‘Mile-a-days kept dark thoughts away’

Edward Dela Cruz Jr. competes in this file photo from the Gecko 5,000 last Sept. 11 at Banzai Cliff. (Lao Zhang)

Edward Dela Cruz Jr. officially became a 5×365 Day Run Challenge finisher yesterday morning when he ran 5 miles from the “zero marker” in Oleai to just right before the Garapan Fishing Base.

The 30-year-old Airport Rescue Fire Fighting member is just glad that he was able to accomplish the feat as the past year he was diagnosed with a painful Achilles injury that almost snapped his mile-a-day challenge streak that started in Jan. 12, 2017.

“I’m happy, relieved, and thankful. I didn’t think I would finish it this year when I injured my feet in September. Thankfully under the careful supervision of Dr. T.J. Bellama and Joe Jimenez at Eucon Medical they were able to help me continue my streak and nurse me back to full health.”

As already told in a previous article, the Run Saipan president started his streak as a way to overcome a debilitating depression.

“It was a mental health thing. I wanted to commit suicide before and was depressed but the mile-a-days has kept the dark thoughts away. It started as a weight loss [program] but developed into something more. It developed into a method for me to combat depression and anxiety. It’s effective and that’s why I have zero intention of ever retiring the streak. If I miss a day then I will happily reset to Day Zero again and start over,” he said.

Like everything else, the most difficult part of starting a streak is the very beginning and Dela Cruz said it wasn’t any different for him five years ago.

“As you know weight loss is always the starting factor. It started out as my 2017 New Year’s resolution with my nephew T.J. Manglona, co-owner of Tribe Marianas. He told me let’s start a mile-a-day jog challenge to lose weight. Just 30 days. I really didn’t want to do it at first. He actually dragged me out of bed that day to do it. If it wasn’t for him I wouldn’t have started it. Looking back now I can’t believe I kept my 2017 New Year’s resolution going for five years now.”

Now 1,826 consecutive days and 5,051 miles later, Dela Cruz said the most challenging run of his streak was when he took part in the 2021 Boston Marathon virtually last Oct. 11.

“That was against my doctor’s advisement with an out-of-commission right Achilles. I had to fight the tear from Mile 1 to Mile 26.2. I would’ve quit too if it wasn’t for Gerald Galang powering me through the last half of it. That pain was excruciating.”

At this point, Dela Cruz said honestly there’s no running challenge that perturbs him anymore.

“I’ll run barefoot if I have to now thanks to Dr. Bellama’s training and guidance. I’ve ran in Typhoon Condition 1, in an airport while transiting, in a hotel lobby during a thunder storm, diarrhea, flat out drunk after salsa night at GIG, or with fever and various injuries. As long as my feet can move it’s as sure going to happen as the sun sets and rises every day.”

Asked who is he dedicating the five-year anniversary of his 1-mile-a-day streak, Dela Cruz allowed himself to be selfish for once.

“I am not dedicating this run to anyone. The run streak is for me. It’s something I do for myself and I owe it to myself to keep accountable. I’ve always helped everyone from church to my family and friends and also the sport of running with giving my free time. Running every single day is what keeps me going everyday.”

Incredibly, he has only gone through 18 pairs of running shoes in the five years since he started running everyday in 2017.

“The first year of the streak I kept a pair for 365 days and it was the Asics Nimbus 21. I’ll tell you Asics has the toughest shoes for sure out of all the brands. I ran that thing to zero rubber that year. I had zero injures in 2017-2018 with that pair!”

Dela Cruz said his biggest tip for people aspiring to be streak runners is just enjoy the run.

“It’s never about the numbers, the pace times, the mileage, or how your body looks. This is something no one can take from you. If it means that much to you as it does to me you’ll find a way to get your mile in. A wise mentor once told me ‘find reasons to succeed not excuses for failure.’ You have 1,440 minutes in a day like everyone else. You can put in 20 minutes a day to get it in. People take more time selecting a Netflix show than it takes me to run a mile.”

As for as his favorite running spot on island, Dela Cruz goes back to where it all began.

“I started at Beach Road Pathway at exactly the 0.00 marker where it begins. From the 0.00 marker to the Japanese Tank Memorial is 1.25 miles. It will always be my favorite route. I have so much memories with everyone I ran with or run into on there and sunsets are always breathtaking. That’s my stomping grounds.”

Next up for Dela Cruz is to mark his 2,000 days of keeping the streak alive. “And people told me to quit at the first 365 day mark… 2,000 days is right around the corner!”