ISLA NG CATANDUANES ULTRAMARATHON 2017: Veni, Vidi, Vici

"Veni, vidi, vici" ("I came, I saw , I conquered") is popularly attributed to Julius Caesar after he had achieved a quick victory in the Battle of Zeta around 47 BC.  The phrase is used to refer to a swift, conclusive victory.

Lest the readers think that the Isla ng Catanduanes Ultra Marathon (ICUM) was a quick one for the Bicolano Penguin and the other runners, allow me to now declare at the onset of this blog article that the ICUM is far from being an easy and soft ultra marathon.

Consider these declarations on the  ICUM 2017 from a couple of podium finishers and one Top 5 finisher:

1. Roselle Abajo (ICUM 65kms 1st Runner Up Female) - "One of the hardest route I can say in my entire running career... The route says show no mercy."

2.  Dianne de Lara (ICUM 110kms 1st Runner Up Female) - "#rutangina."

3. John Nathan Bajaro a.k.a. Marinero Runner (ICUM 65kms, Top 5 Male). - "Very challenging ultramarathon race that I cannot forget."

If these runners who are relatively more speed-endowed than the Bicolano Penguin are shell-shocked about the hill-centric nature of ICUM route, what more us lesser mortals.  Nonetheless, our ICUM experience will not be complete if we just talk about the hellish route of this ultra marathon.  For me, and I suspect, for many of the participants, the ICUM experience is more than about the race.

For many of  us ICUM participants, this was more about enjoying the Happy Island that is Catanduanes. From that perspective, let us explore thru the sequence of  "I Came, I Saw, I Conquered." Or dare we paraphrase and say "I CAME, I SAW, ICUM."

I CAME

We came from far away.

The decision to come to the  ICUM was made shortly after the media night in Aug 24 for another event 5th Filinvest Endurance Weekend .  In attendance in the said media night was fellow blogger Jham Mariano who upon seeing me approached our table and warmly invited me to join the second edition of  ICUM.

Lao and Jham working together in organizing the Isla ng Catanduanes Ultra Marathon (ICUM).

Jham together with fellow Catandunganon  Lao Ogerio  organized the very first edition of ICUM in October 21-22, 2016 as a way to promote the island-province not only as a destination for runners to get together and be fit but also a place where they can take a deep breath and appreciate the stunning vistas in the so-called Happy Island of Catanduanes. With more than a hundred runners joining the inaugural event, the ICUM was considered a success and a second edition was planned for 2017 by the enterprising and resilient pair for the 3rd week of Oct 2017.

The objective of the organizers had much appeal for me so it was not difficult to say yes to the invitation.  All I had to do next was invite  a few more of my running friends and our adventure to the Happy island was on.   Good thing, fellow row5runners Ernie Badong, Orly Jacob, Ric Lozano and Brando Bueno were automatic yes to the idea of running in the ICUM. Rounding our group were high school classmates  Ed Balcueva and Allen Tolledo who volunteered to be our support crew for the ultra marathon. A week before the race, Ric backed out due to work-related reasons.  We had to scramble for a replacement or else forfeit the Php 2,000 registration fee.  Brando was quick and he got  another row5runner Dhenzky Celetaria to replace Ric. 

The band of runners was formed and we traveled together from Manila all the way to Virac, Catanduanes.  The trip had 3 phases. First phase was the 475-km road trip from Manila to the Port of Tabaco, Albay. Orly, Ernie, Ed and myself left Manila at 9:30pm Oct 18.  Along the way, we stopped in Naga City to pick up Allen and in Iriga City where Brando and Dhenzky joined us. We arrived in Tabaco at 9am Oct 19.  The second phase was the 69-km sea crossing from Tabaco to the port of  San Andres, Catanduanes  Our Montero vehicle boarded a roll on/roll-off  ferry vessel  which left at 11am.  The ferry trip took roughly 3 hours on rough  seas. The third phase was a 14-km road trip from San Andres to downtown Virac.

Dhenzky, Brando, Allen, Ed and Ernie before boarding the RORO vessel in the port of Tabaco. 

row5runners photo with fellow ultra marathoner Roselle Abajo on the ferry. 

RORO vessel on the way to the island of Catanduanes in the background.

Rough seas evident on the foamy waves hitting the side of the ferry. 

Approaching the port of San Andres. 

The row5runnin band of runners setting foot on the island of Catanduanes.

By the time we arrived in the provincial capital of Catanduanes, which was mid-afternoon Thursday, we were super hungry already.  No problem, this island was sure to be abundant with seafood.  Sure indeed, what we saw did not disappoint.

I SAW

Delicious Seafood.  Hospitable and Hard Working People. Rock of History.

These are the top 3 of the many delights we saw in our 4-day stay in the Happy Island of Catanduanes.

First the delicious seafood.

More specifically the delectably  mouth-watering king crab the locals call "kinis."   In fact, our first meal upon our arrival in Catanduanes was a pair of good-sized king crabs which we bought at the wet market in Virac.  Inquiring as to its provenance, I was told by the market vendor that the king crab came from the town of Panganiban in the northern portion of the province.  It was prized at Php 350 per kilo and it sure was a bargain. We had it cooked at a carenderia beside the wet market. Together with nilagang karbaw, the steamed king crab was a gastronomic lunch delight for the band of hungry runners. It was real fresh and its meat was succulent.  Manamis-namis.

A pair of king crabs from the town of Panganiban in the wet market in Virac. 

Steamed to succulent perfection.

Come dinnertime, our next meal was a  pair of  crab in ginataang malunggay.  The first came from the town of Baras courtesy of Allen's cousin and the second was from our host family in the town of Bato. This was a treat best enjoyed eating with our bare hands. Again, the crab meat did not disappoint. It was yummy and its moist texture pointed to the freshness of the catch.

Crab in ginataang malunggay from the town of Baras.

Crab in ginataang malunggay from the town of Bato. 

Apparently, Catanduanes is vying to be the crab capital of the Philippines. The province is trying to reclaim the title which it lost to the Negros province 3 decades ago. The towns of Panganiban, Bagamanoc and Viga host natural sanctuaries for the king crab. We did not get to visit these northern towns but will sure include  in our itinerary the next time we visit. How about a "Crab Marathon" coursing thru these 3 neighboring towns?

Second the hospitable and hard working people.

Much has been written about hospitality being a trait displayed by Filipinos, particularly those in the provinces, characterized by heart-warming generosity and friendliness exhibited to foreigners and locals alike.  And our weekend stay in Catanduanes further affirmed this truism.

Thursday (Oct 19) night, we were hosted by two families: the Timuat family in Baras and the Tatel family in Bato.  The Timuat family are cousins of Allen and they were our host when we went on a recon trip of the route from Virac to Baras. We had coffee with them and they provided us with dinner food including the crab in ginataang malunggay and the Dorado (mahi mahi) fish steak.  The Tatel family are relatives of a colleague of Orly who offered their family residence in Bato for our housing accommodations during our 4-day ICUM adventure.  The family matriarch, Nanay Iding eagerly received our band of runners when we knocked on their door mid-evening of that Thursday.  Dinner was waiting for us on the table. Lo and behold, another meal of crab in ginataang malunggay was waiting for us.  After dinner, we were showed to our rooms and we had a good night sleep.

Ex-municipal kagawad Johnny Timuat warmly received the row5runners in his home in Baras. 

The Dorado fish cooked pork steak style. 

row5runners photo with Nana Iding and her Tatel family in Bato. 

A hungry group of row5runners having dinner at the Tatel family residence.

Sleeping in the province is a runner's paradise. One does not need an alarm clock in Catanduanes.  The roosters in the town of Bato are busy crowing as early as 3am.  Just about right for us runners planning to go on an early morning jog which we did with a lot of gusto on that Friday dawn. We savored the early morning drizzle as our running feet romanced the Catanduanes road,  kilometer by kilometer. 

Early morning run on the Bato River Bridge a day before ICUM race day.

Stopping over at the San Miguel Church which is on top a hill with a great view of the valley. 

Allen showing some hang time under the San Miguel welcome arch.

Our early morning run from  Bato to the town center of San Miguel and back proved to be  eventful as it was yet again an opportunity for us to experience the fabled hospitality of the Filipino. As we neared the long bridge across the Bato River, I spied a beautiful flower garden. The flowers of varying abundant colors beckoned to me and luckily the owner was visible by the roadside. I approached her and asked permission to take photos of the flowers.  She gave her permission and she even gave me a pair of patola.  Eyeing me admiring the sili plant, she also encouraged me to take some silis.   That's what you call heart-warming generosity. Giving nourishment to a complete stranger. But wait, there is more.  I asked for the name of the old woman and she replied Eva. She asked for mine and I gave her my name. She asked for my family name and it too I gave.  My surname seemed to be familiar to her and she is asked the inevitable question - "How are you related to the good senator?" To which I replied, "Leila is my sister."  She expressed surprise and having gathered herself, she said - "What they are doing to her is not right. We pray for her." All I can reply was Leila is very thankful for all the support from our countrymen." She smiled back and the smile coming from deep inside sure reassured me that redemption will be at hand some day.  It will be hard but it will sure come.

A beautiful flower garden by the roadside before the Bato River Bridge. 

A sili plant. 

With Eva, the owner of the flower garden who gave me two patolas.

With the fruits of hospitality.

Speaking of hard, our row5runnin band of runners witnessed a handful of Catandunganons who exhibited hard work in their passion, be it in sports, public service or business. Of course, there is the  team of Lao and Jham who in their own obstinate way  is helping bring Catanduanes up there in our Philippine sports tourism map.

Race organizer Lao visiting us in Rakdell Inn.  He helped us make the reservations and negotiated for us a good discount.

Race organizer Jham warmly receiving us in the race briefing.

In the race briefing at Plaza Rizal in downtown Virac on Oct 20, we had the good fortune of listening to another who clearly has love  for the island province of Catanduanes. Representing the mayor who was in Manila for official business, Vice Mayor Dr. Arlynn  Arcilla  talked about the many places and things to like about in Virac and the whole province. The way she did it was straightforward with a simple pride that was far from the bombastic boastfulness that seems to be prevalent nowadays from the current political overlords of our country. She is a breath of fresh air and we think she will go far in her public service calling.

Virac Vice Mayor Arlynn Arcilla in a group photo with the 100km ICUM participants. 

The Vice Mayor is a relative of our batchmates Allen and Ed. 

Present too in the race briefing was the hard working Carmel Garcia, of the provincial tourism office of Catanduanes.  Her active presence was a clear manifestation that the provincial  government recognizes the sport tourism contributions of the ICUM.  She was there to promote among the race participants and companions the Happy Island slogan of Catanduanes.  It was a delight to see hard work by our public servants. Clearly, she is happy to be working for the Happy Island.

Group photo with Carmel Garcia of the Provincial Tourism Office.

After the race briefing in the afternoon ,  the organizers treated the runners. Merienda was in the form of WTF.  Say what?  WTF as in What the Fries. Aside from being delicious, this is an innovative product that allows a person to consume fries and lemonade in a very practical way.  Both the fries and the lemonade are contained in a single paper-based tall cup that is hold by one hand while the other hand is free to pick the fries. The enterprising Catandunganon responsible for the WTF is Erwin Olarte who is also a runner. He is a member of the fledgling Island Runners Club Catanduanes (IRCC) which actively supported the ICUM either as race participants or race volunteers.

WTF 

Bicolano Penguin with WTF proprietor Erwin Olarte and another race volunteer. 

Evidently, the people of Catanduanes takes great pride in their rock of an island province. And there is one historic structure that beautifully manifested the rock-solid sturdiness of the people.

This is the centuries-old heritage church of Bato. Established in the late 1500s, the St. John the Baptist Church in the town of Bato is the oldest church in the province and one of the oldest in the whole of Bicolandia.  The presently standing stone structure took 53 years to build from 1830 to 1883 under six different parish administrations. It is built on the site of the first cross planted in Catanduanes to mark the grave of the Augustinian friar Digeo de Herrerra who died in 1576.

The Heritage Church of Bato. Two of our row5runners jogging along its footpath are dwarfed by its massive walls designed to withstand the howling winds of the typhoons that are regular visitors to the island.

The row5runners had a chance to visit the Bato church after our early morning run in Oct 20. Standing in front of the old church, its massiveness made us more puny than what we already are.  The church is immensely charming  both outside and inside.  The church is a simple Classical structure. The main portal is topped by a clean semicircular arch. Its thick and massive walls are made of coral lime stones.  The thickness of the wall echoes the church's utility as safe haven for the townsfolk from the ravages of hurricane winds.    Inside the Bato church, one cannot help but experience the feeling of being transported to the time of Jose Rizal and Maria Clara and Padre Damaso.  The church altar has renaissance style paintings on the wall and ceiling.  The choir area offers the rare sight of non-electric musical instruments which one suspects were around already when the mass was still being celebrated in Latin.

Capturing on photo the elegant symmetry of the semi-circular arch in front of the St. John the Baptist Church which faces the mighty Bato River. 

The church altar with Renaissance-style paintings on the wall.  

Painting on the ceiling on the dome of the church. 

Old school musical instrument for the choir of an old school church.

So much to see in Catanduanes and we row5runners are fortunate to have witnessed a triumvirate:  succulent crab, hospitable and hard working people, and an age-old charming heritage church. But we are not here just to witness. We are here in the happy island to participate in a long distance running event. Will we conquer it or will we be conquered?

I CONQUERED (ICUM)

The ICUM race has two categories:  110 kilometers and 65 kilometers.

Route map of the 110km ICUM.  

Route Map of the 65km ICUM.

Race start for the 110km ICUM was  8pm Friday (Oct 20) night at the Plaza Rizal in Virac. I arrived there just in time to take photos of several running friends who will brave the ultra smorgasbord of 110km worth of uphills and downhills.  The ultra runners were released at 8pm sharp.

Nacario brothers from Iriga City.  Cyrus and Jonas are ICUM pioneers who returned this year to gun for a more impressive finish at the 110km race.

A local runner from Virac, Anton Arcilla requested for a #OneForLeila running shirt. I was happy to grant the request. 

Joseph Nebrida and his fellow TBR Dream Marathon alumni.  There was a sizeable number of Dreamers who joined the 100Km ICUM.

110Km ICUM participants ready and raring to be released into the darkness of the Catanduanes night.

The race start for the 65km ICUM was 3am Saturday (Oct 21) morning in the same venue. It was still a handful hours away so I returned to our hotel room in Rakdel Inn which was less than half a kilometer away from Plaza Rizal.  Got to squeeze in some sleep and woke up at 1am which was just fine as I needed to do some stretching exercises to warm up, particularly the hip flexors and ITB. By 2am, we started loading the support vehicle with our hydration and food provisions. At  2:30am we were on our way to Plaza Rizal.  For the row5runners, we had Dhenzky, Orly, Ernie, Brando and me gunning to finish the 65km ultra within the 14-hr cut off time.

Band of Brothers, of the running variety, with the shirt that defines one of our advocacies.   

Race Organizer Lao giving last minute instructions to the assembled 65km ICUM participants.

Soleus runner Roselle giving the thumbs up sign as a fellow lady runner  smiles.  In all the ultra marathons I have joined where Roselle is also a  participant, she has never failed to bag a podium finish.

After a few words of advice from the race organizers, the 65-km participants were released at 3am sharp. As usual, I was at my customary position of being at the rear of the starting runners.  Brando was gracious to stay with me while the faster Dhensky, Orly and Ernie zoomed ahead in the dark. Zoomed they did for as we reached the Bato River Bridge which was at Km 9 of the 65km race, Brando and me could not anymore see other 65km participants. But we were overtaking  100km stragglers. Me and Brando were still fresh, after less than 2 hours of running, while the centurions have been on the road already for 9 hours.  We passed by the St. John the Baptist Church  and it was still dark so there was no opportunity yet to have a running photo with the heritage icon of Bato.

The 65km ultra at this point was still a flat one but when we reached Km 13 which was at the outskirt of the Bato poblacion, we had our first uphill portion.  It was a generous one as the ascent was for roughly 5 kilometers up to the foot of the PAGASA doppler radar station in Barangay Buenavista of the same town.  Upon reaching the top of the hill, there was a water station waiting for the runners at Km 18.  More than hydration, the Km 18 station offered massage service which was music to my ears. I quickly took a seat and one of the volunteer nurses gave a good rub down of my aching illotibial tract and gastrocnemius muscles. The massage had a soothing effect on my running muscles and the timing was just right as we would now be transitioning from a 5-km uphill to a 4-km downhill.  With energized running muscles, we made short work of the descent and by the time we reached the bottom, we were already at the coastal road connecting the town of Bato to the town of Baras. It was at this point that we saw the sun finally out in all its glory at the early morning hour of 6am.  We were making good progress but with the sun out, I expected a slower pace.

Photo of a happy runner getting a damn good massage from a nurse volunteer at the water station in Barangay Buenavista, Bato.  There is truth to the Catanduanes' moniker as "Happy Island."  

Sure enough, with the sun rays beating on us, we had more walk than run along the Bato-Baras road. My running muscles were crying again for relief.  Good thing the good book tells us to ask and you shall receive for at the water station in Barangay Sagrada of the town of Baras, a race volunteer informed us that they had barangay officials who gave a good massage. True enough, a couple of lady members of the Barangay council  were TESDA-trained and both Brando and me were the lucky beneficiaries of a good massage.  As I sat there enjoying the treat, I could not help but make a mental note to reach out to the LGUs of Baras and Bato and inform them of the good deeds of their people.

Another happy massage. This time from Barangay officials in Barangay Sagrada, Baras.  All in all, I had 3 massages in the whole 65km route.  Tell me, what ultra marathon in all 7000+ islands of the Philippine archipelago can offer such a delightful treat to its runners?  

After our second massage, we run for roughly a kilometer more and we reached Barangay Osmena . This is Km 25 of the 65km race . This is where Allen's cousin was waiting with hard-boiled eggs.  We gulped a handful. I also took the opportunity to change running shoes from the new Hoka Clifton 4 to the old trusty Altra Paradigm 2.  The Hoka was wet already from all the showering  I was taking at the water stations. Plus, with my feet splaying with the long distance, the Clifton's forefoot was beginning to feel narrow. With  its wide forefoot, the Paradigm was literally and figuratively a breath of fresh air.

A kilometer after Barangay Osmena, we reached the town proper of Baras.  and soon we were running along the Baras-Gigmoto-Viga road.  Another kilometer away from the town proper, we reached another uphill portion, the second major one of the 65km race.  At the water station at the foot of this uphill, we bumped into the lead runner of the 100km race. He is Ryan Nieva, a runner from Team Subo of Albay.  We clapped our hands to show appreciation of his path-finding ways.  We were soon walking up the hill which I  figured had a gradient ranging from  18-30%. Our pace here was definitely slower than the first ascent in the previous town of Bato.   A kilometer or 2 after we met the lead runner, we crossed paths with the Nacario brothers who were in hot pursuit of the Team Subo runner.  A half kilometer after, we bumped into the lead runner of the 65km race.  He is a local runner with the IRCC.  He was constantly looking back. We wondered why.  Less than 100 meters after, we saw the reason. It came in the form of our fellow row5runner  Dhenzky who was employing shadowing strategy reminiscent of the hunting strategy of the African Wild Dogs (Lycaon pictus) which are built for high stamina chases.   Dhenzky was skillfully following the lead runner.  Never really forcing the issue but showing himself once in a while to the lead runner. Letting the lead know that he was near. There was no doubt in my mind that Dhenzky, just like the African Wild Dog which has a hunt success rate of 80% better than the lion's 30%,  would eventually overtake the lead runner which by now is feeling stressed and exhausted.

Cyrus and Jonas hot on the tail of the lead runner of the 110Km ICUM. 

Local runner Wilson Talan in the lead of the 65Km ICUM on the way back to downtown Baras.

row5runner Dhenzky stalking the lead runner of the 65km ICUM.

There were many more ICUM runners, both 65km and 110km participants  that we met as we navigated thru the zig zag roads which was now beginning to go downhill after a 3km stretch of uphill. They were mostly on their way back to the finish line while the pair of Brando and myself were just on our way to the U-turn at Km 35. We met along the way Mia Asejo, the eventual ICUM 110 champion (female category).  Her graceful and efficient strides are a sight for our pair of tired  eyes in the grueling route.  Also, the pair of Roselle and John Nathan which was being pursued by a pair of Fairview runners.  The lady runner from Fairview would eventually be the ICUM 65 champion (female category) while Roselle came in second.

By this time, which was almost 9am already, we were approaching the barangay that housed the world-famous  Puraran Beach. It was downhill and we could hear the unmistakable sound of big waves crashing on the sandy shore. Home to the "Majestic Wave", Puraran Beach is dubbed the  surfing capital of Bicol.   Unfortunately for us runners, we did not have the chance during the race to go down the beach and run on its sand. We could hear the waves. We could smell the  crisp ocean air. Yet we could not touch the water from the mighty Pacific Ocean. So near yet so far.

Lao with some of the PNP personnel that provided security along the ICUM route. Our thanks to their vigilance.

Speaking of far, the last U-turn of the ICUM was on top of a hill that bears semblance to a far far place like Batanes. This is Balacay Point in Barangay  Benticayan of the town of Baras. The beauty of Balacay Point is heart-stopping and spine-tingling and the organizers should be commended for picking this place as the mid-point of the race.  There is something about a high place like Balacay Point which makes even an agnostic believe in the presence of a God. But just like all places that are paradise, there are hardships to contend with.  Hirap muna bago ligaya.  To reach the top of Balacay Point, the runners had to contend with roughly 2 kilometers of steep uphill.  My running buddy  Brando contended with this uphell by gleefully running in zig zag fashion akin to that of a sidewinder while the penguin in me was contented to walk the rest of the way to the top.  Run or walk, we both reached the top and the view was simply exhilarating. Uplifted by such a sight of God's mighty creation, Brando and myself had the audacity to do a high five of a jump shot.

Pacing buddies John Nathan and Roselle at Balacay Point.  

Father-daughter duo of Vicente and Angela Topacio of Fairview Runners with Lao. She would garner  1st place Female Category of the 65km ICUM.  

Orly enjoying his snacks at Balacay Point.

Bryan Ballega of runconada and Ernie approaches the u-turn at Balacay Point.

Race volunteers from the local running group Island Runners Club Catanduanes seeking shelter from the merciless beating of the tropical sun.

How steep is the approach to Balacay Point? Steep like Palace in the Sky Tagaytay but double the distance.   

Praying for deliverance from this hell of  an uphell.  

ICUM is an ultra marathon that brings its runners to dizzying heights. But it is no sweat for Brando, one of the more diminutive ICUM runners. 

The audacity of ...

...a jump shot...

...on top of Balacay Point. 

But such a quickening moment was short-lived for me and Brando because when I looked at my Garmin, it read that it took the both of us  6 hours and 45 minutes to cover the first 35 kilometers of the 65Km ICUM (which is actually 70kms per the organizers' admission at the race briefing the night before).  Knowing that we still had to negotiate thru another 35 kilometers and the 2nd half is usually much slower than the 1st half, we were in danger of finishing the whole race beyond the cut off time of 14 hours.  It was now close to 10am.

Worriers worry but warriors soldier on.  Quick thinking was needed and a game plan was crafted.  The trick is to chop the long distance into smaller portions.  My metal mathematics produced this strategy:  10 kms in 2 hours, 16 kms in 3 hours  and 9 kms in 2 hours.  We needed to get back to Barangay Osmena, which was 10kms ways before 12 noon. Just in time for lunch and at Barangay Osmena, Allen and his cousins would have some rice meal available.  From Barangay Osmena in Baras to  the foot of  the Bato River bridge, we would target to do the roughly 16kms  in 3 hours.  If we are successful in hitting those numbers, we should have an ample 2 hours to deal with the remaining 9kms from the long bridge to the  finish line that gloriously awaits at Plaza Rizal in downtown Virac.  Sounds easier than 35 kms in 7 hours.  We just had to execute the game plan.

Executing the game plan was a challenge but we were up to the task.  This is where the old adage "running is 90% mental' is tested. Mental fortitude will come in handy and such fortitude will only be possible thru time. Good thing both me and Brando have more than 5 years experience in ultra running.  I may be slow but thank God I am old.

Lunch at exactly 12 noon in Barangay Osmena. Thank you Allen for the "masiramon na adobo." 

Tender loving care on the ultra road.  Marcia Simsiman getting some from hubby Joel.

As 3pm approached, we find ourselves along the dusty road in the outskirt of Bato town.  As we skedaddled our way back to the Bato River bridge, we have in our company a young lady runner by the name of Dani.  We caught up with this 18-year old runner at the ascent back to Barangay Buenavista and we invited her to join us in our "easy"walk-run pace. Prior to Dani, our on & off company from the U-turn in Balacay Point up to the Baras-Bato boundary was a pair of ICUM 110km runners who later on we learned is a husband-wife tandem from Legazpi City.  I remembered Marcia and Joel Simsiman  as their support crew were generous in sharing some water and food with us. The cold water was specially important in the fierce afternoon heat.

At 3pm, the 3 of us - Brando, Dani and me - reached the target goal at the foot of the Bato River bridge.  We just had 9 kilometers to gobble up and we had 2 hours to do it. But rather than be elated by this positive prospect my body language was not shouting this out.  Instead, I was feeling woozy and our support crew, particularly Ed noticed this. Like a basketball coach in the last 2 minutes of a championship game, he was in my face and he asked what's the problem. All I can blurt out was - "I am hungry and I need some hot soup. I will not run until you give me one. " Immediately, the support vehicle swung into action. At the next sari sari store, we passed as we walk, Ed and Allen were waiting with 3 cups of instant noodle soup (bulalo flavor -my favorite) for the 3 runners.  Such is the value of a support crew.

Having fed us and having us ready to battle the last portion of our ICUM odyssey, Ed channeled his inner Coach Bob Knight and was soon the epitome of a drill sergeant who simply would not let his troops fail in battle. Every half kilometer or so, he would command the support vehicle to stop and he would go down to vigorously clap and egg us to push the pace.  He was at times barking out orders and I was a bit concerned that our young running companion Dani might get shell-shocked.  But our young padawan proved to be  resilient as she gamely soldiered on our trudge towards the finish line.

As we passed by the provincial capitol, signalling that we were less than a kilometer way from the finish line, our Coach Ed gave the command to ease down  our pace.  No need to risk having cramps at this concluding stage of the race.  By this time, Ed had already instructed Brando to run fast towards the finish and only me and Dani were left to do the trudging.

Brando had a strong finish and was able to overtake 3 more 65km ICUM runners in the last 2 kilometers of the race. 

At this juncture of the race, my Garmin was already ineffectual as the display was showing the red signal of low bat.  I shouted a query to Allen on the support vehicle - "What time is it?"  He smilingly replied 4:35pm.  In earlier years, he could have shouted back - "Hammer time" and I would have responded with a running man strut and then galloped towards the finish.  But those days are far from gone and age has a way of hammering one to stoic submission. I simply responded with a thank you to Allen and gave a thumbs up to Ed.               

Two short left turns and we were about to cross the ICUM finish line less than 25 meters away.  I requested Dani to cross the finish line ahead as ladies ought to be first.  We crossed the finish line with 14 minutes before the 5pm deadline.

Old man Bicolano Penguin  with the youngest finisher Dani. 

Vigorous celebration at the finish line with race organizer Lao and  coach Ed.  

Official Race Results for the 65km ICUM. 

Official Race Results for the 100km ICUM.

#OneForLeila running shirt finished in both the 65km and 110km ICUM.

So as we reach the conclusion of this epic account, the question pops out again - Did we conquer the ICUM?   To answer in the affirmative would be a farce. The unwritten code of honor pervading among the ultra running community frowns on such a boast. The ICUM route thru the rolling rocky hills of Catanduanes was simply grueling that the hashtag #rutangina fits it to a T.  Simply put, any runner who claims to have conquered the ICUM is not an outlier but an outright liar.

65km ICUM first place finisher Dhenzky with fellow row5runners.   As row5runners, our objective is to finish within the cut-off time.  We often find ourselves at the last row of finishers but in the 65km ICUM, it was an added bonus to have one evolve into a row1runner. 

But there is room for some philosophicality in answering the question of conquest.  We did conquer, not so much the torturous route, but more of ourselves in surviving the Isla ng Catanduanes Ultra Marathon.  It is said that self-control is a key ingredient in accomplishing our long distance running goals.  People with a lot of self control have  the motivation and ability to override their unwanted impulses and desires. So it is that finishing a badass ultra marathon like the ICUM was more of conquering many of our impulses. The impulse to quit. The impulse to have it easy. Even, the impulse to cheat. Sadly, the so-called ninja moves  were a  topic for debate in the aftermath of the race.

What is without debate is the proposition that the labor of the ICUM and the allure of Catanduanes have conquered our beating hearts. We will be back for 2018 ICUM. Again, big congratulations to all the runners.  Kudos to the organizing team lead by Lao and Jham for a good job. Heartfelt thanks to the happy people of the Happy Island of Catanduanes.

The row5runnin contingent on the way back to the Bicol mainland the morning after the race. 

With runners from Iriga City at the race briefing.  Hope to see more of them in the next ICUM. 

At the ferry bound for the port of Tabaca, the Bicolano Penguin got to shook hands with 110km ICUM 1st placer (Female Category) Mia Asejo who was accompanied by supportive hubby. 

In closing, allow us to channel, not our inner Caesar, but our inner MacArthur in declaring to those who care to listen - "We shall return."