January 9, 2009

This used to be my Playground

This used to be my playground
This used to be my pride and joy
This used to be the place we ran to
That no one in the world could destroy.

Don't look back keep your head high
Don't ask them why because life is short
And before you know you're feeling old
And your heart is breaking 
Don't hold on to the past
Well that's too much to ask.

south triangle route & amoranto sports complex

up diliman academic oval and heartbreak route

These used to be my training grounds.

I mostly do my morning runs at the south triangle route. This is a combination of flat and hilly course on a concrete and asphalt pavement that stretches 5km in length. I used to play tempo and hill repeats here because the route is straight and sloping. Moreover, the route is adjacent to subdivision roads that serve as an alternate route if I find my runs monotonous sometimes.

Amoranto sports complex serves as my venue for my interval training because of its 400m oval running course. During mornings, the place is full of morning joggers, runners, fitness buffs and athletes. University, high school and elementary school teams do their training here too. Although the surface is cold paint-finished and not tartan-top, the venue is well maintained. A plus factor is that it is adjacent to my south triangle route and is cool to run even in the afternoons.

My UP Diliman course is composed of the academic oval and the heartbreak route. This is so called because of its famous hills and shady course. By running this route you could circle almost all of the state school's campus. Running groups created a route here covering 10km of paved roads for their LSDs that leads also to the academic oval. The oval stretches 2.2km of tree-lined asphalt-covered course with a biker's lane at the side. I frequent this place during sundays to run a long relaxed-easy distance and it is on sunday's that the oval is closed to vehicles to accommodate volume of runners and joggers that run at this serene and wonderful place. The atmosphere here is enticing, the air is fresh and cool, the foods are great, and the scenery is breathtaking. If you want to commune with nature, this is the place for you. So come along.

No regrets
But I wish that you were here with me
Well then there's hope yet I can see your face
You're not just a memory
Say goodbye to yesterday
Those are words I'll never say.
(by Madonna)

9 comments:

  1. nice song este route.

    belated happy birthday!

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  2. Thanks Wilbert, did you run the UP route last sunday? Try the heartbreak route, its great.

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  3. i share your views about your UP runs. Very nice piece.

    Please visit/include my blog at:

    jazzrunner.wordpress.com

    Thanks
    Rene
    runnex

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  4. Hi Rene, I discovered this route through runnex way back in 2007. This used to be my playground since then. See you again soon.

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  5. Vener, Happy belated birthday! My apologies that I haven't blogged much lately.

    Take care and if running this weekend, good luck!

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  6. Hi Wayne, thanks for the greetings. We will be doing the PSE Bullrun this weekend, I'll race this one. Best regards, haapy running as well.

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  7. Hi Vener :-)

    It was great seeing you and Christy at the Bull Run. I know you had no problem with the queue at the finish line because no one was still there where you crossed it. You were so fast! It was inspiring seeing you dash away waaaay ahead of me. Next life, ganun din ako, hehe.

    Regards,

    MJ

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  8. Hi MJ, its good to see you too last sunday. Let's keep on running and see you then at the happy run.

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  9. Hey! I've beenlooking all over for you, can't catch up bec you run so fast

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