The Ironman Triathlon event sold 2,500 slots in merely four hours with 500 more people still on the wait list, covering participants from 45 countries.
That list excludes a good number of athletes joining Irongirl, which I look forward to be a part of someday, and Ironkids (ages 3 to 15).
Ironman 70.3 Asia-Pacific Championship 2016
I live close enough to the Shangri-la Hotel & Spa, which meant that I didn’t have to rush to the event’s location. At least not until I realized how late I woke up yesterday that I had to scramble and catch up, which is the closest I have ever been to look like any sort of athlete.
Starting off, I thought I was having a bad day until I saw my cat stuck high up on the tree right outside our window, mewling for help.
I don’t know how she got there, and it appears that neither did she. Inching her way back to the ground, she trembled all over. Finally reaching base from 15 to 20 feet high, she found her way to my hands and I felt bad she was having an awful day.
I’m glad I’m not a cat stuck up in a tree, I thought, and felt guilty for having found solace in her distress.
But it just reminded me that life is just a matter of perspective, and that some days aren’t as bad as we think.
Getting There
I can get to the Shangri-la in minutes, but the main roads have been closed to make way for the Ironman riders who’d be following an M-route across four cities in Cebu and back. So we took a detour instead via Cordova and drove off the highway close to the shore.
The added delay no longer pissed me off, thanks to our cat. I was awfully late, but it’s so much better than being trapped up on a branch.
Looking toward the side and past the huts I knew I didn’t have to look further to be grateful watching the sea shore as if framed by coconut trees.
Cordova, Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu Philippines
We didn’t know up to which part of the road was accessible by vehicles, but I loved the idea of walking on a Sunday morning so I could take some photographs along the way, starting at the Mactan Newtown area.
The Ironman event in Mactan, Cebu is a favorite destination for local celebrities and world-class competitors. Watching some of them near the tail end pass by I imagined myself training to become like one of them too, even if only for the Irongirl fun run next year.
The idea of colorful running skirts amused me.
clairelyhappy 