All Systems Go!

The adventures of a mountaineer wannabe

I went to the Medical City last Saturday to get my BMC waiver form signed by a cardiologist. I took an ECG and a stress test, where tubes were stuck to my chest to monitor my heart rate and blood pressure while I jogged on a treadmill. Looks like my heart is absolutely healthy! The cardiologist gave me the go signal to participate in the mountaineering course, saying, "Careerin mo yan! It's a good activity to do while you're young. I would do it too if I were more physically fit."

We had a good training session yesterday at the Makati Parks and Gardens (which I easily found without getting lost by the way!). We jogged 5 km around the Fort Bonifacio area, climbed up and down several flights of stairs while carrying a 3-liter load, and did the usual stretching, push-ups, and abs exercises. (It was actually not that difficult, especially with our enthusiastic and hyper classmate DJ Crystal shouting "Go BMC 2005!" every so often.) Then we had a quiz, which I probably failed since I was absent last Sunday, and a looong lecture about strength and endurance, backpacking, gear, and equipment. It was quite interesting actually and it made me feel like I was back in school, taking notes, and having exams! Though our classroom was a small gazebo in the middle of the park and our visual aids were Manila papers taped to a tarp, the lectures were very informative and were conducted quite professionally. We also had a "practical" lecture where we learned how to pitch a tent—my group did it in under five minutes!—and operate a stove. This Wednesday, we'll run 6.2 kilometers and have our first pre-climb meeting. Can't wait! :-)