With the continued implementation of the Luzon-wide enhanced community quarantine (ECQ), Cordilleran athletes have urged the public to follow authorities and stay at home to prevent the further spread of the coronavirus disease 2019.
Race director and ultramarathoner Jonel Mendoza reminded the public and his many online followers, mostly marathoners, to cooperate with the ECQ and to find ways to be productive while at home.
“Sacrifice, cooperate, and obey that everyone may live,” Mendoza said.
Mendoza’s annual event, the King of the Mountain trail run series, was shelved along with other trail running events in northern Luzon due to the pandemic.
Southeast Asian Games 2019 obstacle course racing gold medalist Sandi Menchi Abahan, meanwhile, does her part by conducting her training at home.
“I have friends who are doctors, in the military and police service out there sacrificing that’s why I’ll just do my part and try to be a good example to my fellow athletes and youth,” Abahan said.
The bemedalled ultrarunner continues her training by including her nephews and nieces in her routines. In one of her Facebook posts, she is teaching them basic obstacle race course using homemade materials.
Abahan was supposed to participate in the Spartan race-Vietnam, Spartan-Malaysia, Spartan- Batangas, Duathlon Clark in Clark, Subic, OCR races in Manila, and the KOTM, all scheduled this year but were cancelled because of the quarantine.
Despite this, she is preparing her body and mind for when the country’s situation gets better.
“Hoping na kung maging okay na tayo sa June, baka dun na tuluy-tuloy,” she said. – Ofelia C. Empian
