Tabal makes Olympics qualifying time

CEBU, Philippines - “I made it. I made it!”

These were the only words that Cebuana long distance running star Mary Joy Tabal could muster in between tears to anybody who dared to listen as she crossed the finish line of the Scotiabank Ottawa Marathon last Sunday night in Canada.

It was the last race she will have joined in the hopes of making it the Rio Olympics. And she made it, finally.

The poster girl of Motor Ace Philippines/Kawasaki Team failed in her first attempt for an Olympic slot in Boston, but Tabal finally collared the most-coveted ticket to Rio and she did so in flying colors. Not only did she breach the Olympic qualifying time of 2:45, but finished faster in 2:43:31.

On top of that, it was also her new personal best, breaking her 2:48 record in the Milo Marathon last year in Manila. She finished 8th overall in the female category.

“As I pushed myself, especially in the last 200meters, I looked at the finish time and I trembled. I could not explain how I felt because I knew I made it. I was just crying. I was running and crying. It was because of pure happiness. I felt like I was the happiest person running that time. I just kept crying until I crossed the finish line and told everyone that I made it,” said Tabal.

But it was not given to her on a silver platter.

‘Run like it was the last run of your life.’

This was what Tabal kept telling herself as she fought for that Olympic slot.

Falling short in the Boston Marathon just a few weeks ago had not dampened the spirits of the diminutive runner from Guba, Cebu, as she pushed herself out of her misery to get back up, dust herself, train again and just run as fast as her legs could take her.

“I told myself, ‘this is going to happen just once. I have to think that this would be the last run of my life so I have to give it all,’” said Tabal.

And run, she did.

In Boston, she was hampered by cramps and was caught unaware of the technicality of the race course. This time, Tabal came prepared.

“When I checked, I learned that the first half of the course was easy because it's all flat and some little of downhill’s. The second half was a little harder because of the ups and downs and turns. So before the start of the race, I made a strategy and game plan,” said Tabal.

She said that she gave herself an allowance in the first half of the race and save some energy for a more grueling end of the race.

 “I needed to have an allowance on the first half since it was an easier route. I just had to make sure that I am doing it steadily and relaxed because I was sure that the last half would be tough so even if for some reason I will slow down in the later part, I will already have an allowance,” she said, adding that apart from the physical part, there was a lot of mental challenge involved.

“After the first half, I asked myself if I was ok? And I was so I kept going up to KM30. Then I asked myself again if I was still okay? And I was, so I told myself, ‘You are only running a 12K. You did not just run 30K,’” she said.

Tabal’s fears of slowing down came true towards the end as she slowed down at KM35 because of the uphills and headwinds, but her strategy paid off.

“As I looked at my time, I saw that I still had that allowance and as long as I kept that pace, I would make the cutoff, bahala na unsay  mahitabo sa last 2K,” Tabal said. “Those last kilometers, I was just pushing myself, praying and crying.'

Tabal said she will be submitting her certification to the Philippine Sports Commission, the Philippine Olympic Committee and the Philippine Amateur Track and Field Association so she can be endorsed as the official entry of the Philippines to the Rio Olympics.

Should the PATAFA reinstate Tabal to the national team and the POC submits her name as part of the qualified athletes to the International Olympic Committee, she will be the first Filipina marathoner to make it the Olympics.  (FREEMAN)