This year’s Cebu Press Freedom Week celebration in September had several firsts, but I only wanted to write about one in particular: the Cebu Press Freedom Run held on September 26, 2009.

Cebu Press Freedom Run 5k men, women category winners

It was an anticipated event by runners in media (the serious ones you can count with the fingers of one hand) and I had wanted to write about the run and how I fared earlier on, but my son got sick, is still sick by the way, and so like the good mother that I am, I dropped everything to see to him first.

Surprisingly, a lot of media workers (more than a hundred I was told) showed up for the run, which had the street fronting the Cebu City Sports Club in the Cebu Business Park as starting and finishing line.

Most signed up for the 3k but there were a few brave souls who ventured to run the 5k with little or no training. I envy their courage. There were those who returned after the race banner was already taken down and had to ask for directions to the finish line. I was told these four or so runners stopped for picture-taking along the route so that’s probably why it took them such a long time to come back.

Personnel of Sunnex, which manages www.sunstar.com.ph, participate in the run.

Overall, the run, which was organized by The Freeman columnist Raffy Uytiepo, was a huge success and a lot of fun. I was at first very proud of my time because I thought I had achieved my goal of setting a new PR for the 5K with my time of 29 minutes and 30 seconds until my husband, who wears a Garmin, told me the route was 400 meters short of 5 kilometers. Noooooo! *LOL*

I told my husband after the run that I blame him for my dismal time. After all, when we talked about strategy a few days before the activity, he told me he was going to run the 5k at a pace of 5 minutes per kilometer. Since I’ve always dropped out at the end of the 2nd kilometer at that pace in practice runs, I told him that my plan was to follow at a respectable distance but keeping him within sight at all times. That way, I would know that I’m not running as fast as he is but not running too slow either since, unlike him, I don’t have a way of measuring my pace.

Unfortunately, and we had several good laughs over this one, someone at the front of the line ran like he was chased by a mad dog at the firing of the starter gun, and he sort of infected others, even my husband who should have known better.

My husband said he checked his Garmin at the first kilometer and was shocked to see the pace was three minutes. Not knowing any better, when I saw him accelerating, I ran faster to keep a moderate distance between us. And that was my downfall, for the pace (not 3 minutes but probably less than 5 minutes a kilometer) killed me at the second kilometer as it had always done. It was sheer guts that kept me running the remaining three kilometers. That and probably my other goal of finishing not too far behind broadcaster and runner Haide Acuña.

Since there was little competition at the women’s 5k category, I finished two minutes later than Haide but still placed second. The third placer’s time was 38 minutes, which is not bad for a beginner. I remember that my PR for that first 5k was around 40 minutes.

I’m guessing there will be more serious contenders for all categories in next year’s Cebu Press Freedom run (Sun.Star will be Cebu Press Freedom Week convener and they’re thinking of adding a 10k category), since the first activity had encouraged many to start training for 2010.

In that case, I had better perfect my strategy. But first, I need a Garmin.