Getting Back Into the Groove

A few weeks even before the infamous typhoon Ondoy  (Ketsena) which drowned most of Metro Manila and made lots mountain bikers itching to hit the trails, I was off the longer and more serious group rides I normaly join. I don't know why lately I prefer to do and seemed to enjoy solo short rides.  Maybe it's because I can play my own clock. Maybe because I don't have to worry about someone else's time and tantrums. I can get up even late and still pedal somewhere without worrying some people were waiting for me. I can speed up at any point of the ride and stop for rests no matter how long and how many. These are the perks that are luring me do solo rides.

However, yesterday Monday Nov. 2nd, waking up late in a clear sunny day, I suddenly felt the urge to ride with a group. Tried to check the calendar and it was still a holiday following the All Saint's Day. I immediately cooked up a ride to Angono in Rizal and then up to Antipolo via backdoor. This is something I've been playing in my head for some time now. A route I stitched together from scanning google satellite images. Sure I've done Angono and nearby towns but the backdoor climb to Antipolo, not yet. This route was also confirmed to me by a former officemate who lives in Angono. So I texted up some people I know that might be interested in this route. But since it's already about 10 AM most of them were already somewhere in the trails doing their rides. I noticed that there was no any organized ride for that day and most rides were in smaller groups in different locations. Fortunately, there was one ride available to join me, Doc Harry who lives a couple of blocks away from me.

We started to pedal quarter to 3 in the afternoon. Took the Rainforest (Pasig) entry to Taytay-Manila East Road. Running at 18km/hr since Doc Harry seemed to enjoy it being first-timer there, we reached the town of Angono just before  4PM. Made a lazy tour around town proper then proceeded to Angono-Antipolo road which is of course uphill. A place is always beautiful on the first time, though there was a dumpsite on the way up. Generally, the route was OK and can be a good training or alternate route for those who might be sick and tired of the normal Antipolo approach which is Sumulong Highway. We reached downtown Antipolo by 5PM and took the Ortigas Extension on the way down. Stopped by Jolibee in Cainta to refuel when suddenly a big downpour started. Reached home around 6:30. My cyclocomp had it at 51kms. Not bad coming from a few weeks lay off. The most recent long I had solo was 40km. This was fun but still far from my usual rides not to mention the century ones. One thing for sure, I might do this again soon wether solo or with a group. Nice loop for a change.

Heal The World

As Michael said, "Heal the world. Make it a better place." Today, we went to an orphanage in Antipolo City to donate four bikes to the kids there. This haven the little souls is called the Redeemer's Home Foundation. They have 15 angels and about half of them were big enough to put their fragile bodies on the saddle.

It's my first time here and this was the second time Philippine Mountain Bike (PMTB), an online forum for bikers, headed by Roche (Whoops) is visiting the Foundation. I could have joined the other ride in Norzagaray, Bulacan which offered some sightseeing for nature lovers like me but I decided to donate my sweat to these young fellows who need more attention and much care. About a dozen of us pedaled all the way to Antipolo via Sumulong Highway. The mini-bikes were put in a pick-up truck of one of the forum members who drove to the orphanage while the rest of the group biked all the way. We brought the bikes as gifts to these wonderful children who were mostly abandoned by their parents in the hospital after birth. I wonder if I can ever do that to my child. I felt really sorry for these angels but glad to see them beautiful and bouncing. Funny thing was they all look the same as if they were siblings. I guess everyone got a fair treatment from the caretakers.


Happy to see them, the big ones with ages between 4 to 9, tested their new bikes. I couldn't show them my tears. I went inside the house and found three little cuties in their cribs. I wanted to hug them and feel them. I don't have my own baby yet but I'd like to have one. I picked up Rica who was barely a year old. She was cute and round. She cried being held by a stranger for the first time. I tried to play with her, still unsure who was this tall, sun-burnt, sweaty guy carrying her, I decided to put her back to her crib. She tried to flip a couple of times with her clear and beautiful eyes fixed at me. I tried to give her some mumbles then she smiled. I poked my finger inside the crib, she reached for it and held it like she knew me, I was so glad. So i tried to pick her up again and gee there were no more crying. I guess no more fear of strangers. She gave me a big smile and held me tight...Bernard, the Home's manager told me one trick: When you carry a baby, put her next to your heart. That gives the connection... And I did.