Hitting the Trails in Baguio

By Angel Constantino
Photos by Roland Aquino

Trail running combines two of the things I love to do most—mountain climbing and running. In contrast to mountain climbing, one does not have to bear the burden of a heavy backpack on one’s shoulders while trail running. And while running on the road can be a bit monotonous, the varied terrain and mountain views ensure that the runner will never get bored on the trail. 

I woke up at about 4:00 am on Saturday, April 25, to participate in The North Face Trail Run in Baguio. The race began in Burnham Park at precisely 5:30 am. There were only about a hundred runners in the 22-km category giving it a feeling of exclusivity—after all, not a lot of people are crazy enough to go all the way to Baguio “to torture themselves.”
The first 10 minutes of the race proved to be a challenge as we were met with a steep, inclined road. My throat dried up and my heart beat fast as my body adjusted to the cool climate and the thin air. For a while there, I doubted if I would finish this race at all. Shortly before 6:00 am, we reached the old gate of Camp John Hay where the 11-km runners were gathered for the start of their race. They cheered us on as we jogged past and entered the trails.
Over the next few hours, we had to go through two extremes: steep ascents and sharp descents. The longer we ran down, the higher up we had to hike. It was fun to run downhill, but the instinctive reaction to slow myself down (in order to avoid rolling straight to the bottom!) made me think that my knees would pay for this later.
My favorite part of the trail was a long stretch of rolling terrain enveloped by pine trees. The fresh air—and the fact that I could actually run on this part of the trail—invigorated my spirit. At certain points, we were also blessed with a beautiful view of the surrounding mountains.
By the last hour, I was drained of energy, like a car running on an almost empty tank. When we hit the road, signaling the last three kilometers, I gathered my remaining fuel reserves and decided to run for it (with Roland’s encouragement, of course). As we ran, we passed a few people who had opted to walk the rest of the way.
We finally crossed the finish line after three hours and 59 minutes. A friend wisely noted, “Angel, siguro you would have finished first place if you didn't stop for all these pictures.” Haha! Well, maybe not first place, but we probably could have run a little faster. The time never crossed my mind though as I was more than happy to stop and pose—it was definitely a good excuse to rest.
One thing I learned through all my years of running is that the sport becomes more enjoyable when one has proper training and the right mindset. Then, one feels the exhilaration of running through long stretches of open road without a care in the world—or in this case, one certainly feels the thrill of the trail.
The TNF Trail Run in Baguio is the author’s fourth trail running experience. The first was a 10-km trail run in Batulao, Batangas; the second, a 20-km run in Sacobia, Clark; and the third, an 11-km Valentine’s Day run in Nuvali, Laguna. The 22-km Baguio trail run was the best one by far. All trail runs were organized by The North Face Philippines.

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