Adventure is my life. I love outdoor activities especially mountain climbing, trekking, hiking, and discovery/recreational SCUBA diving.
Confident that I had developed enough stamina completing various and strenuous and prolonged uphill treks for the last six years, I decided in March 2016 to go into long distance running.
And much to my surprise, I am enjoying every pound on the road or the mountain trail. I never realized in my wildest dreams I would actually dream about when I could run the next one hundred miles within my busy work-week.
What grabbed my attention and got me started with these physical sports activities is when college friends invited me to scale Mt. Talinis.
The thought of climbing sounded exciting as I had always wanted to be a mountain climber since I was a child. The idea was also attractive as I was told we would be climbing more than 1,900 meters above sea level.
The day came; surely, it was exhausting but I enjoyed it so much that mountain climbing became part of my to-do list wherever I went.
As an avid mountaineer, I became a guide for those who wish to climb Mt. Talinis, also known as Cuernos de Negros — our very own majestic and beautiful mountain, the second highest in Negros Oriental.
One time I was hired to guide a two-day climb for some Talinis enthusiasts, and there, among them, was Negros Oriental’s pride Timmy Besario, who was declared champion in the 160-kilometer ultramarathon held in Cebu recently.
I think he was just observing how I was guiding the hard climb, and two days after we came back down to Dumaguete, Timmy invited me to join their practice run, which he was doing in preparation for the Valencia 80K Ultramarathon in April 2016. So I thought, why not?
It was going to be my first road run. The guys simply kept on encouraging me, giving me tips on how to maximize the strength of my legs and core, and breathing techniques; basically, how to run better.
With us in the practice run was his running buddy Hillary James Tambolero, who eventually became the champion of the V80 Ultramarathon! Who would have thought I was training with champions?
Later on, I was doing training runs in the mountains of Valencia together with Timmy’s other hardcore running friends: Paul “Bulldozer” Bael and “Machine” John Bael.
From then on, I started joining the regular runs of the Dumaguete Adventure Runners & Striders (DARS), headed by Maripol Rotea- Tecson, the ultramarathon queen of Negros Oriental.
Our regimen would typically cover a distance of 20 to 30 kilometers every other day on weekdays, and 50 to 70 kilometers on weekends.
With the distance of about 160 kilometers that we get to cover strictly each week, you can imagine how much running has shown to us various beautiful sceneries here in the Province like Mt. Canlaon.
Through running, I was also able to meet people from all sectors of society, and make new friends.
That time, I was also seriously preparing for a major climb in the country’s highest peak, Mt. Apo in Davao. I had paid the registration fees, I had bought myself a round trip plane ticket, and I had already memorized the climb itinerary. It was scheduled on the same day with the V80 Ultramarathon.
But in our practice runs, Timmy and the Bael brothers never stopped encouraging me to join the V80 Ultra instead.
Maybe by some twist of fate, the mountain climb to Apo was not meant to be. I got information from the organizer that the climb had to be cancelled due to a forest fire.
When my running buddies heard the news, they were so happy, maybe because it left me with no other choice but to join the V80K Ultra.
And that was how I got to complete my first 80-km. mountain run, without really trying.
For a first-timer like me, it felt like doing more than 100 kilometers, considering the uphills and downhills in the entire race route. But I can only thank God, I finished the ultramarathon race without experiencing any injuries, and with a wide grin on my face.
Since that time in April 2016, running has become part of my daily routine and fitness program, aside from mountain climbing and SCUBA diving.
Diet is not much of a concern for me because the calories I burn in running long distances are more than what I eat.
I just strive to eat healthy, I stay away from junk food, and I sleep about eight hours everyday.
My friends ask me how I manage my time, being employed and still able to engage in my outdoor hobbies. Well, I believe time per se is not the issue; it’s not about having a hectic work schedule and not being able to do anything else.
I manage time based on what I believe is important for our health, what will sustain us, and what I believe will make us get the most out of this God-given life.
Managing our time requires a consistent dedication and sacrifice; I don’t need to engage in activities that I know will not benefit my life health-wise (like smoking, drinking, partying/sleeping late).
The struggle to do otherwise is always there, but when you get the hang of it, everything will follow naturally. Life is an adventure! Get up, put on your running shoes, and discover the outdoors. The road can lead you to more friends.
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Edmar is from Dipolog City, ZaNorte. He’s a registered nurse, having passed the Nursing Licensure Exam in December 2010. He now works as company nurse at SPI Global, one of the biggest BPOs in Dumaguete. He swears by the wonderful divespots in Apo Island. He is always grateful to DARS for the encouragement, to the Metro Dumaguete Roadrunners Club headed by Paultom Paras, and to Spectrum- Dumaguete.
