Rice Terraces Marathon

I'm still thinking about whether I should join this run. I'm not competitive. I want experience and this one is out of my comfort zone. Travelling to Ifugao without the comforts of my father's car would be something new. Sooooo, should I? 

It's pricey, 1,500 Php for the 21k. Considering the food, travel and lodging expenses, I wonder if it's something I should spend on. Hmmmm... 

What's really bothering me is going without someone who knows the place. I'm fearful of finding myself without a place to sleep or a companion to do all this. I mean, it's a lot better to look like an idiot with a partner or to look pitiful with someone as compared to being pitiful and alone! Haha!

Anyone going? Talk to me!

Sunrise from Mt. Jumbo Trail, Shilan, Benguet

Met a couple of biker guys, good guys, to say the least, during a relative's wedding in Sagada. Through persistently annoying one of them on Facebook about anything under the sun, the sunrise topic came up. Funny story and a bit desperate, let's tell that next time. Anyway, sunrise in Shilan!

He mentioned there's a trail in Shilan that's a good place to see the sunrise. The un-travelled me got excited! Considering my love for the outdoors, I think I've been hanging out with the wrong people. I have yet to see a large part of Baguio-Benguet. I don't really hike. I can't light a fire but I want to learn. I want to go to the mountains, rappel, fly, swim. Whatever. 

So, how to begin this. Persistent, insistent, whatever you can call it. I'd even say it was bordering clingy and if it wasn't the sunrise I was asking for, someone might have interpreted my words to wanting to have sex. I swear, I was THAT determined to see the place. You never know when our acquaintance might end abruptly. Let's just say our foundation for friendship hasn't been established yet and I just can't wait to ask for this favor. Although, I hope the friendship doesn't end because they have a lot of trails to share.

Through a bribe of sandwiches and beer, we set a date and a time. I left the house at 3:30 in the morning and headed to Center Mall where Tomay jeeps were stationed. Tomay jeeps run 24 hours, I think. When I got there, one was parked and waiting for passengers. I asked the driver what time will he be leaving and he said as long as there's about five passengers, he can take the trip already.

I said I had to wait for my companion and he assured me there'll be another jeep in a couple of minutes. After he left, true enough, another jeep parked and waited for passengers. We took the jeep, it was 4:30 am by then and the fare up until the turning point is 17 Php. When we got down in Upper Tomay, there was a gas station with jeeps parked for the night. A couple of minutes later, our guide arrived. Just a few meters from the gas station is another gas station. Coming from Baguio, it's on the right side. I think it has a sign that says Iceland. There's a road to the right which we took. The walk was about 2 kilometers until the top. We followed a paved road and then took a right again and walked a dirt path all the way up. It was dark so make sure to bring a flashlight if you're going to try the route.

First thing we noticed when we got to the top was that it's freaking cold. The winds were very strong and chilly. I was thankful I wore a long sleeve. I was wearing a sleeveless shirt underneath thinking it would get warm really fast. I never took off the long sleeve until I got home.

Any rubber shoes would do. Chi was wearing walking shoes and the only problem you'll encounter is mud. If you're okay with getting dirty, you can even go barefoot if you want.

Here's our guy that brought us up. He's awesome, he's nice, he's entertaining and he's an all-good type of guy. And, he brought his toy. Here's a close up.

This is our stuff. Ziploc has ground coffee and cups. The white plastic bag has grilled sandwiches and cheesecakes. The beer was for the guys. Although when we were at the top, I secretly wished we brought enough for all of us. The cold made it reasonable to drink beer in the morning.

This is another friend's ride. He came later and made a grand entrance riding on the trail. By this time, the sun was up but it still wasn't warm.

We were supposed to have another companion who didn't arrive. Here's an atang -style photo for him. LOL. 

The little girl trying the bike for size. We were walking back down by 7:45 am. 

I find this photo a good one. In the context of a runner-biker relationship, this would make sense. But then, meh. That's just me. 

Finally, the boys with their toys.

Would I go there again? Definitely! I used to be direction-dumb but I doubt I'd forget how to get myself up in Jumbo Trail. It only takes a lot of guts to go back alone but, maybe. Maybe they'll accompany us again. Maybe I'll go alone. Maybe I'll find another companion. We'll see! But it's definitely not the last time I'll go there. Gotta do that again within the year though, I heard Goshenland bought it and will be developing it in the next 3 years? Idunno. 

22k Brent Run

After a suicide-not-so-smart decision to run the 22k in the TNF100, I was doubtful about registering for another 22k. I was so tired and with my partner running way ahead of me during the TNF run, I felt like a complete pussy.The last day of registration for the Brent Run was May 4. TNF run was May 4. So, while munching on our not-so-healthy post-run meal....


(I know, any seasoned runner would hit us on the head for this. Bad decisions, man. I might want to blame this to exhaustion and depression. So,.. yeah..)We got stickers from TNF and it felt a little depressing. We were hoping for something more. But, meh. Okay.

So, what led to the decision to put in our dwindling funds into the Brent Run?The medals. 22k finisher's medal looked awesome. Sure, it's petty for most of you or for some people but we've never received a medal. I received one when I was in Kindergarten but my mom let me play with it and I lost it. Now, I don't have anything on the wall. I want a medal. Petty? Whatever. We want a medal.So, we registered. 

To toss more bad decisions to the already-piled up bad decisions, we had a girl's night out before the run. It was supposed to be a picnic in the afternoon. I made a pie and put coffee in a thermos. It rained. The picnic turned into a garage party at Chi's place. Wine was brought out and yeah, we were happy. I was semi-drunk and damn it. We finished at midnight! I can't say I regret it though.
 




I mean, come on. Look at me. I'm roaring with uber-joy. I don't 
know how I even got sleep that couple of hours. I woke up at 4 to get ready for the run. Chi picked me up a little bit late because we arrived just in time to leave our bag and pin our numbers before the gun start for the 22k.

While running, we kept laughing at ourselves. Idiots. Chi wasn't even able to pin the number on her shirt. We had to stop. 2 kilometers out and I can't breathe. Dang it! By the time we started the ascend to Ambuklao road, I had to tell Chi to go ahead. I didn't want to slow her down. She's a little energizer bunny. She's that little girl in the middle of our group picture. Where she gets her energy, I don't know.

To cut the story short, we finished the Brent 22k Route. Somewhere during the run, (I'm really bad at describing topography.) after the ups and downs, I enjoyed running the flat road. First because it's flat and doesn't hurt my legs. Second, because it gave a breath taking view of the sunrise. I felt so bad for leaving the camera. I wanted to stop and take a photo of what I'm looking at. The serenity of the highway was also something to be thankful about. There were only a few cars and jeeps that passed by and it made me feel a lot less depressed.I thought I was one of the last few runners. 

By the time I reached the turning point, I started seeing more runners behind me. Phew! I thought I was trudging last. Sorry, I need all the motivation and knowing I'm not last gave me a little push.I love how the people in all the aid stations were very supportive, always giving bits of energy. "Go, go! Konti pa! Water! Kaya pa! Sige, push pa ng konti!" These small gestures mean a lot to a tired runner. One of the support team even put a banana in my hand and told me I had to eat it. I didn't want to be chewing while running but he insisted. 2 kilometers later, I'm thankful for that banana. Another guy took my water bottle, threw its contents and replaced it with Gatorade. I didn't ask him to, I wanted to but I was too tired to talk. I was just supposed to grab the Gatorade bottle and run but I really appreciate what he did. In my head, keep hydrating, keep hydrating. Don't faint. Keep running. 

That banana and Gatorade helped me finish that run. I know. I know because my body was failing me and I can feel it. By the time I reached the steep downhill just before hitting Pacdal road, everything just hurts. My sides, legs, I don't even know why I was having a headache. Jeez.

Then Brent throws in a surprise 1 kilometer trail run inside the school campus. It was a refreshing path but I can't stop thinking how it fit inside the compound. "Where'd this come from?"

When I got to the finish line, family friends were cheering me and it felt awesome as opposed to finishing the TNF 22k with no one to greet me at the end.We got our medal! Chi dedicated it to her parents and I, well. I took it home and fell asleep.



We treated ourselves to a Korean lunch which I will later regret. The coffee, wine, spicy meal and the tired muscles caught up with me and I had to suffer stomach cramps for a good one week.But, I have a medal! Yeiiy me! 

Playing Victim

I can't count how many times I've fallen into a pit I allowed myself to make. Sometimes when I'm out with friends or some other group of people, there's a guy who doesn't have a partner, a guy who's out of place and then there's me.

As part of a joke, the group would push me and another guy to get into the "couple" vibe. Playing through calling each other names like baby, love, honey, etc. sitting close to each other, pretending to be a couple. Basically, getting stuck with each other while other friends with partners enjoy their evenings. See while this is an innocent joke to most of the people I hang out with, it's a very deep pit I keep on stumbling into.

How many times? How many occasions has it left me feeling empty? Why? Why am I such an emotional whore? Ugh.

I remember three faces. I remember it so clearly because I fell. I felt more connection which is probably my mistake. I over-romanticize. Haha! It's pathetic, I know but I still do. So screw it.

I remember calling a guy's home phone twice a day because we both didn't have cellphones that time. (Not because we were 12 years old but because his phone got stolen and mine got busted) I remember his mom answering and wondering who the hell is calling her son. I remember that. But mostly, I remember feeling so angry of not hearing from him again. See? I don't get it when guys make it as a joke. I really don't. I don't know when I'm being played or when everything's just for show. No, I don't get it. After weeks of texting, talking on the phone, sitting together when we're out with friends, I bring a birthday cake for this guy and what do I get? I got ignored the whole night of the party. Happy Birthday to you too asshole! Ugh. What did I do? I wrote a column in our school paper and put his name in it. When the prints came out, I distributed it in his school. We don't talk anymore, I don't need to wonder why after I finished the column with "lamunin ka sana ng lupa." (may the soil swallow you)

A third time, now this. This takes the cake. We pretend for a night, with him trying to protect me from a perverted ex-boyfriend. Goes great, we talk the next day. We're both sober and we talk about us. Yeah, maybe this is okay. Maybe let's do this relationship thing. The next day, he says maybe it's not so cool after all. Maybe let's think this through. I say, okay.

Two weeks later I receive a call from him explaining he fucked up. He screwed around with my cousin. Okay. Okay?! What the hell, man?! Seriously, what the hell. This one was a big blow to me. Why? Because I liked him. I liked him a lot. He was so funny, he was a good person. But hell if I understand what happened.

Now, there's another joke playing in my head. My cousin and her boyfriend wanted to push their friend into having more guts. They'd say, put your hands around her. Let's take a photo of the both of you. Things like that. And it's innocent but thing is, I'M NOT! I don't get it that way. I really don't. And now, I'm going crazy because it's distracting me.

In Trouble

I missed this. I miss feeling so excited, waiting for the next reply. I miss anticipating if he would message me first and I miss feeling disappointed when nothing came. I miss this so much it hurts so bad because he's not mine. And this, all this is temporary.

Lonesome Running

My partner in crime had work today. Last night, I thought about her plans. She's leaving for a couple of months and I'll be left here. I'm worried I might stop running because I don't have a partner so I challenged myself to run alone today.

I posted a route on Facebook just in case someone wants to run the next day. Or maybe it's a subtle way of me hinting to my biker friends where I'll be. Haha! Anyway, I ended up finishing the route alone. Took me 2 hours which is really long considering it's 12k and just a simple road run. Anyway, I can do it. I can run alone. I'll be okay.

Haha! This is me telling myself I'll be okay.

Note to self: NEED A NEW MUSIC PLAYER (it's a hassle to keep fixing the phone in the waist trimmer)

Catch Me If You Can

Feeling a lot better today. We were able to squeeze in a short run today despite the muscle aches from the 22k trail run. I know recuperating is important after a tough workout but it felt worse to just rest the whole week. 

We joined another 22k run this Sunday and yes, I know. It's not ideal. Any fitness freak would scold us because we're pushing our bodies too far but the finisher's medal looks awesome and understand that the only medal I received is one  from school. Just one. It was for being first in class and my mom lost it somehow, misplaced it? I don't know. 

It's a bit shallow, I know. But dude, it's an awesome medal! Haha!

Aaand, I was thinking of expanding my routes in running so I'm calling it the Catch Me If You Can series. Haha! 

Gotta get myself out of that depressing hole and start working towards a more positive note! This was a good day to begin with! Good morning!

Mango smoothie anyone?

Over a month ago, I challenged my best friend to a 22k run. She took it.

Today, we accomplished the 22k run from TNF 100. It wasn't easy. I got left behind and saw her later on in the finish line. Surprised myself there and while pushing myself to get it done before the cut-off time, I don't know what I put in my head to make me believe I can still push it.

I know it sounds like I'm whining. It's just 22k, there were runners who took 50k and 100k. A 100k finisher ran the 22k with us again. That's hardcore. But thing is, everyone has their own challenges. This was mine.

It was awesome! I finished it! Then it hits you! It didn't feel as rewarding as I imagined it. I didn't have family or friends to see me at the finish line. After I crossed the line, then what. The hype went down and I found myself feeling depressed. It's sad, I know.

What am I going through? :))

I think I'm going crazy.

Pics, or it didn't happen.

I got the chance to catch up with a friend who I haven't seen in 3 or 4 years. The circumstances of our friendship revolved around alcohol, band gigs, nicotine and a lot of staying out late so, he's not someone I would recall as a GOOD friend. 

I congratulated him on his recent switch to a more active lifestyle. He's running now and yes, I've seen it on his Facebook. He'd post a photocollage of his shoes, the map and the distance he finished that day. It's great! I'm so happy for him! I mean, who wouldn't wish the people around them live longer, right?

But apparently, he doesn't feel the same way about me. Since we're talking about active lifestyle, I tell him I'm running too. Just recently but yeah! I'm running too. I go with my best friend. In fact, we're on a suicide mission and registered 22k in The NorthFace Run. Isn't it crazy?

But you know what I got? A doubtful "You joined a marathon?" "You run?"

Oh I'm sorry, I didn't post photos of my shoes so it means I don't run? 

It annoys me that people judge you now based on what you post on Facebook. If you didn't post photos of your vacation abroad, it's like you never even went there. Just because I don't take a photo of the food I eat, it doesn't mean I don't partner my running with a healthy diet. And I've been so tempted to post a photo of my running shoes on Facebook just to show you I run but that doesn't make sense now, does it?

I just find everything on Facebook so pretentious. 

Should I start taking half naked photos of my body to show everyone how I progressed from 170lbs to 130lbs? 

It could inspire people? Who am I kidding? It's just going to inflate my ego with all the likes and the wows from friends I barely know. 

So, here's a photo of my running shoes on gravel. Just because.

What's going on?

The need to look good while running just went a notch higher.

Running, just when me and Chi were talking about being able to greet someone good morning without losing our rhythm, I meet someone from the past. Let's name him Fortune Cookie and stop there. We never met him again in the same route and I think that's fine. 

Last week while trying an uphill route, a guy riding a bike passes us by and says my name. Surprise! I had to catch my breath to say "Hey! Good morning!" I wanted it to sound as effortless as I could but I failed. It was an uphill route, what did he expect. 

Instead of turning around, we pushed the uphill road anyway. I swear, if I see any of those shitheads from my past, I swear I'll flip. (Forgive the language, I mean this in the sweetest way possible, I love these men, don't get me wrong.) I just find it irritating that they see me at a very unattractive state. I was hoping they could see me when I'm looking hot and poised. 

This isn't what I hoped for. But it was funny. It still is.  

Running: Week 2

Am I getting stronger? Definitely! I can feel it!

It's only an added perk that I lost 2lbs., like an added booster for me to keep going. Other than that, I can run now. I mean, not fast, but I can keep a pace. As long as I don't sprint unexpectedly, I can run a straight 3k distance. An improvement by any measure!

As for food, I'm eating a little bit more healthier too! Here's breakfast two days ago! It's from Ebai's Cafe near Victory Liner in Engineer's Hill. We hit a gold mine right here, I've always known about this place but never really tried it. We had lemon grass tea and it was wonderful! Something that reminds me of Sagada. We tried their pasta once but chose the vegetable lumpia that day. It was filling and oh-so-good!

I know we both look like s**t but we're good. Our skin's better, we feel a lot better and I love the early morning therapies! It came at the right time when I'm stressing about future plans for me and my little monster. Every time I have a plan, I get sucked into a series of issues that renders my plan "impossible."

I've made a decision though, I'm not sacrificing my son for a career. He'll always be first. Even if I have to carry him with me where ever I need to go to get my trainings done. I WILL FIND A WAY.

Morning Run-ins

What more must I say? :))

Funny Friday

Running has a lot of perks! I love it! It's like a community! Well, I guess it is. Joggers would greet us GOOD MORNING! and it felt awesome! It felt a lot better than getting hit on. Haha!

So, the goal was to run at least 10k without looking like we got trampled over. The goal is to be able to say good morning back without losing a beat while running. The goal is to smile and say good morning. It's pretty hard especially for me. I can't seem to get my body to coordinate. The moment I breathe out of my mouth, I trip on my feet. How lame is that? Haha!

But it's a process. I can run 3k without stopping now and without looking like I'm out of air. That's an awesome achievement. We've been at this running thing for 2 weeks. Not bad. We've got 2 more weeks before The North Face run and we're feeling good. I, personally would want to finish that race but if I don't get to the finish line on time, I'm perfectly fine. It's already a win for me since it's a first step to being fit! Did I mention SEXY? Haha!

Here's an excerpt from an entertaining Friday!

2014 The North Face 100

Challenging myself to something I haven't done in 10 years. My first run was exactly 10 years ago. It was the 10k Milo Marathon. I finished the 10k in an embarrassing 4 hour time. Trust me, I felt like a complete idiot for joining in the first place. Thanks to (good friends, very good friends)Deus and Larry for dragging my ass to the finish line. They would have completed the run in less than 2 hours if it wasn't for me. It was just one of those things I did out of "okay, I can do this."

I want this to be different. I want this run to be something I'll accomplish. I want this for myself. If anyone has been following my blogs, you'd know by now how many challenges I've failed. But that's the thing right? It doesn't matter how much I fail, I'll keep challenging myself. Everyday is not Monday. Things change and it can always get better.

This is for me. This is me, taking small steps to finally finding my happy place.

And because I know I'm not the only one going through something in life, I dragged my best friend to take this run with me. We both need a jump start to improve ourselves and this is one of the toughest challenges we'll take together. It's just the beginning. Don't knock it till you try it. We've got exactly a month and we're pretty pumped. We're doing this no matter how shitty we look like after a 6k training run. A long way to go to get 22k but Retreat? Hell! Hahahaha!

Importance of Keeping Records

I'm a Class A procrastinator. Obviously from my sporadic blog posts, you can tell. But one thing I'm regretting right now is not keeping a record of my little monster's progress. I remember thinking "Yeah, I should write this down, print that photo and put it in an album."

That was a year and eight months ago. I still haven't printed his birthday photos and yep, I still don't have a book where to write his firsts (first steps, first food, when he started talking, etc.) I still don't have one and it's making me feel bad. I also lost his baby book, so yeah. Talk about feeling REALLY bad.

I'm the type of person who can't start something if there are missing materials or ingredients. As an excuse, I kept telling myself, I don't have a baby book to write all these awesome things. But today's different. I brought the little boy to the doctor and when she asked me what are the previous medications prescribed to my little boy, I couldn't answer. I gave as much medicine names as I can remember buying but of course, that's not as accurate as what a baby book would have provided.

I kept thinking about this on our way home and so, I'm taking my 2014 planner and putting notes about my little boy in that book. I'm not a planning person anyway, so it's fine.

For starters, I promise to print out his birthday photos soon. :))

Such a lazy afternoon, my little boy's napping. I just want to doze off and do nothing but I'm sure I'll regret that later!

First BDJ Box

I’ve waited 3 months for this box! 

By the time I got myself to purchase a box from them, they were fully booked until March! Initial impression, I’M IMPRESSED! 

I’ve been longing to try the brand Benefit! 

I think this month is going to be awesome for me! More about the contents later! 

Getting Back the Vibe

Dead air happens even when you're with your most comfortable friend or partner. For writers, it's called the writer's block. In my own words, I'd say it's a period of time where a writer can't seem to get anything in words. Well, there might be the occasional jibber jabber but nothing he or she would judge as suitable for readers.

Call it that or laziness, I had a dry period in terms of writing. In fact, I'd say my recent "dead air" is more of an uninspired, unmotivated, I-don't-know-what-to-do-now kind of phase. Dull moments. Bleh.

So, receiving good news from my employer after days of vacationing and not working without notice, I feel I owe it to myself to get back on my feet. Challenging myself to be happy and find joy in simple things, I'd like to start with the good news today.

I got a raise! It's not big per se but for me, it's more of a validation that I'M NEEDED. I'm not as expendable as I thought I was. Aside from a LITTLE salary raise, we had an agreement to change the payment terms. I will be paid by the hour so that would mean getting extra should I decide to work more hours than usual! I LOVE IT!

And another thing to be thankful was arriving safely from Manila early this morning. A weekend beach getaway to Batangas sponsored by my little monster's grandparents, it was a much appreciated free vacation! Tiring! 6 hours from Baguio to Manila, 4 hours Manila to Batangas and back again, PHEW! My skin's showing stress! But the beach and good food made up for the heat and butt pain. ;)

I'm expecting more good things to come! I'm hoping for more good things to come and I'm going to make ways for MORE GOOD THINGS TO COME!

Dessert @ Sage

I would have asked my sister to take a second shot where I would smile better but the camera's battery was gone. 

We took a side trip after enrolling for a class in BCSAT. It's a short walk from Tesda in PFVR to Sage in Military Cut-off.

I love the ambiance in Sage. Purple and muted shades of green! Good food, quiet place. Non-smoking area which is probably one of the reasons it doesn't attract the younger "hanging" out type of people. Good business decision, in my opinion. They've designated a smoking area outside (the entrance area).