Mad about mud

CEBU, Philippines - There is always that tempting sensation about the mud; an alluring touch at the way it would squish up in between our toes on barefooted days. The sound of it tolls with playfulness as we wander on the contours of the earth under a pelting rain; the texture of sogginess in between our fingers pumps up the drive to mold mud pies out of it.

This ancient connection with the mush whetted an appetite to sign up for the R.O.X. 10KM Road-to-Trail Adventure Run (aka Mud Run) in line with its Outdoor Fest last July 22 in Liloan.

It would be fun to wake up again the earth, get caked and coated all over with clawing clay or clinging grit, and then getting a real outdoor shower.

The rain didn't come though!

But the best things in life are spread out there under an unforgiving sun. There was the sun, all of its unwavering splendor, while the rest of the archipelago was soaked in the downpour. We could only hope for that "slide of our life" had the torrents come and sent the dirt road logged in muck.

There were about seven of us who went past the 3KM mark after an hour of trekking, immersed in conversation, enjoying the rolling terrains of Barangays Jubay and Mahayahay despite being devoid of forest cover, getting caught in spikes and thickets at some points, every minute spent gaily in what was a short but sweet convergence, leaving the panting behind us, anticipating to finish our version of the race, according to the pace we had set.

There is some kind of fulfillment too in wandering around. When we just roam around, we have that command over ourselves, our destination. We rely on instinct, intuition as we veer and steer our life on that winding path. Nothing close could be cooler!

Enthusiasm whorled up in me that Sunday morning. The ROX Outdoor Fest became a platform for me to embrace the brambles again. But not by running as earlier designed. Not that I'm alienated to running. It was so much a part of me - in my mind I still sprint across open spaces. But beyond three decades now of that memory, I resigned to taking those small chasms instead - to just make do with what available strength left - thus completing the 10KM mud trail challenge in three hours. And, again I rejoiced at the fact that I was never afraid to be left behind. The greenscape is a marvel to behold, and there are only seconds to be awash in amusement. I can't also afford to stop.

"Ang importante wa ta na DQ (disqualified)," bantered fellow writer Phoebe Jen, at the finish line in Barangay Lataban, who equally shares an adulation for trekking.

Cutoff was set at four hours after the race kicked off at 7 a.m. So making it at 10 a.m. back to the toe line after three obstacle stations that required crawling on the mud and crossing over a wall made of iron scaffolds is one blaze of glory.

Well, taking up the challenge is the very essence of the game. As a proverb goes: throw enough mud at the wall, some of it will stick!

We did thrive on the challenge and just got to be more enthusiastic about outdoor ideas and have them sold and inserted into our already burnout skeds. And it was one of the best decisions we had as writers. Thanks R.O.X. for that experiential learning opportunity!