4 Lessons From My 4 Marathons

Running a marathon was never in my bucket list, so I surprised myself when I signed up for one—and then three more. And I had no idea what 42.2km would teach me about myself.

In this running era, there’s a voice that asks me “Why write another piece about running and add to the digital clutter?” and I bravely answer back—”This isn’t just another piece. This isn’t clutter. This is me, and this is mine.”

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If you told me five years ago that I’d run a marathon, I would’ve probably laughed and gone back to pigging out and binge-watching.

But here we are. Four 42.195km journeys later, each one teaching me something new not just about running—but about myself.

And no, it’s not all good.

But it’s real.

And to be honest, I didn’t think of these lessons until after the fourth marathon (April 2025) when I looked back and asked myself why I love running and why I know I’ll keep running more marathons.

Marathon #1: Cebu City Marathon 2023

Date: 08 January 2023 | Finish Time: 5:48:26

This was the big leap. My husband encouraged me to sign up for a full marathon—with just 16 weeks to go.

No, I wasn’t a couch potato so this isn’t a “From Couch Potato to Marathoner” story. I was already a year and a half into my fitness journey—having had lost almost 40 lbs thanks to a balanced diet, a newfound love for jumprope, and a solid strength training routine.

My longest run at that point? 11km. Sure I was already deep into my fitness journey, but I was still basically figuring things out.

Also, running wasn’t my thing. Jumprope was.

But I said yes anyway.

The good:

• I trained as best as I could, focused not on chasing a time but on finishing safe and strong.

• I followed training plans as best as I could, didn’t chase any paces, and kept everything at Zone 2.

• I can still remember the feeling of surpassing my longest run week after week—feeling stronger, but also feeling more afraid.

The bad:

• Maranoia got the best of me. That “anxiety, fear, or nervousness that marathon runners often experience in the days leading up to a race.”

• Beating myself up over missing a few runs in the plan due to fatigue, travel, bad weather, or having had to pull an all-nighter for work. Essentially being too serious at times—many times. Type A persona attacked.

I didn’t want to just survive the marathon. I wanted to run strong, finish strong, and not stop. I wanted to enjoy it. And I did. That first finish line was proof that belief—plus a little grit and a lot of discipline—goes a long way.

Also, the marathon involved this new bridge. It was the first time that a marathon would go through this bridge It was around 9km one-way, and the end of the bridge was the turning point.

During the marathon, I kept looking at my watch. I kept it at Zone 2, I was afraid of going beyond—of pushing. Of risking. I was afraid of not finishing strong.

When I passed 32km, I teared up thinking this was the longest I had run in my life and I was still feeling strong. Then I hit the wall around KM38 where I walked for around 200m before starting to slow-run again. I thought to myself: “If I walk now, it’s going to hurt more later.” I continued my run, and was able to finish with a sprint.

✨ Lesson from Marathon #1:
Believe in yourself. ✨

Marathon #2: ASICS Rock ‘n’ Roll Manila

Date: 26 November 2023 | Finish Time: 5:21:33

By this time, I knew I could finish a marathon. I had already done it, but I wanted to do better—this time, with hindsight.

Now, I wanted to see what else I was capable of. I added speed workouts, tempo sessions, and aimed for a new PR.

Did I hit my A-goal? Nope. I was far off. 😂

But I shaved off over 20 minutes from my previous time.

My training runs showed I had a good chance of hitting a sub-5. I started out too fast for my own good. Somewhere around the middle of the 2nd loop, I realized I wasn’t going to hit my A-Goal. At KM13, my heart rate was already where it should be at KM40. So I slowed down and reminded myself that the goal, as always, is to not just survive and finish—but finish strong.

I think I had around 2 or 3 walk breaks, compared to only 1 short walk break during Cebu. But I finished strong, finished with a sprint, and finished with a shiny new PR. The B-Goal (a sub-5:30) was met.

✨Lesson from Marathon #2:
Push your limits.✨

Marathon #3: HOKA Trilogy Run Asia National Finals

Date: 08 December 2024 | Finish Time: 5:44:25

This one was tough. I wasn’t as trained or as ready as I should’ve been. I had all the excuses in the world—and sure, the Manila humidity didn’t help—but the truth is: I wasn’t prepared.

And I had no one to blame but myself. It’s not that “life happened” because that would be deflecting accountability and responsibility. I happened. I made unhealthy decisions that impacted my and my husband’s fitness journeys.

Still, I ramped up my training in the final months, got in some long runs, and aimed for a sub-5. I hit all my target times and paces during my long runs. My husband promised to pace me to this goal.

I didn’t get it. At KM11, we realized we weren’t going to meet my A-Goal. If we pushed as early as then, we’d probably bonk and suffer. So we let go, slowed down, and still finished strong.

I clocked my second-fastest marathon time and finished stronger than I expected. That day reminded me that we can still show up, even if we didn’t prepare perfectly. We can still fight, even when it’s hard.

More importantly, this race was the final leg of a 3-part series. Completing it meant completing the big medal. And yes, the medal was (super!) cool, what really mattered was finishing what I started.

I hope I always do that in life, too. Not because of medals or recognition, but because we follow through on the things we commit to. That’s the kind of person I want to be.

✨Lesson from Marathon #3:
Own your choices, and finish what you started.✨

Marathon #4: 1st Bukidnon International Marathon

Date: 20 April 2025 | Finish Time: 5:33:42

This one felt personal.

The first Bukidnon International Marathon—right at home.

My husband and I couldn’t miss it, even if our training was far from ideal.

We crammed long runs and decided to run smart and conserve until KM32.

The course? Brutal.

Five uphill segments, and the highest elevation gain I’ve ever tackled in a marathon.

We started slow, didn’t aim for a PR, and I just wanted to finish strong.

Around KM27, the climbs got to me. The downhills helped, but my quads were screaming.

Still, I managed to sprint the final 2 kilometers and finished with my second-fastest time.

Given the lack of training, mileage, and the hills—it was a win.

I enjoyed this marathon. I ran it with my husband and witnessed the Easter Sunday sunrise on the road.

More than anything, I remembered why I run: not for medals or PRs, but to feel alive, to test myself, and to experience every step of the journey.

I had become so obsessed with placing, with beating my PRs, with sticking to a pace I could do at my peak…

That I stopped feeling that runner’s high.

That day, at around KM41-42, with the cool breeze and the sun’s rays starting to shine, I got reminded that a few years ago, running wasn’t part of my being. And today, I was about to finish my 4th full marathon.

✨Lesson from Marathon #4:
Rediscover your why.✨

Each marathon had its own story.

And I know I’ll run more.

Because the road keeps teaching, and I’m still learning.

Here’s to every start line, every struggle, and every finish.

To more lessons I’ll learn and unlearn along the way. May I never lose sight of the things that fuel me, of the things that make me uniquely—me.

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As I write this, we’re on Week 2 of training for Marathon #5: the same one we did in 2023. I’m generally faster, but I know I was way stronger a couple of years ago. There’s a lot of work that need to be done—and I’m also writing this to remind myself to enjoy the journey and to run my own race at my own pace.