The Tale Of Two Monkeys Essay Research

The Tale Of Two Monkeys Essay, Research Paper

A TALE OF TWO MONKEYS

The Urban Jungle Adventure Race

By Celeste Gomez and Margot Tan

Guts, and well, how else could we put it. Makapal na mukha.

The only two things we had. No background on adventure racing. No intensive training or any training at all, for that matter. No team. Not knowing the real deal about this kind of competition, we mustered up enough courage and dared to enter into the world of adventure sports.

The Urban Jungle Adventure Race, the country’s first, was definitely not your typical “fun run”. Together with San Mig Light, it was especially organized for the launching of PinoyCentral’s Adventure Sports section in its website. At least 240 participants and more than 40 teams braved the special course designed by no less than Thumbie Remigio, a champion adventure racer and team captain of the first all-Filipino team that grabbed the 2nd spot in the international adventure race in Sabah, Malaysia.

Two distinct events were set-up – one for the Elite Category and another for the Fun Category. The teams who faced the 100 km overnight race in the Elite Category took on a biathlon of running and biking, kayaking and rubber tube paddling, rappelling, tyrolean crossing, wall climbing, and games of wit and humor. For us non-serious “athletes”, we barely lived through the 25 km Fun Course with everything except rubber tube paddling and tyrolean crossing.

Inspiration from the Pros

In spite of the many desperate, last-resort measures taken, we still lacked members for our team. We raided the race briefing and kick-off party in Grilla, Libis last May 30, hoping to grab anyone who wanted to join 2 inexperienced females into the game. While scouting around for potential players, we found ourselves amongst the crowd of real adventure-sport racers – all ready and geared up as if the race were to start right after the party.

The Sandugo all-female team represented by Noelle Wenceslao, Janet Belarmino, Michelle Henares, Len Escalante, Junie Santos, and Kim Gomez, was the only one of its kind in the Elite Category. Unlike all the other teams, Sandugo felt no pressure whatsoever. “Kung matalo, ok lang. Kung manalo, eh di sikat!”, Noelle, the team captain, remarked.

As the night progressed, we realized that the more we got to hang-out with the game’s participants, the more we felt incapable of joining the adventure challenge. Being neophytes of the sport, we asked for tips and strategies from the main man of the race – Thumbie Remigio. Expecting a lot of sports jargon and technical details about surviving the race, we were surprised to get a “Don’t take out the fun element of the race”, instead.

That was all we needed to hear!

Prepping Up!

Thanks to the kind and accommodating Neyney Guevara and Yasmin Hidalgo of PinoyCentral, Team 2bU! merged with experienced athletes from the Mountaineering Federation of the Philippines Inc. (MFPI). The new team, Team 2bU!-MFPI, was made possible by Crow Julian (team captain), Taz Biagan (racer) , Yay Ortega, and Doods Ulanday as support crew. Yay and Doods are supreme adventure athletes themselves, far more qualified than the two monkeys who insisted on joining the event.

Having barely 24 hours left before the race, we met in Power-Up Pasig, had our own briefing session, planned our secret strategies, and even had a crash course in rappelling and wall climbing. The initial shortage of teammates turned out to be a blessing in disguise; if we had not met these wonderful people from MFPI, we would have been doomed last June 2. After taking down mental notes on technical details, race rules, and procedures, we were all set to compete and to have some FUN!

D-Day

Through hell or high Manila Bay water, we were dead-serious about finishing the race. Crow checked in at 6 am in his bedazzling aqua leggings (The other teams cried foul. “Bawal yan! Distracting!”), Taz with a memory of his Alabang lover, Doods and Yay with their spirited pom-pom’s and packed equipment. (Van Fernando, the supporter of our support team and number one fan was also present to provide us with his version of “iced tea”.) On the other hand, while unloading the bananas, the two of us cursed and panicked about our situation – what have we gotten ourselves into. Just outside the Power Plant Mall, buff and beefed-up members of other teams began to pour in. It was literally an adventure-sport community reunion where everyone knew everyone else. After much chatting, stretching, trips to the comfort room, and last minute questions between the competitors and organizers, the race finally began at 8 am.

Penitentia Along Roxas Blvd.

In the first leg of the race, our fit friends, Crow and Taz, were charitable enough to volunteer themselves as joggers while we cruised comfortably on the two bikes with loaded backpacks. We would occasionally pause to give our joggers a sip of water, and continue treading on towards Quirino Grandstand. The only difficult part about biking was due to the fact that this was an urban race. Urban means three words: insane bus drivers! There were a number of marshals in strategic corners to give directions, but the route was not corded off for the racers. Translation: Bikers and joggers had to battle it out with considerate and very patient drivers fac

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