Run For A Cause: First Marathon with my Kids

_{Artwork is from, and edited through, Canva}
Climate change. It's one of the topics I've been passionate about ever since. It's also one of the main reasons why I think too much to the point that it keeps me up at night. I try to be a good citizen of this world, not just because I should, but because I need to set a good example for my kids. So if there's a chance to show them how to appreciate nature, I get right to it.

_{Taken before we started running. Our bibs were printed on scratch papers, by the way. 😊}

_{Certificate of Participation}

A few days ago, we joined our first World Climate Run initiated by Mina Guli, an Australian ultra runner and a known water advocate. I just saw it in an ad and I'm really glad I did. It's a marathon for climate change. The goal was simple: to join the cause and spread awareness. There wasn't an actual start and finish line. You could run anywhere, wherever you are in the world. You just have to finish your pledged distance within 24 hours on the day of the marathon wearing your race bib. That's it. I received our bibs through email, two days after I registered. Then, we received a Certificate of Participation a day after the event.

_{I forgot to take pictures of the route, so I'm borrowing this picture from Tripadvisor. That view is from one of the hotels in the area.}
It was the first marathon my kids joined and I think they regretted it. I didn't explain to them how long the distance would be, which I know is evil. I was just so excited since it's one of their firsts, that I forgot to mention that important detail to them. The minimum pledge was 3 kilometers, so I just directed their attention to the beautiful scenery around us to keep them from getting bored. It's a good thing I chose for us to run at the Boardwalk, SBFZ where there are a lot of trees and it's near the beach. The view is amazing compared to a running track. No one's allowed to swim at the beach, though. Aside from the water not being sanitary, there's a Jet Ski and speedboat rental there. So, it's not really an ideal swimming spot. On the other hand, it's a popular place for joggers and bikers in our city.

_{This was around the playground area, our first five minutes of jogging.}

I had doubts before we started. As a consistent overthinker, it's a normal thing for me to do. "What if the kids can't finish it? What if they ask to stop and throw tantrums the whole time? What if this? What if that?" Before I even start convincing myself that it was a bad idea, I asked them, "Are you ready to start?" And to my surprise, they eagerly shouted, "Yes!" My heart jumped for joy! Off we went and started jogging, before they change their minds. My eldest is pretty competitive. She didn't like the idea of her little sister running faster than her, so she would try to outrun her. Looking at them from behind, I can't help but think to myself, I made these awesome, tiny people! It puts a smile in face knowing that I did something wonderful in this lifetime. But then I thought, they're growing up. Just a few more years and they wouldn't want me to hug them anymore. A few more years and there would be someone else who would make them smile and feel loved. So while I can, I'll cherish every moment with them and make sure they feel loved and accepted. So much feels!

<sub>My eldest's reaction when I told her we still had 2.5 kilometers to go. And my youngest always picture-ready.
This flagpole is 120 feet high. I didn't know that until now. 😄

The famous "Subscribe" signage 😂 Please note that I corrected my daughter when I realized she's talking about the "Subic Bay" signage.</sub>

After our third turn around the corners of the playground, they wanted to rest and stop running. Just as I thought! We had a little break and sat on the grass for a bit. I checked the distance tracker: 0.53 kilometers, not even half of our pledge! I had to think of something... then I remembered our favorite spot near the fountains at the other side of where we were. I told them that we can go there and that would be our "finish line". They got excited again and agreed! Nanay, two points. Kids, zero. To divert their attention from the distance, we had our little stopovers and took pictures. They were so thrilled to see statues, a huge flag pole with the Philippine flag, and the famous Subic Bay signage, which my eldest called the "Subscribe" signage. It was the first time they visited that part of the area, so there were screams of wows and OMGs along the way. The weather was nice - cold and windy, thank goodness. It helped ease my little dragons' impatience.

_{Success!
I used the Map Runner app.}

After jogging, well, mostly walking for 48 minutes, I'm proud to say my kids finished 2.47 kilometers! I finished the rest of the 3k. They might've not completed it, but they had fun...I think. They had doubts that I might just be luring them to a scary place, but discovered a lot of new things that day. At one point my eldest exclaimed, "We're seriously lost, Nay!", like she doesn't trust me. But of course my youngest said, "I trust you, Nanay." Another proud moment was when they noticed a lot of trash along the sidewalks. They know that we should be putting our trash away properly. They would always ask which colored bin they should put their trash in. All in all, it was a rewarding day.

_{Mina Guli's main focus: water. Picture can also be seen on her website.}

Taking care of nature is taking care of ourselves because WE ARE NATURE. As mentioned on Mina Guli's website, "By 2030, we'll face a 40% shortfall in the global supply of accessible, reliable water." Nine years from now. My kids would just be teenagers by then! That's a hard pill to swallow. But talking about it is significant for people to be aware and be involved. What about you? What are you willing to do to help with climate change? To help our children have a future? Know more about Mina Guli's cause and visit her website. Until my next story!

@loveHannah