For our third Olympic distance triathlon this year, my husband and I decided to sign up for Mt. Mayon triathlon. The cheapskate that I am, I convinced my husband to drive going there. We left Paranaque on Saturday at 2 am. It was a nice, no-traffic, scenic 9 hour drive. We decided to stay at Casablanca Suites considering its proximity to Legazpi Boulevard – which is the start and endpoint of the race. It is also near the airport. It was a good hotel – less than 3k per night, with 2 double beds with free breakfast for 2. Too bad our room didn’t have a view of Mayon but considering that it was a rainy day, we opted not to pay an additional P500 to transfer to a room with a view of Mayon. The hotel also have restaurants at the ground floor — Eatalia (pizza and pasta), Kamias (pinoy resto i think) and a burger place. After a quick check-in, we went to Ayala Mall for lunch (about 4-5 kms from the hotel). The first resto we saw was Graceland so in we went and ate. We proceeded to Embarcadero to pick up our race kits, then headed back to the hotel to take a quick nap.
At 5:15 pm, we went back to Embarcadero for the race briefing and to partake of the carbo loading dinner generously sponsored by Biggs. We didn’t catch the race briefing but we were in time for dinner, so gobble away, we did. After giving thanks for a safe trip at the nearby Padre Pio chapel, we went back to the hotel to sleep early and be well-rested for the race the next day.
Race Day
We left the hotel at 4:30 am the next day for the bike check in. Good that we were there early as the line was still short. After the bike check in, we went to the swim area to check the course and wait for the race to start.
The 1.5 km swim course was a comfortable one. Clean, calm water where you can see the bottom of the sea – so less scary for me. Clocked in at 43 minutes – not fast by professional standards but fast enough for me, better too from my last race at 50 minutes 🙂
I always find the bike leg the most challenging and Mayon’s bike course was that! Started nicely with a flat course until you reach the 15 km mark where the 3.5 km ascent started. It was a killer! The rest of the 40 km course was breeze. Official bike time – 1:51. Again, not fast by professional standards but better than my last one at a little over 2 hours.
Mt. Mayon triathlon’s differentiating factor is the run course. Only on its third year, it is fast becoming well-known not only as the most scenic race but also of its challenging run. Challenging was an understatement though. I thought I signed up for mountain climbing while running the course (or at least attempted for the most part). It was a hilly run and I stopped counting how many uphills I’ve traversed after the 6th one. I usually finish 10k under an hour on flats but considering the hills, it’s a miracle I finished at 1:14!
Mt. Mayon’s race course was difficult alright but it made the finish more meaningful. It was well organized with a lot of policemen along the race course. Roads were closed making the roads safe for both the participants and the pedestrians. What made the race more memorable though — Legazpi folks cheering the participants with their warm smiles along the way – there were even several groups who had their band and cheer at that — which helped me pedal, run faster. Thank you Legazpi, we definitely hope to be back next year!
norhene 