SMARTGUY Tambayan

"My 2nd toughest and challenging race for 2011"

by: Donna Goja-Segunial

Just like after the Bull Runner Dream Marathon last March 20th, my adrenalin rush after the race was UP. Now, after the Twilight Duathlon challenge, my adrenalin rush is UP again even the day after. Well here are my thoughts about this amazing race.

Preparation plays a major role, both your physical body & mental stateof mind PLUS your bike. Anything can go wrong if you are not well prepared especially if you do not have the gears you need including your race suit. Special thanks to Saul Alfaro for lending me his ambermatic shades. Grabe, ang hirap magbike at malakas ang ulan. Kung pwede lang may wiper yung shades eh.

Ang saya saya pala magbike kahit na may PUTIK na splash splash sa mukha mo. Sabi ko na lang, parang MARYKAY liquid foundation ko ito ah. Liquid upon application tapos powder finish.

You gotta ENJOY the race & SMILE, kahit na mahirap. Whether you did a bike recon or not, dapat alam mo na what to expect & expect the WORSE. If you have to carry your bike in the slippery mud, you just gotta DO IT (parang Nike). If paakyat yung trail, madulas, maputik, just GO! You're IN the race na eh. You SIGNED up therefore you AGREED to the challenge. Eh kaya nga, Twilight Duathlon CHALLENGE yung title ng race

What me succeed in finishing strong this tough & grueling race is having the RIGHT HEART. I simply thank & Praise our Almighty God for guarding my heart, to be sure I had all the right reasons in joining it. I did not go out there to prove something, I was just there to ENJOY and to finish strong & ALIVE and I DID, thank GOD! BEing the Champion together with my partner, Cindy Balayon is icing on the cake. I remember what I told my Team Captain of XTRM TRI Team when he invited me to join the team....I know what I capable to do in this sport (multisport) being a newbie at it. I simply enjoy it & I want to learn more, have fun & meet great friends likeyou. Podium finish is a BONUS and if I get one, Praise God!

During the race, there was a point I remembered my Dad. I recall when Iwas in 2nd year high school, my Dad brought me and my sisters for a trail hike in Cavite, under the heat of the sun. He said it was a short walk but it was more than an hour, I think. There was a muddy trail we had to pass through, even a river. I believe that joining this race has somehow continued the HEALING of my pain and brokenness as a daughter of my Dad. Growing up, I was always forced to be like a boy, be competitive, do what boys can do, even better. In fact this morning, I was crying when I was contemplating about this matter. I simply offered a prayer to God and lifted up all the pain and I felt peace. This is actually the 2nd trail race I joined. Last year was the New Balance Trail Run in Nuvali Sta.Rosa where I ran 10K. The healing started with that race, in making PEACE with my Dad for being tough on me since I was a little girl. Now, I am more at peace because I now enjoy what I used to hate and I am no longer forced to do what I do.

Ang sarap mag bike sabay sigaw WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!! Lalo na pag nasa putikan ka at paakyat ng 100 meters (more or less) bitibit mo pa bike mo sabay pababa naman at matirik. Sus ginuo talaga! Pero sa totoo lang, ang saya saya!!!! wheeeeheeeheeeheee!!!

You gotta PRAY HARD and let other people PRAY HARD with you if you will join a race like this one. It’s no joke to join this race coz you gotta be really really prepared more than the physical, mental state of mind. I recall, I was praying to God, please prepare the way Lord, please prepare the way, safe race for everyone Lord, no accidents please. When I felt tired I simply said, GOD IS MY STRENGTH, GOD IS MY STRENGTH! When I felt alone in the wilderness coz the other bikers were either way ahead of me or still far behind me, plus you hear a weird animal sound, I called God's angels to just let me feel their presence.

It's good to know that majority of the bikers whom I've met have a positive and a good attitude. I saw one biker help another biker coz he got a flat tire & the other biker gave his spare inner tube & lent his handy air tire pump. Cheers to the biking community! Mabuhay tayong lahat!

Ang sarap pala ng feeling ng manalo, at CHAMPION pa! Cindy & I just enjoyed the race & we wanted to finish strong & ALIVE, uninjured tapos may BIG BLESSING pa! WOw Lord, ang GALING GALING MO!!! Aside from the prayers of so many people, you sent my Ninong Manny Chan (ziggy's & my ninong sa kasal) to visit us in Tagaytay Highlands yesterday afternoon. Since he was a member & found out I had a bike race, he said he will schedule a golf game in the morning so he can see us in the afternoon. We haven't seen him for a couple of years now and he is such a blessing! He even treated us for mirienda at Bistro Saratoga. GOD IS GOOD talaga!

As soon as I crossed the finish line, I put down my bike & literally ran up the coffee shop to look for my Ziggy and Enzo. I just wanted to greet them right away and tell them the good news, I AM ALIVE, I FINISHED!!!

When I had the chance to call my mom after the race, I called her totell her I finished strong. She was really worried due to the bad weather the whole week. She was praying very hard for me and for all the particpants. She sounded so relieved when I called her I was okay because I promised her I will call her after crossing the finish line to tell her I am good.

I am really thankful for all the BLESSINGS I received for joining this race. Not only did Cindy and I win in the womends doubles but my husband Ziggy was with me and my son Enzo. It mattered to me that my loved ones are there for me during the race. It gives you more BOOST, more HEART to finish strong and SAFE. All throughout the race I was thinking of my family, that I will finish alive, uninjured and still strong. Also, I thank God for all my friends who prayed for me, super duper thanks. I want to special mention Herminia Florida and Edwin Bertolet, special friends of mine who were praying for me. Herminia sent me an email a few days before the race and I asked for prayers and she did prayed hard for me. Thank you! Thank you so much! PLUS, I gained new friends again, this time the Cycling community. It’s great to know you guys! God BLess you all!!!

About my freak accident, natapilok ako sa pothole at di kasi ako nakatingin. Well, all I can say is I am very thankful it did not happen during the race because I could have slipped and injured myself. There were times pa naman I was just alone in the trail (creepy). These things happen and makes you realize, "Hey Donna, take a break, chill muna at CHAMPION namam kayo eh"

So what next Donna Gojo-Segunial? Well as soon as I am better, I mean my left ankle, will do the necessary preparations for my races beginning August onwards:

· August - 21K Run United 2

· September - Powerade Duathlon 2nd leg

· October - SPEEDO NAGT Triathlon race, Super mini sprint

· November - Triple A Cup Aquathlon and Run United 3 - 32K

Above all things and in my life, LORD I GIVE YOU ALL THE GLORY AND HONOR AND PRAISE!!!

Running did wonders for me: I lost weight and acquired some stamina, personality and self-confidence to boot. But most of all, running helped me to lower my blood pressure. And my participation in the Nuvali trail run on June 18, 2011 in Nuvali, Sta. Rosa, Laguna helped to take all these benefits to a whole new level. The course was difficult, but it added a whole new dimension to my running, and the experience taught me how to be always being on my toes, avoiding barriers along the terrain. And, running under the shadows of the trees, touching different kind of grasses, and interacting with beautiful and hospitable runner-mates, gave me the opportunity to appreciate the beauty of nature in a non-urban setting.

However, more than anything else, I learned to care for mother nature. Seeing Nuvali, I asked myself why we had let our environmental problems get this far when there is actually a way for human kind to strike a balance between nature and progress. And Nuvali is definitely a living proof of this possibility. I guess a man doesn't really know what he has until he loses it.