My Toronto Sporting Life 10k 2011 Run in Pictures

Had a fun time running the Toronto Sporting Life 10k with friends and more than 12,000 others in downtown Toronto on a cold, windy, overcast Sunday morning. Proceeds of the race go to a worthy cause, Kids with Cancer. A truly blessed day, considering it did not rain despite weather forecast to the contrary a day before. It was one of the best organized races I ever ran, safe course, enough marshalls, police officers, volunteers, hydration stations, bands playing music along the race course, food and drinks after the finish, a nice finisher medal, festive atmosphere.

Peace and love.

A 10K Run in Markham in the Sunset

After a restful 3 hour nap , I decided to lace up my running shoes and get out for a solitary 7k run in this cool but sunny late afternoon. About 600 meters from my house is a small pond where geese congregate but they seem to be somewhere else at this time. Not even a kilometer into my run, passed by the nearby golf driving range where I used to hang around when golf and not running was still my fave activity 5 years ago. With winter over and warmer weather here to stay, construction of new housing close to home has resumed like this new development. Close to 2 kilometers into my run is a Petrocanada gas station and the sign shows how much we pay for gas here in Markham per liter, a whopping $1.27 per liter. Considering that Canada is one of the biggest oil producers in the world, the price we pay for gasoline is absurd. Dry grass remain standing upright even with all the snow, wind, and rain the past autumn and winter. The fairways of the nearby Angus Glen golf course will be abuzz with golfers in a months time when they turn to lush green. The Angus Glen golf course still brownish at this time of the year once had Tiger Woods and other PGA golfers walking its fairways and greens to play the Canadian Open. Passed by this quiet neighborhood along Major Mackenzie after Mc Cowan Road, with the sun slowly setting in the northwest. Met this solitary walker at the corner of Major Mac and Kennedy Road., as I waited for the pedestrian light to turn walk. We eyed each other, me thinking , what is this goose doing in a place like this alone when geese are supposed to be in a group, while the goose must be wondering what is this fat man doing running like crazy when he should just be walking. Played once in this golf course for a discounted price of $125 years ago. Not worth it when you score over 100 and wins the most honest scorer award.

Something about wooden bridges and streams that make me feel serene, peaceful, prayerful.

While the sun begins to set on the horizon, trees barren of leaves with their branches reaching up to the sky as if praying and praising the Creator create a breathtaking sight .

A small stream winding its way down to where I was.

Running back after reaching the 5k point.

Felt my hands get colder while the sun was setting, so had to wear my thin cotton gloves. The temperature at this time must have gone down to 5 above zero. I thought, I made the right decision to wear my Runningroom jacket on top of 2 layers of technical shirts.

For God so loved the world.....

Peace and love.

Did a total of 10ks (got carried away and added 3ks to the 7k i initially planned to run)

My next race is the Toronto Sporting Life 10K on May 1, 2011.

My Condura 5K Run in Pictures

If pictures speak louder than words, then everything that the organizers of the Condura Skyway Marathon races promised proved to be true, plus more. I was quite impressed with how organized the race I ran, the 5k was. There were sufficient race staff to help participants find parking, guide them to the start area. The race announcer kept the crowd up to date and pumped up while warming up minutes before the race. The race started on time. There were more than enough water and gatorade in cups in the hydration stations (3 in the 5k).

The post race festivities were as much fun as the race itself. In addition to the finisher medal and loot bag, runners were showered more freebees. Fruit drinks, spring water, bananas, popsicles, powerbars were given out. I saw group of friends, whole families of runners, individual runners lining up to the numerous booths offering goodies or meeting famous celebrities. We enjoyed hot breakfast of tapa and tocino, garlic fried rice, eggs, hot coffee. Some people sat on the grass while eating like having a picnic.

My brother Lino, and his son, Kevin who ran their first ever roadrace had so much fun like myself believe the Condura run just converted them to be runners for life.

Overall, the Condura , based on my own experience is one running event that Pinoys should be proud of. The Concepcion brothers, Patrick and Ton did an excellent job showcasing to the country and the rest of the world that the Pinoy is capable of organizing a running event equal to or even better than some of the more prestigious races in the world.

Peace and love.

Running in the Snow with Condura in My Mind

For the first time this new year, I got out of the house for a run. The temperature was not too cold, around minus 3 Celsius, with light snow falling and about 3 inches of snow on the ground. Had a chance to wear my Asics trail shoes and my winter running pants and top, which remained unused since last winter until now.




Before lacing up my running shoes for the run, I finally did what I have been planning to do for a long long time since taking up running in 2007. I registered online to run my first road race, the Condura 5k in my home country, the Philippines. The date is February 6, 2011, exactly 30 days from now. I am so excited. I heard that the Condura Skyway Marathon is one of the best if not the best organized race in the home country. Proceeds of the races will also go to a great cause, the protection of dolphins in Philippine waters.


Passing by my favorite running route, most of the ground without tall grass and trees were covered by white snow. The ground was quite uneven but not slippery, and my new running shoes performed great showing good grip as I plodded on the snow covered pathway slowly. There was nobody around, and all I could hear was my heavy/labored breathing, the howling of the wind and the sound of my slow/heavy feet hitting the ground. Running alone and loving it, the serenity, simplicity, peacefulness, purity of the surroundings engulfed my heart with so much joy.


As I passed by the playground in the nearby park which was empty, I thought of the Condura races, which have attracted more than 4 thousand runner entrants as of today. It would be so different from this, as I imagined myself running side by side with thousands and thousands of runners (most of whom look like me, :))in the warm sunny day of early February, instead of the freezing, gloomy weather we have here now. This race will also be special because I am running with my baby brother Lino and my nephew Kevin, both of them running a road race for the first time.


A happy thought or maybe a wish popped in my mind. That during the run, I see or meet some of my favorite Pinoy blogger runners, whose inspirational posts I have been following in the last few years. I have not met anyone of them personally and it would be icing on the cake when I meet one of my idols. I know with thousands of runners participating the likelihood of being in the same place at the same time with the people who most inspired me in the sport of running is remote. But one can always dream. Imagine, running side by side with the Bullrunner, Baldrunner, Runningshield, Ninjarunner, RunningDiva, High Altitude, Secondwind, Sheerwill, In a Nutshell, Jet,Nora, Try Athlete, Run Unltd., Succulence Unleashed, Jinoe, Doralicious, Hotlegs Runner, Ani, Pia, Scientist Runner, Runner for Christ, JRunning, Gingerbread Report, Kulit on the Run, Kastilyong Lapis, Rick Gaston , Fr. Amado - the list can go on and on. Wow!!! The who's who of Philippine running.


The snow started falling harder late into the run and I felt my hands getting really cold.


These white dots are snow falling that were illuminated by some street lights. My legs were feeling heavier at this time around the 4-5 k mark, but my breathing was good considering the cold wind, that was making my nose, ears and hands feel cold.

Did a total of 5.64 ks. Felt good.

Will try to run 7ks on Saturday.

Peace and love.