First Ride

Good day friends. I began mountain biking in 2007. We started out riding the trails in Sta. Rosa Laguna. We all met in Paseo mall and from there we would either do the so called "cardiac hill" route or the "reverse upak" route. My first ride was the cardiac hill route and i soon found out why it was appropriately named so. Boy, that hill was tough. Being a newbie, i did not know how to shift to the "granny" gear, which is the smallest or lightest gear in your crank. No wonder my heart rate shot up as i reached the top, i was mashing through mid gear going up an incline of almost 40 degrees. As we all made it to the top, we rested for a few minutes and we rolled down the hill as my head spun and my quads pounded. It was a good thing after some 2kms we had our first complete stop. What a welcome reprieve, fresh buko juice and gatorade. We then continued on a relatively flat, wide trail commonly known as fireroads. Then we would enter narrower trails known as single tracks. Truely, I was beginning to enjoy myself. This was certainly far from the BMX days where we biked around the village and did endos, fishtails, bunnyhops and a few tabletops. This was way different. This was like a fieldtrip on your bike. We crossed pineapple plantations, vast meadowlands, a forest trail with huge sycamore trees, streams where we had to carry our bikes across, and not to forget the amazing mountain views. And for someone who enjoyed technical riding, the single tracks were definitely a challenge. We hit a paved road and gradually ascended up to the bikers pitstop, Aling Pina's cafe. We had her house favorite goto with egg mixed with homemade chilli sauce. Not bad. Then we made our way back as we hit a few paved uphills and more single tracks. We ended going down "upak" and someone advised me to have a loose grip on the handle bar and brake on my back wheel. It was a nerve racking 4km downhill and we probably went 40kms and hour. There was no room for hesitation. This was one time where you had to trust that your fork would not fail you. I was glad that the full suspension bike was able to absorb the jarring impact of the rough terrain. After this ride, i understood why downhillers seek this kind of thrill and rush for speed. We headed back to camp and the whole ride took us around 4 hours. It was a great first ride. From then on we frequented Sta. Rosa's trails. And after some weeks, we did Palace in the sky!

Second Tri

I must say, working as a coach was a very fulfilling job. The pay was not much but the amount of service was plentiful. And realizing it now, that is pretty much what some of us are called to do- serve others. Ironically, i quit my coaching career and decided to go back to my former job as a stock trader. I guess my roots can be traced to my gambling days when i was young. But do not be shocked my friends, it was only small time pusoy dos and mahjong. Nevertheless, it was in my blood and i could not resist getting back into the markets. But all is well, i am still able to do sports and coach on the side. Working as a coach gave me the priviledge to meet different athletes from elite pros to the recreational and aspiring kids. It was a treat. I have always been fond of kids even though i do not have any of my own (yet):). Working with kids has certainly developed my patience and has left me with an innermost joy. I was able to work with other coaches as well who were as inspiring to me as the athletes themselves. Coaches Matt and Francis shared with me the same passion for sports and sports training. It was with two great friends that i was able to participate in my first individual triathlon. Enter EXTRI 06, Laluz Beach Resort, San Juan, Batangas.

I was far from being in triathlon shape for this race. After my first extri, I stuck to two other sports, basketball and badminton. It was only at the late part of the year that Francis asked me if i wanted to join them in Laluz. I tried to encourage my other good pal, Alfus, to join us also. Alf and I always had this dream to compete in a triathlon someday. Unfortunately, he was busy setting up his business at that time. But that dream would be fulfilled the following year! (watch out for extri 3). I was undecided because i lacked training and was not sure if i could do a full race. A month and a half before the race, I decided to go for it. My objective was just to finish, have fun and to be with my two fellow coaches.

Race day came and i was in my speedo trunks while the other triathletes were in their trisuits. It was quite obvious who the newbie was. Jitters ran up my spine as we were about to start. I said a little prayer and we were off. I planned to mix up my stroke as i shifted from freestyle to breaststroke and back. I definitely did not have the right form back then and kicked heavily. Matt and I finished the swim leg at almost the same time. I felt good moving into transition one that i would be able to bike alongside Matt. But T1 took forever as i struggled to put on my socks and shoes. I got on my non-cleated mountain bike and pedaled away. The bike course was not as easy as i thought it would be. We went through a dry sandy river bed where i had get off and push my bike. We passed through winding fire roads and tricky single tracks. It was quite technical. As i finished the 25km bike leg, I was not sure whether i still had energy for the run. Back then, power gels were still unknown to me. About a kilometer into the trail run, I bonked out. And much worse, I cramped on both thighs. From then on, it was like a stroll on the beach. I finished with a time of 2 hours and 25 minutes. Despite the weak finish, I had a blast! I guess for most athletes, the joy and satisfaction came from the feeling of getting through such a physically demanding challenge. From testing one's limits or from pushing until threshhold. I guess, we can all attest to that feeling.

As evening came, we had a banquet. The highlight of the night came in the awarding ceremonies. Francis and Matt placed 3rd in their respective age-group categories. I was happy for them. For Francis, his success in this race served as a stepping stone for where he is now in the realm of the sport.

After this race, the three of us moved along different paths. Matt went into frisbee, Francis pursued triathlon, and I continued my badminton. Until my next post, my first ride!....

First Tri

What a great delight it is to spend the weekend at the beach and to participate in a triathlon as well! That is why i keep coming back to EXTRI, an off-road triathlon that features a 1km open water swim, 25km mtb, and a 5km beach run. The race is held every December at Laiya, San Juan, Batangas. This year would be my 4th extri. My first extri race was on Dec. 05 which was the first ever triathlon i had done. Being a neophyte in the sport, i decided to join the relay event and did the swim leg. Back then, the swim distance was only 750m. I just wanted to dip myself into the sport and see what would happen. There we went and after around 20 minutes, i emerged out from the water, head spinning, lungs hyperventilating, and legs wobbling. I ran up to the transition area and tagged my teammate who happened to be a visiting Ms. Earth contestant. I sat down still exhausted from what i had done. I wasnt really a swimmer although i decided to do the swim because no one else wanted to. As she came back, I found out that she had overtaken alot of bikers and that we were currently ahead in the relay category. Whoa! I was thankful she made up for my poor swim. My friend Ramon, who is an excellent windsurfer, then took over the run leg. Thirty minutes later he was back and we won gold out of 6 other relay teams. I was thrilled and as we were about to pop the champagne, Ramon found out that his lab was missing. Apparently, his dog followed him as he began his run. And i guess he was able to outrun his dog or his dog missed a turn and got lost. He retraced his route and was able to recover his worthy companion. We headed back to our resort and had a feast. So that was my first try at the sport. It was all for fun and we certainly had lots of it. It was only a year after, at my next extri, that i seriously considered getting into the sport. A sport that is very demanding although at the same time can be very rewarding. Until my next post, my 2nd Tri!