I was supposed to go to Batangas today and tackle the infamous Batangas-Lobo route through the mountains but I wasn't feeling 100% so I told the group to go ahead without me. I know my legs still need some miles in them so I did my own version of the Tour of Manila.
Here's the route that I took:
Pioneer > Shaw > Pasig Boulevard > C5 > The Fort > NAIA 3 > Roxas Boulevard > Quiapo > España > Quezon Avenue > Quezon Memorial Circle > UP > Katipunan > Marcos Highway > C5 > Pasig Boulevard > Pioneer
Instead of bringing the usual Camelbak with me, I decided to use the Topeak beamrack and trunk bag so that I'll get used to riding with it. I also installed the pump attachment to my bike (it didn't fit inside the bag and I don't want to unzip the panniers) and brought two water bottles with me.
As I pedaled my way to Madison Street, I realized how liberating it is to not feel any weight on my back. Yes, my bike is heavier with all the gear, but somehow that didn't matter too much. On the downside, though, I didn't drink as much water as I would have if I brought the hydration pack.
I had two rest breaks in today's ride. The first one was in Luneta near the Rizal monument. I stopped there and ate a bar of Nature Valley's Trail Mix. The next stop was in UP. No bars for me this time. Instead, I had two bottles of C2 to push down an order of kwek-kwek and squid balls. That felt good!
This experience of riding alone brought out the coach in me. There were a handful of instances wherein I was tempted to cut the route short. I could've turned right to Buendia or to Timog Avenue. I could've pushed myself to go faster and fried myself in the end. But I didn't. And I'm happy with that.
Here's the map:
Here's the route that I took:
Pioneer > Shaw > Pasig Boulevard > C5 > The Fort > NAIA 3 > Roxas Boulevard > Quiapo > España > Quezon Avenue > Quezon Memorial Circle > UP > Katipunan > Marcos Highway > C5 > Pasig Boulevard > Pioneer
Instead of bringing the usual Camelbak with me, I decided to use the Topeak beamrack and trunk bag so that I'll get used to riding with it. I also installed the pump attachment to my bike (it didn't fit inside the bag and I don't want to unzip the panniers) and brought two water bottles with me.
As I pedaled my way to Madison Street, I realized how liberating it is to not feel any weight on my back. Yes, my bike is heavier with all the gear, but somehow that didn't matter too much. On the downside, though, I didn't drink as much water as I would have if I brought the hydration pack.
I had two rest breaks in today's ride. The first one was in Luneta near the Rizal monument. I stopped there and ate a bar of Nature Valley's Trail Mix. The next stop was in UP. No bars for me this time. Instead, I had two bottles of C2 to push down an order of kwek-kwek and squid balls. That felt good!
This experience of riding alone brought out the coach in me. There were a handful of instances wherein I was tempted to cut the route short. I could've turned right to Buendia or to Timog Avenue. I could've pushed myself to go faster and fried myself in the end. But I didn't. And I'm happy with that.
Here's the map:
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Feel free to write a comment or a message. You can also send me an email at jovan [at] bisikleta [dot] ph.