Mary Joy Tabal has four days left before she will be leaving for the biggest race of her life — the Rio Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
She has spent the last month in Japan to continue her training for the Olympics. But as she counts the days, one thing has been bugging her.
“Am I ready?” Tabal said this has been on her mind for a long time and more so now that the days are getting closer.
Yesterday, her Japanese coach, renowned Olympic marathoner Akio Usami, assessed the 27-year-old Cebuana and worries were somehow appeased. For a few seconds.
“Coach Usami said that I am ready. My performance during training has been good, and I am performing well. I felt good about it but only for a second,” said Tabal adding that as the competition date comes closer, she feels all the pressure now.
“I just need to finish this week’s training here in Japan. Conditioning na lang kuwang — mental and physical,” she said.
“Gikulbaan gyud ko ug maayo. Bug-at kaayo ang pamati kay daghan gyud kaayo ko ug gi-huna-huna. I talk to myself sometimes trying to convince myself that it’s okay. Ako istoryahon akong kaugalingon tawn unsaon nako pag-condition ako kaugalingon na dili kaayo maghuna-huna,” said Tabal.
Tabal, who has been the lone Filipino training with Japanese atheltes at the Nippon Sports Science University, has no sounding board as of the moment.
She will leave Japan for Rio on August 2 where she will catch up with the rest of the Philippine delegation, who are already in Rio. In Rio, Tabal will be reunited with her longtime coach, John Philip Duenas.
Duenas is not part of the official Philippine delegation but Tabal’s sponsor, Motor Ace Philippines-Kawasaki, decided to send him to Rio.
“I was relieved when Motor Ace-Kawasaki decided to send him because it is a lot different when there is someone who already knows your needs because he already knows me as an athlete but my sport as well. The concerns for marathon are different from the concerns of other track and field events,” said Tabal.
Tabal added that after their assessment yesterday, Usami decided to revise her training program, the one that will be used once she lands in Rio, that would fit her performance in the Japan training.
“Coach Usami’s main concern for me right now is the time between my arrival in Rio and the day of the race. I will be spending a few more days in Rio before my event. He wants me to maintain the condition that I am in now,” Tabal said.