Joined Feb 13, 2017 Read more
  • Day 1

    ... in Baras, Rizal

    February 12, 2017 on the Philippines ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C

    BRAVEHEARTS TRAIL RUN 2017

    This was my very first 7km distance run and it's a trail run. I was excited and scared at the same time. During the briefing before the race starts the emcee announced that the first 3kms would be all uphill and boy they were not kidding!

    As usual for the first 15 minutes I was already panting heavily and can no longer run. I started walking but i didnt feel like i needed to rest so i kept going. I would constantly assess my body for any feeling of dizziness, chest pain or anything bad, thankfully I felt okay and despite the heavy breathing my body wasnt tired so i pushed myself. If my partner didnt stop for water i still would not have rested. I didnt want to go on alone for fear of getting lost.

    Along the way i loved the greetings fellow runners would give us as they run the other way and even their encouragements. It keeps me going and enjoy the activity more.

    When we reached the top also the 3.5 km mark the panting was all worth it. The view was so refreshing it reminded me again why i joined the race. It was also very windy that i was afraid i would be blown away!

    Going back i knew it was my chance to make up for the time i spent walking. I started running. Everytime i see people ahead i would say to myself im going to pass them and i would until i reached the finish line!

    I felt very proud when they cheer us going to the finish line. And i was so fulfilled when the medal was put around my neck by one of the organizers and pointed us to claim our finisher shirt. I wanted so bad to deserve that tshirt and i did it!

    My goal for this race is to finish it in under two hours. I finished it in 2 hours! But if i have to take away the time i spent in photoshoot that would be around 25 minutes so i could have finished it in 1 hour and 35 minutes! It would have been awesome but then again i was there also to enjoy mother nature and without it i dont think the fun would be complete.
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  • Day 1

    Mt. Binicayan

    February 5, 2017 on the Philippines ⋅ ☀️ 30 °C

    Because my sister was free she showed interest of wanting to go on a hike to another mountain in Rodriguez Rizal where we climbed the first one last year. We were all excited.

    My sister picked us up a little past 4 in the morning and after buying some chicken burger for breakfast we headed straight to the jump off point.

    We were dissappointed when our previous guide couldnt go with us but because he had a medical problem we were sorry and wished him well. We all love the old man. He's really very kind and knows the mountain well. He recommended a new guy instead and told us he also attended a seminar. We just shrugged our shoulders, thanked him and headed off.

    As usual we started on an uphill trail so it left me again breathless and panting right away. Despite that though i can still go on. We were so early by the way that it was still very dark specially that our track was covered by trees so we were hiking in the dark. The guide's flashlight wasnt of much help to us at the back of the line. It didnt slow us much though.

    Then came the rocky part. They were big and jagged it is required to wear gloves. I brought one but didnt use it. This part is my favorite because i can use both my arms to climb not just my legs and this doesnt tire me much. I easily got my energy back.

    When we came out of this rocky part we were so surprised when we saw sea of clouds right before our eyes!! Never in my mind would i see such a beauty. I mean yes they said there was sea of clouds but i wasnt expecting that even this late it would still be around so imagine our delight when there it was in front of us. I was overwhelmed with joy and engulfed by this sense of peace and tranquil that we stayed there until the clouds started to break and finally gone. We were just in awe seriously...

    Anyway our guide reminded us that we still have to go to the summit and the sun is now up so we better hurry up. More climbing and rocky parts but while others didnt like it, i was loving it.

    We have to fall in line for our turn to the summit. Everybody wants nothing but picture. I just want to be able to reach the summit to complete the climb so we have to wait. Thankfully we didnt have to wait very long. After about 5 minutes on top we started our descent to give way to others.

    Descent is another favorite of mine while my companions hate it.

    I say this is one of my most unforgettable hike mainly because of that sea of clouds experience. This mountain may be considered for beginners but we saw one young girl who were assisted back because she felt dizzy and looking at her very pale. We also passed by one hiker who got injured during the descent so whether you are a beginner or seasoned climber one should always take caution when dealing with mother nature.

    We were home by 12 noon.
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