King of the Mountain 42K
Last Sunday, I joined this 42km event in Nueva Vizcaya, the highlight of which was to summit Mt. Ugo. It was a refreshing change of pace from the usual weekend spent in Metro Manila.
If you would ask me, the 9 hour trip was worth it : everything is clean- the trails especially. It’s as if the farther you are from the Metro, the nearer you are to paradise.
Course Map
This is the first time I have seen a tree like this in Luzon
This is the view from the starting line. Can you imagine how cold it is in the summit ?
Let’s get ready to rumble.
View from the trail at sunrise
What else can I say ?
Henry having a hard time accepting we have to pass this route twice. This is where we got lost earlier 
The summit, finally! For a brief moment, the sun decided to show itself.
Finished! … Excited for my next trail
This one is perfect. The route wasn’t so difficult, the trails are 90% runnable even when wet. For the aid stations, they contain exactly what a trail runner needs : softdrinks, natural spring water from the mountain itself, bread, chocolate, biscuits and electrolyte drinks.
Well, too bad .. bandits aren’t allowed in this race. Maybe next time, they should register early.
As with any adrenaline related activity, equipment and apparel are important. I don’t think I would have enjoyed the run as much if i had used any other shoe. This is my first time to use lightweight shoes in an actual race – and the thing is , I haven’t actually ran in this pair before. So imagine how happy I am when instead of giving me problems , it actually gave me my best trail run experience yet. The traction on this shoe is superb, even in wet trails! New Balance 101 is simply the best!
Trail shoes come and go. This one left a lasting impression on me – lightweight and sturdy.
Training
About a month ago, the Company I work for decided to join Corporate Games Manila 2012 and I was part of the running team. So the interval training we did also helped in my performance for this race. I think running also on hilly roads while I was in Sydney (thanks cuz for letting me stay in your house) also helped strengthen my legs a bit for the 1KM assualt to the summit.
The 20k route
Kudos to Frontrunner Magazine for this event!