Mockathlon

One not so fine Saturday morning, amidst the cold rain and howling winds, a Mock-hlete was born.

{See Mock-hlete run. Run, run, run.}

Yes, it was my pathetic attempt in adding another feather to my cap: An Aquathlon.

The sport of aquathlon consists of a continuous, two-stage race involving swimming followed by a running leg. (Un)officially organized by Running Fatboy's equally running (not fat!) siblings, Nat and Carolyn, the mock/non-pro/purely "for fun" swimming & running event was held at the Manila Polo Club with an elite group of future marathoners and wannabe triathletes. There were three divisions: the Aquathlon (10 laps swim/5K run), the 5K Run, and the 3K Kiddie Fun Run. As you know, I joined the aquathlon, and yes, I did make a mockery of myself in the swimming part.

{I'm a lover, not a swimmer.}

I only finished 6 out of 10 laps in the Olympic-sized pool. I hated giving up, but I was practically dragging everyone down (everyone was finished with swimming and transferred to the track already). Besides, I was really there for the run anyway. Gotta save my energy, you know? (haha) Excuses, excuses.

{The Mock-hletes}

The DIY sporting event culminated with an awarding ceremony at Pancake House (McKinley Hill) for the top 3 placers in all divisions. Prizes in store were gift certificates from Pancake House, spa sessions (Yay!), Unilever gift packs, and Nike accessories to name a few. Since there were a number of generous donations, everyone got to take home a prize. Finally, the fun in the "for fun" part. Plus, the guilt-free banana walnut pancakes I had for breakfast, of course.

Waking up at 5 AM, almost dying trying, murdering my iPod, and getting an embarassingly, unpublishable time in the aquathlon... All in all, it was a perfectly great way to save a gloomy Saturday morning.