Runabout – 23K in Bacolod

I was in Bacolod last weekend to attend a wedding. Thus, I had my long here last Sunday and missed joining the LSDs with aNR Groups. My plan was to run a 25K. I was trying to base my mileage with that of the adiNation group. But the long ran turned more into a runabout where I visited places I grew up. Plus I crashed into a fun run and got inside the city cemetery.

A Late Start

The sun is already up just as I started my run at 5:30 am.

The wedding ceremony the previous night made us all tired. My parents and tita wanted to join me run the following day. But when I woke up them up, they barely moved a muscle. So I went ahead and left a contact number in case we need to meet up somewhere.

A runabout has no exact meaning in the dictionary. I first encountered this word from BaldRunner.

Dean Karnazes changed the term to “runabout” where one has to run and alternately walk and then run again for the whole day and night or on a 12-hour period basis or shorter. — baldrunner.com

To me, my runabouts had a meaning of running aimlessly. To take a break from the daily routine and just run. No plans. No route. Just Run.  Thus, this 23K run took me more than 3 hours to finish.

Making plans

Coming from Airport Subdivision, I decided to talk the back road. The view was better with small rice paddies and some trees for shade. If I took the usual route, I would be straight into the highway with speeding cars. This one was better.

From this route, I started thinking where to go next. I decided to go to the Bacolod City New Government Center. I have never been to this Bacolod landmark since it was inaugurated in 2010.

The dynamic duo in a day’s work.

I love seeing trees everytime I run.

Race Crash

After about 2KMs, I saw runners along Araneta St. Since they were wearing the same singlet, I was guessing that there is a fun run nearby. I stalked the runners and it lead me to the finish line at the Bacolod Adventist Medical Center in Taculing.

There was a fun run on the same day.  I stalked the runners to their finish line.

A simple fun run setup at the Bacolod Adventist Medical Center.

The fun run had a simple set up but this seems to be a successful fun run since this is it’s second year already. Had I known, there was a fun run by our church, I would love to join. Their singlet looks nice too.

I was looking around the finish area when I heard someone calling my name. Surprise surprise. It’s our friend, Queeny, who will be getting married to admin Vinz this September. She was one of the race marshals at the finish line.   Best wishes.  😀

With Queeny at the finish line.

Where I grew up

My run to Taculing gave me an idea. Why not run to the places where I grew up? Taculing was our first address.  I spent the first 10 years of my life here. Or maybe more. I can still recall some of my childhood memories. We rented two houses in Taculing before moving to Dona Juliana Subdivision. Maybe that is where I should run next.

I used to play in this street when I was young.

So I left Taculing and headed to Dona Juliana. I went to one of the houses we rented. It looked so different now. Modern materials and smaller front lawn. They also cut down the aratiles I planted. I used to enjoy climbing that tree and eating its fruits.

I also went to the first house that we called our own. Our parents had it built and this is where I stayed during high school. I thought it was easy looking for this house but so much have changed, even with our neighbors. The whole street seemed to have transformed. The houses were new and renovated. The trees were now tall.

The street signs were not useful.

The street where I spent my high school days.

In college, my parents were forced to sell the house to pay off some debts. Those were the sad years. I would just laugh off as I remember how I hanged on and let life take its course.

Running in the City

I left Dona Juliana and went to the New Government Center. I also decided to visit the other landmarks in Bacolod like the Provincial Capitol Lagoon and the Bacolod City Plaza. I also took a quick turn to visit my Alma Mater.  Check out more photos of Bacolod here.

 Bacolod New Government Center

Bacolod Lagoon.  This is KM0 in Negros.

Bacolod City Plaza

University of St La Salle – Bacolod.  
I spent 16 years in this institution from elementary to college.

I also ran inside the Bacolod City Cemetery. I have never been inside this cemetery so why not run inside? I went inside the first gate and it looks clean. Nothing eerie like cobwebs or spooky trees. But the whole idea ran into a wall when there was no easy path to run around. Okay, so I got scared after all.  If zombies do show up, I don’t think they are just wearing make up.  😛

Inside the Bacolod Cemetery

Zombie Run + Trail Run anyone?

Food Trip

I had some walk breaks along the way and my stopover in this run was the most interesting so far. I bought sugar-free bibingka and buko juice in the shell. The sugar-free bibingka at the Bacolod Plaza is also available in the sugar-coated version. You just tell manang to brush some margarine on the surface and dip it on sugar.

Sugar-free bibingka.  Street food style.

A few kilometers later, I came upon manong selling botong on his mobile food cart. I can’t resist it since buko here in Bacolod costs 15 pesos only. The only catch is that I had to carry the whole shell until I drank it all.

Buko juice in the shell.  As fresh as it gets.

Final Stretch

The last five kilometers seemed to the most difficult since I don’t know where to go next.  I am far from the other sights in Bacolod.  I just went straight and look for some road to make some turns.  It took me back to Araneta St , Alijis Road and even the Goldenfield Commercial Complex.

After 3 hours and 8 minutes, I found my way back to m starting line.  It was a slow 23K but a great runabout.  Check out my photos of Bacolod Runabout here.

The Aftermath

My breakfast was both good and bad.  My good breakfast was soup made with chicken, mongo and ubod sang saging.  It was a delicious appetizer.  However, my main course was cansi.  It’s my mother’s specialty and a Bacolod must-try food.  I always ask for this when I’m in Bacolod.  It’s a sour beef soup where the beef fat and the bone marrow just floats all over the bowl.  So the longevity benefits of the run was cancelled out by this high cholesterol beefy goodness.

Ubod sang saging for breakfast.

Beef Cansi.  A must have when in Bacolod.