The Hermit Turned Aquathlete

AQUATHLON (noun) - a two-stage race that involves swimming and running...unidentified word in most of the dictionaries but popular among athletes, particularly triathletes...

every breath you take...every move you made..i'll be watching you...

I never thought that Ateneo Aquathlon will be my second official aquathlon...yes you read it right...i joined SheerWill's Aquathlon Cup (SWAC) last year which i consider my first official...my respect to sheerwill who challenged the hermit to swim and later, dared to try aquathlon... 


November 13, 2009...as an aquathlete wanna be, i joined the group of siyokoys and struggled to finish the 400m x 7km x 400m aquathlon...with my guts, i survived but ended up tired and wasted...discovered that swimming and running is fun...

Two months later, another aquathlon was set...i trained hard...tried to learn the strokes and kicks with my friends chelly, argo and decipher...almost every week...we swim, we run..but due to all expenses-paid out of the country trip, i failed to join SWAC4 and missed the challenge...

not a fun neither a marathon...

Again, i got an invitation from a friend to join Ateneo Aquathlon...i am hesitant, afraid that i won't finish the race in an acceptable time...yes i can swim badly, i can run better but not yet ready to level up...thus, convincing power is up on the air until i was altered to register...

with the coach and the manager

March 14, Ateneo Aquathlon d' day....my mind was set to finish the race in 35min...i am prepared...confident that i can do better compared to my first aquathlon...i want to prove something...excitement over tense...my swim-leg went well alternating freestyle with breast stroke everytime i feel tired...however, my run was not good as my swim which i didn't expect...BAD run, that's how i described it...side-stitch strikes again which made me run slow and walk...my body just recovered right after the turn around...

running pic i grabbed from erwin cabbab fb account...link given by the hotlegs

MISSION accomplished...I finished the race within my target time despite of the unexpected circumstances... another event which will be part of my history...i am not yet a good swimmer, a fast runner either...but i believe that there's always a space for learning and improve the sports that i am learning to love...

with ateneo aquathlon commissioner "intimmyd8" 

• salamat rico aka sheerwill for believing in me... i survived again...more SWAC
• salamat coach rodel for motivating me...i was really threatened...2-1-1 na! congrats! (oo na, mas mabilis ka pa rin sa akin kung di ka lang injured)...
• salamat ateneo swimming team for a well-organized aquathlon...from registration to gun-start to freebies...bigatin...
• congratulations takbo.ph certified aquatheletes...and spectators
• gerard and wilnar...humanda kayo! ;)..loko lang...

w/ the sirenas and the syokoys

'til next time

* photogs - argo, timmy, nuttybunny, z and erwin cabbad