RUNew: Realm of the Birds

Dawn was creeping when I parked the car.  The moon was still up.  It was a waning crescent almost on its new moon phase.  The sky was cloudless and morning stars were bright and twinkling.  There was only a wire fence separating from where I parked and the American Cemetery.  I could hear a strange cry of a hidden bird on the other side of the fence.  “Tiruuu, tiruuu, tiruuu” it croaked oddly.  It seemed to be a large bird from the sound.  I hope it was a bird.  I did not wait to find out.  I hurried my wife and BA, a colleague who also just arrived, towards the assembly area.

At the grounds, runners were gathering.  There was an air of excitement.  It’s a Rio-organized race and everybody was anticipating a well-organized setup.  The course chosen was challenging.  Hills, hills and more hills to either break or delight the spirit.  My first 15K and it would be a fitting course to test my resolve.

We met a former colleague, JS.  It was a pleasant meeting; we had not seen him for some time.  And we know he was an avid runner yet we have not had the chance to bump to him in our previous participation.  Running has transformed him from a blobby-200-pounder to a well-defined hombre.  This was his first run of the year, we learned.  We were gossiping on a few company affairs and intrigues while waiting for the call-up.  Later, boss RM arrived and joined our small idle chat.

Light was seeping in the east when the 15K runners were herded into the starting corral.  RM, BA and I planned a managed group pace.  RC has not yet appeared to complete the troop.  Another friend, JM, joined our ranks.  Coach Rio was counting down the minutes while I waited impatiently; impatient to start the punishment.  The stars disappeared slowly one by one from left to the right of my horizon.  I could see an airplane silhouetted by the spreading light on it’s ascending path like a condor on flight.  “Pak!” the signal gun blared shattering my thought-wandering.

On the first kilometer, we were averaging around 8min/km.  RC was able to catch-up on us on the first U-turn.  At the front of the Accenture building, the first among the 5K runners were already passing us.  I had this uncomfortable feeling that we were going much too slow.  I looked behind and there were just a few green-numbered bibs.  Back on Upper McKinley Hills, our pace improved to 7.5 min/km.  It was a healthy pace.  We maintained it throughout the grueling climbs of McKinley Hills.  At Lawton Ave, the middle pack of the 5K runners had caught up with us at their return route.  We were at their midst.  I couldn’t help but to look back to see other 15K trotters at our back.  I could count them using my fingers.  We were at the rear!  Impatience was badgering me.  The healthy pace was exasperatingly undemanding; I was not even breaking a sweat.  But, whew, I agreed to the group pace so I took it easy.  I thought I could whistle while running without laboring my breathing.  I observed a couple of Fork-Tailed Swift making their acrobatics flight pattern on the other side of the road.  These birds seldom touch the ground and live their life mostly in the air hunting insects.

We continued with the healthy pace along Bayani Road.  There were a line of Tree Sparrows, common maya, on the electric wires watching the runners.  They looked like small vultures waiting for someone to drop. As we turned down the slope passing the Libingan ng mga Bayani, we were met by the mighty sun.  Its rays were directly in front of us like laser beams incinerating our faces.  Summer was here and gone were the days of cool, windy races of the earlier months.

We entered the left-side Heritage Park and I was greeted by a well-maintained area.  It’s a delight to run in such clean, open landscaped scenery.  On the first turn, we were running anti-parallel to the flight of an airplane taking-off in the nearby airport.  If we were in the same elevation, we would have been on a head-on collision.

There was a comfort room to our path.  RM, BA and RC took the opportunity to relieve their swelling bladders.  “I can’t stop.  I will push on” I told them.  My competitive urge kicked, and I ran flying.  JM went with my pace of around 5min/km.  I felt like a peregrine falcon set free from a hawker’s glove.  We crossed to the other side of the park and were welcomed by another expansive manicured site.  Reaching the lagoon area, I noticed the abundance of birds.  Zebra Doves and Brown Shrikes were at the water edge.  On a nearby tree branch, there’s a bird with a blue or green back and white underpart.  The beak was long.  If I’m not mistaken, it’s a White Collared Kingfisher.  Kingfishers are patient birds usually perching on a branch motionless for long times until it sees a prey.  Further down the path passed the lagoon, JM slowed and fell behind.  I passed a flock of Lowland White-Eyes noisily chirping on top of a grave stone.  Its name derived from the white streaks surrounding its eyes.  At the water station near the exit of the park, I spied on a Yellow-Vented Bulbul on top of a rock.  This looks like the common maya differed by the yellow feathers on its behind.  There were more sightings of Zebra Doves and white birds with black fringes on its wings and eyes, probably Pied Trillers at the exit of the park.

The most tiring part of the run was the return route of the Bayani Road.  It’s a continuous long upward slope.  To make matters a little more difficult, the sun’s heat was draining my liquids and energy.  At this stage, I slowed to 6min/km.  The sparrow-vultures were still sitting on the wire, waiting ominously.  ‘No victim yet, boys?’ If any of those birds answered, I’d scamper full speed, exploding heart or not.   Passing the 13th kilometer, a runner shouted my name as I overtook him.  It’s AT, our big boss, the king among kings.  Surprise! I was not expecting him in this event.  Maybe he was secretly practicing for the Condura, uh hmm!  I ran with him at the Runnex Executive last December.  I told him that the rest of the gang was somewhere behind.  Then I continued with my pace and moved on.

The last kilometer was a relief.  It was all downslide until the finish line.  I crossed the tape recording 98 minutes of running.  It was a great experience conquering the hills, enjoying the park, marveling at the birds and delighted at the thought that I still have reserved juice after completing the race, Condura at the back of my mind.  As we left the grounds, I heard another bird screech, “Uuuuuuuuunnghh!” this time, it came from the wings of an enormous iron-clad bird.

Epilogue:
My wife finished 5K event:
-time 30:56
-19/290 female runners
-NUMBER 1: Age Group “D”