Mt. Ugo Trail Half-Marathon: Ain't No Mountain High Enough

I fell in love with Mt. Ugo since the first time I'd been there. I love the trails, the scenic views and the fresh air that it offers. Last Sunday, the 3rd edition of the King of the Mountain was held there and never would I miss it. Joy, Joyce and me joined the 21k category while Allan, Dennis, Jonard, JC, Mamu Doug and Riz registered for 42k.

The route was an out and back run. The 42k runners' turn around point is in the summit while the 21k runners' in Mt. Samento.

Twenty minutes before the gun start, we assembled at the starting line and did some photo ops. I uttered a simple prayer, which I normally do before we go. Then 3.. 2.. 1.. Off we went. It was still dark, we only had our headlamps to light our path.

 

I started at an easy pace, enough for a warm-up. Then I gradually go faster until the pace that I can maintain without gasping for breath even going up the hilly portion. When I reached Km 1.5, I need to pee. I forgot to go to the bathroom before toeing the starting line. Haha.. At this point, I decided to take a walk break then find a place where I can pee. A lot of runners passed me by. They're all running while I'm walking. I don't care. I need to pee first. Hahaha. The good thing here is when I saw Mamu Doug behind me and he said he also need to pee. We quickly look for a spot, hide, then peed. Success! :-)

Now, back to the game plan. I ran at a steady pace and tried to avoid walking even uphill. I challenged myself since it's just a 21k run. I know I don't need to conserve a lot of energy in shorter distance unlike in the marathon or ultra marathon. I stopped at the aid station only once even though it offer apples, strawberries, bananas, gatorade and so on. I don't want to lose my momentum that's why I just had a quick stop there to refill my hydration.

-The beautiful sunrise in Mt. Ugo- (photo c/o Joyce)

 While running, I enjoyed the mountain view. That's what I love in trail running. I got a peace of mind and the solitude while seeing the beauty of God's creation. Thank you Sir Jonel for organizing such event. We were able to discover the beauty of Nueva Vizcaya.

The 21k Finishers from Team Rock and Road while waiting for 42k runners (Joy, Me, Joyce)

I finished 2nd female with a time of 2:41:56. So far, this was my best trail-half marathon. I hope I'd be back in Ugo on May for the 65k Run in the Old Spanish Trail. Anyone who wanna go with me? Let's go! :-)

Ain't No Mountain High Enough

Nutrition: Pre-race - Peanut butter sandwich, snickers, Milo, water

               During - Gatorade and apple

               Post-race - Arrozcaldo, hard boiled-egg, pineapple juice

Race Gears: Salomon Sense Mantra 2 shoes, SLS3 Compression socks, Adidas shorts, Salomon Shirt, Buff, TNF Visor, Suunto Ambit Watch