Sunday, July 5, 2009

Come Walk/Run Main Street With Me


How are you my friend? This morning, you have to bear with me again. I still don't know if my calf muscle strain has completely healed yet, so I'm thinking doing a walk/run, around 10 k of Main Street, Unionville, one of the oldest villages in Ontario, 1794 was when it was founded. Same as the last time, I brought my camera with me, so if you wanna come, brace yourself for a slow and long walk /run. One thing I know for sure, we're never gonna hit the wall.



As one of the older settlements in Ontario, founded in 1794, you'll notice that some old structures along Main Street are kept unchanged including century old homes and buildings. this house loooks like one.


We're now turning right here on Main Street.
The church service for this old United Church apppears to be 10 am, so we're too early to see any churchgoers hanging around in front of the church.
This old blue house has a white wooden fence, so very like the wooden fence that my father built in our house at GSIS Village when I was a young boy. I thought then that it was ugly, because all our neighbors had high concrete fences, not knowing how beautiful it was, as I appreciate the simplicity of this house in front of me now..

I have not seen any place with more flowers than Main Street in Unionville.

Another old building with its unique design and architecture.

Main Street is not only famous for old structures dating back from the 1800s, it also attracts local and foreign tourists for its excellent restaurants, bars, European style cafes, in addition to hosting jazz and Celtic festivals. I just love running this street with my running group on our training runs. For now though, I can only wait. Let's go try a 1 minute jogg/run, okey?
It's a good decision for us to take this side of the street, at least it's shady, the sun is getting higher and it's getting hot.

The front of the old firehouse (bricks and all) were built as part of the front of this confectionery store. Sorry, my friend, if I sound like a tourist guide, but you're new here, so I'm giving you a favor by providing you with all the information I know from living close to this area. For once, let's not talk exclusively about running, okey? (woo, my imagination is really working good, like I'm schizoprenic, ha ha ha)

We just passed Carlton Avenue, and now we turn left and take this pathway to Too Good Pond. I've been to this place a few times. It's like the Luneta Park of Markham where people can relax with family, friends or love ones, or even enjoy fishing alone.
I see some geese on the water but they're too far to take pictures of.

Now, here's a group feeding in the grassy area close to the water, we can't get close though, see that dominant bird with it's head up on the right, it can attack if we get too close for comfort. a runner friend of mine had the experience of being attacked by geese (specially if they have young offspring with them).

Would you rather fish or run? I'm a running addict so you know my answer. What about you? Maybe a day after I complete my first marathon, I could spend the whole day fishing, not alone though, with my runner friends who also ran the marathon, so we could talk about our run the day before. But, don't fish swim away when people talk loud. A friend of mine who likes fishing told me that when there is too much noise the water vibrates and the fish swim away.
I was asked by 3 young ladies to take their picture, so they offered to take my picture too. Couldn't wait for you any longer, where were you anyway? I've done some 1 minute runs in between longer walks and the calf seems to be doing fine.

This very friendly dog reminds me of our dog Danny Boy when I was young. My Dad bathed Danny Boy as often as he could and then I remember him putting the dog on his lap, wipe him dry with a towel and just tinker with his stomach (which Danny Boy liked so much). It's funny how sometimes one is reminded of memorable events that happened a long time ago by a simple gesture, a dog, flowers, a face.


We have to walk faster or run more often because the sun is getting high and it's getting hotter and hotter as the day goes by.


Hi cutie little dog. Having fun walking this morning? No, don't worry, I'm not dangerous. I'm not a bear, although I weigh like one, ha ha.

This Dad fishing with his boys reminded me of my late Dad and my older brother, Mike, but instead of fishing together on a weekend, we used to play basketball together during my childhood and teenage years. We even got to play together on one team in a basketball tournament in our village when I was seventeen , Mike was 20, my Dad was 39. What a fun year that was. Now, I know my Dad (and my Mom too) would be very proud of me if they were still alive to witness me finishing my first marathon. It's getting close, September that is.


Since you're my friend, I got to tell you this. Flowers remind me of my humble beginnings. I was from a poor family until my Mom won a house in a lottery when I was 11 years old. I remember when I was attending elementary school, I would sometimes go to school hungry and without lunch (baon). So, during recess time when my classmates brought out their baon, I would ask permission from my teacher and pretended to go use the washroom. Instead though, I would drink water from the faucet, and then walked the neighborhood around the school just to kill time. I would be praying all the time and wondered at the beauty of local flowers like gumamela, bougainville, sampagita and then time my going back in the classroom at the same time recess was over. And then, my prayer was answered. So, I believe in the power of prayer. That miracles do happen. That, if one has faith, nothing is impossible.
Now I feast my eyes on beautiful flowers as soon as spring and summer come along.

And I praise God for creating so much beauty in this world that we sometimes just take for granted.


I guess it's time for us to head back home.


Just like that, it's been more than an hour since we started our walk/run.

Let me take some more pictures of beautiful flowers. It looks like every house and building along Main Street has a flower pot or flowering plant worthy of being photographed.


Wow! Just lovely.


These yellow flowers border a white wooden fence.

It is quite a treat to visit but we're getting tired.

Will this house still be here when I do my long runs with my future grandchildren?

I am getting really tired but, I can't let this beautiful thing be forgotten, it's now saved for posterity (at least in a picture)

Hi, nosy little squirrel, thanks for saying hello to us.

I'm going to try to do more running than walking on Tuesday. I think without feeling any pain at all after this long walk and run, I could maybe do 1 minute walks and 5 minute runs for an hour at the least.

On Thursday, if things all go well on Tuesday, I will try to do a slow 10k continuous easy run.


I should then be ready to do 15k LSD on Sunday.

Thanks my friend for staying with me for almost 2 hours of slow and boring walk/run. I know you'd rather go for a run today, but bear with me for a few more days, and then, we'd be off and running again full throttle. It's maybe 3 minutes away from the parking lot if we run it, 6 minutes if we choose to walk it. Run or walk?

Walk it slow of course, can't get too excited.





































11 comments:

  1. What a great neighborhood. Clean with nice sidewalks and wide streets. I like the quaintness of the place. I'm pinoy so I have to ask, meron bang multo in those old places? Hahaha you know how our mind works.

    Sorry to hear about the calf strain. Have you thought about a compression sock or sleeve to help the muscle along? I've been seeing them at races and a friend uses them to help with his shin splints but I would think that they would be great with the calf as well. I've never used them so I can't recommend them but they came to mind when you mentioned your calf strain.
    http://www.zensah.com/compression-leg-sleeves.html

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  2. Another piece of art for you Bong and the place is really great. How I wish we could have those picket fences here instead, they're magnificent. Well, your place is way, way different from our place, that's why.

    I hope those days ahead will be a positive thing for you. Good luck and I hope for your speedy recovery.

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  3. I'm fortunate to live close to Unionville, around 10 minutes drive from my place and when I have friends or family staying for a visit, I always take them there. Every now and then we pass by Main Street on our Sunday LSD runs.

    I've been following your blog and it's nice to know that you had a succesful and fun time assisting and pacing your friend Carrie in a 100 miler. When you pace somebody on this 100 milers, how far and for how long do you do it?

    I'll give it a try, the compression sock. If I continue to be patient, the calf should be alright in a week's time. Tomorrow, I plan to go to the track where the surface is softer to test the calf again. Thanks, man, for all your advise.

    Thanks once again Vener. Main Street, Unionville is a nice place to visit and it's so convenient for me because it's so close to my house. Most houses in Main Street have no fences or if there are, picket fences that are low. I am patiently nursing the calf muscle injury, and hope to be 100% in a week or two. Good luck and happy and safe running for you as well.

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  4. First of all, thank you for visiting my blog again, and leaving such a kind and encouraging comment.

    Secondly, and more important, let me tell you that this post that you did was so beautiful, so creative and so artistic. Your humility was so touching, about how flowers remind you of your humble beginnings. Did you read my post about Destination:Fruitfulness? I know you have a beautiful destiny... as evidenced by your eye for beauty as seen through your camera shots!

    Thirdly, I'm not a runner, but I do know this much. Calf injuries need time to heal, because as do all foot and leg injuries, because they carry the weight of our bodies. If they only half heal, they never heal completely, the healing process is aborted.

    Have you ever heard about The King Method or TKM? You can try to google it to find out more thorugh their website. we have a group here in Bacolod City and in Manila that have attended the seminar and tried it on our bodies. It works. It is a natural way of activating our energy spheres to allow our bodies to heal faster naturally. You can do it even without attending the seminar, but just purchase one of their manuals. Of course it will help you understand the principle behind it if you attend the seminars which are so helpful. I do one or two of their suggested sequences for maximized energy, and as you will probably see in the pictures, I am 56 years old already, but I feel like I'm 30. It is not magic or New Age... don't worry about those things. It is using the natural God given energy of our body.

    I went to great lengths to tell you about it because of your planned marathon in September. How I am praying for you to achieve your goal, but you do need to help your body to be fit and ready for that great event.

    I will keep praying for this, that it will be a successful endeavor for you.

    All for now, God bless. If I find the TKM website I'll let you know.

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  5. I found the website of The King Method. It is at http://www.kinginstitute.org/

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  6. Bong, the distance you pace depends on the race. Race directors can differ on the distance allowed. At Western, pacers were allowed after mile 62. If you were a masters runner you were allowed to have a pacer from mile 50 onwards. On my next 100-miler, we are allowed pacer from 50 miles onwards regardless of age group. Miwok 100k allows pacers after 40 miles. Then there are races that don't allow them at all but they are few. Pacing can be fun but it is usually a long commitment since your runner is no longer running as fast and my have some problems. In Carrie's case we had to walk because of all the problems she was going through. Tough girl though. Thanks for the comments, much appreciated. I paced Carrie for a total of 38-miles.

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  7. Flowers remind me always that God do loves us and you have so many of it in this blogs. I can relate to you during those years of poverty, for I have to walk some 8 kms just to go to school without a decent 'baon' to fill my stomach, and drinking water from deep well was already a luxury.
    Thank you Bong for posting this. I am not bored while you walked, in fact, I enjoyed it and learned so much from it.
    God bless you bro.

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  8. OMG this is where you live and run?! You are truly blessed! I so love the photo posts...they are wonderful.

    I ran/walked today, think the calf is taking it's time to heal too

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  9. You live in paradise, Bong! The pictures are simply breathtaking. You're so blessed.

    I felt something in my heart when I read about your parents. I didn't know they are already gone.

    You're right Bong. Nothing is impossible with God. Miracles happen everyday. I pray that you'll get well soon and enjoy running again.

    Please tell me one year before you plan to run a marathon here so I could prepare myself. I'm looking forward to running with you, Bong!

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  10. So funny. After running here so much, I tend to forget about just how beautiful the area is.

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  11. Thanks Lidia. I just read your post, Destiny:Fruitfulness, a diamond of a post once again. Just what I need to give me the energy for my long walk this morning. Thanks for your prayers and may you continue to be safe, happy, and a source of inspiration to everybody. Take care.

    38 miles pacing is actually running more than a marathon Rick. You're so loyal and the best friend anybody could have. You sacrifice so much of your time to help others. I'm still using the compression sock that you suggested me to try. Thanks again Rick.

    Ronnie! Congratulations again for the back to back ultra and marathon. I think walking 8 ks to school when you were young bore the seed in you to like long distance races now. I read all your posts because they're all so inspiring. Sometimes, I don't type a message, but like a hungry man, I devour your writings until the plate is clean. You know what I mean. Thanks and take care. Jesus loves us.

    Hey Nora, my friend! So happy to know you're running and running longer and farther. Way to go. by the rate you're improving, you'll finish your first marathon ahead of me :). Thanks for your prayers and as I told you before , one of my to do list in this lifetime is to run side by side with you someday. Hope you, your Mom and Dad and your kids are all fine. Take care.

    Very true, Jay. Sometimes we're so into this running mode that we forget even to appreciate the beauty of our surroundings or notice the people on the sides while we run by. Congratulations for succesfully conducting you're first Learn to Run clinic. These new runners are quite lucky to have a dedicated teacher like you as their instructor. Hope to run with you again when my injury heals.

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