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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5 Top Spots to Run In Without Getting Lung Cancer

City sidewalks are busy sidewalks dressed in exhaust and smog. Take these paths instead.
By Angel Constantino
Photo by Roland Aquino

Published: Spot.ph
Section: Entertainment

1. La Mesa Eco Park
Known as "the lungs of Metro Manila," the La Mesa Watershed Resort and Ecological Park in East Fairview offers runners a respite from the smog-infested streets of the city. The park is open everyday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., but it's best to go on weekdays, as the park tends to get crowded during the weekends. For only 50 pesos (P40 if you're a QC resident), you get to breathe in the fresh air as you run through trails with varied terrain. You can opt to run on the road around the park or go into the forested mountain bike trail. The entrance is near the Petron Fitness Trail and the butterfly garden, so you might just see some colorful butterflies accompanying you on your run. For an added challenge, run up more than a hundred steps that lead to the La Mesa Watershed, Metro Manila's primary source of drinking water. The dam is off-limits though so once you hit the fence bordering the dam, it's time to run back down again.

How to get there: From Commonwealth Avenue, turn right at East Fairview Subdivision's Winston Street (after Mercury Drug Store). Turn left at Dunhill Street and go straight till you reach the entrance to La Mesa Eco Park (www.lamesaecopark.com).

2. Ateneo and UP Campuses
Rows of towering trees line the streets of these two universities in Quezon City. Aside from providing runners with shade from the sweltering heat, their presence offers a sweet-smelling breeze. For a full workout, run the perimeter of the Ateneo campus, passing the Blue Eagle Gym and the Church of the Gesu, all the way around Bellarmine field. It's best to run before or after school hours to avoid heavy traffic. In UP, one can run around the 2.2 km academic oval, which has one lane exclusively for bikers and runners. (The whole road is closed off to motorized vehicles on Sundays.) But for a more scenic and challenging route, run around the outer periphery of the campus (You can try the route used by UP mountaineers for their qualifying runs).

UP also has a lot of large gardens and lagoons, so if you're feeling adventurous, go ahead and blaze your own trail. Be sure to have some fish balls, kikiam, and a fresh cup of taho (or two!) after your workout.

How to get there: Ateneo de Manila University is along Katipunan Avenue. To get to UP Diliman from Katipunan, turn left to CP Garcia, then turn right at the next intersection. Turn left at the end to get to the UP academic oval.

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Trail Running 101

On Sunday, January 18, I had a different kind of running experience. Instead of running on the paved streets of Manila, I ran (well, more like half-ran, half-wobbled) on the trails at the foot of Mt. Batulao in Batangas. Here’s a blow-by-blow account of my experience!

5:30 am I drove to Evercrest Golf Club with Roland and other AMCI members. It was 10-minutes away from Alfonso Hotel, our digs for the night. The road was winding and enveloped with a heavy fog, pierced by my headlights.

5:55 The 10-km runners assembled at the starting point, ready to conquer the trail. We said a short prayer and sang the National Anthem.

6:00 And we’re off! I was only wearing the sleeveless, dri-fit TNF singlet, my knee-length Mizuno leggings, a Nike cap, and Merrel running shoes. It was cold, but I didn’t mind. I wanted to feel the fresh air brush against my skin.

6:15 I wished I had worn my real hiking shoes. The trail was rocky and I could feel the stones under my feet. I ran slowly at first because it was still dark and I was concentrating hard on where to step, carefully avoiding sharp rocks and cow manure.

6:30 The sky was starting to get light, but the sun’s rays could not break through the thick clouds. I was starting to feel at ease and ran a little faster. By this time, the seasoned 20-km runners, who started running about 10 minutes after us, were beginning to overtake us.

6:35 I reached the water and first aid station with Roland and Kim. We took a quick break to have a sip of water and catch our breath.

6:45 The rest of the trail was gently rolling. It brought us around the hillside, where we could see rows and rows of cornfields. The craggy peak of Mt. Batulao loomed in the distance.

7:00 We had to go down a steep, narrow trail filled with loose stones and mud. Ropes were set up to guide us down. Thank God for the awesome weather. At least the ground was dry and our shoes and socks were spared from being caked with mud.

7:05 We crossed the hanging bridge with ease, then made a steep, uphill climb. I was out of breath by the time I reached the top.

7:15 We were back on the road, where Roland and I met Bitoy as we passed by the Chapel on the Hill. It was tempting to just walk, but we were encouraged to start running again when we saw other AMCI members taking pictures.

7:30 We made one final sprint and crossed the finish line!

7:45 After stretching and getting our freebies (Gatorade, Men’s Health September 2008 issue, and TIMEX discount cards), we grabbed our cameras from the car and took lots of photos.

8:15 We stood by the finish line to cheer for AMCI members in the 20-km category who were just finishing their runs. (Congratulations to my batchmate, Mercy, who won 1st place in the female division!)

9:15 We headed back to Alfonso Hotel to eat breakfast. Coffee, chicken tocino, one egg, and a cup of fried rice was not enough to restore our energy!

12:00 After a quick nap, we headed to Hawaiian Barbecue—my fave restaurant in Tagaytay—with Bitoy, Christy, Marga, Marris and Ver to have a hearty lunch of spam rice, baby back ribs, chicken, barbecue, assorted seafood, and sweet pineapples. Aaah… my favorite part of the day! :)

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