Lulu Valiente is known within Cebu’s close-knit ultra-running community as one of the best aid station and support crew volunteers. Whether it’s 50K in Mt. Manungal, 60K in the hidden trails of Talisay City, 104 kilometers along Cebu’s North Road, or 10 hours of “hamster” running in the 2-kilometer loop inside Cebu Memorial Park, you can depend on Lulu to be there with her pot full of humba (pork stewed in vinegar and soy sauce), boiled eggs, sweet potatoes and pancit. Lulu is always there – to inspire, to provide solace, to cajole ultra runners (who are mostly male) to put one foot in front of the other until they reach the finish line.
But on March 10, 2012 Lulu, was again in the thick of ultramarathon action, this time no longer as crew or aid station volunteer, but as first-time ultra runner along with 81% of the 181 runners who registered for the 1st All-Women Ultramarathon.
It was Lulu’s time to shine, to be taken cared of by the male ultra runners she took such good care of in the past.
Cebu’s running clubs came in full force to bring aid and inspiration every 2.5 kilometers. Water, sports drinks and food were aplenty – chocolates, bananas, dried mangoes, ice cream, lechon, Korean noodles, eggs, puto and sikwate – massages and back rubs, roses and lipstick, you name it they have it. The male marshalls were at every corner and critical points that even with the circuitous route, not one of the out-of towners got lost.
But just because the runners were all women, didn’t mean the male organizers went soft on the girls. It wasn’t an easy 50K even for the hardened road warrior. Runners had to make the steep ascent up Barangay Busay and make four climbs up three bridges (old Mactan Bridge, Marcelo Fernan Bridge and the Cansaga Bay Bridge). The cut-off was 10 hours. In short, the women still had to earn their ultramarathon medal the hard way.
At 2 a.m. Lulu crossed the final turnaround point in KM 35 at the Cansaga Bay Bridge. She was beaming, still running at a fast clip and obviously having the time of her life. Just one more crossing at the Marcelo Fernan Bridge two kilometers ahead and she would be homeward bound to the finishline at Karancho Beach in Mactan. Lulu was going to beat the sunrise.
But at kilometer 39 atop the Fernan bridge, Lulu tripped and hit the pavement hard, facedown. There were two ugly gashes on both her knees and her left cheekbone was black and blue. There were marshalls on the bridge, but too far from where Lulu was lying on the ground, bleeding. Then she remembered to use the pink whistle provided to all the runners by the organizers at the pasta party. She whistled till help came.
If you’ve seen Lulu lying on the ground with, like I did, you would think she would DNF. But female ultra runners are tough, and although we often don’t show it, we have balls made of brass.
After about 30 minutes, Lulu got up, determined to finish the race. The race volunteers who rushed to her aid wanted to load her on an ambulance, but Lulu would have none of it.
Lulu crossed the finishline in 8:43:38. Although the runners who crossed ahead of her could barely walk, we all stood up to give Lulu a standing ovation.
Mabuhi ka Lulu! You truly are the most enduring of us all.
Surprise
Minutes before the start of the 1st All Women Ultra Marathon my friends from the Cebu Ultramarathoners Club (CUC) and the Ungo Runners Club surprised me with a plaque in recognition for my second place finish in the women’s category of the BDM 160.
I was both touched and embarrassed. Embarrassed because, if you really think about it, given the same opportunity, anyone among the 178 women who were in front of me that night could accomplish what I did at the BDM or even do much better.
But then I realized that the recognition was not because I reached the podium, but more for showing women in my hometown that yes, if a slow runner like me can do it, they can do it too.
When I started running in 2009 I thought I was just running for myself, but later realized that no one really runs just for the self. Whether we like it or not, we run and in the process inspire others as well by our example.
Being able to inspire others simply by doing what you love most to do is running’s best reward.