“Missing” Condura and BDM

Posted February 3rd, 2010 by wilson

Condura, obviously, is February’s main racing event.

Among the distances in the Condura Race, the full is obviously the flagship distance. What the heck, most of the runner-bloggers in my RSS folder(which just about includes the who’s who of the local running world) would be doing the full this February 7.

For March, the main event is obviously the BDM. At least, it seems to be for everyone who has completed a full marathon already.

I would be missing both.

Okay, I would be in Condura, but I would be running just the half. I won’t be in the BDM.

This is the reason.

What’s this? You’re showing restraint? Didn’t you do all the full marathons during the last quarter of last year?

Yes, I am, and yes, I did. And that didn’t get me anywhere I’d like to go to again.

Before the SCSM, I was even thinking of doing both Condura full and the SCHKM(end yes, even before those two, Cebu). After the SCSM, I realized, that simply won’t do.

If I am to show that I learned anything from the SCSM “fiasco” - the first step would be scrapping, or changing that plan(not that I had any choice with Cebu, I was practically injured).

I did not even deliberate on what should stay and what should go. I was registered for the Hong Kong event months before. Like all Standard Chartered Marathons, slots practically disappear after just a few days. My dream of a full on the Skyway must be put on hold.

I don’t know whether I would make it past Sir Jovie’s “screening” of applicants but I do know that even if I had, there is now way I’d come in prepared for the BDM given that I also have to prepare for SCHKM. The preparation for the two is simply too different. And more importantly, that’d be courting injury - again. Not good, considering there is the TNF100 in May that I have to prepare for. I can’t afford any downtime this summer. I guess all I can do is hope that the BDM be successful so that there would even be more editions in the future to join.

It was by no means, an easy decision to make. Running with people you know does make the experience much more exciting and memorable. And I chose an event that few runners I know would run in, much fewer than in Singapore. But it was definitely the right decision. If I am to get better, this is simply how things must be. I guess you do have to step off the bandwagon sometimes. I used to think about it as a sacrifice, but then I realized, it’s not really one. To paraphrase Deena Kastor - runners don’t make sacrifices, they make choices.

And I already made mine.

Tags: Bataan Death March 2010, Cebu Marathon, Condura 2010: Run for the Dolphins, Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon, Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon, TNF 100, upcoming races