While most of us were worried over our race performance during last Saturday’s Kenny Roger’s Urbanite Run, Hector Yuzon, owner of Second Wind Running Store in Teacher’s Village, QC, had a little more on his mind. Aside from running the 5k with his girlfriend, Tania Olea, he also had plans of proposing to her in the middle of the run! Yes, he was excited about the biggest proposal in his life, but he didn’t know if he could pull it off as planned. I’ll let Hector tell you what happened and, of course, what she answered!
– Tania and Hector of Second Wind –
[THE CHARACTERS]
Girl: Tania A. Olea, 31 yrs. old, more of a walker for a year
Boy: Hector T. Yuzon, 30 yrs. old, running for more than a decade
[THE PLAN]
I chose to propose sa run because if I hadn’t gone through with Secondwind and traded my corporate life – our paths wouldn’t have crossed. So I owe a big part of our “discovering” each other through running.
[PROPOSAL DAY]
That morning, I did a long run with friends Mikey Macainag and Michael Paderes. For the most part of the long run, I was picturing Tania. I was thinking: what could she be doing that morning? Does she have an idea of what’s to go down tonight? And then it hit me – bigla ako kinabahan. What if she says no? What if I lose the ring sa run? The whole week, I had trouble sleeping and also practicing my proposal speech. To all those who are planning their proposal: NOTHING will compare to the event proper!!! Anyway, as the 10k went off, I immediately thought, “Ay, kami na, 5k na?! Oh no, I cant remember my speech”… I forgot what to say…Parang I wanted to shout: “Wait! I forgot what to do!!! Wait!” …but then the crowd started to push forward…so I just said to myself, “This is it!”
[THE PROPOSAL]
As the crowd pushed forward, we were both enjoying the walk. We took the sidewalk nalang so as not to bother the runners. I personally enjoyed the walk because I didn’t know you can do that sa race – walking! It was really relaxing for a change not having to think about your performance and just greeting and cheering on other friends! Anyway, I was busy looking at venues on where to kneel down. When we were at Mckinley Hill, she took a break inside Razons – there I grabbed the chance to check on the ring! Thank God it was still there. I had to pack it well, I had to put it in a plastic bag so my sweat wouldn’t ruin it, and then as I put it in the internal pocket of the shorts, the edges/corners of the bag was poking my hip, so I had to wrap it in tissue paper pa, and put rubber band around it to really seal and secure it properly! 😀 Then I saw the Venice area, the façade was near complete and it was nice! Romantic pa (romantic daw o), but then it was well lit and there were a lot of runners – and I didn’t want to draw attention to Tania – and in turn pressure her. So I said nice, but not feeling it.
So there, after the turn around point – I said to myself, I better find “the spot” fast. I even considered the big empty parking lot of Mckinley Hill… pero baka biglang may dumaan na delivery truck at masira. Still walking back, after the last water station before Mckinley, I said this looks nice, by the condos and under the trees, still ang daming tao! As I was running out of road, I said to myself: “Wala na, sa parking lot na bagsak nito…” and then suddenly, I saw the old closed grill resto with the mini golf… EMPTY and LONE. This is it! So I pulled her that direction.
Tania: “Bakit dito?”
Hec: (bluffingly) “Eh doon din naman lusot nito e.”
Tania: (skeptic) “Ah..”
And then I did my horrible speech… a week’s planning and writing, and my mind was still everywhere… and when I popped the question:
Hec: (after my bad speech)…”Will you marry me?”
Tania: (smiling, skeptic but now in shock) “Ha? Ano ba?!” (and then pushing the ring to the side)
Thought in my head: “Did she just say no????!!!! Crap!!!!”
Repeating myself (and more assertive)…
Hec: “I’m serious, will you marry me?”
Tania: (smiling before answering) “Yes”
Hec: “Thank God!”
Tania: “Bakit?”
Hec: “Ang sakit lumuhod sa semento.”
Tania and Hec: “hahahaha!”
Had my brain been in one place, the speech was:
Even though the people around me was saying, don’t leave corporate, stick with the sure thing – I still went with the opposite direction. Something or someone inside me kept whispering “go, everything will be fine”. And since that day that I chased after secondwind I crossed paths with you. Even though we’re both old friends, I don’t think we would’ve discovered each other if I dint run after my dream. I resigned to the fact that I will be married to my work while putting up secondwind. after all that, good things started to fall in place, and having found this love is the single greatest and most beautiful surprise that came my way.
One of the defining moments of a man is when he finally meets the girl that he wants to spend the rest of his life with, the girl that he wants to wake up to every morning, the girl that he wants to come home to everyday – will he treat it like another relationship and ignore all of the above? or acknowledge the fact that this is the woman that I want to marry.
Tania, this is my defining moment. Will you marry me?
– Newly-engaged couple ends their most memorable race ever –
[THE WEDDING]
TBR: When is the big day? Will you marry after a marathon or in running shoes? 🙂
Hec: July 2010 (because theres no major race that time haha joke!). Yes, I think she allowed me to wear running shoes 🙂 or at least that’s my interpretation of her smile. I think the key here is to ask the entire guys request right after proposing! Im still pushing for a running inspired wedding though…
To Hector and Tania, congratulations! May you have many more kilometers to walk and run together!
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