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My Five Loaves and Two Fish
I wrote this piece on July 27, 2015 in my Notes on Facebook. Somehow, this piece appeared on my Memories even after Facebook took down Notes a few years ago. I'm posting this here to share with you my five loaves and two fish.
Image by biblesharingonline
Every day, I wake up at 4 a.m. to prepare for work that starts at 7 a.m., and out of habit, I wake up at 4:00 even on off days at work. This Sunday was no exception.
The silence of the early morning hours feels like a physical presence hugging me, embracing me. I was already wide awake, but I lingered in bed and spent a few moments in this awareness.
My mornings…
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Miracles
I realized that sometimes the miracle that I prayed for isn’t necessarily what I expected.
Sometimes…It’s not a cure of an illness that I’d been praying for but the grace to live through it with renewed faith, a healthier lifestyle, and the ability to inspire other people who are suffering the same illness.
It’s how I was able to survive a difficult time or find real friends who stood by me and…
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I Thirst
Here I am.I am opening for you the door to my heart.I receive your gifts of mercy, healing, and love.I accept your light to dispel my darkness and doubt.
Carry me by your strength and power.Touch my heart and transform my life.Touch everything that needs changing in my life.Come with your peace and calm my soul.
Carry my loneliness and heal my wounds.Satisfy my thirst.Put an end to my seeking…
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I'm back! Just letting you know :-)
I’ve been MIA since the pandemic, and now that things are slowly getting back to normal, at least the new normal, I might as well ease myself back into writing. I will try my best to post here at least once a week (crossing my fingers!).
Getting a new hobby
Anyway, how have you been lately? What’s up with you these days? For me, I’ve been learning Korean as my third language (my first language…
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BRB...Falling In Love With You
BRB…Falling In Love With You
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Good Friday reflections on repentance and reconciliation while watching The Passion of the Christ
Good Friday reflections on repentance and reconciliation while watching The Passion of the Christ
I was watching The Passion of the Christ with my sister’s family on Holy Friday, and I could say that Jim Caviezel made a compelling portrayal of Jesus of Nazareth, and Mel Gibson made an excellent job in directing the film. It made me wonder why I didn’t watch it when it premiered 17 years ago.
The depiction of the passion of our Lord in the film is severely brutal and could be disturbing to…
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To the girl who's chasing after love
To the girl who’s chasing after love
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Life Lessons I Learned from My Plants
Life Lessons I Learned from My Plants
My plants on top of my computer table
It has always been my dream to have a lush garden of foliage and flowering plants, vegetables, and herbs right in my own home, just like what we had back in the province where I grew up. However, space and time have hindered this simple dream in coming to reality. Nevertheless, this pandemic has made it possible for me to create my own green space, my…
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Diabetes and Me
Just wanted to repost this to remind me that I am in control of my life and not diabetes.
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The sweet, cold embrace of Mt. Pulag
On Sunday, Dec. 8, 2019, I was able to tick Mt. Pulag off my bucket list and conquered the majestic mountain together with my friends Weng and Mayette and nine others who were a mix of beginners and experienced mountaineers.
Basic facts
Mt. Pulag via Ambangeg trail
Bokod, Benguet
Major jump-off: Ambangeg Ranger Station, Bokod, Benguet
LLA: 16°34’58″N 120°53’15″E, 2922 MASL (#3)
Days required/hours to summit: 1 to 2 days/4 to 5 hours
Specifications: Major climb, difficulty 3/9, trail class 1 to 2
Trail system: Grand Cordillera Trail, Section 3
Features: Sea of clouds, dwarf bamboo slopes, pine forest, mossy forest
Mt. Pulag is popular among hikers and trekkers not only because of its fabled views and breathtaking sea of clouds but also of its elevation, being the highest peak in Luzon and the third highest peak in the Philippines next to Mt. Apo and Mt. Dulang-Dulang, both in Mindanao.
The mountain stands high up at 2926 meters above sea level and near the heavens that the tribes who live in and around it believe they can commune with the gods, and for them, climbing is a sacred activity. Dubbed “playground of the gods” with its summit reaching the sky and jutting through the clouds, it’s the closest thing to heaven.
There are several trails that lead to Mt. Pulag: the easy Ambangeg in Bokod, the challenging Akiki in Kabayan, the arduous Ambaguio in Nueva Vizcaya, and the alternative trails Eddet and the Tawangan, both in Kabayan, Benguet. We chose to trek the Ambangeg trail, the shortest and the relatively easy trails compared with the others.
Going to Benguet
We hired a tour organizer for this Mt. Pulag adventure. Mayette, Weng, and I were joined by nine other trekkers in this tour. Our tour organizer made the arrangements for a van from Greenfields City that took us to our homestay in Benguet where stayed overnight to rest before the climb the next day.
We left Greenfields City around 11:30 pm on Friday, Dec. 6, and arrived in Benguet around 6 a.m., Dec. 7, where we had breakfast in the local eateries there, and then waited for the time the DENR office to open for the registration and mandatory pre-climb orientation. The orientation was done in batches of at least 80-90 people at a time. We were the fourth batch, so we took the spare time taking pictures, goofing around, checking out souvenir items, and eating strawberry taho! The orientation was short yet very comprehensive and informative.
Once the orientation was done, we were taken to the Ranger Station, the jump-off point, to register yet again and then have our lunch in one of the eateries there before we were taken to our cozy though chilly homestay facing a vegetable farm at Baban’s. We checked in around 2:00 p.m. at Baban’s, took a few hours’ rest in our respective rooms, and then explored the vegetable farm through thick fog and biting cold.
I had been to Benguet once going to Sagada a few summers ago. It was cold back then, but I didn’t expect it to be so cold, maybe 5 degrees, at this time of the year! I had to wear layers of clothing, thick socks, a bonnet, and mittens just to keep myself warm or else I’ll turn into a human prune. It was so cold the tap water was even ice-cold! You may need a heater if you can’t tolerate bathing in ice-cold water.
We had socials with the other guests/trekkers the afternoon we arrived at Baban’s and then had pork sinigang sa sampalok, noodles with vegetables, and red rice for dinner at around 7:00 p.m. Lights off was 8:00 p.m.
Wake up time was set at 12:00 midnight. We had a hot noodle soup at around 1:45 a.m. before we headed to the Ranger Station to meet up with our guide at 2:00 a.m. The hike/trek to Mt. Pulag is also scheduled as follows: 12:00, 12:30, 1:00, 1:30, 2:00, and 2:30. Our jump-off time from the Ranger Station was 2:30 a.m. There were also assigned viewing points for each group to avoid overcrowding at the peaks to watch the sea of clouds and to ensure that everyone gets to see it.
Way up to the sea of clouds and summit of Mt. Pulag via the Ambangeg trail
I’ll be describing the trail here as I saw it at daylight on our way back to the Ranger Station.
From the Ranger Station to the summit is around 8 km, so the whole trail is total is about 16 km. Depending on the pace, the summit can be reached in about 3 to 5 hours.
With only our headlamps to light our way, we started our trek in the biting cold and darkness as the half-moon hid its face behind the clouds, the sky blanketed with stars. We first went through wide trails surrounded by pine trees and picturesque landscape, a place they call “pine forest.”
After a few minutes’ to an hour’s hike, we entered the “mossy forest,” enchanting us with its grand spectrum of flora—pink flowers known locally as ayusep, red-leaf shrubs, ferns, and mossy trees. There are cold springs along the way where you could refill your water bottle should you need to. The water is ice-cold though.
About an hour or so of hiking, we arrived at Camp 1, marked by a hut, where we rested for a while and relieved ourselves in the latrines before hiking back up. Yes, there’s a latrine, but there’s only one for the male and one for the female so expect a long queue when you have to go.
After about 20 minutes at Camp 1, we started our trek to Camp 2. It took us about 2 hours to reach the camp where we again rested for a while. Once rehydrated and rested, we began our trek to our assigned peak to wait for the sunrise and for the sea of clouds to appear.
We hiked through the “dwarf bamboo forest” and grassland going to our assigned peak. It was amazing to see bamboos just knee to thigh high along a stony path. We arrived at our viewing point as the sun was just rising at the horizon. It was a marvelous and stunning view of the sun above a sea of clouds! I couldn’t help but gasp in awe at God’s creation as I watched the sunrise breaking the horizon and the sea of clouds around me. It was spectacular to see distant peaks surging like islets in an ocean of cotton clouds. From our viewing point, we could see the golden brown peak of the majestic mountain. The locals called it Mt. Pulag for “pul-ag” which means bald.
The summit views of Mt. Pulag are fabled and legendary. On a blessed time, sea of clouds form beneath, covering everything but the highest points in the Cordilleras. Truly, we were blessed because we did not only reach the summit but also witnessed the elusive sea of clouds!
Though the Ambangeg trail was the easiest relative to the other trails, I was catching my breath as the air gets thinner and the temperature plummeted to near-freezing level as we went higher. It was warmer near the summit as the sun started to shine, so I took off one shirt to make me feel comfortable.
The entirety of the trek to the summit was grassland, although there’s only one moderately steep part. Then, at around 7:00 a.m., more than 4 hours of walking from the Ranger Station (with rest and picture-taking), we reached the summit of Mt. Pulag. Finally, we were standing on top of the highest peak in Luzon at 2926 meters above sea level!
We trekked down around 8:00 a.m. after countless photos taken at the summit and reached the Ranger Station just around lunchtime.
I grope for words to describe how I felt when I felt the sweet, cold embrace of Mt. Pulag. How beautiful is the sea of clouds exactly? How majestic is Mt. Pulag? It’s hard to put them into words. One has to go to Mt. Pulag in order to find out.
NOTES:
Mt. Pulag via Ambangeg itinerary
*We hired a tour organizer for this hike to arrange our transportation, homestay, meals, and registration.
Day 0, Dec. 6
2200 Meetup at McDo Greenfields
2300 EDT Take van to Bokod, Benguet
Day 1, Dec. 7
0600 ETA Bokod, Benguet. Breakfast and rest.
0800 ETA DENR Center for registration and orientation.
1130 Set out for Ranger Station.
1200 ETA and lunch at Ranger Station.
1330 Check in at Baban’s Homestay. Rest. Socials.
1900 Dinner.
2000 Lights off.
Day 2, Dec. 8
1200 Wake up call.
0130 Breakfast.
0200 Meetup with guide at Ranger Station.
0230 Start trek from Ranger Station.
0530 ETA Sea of clouds viewing spot.
0730 ETA Summit.
0800 Start descent to Ranger Station.
1200 Back to Ranger Station. Buy souvenirs.
1230 Lunch at Baban’s. Washup. Prepare for check out.
1400 Check out at Baban’s.
1430 Log out at DENR Visitor Center. Head for Baguio City
1600 ETA Baguio City. Buy pasalubong.
1630 Head back to Manila.
1930 ETA Pangasinan. Dinner.
1200 Back in Manila.
Estimated budget for organized tour: 2800 to 3300, usually with inclusions of 3 meals (dinner, breakfast, and lunch), homestay, transportation fee (van), guide fee, and other fees. Organized tour package inclusions vary as well as price range.
ADDITIONAL NOTES:
Scheduling. Mt. Pulag is accessible throughout the year, but it is advisable to climb it during the early months of the year, December to early May, during the non-rainy months. The rainy season, especially during bad weather, may not allow transportation to reach the Ranger Station. It could also get very cold and camping may not be suitable. It is also best to hire a tour organizer for convenience (transportation and other arrangements). For DIYs, it is advisable to contact the DENR office for scheduling and assignment of trek guide because no one is allowed to climb Mt. Pulag unscheduled and without a guide.
Facilities. There are latrines in the camps and shower in the Ranger Station. Water sources can be found in the mossy forest should you need a water refill during the trek. Cellphone signal exists in many parts of the trail, including the Ranger Station, the campsite, and the summit. Tents (limited availability) and trekking poles may be rented or bought from the park. Gloves, bonnet, hiking pants and shirts, or jacket may be bought at some stalls in the park.
Mt. Pulag, playground of the gods The sweet, cold embrace of Mt. Pulag On Sunday, Dec. 8, 2019, I was able to tick Mt.
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Blank Page
Photo by Unsplash
I envied those who are not afraid of a blank page. I admired those who are courageous enough to scribble words and weave a story, but most of all, I adored the ones who write words that seem to leap off the pages.
The blank page is intimidating yet inviting, urging me to spill my guts, telling me to ignore the voices that whisper in my ear saying I’m not good enough.
I don’t…
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To the girl who's chasing after love
To the girl who’s chasing after love
Photo by Allef Vinicius on Unsplash
Yes, you. Please stop. I know you are tired of looking for love, wondering if you’re ever going to find it. You may even think that it’s probably easier to catch a falling star than to catch a love that wasn’t meant to be. You’re right. Quit blaming yourself and feeling guilty for a love that was lost. It wasn’t your fault. It’s not that you’re not good enough.…
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Sante Fitness Lab launches its Obstacle Course Race (OCR) training facility and program
Sante Fitness Lab launches its Obstacle Course Race (OCR) training facility and program
On September 27, 2019, Sante Fitness Lab, a premier one-stop fitness center that offers holistic training programs, as well as innovative recovery and sports rehabilitation, launched its Obstacle Course Race training (OCR) facilities in Vermosa, Imus, Cavite. The new facility aims to strengthen and provide better conditioning, as well as improve skills and technique development, for…
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Mandatory TCF group picture
Running is more fun if you do it with people.
Having fun and meeting new friends.
Fay, my new running buddy and friend.
It’s Thursday once again. It’s TCF Thursday Squad night.
I am new to TCF, having just returned from a running hiatus and running solo for the past month or two. Although some people say that running is a lonely sport, I never felt it that way. In fact, I love running just for the sheer fun of it and the peace and serenity that it gives me. However, running is more fun if you do it with other people. And it’s also exciting to meet new friends along the way.
Last Thursday night was my second week with TCF. TCF wasn’t my first running group. I was part of a running group in the past that is no longer existent. One of the organizers of TCF, Ysa, is a friend of mine so I decided to join her group. That’s how I came to be part of her team, now my team as well.
What does TCF do every Thursday night?
We run.
Besides that, we do some drills: strengthening exericses to help one become a better and faster runner.
That’s right. We don’t just run together, we train together. That means our coaches will keep our hearts pumping and energy revved up all throughout!
The sequence of activities last Thursday night is as follows:
1. Dynamic warmup. Any runner, running enthusiast or athlete should know that any workout should start with a warmup to prepare the body for any activity that will follow. TCF made sure that not only the exercises are safe and effective but also fun and dynamic. Last night, Coach Heaven gave us a new set of exercises, a different one than what we did last week. When you join TCF, you’ll never know what exercises the coaches will give you so it’s never boring. You don’t have to do the same exercises every time. Every week is always a surprise.
2. Drills. The drills come next after a short break following the warmup period. The set of exercises was for about 30 minutes with the following heart pumping exercises:
a. HIIT and run. High intensity interval training (HIIT), a form of interval training, a cardiovascular exercise strategy alternating short periods of intense exercise with less intense recovery periods, until too exhausted to continue. We were asked to do HIIT for 12 to 20 repetitions, do a short run, then rest. We had to repeat the sequence until all 10 exercises were completed. Believe me, these exercises will keep your heart pumping! And not to mention that this type of exercise is very effective in fat burning.
b. Whistle run. We took a short break before proceeding to the next drill. In this exercise, we were asked to run from point A to B repeating 20 times for 7 seconds, 6 seconds and then 5 seconds respectively. I was only able to complete the first set and half of the second set of exercise. Yes, you are allowed to stop and rest if you feel exhausted. Everyone has a different current level of fitness so we don’t have to complete the exercises though we were encouraged to perform the exercises to the best of our ability.
3. Heart zone run. After a few minutes’ break, we then proceeded to do a 15-minute run in our respective heart zones. We were asked to pick a partner to run with who’s likely with the same level of fitness. Since not everyone has the same level of training and fitness, some of us ran longer than the others in the 15 minutes alloted for the run. My partner and I were only able to run about 2 km or so. Others covered more distance than us according to their current level of fitness.
4. Core exercise. Once we got back from the 15-minute run, we were supposed to do some core strengthening exercises; however, it was starting to drizzle so Coach Heaven decided to skip this part.
4. Cool down. Every workout should always end with a cool down so Coach Heaven led us to a short and relaxing cool down period to close the workout of the night.
5. Announcements and reminders. Before we went our separate ways and end the night, we culminated our activity with some announcements and reminders. Once again, we were all reminded to support each other especially that one of our team members is set to run a 100 miler (160k ultramarathon) in Antique this August. We were encouraged to give whatever we’re inspired to give as support. It’s all voluntary, not mandatory.
So, what we do during TCF Thursday Squad night is we train, we run, and we support each other because TCF is not only a team or a community of runners, but we’re also a family.
I am a newbie runner/aspiring runner/seasoned runner, can I join the team?
Yes, you can! Anyone who wants to run regardless of age, gender, or level of fitness can join. It’s free!
We meet Thursdays, 7:30 p.m. by the fountain at SM by the Bay (beside Vikings), MOA. Just bring your own hydration bottle, towel, and change of clothes.
Come and bring a friend or two. Let’s have fun and meet new friends.
See you Thursday!
Team Choloflight (TCF) Thursday Squad Night It's Thursday once again. It's TCF Thursday Squad night. I am new to TCF, having just returned from a running hiatus and running solo for the past month or two.
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Back from Hiatus, Running Solo
I got back into running a month or two ago after a few months in hiatus, and as usual, I run by myself every day. I love running solo, and I never felt lonely running by myself. I get to purposely be aware of my breathing and my footsteps as they make soft sounds as my foot lands on the ground. Despite running on the road, I get to zone out and enjoy the sights as I run. The peace and quiet and serenity that running solo gives me is priceless.
Back to the Running Community
I’ve been incognito from the running community, not participating in any races – road or trail – for quite some time. Although I enjoy running solo, I could not deny the benefit I got from running with a group. When I got into running in 2010, I joined a group which I ran with once a week. It’s with a running group that I ran my first 3k in 2010 and the rest of my longer distance runs that follow.
Since I’m back into the running scene, I decided to join a running group again, a different one since my original running group, one organized by Adidas, has long been gone, and most of my contemporaries in running have either retired from running or gone on to do triathlons and become part of another group.
A runner friend of mine, Ysa who’s an elite runner (ultramarathoner, trail runner), is part of a running group called Team Choloflight Multisports. I’ve always been in and out of running hiatus and just been back to running for over a month so I’ve been reluctant to join their group thinking that it’s only for the elites and I might not be able to keep up. Ysa assured me the group is open to anybody regardless of age, gender or level of training. So, instead of running solo last Thursday, I showed up in MOA to join the group for the first time.
Training and Running with Team Choloflight Multisports
1. Drills. I came in just in time for the first activity which is the drills. The drills were in two parts: obstacle course and core strengthening exercises. In the first drill, we were all grouped together and each one has to do a set of obstacle courses one after the other. After about 20 minutes or so, everyone was done, sweating and totally warmed up. We then had a water break and rest, then came the second set of drills which is the core strengthening. We did 45 seconds core exercise for about 5-8 exercises with 15 seconds rest period in between exercises. (I missed the first half since I went to collect my bag from the baggage area so the number of exercises is an approximate.)
2. Running in Zone. After the drills, we rested for a bit and then went on to run. We were going to run 5k that night, but instead of running together as one big group, we were separated into different groups, not by age or gender, but by heart zone. The groups were color coded. Unfortunately, I forgot the color coding according to heart rate, but we were grouped like this: Zone One was to run 5k within 35 minutes for a heart rate of up to 120, Zone Two 32 minutes for a heart rate up to 140, Zone Three 29 minutes with a heart rate of up to 160, Zone Four 23 minutes for a heart rate of 170, and so forth. Everyone has to run according to their maximum heart rate and hopefully beat the set time. The goal is not to be fast just to beat a record time or to cover more distance but to train with the heart just like elite athletes do. Running using the heart rate zone as a guide has proven improved performance in studies of elite athletes. (More on this in my next article.)
3. Announcements, etc. One of the team members is scheduled to run a 100-miler in Antique this August, and he will be going there on his own without a support team. We were encouraged to help in any way we can to support our team member. Another person came in to ask for support for a charitable cause to donate and/or to be a volunteer. We also gave acknowledgment and praise to a team member who just completed a remarkable 6k swim recently.
Being part of a running group is not just to belong. It’s about supporting each other while training together. It’s about being a community of runners who enjoys running, but one that supports one another as well as supports other causes that is beneficial to the community, not only the running community but as a whole. It’s about promoting a healthy lifesyle and a socially aware community of runners.
Join the team!
I will always love running solo, but running with a group makes running more fun, purposeful and meaningful.
If you are just starting out in running or looking for a group who could support you and train with you, come and join Choloflight Multisports. It’s a community of runners and multisports enthusiasts regardless of age, gender and level of training who come together Thursdays, 7:30 pm at the North Fountain SM by the Bay (beside Vikings).
Come alone or invite your friends. Train and run with us while having some fun. See you there!
Thursday Night Run with Team Choloflight Multisports Back from Hiatus, Running Solo I got back into running a month or two ago after a few months in hiatus, and as usual, I run by myself every day.
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