My CamSur Enduro Mania Experience

Camsur Enduro Mania was held in Naga City, last May 14, 2016. It was in Mt. Isarog, Team Chocobanana ( headed by Nestor Santamaria III, Bhokie Senar, Jayson Peyra, Jabbar Tatel, John Percival Arejola, Ben Pejo Jr. ) has found a virgin trail for the enduro riders.( As per Allan Adriano, it was solid, think 8 minutes downhill)   We went there for inspection last April 30  and also on May 13 and 14 to supervise the race. The plan was, Sly will be releasing the riders in Special Stage 1(SS1) and I will releasing the riders in Special Stage 2 (SS2).  But Sly has some personal emergency to attend to, so i had to release the riders in SS1 and SS2. It would have been easier if i were not to hike going to the starting point of SS1 and SS2. In SS1 i had to hike more or less one kilometer to go to the starting point of SS1 and back , thanks to Andre and his Polaris, it was  suppose to be 3.1 KM, saved me from walking more than 2KM of the trail. My concern was the SS2, it was 3.7 KM and 2,700 above sea level, i have to climb Mount Isarog, to go the staring point of SS2 on foot. Good thing, Jabbar Tatel helped me going up, i rode in his motorcycle up to the bakahan, i think it was one third of the  trail going up, Up until now, i'm still  amazed , on how i  was able to climbed it. During that time,  I was hungry and tired already. I just remember. every time  i had difficulty going up, I would close my eyes do some deep breathing and pray, every single time for almost every ten or fifteen minutes then I would always feel energized after wards. That is how i was able to climb the Mt. Isarog by myself. Now, going down was a different story, we walked more than two hours from the starting point of SS2 at Mt. Isarog to the car waiting for us in Pinicuason. We were in a hurry going down since it's getting dark in the mountain and it's raining. I did not feel anything while we were walking down, my legs were numb, the only thing running on my mind was,  we have to get out of there,  asap. I was relieved when i saw Nestor Santamaria III aka Kuya waiting for us in the SS2 finish line. He offered me his arms, that was the time i felt my thighs & legs were shaking while i was walking.  I was dog tired, no, i was walking dead. But there's still the awarding ceremony, so we went to the city to freshen up and then went straight to the Naga City People's Hall for the awarding. we were done before 11PM , i chit chatted  with the chocoboys for few minutes then  headed to our car going to Manila. Before 12 midnight, we were on our way back home. I'm grateful to a lot of people there. Thank you, John Percival Arejola for the company, thank you for being patient with me while were going down Mount Isarog.  Thank you,  Francis Albos, for your help during our track reading. I knew you were tired already on our climb up but you quietly endured it and still managed to help me, i'm grateful to you for your help. Finally, thank you kuya for all the yummy treats when i was in Naga, you were a worthy foodie buddy. hahaha. I'm most grateful to you, for saving me in my "period catastrophe". Of course, thank you, Antet Piloneo for the yummiest laing served in the  awarding dinner. Lastly, thank you, Bhokie Senar for all your hard work, going up and down the trail, accompanying the riders for track reading. It was physically exhausting but you're exuberance was contagious, you showed them the trail even with an injured shoulders. Also to Jayson Peyra for showing up in SS2 while his wife was recuperating in the hospital. I will be praying for your beautiful family.  Finally, Javib Pena & Nhokie Senar for assisting me in SS1 also Xavier Flores and Atty. Chris Camacho for your help in SS2. Congratulations Team Chocobanana for the successful event! You guys rock! 

TRACK INSPECTION APRIL 28, 2016

This is stage 1 liaison past 9AM, it was really hot.  Francis Albo's  water saves me from dehydration here.

Half of the liaison in stage 1, we rest for a bit.

 Group picture after some rest before we proceed to starting point of special stage 1. (SS1)

Another group picture, still a bit fresh here.

This is before we got lost in the cornfields. I was with Jabbar Tatel's nephew.  The funny thing was,  i let go of the front and rear brake  here, thinking i was in the cornfield,  sure i was fast but there's no bangin or rocks, what can go wrong, right? that's why i let go of any caution. Wrong decision, i was really fast when i pass by the cornfield  and it was "bako bako", it felt like my intestines along with my uterus, ovaries and fallopian tube were about to burst out of my body. Imagine riding really fast in bako bako, it was an unpleasant experience, turns out nakalagpas kami so we have to go back. 

This is before we start climbing up stage 2, i was contemplating on

 riding the carabao instead of climbing 3.7 KM of Mt. Isarog. Plan failed, i felt like i'll fall anytime, since i don't have anything to hold on to, we decided to take a hike instead.  

RACE BRIEFING MAY 13

Thank you Bryan Kaiser Leonor,  for the picture, This was the race briefing held in the Naga City People's Hall.

May 14 - Race day

The Special Stage 1 (SS1) crew, left side in the green jersey is Jefferson, beside him is Andre Soriano,  on my left is Nhokie Senar.

Let me get you on my embarrassing secret involving the Polaris. I was really glad, Andre brought the Polaris,  it saves me from walking more than 2 kilometers of the SS1 trail. I  enjoyed being with those guys too, it was pure fun. But the thing is i have my period, any girl would know if you have your period and you walk, hike or do anything outdoor, God only knows what will  happen to your pad. I was so engrossed and enjoying the Polaris and it's speed while going to Special Stage 2  for our lunch,  that  i didn't feel or notice anything, until i get off, I saw stain on my seat. Horrific!  I panicked, I stained the Polaris!!! Saying it was embarrassing, was an understatement. I went crazy for a minute there, I went straight to the ate and ask if they have CR, then i called kuya right away, i was rambling at first,  i don't know exactly what to tell him. Then he said, "dahan, dahan lang,  ano yon," i said,  "kuya  i have to go back to change," he said, "we will be late, it would take more than a hour if you go back to the city."  Then he said wait, turns out there's some Natasha outlet in front of the eatery we went to. He bought me undies and leggings, and that's how i was able to go through the stage 2. I was starving during that time but somehow forgot about it after the incident. Andre manage to buy us some ice cream, Nhokie offered it to me but i was still in shocked of what had happened to be able to eat anything. I  was just thankful i was able to change. I told Andre about it, good thing,  he was such a gentleman and just told me not to worry about it. Being a girl, sure has it's own inconveniences when you're on trail but that shouldn't stop us from going out and having a life. Right?

May 14, Race day

Selfie before i climb Mt. Isarog for the SS2, at the back is the cutie of TCB, Allen. 

Finally, the awarding! Congratulations to Ground Zero team for bagging the first place in the Team Category, Reklamo Racing 2nd place and Team Bicol, 3rd place.  Congratulations to Nino Eday,  1st place in the elite category. To all the winners and finishers, congratulations to all of you. 

https://www.facebook.com/1423042071319125/videos/1590711564552174/

ttps://www.facebook.com/pinaybikersclub/

Please click the link above to like our fb page. Thank you.

For comments, questions or  sggestions,  please email me  at  ione.mejia@gmail.com

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



https://www.facebook.com/pinaybikersclub/Please click the link above to like our fb page. Thank you.


For comments, questions or  suggestions,  please email me  at  ione.mejia@gmail.com