Entry 024/ Looking Back/20 Oct 2009: The picture was taken near the summit of Mt. Banahaw in Quezon Province. It looks back at that time when climbing wasn’t as fashionable as it is today, hence the weird outfits! We haven’t heard of Gore-Tex back then, it was just hooded jackets and whatever woolen things we could get our hands on. For us, it was a time of genuine adventure, not that climbing is any less an adventure today, it was just a time when people spoke a little less, and did a whole lot more. My friend in the picture recently got his house flooded during the recent typhoon that hit Luzon. I was in the Visayas racing during this time and was horrified by the devastation that such a normal climactic occurrence could bring. Its not that the country wasn’t expecting it, we get typhoons every year after all, but I think its just a case of speaking a little less, as far as our leaders are concerned, and acting just a little bit more.
Entry 023/ Starboard On Board/16 Apr 2009: I just installed the Starboard (Cebu360 Sponsor) sticker on my bike and took it for a spin around Paete in Laguna. It started to rain as soon as I started to pedal but the sticker held out quite nicely, so now its a permanent fixture on my top-tube. Thanks Starboard!
Also, I got my very own “Tour of the Fireflies” jersey made by Bikemate. I like the design and the graphics so I think I’ll be wearing this for quite some time. Good thing the Laguna Lake Loop was moved to a later date otherwise it would have been a tough choice between the long ride and the ride for a cause!
Entry 022/ Still Here, Just Riding!/10 Apr 2009: I haven’t fallen off the face of the planet into some void, I just haven’t been able to keep up with the updates for the past few…uhmm…weeks because of two reasons: First, my laptop where I keep all my blog content is in the shop for emergency repairs and a new battery. Second, because I’ve been trying to keep my riding mileage up the past few weeks, averaging 180k per ride in preparation for the project ride sometime…uhmm…soon. So far, I’ve done two 200k rides around a place called Taal Lake and a few 180+ rides to different places the latest of which is to place called Paete (pictures to follow). Next week, I’m scheduled to ride around Laguna lake and then I’ll probably do a few hill climbs as well. Just a quick footnote, I’m also planning to go back to climbing, as in mountaineering, as soon as the rainy season sets in.
Entry 021/ Rainy Summer Night/25 Mar 2009: There are no words to describe how strange this summer is, not only is it raining again but its raining so hard that the streets are flooded like its monsoon season! No way am I going out to ride my bike in all that sewer juice! Oh well, I hope the sun comes out this Sunday in time for my planned circumnavigation of Taal Lake. Its not an exceptionally original ride route but its a very scenic road so I expect to get a lot of pictures and video from the ride. That is, if the weather doesn’t rain on my parade.
Entry 021/Solo under the Summer skies/22 Mar 2009: Haven’t been able to post the past few days as I’ve been busy installing new stuff on my bike. Speaking of which, I’ve finally been able to get a brand-new suspension fork, which, I had the opportunity to test on my Sunday ride to Nasugbu! The bike performed well, the rider on the other hand shriveled under the blistering noonday sun. It was a really good ride nonetheless, a very nice return to an old route which I haven’t been able to ride in quite a long while. Met a rider from a group called “seven lakes” based in Laguna, super organized bunch, complete with a fancy SUV for a support vehicle, I sure wish I had one on this ride!
Entry 020/Summer Warranty/17 Mar 2009: I wish there was a warranty card that went with this summer season, if I had one I’d definitely return it to the shop, its broken and I don’t want it anymore! I woke up today to June weather again, it wasn’t just drizzling this time, it was really pouring down like it really meant it. Even now,almost lunchtime and I still haven’t seen the sun, there is something wrong with a summer day without the sun showing. Bottomline, I wasn’t able to go out riding today, I could have but I still have the sniffles from the last downpour ride I did last Sunday and I don’t want to push my luck with this weather. I hope it clears up soon, otherwise, I’llhave to look for the warranty card and return the whole “summer” thing to the shop because its really not working out.
One good thing about today though, Michael Cotty, a sportiv rider for Cannondale dropped by the blog and browsed the ride pictures gallery, he said “Wow, looks like some fantastic riding out there! Thanks for sharing!!”
New Comment from Michael Cotty (19 March 2009): “Your blog is cool. We’re all looking for beautiful roads to ride and you’ve certainly been on some good ones! Keep riding and enjoying!” *(Whoa! Really made my day!)
Entry 019/Summer Storm/16 Mar 2009: Rode up and down Tagaytay yesterday in a sudden downpour. I knew the perfect summer weatehr was too good to last long, it had been perfect riding weaher for the past days prior to Sunday, culminating in a “zero headwind day” in Daang-hari, which is rare. So the skies fell down on a multitude of cyclists along the Silang highway at around 7AM, forcing most to seek cover in tiny waiting sheds and any kind of roof they could find. A few of us decided that it was already too late as we were already drenched anyway and so we continued riding up to Tagaytay despite the rain. It was the downhill ride after making the rurn around in Tagaytay that got us after, it was freezing cold riding with a wet jersey. It was so cold I thought my hands were going to fall off the handlebars at any moment. In any case, weather is fine again today (Monday), and my bike got a thorough washing after my ride through that freak summer storm.
Entry 018/Climbing in Anilao/11 Mar 2009: Took a break from riding today and decided to make the short hop to Anilao in Batangas for a little bit of mid-week climbing and swimming! It was cool in the evening but turned real hot soon as the sun was up. We beat a hasty retreat back to the coastline where we headed straight for the beachwith a tall glass of ice tea in hand. I’ll be back on the saddle tomorrow, alot of good races are coming up and I don’t want to miss out on any of them!
Entry 017/Bring out the bikes/10 Mar 2009: I flatted today, good thing it was at the end of my second lap in Daan-hari, so I was actually riding into Portofino when I noticed my rear tire vibrating a little as I climbed a slight incline. I took some time fixing the tire by the side of the road, enjoying the sound of other cyclists’ tires as they zipped past like motor scooters. Well, like what I said in my previous entry summer is here, andI noticed that people are taking out their bicycles from storage. One particular bike caught my attention as it was being pulled from its hibernation from the back of a house, a genuine time trial machine! I couldn’t help myself so I asked for permission to take a picture, and viola, here it is in all its glory!
Entry 016/Summer is Here!/07 Mar 2009: There’s no mistaking it, summer has arrived, based on the spectacularly hot days and incredibly dramatic skies that we’ve been having lately. I’m itching to start the long ride I’ve been organizing but I still have to remind myself that “patience is a virtue” as I work out a few minor kinks in the ride logistics. I am hopeful though that I get to start riding soon, I don’t want to waste all that color in the sky just by sitting and looking up at it from a cafe! Speaking of which, watch out for the raw footage of the ride that I’ll be uploading as soon as they’re available. I’m hoping to finish production on my very first video project before the summer ends! Lastly, finding sponsors is hard work, but its worth the effort hopefully!
Entry 015/Digging Up Old Race Jersies/03 Mar 2009: Woke up today to the sound of a drizzle, it was still dark out but the unmistakable sound of water dripping down from the roof was the firs thing that I heard when I got up from bed. Another day of riding lost. So instead, I dragged out my box of old race jersies from the closet and started organizing them. I ended up giving away most of them, some from adventure races and others from bike races, the most recent of which was from the 24 hour race in Muntinlupa, that one ended up with my girlfriend.
Entry 014/Tagytay Weekend Ride/01 Mar 2009: The one thing I miss about riding in Luzon is the ride up to Tagaytay on weekends. I went up to the ridge for the first time in six months this Sunday and it was a lot of fun, hordes of cyclists were on the road and the “buko juice” stand in Silang was overflowing with thirsty riders. I plan to do it again this week, If I could I’d ride up to Tagaytay everyday and have breakfast there every morning!
Entry 014/Having a Burger in Glorietta/27 Feb 2009: Been riding everyday alternating between rides in Portofino and Tagaytay via Governor’s Drive and Maguyam in Carmona. Today, deided to take a break so I went to Glorietta and got a really big juicy burger from Burger King, the Bacon Mushroom Barbecue and it was perfect! In my opinion, this is how all burgers should be made, not the pale patty with a splotch of ketchup on top recipe sold by other burger chains. Now, if only I can get Burger King to open a branch at the turn around of every major cycling route, then life would really be great!
Entry 013/Tagaytay Ride via Talisay, Batangas/18 Feb 2009: Rode the Taslisay -Tagaytay route and it was a revelation, I didn’t expect it to be that hard! All the cyclists I’ve been asking for information about the route have been saying the same thing that it was a simple and straightforward ascent from the shores of Taal Lake to the breezy ridges of Tagaytay. It was indeed straightforward but there was absolutely nothing simple about it, requiring a very good pace plan and control of adrenaline as every turn tempts a burst of speed but often leads to a lung-busting incline hiding just behind every blind corner. Overall, it was an exhilirating ride and I’ll surely be back for more!
Entry 012/Back To Manila/18 Feb 2009: Arrived late last night with my bike packed in a box in a thousand pieces so that it’ll be easier to haul from one taxi to another. I was able to put it back together as soon as I got to my place here and was able to go out and do a ride at six this morning. I rode up to Tagaytay for some fresh air and happily the weather was great for riding, I also managed to drop by my old riding place in Portofino in Alabang to sneak in a couple of laps before going home for a perfect lunch of Laing and Chorizo from Cebu! Its not exactly the healthiest thing to eat but after a long ride, I really don’t care!
Entry 011/What’s Up With the Weather!/15 Feb 2009: Been a very rainy week and have been struggling to keep up the rides. The roads are a bit treacherous when it rains because of all the speeding trucks and buses, its creepy when they start to speed up on wet asphalt, feels like an accident waiting to happen at the speeds that some of them are driving. Anyway, am on the homestretch for the preparations for the Cebu360 ride and I’m very excited but also worried about the weather at the same time. I’ll be doing a lot of changes in the blog content to accommodate the material that will be coming from the ride coverage. Watch out for that!!!
Entry 010/Yey! Handycam!/ 09 Feb 2009: Got a shiny new video camera today, a super gift from a couple of special people! I’ll be using this during my ride around the island of Cebu this end of February or first week of March depending on how the weather behaves. I’ll be in Manila next week to pick up bike parts for my ride and maybe meet up with a few media suppliers for coverage of the ride. I plan to do a continuous ride starting from Cebu City going around Bogo towards Daan Bantayan then southward towards Toledo, Moalboal, towards Argao and Carcar and back to Cebu City for the finish. Please give me good weather…
Entry 009/Mactan Training Ride/ 22 Dec 2008: Set my alarm at 5:30 AM, thinking that I could start riding early. Woke up to a cold morning and rain, good thing the sun came out after about an hour and was able to do one lap around Mactan Island before the skies opened up again while I was in Cordova. It was exciting, I nearly collided with a woman crossing the road at an intersection, lucky thing my brakes didn’t fail me!
Entry 008B/ Unrelated Post- Motorbike Dog/ 18 Dec 2008: Saw this dog outside a bike shop while checking out bike parts today, just could not let it pass without a photo-op, so here it is, THE MOTOR DOG!
Entry 008/ Bike Maintenance Day/ 18 Dec 2008: Woke up today to find my bike with a flat tire. Might as well, its been some time since I last checked my bike for creaks and stuff. Turned today into an impromptu “Bike-Fix” day. Boring stuff, I know, but its always such a feeling of achievement after you’ve finished bringing the bike to a sparkling sheen, ready for another day of riding!
Entry 007/ Training Day/ 17 Dec 2008: My internet connection is down and my desktop has conked out for no good reason, so I’m working on my laptop for now in a coffee shop leeching off their free wifi! Well, not really free, since I bought several cups of coffee and cookies that are so crispy they might have been freeze-dried in outer space, but still pretty good though, I actually ordered four! On the up side, I bumped into another cyclist I know from a local cycling forum, turns out he has a really nice bike! We rode around Mactan Island sharing the pace-making, its always better to have a ride buddy, provides extra motivation! In addition, I bought a brand new pair of cycling gloves today, to replace my old pair that already looks like as if its been used in an iron smelting plant. Next on my shopping list is a brand new pair of cycling shorts!
Entry 006/ Missed Training Day/ 16 Dec 2008: The good thing about not having a coach or a team is that you don’t feel any real motivation to get up from bed, or wait, is that actually a bad thing? I set my alarm for 5:30 AM as usual but since I was up until around three in the morning, I just turned it off and then nodded off to sleep again. It was eleven thirty when I finally realized that I had missed an entire day. I toyed with the idea of putting on my riding gear and then heading out for a short spin, but by then it was too hot and I had a spinning headache. Instead, I used up the rest of my day putting together pictures of a ride to Cuenca in Batangas that I did a few months ago. It was a fun ride and we also got to climb a small mountain called Maculot when we got to Cuenca. The pictures can viewed here.
Entry 005/ Rest Day/ 15 Dec 2008: I wasn’t so sure about the weather this morning, good thing its my designated “rest day” from riding. I had nothing better to do so I just went online to watch a few CycleFilm movies about this guy “Mike Cotty” who is so lucky to be sponsored by Cannondale and at the same time be working for them as a brand manager for their European operations. He travels the world shooting film and promoting the Cannondale brand, last time he was in Tenerife! I also found an old video I made while climbing Mt. Halcon, an eight thousand foot peak in Mindoro Island, Philippines (picture above was taken at the summit ridge). So I decided to re-edit the material and then posted it on my long dormant YoutTube account. So there, that’s how my day went, tomorrow its back to riding again, don’t know yet where I’ll be riding though.
Entry 004/ Mactan Training Ride/ 14 Dec 2008: The picture above is from the road just off the Marcelo Fernan bridge coming from Mactan Island. On the left is a huge billboard showing Anne Curtis (a local television and film actress) looking down on every passing cyclist heading back from Mactan. I don’t drink, and I don’t really watch her movies but if I had a cycling coach that hot yelling “go, go, go” at me I would undoubtedly “go, go, go” indeed! Daydreaming aside, I had another good ride today in Mactan, not a lot of vehicles today being a Sunday but there was a large goat in the middle of the road and a herd of unruly cows crossing the street. I also discovered that the store in Lapu-lapu where I get my post-ride supply of ice-cold water and iced tea is closed on Sundays, so I was forced to get my hydration elsewhere, ending up at a place called “Andoks,” a gigantic outlet (complete with second floor dining area) of a local fastfood chain that specializes in roasted chicken. They also serve other things but they specialize in “lechon manok” (roast chicken), cooking them in an automated grill machine that can cook probably around forty at a time. Truly, a place that would strike fear in the tiny heart of every chicken who happens to flap on by.
Entry 003/ Mactan Training Ride/ 12 Dec 2008: Received another important email today, I hope this will be a continuing trend up until the start of my ride in February. It should be a lot of fun! The dog in the picture is “Simon,” some say he looks like a rottweiler but Simon resents this because he is actually a black Labrador, big difference he says. I agree, rottweilers would probably bite intruders and Simon welcomes them in with a smile and a greeting “mi casa e su casa compadre!” Rode to Mactan again today, its quickly proving to be an addicting route. Had a really good training ride today, started earlier (around 6:30 AM) and finished my laps before it got too hot. Made plans to ride the route again on Sunday.
Entry 002/ Mactan Training Ride/ 10 Dec 2008: Received an important email today, I think I finally moved forward with my preparations for the (personal) epic ride in February 2009. I’m hoping to put everything in place before the end of December so that I can concentrate more on training. Haven’t been able to do a lot of long rides recently because I haven’t conditioned my bike and I need to replace some parts. I’ll have to go to Manila to get most of what I need (at a discount from a friend’s bike shop) and to have my long time mechanic “Boy” give my bike a much needed overhaul (he works as a tour mechanic for cycling champion and coach Renato Dolosa so he’s pretty good!). Rest day today but I really need to work more to get back into shape, fell apart on my last ride up to Buak, had a hard time climbing, really need to work on that.
Entry 001/ Mactan Training Ride/ 09 Dec 2008: I went on a training ride to Mactan island today and discovered that there is a loop of road there that goes around the entire island passing through the municipality of Cordova, perfect for training rides to improve endurance, check your cadence, or maybe even do a Time Trial practice run. If you don’t mind dodging a few vehicles along the way. The road is perfectly paved, with the exception of a few rough patches near Cordoval itself. The loop boasts of sweeping turns and slight inclines, barely perceptible on the first lap, but they’re there and they will make their presence felt after a couple of fast laps. Not to worry though, there is an abundance of stores and roadside burger shops in Lapu-lapu city to act as impromptu “aid stations” in case you run out of gas. I found out thatits best to go there very early, like 6AM to take advantag of the cooler temps and be able to pile on more laps before the sun makes the heat too unbearable. Click on the link below to see a virtual map of the route:
December 12, 2008 at 5:54 am
adventurerace_01.jpg <– mukhang action star ah.