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.

Rubbing Elbows With Elite Runners

Tonight I attended my marathon clinic session with 2 elite runners, Amos Munyua (from Kenya) and Danny Kassap (originally from Congo) as speakers. They shared with us their life stories, the hard life in their countries of origin, the long run or walk to and from school, the loneliness of being away from family and the trials, hardwork and joys of being on top of the game as elite runners.


Danny Kassap, winner of the 2006 Montreal International Marathon (2:20) and 2004 Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon (2:14) . His times are not really that far from my best time of 2:23 (except I ran the half marathon, he he he)


Amos Munyua, on the right ,specializes more on the 1,500 meters (best time-3:34) but is slowly training for longer distances. On June 17, 2009, he won the Toronto Night Crawler 5 Miler in a time of 27:08. I ran the same race last year, and without bragging, my time was just a few minutes behind him at 48 and change, he he.


The room was jampacked with people, and I arrived a little bit late, so had to listen from row 5 .Have to plan a strategy to rub elbows with these elite runners whatever it takes. Maybe, just maybe, they could give me their "secret" other than genetics on how to run fast.


A little bit of Pinoy talk and jokes, and, ola! Amos is now converted to the Bongpagong way of slow but fun running. In reality though, had to patiently wait before I even spoke to him. I am surprised at how humble and friendly these elite athletes really are, and they share the same of the things we ordinary runners are concerned about, like stretching, diet, cross training, running injuries, hydration. I would have liked to talk to him longer but he had to go run 8ks with our running group.


From left to right, run club members Julie, Jack (A Boston Marathon veteran), Amos and trail walking veteran :) Bongpagong


Danny signing some autographs after the presentation

Except for me, everybody on the picture are marathoners, from left, Ray, my clinic teacher with 64 (and still counting), Victoria (1 marathon), Danny (winner of several marathons), myself (trail walking expert :) and Jack, a Boston Marathon finisher a number of times.

Overall, it was a very productive evening, with the two elite runners providing as much information one could get about running in general and a little bit more to be good at it, coming from people who are actually almost always in the lead pack in all races they've run. The only regret I have is not being able to go out there with Amos and my marathon clinic group to do the 8k tempo run. It would have been nicer to run side by side with an elite runner rather than just rub elbows with him.

Come Walk The Trail With Me

This is the entrance to the trail we love to run on our Sunday LSD sessions. I'd rather run it with you my friend but because of my injury you'll have to walk this trail with me.



This is the first wooden bridge we're crossing, I like the sound of my feet pounding on that wooden floor during our runs.



To the right of the path is a smaller pond, farther away
is a bigger one called Too Good Pond(how it got it's name, I have no idea)



I like going on the right instead of the left only because it is more traveled, we get to see some runners from our run club coming back the opposite way from their long run.



I wish we brought some fishing gear and see if we could catch some for lunch, he he.



Another two way pathway, let's take the left.


This wooden bridge is almost covered by trees, look at the shade.


It's kind of getting hot, you could see the ground getting dry from the heat of the sun.

This is just a never ending, winding and long trail, that is much nicer to run than walk, but we have no choice today. I know my injury will be fully healed sometime soon, so we'd hit this trail with a vengeance.

It's good I brought a camera with us so we could take some pictures of the flora and fauna here. Maybe we could play this game of giving a name to some wild plants and flowers we discover . I name this yellow flowers peoplepowerville.

Sampagita like white wild flowers

Whew, it's getting hotter.

The shadow of the injured runner turned solitary walker

The path we won't be taking, looks like not too many take this route.

No brave soul here other than us because of the hot , humid and

sunny day.

Wild but gorgeous.

Didn't expect to find a wild rose here, but here it is in its magnificent glory, thorns and all.

God is the genius of all creation, the source of all things beautiful, pure and free.

The town of Markham takes care of this trail, and it does an awesome job of making it clean, pristine.

This snail was trying to migrate to the other side, I'd like to tell the creeper it's the same vegetation on the other side, you're just wasting your time, and it's getting hot, you might not make it. So like many Pinoys who try their luck out in other countries.

Leaves are so ordinary until you pay attention and see the beauty in them.

Isn't it so peacefull listening to the quiet sound of a flowing stream.

The water gives life to every creature close to it, plants and animals.

It's getting late, have to go back, I got to go to work and earn a living too.

But, before ending our walk, can't pass this up, this is just perfect, bud, flower or fruit?

And, this unique wild plant, is beautiful in its own right.

Not to be outdone, these blue wild flowers show off their beauty in the bright sun. Would like to walk some more but have to earn my living and go to work. Maybe next time we'll be able to cover more mileage and see more. I enjoyed your company, even though I have to dig into my 7th sense (my imaginative sense). I prefer the real thing, running side by side with you and in person ,listening and conversing rather than talking to myself.

Happy and safe running to everyone!

Injured Again, It Sucks!

Today is the start of our 6th week of the 18 week training program of my marathon clinic. I woke up early to join my training run partners, Nette and Sandra for a 16k LSD run at 7:00 am.

In our last Sunday's run, I stopped running after only 3 ks due to pain in my left calf muscle. I checked on the net what this injury was all about and found out that it was a calf muscle strain, an injury that can take from a week to 4 weeks to heal depending on the severity of the injury. I then applied RICE (rest,icing, compression, elevation), a treatment method I read on the internet for a week, which I think worked. I was still limping Monday and Tuesday but by Wednesday I was walking good, by Thursday and Friday brisk walked (with no pain at all) and yesterday the slow run/walk routine for around 30 minutes, again with no pain.

I got to our meeting place at around 6:55 am excited and looking forward to getting some much needed mileage. Sandra and Nette arrived almost at the same time around 7:00. I noticed that we were all wearing bright colored shirts, Sandra in red singlet, Nette in yellow green and myself in red, all set and attired for the day's hot temperature. Everybody was wearing a hydration belt with enough water/gatorade for the long run. I myself had 2 packets of gels in my pouch just in case.

We decided to hit the trails instead of the roads as they were both concerned about my leg. They said it would be better for my leg to run on softer surface, which was well and good for me. We set out on our way around 5 after 7, the day was warm, around 20 degrees Celsius, cloudy, no wind, just a perfect day to do a long run.

We brisk walked to the entrance of the trail for maybe 100 meters, and after synchronizing our Garmins, we went off on a slow run towards and into this beautiful trail. This trail has lots of trees, vegetation, wild flowering plants, wooden bridges, ponds, birds (I even saw one unique small bird colored orange, the first time I ever saw one, have to find out what bird it is). I always tell myself to bring a camera and take pictures but I always forget. I know that I should before the summer season is over. I have to take pictures of this trail next time and share them to everybody who loves to run in trails before it gets cold again and the beauty of the place disappears for some months during the colder season.

Oh, and I also observed a few little slimy snails creeping on the dry sandy/pebbly pathway from some wet vegetation on one side trying to cross to the other side. A thought entered my mind, these are very like many of my Pinoy countrymates who try to migrate to other countries to look for greener pastures when sometimes our country could offer the same or better oppurtunities for them.

Like all other long runs with my two lady runner friends, I was having an enjoyable time just talking about running and life in general in this lazy beatiful morning, and I felt great with no pain the first kilometer. Nette even asked me how I was doing and I said I felt fine, the leg was holding well.

At exactly 1.57 ks into our run, I just suddenly felt another shooting pain in the same area of my left calf muscle and I had to stop and tell the girls. I asked them to go on with their run while I stopped, massaged and stretched the left calf muscle. I reinjured it again and it sucks! I walked back to my car and drove home feeling low and dejected.

Right now, I am icing the left leg again and contemplating on what to do next. It seems that whenever I am making progress in my running, feeling stronger, more confident, aiming for longer distances, and knowing that my best is just around the corner, something like this happens. I am so frustrated I do not know what to do.

From 5K Runners To Ultramarathoners

I was browsing on the internet my past race results when I came across one of my more memorable runs, a 5k race, the Whitby 5000 of July 2007. It was the graduation run for the Markham Runningroom Learn to Run and 5k clinics. I was from the 5k clinic, while my runner friends Francois, Sylvia, Sonia, Greg and Jason were from the Learn to Run. Another friend, Eileen was from the 5k Women Only clinic. I was quite surprised to see our individual finishing times with Francois, Sonia and Sylvia finishing in 28 minutes and change, while most of us followed within a minute or two behind. It was particularly amusing to know that Greg beat me by only 25 seconds and I crossed the finish line 45 seconds faster than Eileen.

After running this race, we all then moved up to the 10k clinic where we were very fortunate to have one of the best running clinic instructors in the Markham Runningroom in the person of Isaac, who in his early 60s had completed more than 15 marathons and just recently an ultramarathon. It was in this clinic that I met Nav, another new runner and Nette, my training run buddy. For around 5 months of sun, heat, rain, snow, hale, cold most of us ran together in Isaac's clinic, my clinic mates showing improvement in their speed and endurance as the days went by while, I struggled to keep up, always trying to belong and be as fast and strong.

Fast forward to today, Francois and Nav both have ran races as long as half marathons but are more into triathlons (they've completed a few). Sylvia, Sonia, and Jason have likewise done as far as half marathons. Nette and I did one 30 miler in addition to shorter races and are both running our first marathon in September.

If I mentioned earlier that my friends Eileen, Greg and I were so close in our Whitby 5000 finishing times, look at where they are now. On Saturday, June 20, 2009 Eileen and Greg finished their first ultramarathon at the Niagara 50k Ultramarathon Race together with our mentor, friend and former 10k clinic teacher, Isaac. Both of them were also the only ones from our batch of 2007 to have completed full marathons. So, from 5k runners to ultramarathoners.

I am happy for Eileen and Greg for this great achievement. I am extremely proud of them too, like all of us in our run club. At the same time I am a little envious :).

We're into the 5th week of our marathon training program but I am nursing a minor (I hope it's nothing serious) calf muscle strain. Have been icing and babying it for the last few days. I am gonna give the leg a try tomorrow evening on an 8k group tempo run. The total mileage we're supposed to do this week is 46k, but with this injury, have no choice but to reduce the mileage and slow down. What else can I do?

Underwear 10k Run, Anyone?

As much as I am hooked to running, I have to confess that I have another addiction, reading running blogs. The few precious hours I have before or after work or the days I'm off work and not running, I would rather be facing a computer and reading about the experiences, training, races, inner feelings of other runner bloggers. It gives me a special feeling of being part of a tight group of people, like a fraternity that breaths the same, feels the same and aspires for the same hopes and dreams whether it be a PR, running a dream race, getting faster times, running longer, trying trails or road running, dealing with a running injury, cross training, diet and nutrition and just about anything to do with fitness and the sport.

My complete enjoyment of this new passion of mine (reading running blogs) is somehow hampered by my being technically challenged in using the computer. Like for example just the simple act of giving a comment to some blogs,say the Baldrunner or Takboph., can't even do it. It won't allow me to. So, with my kids and wife tired of teaching me forever how to use the computer, I suffer alone and just be contented with reading some blogs that I really follow and not be able to comment on their posts.

This brings me to the subject of Jinoe's (of Takboph.) last post about the increasing number of weekend races in the Philippines and the question that he posed as to how many races a month does one run. I used to run a lot after I did my first race in 2007. Then, the injuries (none of them serious enough for me to stop running for a long stretch of time) followed, from knee,other joints, muscle pain to pain on my feet, IT band. Running too many races sometimes results in injuries because one tries to run the fastest he could and with much more intensity, specially when one is trying for a PR or even trying to win a race. Now, that I am a little wiser, I try to limit my races to one a month and only as part of my training for my main goal race for the year. And, it's only helped because now I remain injury free and could concentrate more on my marathon training.

This year in September, I am signed up to run the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront marathon. I just did a 30k race, the Around the Bay in Hamilton in March, one 5k race, the Legacy 5k in April and the Sporting Life 10k in May. I also signed up for the Acura Toronto 10 Miler, July 19, to be run in the Old Toronto Distillery area and along the lake (quite scenic and historical, heritage site old buildings and a nice view of the areas along Lake Ontario) and another 30k race , August 22, A Midsummer's Night Run also in Toronto which is one of a few races run in the evening in Ontario. By running these two races, I would be able to determine how well I am doing with my marathon training, and maybe help me make adjustments as to the ideal pace time I should adopt come the big day, the marathon.

Talking about motivation, I overheard one of the pillars of our running club, Jack , a fast 69 year old runner who is a Boston marathon veteran, while in a group run the Sunday before last, mention jokingly to another runner about a unique 10k race coming up in Toronto. I thought he said, for the race, he would borrow some "underwear" from his wife Alice (also a Boston finisher). :) What? My curiousity awakened, but just kept quiet. Got to check this out.

Turns out that there is a race called the North York General Hospital Underwear 5k walk and 10k Run scheduled on August 29,2009 on the streets of Toronto where participants (for fun) are encouraged to wear underwear attire ( was told by my runner friends who participated last year that runners may opt to wear the underwear on top of shorts and singlets, wheww , I thought it is strictly underwear only) and a lot of the more adventurous and I may say liberal (or liberated) runners did indeed wore their underwear only in last year's race. Just for fun, let me ask you this, would you or would you not participate in a race with your friends where the running attire required is for you to wear underwear only? If yes, why and if it's a no why not?

By the way, the money raised in this event goes to a very worthy cause, to fight cancers below the waist (like prostate, colorectal, cervical, ovarian, kidney, bladder, testicular and uterine).

And not to forget, please, please, I know that it's summer here in North America and it's always hot in the Philippines, don't get the idea that because we have this unique and fun one of a kind race here in our part of the world, that you could do your training run in this comfortable but skimpy running attire. I do not want anybody having a PR from being chased by the police. :)

The New Pride And Joy Of The Filipino Running Community

I just finished reading the initial race report of California based Pinoy ultramarathon runner Rick Gaston on the recently concluded San Diego 100 Mile (almost 4 full marathons) Endurance Run, one of the most difficult ultramarathon races in the world held at the Cuyamaca Mountains, San Diego, California, 12,300 ft. elevation gain, June 06-07. It gave me goosebumps just to know that he placed 6th with a time of 20:00:25 in this race where close to half the participants fail to cross the finish line as last year's race results show. I am still waiting with anticipation for this year's race results and Rick's complete race report and pictures.

There is no doubt in my mind now that Rick Gaston with this crowning achievement is arguably the new pride and joy of the Pinoy long distance running community. Anybody disagree? And he will only get better and better as his race times show. What's admirable about Rick is not only his achievements in long distance running, but also his generosity in helping new people just entering the sport by giving them sound advise and imparting to them practical knowledge he's learned from his long years of running experience on top of doing valuable assistance to long distance races either as volunteer, pacer or crew. Cheers to Rick!!

Now let's all go back to our own "little" training run programs. I'm into my 3rd week of my marathon clinic training program. Tonight is 6k easy, Wednesday 10k tempo, Thursday 6k easy, Saturday 6k easy and Sunday 13k "long distance" ( I hope Rick doesn't read this, ha ha ha, call 13 k long distance?) :)