Getting in the zone

There comes a time when the sport that lets you breathe kills you, but it’s up to you to turn the table around and change that to what you really want.

class picture before we go to war

What is it all about? For what? Do I consider myself an athlete? Why am I doing this? What is the medal for? What will I gain from all of this stupidity? Can I make it despite this extreme pain? What am I trying to prove?

Ultra CB adiks! (Yan, Prince, Marvs, Doday, Jimmy, Cris and Ellen)

And in the middle part of it, you’ll find the answers
This is not about the race, its about me. Because I haven’t reach my limitation. Damn right I am one! The longer the distance, the longer freedom I get. I made it!. Prove myself I’m wrong. Pain is temporary. Through all this adversities, my friends and loved ones don’t want me to quit! They want me to cross that line and not to let them down…Hell I’m gonna finish what I started!!

Barney, Super Hero and Terrestrial

These are some of the questions that lingered from KM 30-50 of PAU Western Pangasinan 65K Ultra Marathon. For those 20 kilometers of pain, it is what I consider as “a masterpiece”, why? because the thing that hit me feels like an impossible journey from where what Dr. Sherwin Botabora dubbed as Achilles Tendonitis. At first I tried to brush it off but the sharp pain instinctively put on a show and held me captive for a nasty 20KMs.

we are the sweepers! pano na?

So much for arguing with oneself, with the help of my teammates, miraculously, I was able to lift my feet thinking I have to move past this pain that its all in the mind, I tried to walk in a limping fashion and thinking I still have 35KMs with less than 7 hours plus the scorching heat that awaits from 10am-3pm which seems so freakin’ impossible. Doing the math, it’s still possible but with less breaks (stops that is). This is the time i decided to have my own support crew leave and take care of my 2 other team mates who are already ahead by 2-3KMs. Needless to say that some sacrifices are worthy, being a monkey on their backs will eventually takes its toll on the support itself.

Lolo Earl providing the ultimate motivation (right heel on ice).. Do Not Quit session

I owe this race to Jimmy, Doc Sherwin, Eric and Ellen for sticking with me. This was the toughest race on a ruined plan to finish with a decent time. I only managed to find the right rhythm after we reached the 50th KM of this race. Heavy downpour at KM 51, Jim and I found a shelter, rested for a while and waited for the rain to stop while watching the rest of the sweepers outrun the downpour. It was like a restart, after the rain we tried running, Surprising as it is, the pain on my right heel slowly disappeared. Tried to test it during downhills for a kilometer or two and eventually faded.

still able to post a shoutout.. thank you friends for the support

Saw a Tucson, my support crew from the opposite lane approaching! wohooo its Yogi to the rescue!!! last 2 stops. Grabbed my phone and still managed to twit and open my FB while walking on the long white paved lane of Sual, kids must not do, even for adults while driving. I received a couple of wild loud horns from those buses, very dangerous! (pasaway mode)

Fortunate enough that the last 4 or 5 KMs are most part zigzag downhills. Locals cheering which keeps the motivation on a high tide! Keep running!!! Bumped into Yanyan and paced for a couple. Giving it all I’ve got, reached the final 3 corners before heading the finishline. I can see my friends cheering! It is definitely for them!

not for the target time.. just finish the race and survive for them!

All the answers will be a 20/20 once you see and cross that finishline arc. Now the ultimate question of why I run with this insane distance and my life on the line? simple… I can be the happiest idiotic human being for days once i cross that line.. Im in the ZONE with my friends and loved ones

Heaviest finisher medal+ HQ Adidas sleeveless para sa mga adik!

Thank you Sir Jovie Narcise for the unbelievable route, NFFs,Team USB, Team Intensity, Team Boring, Team Ungas, Heartbreak’ers, Hangout Buddies, Doc Arturo Virata, ultra idols. My graditude to my Team CB Family, PRince and Marvs for the early pace. Earl, Rona, Bave and the rest of Team KTT for the motivation and insisting that I finish the race despite the pain. Jimmy, Doc Sherwin, Eric and Ellen for hanging with me during the dreadful afternoon. To Brandy for unexpectedly showing up on the dying KMs, salamat paps! The undying support is just overwhelming. Thank you thank you

Lastly to Doc Apple Ticsay .. you know the reason why

dinner at Dencio's Luisita with friends (NFFs and Team Boring crew)

Sa susunod na pagkikita mga adik!

pics courtesy of Yan, Irene, Team USB and Bave