You can run with 'We Ken Run'
MANILA, Philippines – For Coach Ken and his group of runners, the pandemic has never been an excuse for not lacing up their shoes, getting up, and running.
Ever since lockdowns had been happening in the country, most of us had been deprived with active outdoor lifestyle. But not for the We Ken Run community, a group of runners led by running coach Ken Mendola, who saw the pandemic as an opportunity to get fit and healthy.
“You always have to move. Not necessarily run, but you have to move,” Mendola said. “Because our bodies were built to move.”
From a roster of 15-20 runners, Mendola grew his We Ken Run community to 50-60 last year. He initially expected that people would worry about going out to run, but in the contrary when the lockdowns started to ease up, people started to show up. Some people even started noticing their running community, especially on social media, and they later on realized that it’s possible to run even during the pandemic.
He said he just let his community grow organically through word of mouth.
“Of course, there are some who would bash [us] because we go out, but we strictly follow protocols. We’re just fortunate that we run where the route is good and where it is a bit lenient with mask-wearing when running,” Mendola said.
Mendola meets his runners thrice a week at the grounds of Filinvest, Alabang. Speed runs and drills are scheduled every Wednesdays and Thursdays where the beginners are encouraged to join.
“What I always emphasize is that whatever fitness level you are in, we will build it from there because it’s different with everyone,” he said.
Mendola trains runners from different walks of life. One such runner is Estrella “Star” Elamparo, a 50-year-old marathoner and a lawyer who’s a Senior Partner for Litigation in Divina Law, one of the top law firms in the country.
Marathon training
Elamparo started running in 2017 when she joined The Bull Runner Dream Marathon. While she was able to finish the race, she had a hard time running the last 10 kilometers. But what could have been a traumatic experience for her had wet her appetite to explore running more.
She started joining local races and in 2018, she tried her luck in the lottery for three international marathons: Tokyo, Chicago, and Berlin. When she got in all three, she then realized she had to get proper training for it. That’s when she approached Coach Ken.
“I privately messaged Coach Ken saying I was a new runner and I've had zero formal training so if he can accommodate training me. So he took me in and a month before Tokyo, and even though we have a very short time to train before Tokyo, I finished with a very good time. And I enjoyed the experience in contrast with the first marathon I had,” Elamparo said.
“I love running as a passion. It's something I do everyday and I something I prioritize because I realized that health is our most important currency,” she added.
Elamparo was already doing great with her pace when the pandemic happened in 2020. During the lockdown when almost everyone was binge-eating and watching Netflix, which admittedly she also did, she told herself to get going and continue running.
“I managed to continue running and it's what has saved me during the pandemic. The lockdown wasn't as traumatic,” she said.
Similar to Elamparo, We Ken Run’s runners took the pandemic as an opportunity to get active even if races were cancelled.
Camille Aromas, another lawyer and the general counsel of Huawei Philippines, said the monotonous lifestyle of staying at home can drive one crazy.
“There was nothing else to do. So I also got into [running] seriously because it sort of gave me a purpose and incentivized me to get fit,” Aromas said.
With the help of Mendola, Aromas was able to finish the Schneider Electric Marathon de Paris last year and she’s aiming to do the London Marathon next.
“I got a training plan from Coach Ken and the results are really massive. Before I couldn't even run a 5km distance straight. I would stop and gasp for air. Now it's my easy run,” she said. “People are teasing me that I was from ‘couch to 42K.’ I wasn't exactly a couch potato but I wasn't really that active.”
For his part, RA Angeles saw the chance to maximize his time to balance work and running with the current work-from-home setup. He works as the lead of L’oreal Cosmetics’ purchasing team and lives in Quezon City, which would make it seem like a long drive to Alabang pre-pandemic.
“Because the setup is now work from home and I'm from QC, it wouldn't be possible because of the work from home set-up to go [to Alabang] every Thursday,” he said.
He started running in 2013 but only decided to have his formal training last year. He said Mendola gave more structure and science with what he has been doing.
In addition, he said the values that they learn like discipline and consistency translates to their professional work.
“Doesn't matter if it's your best or it's a bad day. What's important is to be consistent in your training,” Angeles said. He is targeting to do the World Majors Marathon soon.
Elamparo, Aromas and Angeles all agreed that running with a community greatly helped them to push further with their training even with the current situation we have right now.
“It's important to look for like-minded people. It's difficult to get up in the morning and run by yourself. But if you run with a group of people, it's a lot more fun. Running doesn't seem like a chore,” Aromas said.
Starting from scratch
For beginners or people getting back to the active lifestyle, Mendola said it’s important to start from scratch again.
“You have to forget that and build up yourself again slowly and gradually so it wouldn't be too overwhelming,” he said. He emphasized the importance of doing an assessment run and setting a goal before you can finally start running again.
It could be intimidating at first, but the We Ken Run community assures a fun and satisfying experience, while enjoy the training process.
“I want to encourage people to engage into physical activity, not just necessarily into running. [But] for me, running is the most optimal because you only need running shoes. You can just lace up and get out of the door and run. You don't need an actual equipment. It's something that's so easy to do,” Elamparo said.
For those who are interested to join the WeKENRun community, you can follow or message their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/WeKenRun.
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