Rooting for Ms. Carter

Her name is Madelyn Carter and on Sunday October 11, she will make her fourth appearance at the Milo Finals.

In her debut marathon in the 2006 finals, Madelyn clocked 3 hours 43 minutes. In 2007 she placed 12th after clocking 3 hours 36 minutes 56 seconds. Then in 2008 Madelyn jumped four places higher and landed 8th place after finishing 3 hours 31 minutes 30 seconds -- or 5 minutes and 25 seconds better than her previous record.

This is a long way away for someone who only started running almost four years ago hoping only to lose weight. "I never dreamed of becoming a competitive runner," says Madelyn. "I started running just to lose weight. Before that all the exercise I knew were house chores and farm work back home in Siargao. " But Madelyn's got natural talent. You don't run a sub-four in your first 42K sans training if you're not naturally gifted.

It all started in 2005, Madelyn was diagnosed with a thyroid condition which affected her metabolism and made her overweight. She took up walking as complement to her radiation therapy. "Sa una mag-walking ra ko sa Fuente circle ug sa Abellana, tuyok-tuyok lang. Hangtud wa ko kabalo nagsugod na diay kog dagan hinay-hinay lang." (At first I would just walk around Fuente circle and Abellana. Until one day, I don't know how it began, I just started running very slowly at first.)

Madelyn says she never had any training nor followed any running program. Everything she knows about running she picked up from varsity runners at the Abellana track. "Nakakat-on ko parti anang competition sa dagan sige chika-chika sa mga runners sa mga varsity dinha sa oval. Naamigo ra nako sila kay pirmi man ko naa sa Abellana." (I became friends with varsity runners at the oval because I was always at the Abellana. I learned about competetive running from them.)

I met Madelyn in June this year when she asked to be trained by Coach Precing Capangpangan. Madelyn says she wants to take her running to the next level and improve her time some more. Madelyn and I do intevals together at the Cebu City Sports Center on Thursdays from 4AM to 7AM, of course at different paces. Her easy run is my racing pace.

We became fast friends when on weekend races, she would finish her 10K and come back and pace me and the other slow runners so we'd run faster and beat the clock. I asked her once why she does it, then she tells the Marathon Foodie that in every race, regardless of pace we all have equal opportunities to turn from ordinary to extraordinary if we push ourselves hard enough. Madz says she likes being there to watch it happen to other runners too.

Good luck Madz! Maybe I can be as good as you some day. But in the meantime, I'll run my Milo finals vicariously through you.