Interview with ANR-MOA’s pride: Daphne Rose Codilla!

“Running is, was and always will be a means of healing for me” – Daphne Codilla

I remember when I first saw Daphne on my first ANR MOA session, I already sense that she’s a fast runner. Maybe because she’s very athletic looking and she has that runner’s physique, something like that, I am not sure though but I got that vibe from her.

During our training days, before the session start, while others are chatting and waiting for others to come, I always see Daphne having her own stretching routines on the corner, having short runs on the side, you can  really see that the woman is dead serious with her craft.

She’s a fast runner. My instinct was right.

Her PRs: 5K – 22:49, 10K – 52:24, 21K – 1:50:45

She finished first lang naman on the last RUNRIO TRILOGY LEG 1: RUN UNITED 2011 on her age category and 7^th on female category. Mahusay!

During my short chat with her on FB, she didn’t want to reveal her age. Haha. Let’s just settle on the Bazu sports detail: she’s on age 20-29 category. Haha.

 

Name: Daphne Rose Codilla

Birthplace: Basa Air Base San Fernando, Pampanga

Schoool: UP Los Banos, Laguna

Course: BS Forestry Major in Silviculture and Agroforestry

Here’s the transcript of my short interview:

ADOBOKING:  Can you share us your story about your great performance during Run United 1? How did you prepare? How are you feeling during the race & when you crossed the finish line? And how was the race for you as a whole?

DAPHNE: Great performance? Haha! The story behind my achievement is all about my inspirations. I was actually not prepared for the race. I looked on my running log two days before the race and I cannot help but make the tsk, tsk, tsk sound again and again. It’s because I wasn’t able to follow and complete my training as planned.
Three days after participating for the Condura Skyway Marathon I started conditioning for the 1st Leg of the Runrio Trilogy. It’s going to be my 2nd 21k race with a 01:57:43 to beat. Training plan was composed of two 2hour runs in a week and an aNR-MoA session. That was the plan.

02.09.11: recovery drills with aNR-MoA
02.10.11: long run 01:30:00
02.11.11: long run 02:00:00
02.16.11 drills with aNR-MoA
02.21.11: long run 02:00:00
02.23.11: two C-loops 01:07:08
02.27.11: pacer task at BDM 160
03.02.11: short run with aNR-MoA

But things didn’t turn out as planned. Plan B. Mental. Think of happy thoughts.
A wonderful friend actually invited me to run for a group named Breathe Hope whose beneficiary passed away last January 31st. His name is Jon Angelo Viado, a 2 year old boy born with Hypoxic Ischemic Encepalopathy (HIE) and died of Pulmonary Disorders. The goal would be to convince the parents of Baby Jon (Mommy Tet and Daddy Joni) to continue Breathe Hope as a foundation to help other children and eventually other kids who would really need help. So we got shirts printed with the groups name and there were 23 runners donned in this shirt last Run United 1. It was an exciting feeling since it is actually a surprise for Jon’s parents who were just expecting five runners on the race. Aside from that I was actually thinking that Team NRA will be there. I thought they are to do a 21k as well. It was the first time that I was in the same category as they are so I told myself that I have to seize the chance and see to it that I can keep up with their pace.
So standing at the starting line with my running mate I told myself that I want to make Jon’s parents smile today and that I’m going to save some energy as well so that if by chance I get to see Mr. Vladimir Hernandez and Kevin I’ll be able to keep up with them.
As I expected I wasn’t able to beat my 5k PR, 10k PR, seconds shy away for my 16k PR. My left knee began to manifest itself around km 9 and negative thoughts began to creep in. It’s really a good thing to have your fellow runners cheer for you so I focused on looking for aNR peeps and friends at turnaround points and cheered for them as well along the course. It had helped a lot to somehow distract myself from the pain and fatigue. But the race had been lonely for the next kilometers especially on the way back to Kalayaan flyover so I remind myself of the reason why I was there. I run primarily because I want to know what I am capable of so I told myself that if I’m going to walk and give up, stop dreaming of a 42k because I’m not worth it. Next I remember Jon’s parents; I haven’t met them so I don’t know how I’ll be able to recognize them from the crowd, they might be behind me, in front or waiting at the finish line already, it would be embarrassing for me to be seen wearing the Breathe Hope shirt and walking at a race. So I tried to straighten my form again and made the effort to put one foot after the other. “Almost there Daph, almost there.” Hehe.. This is something that has been recurring for the past races: me talking to myself. I remember walking 800meters from finish line to relax a bit. At that time I get to rest because I know that I’ll be able to finish and beat my PR. A minute of walking and heavy breathing then I sped off to the finish line, smiling with a fist pumped in the air. 01:50:45. Happy and very satisfied with my new achievement.

ADOBOKING: Looks to me that you are a very athletic woman. How long have you’ve been running? Are you already into running way back in school? Any other sports you play?

DAPHNE: I’ve been joining races for almost 10 months now. Sixteen races: seven 5k’s, four 10k’s, two 15k’s, a 16k, and two 21k’s. I’m not exactly into running as a sport when I was still a student but I did take Track and Field for my PE class one semester. We were required to join two 5k race events: Milo Batangas Leg (2005) and Padalagan 2006. I’m really into chess and basketball.

ADOBOKING: How does running differ into other sports that you’ve played before?

DAPHNE: Running is something that I can do long as I have the basics: running gear, water and the streets. Simple as that. With chess, I need the board and one person to play with. With basketball, we need a team and a group to play against to plus of course the playing court and the ball. So I took the mind game required from chess and the endurance necessary from basketball, slipped into my gear, lace up and went out into the streets

ADOBOKING:  Who influence you into running? I mean what brought you into running?

DAPHNE: As you’ve mentioned I seem to be an athletic woman. Maybe I really am. Haha! I turn into running because I got bored with the monotonous, sedentary life I was living. I missed playing basketball and scheduling one had been very difficult. Maybe I missed sports so bad that when I got the opportunity to join a 5k race I go ahead and grabbed it. But what caused me to continue running was the simple reason that I get to enjoy the sport and that you get to help people, organizations or nature as well. Most of the races nowadays are geared on a “for a cause” goal. And that’s actually a wonderful thing. You get to run, achieve something (perhaps a new PR) and get to help as well.

ADOBOKING: What is your own definition of running? Why do you run? What do you get from it? What do you feel when you are running?

DAPHNE: Running is, was and always will be a means of healing for me. Back then I run because I want to momentarily escape from all the rough patches that I encounter with life. I made sure that I’m always exhausted so there’s no more time to think of problems. After sometime I felt calmness and serenity. And then some time after a clear head. Now, when I’m stressed with things and losing focus, I run. And while running I mull over the issues and plan how to work around it and this had become helpful as it distracts me from feeling fatigue as well.

ADOBOKING: What are your goals in running? Do you plan to do a marathon? Ultramarathon? On what age? And how are you going to prepare for it?

DAPHNE: Funny. I actually don’t have one. I do have goals when I join races, that is, to finish the race without injury. As to per goals in running as a sport, I have none yet. Dreams, I do have dreams though. And yes that would be to do a marathon and ultramarathon given the chance. But these are dreams. Dreams. Dreams. Dreams. These, literally, would take a long way to go.

ADOBOKING:  What does your family & friends tell you about running? Are they all supportive all throughout?

DAPHNE: Not that much really. They know I’m into running but that’s all they know. When I was just starting they don’t comment that much, we rarely talk about it at home. I recall my brother commented once “takbo ka ng takbo buti nakakabalik ka pa”. Once I went home with a trophy, my 1st award from running, my brother even joked that it was because there were only three participants in the race that’s why I was able to bag the 3rd place. They’re neutral about me and running.

ADOBOKING: How do you see yourself 10-20 years from now? Still running? 🙂

DAPHNE: I really don’t know. Maybe. I hope so. Haha! I can’t say. I actually haven’t thought of that. I seized the moment with every race. Always remind myself that not all people who wants to run gets to run so I live the moment. During a conversation with fellow runners I once mentioned that I would want to do a marathon and get over with running. Back then I was thinking I’d be happy to grow old and tell my grandchildren that I once conquer a 42kilometer race. (Proud lola ) That was three months ago. And three months had changed a lot. I’ve taken longer distances; experienced fatigue and pain in a different higher level; even got blisters for the first time; got emotionally scared for a runner and just recently I got to run at an Oval. Running had pretty much changed me and my way of life. It is my current addiction. Huwag muna tayo mag-fast forward, I want to enjoy every single second of what I have.

ADOBOKING: Who do you look up to/idolize in running? Why?

DAPHNE: Every runner who has the discipline to leave the comforts of their beds every morning with the determination to keep up with his/her training as planned. It’s because this is where you see the passion, the drive and the love for the sport. I admire runners who defy and out do themselves.

ADOBOKING: What do you think are the qualities that you have that makes you a good runner?

DAPHNE: According to Paul Carl Sabino my persistence, consistency and good time management makes me a good runner. I say I become a good person because I am now a runner. It had made me a more disciplined and determined individual.

*****

Thank you very much Daphne for the interview! See you on the road! 😀