A Series of Unfortunate Events
Holy Week
I used to spend my holy week out of town or on domestic trips to take advantage of the long weekend. This year, it was supposed to be spent at my home town as it's my sister's birthday celebration and my first run on my hometown via Baguio 21K. One thing led to another and a series of unfortunate events after, I ended up with a totally different experience. It was not a good one but its an experience and as they say, what doesn't kill you could only make you better.
Baguio 21K
I've handpicked Baguio 21K as one of my key races for the year. Running in my hometown was one thing I really did looked forward to and up to hours before I was still eating several kilometers of hills just for this challenging run. Though may have lost a little bit of long run endurance preparing for my first duathlon a few weeks ago, I was really looking to enjoy the hills and a bit sentimental coming home for something I'm passionate about. This is the second edition and I've been registered for both events and I've missed both. Last year was due to my cousin's wedding and this year was due to series of unfortunate events. Oh well, Baguio has also been struck with the run craze so I'll still get my run in the City of Pines one of these days.
Series of Unfortunate Events
Timing Belt
We would be taking an early dawn trip to Baguio and hope to be in Baguio early on Good Friday morning. After a quick meal at Jollibee in NLEX and a few kilometers before Pililan exit. Our car speed slowly decelerated though my sister was able to bring the car in the shoulder bay in time before the car went dead. There we were stuck in NLEX in still a very dark 4:30 am. It was real creepy being stuck in the middle of nowhere in pitch dark of dawn. You could feel your car sway every time a car passes by because of their speed. We were able to call NLEX and had a patrol officer assist us and was able to call a tow truck which would bring us to the nearest exit, which is Pulilan. It's also nice to note that the Patrol Officer was so helpful and professional. I learned that when you get help from Patrol Officers when you are in NLEX and SCTEX, it's all part of your toll fee.
At Pililan, it turned out that it was because of a torn timing belt and problem was since it was Good Friday, there were no parts available so it took the whole day just to look for a timing belt and have it installed. Next problem was that they also chipped the main pulley installing the timing belt but it was good to go but since it was a bit late, we decided just to eat dinner and spend the night at Clark.
Hard Rain
Another sign that things were not going right was that after we had dinner, it was raining real hard. We just took it slow and arrived at Widus Hotel in Clark at night. We then proceeded with our trip at 7 am.
Main Pulley
On our way to Baguio, we had another mishap in SCTEX. We heard a screeching sound and then the car had a sudden jump so we went back to shoulder. It turned out the belts in the Main Pulley has been displaced. We were able to bring our car to a repair shop in Tarlac and it turned out that there was a problem with the Main Pulley. CRV parts are a bit hard to find and a good thing my cousin was just in nearby Concepcion, Tarlac so we had an extra transport to find the missing parts and we were able to find it in Angeles, Pampanga after checking in Tarlac. It was also my sisters birthday so her aborted party in Baguio became an impromptu Chicken joy lunch at the repair shop. The car was ready by evening and it was another day spent at the repair shop. We had dinner and drinks at Concepcion, Tarlac with my cousin and went back to Clark past midnight to check in again at Widus Hotel.
Clark 21K
Since Baguio 21K did not push through, I was planning to do my scheduled long run at Clark and I even arranged my gears already. Clark was such a wide space for a good run but after having back-to-back stress ridden days at the repair shop, my body just didn't have the energy to rise up early and ended up waking up at past 10 am. It was just in time to catch the checkout time of 12 noon. I'll just have to run and bike in Clark soon or I may just have to set a training session here one of these weekends. Oh well, one thing you'll realize at doing multi-discipline sports is that your body do have limitations that's why you have to sleep and recover well to remain fresh and rejuvenated on a year long training program. We had lunch at the London Pub in Mimosa compound and we were off headed home. I'm just glad to be back in Makati safe.
Flat Tire
But wait, just as I thought all the bad luck has gone away. I went for a bike ride from house to my office parking area to get my car and do some loop and I wasn't even on my 3rd kilometer biking. I heard some screeching sound and when I finally went down to check on it, one side of the tire just popped and BANG, a flat tire. Good thing, I was just nearby my parking lot so I was able to get my car. I have since fixed the tire by using an extra set. It was another chance to practice my bike tire changing skills.
Bad Luck?
After a series of unfortunate events, do I believe in bad luck? I'm more in the mode to say that we create our luck though it does help to remain cautious but not too careful either. I guess, everything happens for a reason. Some may perceive it as bad luck but I want to see it that after a series of unfortunate events, I'm still safe. Some protective hands might have been cushioning some of those mishaps. It was not a comfortable experience and it was nowhere near fun but it did teach some valuable lessons that could go far away. I've learned more about cars the past two days than my past six years driving. It's also a lesson in patience and presence of mind in tough situations. In some eerie way, you just can't fight the signs and just have to make the most of the situation. Somehow, the closer we got to Baguio the more mishaps happen. So I'd just shake of these series of unfortunate events and go on.
Half A Lifetime Ago
In a few days, it's also gonna be my father's dead anniversary and in my blog written two years ago (click here), I mentioned of a coincidence that my lolo and lola's death was on a year that ended in 8, my dad and uncles on a year that ended in 4. Does that mean our generation would end in 2? 2012 does end in a 2 so makes you think but I'd rather dismiss it as just mere coincidence. Everything is uncertain and that what makes life exciting. I'd leave it that way.
I used to spend my holy week out of town or on domestic trips to take advantage of the long weekend. This year, it was supposed to be spent at my home town as it's my sister's birthday celebration and my first run on my hometown via Baguio 21K. One thing led to another and a series of unfortunate events after, I ended up with a totally different experience. It was not a good one but its an experience and as they say, what doesn't kill you could only make you better.
Baguio 21K
I've handpicked Baguio 21K as one of my key races for the year. Running in my hometown was one thing I really did looked forward to and up to hours before I was still eating several kilometers of hills just for this challenging run. Though may have lost a little bit of long run endurance preparing for my first duathlon a few weeks ago, I was really looking to enjoy the hills and a bit sentimental coming home for something I'm passionate about. This is the second edition and I've been registered for both events and I've missed both. Last year was due to my cousin's wedding and this year was due to series of unfortunate events. Oh well, Baguio has also been struck with the run craze so I'll still get my run in the City of Pines one of these days.
Series of Unfortunate Events
Timing Belt
We would be taking an early dawn trip to Baguio and hope to be in Baguio early on Good Friday morning. After a quick meal at Jollibee in NLEX and a few kilometers before Pililan exit. Our car speed slowly decelerated though my sister was able to bring the car in the shoulder bay in time before the car went dead. There we were stuck in NLEX in still a very dark 4:30 am. It was real creepy being stuck in the middle of nowhere in pitch dark of dawn. You could feel your car sway every time a car passes by because of their speed. We were able to call NLEX and had a patrol officer assist us and was able to call a tow truck which would bring us to the nearest exit, which is Pulilan. It's also nice to note that the Patrol Officer was so helpful and professional. I learned that when you get help from Patrol Officers when you are in NLEX and SCTEX, it's all part of your toll fee.
At Pililan, it turned out that it was because of a torn timing belt and problem was since it was Good Friday, there were no parts available so it took the whole day just to look for a timing belt and have it installed. Next problem was that they also chipped the main pulley installing the timing belt but it was good to go but since it was a bit late, we decided just to eat dinner and spend the night at Clark.
Hard Rain
Another sign that things were not going right was that after we had dinner, it was raining real hard. We just took it slow and arrived at Widus Hotel in Clark at night. We then proceeded with our trip at 7 am.
Main Pulley
On our way to Baguio, we had another mishap in SCTEX. We heard a screeching sound and then the car had a sudden jump so we went back to shoulder. It turned out the belts in the Main Pulley has been displaced. We were able to bring our car to a repair shop in Tarlac and it turned out that there was a problem with the Main Pulley. CRV parts are a bit hard to find and a good thing my cousin was just in nearby Concepcion, Tarlac so we had an extra transport to find the missing parts and we were able to find it in Angeles, Pampanga after checking in Tarlac. It was also my sisters birthday so her aborted party in Baguio became an impromptu Chicken joy lunch at the repair shop. The car was ready by evening and it was another day spent at the repair shop. We had dinner and drinks at Concepcion, Tarlac with my cousin and went back to Clark past midnight to check in again at Widus Hotel.
Clark 21K
Since Baguio 21K did not push through, I was planning to do my scheduled long run at Clark and I even arranged my gears already. Clark was such a wide space for a good run but after having back-to-back stress ridden days at the repair shop, my body just didn't have the energy to rise up early and ended up waking up at past 10 am. It was just in time to catch the checkout time of 12 noon. I'll just have to run and bike in Clark soon or I may just have to set a training session here one of these weekends. Oh well, one thing you'll realize at doing multi-discipline sports is that your body do have limitations that's why you have to sleep and recover well to remain fresh and rejuvenated on a year long training program. We had lunch at the London Pub in Mimosa compound and we were off headed home. I'm just glad to be back in Makati safe.
Flat Tire
But wait, just as I thought all the bad luck has gone away. I went for a bike ride from house to my office parking area to get my car and do some loop and I wasn't even on my 3rd kilometer biking. I heard some screeching sound and when I finally went down to check on it, one side of the tire just popped and BANG, a flat tire. Good thing, I was just nearby my parking lot so I was able to get my car. I have since fixed the tire by using an extra set. It was another chance to practice my bike tire changing skills.
Bad Luck?
After a series of unfortunate events, do I believe in bad luck? I'm more in the mode to say that we create our luck though it does help to remain cautious but not too careful either. I guess, everything happens for a reason. Some may perceive it as bad luck but I want to see it that after a series of unfortunate events, I'm still safe. Some protective hands might have been cushioning some of those mishaps. It was not a comfortable experience and it was nowhere near fun but it did teach some valuable lessons that could go far away. I've learned more about cars the past two days than my past six years driving. It's also a lesson in patience and presence of mind in tough situations. In some eerie way, you just can't fight the signs and just have to make the most of the situation. Somehow, the closer we got to Baguio the more mishaps happen. So I'd just shake of these series of unfortunate events and go on.
Half A Lifetime Ago
In a few days, it's also gonna be my father's dead anniversary and in my blog written two years ago (click here), I mentioned of a coincidence that my lolo and lola's death was on a year that ended in 8, my dad and uncles on a year that ended in 4. Does that mean our generation would end in 2? 2012 does end in a 2 so makes you think but I'd rather dismiss it as just mere coincidence. Everything is uncertain and that what makes life exciting. I'd leave it that way.
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