After the huge success of “Run Ahead, Raising A Roof” Run held in Laoag City last December of 2009, Triathlete/Runner & Race organizer Faivo Bartolome brings another unique event up North, the “Taray Pamulinawen 2011, Laoag Sand Dunes Challenge” to be held on February 26, 2011 and will start and end at the Laoag City Hall.
With an amazing race finally over everyone now has time to finally relax. Coincidentally, the hotel that we checked-in in Pagudpud was also where I ate lunch the last time I was here! As much as everyone wanted to check-in earlier to rest, we were able only to do so after everyone finished their respective races, which is already nightfall. Unbelievable it may seem, but some of us actually returned back to Manila soon after the race!
Morning after the race, while waiting for our breakfast
Running has taken me to places I never imagined I’ll go to and for my first full year of running the year broke all previous records not only in terms of distance covered, and pictures taken! 2009 toll: about 20 gigabytes worth of pictures and videos, around 11,500 files. Among these, here are some of my favorites:
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Transition: from Bench Pedometer watch to Garmin Forerunner 405
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TNF Thrill of the Trail: my first trail run and magazine appearance, Side Trip Magazine April-June 2009 edition
Happy Run: First 15K
EDSA: First LSD
LSD with takbo.ph
First winter run (Ohio, USA)
Condura Run: First 21K
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Trail run at Montalban with takbo.ph
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Takbo.ph goes climbing to Mt. Maculot
TNF100: First ultramarathon (100K)
Debut climb of the RunHikers at Pico de Loro
Back on trails with Men’s Health All Terrain
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Back at ultra via Botak100 (as a pacer)
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First Marathon via Milo Marathon Manila Eliminations
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Repeat of Manila-Tagaytay ultramarathon long run (56K)
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Ninoy Aquino Day Run
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Mommy Milkshake
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Reaching out through Angel Brigade
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Pacer duty at QCIM
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First sundown marathon via SIM
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Chillax pacing during Timex Run
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Running in Ilocos
Running in Singapore
2009 was a splendid year indeed for me, and hopefully yours as well. Let us make 2010 a better year for everyone and be the change we want to be. Happy New Year everyone!
Monday, November 30, 2009, Bonifacio Day, a holiday and also our last day in Ilocos. For this day it’s northward-bound to the ends of Luzon. But first we had to bring along some food for travel and the local Biscocho was the perfect: unlike its Manila counterpart that is hard, Ilocos Biscocho also comes in soft variety with distinct taste that’s really delicious without needing any fillings.
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If you’re in Ilocos try both varieties of Biscocho from this bakery
First stop, Blue Lagoon. This would be the northernmost point I had ever reached in Luzon thus also the farthest kilometer marker I’ve seen at 562 kilometers. Blue Lagoon got its name from the color of its water, Blue. I thought that water only turns blue because it reflects the color of the sky, but it was gray at that time due to thick rain clouds and yet the waters of Blue Lagoon remained blue, attesting to how pristinely clean its waters are. Strong winds greeted us here but it didn’t dissuade us from testing the waters. I could only imagine this place being a surfer’s haven.
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Blue Lagoon
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Another view of Blue Lagoon
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Running barefoot at the fine beaches of Blue Lagoon
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Survivor Ilocos?
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Another self-timer moment, with Sir Faivo as our guide with this tour
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Surf’s up!
After spending some moments at the Blue Lagoon we headed southward towards the famous beaches of Pagudpud. All I can say was that the beaches were so beautiful I had to run on it, barefoot! (That was the runner in me speaking, hehe) Of course the waters were perfect for dipping and for some reason despite being a holiday we virtually have the beach to ourselves! I can spend the entire day on this beach—it was my idea of a perfect beach getaway: company of good friends, an excellent weather and practically isolated beach!
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The famous beaches of Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte
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Distinct Pagudpud Coconut trees
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A perfect spot for barefoot running…
.jpg "…which isn’t what people normally do at the beach!")
…which isn’t what people normally do at the beach!
In case you’re Garmin-curious of my barefoot run in Pagudpud, or simply want to find out where Pagudpud is, here’s my Garmin data: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/19889959
.jpg "Lunchbreak!")
Lunchbreak!
Halfway into the day, still more spots to visit!
.jpg "Did you see that? (Courtesy McCoy)")
Did you see that? (Courtesy McCoy)
.jpg "These are the popular wind turbines of Bangui, Ilocos Norte")
These are the popular wind turbines of Bangui, Ilocos Norte
.jpg "The only wind farm in the Philippines located beachfront")
The only wind farm in the Philippines located beachfront
.jpg "Can’t resist the urge to run…to measure the distance between each turbine")
Can’t resist the urge to run…to measure the distance between each turbine
Ever been to a lighthouse? On top of a hill? Well I haven’t so our trip to one in Cape Bojeador was another first for me, not to mention that it also had a historical significance.
.jpg "Lighthouse of Cape Bojeador")
Lighthouse of Cape Bojeador
.jpg "History")
History
.jpg "Wonderful shot by Sir Rene")
Wonderful shot by Sir Rene
.jpg "View from the top")
View from the top
Three days definitely wasn’t enough to tour Ilocos as there were still so many things we could do and places to visit. Despite the nine-hour travel time from Manila it was well worth the effort as you get to do a lot of things here. I have no particular favorite as I loved every place that we visited and for a food lover in me I loved all the food that we tasted. Best of all was the hospitality we received from Sir Faivo and his wife Ma’am Babette. Thank you Sir and Ma’am for giving us a wonderful tour of your province! It was definitely an excellent experience and we look forward to returning to Ilocos. Thank you as well to Sir Rene, Wilnar, and McCoy for the company and of course the pictures!
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That’s the story of our peregrination in Ilocos
Pinakbet Chronicles:
Sunday, November 29, 2009, race day. We were definitely not in Manila anymore as we saw the entire number of participants just in the hundreds, not thousands, which was quite pleasant for us. It was definitely a breather from the over-crowded Metro races, and what’s even better was that most of these partakers are really runners, not mere participants.
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Event poster
The race director intentionally didn’t accept all “participants” because the he wanted a venue for runners to be able to run. Like with most “the more the merrier” races many runners who wanted to run weren’t able to do so because the course is filled by walkers that mostly don’t even know race etiquettes. Of course we can’t avoid walkers during races but if you want to be motivated to keep running you should avoid being with walkers. It may sound discriminating but hey, these races in the first place are running, not walking, so runners have priority.
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McCoy and I together with Sir Faivo before the race started
I really wanted to join the 21K main event but since I was on a taper I settled for a cautious 10K. The 10K started at 5:45AM and the route was relatively flat except on bridge crossings. Since there was hardly any crowd I was able to lurk behind the lead pack and watch elite runners do their job. Despite its distance, elite athletes from Manila joined this event making it more competitive than expected. Of course I was in no way at par with these athletes but seeing competition from a “front row seat” was an experience. Gradually they disappear from my view but keeping my vantage position I was able to see who were leading and even count how many were ahead—this could be the best race ranking I’ll have in a long time!
The 10K route
At the end of the race I was a few seconds off my 10K PR finishing conservatively 11th overall for men (unofficial, based on my visual count). For the race in general the elites from Manila took home the crown but didn’t get it uncontested from the locals who really were quite competitive as well. After crossing the finish line goodie bags were given away and at the activity area in Aurora Park raffle prizes were even given away. It was a very well organized race even by Manila standard—something that was missing lately in the Metro. For that I would like to congratulate Mr. Faivo Bartolome for doing a great job!
.jpg "The omnipresent takbo.ph banner meets the locals")
The omnipresent takbo.ph banner meets the locals
.jpg "Once is not enough")
Once is not enough
.jpg "Aurora Park")
Aurora Park
.jpg "Post-race breakfast")
Post-race breakfast
After resting a while in our hotel room we were again out and about for more sight-seeing.
.jpg "Lunch!")
Lunch!
Right after lunch we headed southwards for our tour.
%20(400x144).jpg "Marcos residences where the late President Ferdinand Marcos lay to rest")
Marcos residences where the late President Ferdinand Marcos lay to rest
.jpg "Self-timer is our best friend")
Self-timer is our best friend
%20(400x300).jpg "Paoai Church")
Paoai Church
.jpg "Photo-op")
Photo-op
.jpg "Night lanterns of Vigan")
Night lanterns of Vigan
.jpg "The City of Vigan, Ilocos Sur")
The City of Vigan, Ilocos Sur
.jpg "The traditional Calesa")
The traditional Calesa
.jpg "Calle Crisologo")
Calle Crisologo
.jpg "Vigan Empanadaan")
Vigan Empanadaan
Before concluding the day we had a stop-over for some dinner.
.jpg "Ilocos Miki")
Ilocos Miki
.jpg "Some barbecue")
Some barbecue
That was our second day and our tour of Ilocos is hardly over. Stay tuned for our last day in Ilocos.
Pinakbet Chronicles:
Special thanks to Wilnar, McCoy, and Sir Rene for some of the pictures showed here.
Why does a runner travel nine hours by bus to a place he’s never been to? To run!
Friday, November 27, 2009. Four guys from takbo.ph camp met in a bus station in Manila for their nine-hour journey north—to run. It was a long weekend so bus seats are scarce leaving us no choice to travel in two groups: Sir Rene and I, and McCoy and Wilnar. We departed around midnight and by nine in the morning the following day we arrived at Laoag City.
.jpg "The best time to travel to Laoag may be at midnight")
The best time to travel to Laoag City may be at midnight
Run Ahead race director, Mr. Faivo Bartolome, invited us through Mr. Jinoe Gavan of takbo.ph to join their event, and running addicts as we were we ignored the travel time and the popular race also happening at the same time. After all there isn’t always a chance to run in Laoag, for free! Sir Faivo was event kind enough to take care of our accommodation at Laoag Renzo Hotel, and he also served as our tour guide for the next few days.
.jpg "Got cozy at the reception area")
Got cozy at the reception area
.jpg "Buffet breakfast upon arrival, yum!")
Buffet breakfast upon arrival, yum!
.jpg "Hotel distance from Manila bus terminal: 398.5K")
Hotel distance from Manila bus terminal: 398.5K
.jpg "View from our window")
View from our window
Lunch time was the first time we met in person Sir Faivo who first took us on a culinary tour with delicious local delicacies.
.jpg "I love the food in Ilocos, although I can’t remember the names")
I love the food in Ilocos, although I can’t remember the names
After the sumptuous meal, Sir Faivo brought us to the spot where the desert scene in the movie “Panday” was shot: the sand dunes of La Paz.
.jpg "Fine sands with the blue South China Sea in the background")
Fine sands with the blue South China Sea in the background
.jpg "Wilnar, Sir Rene, Sir Faivo, and me (courtesy McCoy)")
Wilnar, Sir Rene, Sir Faivo, and me (courtesy McCoy)
.jpg "It’s very windy in the area that you hardly feel the heat")
It’s very windy in the area that you hardly feel the heat
For the time being we returned to our hotel for some afternoon siesta, but later that afternoon we returned to the sand dunes for some sand running. Click here to view the area in Google Maps.
.jpg "Afternoon easy run towards the sand dunes (courtesy Sir Rene)")
Afternoon easy run towards the sand dunes (courtesy Sir Rene)
.jpg "Keep right")
Keep right
.jpg "Entering the dunes")
Entering the dunes
.jpg "Keep running")
Keep running
.jpg "“Pic-stop”")
“Pic-stop”
.jpg "The dunes")
The dunes
.jpg "McCoy atop one of the hills (whose sands ruined my camera!)")
McCoy atop one of the hills (whose sands ruined my camera!)
.jpg "Shadow shot")
Shadow shot
.jpg "Finally arriving at the beach…")
Finally arriving at the beach…
.jpg "…for some group shot")
…for some group shot
.jpg "…and watching the sunset")
…and watching the sunset
.jpg "Time to head back")
Time to head back
It was already dark when we left the sand dunes and to cap the night we headed to Run Ahead’s carbo-loading party near the capitol. The day was very interesting, and it was only the first day.
Pinakbet Chronicles:
Special thanks to McCoy, Sir Rene, and Wilnar for some of the pictures that appeared in this post.
Christmas season is here! For many this is also a time for vacation and travel. For those who won’t be able to do so (myself included), join with me on a virtual tour of two spots I’ve been to for the past two consecutive weekends: Ilocos Provinces, Philippines, and Singapore. These tours served as an early vacation for me so I’m home-bound this yuletide season.
These tours were spinoff itineraries of races, the first one way up North of Luzon with Run Ahead in Laoag, and the second one South almost at the Equator with Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon. These races were the primary reasons I was in these spots but was in no way the only reasons these places are worth visiting. You may probably call me a “sports tourist” in line with my battle cry “takbo hangga’t may lupa” (run while there’s land to run onto) and being one allowed me to see places in a unique perspective.
Without further ado I’ll start with the details of our Northern tour on my next post.
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