change a bit as if it wanted to dampen our spirits and discourage us from our easy run around MOA Complex (6.9km). But that did not stopped us, and we promised each other that we'll go on even if the rains poured hard.

And so off we go, running in the drizzle. It was like childhood days once again, unmindful of getting wet for as long as you get the fun out of play. Ann was cruising. I think she got excited and got carried away a little bit with her Ipod music. I'm telling her to slow down a bit, but she just went on and on. Tophen and I ended up chasing her, running a tempo instead of an easy one hahaha.

We're all happy after the run. We then headed to Chowking Macapagal to have our recovery meal. While eating, we planned to have another easy run on Friday. Same route, but different recovery meal -- Maty's along Quirino Avenue in Paranaque.

It was raining hard in the afternoon of Friday. We all agreed again that we'll brave the strong rain. Happily, it mellowed a bit, and we ran again in the drizzle. After our run, the rain then poured hard, sparing us from getting too wet.

I believe this week's easy run experiences were providential. God made it possible to just rain a bit, for me to recover. Further, the drizzle was like He's blessing us with His love. I remembered what Mr. Patrick Concepcion said to me about running in the rain, 'it was like cleasing your soul.'

I praise and thank Him for closely watching over me, and affirming me to pursue the desire that He planted into my heart.