MY LEG HURTS! OOTS OOTS!

I had a post about me, dreaming to be a Boracay babe in less than a year. It’s been what, three months and wala pang nababawas sa weight ko. In fact I gained 10 pounds sa loob ng tatlong buwan. (Ladies and gentlemen, yes. Inaamin ko na, wag nyo lang pagkalat.) It’s hard, and I don’t know how and where to start until, I made a decision last Friday, February 18, 2011. Magbibike ako magmula sa bahay hanggang sa UST ulit.

I used a 26” super heavy dark red mountain bike. Totally different from my father’s friendly-but-unreliable black light mountain bike, and I made a major weight adjustment. Whenever I stop to obey the traffic rules because I am a good Filipino citizen, I touch the ground with my toe. Ganoon kataas. There’s an added pressure on my part because I don’t just rely on my good looks anymore to avoid being road-harassed by those stupid drivers. That time, I am so totally relying on serious weight balance. (FYI: RED signs are hell!) Sobrang mabigat. One wrong move, and the next time my family can see me? In a hospital bed, either mummy wrapped in full cement or ice cold dead. What made it real bad was, my butt’s in pain. Matigas kasi ang seat. I was tormented both physically and mentally. Here’s a picture of the bike, with my brother:

I was thinking whether to make ikot lang ba around Espana or to go further than Morayta. I did. Habang binabaybay ko ang daan nagiisip na din ako kung saan pa ba ako pwedeng dumaan o magshort-cut. Ayaw ko kasi sa major road at doon sa mga lugar na madalas dinadaanan. Sa malanding salita, nagmaganda ako at pumasok sa madidilim na eskinita. Ganda ko teh, feeling payat e. San ka pa? 

I went to try biking outside St. Jude church but I failed. The guards didn’t allow me dahil gabi na. Sad, hindi gumana ang alluring looks ko. Most probably dahil madungis ako kasi natanggal ang kadena nung bike sa may KFC after sumakay ni Auds ng taxi. (Sidetrip: I accidentally saw my FEU GB friend walking in front of San Beda College. I learned that she was stabbed by unknown people in Sta. Mesa) Sabi ko kay St. Jude: “St. Jude, the last time I went here was like, one and a half year ago. And my chances of seeing you is well. 20-80 because there are noble soldiers at the gate and I am riding a bike but I will try. You know that deep in my heart I wanna see you tonight”. So yun, hindi ako pinayagan. 

I tried a different route on the way home, and I saw myself going out from a street to Quiapo church. I went back dahil naisip ko, ayokong makipagsiksikan sa mga jeep sa major road dahil nga sa iba ang dala kong bike. Pero later on, dahil sa gusto ko na lang umuwi sa sakit ng hita at butt ko sumugod na din ako sa daan. Yung major road na may underpass linking to Morayta-Espana bound when you turn right and Central Market bound if you go straight. Shucks, no way out but to go straight ako! Kasi, that’s the shortest possible e. Gawddamit, ang kasabay ko buses and galit na drivers ng public utility jeepneys. Kung nagpadala ako sa nerbyos na naramdaman ko that time, nahawi ako ng bus. Kasi, he honked on me big time! The next thing I knew, the bus is only 24 inch distant from me. Sinasabi ko sa sarili ko habang nasstress ako doon: “Conquer your fear!” sobra. 

Nung nakalagpas na ako, it was a breathe of fresh air. Pero masakit sa ilong yung oxygen na nilalanghap ko. Alam mo yung pagod ka tapos humihinga ka na masakit sa ilong? Ganun! That made my legs hurt so bad. I swear. I wanted to stop and rest but I kept my feet off the ground. There’s no way I am resting. I made it home safe and tired. I consumed about two 8 ounces of Sprite. :) no food after that tiring day, that’s bago. Hooray!

If there’s a thing to improve about saving the earth and humanity (plus to lessen the road accidents), siguro yung buong Pilipinas, magkaroon ng separate road for bikers. And to give those stupid drivers a lesson sa pagiging polite at mapagbigay sa mga katulad naming nagbibike sa daan. They act as if they own the road.