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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