Pleasant Experience in ACC Track Asia Cup Thailand

August 8, Wednesday morning. I was on my way to the airport in the middle of a storm and flooded streets. Natatakot na ako noon na baka pasukin na ng tubig ang sinasakyan namin. Buti na lang hindi kami tumirik at nakarating din sa airport almost 3 hours before the team’s 10 am flight to Bangkok. The team stayed in a hotel provided by the organiser, but we were informed that our accommodations will be until Sunday, August 12, only. We have to pay for our accommodations  for the extra night before our flight home on August 13, Monday. Since limited lang talaga ang budget at kailangan talagang magtipid at magbayad sa accomodations before the race and pay for uniforms, the team decided na pupunta na lang sa airport pagkatapos ng karera. Buti na lang naawa ang organiser ng malaman nila na the whole team will sleep in the airport on Sunday night and wait there till our afternoon flight the next day. They extended our free accommodations for one night. Many thanks for their generosity.

On the race venue, I had a lot of time observing things while waiting for my event, for the rain to stop or for the track to dry. The velodrome was really nice. Makinis at talagang alaga. Exclusively for cyclists. Unlike in our country na venue rin ng iba’t-ibang events ang velo. Nagulat ako ng makausap ko si Ijima at nagrereklamo na matagtag daw ang track. I told him I am quite satisfied with the track and it is incomparable to the track in our country that is rough and slippery. He asked me how many velodrome do we have. I told him only one. He told me they have 50 velodromes all over Japan. The velodromes were mostly used for keirin races and can still be used even if its wet or while raining. Naisip ko okay lang yun kasi mayaman naman ang bansa nila pero sa pag-uusap pa namin I get his point na iisa na nga lang, sana mapaganda at maalagaan pa. Ijima is older than me by 4 years. He is 36 years old but still in top form and winning races. He told me he will retire when he’s 39, kaya may 3 years pa daw sya magbike. After that he will put up a business or work somewhere. He is currently in Bridgestone, one of the biggest cycling team in Japan. Pagkatapos ng karera, baka diretso na daw sila ng Europe to race and train for the Olympics in China next year. Iyon daw ang target nila ngayon.

Another observation I had was about the equipment. Scientifically advanced na talaga lahat. Even the Thai’s. Ang magkakateam ay may pare-parehong bike appropriate and set up specifically for their event. May uniform bike ang mga team pursuit ng bawat bansa, ganun din para sa mga sprinters at iba pang event. Lahat state of the art. Naisip ko ulit okay lang yun. Wala pa naman motor at hindi pa naman di gasolina. Bike pa din naman ang gamit nila. Although it is somewhat degrading lalo na kung napuna na mismo ng taga-CSK na old models na ang mga bike namin na ginamit ko pa last 2001 SEAGames.

But the most important thing that caught my attention was the training, procedures, and performance of the other teams. I saw cyclists being pricked and tested for lactic acid immediately after the race. Iba na talaga ang level ng training even for our Southeast Asian neighbors. The Malaysians are training out of their country in cycling schools under very credible foreign coaches. Nakikita naman ang results na ang lalakas na talaga nila lalo na ng mga juniors na ngayon nasa elite na. Marami na silang malalakas na pamalit sa mga magreretire. Mga bansa na dating tinatalo lang natin. Ngayon, nakakalungkot man aminin ay tumatalo na sa atin. May mga women sprinters pa from China na ilang beses tinalo ang time ng sprinter natin. Ganun na sila kalalakas. Honestly, ewan ko kung ano ang gagawin ko kung yun ang event ko. Very intimidating at talagang nakakatakot dahil hindi maikakaila na napag-iwanan na tayo. Pero naisip ko, isa lang naman siguro yun reason nilang lahat kaya nagkaganun, they know their potential in cycling and they are seriously developing it.

Pagdating pa lang namin sa velodrome. Kahit hindi pa nagsisimula ang karera. Kahit warm up lang. Alam ko na kami ang underdog. Sa lahat na lang yata ng bagay, from our bikes to the supplies talo talaga kami. Pero hindi pa rin ako nawawalan ng pag-asa. Iniisip ko na lang sa mga ganitong pagkakataon ang bike ko si Gohan (custom made steel frame), ang baon ko noong biko, at ang banana type na helmet ko. Eh ano ngayon kung sa Europe sila nagtraining? Eh ano ngayon kung ang lalaki nila? Eh ano ngayon kung chopsuey ang bike namin? Eh ano ngayon kung malakas sila? Eh malakas din naman ang loob namin. hehehehe. Duda ako kung kaya nilang talunin ang time namin sa velo natin…hehehehe. Wasak sila dun. Kung sila kaya ang nasa sitwasyon namin, mananalo din kaya sila?  At heto na nga, proud na proud ako, nakapwesto na tayo ng maganda sa ibang event, may nasilat pa tayo, at kahit kailan hindi ko nila-lang, ang BRONZE na naiuwi namin. At alam ko din, konting gigil at motivation pa, kayang-kaya pa natin maungusan ang 4 sec gap natin sa silver ng Iran.  Konting husay pa…hehehehe. At sana nagustuhan ng mga opisyal ang mga pasalubong na galing sa mga siklista. Pasasalamat para sa pabaon nyo po sa amin.

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