Actor-director Zoren Legaspi (left) counts (from left) news anchor Gretchen Ho and TV host Kim Atienza as cycling buddies. Image: INQUIRER.net/ARMIN P. ADINA
CLARK GLOBAL CITY, Pampanga—Actor-director Zoren Legaspi has been a familiar sight among cycling enthusiasts in the country, being an avid rider for years now. But there was one time he was too confident in his own abilities, and his first long-distance ride years ago turned out to be a shocker.
“I got envious, I asked myself why they can do 100 (kilometers). I thought doing 200 (km) would be simple because I feel I’m athletic, I’ve been doing sports as a teenager. I thought I could do it. I was wrong,” he told the Inquirer after he finished his ride at the Clark leg of the 2023 PruRide Philippines event held at the Clark Global City in Pampanga on May 21.
“There was this person who was heavier than I am, I remember I could not keep up with him. I asked, ‘Why, why am I having a hard time?’ I realized cycling is a different discipline. And it encouraged me to go on long distances,” Legaspi shared.
His recent long-distance ride was, thankfully, a breeze for him. “Cycling has become a lifestyle for me, that’s the beauty of it. For events like this, you don’t really need to prepare because you’re always in shape. But when you increase it, say 200 (km) or 300 (km), and there’s speed, you really need to prepare,” he explained.
For the Clark ride, he finished the 100-km route, the longest one for the event. But because it is not a race, just a “gran fondo,” all cyclists had a leisurely pace of around 25 to 30 kph. “There were many riders, especially the ones in front, who were irrepressible, who got angry at the martials controlling us,” he related, saying it was indeed hard to keep a slow and steady speed for such a long distance.
The conversation touched on the observation that engaging in a healthy lifestyle is a costly endeavor for many, with healthy food and fitness equipment costing an arm and a leg. To this, Legaspi looked long term. “If you will calculate, it would be more expensive if you’d get sick. I was hospitalized for an accident and spent a few weeks inside, but the bill really stacked up. I also contracted COVID-19 while inside, so that added to the expenses,” he said.
He also admonished those who quip “if it’s your time (to die), it’s your time,” and said this is only an excuse people give for their inaction toward their own health. “They are just saying this to justify their drinking, their smoking, not having discipline in their food intake. That is wrong, and I cannot understand that reasoning,” Legaspi continued.
His next long ride will be the Cebu leg of the cycling festival on May 28, where he will be joined again by his ride buddies, TV host Kim Atienza and news anchor Gretchen Ho. Legaspi said he is looking forward to the event because it has been 15 years since he last visited the province. He also cannot wait to share the road with Cebuano cyclists. “That’s what I’m most excited about,” he shared. /ra