I ran, IE8, I am

MANILA, Philippines - I was late for my first organized run. About 15 minutes. Call time for runners in Microsoft’s IE8 Run at the Fort Bonifacio grounds was 6 p.m. I came a little after that; when I started my race, runners who had joined the two-mile leg were already crossing the finish line. That’s how late I was. But, since I wasn’t out to compete for best time or any of the cash prizes, I sauntered off by myself, thinking that all I wanted was to finish my leg without embarrassing myself too much.

I started running in January of this year, having realized that I had to go back to doing some form of physical activity to combat my slowing metabolism. (You feel it in your thighs the most.) Considering my erratic work schedule, and the fact that the treadmill bored me beyond hope, I ruled out the gym. A friend suggested I join their running group but I never got around to doing so. Instead, I just started running around our village at night, first for 30 minutes before building up to one-hour jogs. My friend told me I would see results in a few weeks. “Your thighs, arms and your face will become thinner.” They didn’t. In two weeks, my thighs hardened into something suspiciously close to muscle and my arms were still resolutely not thin. The same friend explained that all that blood pumping to my thighs and legs made them look bigger but it would subside eventually. Another friend suggested I powerwalked instead (brisk walking with the right breathing tempo). So I started alternating running and powerwalking and, though I still think my arms and thighs have inches more to lose, I began to feel more energetic, less lethargic and less temperamental (those endorphins sure go a long way). I started looking forward to my nightly runs — my alone time — and became more cognizant of having to build up my running wardrobe.

“Running is the new badminton,” a friend of mine said. It seems everyone is into the running craze: running groups, sports brands promoting running equipment more, and more and more companies putting up charity runs almost on a weekly basis.

Microsoft took advantage of the craze when they staged their IE8 run, mostly to launch their new and safer web browser Internet Explorer 8 (IE8), but also really to emphasize their campaign for intensified protection of children in cyberspace. In fact, part of the proceeds of the run were donated by Microsoft to UNICEF, in support of its Child Protection Program, one that aims to prevent children from being exploited online and to raise awareness on how to assure that your child and other children can use the Internet safely.

“For Microsoft, online safety is a priority. Through this campaign, we are raising awareness about the steps we can take to protect more children from potential threats,” said Chay Saputil, product manager for Windows Client, Microsoft Philippines. (Saputil, being a triathlete, also participated in the run and was actually one of the main proponents in staging a Microsoft run for online child safety.)

With the near-anonymous usage on the Internet and the absence of a comprehensive law in the Philippines preventing the spread of child pornography efforts, the Internet has bred pedophiles and sex offenders. “The use of children and young people in pornographic materials is a grave violation of their rights, whatever their role in the process. The Philippines is believed to be one of the producers of pornographic material involving children, which is then sent around the world, often via the internet. We are happy that Microsoft is playing a role in making the Internet safe for children,” said UNICEF representative Vanessa Tobin.

As an avid user of the Internet and a sympathizer of anti-child pornography, I figured the Microsoft IE8 run would be the best time to test my real skills as a runner, albeit an amateur one. This would be my first time to join an organized run, save for a university-sponsored event last year where I basically just ambled along a two-kilometer leg with my father and some guys who graduated college way before I was born. Three races were available, each leg representing features of the new Microsoft Internet Explorer 8 browser: the two-mile Safer Run (3.2km), the four-mile Easier Run (6.4km), and the eight-mile Faster Run (12.8km). Most thought I was going to join the two-mile leg and it was with so much glee that I revealed that I had actually signed up for the four-miler.

There were more than 2,000 runners that drizzly morning but, for all I cared, there was only myself and maybe a few other joggers — maybe hobbyists like me. I paced myself, pushed when I could, slowed down to a brisk walk when I couldn’t anymore. (I later found out that slowing down when your heartbeat was pumping at its maximum was actually the more efficient way of losing weight.) I took advantage of the water stations, constantly hydrating, and reveled in the Aid Station, a stopover that had a table filled with bananas, chocolate pieces, gelatin and other food that infused sugar and energy into your body. (Apparently, Microsoft picked up this practice from runs staged in Australia and the US.)

This being my first race, I wasn’t trying to beat any personal time or record. I set goals with each part of the race: run until the next block or overtake the person ahead of me before slowing down into a walk. It was also my first time to run that early in the morning and I realized that the overcast sky and the soft breeze afforded by an early-morning jog helps a lot in lifting the spirits. I also tried to be conscious of my form. A seasoned runner had told me to run with my torso and body forward and to land on my mid-foot and never on my heels.

I clocked in at an hour and 14 minutes to finish my very first run although I’m not sure if it took my tardiness into consideration. I crossed the line along with those weathered runners who joined the eight-mile leg, about to cross the line and they were still sprinting to shave off a few more seconds, the expressions on their faces as intense as that of a woman deep in the throes of labor. By this time, I was already powerwalking, and had no intention of starting up a sprint again. The minder at the end of the line was motioning to me to hurry up but I kept my ground. I was sweaty and a bit tired, and literally running on two hours worth of sleep (now you know why I was late) but I figured finishing with poise, and not looking as if I was spewing out my dying breath was good enough. And, if it was any consolation, I didn’t finish last. I may not have been fast and it may not have been that easy, but at least running at my own pace made me safe.