Bitoy's First Ultra: Mayon 360 A 50 Mile Run for Climate (2 of 4)

Race Day

How was my sleep? It was staggered. I found myself waking up multiple times during my five-hour sleep checking that it was still early and I didn't miss the event. I finally got up at 2 in the morning, ate a quick breakfast (two slices of raisin bread and a bottle of Gatorade), showered, dressed up, prepared my baon like energy gels and granola bars and off I went to the starting line in Penaranda Park, Albay.

A quick program and the gunshot signaling the start of the race was heard. No, there was no gunshot, I think the host just counted down and then we scrambled like lab mice in a labyrinthine maze. I kid, of course.

0-40 kilometers

I started out really slow maintaining a 6:30-7:00/km pace and walk/run ratio of 6:1. The early morning weather was perfect. I didn't find it cold or hot. The fresh air of Albay was so invigorating that I thought my lungs were extremely happy with this new diet--as contrasted from the polluted air in Manila.

The majestic Mayon at dawn break

I knew it got better when I caught a silhouette of Mayon Volcano behind a predawn horizon. And after awhile, came in the morning sun. Mayon volcano in all of its grandeur and tenacity was hovering over us like a demigod watching over his subjects and no matter how amazed I am by his beauty, one wrong move and he might smite me with his power. The scene could not get any better with rice fields along the way, farm animals grazing, locals doing their morning routines and birds fluttering across the morning sky. 

I thought the first 30 kilometers was a bit easy. With smiling and cheering locals and police and army officers we met along the way, it felt good and somehow I felt part of the community. The hills were challenging though. I opted to walk through them to stay on the safe side.

I was starting to feel it past 30 kilometers. I often found myself alone on some parts of the route. Often times I found asking myself if I still want to go on. And there's only one song to answer that. Snow Patrol's Just Say Yes!

I made it past 40 kilometers in less than five hours. 40 kilometers to go!