Tina Araneta

Saturday, January 17, 2015

I must admit, I have let my blogging game drop this month but it is all for good reason. What I am busy with will help me invest in the future of this blog. 


Q. Tell us a little bit about who you are and what you do for a living?
A. Hi! I’m 32 years old, I live in the Philippines (which is in Southeast Asia, for those who may not be so familiar), and I work in advertising. 

Q. How do you balance your exercise regime and your professional life?
A. Sometimes, it’s a struggle, especially with the kind of hours we keep in my line of work. There are days when we end really late; other times, we go home past midnight. But I try to squeeze in exercise as often as I can because I know how important it is. I usually run in the morning before going to work because, like I said, I usually don’t know what time my day will end on a day-to-day basis. 

Q. When and why did you start running?
A. I started in 2012 because that was the year I turned 30. I realized I wasn’t getting any younger and I wanted to do something about my lifestyle. I was a competitive swimmer when I was still studying but I knew that I couldn’t train the same way now that I was already working. Since my brother was already into running then, he encouraged me to get started. 

Q. What motivates you to go out there, when you do not feel like it?
A. Knowing that in the long run (pun intended), this will be good for me. 

Q. What is the longest distance you have ran?
A. I still have a long way to go in terms of running. My longest race that I’ve joined was a 16K. I’m taking things slowly and steadily because of a number of factors: 1) I have asthma; 2) I have plantar fasciitis. But I have joined my first sprint triathlon this year and I’m targeting a half-marathon sometime next year — hopefully before June?

Q. What gives you the confidence to run in the streets?
A. I don’t know if it’s about confidence, but when I run outdoors, it’s almost like I’m on autopilot. Haha! I don’t think; I just run.

Q. What do you think about the lack of exercise among the youth?
A. It saddens me, really. I’m fortunate to have probably been the last generation that enjoyed the outdoors before technology really picked up. I was an outdoorsy kid and got into all sorts of sports. I see more kids now locked up indoors with their iPads rather than biking or even playing street games. It’s also led to laziness and obesity. 

Q. What was your best running experience?
A. I always enjoy runs that let me set another PR. Recently, when I did a 5K in under 27 minutes.

Q. What was your worst running experience?
A. In the 2nd aquathlon (swim followed by a run) that I joined early this year, I had lactic acid build-up for some reason, and I was hobbling in pain for practically 2 kilometers.

Q. How do you push through the pain?
A. I just tell myself that it’s not worth it to waste all those hours of preparation only to give up. As long as I cross the finish line and gave it my best effort, that’s more than enough.

Q. What advice can you give somebody who wants to start running?
A. It might not be a smooth-sailing “relationship” at first. There will be times of pain (expect shin splints for one thing) but slowly, you’ll feel you’re getting stronger. It will start to get addicting and you won’t want to stop. Just keep at it! 

Q. Which Social media sites are you on and how can one follow you?
A. I’m @tina_araneta on Twitter and on Instagram.

My best running shoes are…
...my Newtons! The Distance S, in particular. 

I love running because… 
...it’s a testament to one’s mental and physical toughness.

Injury is … 
...inevitable, but there’s always a way to work around it.

My body is… 
...something I’m learning to master.

My running playlist has… 
...to be upbeat so I don’t think about anything else when fatigue or pain starts to set in.

I hate running when… 
...the weather isn’t ideal.

Pain is…
...a part of it, but it will only make you stronger as a runner and athlete.

The road… 
...is my playground. 

Sweat is… 
...a badge of honor.

In the future, I would like to run… 
...a half-marathon first, and to do a longer distance triathlon.

Indie means… 
...being unconventional, going against the norm.

I do not like runners who…
...are usually more into the gear that they use than the actual essence of running.


#RunRevolution

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