The Spark: August 11, 2024
On the first week of July 2024, I was invited to join Pamutan Trailfest 2024 organized by PHILTRA (Philippine Trail Running Association) by my colleagues. I haven’t joined any marathon. I was only interested with the oceans and any body of water. Mountains and trails aren’t my thing, never liked the muddy terrain, but always curious. What’s out there? What experiences could I get? How fun would it be? I registered immediately, despite having no experience. Having no gear at all, I immediately bought the basic, trail shoes and bag. I admit, I was impulsive but never regretted it.
One week before the Trailfest, we did a recon, just a chill one, no running. My colleague invited some friends and cousins who were experienced and already familiar with the terrains of Pamutan. The start was good, no trail yet, just passing by houses after houses, walking on cement road. Almost a kilometer from our starting point, we reached the muddy path, uphill. It was okay until it wasn’t. My legs started to hurt, we rested for 5 minutes. After catching a breather we resumed our hike. The cycle of hiking and resting just keep going on.
I loved the scenery but I was so focused on remembering the path, the turns and my own landmarks, trees. In the end I wasn’t able to enjoy the view, the wind, the sound of chirping birds and the peace. We weren’t able to enjoy that peaceful moment. It took us 3hrs to finish the trail. We started around 6am and finished at 9am. We all head to Amordino to eat a fulfilling breakfast. Since our meet up was around 5am at Guadalupe Church, we just had a few bites of bread to avoid experiencing stomach issues while hiking. Then recon ended there.
The Turning Point: August 18, 2024
The gun start for the 6km Category starts at 6:00am. I arrived at the venue, which is Bocawe Gym around 5:30am for the gear check and other preparations. The moment the clock strikes 6, everyone started running. It was chaotic yet fun. Nothing out of the ordinary, what we did during the recon was just the same during the event, at least not until halfway. We reached the first and last checkpoint for the 6km category. Food and drinks were served, for the drinks regular iced water, iced rehydration drink and soft drinks were available. Boiled eggs, bananas, other snacks was served too. The most exciting part was the lechon. Everyone ate and the others didn’t just ate their fill, they took home most of it too. It’s carried either inside a plastic bag or just with bare hands. It was a very funny thing to witness, participants are like a horde of zombies targeting the poor, helpless and defenseless lechon, slaughtered in no time.
After we passed the checkpoint and ate our fill, we resumed by hiking. We already reached the steep, slippery part of the terrain. As a beginner and a first timer, I was careful. I just want to have fun, I want neither injuries nor accidents to occur. I took the hike slowly and safely. There were rests in-between, and during those moments my desire to join trail marathons was slowly fading. This type of marathon is not meant for me, not because it was risky and tiring but because it doesn’t feed my curiosity. While hiking at the peak part of the trail, I wanted to just stay there for hours. Feel the breeze, enjoy the silence, but I felt the need to finish on time, organizers must make sure no one was left behind. Staying longer can cause troubles on their end. That’s when I realized, race are not for me. I want to enjoy every moment while hiking, even the tiniest insignificant detail that would interest me. I want to admire everything nature has to offer.
We were one of the few people who arrive at the finish line last. It was already expected. We, I didn’t run, I was so relax, just walking, rest once needed, or just stop when something amuse me. Small group would be the best for me. Those people who would do the things I did.
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