There will be a Final Briefing and CLP on or about 5:30 PM of December 16, 2011 at the Headquarters Special Operations Command (SOCOM) in Fort Magsaysay, Palayan City for all the participants in the 1st Taklang Damulag 100-Mile Endurance Run. The event will have its Gunstart the following day at 5:00 AM (December 17, 2011).
The 1st Taklang Damulag Half-Marathon will have its Gun Start at 5:00 AM of December 18, 2011 infront of the Headquarters Special Operations Command (SOCOM). On Site Registration will be allowed one hour before the Gun Start and a briefing will follow on the route and conduct of the race. The registration fee is One Thousand Five Hundred Pesos (P 1,500).
The following will be the mandatory kits to be carried by the participants of the TD 100-Mile Endurance Run:
1. First Aid Kit
2. Headlight and/or Hand-held Flashlight
3. Hydration System that would last up to 20 kilometers.
4. Cell Phone
5. Light Water-proof Jacket (In case of inclement weather/rains)
6. “Wet Wipes”
As for the TD Half-Marathon runners, they have to carry a hydration system, cellphone, and First Aid Kit.
These kits will be inspected during the Final Briefing (for the TD 100 runners) and On Site Registration (for the TD Half-Marathon runners).
Drop Bags will be allowed in Only Two Aid Stations ( at the Starting Area and at the Fernandez Hill). Make sure to mark your respective drop bags with your name and race number and they will be collected before the Gun Start.
It is about time that our local ultrarunners should and may be able to experience what it is like to run a 100-mile trail endurance run. This idea came about during the first quarter of this year as I tried my best to come up with a venue where familiarity and security are the most important factors to be considered. Since Fort Magsaysay of the Philippine Army is the most accessible and visitor-friendly among the military camps outside Metro Manila and for having been stationed and assigned to this camp in my past military carreer, the camp is the best choice for such running event.
Planning had been done since July of this year and the course had been plotted and I had personally ran through the route. Some of the detailed technical data/map are yet to be published in electronic and printed form but I will assure all the participants that the course will be well-marked and guides/marshals will be stationed in critical areas where runners might be lost and might choose or end up in another trail/route.
There will be ample Aid Stations along the route which will be serving hydration needs and solid and hot foods to everybody. However, each runner must be able to bring with them their hydration system during the run. There are portions of the route where sari-sari/convenience stores are located in the centers of populated areas and runners must be able to bring with them some cash. Some portions of the route are accessible to support vehicles, however, there is NO need to bring support vehicle during the race. I will not be strict on the use of support vehicle as long as they will not “shadow” or “pace” with the runner or else the runner will be disqualified. Every runner should be able take advantage of the food and services of the Aid Stations.
Since this is a “pilot event” and the “first” of its kind in the country, we have prepared finisher’s swags (belt buckle, individual medallion, individual trophy, and Finisher’s Shirt) to only FORTY (40) FINISHERS within the cut-off time of 32 HOURS. If you have officially finished a 50-mile or 100K trail/road race, you are qualified to join this race.
FINAL BUCKLE wil have a SILVER CARABAO HEAD With the GOLD SUN
For the local runners, the registration fee is Six Thousand Pesos (P 6,000). For the foreign runners, the registration fee is One Hundred Fifty US Dollars ( $150). Payments can be made to the A Running Circle Store Manila (ARC); Landbank Account Number 1686-0795-85 in the name of Jovenal Narcise; or during the Briefing Event on December 16, 2011 in Fort Magsaysay, Palayan City. Updates on the Briefing Event will be announced in this blog or at my Facebook Event Wall. Registration starts TODAY. If you have further inquiries, you can send your e-mail at jovie75@hotmail.com or post a message on my Facebook Wall.
The course is an EASY Course which consists of an 80-Kilometer Loop where the runners would run twice. The 80K Loop goes around the periphery of Fort Magsaysay’s Cantonment Area and 50K of that loop will cover 2 loops of up and down the Taklang Damulag and Fernandez Hills. To summarize, runners would run 2 loops of the 80-K Loop and 4 loops of the Taklang Damulag-Fernandez Hills Complex. The course has an estimated total ascent of 17,000+ feet and total descent of 18,000+feet.
The Race starts on or about 5:00 AM (or earlier) of December 17, 2011 infront of the Special Operations Command Headquarters in Fort Magsaysay, Palayan City. The race has a cut-off time of 32 Hours. If a runner can not complete ONE Loop (80K) within 15 Hours, he/she will be declared DNF. PACER (one at a time) is allowed to join the runner on his/her SECOND Loop up to the FINISH Only.
For the Half-Marathon Event, the Registration Fee is One Thousand Five Hundred Pesos (P 1,500). Details of registration and payment of fees are the same with the 100-Mile event.
To refresh the participants, the following were the posts I have published in relation with the planning of the event:
If you finish this running event, you don’t only earn a very distinct “bragging rights” among Pinoy Ultrarunners but also have the rights and privelege to be a PART in the History of Running In The Country.
My interest in watching the movie, “The Way”, came from the pilgrimage-experience of Father Picx Picardal which he blogged on a regularl basis last year while walking & jogging (in barefoot and sandals) along the El Camino De Santiago (The Way of St James) from the French border town of Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port to the city of Santiago de Compostela in Spain. The route covers a distance of more than 800 kilometers along the Pyrenees Mountains. In 35 days, he reached his destination. His journal/diary about his pilgrimage is clearly explained & described in his blog.
It was in April this year that I was able to discover in the Internet that there is movie produced/filmed about the El Camino De Santiago by Emilio Estevez with his father, Martin Sheen as the lead actor. My research would lead me to more advertisements and websites about the movie with no definite date yet when the movie will be released in the local theaters. Finally, on the first week of October, the movie, “The Way”, started to be shown in selected theaters in the United States.
Movie: "The Way"
I watched the movie on its third week of showing and I considered it as one of the best drama movies I’ve seen in the past 20 years. I don’t need to tell the synopsis of the movie and it is up for my readers to watch the movie when the time it will be released in the local theaters in the Philippines. If you have watched it already on DVD, then it is something that it should be a part of your collection of movies.
Now you ask me, why do I have to feature it in my blog? I was inspired by the movie and the diary of Father Picx Picardal that I’ve placed it in my “Bucket List”. This could be my greatest “adventure run” throughout my entire life.
With The Final Movie Poster In Theaters
It’s time to meet Father Picx Picardal in person to discuss on the details of my plan.
In a 6-hour “runabout” in Los Angeles, I was able to discover that the first Olympic Gold Medalist in both platform and sprinboard diving events in one Olympic Games is a Filipina, whose father is a Filipino and mother from England, born in San Francisco, California on December 31, 1924. She was almost 24 years old when she won the two Gold Medals in the 1948 London Olympic Games. Her name is Victoria Manalo Draves and she is 5′ 1″ in height. She died last year at the age of 85 due to pancreatic cancer and I could not remember if her death was featured in the local newspapers.
Victoria Manalo Draves With Samie Lee (South Korean-American) (From Google Images)
I discovered her name written on a big mural inside a Public Park along Beverly Boulevard & Union Street in Los Angeles, California. It led me to research about her on the Internet.
A Public Park With A Mural Depicting the History of Filipinos In AmericaThe Lady With The Gold Medal
The following links have lots of information about her life, training, and inspiration she shared as one of the public parks in San Franciso, California was named after her.
Technically, her feat was not considered as part of the Philippine Sports Annals as she represented the USA Team, However, for having her roots and blood as a Filipina, it would inspire us to develop our potentials in water sports, most especially to diving. It is a shame on our part that this Filipina Lady is not fully well-known in our country. Correct me if I am wrong.
Do we have a separate sports federation for diving? I guess, it could be a part and under the PASA. PASA? Did it deliver for Gold harvest in the 26th SEA Games?
September 22, 2011: From Botolan to Santa Cruz, Zambales
After 4.5 hours of sleep at the Circles Inn in Botolan, Zambales, I had my shower and ready for the second day of my run. My team and I went to the commercial center of Iba, Zambales and chose Mang Inasal for our brunch.
One for the customers talked to me (seeing my ARC Los Angeles shirt) and she is apparently a United States’ resident who was born in Iba, Zambales and is the owner of one of the Beach Resorts which is situated at least 2-3 kilometers north of the Poblacion. After our brunch, we went back to the place where I stopped at the vicinity of Poblacion Botolan, Zambales. After some preparation for my hydration and food, I finally started my run at 11:00 AM and the weather was cloudy with a 100% chance of rains later in the day.
It Rained On My First 5K For The Day
After covering a distance of 6 kilometers, I was already at the center of Iba, Zambales, the capital town of the province. There was a portion where there is one way street for vehicles going to the north as well as those going to the opposite direction. I took the road where vehicles going to the North would usually take. It was uneventful as I was able to cover another 3-4 kilometers away from the town.
Slept For 1 1/2 Hours After Taking In Some Food
I really didn’t know what hit me as it started to rain/drizzle and started to feel weak. I took a rest in one of the waiting sheds along the road and asked my crew to serve me some solid foods and Ensure Drinks. However, after drinking the Ensure Drinks, I felt sleepy and just laid down on my back.
I woke up after 1 ½ hours and started to eat some solid foods. Even it was noisy due to the sounds of the passing tricycles, I was able to have the much-desired rest. I immediately prepared myself to continue my run. I was aware that from this place I will have to encounter some hilly portions along the route.
The plan for the day was to cover as much as many kilometers for the day until the night and the following morning.
Looking Fresh After The Sleep
It was already at 5:00 PM when I was approaching the next town, Palauig, most especially near the Headquarters of the 24th
Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army. Having arranged beforehand about my run through their Area of Responsibility, I knew that the Battalion Commander will provide me with security personnel in civilian attire along the route. This part of the route was mountainous and for security reasons, there is a need to be cautious about the place.
Approaching The 24th IB Headquarters In Palauig, Zambales
After passing the highest peak in the said town, I had another “pit stop” before running through the night. I had to choose to stop infront of the Iglesia Ni Kristo churches along the way because it is well-lighted and the personnel/guards on their gates were very accommodating. We plugged on their electric outlets for the needed heating of our water in our electric thermos. The INK Church and its people in Palauig, Zambales were great!
On The Road Towards Masinloc, Zambales
At first, there were two motorcycle-riding intelligence personnel of the Philippine Army who gave me the security along the way through the night who would alternately switched from one position to another—one is pre-positioned at least one kilometer ahead and one is at least on my back at a seeing distance. These guys pretended to be like locals and they tried to be discrete on their locations and actions. It was fine with me as long as I have somebody to secure my movement during the night.
At midnight, these two personnel were changed with two personnel with a single motorcycle and they did what they were tasked. After an hour of running, I asked them to join me in my “pit stop” and shared my food (coffee and sandwich) to them. Conversations with them on my “pit stops” gave me more information about the place and its people.
"Pit Stop" Infront of the Iglesia Ni Kristo's Church In Masinloc, Zambales
The mountains and hills of Palauig and Masinloc of Zambales were not noticed as I was running in the dark but I had to “power walk” on those inclines and jog/run on the descending portions of the route. These places are a “must” for cyclists to train and see the beauty of the province. The town of Candelaria was uneventful as the route started to level off until I reached the town of Santa Cruz, Zambales.
At 5:30 AM on the following day, I reached the Poblacion of Santa Cruz, Zambales, the last town of the province and decided to have a rest/break. I was able to run a distance of 66+ kilometers on my second day. For the two days that I’ve been running, I was able to cover a distance of 141 kilometers.
Not being able to look for a decent place to stay within the town, I had to drive all the way to Alaminos, Pangasinan, 60 kilometers away, for the much-needed rest.
9:30 AM September 21, 2011 to 4:00 AM September 22, 2011
One week after I was bitten by an astray dog in San Narciso, Zambales during my first attempt on this adventure run, I was back where I started at the Remy Field’s Oval Track inside the Subic Freeport. I started the run at 9:30 AM which is 30 minutes earlier than the targetted 10:00 AM start time. As I was about to enter the Oval Track, I met some triathletes, Melvin Fausto and two others on their bikes who just had their running workout at the Oval Track. I told them about my event to start a run from the Oval Track all the way to Pangasinan. These guys wished me good luck and shaked my hand before I finally started the run.
Wearing Colored Red Attire For Luck!One Lap Around The Oval Track
After a brief photo-ops and one lap around the oval track, I was on my way for my second attempt to finish what I’ve started. Initially the sky was clear from clouds but I could feel a colder wind coming from the sea. I walked the first 2 kilometers until I reached the Kalaklan Gate & Bridge and turned left as I entered the Olongapo-Bugallon Highway. You would notice in my picture that I was wearing the red ARC (Los Angeles) shirt and red Zhensa calf sleeves. I thought this color would mean “luck” for me on this attempt. It was also my attempt to run with my Hoka One One Bondi B (courtesy of Joe Matias of ARC) and find out its comfortability in road runs. I’ll make a separate shoe review on this pair of shoes later in my future posts.
Walking For The 1st 2 KilometersStill Wakling Towards The Kalaklan Gate @ Subic Base
I was already confident and familiar with the terrain from the Olongapo City Public Cemetery all the way to San Narciso, Zambales. I became faster this time as I limited my “pit stops” and shortened my time to rest and eat solid foods. I never attempted to update my blog or opened my laptop as I wanted to cover much more distance this time.
Running On the Left Side Of The Road
It started to rain after I left the town of Subic and as I was approaching the town of Castillejos, Zambales. I had to bring out my The North Face “Venture” Waterproof Jacket and used it to protect my body from the cold feeling brought about by a damp shirt on my body. I’ve observed that even if my shirt was wet from my own perspiration, I could still feel a comfortable temperature that is being maintained on my body using the TNF Waterproof Jacket. The body heat that is trapped by the jacket balances the cold feeling that is brought by the damp shirt to my body. The jacket gave me the much-needed comfort during the downpour of rain.
About To Have A "Pit Stop" Inside The Waiting ShedQuicker "Pit Stops" This Time!And The It Rained But I Had to Push On
I never had a decent lunch this time as I ate some solid foods and tried to ingest some GU Gels in between my “pit stops”. In this manner, I was able to cover farther distance from my first attempt. As scheduled, I had again my decent dinner in the very same place where I had dinner in San Narciso, Zambales. This time, my crew and I stayed longer in the said “carinderia” and we had to engage them with some conversation. They were surprised to see us again for the second time and we told them about the dog bite incident. We later found out that the owner of the establishment is a retired Philippine Marines. Ultimately, they knew our purpose why we were there. However, we paid for our bill.
Second Time Around @ The Same Carinderia
A short conversion with the owner of the carinderia spread like a wildfire that every people along the route in the Poblacion of San Narciso knew that I was on my way to Iba, Zambales which is still 43 kilometers away by running through the night. I could hear the conversations among the people along the road and among the tricycle drivers waiting for passengers from arriving buses and pointing at me that I was running towards the capital town of the province. At this point, I was already on my 8th hour of running for the day.
Night Run In Action!
I brought out my headlight and my Surefire Flashlight and became wiser now from not using my Ipod during night run and for that matter, on this whole second attempt of this run! The highway was dark and I could only see some lights on the road in the center of each municipality. The road was silent and my support vehicle and crew were on my back “shadowing” me. There was no vehicle around except for the Victory Liner Buses that travel along the said Highway. I would observe that it’s the only Bus Transport Line that caters to the said route. I was already running on the right side of the road with my support vehicle on my back giving me more illumination on the road ahead of me.
Another Quick "Pit Stop"
My headlight served as my early warning light from incoming vehicles while my Surefire flashlight served as my weapon for barking dogs along the road, I have observed that the powerful illumunation from this special type of handheld flashlight is so strong that dogs would stop barking. I believe that this kind of flashlight is used among the police and military security forces to stun their targets through their stong and powerful illumination. So, for the whole stretch of the road, I was protected by this flashlight. However, from time to time, one of my escorts would come out from my support vehicle with a baseball bat just to be ready to use it if there is any brave dog who would attack me while I was running. Yes, I was well-armed and protected this time!
At The Cabangan, Zambales Arc Boundary
The next town was San Felipe after San Narciso, It was uneventful until I reached the Poblacion of Cabangan, Zambales. As I was about to take my “pit stop”, I was approached by one of the residents riding on his bike and a conversation started. I forgot to ask his name but I’ll just call him as “Cabangan Biker” (CB). Some portions of our conversation went this way: (Our converation was in Tagalog but I’ll have to translate it to English in this post)
Cabangan Biker (CB): It seems you are running through the night. Where did you start and where is your destination?
Bald Runner (BR): Yes, I’ve been running since 10:00 AM today and I started in Subic Base. I hope to reach Iba, Zambales before the day breaks.
CB: You are very strong! How old are you, Sir?
BR: I am already 59 years old. You are using a bike. Why are you still awake this time of the night?
CB: I have a small business which I own and operate. I am on my way home when I saw you running towards the Poblacion and I followed you and your support vehicle.
BR: You look very athletic. Do you run, too?
CB: I started running few months ago because a friend of mine invited me to run in one of the road races in Manila. I joined a 5K run and then a 10K run and lately, I just finished a half-marathon run in RunRio’s UNILAB Run. Now, we have a running club here among friends.
BR: That’s good! Congratulations on your first half-marathon finish!
CB: Our running club only join races in Manila when it is a Run Rio’s Event!
BR: Of course, you have to be selective in your races because it is very expensive on your part to be travelling from Cabangan, Zambales to Manila and back. Why do you like and prefer to run in Run Rio’s Events?
CB: Our group likes RunRio Events because there are more people/participants running the race. We find enjoyment if we see a lot of different people running along side with us. The more people to see, the better for us! However, I am a competitive cyclist and it is my favorite sports!
BR: So, you are a cyclist! Do you participate in cycling events, too? How often?
CB: We have cycling group/team here and we usually compete in Subic Cycling Events and to other provincial cycling events to include Duathlons!
BR: So you are very athletic and competitive also. That’s good! C’mon let’s eat!
While Talking To "CB" @ The Cabangan Public Plaza
The conversation went on as I consumed the hot noodles and boiled bananas prepared for me. I found out from CB, who is in his late 30s, that Cabangan Poblacion is the turn-around point for the cycling stage in the yearly White Rock 70.3 Triathlon. So, basically the route where I was running is the route of the White Rock 70.3 Triathlon. Very interesting!
After I finished with my “pit stop”, I resumed my run towards the next town—Botolan. CB was still looking at me as I left the Poblacion’s Public Park!
I could only see at least 10-15 meters ahead of me brought about by the light of my support vehicle and the rest on my sides was totally dark. From time to time , I had to check on my watch for my HR and I was surprised that I was having an average of 132 bpm during the run. I was running comfortably making sure to take a sip of water from my handheld Nathan “Sprint” bottle (bought from ARC Los Angeles). And everything was on “cruise control”. I would stop as I asked for my hydration bottle to be filled up with water. There are times also that I had to take some GU Gels every other hour. I was running an average of 6-7 kilometers per hour on this part of the route as I didn’t know if I was running uphill or downhill except when approaching on bridges. All the bridges on this part of the route have uphill approaches but as soon as you reach the end of the bridge, everything is downhill.
The distance and the road from Cabangan to Botolan took me sometime to cover it. It could be a half-marathon distance with lots of uphill and downhill on the last 6 kilometers from the town’s Poblacion. The best part of this route was that I could hear the sound of the strong waves coming from the beach on my left side and it became good “music” to my ears for almost 8-10 kilometers! The worse part is that on the last 3 kilometers from the Poblacion of Botolan, there is a road construction and widening of the road being done and the road was full of mud and loose soil. The feeling was that as if I was running on a trail for about 2 kilometers. I thought it was better to be running on muddy and damp ground rather than running on a dusty road. It was good also that there were only one or two vehicles that passed me along this part of the route.
Finally, I reached the Poblacion of Botolan and it was about 3:30 AM of September 22 and I was on the road for the past 17 hours! I did a slow run once I passed the Municipal Hall and started to walk and be ready for a short “pit stop”. After eating boiled banana and eggs, I felt sleepy and it started to rain. I decided to get inside the vehicle and look for a decent place where I could change to dry clothes and sleep for awhile. From this point, I still have 6 kilometers to go before reaching Iba, Zambales!
The rain was so hard that I could hardly see the road while I was inside the vehicle. Moreso, it was harder to look for the names of the establishments on the sides of the road. It took us sometime to find a place as most of the resorts did not have a personnel to man their registration offices at 4:00 AM. Finally, we checked in to a new motel which has the amenities of a hotel. I guess, the name of the establishment is “Circles Inn” which is located in between Botolan and Iba, Zambales! I went immediately to bed once I changed to a drier clothes and my support crew just did that. We were all tired after 18+ hours on the road
The plan was to sleep for about 4 hours, take a bath, change to a new attire, have a decent meal, and we were ready to continue the journey for our second day! So far, everything went well and I was able to cover a distance of 73 kilometers!
Lessons learned:
1. I could run and walk as far as 73 kilometers in 18+ hours to include “pit stops”.
2. I could run on the run & bike legs of the White Rock 70.3 Triathlon Event and I am now familiar with it. It does not mean that I will try also to swim its swimming course at the Subic Bay in the future. But, who knows?
3. A simple conversation from the local residents creates a fast news to everybody along the road.
4. It is nice to engage to people along the road and find out more about the place and the people.
5. Local folks would like to run in Metro Manila (and Run Rio’s Event) for the fun of being part of a bigger crowd & running community.
6. All night running is very relaxing and silent. The cooler temperature made my Average HR to be in the lower 130’s and it kept me going without any muscle cramps or soreness on my legs.
7. And last, Surefire Flashlights are really good for barking/attacking dogs along the road!
1st Mayon 360-degree 50-Mile Ultra Marathon Run had been adjudged and awarded as the 2011 Best Sports Tourism Event (Provincial Level Category) by the Association of Tourist Officers of the Philippines (ATOP) during the newly concluded Convention among Tourism Officers and Agencies in Capiz City (Roxas) last October 3-6, 2011.
This kind of running event in the “grassroots” level should be a good example to be emulated by the local government. It was a very successful event due to the full support given by the leadership of the province through the Office of the Governor of Albay. Governor Joey Salceda was totally supportive of the event in terms of cash prizes and for the logistics needed to implement the event. The JCI of Legazpi was instrumental also in creating and organizing this event but what matters most was the cooperation and “volunteerism” by the members of the Provincial League of Barangays and other government entities in the province.
I don’t need to mention particular names of those who were involved in the planning and implimentation of the event in this post as I had mentioned them already in my Race Director’s Report after the event.
Congratulations to everybody! See you next year on the 2nd edition of the race!
As you all know, I stopped this run after covering the distance of 40 kilometers after being bitten by an astray dog at the Poblacion of San Narciso, Zambales at around 7:40 PM of September 14, 2011, Wednesday. However, I would like to relate what transpired, in detail, from the time before I started the run up to the time when I reached the Poblacion of San Narciso.
The day before I started this first attempt, I was having some problem with my stomach as I’ve been having a LBM for the past days and I was taking Loperamide tablets on a daily basis but to no avail, my condition did not improve. I was wondering if I had a stomach virus that was keeping me from being cured from such predicament. The solution that I could think of was to take a Loperamide tablet every time I have to eat and drink something few hours before I took off. Such move relieved me somehow.
Not Smiling While It Was Raining
However, my aggressive drive was not there when I started for my “photo-ops” inside the Remy Field’s Oval Track at the Subic Freeport. You can’t see a smile on my face and for the first time in my adventure runs, I was nervous of the uncertainty of the challenge I was going to face. I guess, my biorythm was not synchronized with what was in my mind. But it suddenly rained while I was about to finish one lap on the oval track and my mood changed a little with the fact that this could be a “blessing” from heaven that it was a “GO” for me to continue this run. I finally started my run at 9:50 AM which is barely 10 minutes earlier from the usual 10:00 AM Elite runner’s realease for the Badwater Ultramarathon. (Note: If ever this will be an official running event, the race will start at exactly 10:00 AM)
I purposely walked while I was leaving the oval track and making my way to the Kalaklan Gate which is located on the northern end of the former US Navy Base of Subic. As I passed the Gate, I waved to the Security Police that was guarding the gate, he responded with a smile and I was out of the base. As I passed the bridge and turned left towards the Olongapo-Bugallon Highway, I was still walking and I was on the ascending portion that goes to the Gate of the Olongapo City Public Cemetery. I came to realize that the whole portion of the hill occupies the
Once I reached the peak, I started my slow run in the descending portion. I was always on the left side of the road making sure that I can see what is infront of me. The road to Olongapo City was a busy one and I was very careful of the incoming traffic because the road was wet due to the brief rain in the area.
Busy Road On The Stretch of Olongapo To Subic
My support vehicle was prepositioned in front of me in every 3 kilometers and I had to stop and cross the road to the other side in a careful matter in order to refill my handy Nathan “Sprint” Bottle and eat some solid foods. I was fortunate enough that the sun was covered with clouds for the first hour of my run. The first 4-5 kilometers was a “roller-coaster” where I strictly followed walking on the ascending portions and then running the descending ones. However, I have to regularly check on my Heart Rate Monitor Watch to be able to maintain a certain range of beats per minute. I made 135 bpm as my upper limit on my first 10 kilometers of the run.
Along the stretch from Olongapo City to the town of Subic (actually I was surprised that there is a town named after the former US Naval Base/Facility) which is a distance of about 10 kilometers, I could see only two things along the road—entrance to the beach resorts and bold & colored names of night clubs/bars. There are also commercial establishments and cafes where you can see “senior white” guys drinking their coffee and smoking their cigar (not cigarettes!). A typical “Cool”-look of retired US servicemen who knew their way around in the country and in Subic/Olongapo area. They are good contributors to the economy of the place. You could just imagine how they could spend their monthly retirement pay with a business to manage, a young wife/partner, a nice house with maids, a nice car, and a beach/sea where they could relax. Such kind of life way back to their country of origin would be a fortune and luxury only for the rich and famous!
Waving To A "White" Guy Who Was Hiking On The Other Side Of The Road
It is along this stretch where I made my first status on Facebook, telling something about being “horny” while running on the hot and humid stretch of the Olongapo-Bugallon Highway and I received a lot of comments immediately after I posted it. Actually my feeling during the run was the complete opposite of what I’ve posted. I was trying to entertain myself and taking some positive vibes as the sun was already hot and it was noon time already. My hydration and nutrition strategy was strictly followed in order to last for the distance and I was feeling fine and strong.
No Need To Explain..I Was Simply Tired Due To The Heat
I have to rest in waiting sheds along the road and most of them are located on my right. After eating and hydrating myself, I have to open my laptop computer to find out if my Internet connection is strong. I was glad I was able to post a brief summary and some pictures about my run where the signal is strong. It took me at least 30-35 minutes for these “pit stops” and had only a few remaining minutes to complete my targetted number of kilometers in every hour of my run. At least, I would be able to run or cover a distance of 5-6 kilometers per hour to include my rests/”pit stops”. For the next hours, this ritual had been repeated all the way as I covered more towns of Zambales. But I did not meet the required targetted mileage as hours passed by.
Resting Outside A Cemetery!!!!
After Subic, the next place to go was the town of Castillejos, the birthplace of the Former President Ramon Magsaysay. The place is clean and it has paved sidewalks. I did not bother to pay attention that the preserved old house of the former President was on my side which I learned later on my next attempt. The next town would be San Marcelino, a big towm which serves as the meeting point/junction for the towns of San Antonio and San Narciso. If you turn left from the junction of the town near its Municipal Hall and Public Market, you would go along the Old Route that goes to the town of San Antonio but if you go straight, it will lead you to the new highway which is a “shortcut” to the town of San Narciso. This stretch of the Highway is wide, flat and with lesser traffic but the view of the ricefields on both sides of the road was very refreshing. On the east you would see the Zambales-Tarlac Mountains and the west would be endless sight of ricefields and some hills.
The Entrance To Castillejos, ZambalesFavorite Picture Of The Day
After my hourly “pit stops”, I was already on the boundary of San Narciso but I need at least 6 kilometers more to reach the Poblacion and it was starting to get dark. I had to use my Eddie Bauer Headlamp and hand-held flashlight to illuminate the ground about 2 meters ahead of me and I was comfortable with my run. As I slowly reached the Poblacion of San Narciso, I told my support crew that we need to have a decent and “hot” dinner along the first eatery (carinderia) that we could reach. That would be my first complete meal for the day. I decided to pass on the first one because there was a loud Karaoke with an out-of-tune and out-of-beat singer/performer. The place is crowded, too! So, I have to stop on the next eatery where there is no customer.
Scenery Refreshing To The EyesTime To Update My Blog & Post Status On FacebookGetting Dark Approaching San Narciso
The owner of the carinderia was generous and kind that she allowed us to charge my laptop and heat up our electric thermos. For meals that cost us P 120.00 (rice and pork sinigang) and free use of their electricity for about an hour, it was something to cherish when you are in the province. I took some time to update my blog in this carinderia while talking to the owner and to the waitresses who happen to be the nieces of the owner. From our conversation, they were informed that I was running from Subic all the way to their place and hopefully end up in Iba, Zambales. (I did not tell them that I’ll be running further north from their province and end up in Alaminos, Pangasinan!).
Inside The Roadside Carinderia
Fresh from a decent meal and after changing my wet ARC shirt to a dry one, I was ready to continue my run. After almost one kilometer from this carinderia, I was attacked and bitten by an stray dog along a dark portion of the highway, barely 500 meters from the Municipal Hall and Public Plaza of San Narciso. “Houston, we have a problem!”
My first instinct was to stop on a lighted part of the road and see the wound clearly with my hand-held flashlight. I asked for some wet wipes from my support crew and immediately cleaned the wound as there was no blood coming out from the wound. One thing that I failed to prepare and bring was my basic first aid kit. This could be one of the reasons why there was something wrong in me! We had to rely on the services of an open drug store where we bought Betadine, Cotton and Bandage. After buying such medical needs, I walked to the Public Plaza where the park lights are stronger. I just sit on the steps that lead to the park while treating and cleaning my wounds.
My Souvenir On My 1st Attempt
It was time to call the doctors whom I know. Not only one but three of them and they gave me identical recommendations and procedures to follow. After I dropped my phone, I immediately decided to stop the run and go back immediately to Manila for my immediate treatment. In less than 18 hours, I had my anti-tetanus shots first and then my first anti-rabies shots, not after going in 3 different branches of Mercury Drug Store. The anti-rabies shot is not being carried by all Mercury Drug Stores and they are very expensive! For a 1/2 cc of injectable drug that costs P 1,630.00, the company that manufactures it would be making a lot of profit.
As of this writing, I was able to complete the required number of shots within 14 days after the 1st injection and the scars of the dog’s bite leave as a memory/souvenir of my first attempt to run the WC 200.
Stupid as it may seem, I put the blame on me for deciding to use the Ipod Shuffle during this run. For years, I’ve stopped using any wires on my runs but I brough it back last June of this year. (Reading Phil Maffetone’s training influenced me to go back to hearing music during my runs). As I said in previous post, using some kind of music on one’s ears disrupts ones depth of perception on his/her surroundings and it brought me to be complacent on the threat of the barking dogs. Thanks to the late Steve Jobs for inventing the Ipod as I owned a lot in the past and gave them as “gifts” to those who would like to have one when it came to the point that I finally decided to stop having wires during my runs. (It’s amazing that this post ends up to the visionary Steve Jobs! May he rest in peace.)
Bald Runner 
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