Pedal Quest

I finally did it. I bought myself not a mountain bike, but a racer bike. Doc, who’s extremely knowledgeable about bicycle parts and the cycling sport in general (he recently competed in his first relay triathlon in Subic last December), assisted me in picking the parts for assembly in Cartimar, as well as in haggling for the lowest possible price.

Since I entertain illusions of competing in duathlons next year (swim-bike or run-bike race courses), I thought a racer bike would best fit my requirements for training. Doc is right, the pedal plates in a mountain bike are just too small compared to the racer type, while the body is considerably lighter as well.

Jun, on the other hand, who’s still recuperating from his biking accident in Fontainbleau, in le Republique Française, and who will be skipping dragon boat training in the meantime, is gunning for the mid-year Milo full marathon. I told him I’m not optimistic about the 42km race because running has always been my weakest event.

I plan to lessen my dragon boat involvement as well but will focus more on swimming (which I have neglected this year) and long-distance biking this coming 2007.

Fitness First representatives have been hounding me with mobile phone calls lately. I still do not have plans of working out in the gym. I’d rather run, row and bike outdoors, you know, toning my body the natural way.

Being physically fit and healthy have always been my top priority rather than looking good for its own sake. I am not narcissistic at all.

Thank God I got a new project from Singapore. Being a free-lancer isn’t always a comfortable position to be in. You’ll never know when your next project is coming along. I hope I get more projects next year.

The peso has gained considerable strength already (appreciating by more than 14%), from PhP56/US$ two years ago to PhP4$US by the end of this year. It does not bode well for me at all, as I am highly dependent on foreign projects. The only way for me to compensate the loss in purchasing power is to raise my volumes. Furthermore, if the peso continues to appreciate, I might be forced to look for a full-time job soon.