#19 i am woman, here me raawrrr !!

i see you are singing out the title of this post. you're nodding your head, too and tapping your foot while singing the rest of the song.  let me guess. you must be above thirty years old. more like forty. or fifty. only this age groups would remember the bob-haired helen reddy sing her way to #1 with this song.  many consider this line as their own personal mantra. nowadays, raawrr  is lightheartedly used to emphasize ardor rather than the more meek-sounding roar. how meek can a roar be?

so what defines a woman? they say being a (biological) mother defines a woman. i am not stirring up any argumentative exercise here. i am keeping this blog entry uncomplicated.  the reality remains that many a mother-to-be's life is threatened due to inadequate, if not, unavailable women's health care. for others, there just is not enough money. deprived of such basic support,  the possibility of loss of life is real.  

no one knows women's health better than the men and women of the philippine obstetrical and gynecological society (POGS).  what better way to make their plea to 'save a mother from hemorrhage' be heard than to lure road warriors to the starting line. POGS-cebu chapter has mobilized the running community to spread the word in support of their cause.  tomorrow, july 31, hardcore and recreational runners will heed the call to run for women's health.

there are nice running shirts and there are nicer running shirts. this one, without a doubt, falls under the latter. it is a shirt that one would wear again, unlike other shirts/singlets that are closet-bound, never to be used again. tete is not doing this race but has claimed ownership of my shirt. you're welcome, tete. 

tomorrow, when i cross the finish line, i know i have helped give someone a new lease in life.  i will cross the line several minutes after the others. i may most likely be at the back of the pack but  my  finish will be as momentous as if i did a podium-finish because  i can say i have done something good today.

i run because it makes me feel good.  i run for a good cause because it makes me feel great. raawrr!!! isn't that awesome?