The other day, I celebrated my 59th birthday by running-walking 59 km from Baclaran to Antipolo and back. It took 10 hours and 53 minutes. What was strange was I wasn't exhausted, in fact I felt energized even after finishing. The last time I did an ultra-run/walk was over two years ago when I journeyed on foot across the Philippines. Last month after asking myself how I would like to celebrate my birthday, the crazy idea entered my mind that I should run-walk the equivalent of my age in km. I only had over three weeks of serious training. Last week after running/walking 32 km, I felt that I was ready for this. So last Sunday, I was able to prove to myself that even as I grow older I can still do this. Next year, I plan to this again - run/walk for 60 kilometers to celebrate my dual citizenship - Filipino and senior citizen. How long can I keep this up? I hope another 30 to 40 years. Perhaps, more walking and less running as I reach 90 years old.
What I did was a reminder that my life is a journey and I am a pilgrim. I try to overcome the limitations of ageing.
