Epic Relay 250 : Leg 1, 11, & 21 by RJay Mercado

I'm so proud that this guy is my recruit. By the moment I knew that he started running, I already asked him to join Six:30 running group and be one of the Barneys. We are working under the same umbrella of the Department of Agriculture. And even after so many meetings and workshops that we gone through together, I can only say so little about him. He is quite reserved and soft spoken. His actions and accomplishments in the office speaks louder than his few words. He is used to doing the hard work and letting others take the credits that were rightfully his. Blessed with a wife and daughter, he efficiently manages his time squeezing-in his hardcore training to his family life and career. Proud to present the fast runner #1 of Six:30 Epic Relay Team - RJay Mercado.

Leg 1

This is it! This is where all my core trainings, circuits, LSDs and keen sense of direction will be put to the test. I am happy I finished my leg ahead of my expected time.

Leg 11

My second run was my most memorable one (Nakatuhog ako. Hehe.). Most of the routes were downhill, and some were very steep. While enjoying the downhill, I didn’t forget to cheer the other runners who were still going up to Mt. Samat. One marshal asked me, are you teammates? And I said no smiling. Being not used to the terrain I still managed to finish the leg with a PR.

Leg 21

This last leg was my buwis buhay leg. I told myself, “I will give my all.” I intended to be very competitive in this last leg. My personal aim was to catch up with the team 20mins ahead of us. My last leg was also my funniest leg because I was running at 1:00 am: no cars, no marshal and no people, just me. Suddenly a pick-up truck passed by so fast and cheered so loud that made my heart skipped a beat (kala ko kung ano na. hehe!). I was also feeling sleepy but the streets of Olongapo gave me an electrical boost in my blood streams until the exchange point.

Being runner #4 of the team, I'm so blessed to be preceded by three fast runners namely RJay, Carlo, and Jason. These 3 runners gave me the time I needed to keep the team stay on scheduled time. To them and the whole team, I am grateful.