STARTING SPORTS WITH NUTS, CHICKENS AND PIGS

Folks, the announcement on the 2nd International Marathon Race that will be held in Quezon City on December 5, 2010 has encouraged Bob Gabuna, an intellectual-farmer to reveal his childhood secret desire to be a sportsman. His reminiscences allow us a view of our past sports history in the provinces when aspiring athletes hurdled, overcame and even made use of natural obstacles to hone their physical, mental and emotional skills necessary for the discipline. Listen to his story:

E: BOB WHAT IS A 3,000 METER RUN?

BOB: 3 000 meter run – have you experienced running in a 400 meter oval race track? If you could make seven laps that is 3K run. (For) 10 000 meter run - you have to execute 25 rounds.

The above competitive race is not meant for speed; but, endurance.

Di na ako nag attempt ng 10,000K meter run dahil talo ako ng mga matangkad na kalaban. ang isang stride nila, eh, dalawang sikad ko. (I did not attempt the 10,000K run because I knew I would be defeated by tall competitors. One stride of theirs is equivalent to two for me.)

Hindi ako na encouraged ng mother ko to pursue athletics kasi wala raw pera. (I was not encouraged by my mother to pursue athletics because of lack of funds.)

My Aunt, however (maternal side), a sprinter (100 and 200 meter dash), had the same national record of Mona Sulaiman at the time. Sa dahilan na walang pera pag athlete ka, di sia pinayagan to go national. (Again for lack of funds, she was not allowed to compete nationally.)

i developed endurane in long distance race, kasi, in my pre-school age,
sa akin pinapa habol ang kalabaw na nakawala sa kanyang tali. (I developed endurance in long distance race because during my pre-school age, I was asked to run after the carabao that had run loose.)

Also, I (was) sent on errands to buy fish and i (had) to run at the beach
(on loose sands) to beat the other buyers who were ahead.

In high school, i oftentimes spent my weekends in the farm and i had
to run a three-kilometer stretch to catch up with the flag ceremony
at 7am. I grew up in a farm and fishing village, till i went to college.

my training in track and field is "natural".

Hahabulin ang baboy na naka wala sa kulungan, habulin ang
manok na naka wala sa hawla, habulin ang kalabaw paakyat
ng bundok dahil naka kalas sa tali. (I would run after the pig that had gone out of the cage, race after the hen that had flown out of the coop, race up the mountains to capture the carabao whose noose had gone loose.)

Bob joined shot put and discus throw (competitions)where he was good at. He developed his skills here by loading coconuts to the carriage during the copra season. "pag dating ng copra season, i had to throw the nuts to be loaded to the karosa. ang pag tapon ay ala pa discuss throw."

Then Bob joined shot put. "Except for tirador and cane, I had no other weapon but a stone to throw at a dog that would enter the hen's coop."

Bob further said, "Naka sali ako sa athletics dahil ang sabi sa akin, tinatakbo ko nga raw ang 3 KM distance from the farm to school, so,
walang pagka iba sa 3 000 meter run. i (was) not a sprinter,
but i (could) run a distance in a sustained pace---noon.

"Wala pang Nike shoes for runners noon; barefoot lang." (No Nike shoes for runners then yet; just bare feet.)

"(Chuckles....)"