OBF = One Big Fight (for Atenistas)
LSD = Long Slow Distance (for Runners) or Learning Self Discipline (for me)

Ateneo just won the Men’s Basketball Championship of UAAP’s Season 80 dethroning the very worth defending champions, DLSU Green Archers. The victory was sweet and hard earned and perhaps DLSU is the only team whose champion’s heart and exceptional fighting spirit makes even 10 point leads with almost no time left, unsafe.

The OBF chant is always there during games. But did you know, that this part of the Ateneo Brand is even in the email’s of Ateneo Loyola School official school emails? I should know because my daughter is a college freshman and her email includes OBF.

Perhaps it is worth noting that Atenean or not, we all have our OBF One Big Fight every day. Some fights are larger than others, of course, but they are fights nonetheless – the white wolf vs. the black wolf, the Jedi vs. the Sith, the Jekyll in me vs. the Hyde in me.

Another 3 letter truth is LSD which represents what runners must do during weekends to gain enough physical endurance and mental toughness. While LSD normally means Long Slow Distance, today’s experience made it mean something else: Learning Self Discipline as this is the first time I ran on my own for 3 hours almost continuously as part of my preparation for the longer 5 hour 32k run next week.

I know from experience that missing today’s LSD would mean struggling in next week’s race. So even if I slept late and had only 3 hours of sleep, I had my OBF for the day and ran 19km in my home subdivision. No race medals or finisher shirts, just the satisfaction that I have done what I needed to do to prepare myself for next week’s OBF. To ensure that I was really prepared, added 2.5 hours of singles and doubles tennis… I am ready for my OBF because of my LSD and for today,  that is my 3 letter truth…