Aboitiz Tri 2015

September 12
1.5K - 40K - 10K

The Place
Pico de Loro Cove is nice, it's got a long beach with mountains on either side. The cove is pronounced on both sides extending quite far from the shoreline. With modern facilities situated on the the beach it is quite easy to pamper yourself. The ballroom area where registration and briefing would take place is a little bit far from the beach though. I parked near the beach/starting line and walked along the pathways surrounding a lagoon with hotels and condominiums lining up around it. The pathway is part of the run course and walking on it going to the registration area was a good way for me to gauge how hard or easy it's gonna be later in the afternoon. With its lush greenery around the lagoon, calm is everywhere. Peace in the midst of racing; this is gonna feel awesome.


The Registration 
Right outside the ballroom is an airconditioned, carpeted waiting area devoted for race pack claiming and booths from some of the well known brands in triathlon. I received a red transition bag, race numbers and stickers, timing chip, and a red souvenir shirt. But of course I still have to race to get that finisher's medal bleh.


The Lunch
We had lunch on a tent right beside the finish line. It was hot but convenient. It's in a place sandwiched by a beautiful beach in front and a lagoon and mountains at the back. Ah life is good.



The Briefing
After having lunch I rode on a shuttle car going to the ballroom for the race briefing. It was already under way and heard some good tips from the speaker regarding the approach on the race course. This is an afternoon race and one of the benefits is the time to prepare is more relaxed especially for that one last visit to the toilet for race day jitters. The ballroom area is the best place I've seen in a triathlon toilet bar none hah!


The Race
To tell you the truth just by looking at the startlist I was hoping for a podium finish but days before the race I got sick and quite frankly I didn't know what to expect but my ego was still hopeful. The strategy was to go hard on the swim, relax on the bike and run the fastest towards the finish line. I prepared hard for the swim and run and my time trial on both disciplines were actually excellent before I got sick so it wouldn't be a sin to hope for the best right? When it all started it just didn't seem right, the swim took more effort and the second loop was slower even if the field was already thin at that point. I wasn't huffing and puffing but I was tiring going to transition 1. The plan wasn't happening ;( and on the bike course I was able to watch how the gap became larger with each turnaround and the stop watch was ticking way faster than I could imagine. On the run course I was already walking on some parts of the route just to catch my breath. I was 6th in my age group and the third placer was a good 3 minutes ahead of me. Looking back there was really nothing I could do to change the outcome, I was tired and I played the part. Worst thing..? I got a fever after it was over luckily I bought some medicines with me. 


The Thoughts
The field was small and I liked it that way. There were lots of official photographers on the the race course. The place is paradise everyone would enjoy playing in it. The steep uphill on the bike course was challenging. The run around the lagoon made me appreciate the sport even more. Would I recommend Aboitiz Tri? Wouldn't you?


Thoughts For The Next Race

I've been under the weather these past few days with cough, colds and fever that comes and goes. This is a horrible excuse to not workout, not that I don't like to rest but the timing is just too close to my next race - Aboitiz Tri 2015. The first two days were a pain in my back and sinus not to mention how cold it can get when the fever strikes. I skipped five consecutive meals because of this but now I'm beginning to eat normally. I've been drinking some herbal teas to speed up my recovery. Here are the three herbal teas I am currently cooking. 
1. Salabat (ginger) - for my cough and colds
2. Sambong - for my temperature and kidney so I can drink medicine and flush it out completely 
3. Sapang - a kind of wood that is told to be good at normalizing blood values.

As for the remaining days before the race I'm not too concerned about the planned workouts, my thoughts are in ridding myself of the phlegm that seems to choke me and the sore throat that prevents me from sleeping. I'd rather be breathing good than risk not joining the Saturday afternoon event. I was pretty much in good shape before somebody transmitted the virus to me and I'm confident I'll be on the starting line on September 12.

Good luck to all the participants of Aboitiz Tri. Let's enjoy the race and please be safe :)

I was visiting my classmate who's celebrating his 19th anniversary of priesthood when I suddenly fell ill

Body temperature was high upon waking up

A new playground for me - never even been here before ;)

Online Buying

I'm a frequent online buyer of things and that goes the same way with bike stuff. Some stores which seem hard to reach physically are naturally appealing to me for online transactions. They may not have online payment facilities but a bank is always near for bank to bank transactions and although they don't have dedicated websites there's always a presence in Facebook and a phone number to reach them.

2,300 for a pair

Here's how I bought a pair of Kenda Kaliente Pro tires with white stripes from a bike shop in Quiapo.

1.  I googled the shop's phone number.
2.  I called to check if they have what I need and asked for the price, shipping included.
3.  They texted me their bank account number.
4.  I deposited the money to their account and called them.
5.  The bike shop texted me with the tracking number.
6.  I received the package after a night.

Buy from reputable bike shops.

Milo Marathon 21K Qualifier

Milo 21K 2015

Last year my goal for this race was to finish in 1:38 or faster, luckily I did finish in 1:38 and qualified for the marathon finals. This year I have a bigger project for the 39th Milo Marathon qualifier - guide my three buddies to run sub 2:30 and get our respective finisher medals. This is not an easy feat because Milo organizers are always strict on their cutoff times and one of my friends ran a 20K in 2:38 back in February. The idea to run the Milo 21K was just hatched on the early part of July back when the three of them weren't near the pace of 7 minutes per kilometer which is my target goal pace for them. But guess what - they made it and the slowest one clocked in at 2:22, not bad if you're coming from a 2:46er BleH! ;)

We all got our medals - Zaldy 2:14, Pot 2:18, Pong 2:22, Me 2:22

Post race breakfast
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