I woke up at exactly 4am. 10mins after my alarm clock started spewing "Kailangan pa bang imemorize yan!?" lines out of it. :) Hey, that's the only radio station I know that plays 24hrs. Got my sorry sleepy @ss out of bed and changed to my all yellow running gear. I know that its stupid to run out in the Manila Streets at 430am let alone if I'm wearing dark clothing right!?
No time to waste, I skipped the bars, and I ran out of Gatorade! Grabbed my hydration belt and got going exactly at 430am. Still no sign of rain by this time. Opssss.... I might have had spoken too soon.... cause just after a good 5 minutes of warm up jogging rain drops the size of cornbits started to drench me cold. Whew! Thank god I didn't multiply into the thousands. :D I pushed my pace by early trying to maximize the cooling effect im getting. I did a hard 15minute run but had to stop cause I felt somethings wrong with my stomach... No, I didn't need to go to the throne. I needed to puke! It was my hyperacidic tummy working against me. GRRRRRRRRR!!!!!! I had to stop and good thing there was a near by 7-11 convenience store at the corner. I bought the usual Propel drink by Gatorade and wasted no time hydrating and filling in my carry-on flask. Good thing the rain also stopped by this time. Im pushing for my 2hr training run!
Banggi texted me earlier that she would be running around the Makati area and so I decided to do my loop thru Makati and swing by her route. So from Roxas blvd, I took Buendia Eastbound to Makati BCD. Met up with Banggi at the usual running park at Salcedo and did about 2km run together. Boy, she was strict with her programed 10km run. She stopped running and started walking after knowing that she already did 10km. hehehehe We made the route pass by her place so that she can have her post run MickyD treat, did I smell Chicken Nuggets Banggi?!? :D
I pushed on going back to Roxas Blvd and doing a loop inside CCP complex and running through Baywalk, Pedro Gil East and then back to San Andres. Completing again another 2hour Virtual Run.
Since most of the guys from outside the country got a shock of their life the last time I posted my VR recap, I chose a better route this time. And didn't take any pictures of the suicidal parts of my route! hehehehehe
CCP Facade: this usually is filled with runners. I guess everyone skipped training and did more sleeping today.
Philippine Navy Facade: Even Mr. Buko man skipped selling today.
Baywalk Waves
God is good! It didn't rain that much early today. Heck! Eric was ready to offer a dozen eggs. While I was also getting ready to offer my own if it didn't stop! :D I'm glad i was able to train today. Crossing my fingers for a good Sunday race.
Now for the sad part of my run today. I heard about it from my friends and saw it in the not so Front Page of the broadsheet. Baywalk is gone! I'm not a big Baywalk fan, but I did enjoy doing my runs there since 2006 when i started running. I didn't need any iPod cause the diverse music selection alone in that area makes you either love it or hate it. Either way you will be running fast. :D I hate to be very political about it. But I just can't help it! When I joined the dragonboat team of our school back in College. I used to walk all the way from Pedro Gil to CCP. Didn't have a car yet so the jeepney is my bestfriend. and the closest route was Pedro Gil. Back then this part of Manila Bay used to be Very Dark, unevenly paved and filled with either doped sleepy people or plainly sleepy or plainly doped people. It was a very scary affair walking through that part 3x a week at 430am too! Good thing it got rehabilitated and lights were up and some security guards are passing by the area. Running at night is hard due to the amount of traffic but it was surely fun. You can ask Smith, cause we were still able to make some runs here 2 months ago.
Mrs. Franco (not her real name). She's a regular Baywalk morning walker. She said that they tore down the establishments last July 31.
It has been only a week since they chopped the place. Already this floor lights are gone! Whats next, the chairs and lamp-posts!?
I miss the old Baywalk. I just hope it doesn't turn out to be dark and dope infested again.
7 comments:
HI Ben,
Nice post about Baywalk Roxas, I used to jog there back in 2003 and during that time it's half completed from Aristocrat up to the ccp area. I start my running from Quirino Grand. and upon reaching CCP I stop there to have some buko juice hehehe(same spot in ur pix). by the way is the tank still there? hope it doesn't get stolen too. :)
TRF
Hi Ben,
I am impressed with your self-motivation; getting up at 4:30 am to go running in rain with your virtual buddies!!!! I had fun, too, even if I experienced some pain. But it's all good!!
it' sad to hear they've started tearing down baywalk. whenever i have the chance to be in manila, i run there going all the way to ccp and sometimes luneta for a few rounds before heading back. well, i guess that's how it is with philippine politicians. some just can't see anything good in what their opponents have done and just throw away everything in the trash can. :(
Huh? What I don't get is, it would cost twice as much to tear down Baywalk and build up the place again, rather than maintain the place or improve it. Or am I missing something?
And... Asan na ang mga dinosaur?!?!?! Excuse natin dati yun eh ("[hingal] Ben! Ang cute ng mga Dino, hinto muna tayo at magpicture-taking :P)
Running Freeman: Yup! it's still there mate!
Steph: I think it's more of 80% VR buddies motivation and 20% self-motivation only for me to wake up at 4am and start running at 430am. :)
CaloyB: Its such a waste. I just couldn't understand why they had to tear something that even families would go to on a weekend. I heard Avenida St downtown was also opened to traffic already. Which means that they have torn down all the pavement already. Tsk tsk...
Tuny: Well the dinos were gone for a long time already. :)
woah! wot's in Lim's mind having all these ripped off? i mean, if his main purpose is peace & order (thus eliminating the bars/pubs), why cant he just deploy more roving policemen instead? and not depriving those people who work there from having a decent source for living. besides it's the only time with all those bright & loud lights along baywalk i felt safe walking even at nights. infact, i even brough my family there for a stroll after a dinner. waaah! it's easy to see, it's one bad politics, and just that. nothing more. nothing less. boo!
woah! wot's in Lim's mind having all these ripped off? i mean, if his main purpose is peace & order (thus eliminating the bars/pubs), why cant he just deploy more roving policemen instead? and not depriving those people who work there from having a decent source for living. besides it's the only time with all those bright & loud lights along baywalk i felt safe walking even at nights. infact, i even brough my family there for a stroll after a dinner. waaah! it's easy to see, it's one bad politics, and just that. nothing more. nothing less. boo!
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