Traveling on a budget with legs as my gears

Last year, I was eyeing the first Tagaytay XC Challenge which was supposedly my first XC race, but because I was adjusting to my new work, I wasn't able to make time for it. This year, because I've already resigned, I was able to join but somehow still didn't do some serious training, on top of carrying the extra 10lbs I gained over the holidays. Jollibee pa more! Lechon pa more! Extra rice pa more! 😅😟

I turned miself into a meme

So, how did I do on the race? Meh. Not so well. I kinda gave up before it even started because it was taking sooo long! All the bad reviews from the first Tagaytay XC Challenge seemed to prove true; I was starting to regret my presence there haha as things began to feel illegitimate. Our category, Women Open, was supposed to be the first to go. It was also supposed to start at 7AM but it didn't start until past 8AM. The organizer, Prince, kept holding the start for a ~safer~ road, announcing "Okay, na-hold na ata ['yung mga sasakyan] sa baba." One participant said, "Ata? So hindi pa siya sigurado?" I grinned as I heard it. Same sentiments, bruh. We were finally able to start when a participant said "Hindi talaga mauubos 'yung mga sasakyan na umaakyat kahit i-hold pa sa baba, kasi may McDo diyan." (referring to the McDonald's not one kilometer away from where we were). Prince realized this and decided to let us go, reminding everyone, "Basta mag-ingat na lang! Lalo na mga babae!" We ended up being the last category to go along with the men ages 50 years old and above. Another change of plan, which I didn't think happens, if I was to relay professionalism at giving events. Aren't these things supposed to be fixed, I mused to myself. Though, I wasn't surprised that there was another change since we didn't even start at the designated time. Everything looked and felt like it was done under the last minute. In line with that, here are some things I learned from participating in another cross-country race, particularly, in Tagaytay XC Challenge 2:

The first 6 finishers in our category out of, I think, 10

Be assertive, not rude. I was with the champion of our category, Tat Cobrador, and seeing her race was really something. We were chatting a little during the race and the way she advances was a watchful. She was assertive about going past another rider who's slower than her, but never rude: casually announcing her presence to let the rider know that she will advance. I'm not good at that. When there's a rider in my way, I can't always bring myself to tell them to move. What I do is I wait for them to feel like an obstruction, they move on their own, and then I advance. As a slow trail rider myself, I take the initiative of being out of a faster rider's way, so I just feel like it's unnecessary for me to say anything. Also, I'm thinking I might try to go past them by making them move but then I'll just end up blocking them, y'know?

Be considerate to others. Even as a newbie in racing, I believe that I know a thing or two about race etiquette. I certainly am sure that deliberately blocking the trail path is not something you should do. There was a part in the race where I had to dismount and walk my bike because this kuya was sitting at the trail path along with his bike. He was being accompanied by some other people; they see that there's a rider (me) coming, yet they remain to just be there. They only thought of moving him when I gave them a really demeaning look as I was passing. "Tulungan kita dito paps para hindi ka nakaharang." "Oo, tsaka itabi natin bike mo paps." It seems that the kuya had a cramp. Even so, that doesn't give you the right to be in the way. I don't know, if that were me, I would immediately take myself and my bike out of the way as it would be a great hassle to others and quite embarrassing for me to put them under such. And when I know that I'm going to have to take a break and dismount from my bike, before I do so, I go to the side first as to not obstruct the path in case other riders are just behind me. Me, thinking that this is the universal way, was once again wrong. There were several times at the trails during the race when I had to completely stop because the rider in front of me stopped as well. What is wrong with y'all? Then, they apologize for being in the way. I would understand it if it's something that can't be helped, but what's worse is, they actually stay there, hydrate, and do whatever the fuck they stopped for. Why don't you move to the side, moron!

Listen to your own voice. During the first climb, there was a rider who kept telling Tat and I to relax, "Relax lang, ne. Malayo pa! Mahabang ahon pa 'yan." What's admirable with Tat is that she didn't relax at all. She had her game face on and rode past more than ten male riders. I stopped tailing her after a while to catch my own breath and actually relax. After I finished taking a break, I made a short goal to get to a point in my head past my favorite spot whenever I trackread the route. There was a lot of riders who took a break there, so there's no more space for me even if I gave in to the temptation to stop. I heard one man say, "Wala siyang hinto hinto, oh!" Another replied, "Maabutan din natin 'yan. Lalakarin niya rin 'yan!" I was so insulted. Good thing with my new pair of Shimano M064 is that it's a pain to walk into, so I most certainly didn't do what that man predicted. I don't think they ever did get to me. I remember his face and I didn't see him until the awarding. Ultimately, it would have been better if I deafened my senses to the things that didn't help me with finishing. Even voices that weren't real anymore kept bothering me, ~Dapat pinang-buffet mo na lang 'yung 700php mo!~ Shut up, brain! Just keep pedaling so you can go home.

Surround yourself with people who support you. I was on the verge of hiring a bandit–to ultimately yell at me when I'm slowing down and break the wind on flats. Tat best pronounced it when she said that podium finishes will not happen without a support crew. Just knowing that people believe in you is already a push in itself as opposed to people who expect you to place somewhere without injecting themselves in the process. Maybe some day I can meet and be a part of a group with the same goals and priorities as me. For now, I'm still gonna have to continue this crazy journey alone.

I finished at 5th place