Unforgettable Enduro Tacurong

Selfie in Tacurong inside LNP Bike Shop

I can finally write now, since tax season is over. You see, i'm a practicing CPA by profession,  up until last Friday i was still fretting,  beating  the BIR's deadline for the  Income Tax Return. I'm glad i can now go back to my passion, mountain biking. 3 Skulls! Here i come! Kidding! I'm just practicing what my friend,  Nestor Santamaria always says, "Maubos na ang  yaman, wag lang ang yabang." HAHAHA.

But before i go wild in the trail, let me share to you, my  unforgettable experience in Tacurong City. Most of you may not know Tacurong but it is a quiet place nestled in Mindanao. We've been organizing enduro races all over the Philippines and  it is where Enduro Pilipinas' season finale was held last year in December. I can never forget Tacurong  and it's people. I learned a valuable lesson in life there. Don't dwell on your mistakes, just solve it and move on, no drama, no hysterics. It makes life simpler and easier. I learned it from this super cool guy named Patrick Parreno of LNP Bike Shop. He was one of the organizer of Tacurong Enduro together with  this nice guy, Dr. Milton Macanas. However,  I don't think, he has any idea that he's actions has impact on me or that it has changed, how i manage my mistakes and complexities. 

My first interaction with Patrick was, when he asked me to get tapes in a bike shop in Manila, and then bring it to Tacurong for the race.I need to get it in the shop Wednesday so that we can bring it in our flight the next day to Tacurong. He gave me the number of the shop, i think Monday or Tuesday. I called the shop before hand,  informed them i will be picking up something for Patrick on Wednesday. The bike's staff told me to just go to shop and get it. Wednesday, came. I called the shop in the morning, told them i'll go to their shop to get the tape. I called again before i leave the house, i asked how to get there from UP because i have to pick up my daughter first from UPIS then proceed to the bike shop. I specifically told them, i'll get it that day because the next day i need to bring it to Tacurong but i have to fetch my daughter first and i will be coming from Diliman, It was December, and the traffic was horrible even before we reached  North EDSA.  It was already 6PM we were still in  West Ave.,i was still cool about it, i was confident, thinking the bike shop will wait for me since i told them i'll get it and i need to bring it in Tacurong the next day. The traffic was not moving, so i decided to call the shop, nobody's answering. I was alarmed, i kept calling the shop but nobody's answering. I knew, by that time, it was closed already. But I decided to still go to the shop, indeed, i was right. I went down and looked for the security guard, asked the neighbors, there's no help. I was freaking out. We needed it for the race, if i can't get it that night,  then i can't bring it since our flight is in the morning.  I called Patrick asked him, if he can call the owner of the shop to open it for me. He said ok, wait or to that effect. The next time i heard from him, was just a text. saying. "It's ok Ione. " without any explanation. I tried to explain myself, telling him what happened, he coolly  texted me again, it's ok. He didn't even investigate on what happened or whatever. He did not asked me what happened either.  In hindsight, whatever we do or say at that time won't really matter because the shop was closed already. I may freak out and blame myself, the traffic, the shop owner but it wont matter or solve anything because the shop was closed already. There was no solution either since nobody will open the shop for me. The logical thing to do was to just accept it and move on. Exactly what he did. 

We arrived Tacurong, Thursday afternoon. Sly, was on the phone the whole time, we have a problem,  the  Timing System that is to be used in the race was still in the shipping company's office and told us , it will be released after 3 days, the race will be over by then. Patrick's wife, Apet has been talking to the shipping company's staff and like what any other irate customer would do, complained about the shipping company's policy since we needed it to be released ASAP.  She was so exasperated that she hanged up on the shipping company's staff.   We desperately needed it to be released on Thursday, so we can pick it up Friday and then send it by plane to Tacurong, then use it by Saturday. The timing system was important. Imagine all the bashing we have  to endure if we were not able to use it. EP's critics will have the time of their lives criticizing us. It was crucial for us to be able to use it. We were ngarag, no,  ngarag was an understatement. It is a must that we use it there. Suddenly, i heard  Patrick telling  his wife, "Why did you put the phone down, what if they don't answer the phone anymore." Then he called the shipping  company's office, stayed in his office and talk to the shipping company's staff in a calm manner. Later, you can even  hear him bantering with the staff. I told myself, i need to learn from this guy. I think the key, is to be calm and logical every, single,  time  and talking in a nice manner goes a long way too. Also don't get your emotions get the best of you. Long story short, we were able to use the Sportident Timing System in Tacurong for the first time. That was the second  time I saw how he resolved things.

Most of time, we waste a lot of  our  energy, analyzing, thinking of our mistakes or  problems, how did it happen, why would it happen, who made the mistake, sometimes we are stuck  and in the process were not able to move on and find solution. I think the best attitude is to accept it, find solution, forget about it and move on. Thank you Patrick, for unknowingly teaching me that lesson. :-)

Tacurong Enduro featured in Enduro Asia Magazine



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