My Story #7: Billie Jay Jacob

Impossible is Nothing
by: Billie Jay Jacob

Two years ago I was a smoker, I drink beer anytime I want and when my barkada want. I stay up late every night as my work needs me to, so I drink at least 3 cups of coffee a night! After office I would spend my day not sleeping but playing computer games, I’m a hardcore online gamer and spends a lot for “uber” cool and strong items. Those were the days, today, I could never see myself being in that state again. No effing way!

At first I tried several times to quit smoking, but many times I failed. I’ve tried going to the gym but it seems that I’m too weak to pump iron with a decent weight! I over-used or over-tortured my body. I remembered I developed a chronic cough, this realization hit me so hard that I needed to become healthy so I can take care of my family… I have a wife and a daughter. This became my source of inspiration.

That’s when I discovered running, I just started reading articles on the internet about how to quit smoking, which actually led me to more articles about running as a means for changing your life. I was intrigued, but terrified too. I could barely run a quarter mile.

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I began running in July 2011. At first, I couldn’t run a full kilometer without stopping every few minutes. But I kept at it, quitting now is not an option! After a few months, I was running 3K, 5K and then eventually 10K fun runs. I got hooked! and by the end of 2012, I found myself already completed 6 half marathons. The next step was to go for a full marathon!

This time the issue of if I can do it or not is now out of the picture. I now believe that with proper training and with the help of my friends whom I met online through Facebook and running clubs, that this is possible.

I worked at night, so my time was limited. A normal training program simply couldn’t fit my hectic work and sleep schedule. I would have to squeeze in a quick 6K or 12K runs in the afternoons before I would start my shift. More training meant less sleep. I would maximize weekends with longer runs to build up my endurance. I loved that feeling of my feet pounding the pavement in the wee-hours of the morning as most people are still asleep.

Then marathon day came, February 3, 2013 in Condura Skyway Marathon. I can’t clearly describe my experience. All I can say is that I worked hard and would not fail to bring home the medal. After 4 hours 52 minutes of what I would consider a retreat, I became a marathoner. It was unreal!

My advice to anyone trying to make a major change like I did, do it NOW. Great things can often come slowly, so you have to act with a sense of urgency. A lifestyle change begins with a single vision, inspiration or thought. You have to take that first step. If this story inspires just one person to make a change, I will be a very happy man.

To this date, I still join races once in a while. I enjoy doing long runs every Sunday where I roam around Bacoor Cavite. And I’m very proud to say I’m totally clean from smoking since the day I started running last July 2011.

And I’m glad to tell everybody hesitant to try running, and that Impossible is Nothing.

“So then, let us rid ourselves of everything that gets in the way, and of the sin which holds on to us so tightly, and let us run with determination the race that lies before us (Hebrews 12:1b TEV)”. — END

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