Mt. Ugo Skyrun

The day was December 26, 2010. Just like the first skyrun, i found myself sitting on a pavement at the Botanical Park, just about 7 minutes from my house. The pick up was scheduled at 5:30am, so i woke up early.  I didn't want to be late. This was a special run for me. As i waited and got text messages from Kian that they're on their way, i was also waiting for the two runners i invited. I wasn't really sure if they were coming. I just knew the answer when they finally showed up. Richard and his brother came, all geared up for the skyrun. We talked about what to expect in the run as we waited for Kian, Jules and company.

They came, not in a jeepney but in a taxi. I know that getting there will be shorter than Pulag. Richard, Edgar and i hopped in the back and the journey began. Kian and Jules introduced us to Mia and Cha, both runners or triathletes. They were very pleasant company. The drive seemed long for me. I was nervous. My tummy seemed to churn. I wasn't used to this. Then finally we arrived at the place. We registered and waited for our guide. Looking around the hall and looking at pictures of previous climbs, the man who handled our registration offered us coffee. It felt good...the brew smelled good. I craved for a couple of sips. The others had their own cups too. The coffee finally gave me a kick.

Off we went again, this time to the jump off point. We parked and heard Kian instructed the driver to come and pick us up before 7pm.  The driver was doubtful and had that sheepish smile on his face, almost saying out loud, "are you kidding me?". We all walked to the hanging bridge; the link that connects the villagers to civilization. Running Mt. Ugo will be a first for me. Unlike Mt. Pulag, which is steep with many abrupt drops and verticals, Ugo is longer and winding.

Start of the ascent was fun. Stories started to flow and i finally found my tongue! I felt so awkward and i didn't know how to act. I felt embarrassed for i didn't know how to entertain my guests. I don't know what came to me. But i tried. I had to. This skyrun was my second plan after all. 

I felt heavy. I know i wasn't in tip-top shape. I knew i was better during my training for Kinabalu and the last TNF100. From my running weight of 49kg, i ran Mt. Ugo at 52kg. That's heavy for me. I can't breathe. For the first time since 2006, i felt fat. The terrain was getting rough and i can feel the gradual uphill. Leading the pack was our guide, while our sweeper was Kian. I opted to be in the middle. Often in front of me were the brothers: Richard and Edgar. I say they were fast and they were strong. Though i didn't know if they were enjoying it, i was just hoping that they're not bored. I just couldn't find the right things to say to them. I just lost my tongue. At some compression stops, while Kian, Cha, Jules and Mia munched on their food,  i did talk to the brothers and joined them for a snack. They told me they're okay but i wasn't a hundred percent sure of that. But the good thing is both were pleasant and quite fun to talk with. I took pictures of them while they were on the run. They were good.

 

Reaching Lussod for a recharge and change of guide felt good. The locals were very nice to us. We rested, took some pictures that were all crazy, wacky and sweet just the same. A funny pic Kian and i had was with a pig and carabao.  Kian used that as his facebook profile pic for a while.

Passing by endless greens of pines, grass and the outline of the mountains before us, I couldn’t help but appreciate the beauty of this moment; of this experience. As our guide took us up further, I turned my back to check the others and they’re not far behind. The guys in front of me: the brothers Richard and Edgar and Mia were not too far either.  Richard was the closest to me so I had a reference.  At whatever pace, we ran and walked and stopped to wait for the others.

At a vertical, we stopped for lunch. Everyone took out their own meal. I just had raisins with me and a bottle of Gatorade and water. Like the usual, I don’t eat much on skyruns. I don’t eat breakfast either. I’m used to nourishing myself days before a skyrun. But I was dependent on water, and sometimes on energy gels. I had a fun time, watching my buddies eat. They have a big appetite and it looked good. I got a banana myself. Thanks to Richard. It was too good to resist. Especially knowing that it would replace the potassium that I lost, as I profusely sweat. Thank you Richard.  I like it when I see people eat. It brings out a part of 
their character. The way they munch; the way they handle their food and how they handle a conversation while having a meal. (I was closely sensitive to anyone who made a sound while chewing and thank goodness, there was no one!). Stories were fun as always and forgot the pain in our legs and feet for a while. No one complained.

Almost to the top now, the wind was pushy at this point and it's getting cold. Putting my jacket back on then taking it off again as i run up a few meters. That's how fast you can get hot on a grueling ascent. But alas! the summit was there for me to take. I crashed to the ground, almost kissing it and looked up the sky and finally sighed. It just felt good conquering another majestic mountain.

It overwhelmed me. The others were all so ecstatic too. Everyone clicked and clicked their cameras to record that moment on top of Mt. Ugo.



As we prepare ourselves going back down the steep slopes, Kian had one final instruction, that we wait for each other and stay in groups, that way it would be easier to track each other. That instruction, was one i'll never forget. Our plan was to get down and be back before 7pm where the taxi dropped us off.


Running down was alright but one should be extra mindful of his/her legs and feet. I knew mine was burning so i took my time. I can't afford an injury now, especially since i never experienced an injury. I want to keep that record for myself. As we all ran down, the brothers took off fast and left us. Following Richard and Edgar were Kian and Mia while i chose to run at ease with Jules and Cha. Going down and down was endless. It was winding too. I felt like i'm running it over and over again, the terrain looked the same to me. I just laughed to myself. Jules agreed with me and both of us laughed. Finally we reached Lussod and took a breather before setting off again. We checked our time and confidently told ourselves, "we'll make it". Kian, Richard and Edgar went ahead this time. Jules, Mia, Cha and i were following close behind, so we thought. We checked our watches, it's almost sunset, it was still okay. We can still maket it.



At that precise moment, Jules, Mia, Cha and i looked around us and started to ask each other where we are. We can no longer see Kian, Richard and Edgar in front of us. We went back up to retrace our steps. We were disoriented as it was getting darker by the minute. We heard the stream, so we knew we were close to that marker.








Then again we went down, trying to remember if the pathways were familiar. Giving up, Jules and Mia called Kian. I called Richard. But my phone was running low on battery. I spoke to Richard only for a few seconds before i got cut. As per instruction, Kian asked us to stay put and keep shouting just so they could trace us. After a few minutes, Kian and Richard found us. We were so glad to see them. And we all laughed. We found out that we were at the right track after all. That was fun but at the same time alarming. Thanks to Kian and Richard for coming to the rescue. We owe you.
It took us another hour or so going down; it was getting dark and thank goodness we all had our headlamps. We waited for each other and found our way back to the foot of the bridge. Everyone was tired and soaked. Feet and legs screaming. Finally we saw our taxi waiting for us. I saw the driver and he greeted, smiled and seemed to be proud of us. The whole route was about 24-25 kilometers. Hopping at the back with Richard and Edgar felt so good. I stretched my legs and massaged it. I was mentally feeling my feet, my toes, they're fine.


 




A visit to the massage shop after a few days would be a treat. As the cab took us closer to home, i was craving for noodles, arroz caldo, double cheese burger, hot chocolate drink, and a warm bath. At the same time, i thought again, my plan B, as i called it was about to end. I knew i didn't get to achieve the real purpose of this skyrun. I am just grateful though for those precious moments for it was up close and personal. A plan C? i don't know. I think i no longer have the nerve to do another. I can be a coward at times. I'll go home with just the memory of it all.