Pinay In Action (P.I.A.)

I woke up as giddy as a schoolgirl at 430 in the morning of March 18, 2007. It was the day of my first ever run at the Pinay In Action 5k/10k Fun Run in Fort Bonifacio Global City. There were a lot of questions in my mind: what do I eat for breakfast? (I had half a cup of coffee and graham crackers anyway), what do I wear? (I had my usual sports attire with a new training bra underneath—woohoo!), will they have a restroom in the area? (me and my uncontrollable bladder), and last but not the least, will I finish?

Thankfully, my 6-year old son expressed his interest in joining the 3k just the night before. So he and my hubby (my son’s guardian for the race) were coming along. (If you’ve got kids, let me tell you that fun runs can be a great bonding experience for the family while teaching your kids about the value of exercise and fitness.)

– My son and I before the race –

We arrived in the scene to see hundreds of people (most of them were women since this was a women’s run) getting ready for the race—others were warming up, some were still registering, and all the rest were chatting away in groups. The place was charged with positive energy and enthusiasm. I whispered to my husband, “I could get used to this.”

After a brief speech by Sen. Pia Cayetano about women’s health and empowerment, we were off.

– Sen. Pia Cayetano leads the start of the run –

Knowing my husband and son were way in the back, I concentrated on my run. I found a comfortable running pace and safely stayed with this throughout the race. Since this was also a walk event, I was running past a lot of women who were just strolling and this gave me a lot of confidence (Thank God I definitely won’t be the last to finish! Hah!)

– Can you see me? I must be there somewhere –

– Girl Power: Women runners finish the race –

I reached the finish line at 33.38 minutes. I was surprised to hear that this was a great time for beginners. I was proud of myself. After all, my only goal was to finish!

LIST OF WINNERS, PINAY IN ACTION 2007:

5-KILOMETER RUN
19 Years Old & Below (Rank-Name-Time)
1st Place – Kim Mangrobang – 22.25
2nd Place – Amelita Arcilla – 23.39
3rd Place – Michelle De Vera – 24.31
20-29 Years Old
1st Place – Maria Fe Dumandan – 24.12
2nd Place – Lou Andrea Sison – 30.51
3rd Place – Juliana Bennison – 32.15
30-39 Years Old
1st Place – Genevieve dela Peña – 23.19
2nd Place – Margaret Malewski – 28.26
3rd Place – Jessica Vaughn – 28.28
40 Years Old & Above
1st Place – Ma. Luisa Dulnuan – 26.39
2nd Place – Susan Lafferty – 28.02
3rd Place – Elma Naval – 28.05

10-KILOMETER RUN
19 Years Old & Below (Rank-Name-Time)
1st Place – Cinderella Agana – 40.32
2nd Place – Gabrielle Marie Santos – 1:00.03
3rd Place – Andrea Marie Santos – 1:16.19
20-29 Years Old
1st Place – Ailene Tolentino – 40.32
2nd Place – Jennifer Deana Baldonado – 41.42
3rd Place – Marilou Arevalo – 42.03
30-39 Years Old
1st Place – Rizzo Tangan – 49.22
2nd Place – Merlyn Lumagbas – 49.35
3rd Place – Ellis Boray – 52.43
40 Years Old & Above
1st Place – Rose Milagrosa Fercol
2nd Place – Bess Regler
3rd Place – Elenita Dans

* Photos (except Anton and I) and List of Winners courtesy of Companero Rene Cayetano Foundation