An Igorot Journey

Sunday, 5 May 2013

Pinnacles Classic 2013

Rain threatened but did not eventuate in the 2013 running of the 18-km Pinnacles Classic over 18 hills.

The sky did stay overcast which helped the runners in the still muggy month of April. All up, 108 runners started and finished, giving their all and more – I’d say about 108%. Not bad.

Better than this they put in 109% into car pooling which pleased TRAQ.

Most pleasing to the runners however is the 110% put in by all the volunteers and officials – top effort that!

The runners responded well. Everyone finished the race in under three hours, and no one got lost.

The race course is quite technical aside from being hilly – yep a minor matter of 18 hills, nothing to it really.

Yes really. The toughest hills had names like ‘mother’, ‘double whammy’ and others.

I was struggling all the way that I started muttering, swearing perhaps, and bad-mouthing the bastards that dared slow me down. There were three of them in particular: bastards #1, #2 and #3.

The bastards were hills of course. And they were alive with the sounds of me sick.

The finish line was just out of sight off Gold Creek and I could smell victory.

I mean I could smell the serenity, so I plodded on.

The final quarter was up and down the undulations (yes just like the first three quarters),

along the ridges of gold creek catchment.

There was more descents that ascents, but when you’re spent you’re broken,

(and when you're broke you've no cents).

Sometimes I make no sense, but as a law-abiding citizen, I obey the law-

and on the downhill, I obeyed the laws of gravity.

On the ups however, I had to defy gravity. I became an outlaw.

Lawful or awful, I slowly but sorely made my way to the finish.

Where I saw that everyone had finished.

Life's like that. It has its ups and downs.

Congratulations to the top finishers. Great job!

No prizes for me but at least I had the consolation of bettering my time at my first attempt at the

Pinnacles Classic in 2011.

Saturday, 13 April 2013

twilight running festival 2013

Tragedy struck at the twilight run in St Lucia this year. Runner Joe Kelly was hit by a falling tree during the run. He later died in hospital. I was very saddened to hear the news of his passing. Along with many others, I was hoping for him to get well soon and back to running again...

Vale Mr Kelly.