After a long wait since the pandemic started last year, endurance athletes finally got excited again to be able to race in a two-sport event. The Pamplona Duathlon Race Challenge for Peace & for a Cause was held last Sunday, April 25.
It was contested by running 4 kilometers, biking 15 kilometers, and running again another 4 kilometers to the finish line. There were two categories: mountain bike (MTB) and road bike competitions.
The first to start were the MTB racers, followed by the road bike racers with a five- minute interval. The start line was at the town plaza where the racers took mostly the main road, left open to traffic. Traffic enforcers and volunteers kept the racers safe.
It wasn’t a typical Sunday morning in Pamplona. A throng of athletes started gathering in the town plaza early in the morning, as the churchgoers were coming out of the church after Mass. Some seemed oblivious to what was about to happen in their sleepy mountain town. Street parking was filling up in every space available around the plaza, as the duathletes were unloading their bikes from their vehicles.
The voice of coach Niño Piñero, event announcer, could be heard in the loudspeaker, giving last-minute instructions as the runners-bikers were busy setting up their bikes on the racks or doing their warm-up routines.
The excitement was palpable and too obvious in the faces of the participants; others, especially the first- timers, showed mixed feelings of thrill and nervousness.
The race didn’t start until after 8:30 am, as the organizers made sure all the ones joining were actually registered, and readying them behind the starting line. Everyone seemed to be anxious, especially those in front.
The countdown started, and the MTB racers took off like a bat out of hell to the narrow street lined with bikeracks that were waiting for the runners to return. After about five minutes, the road bike racers took off in the same manner, including yours truly.
After a few quick turns, the runners found themselves on a stretch of the main road that is relatively flat. It was an out-back course, going out two kilometers to the turning point. At some point in time, you could see both sides of the main road lined with runners making their way to the half-way mark or returning to complete the four-kilometer run.
It was a good opportunity to check who would be in your age group, or who could be ahead or behind the competition. (This was a race, afterall. How could one not feel competitive?)
After the first 4K run, we could feel the heat of the mid-morning sun as we reached the transition area for the bike exchange. It’s almost a calculated and précise quick change of cycling shoes, putting on the helmet, before grabbing your bike off the rack. That is, if one has two different kinds of shoes to be worn specifically for running and for cycling; otherwise, one gets a quicker transition (or a lead time of maybe a few seconds).
We were instructed to walk the bike out of the transition area until we reached the mounting area where we were then allowed to hop on the bike and start riding. The volunteers made sure that everyone followed such instruction.
The focus now shifted on the bike, and after leaving the town plaza, it was a steep downhill with a sweeping right at the bottom of the hill. The bike course had fantastic views over undulating countryside, with some speedy downhill and grinding uphill.
With the main street open to traffic, we had to be aware of other vehicles on the road, like equally speeding motorcycles. At one point, we were clearly no-match with a group of big bikers who wheezed by. There were also instances when the Ceres bus would make abrupt stops to pick up/drop off passengers, leaving the cyclists with a tight space to maneuver between the bus that had just stopped and the motorcycles and other vehicles driving the opposite direction.
For my own safety in those moments, I could only rely on utmost precision, intense focus, and vigorous prayer.
The 15-kilometer bike route (about the distance from Dumaguete to the town of San Jose) was also an out-back course so one could spot his age-group competitor from both sides of the street, whoever was ahead or behind the game. This could be the fun part of the race as it tests one’s mental and physical toughness in this cat-and-mouse game.
After some time, the steep downhill now became a grinding uphill waiting for our return. Of course, it took a little more energy to crest the last hill, knowing the bike course was almost over in just a few meters away. One more quick turn to the final stretch where volunteers were on hand, instructing us to dismount at a designated line, and making us walk (or run, if you were not hurting yet) with our bike to the transition to return the bike on the racks.
It was a mix of chaos and confusion for some to locate their respective baskets that contain their running shoes for a quick change of shoes (again, for those who opted to use a particular pair of shoe for each phase of the race), otherwise, it was easy to rack the bike, and go for the run.
It was on the final 4K run that we must endure after the grueling bike course. The second run course was quite different from first 4K run which was flat. Whoever planned the course made sure we would suffer on the last run segment.
After about 100 meters of running was a steep downhill. On this portion, many opted to walk it as the leg muscles were probably revolting, coming off from the bike. Transitioning from bike to run normally makes the leg muscles wobbly because it now had to use another set of muscle group. It normally takes a few minutes before the running muscles begin to cooperate.
Like the bike course, the run course was also undulating with rolling hills and frequent change of terrain. The hills were steeper this time, but shorter. From what I saw, many found it hard to maintain a good pace.
By that time, the intense summer heat was beating on us, especially running on concrete road with little shade from the trees. Thank God, there was a water stop at the top of the hill, which also served as the turning point, with two kilometers to go for the finish line.
Even after having run various long distances in the last four decades of my life, I felt that those last two kilometers in Pamplona was, by far, the longest and the most arduous I have ever ran.
At some point I thought I was getting nearer the finish line but…remember the steep downhill at the start of the run? Guess what: It was still part of the route, waiting for us to conquer it on our return.
But I thought, hey, it’s only less than 200 meters to go and then you’re done, so just tough it up, and charge that last hill with all your strength remaining, and the pain will be over soon.
At the crest of the hill was a surprising relief to have volunteers pouring water from a tabo on our heads to cool us down from the blazing sun. By then, the site of the finish line was unmistakable about 100 meters away, giving us the chance to use that last ounce of energy all the way to cross the finish line.
A sign of relief and accomplishment were obvious in the faces of each finisher as they hobbled to greet their friends and family, and exchange war stories with their fellow athletes.
The awarding of champions and age groupers was well presented with beautiful hardwood trophies for the Top 3 winners of each age group category, and medals for the Top 10 for each age group. Commemorative medals were also given to all finishers, together with finisher shirts and a post-race meal.
Thank you, Pamplona, for putting up a well-organized and safe race, made possible by Atty. Nikko Arnaiz Ramirez, Councilor Shari Vallega, Councilor Ericka Fabe, the Tourism office, the Negros Oriental Sports Development Program, Gov. Roel Degamo, and Pamplona Mayor Janice Vallega-Degamo.
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Author’s email: Ironmandario@gmail.com
