No, I’m not talking about the iconic dish cooked with coconut milk, shrimp paste, pork belly, chili, chili, and even more chili.

I’m referring to the short trip I took to Legazpi City last weekend to take part in another unforgettable marathon.

Had always wanted to join Mayon 360, an 80-kilometer plus ultramarathon that circles the foot of Mayon Volcano. The challenging, hot, and humid route was legendary but everyone who has taken part in it says the view of the majestic volcano makes it all worth it.

Unfortunately, this year, it was announced that there would be no such race and, in its stead, the organizers announced the holding of the Legazpi marathon.

Had been to Legazpi a number of times before and trekked to the foot of Mayon a couple of times but I still wasn’t sure what to expect.

As soon as one lands at the new airport in Daraga, one would already get a glimpse of that perfect cone. On a clearer day, one can see Mayon’s entire silhouette. That it only occasionally reveals its full beauty adds to the thrill of the experience.

My fellow WeKenRunner, Lei Lacambra, and I stayed at a quaint boutique hotel (P&B Residences) located in a quiet area of the city near Aquinas. The accommodations were nearly bare but comfortable and the staff were very friendly. They had a cozy café that was ideal for quiet meals and conversations.

On race day, we woke up from a nap a little past midnight to get to the People’s Park by 1 p.m. for the assembly. The Bicolanos and runners from all over were already beginning to gather at the start area when we arrived.

As we were doing our warm up drills and band exercises, I couldn’t help but overhear talk about the elevation along the route. The day prior, somebody in the bib pick up event said that the Legazpi marathon would actually feel like an ultramarathon. Very encouraging, I thought.

Excitement was building up as it approached 2 a.m. It was still very dark and I really began to wonder if we would have a good glimpse of Mayon at all.

Then, the runners were off. Since the GPS was so efficient in our Garmins, people were actually simultaneously announcing the passing of each kilometer as if to assure each other that it’s another kilometer less of suffering.

Then the uphills or, more accurately, up-hells came. I ran with the intention of only enjoying myself but, as with every single race, my competitive nature comes out every now and then.

I find that male runners, especially, give me an incredulous look whenever I overtake them on an uphill but I just invariably smile and say good morning, and they break into a smile as well. It’s a shared suffering after all.

It didn’t take long before we finally approached Mayon. Amid the darkness, its spectre was imposing. Its solid cone-shaped outline was a sight to behold even at night.

When we started making our way back to the People’s Park, we saw it again in the glow of early dawn and it was simply breathtaking.

Seeing Mayon in different angles, in different levels of light, made the torture of the remaining uphills insignificant. How awesome was that.

In the end, we climbed around 580 meters of elevation. But I loved every meter of it.