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I was able to join the 11th Ungo run last Friday!

It’s good to be back in Cebu again and that only mean one thing: Friday night runs with the ungo runners! I’ve really been addicted now with running and its much more fun if you have a bunch pounding the pavement from the Sun-Star office near USC to either Asiatown IT Park or Banilsad Town Center, a distance of between 5 – 9 kilometers.

Another treat is that before the runs, there is usually an invited speaker who will talk about running or their experiences or give tips and advice. Last Friday, runner/blogger/triathlete Reel Bontol and Kenneth Casquejo of Runcheck gave a talk on road safety while running.

One thing that I’ve really observed each time I join is that the group is now growing. Several new faces and in the FB page of Ceburunning.com there are several who post asking if they can run with the group even if they are newbies and this says much about the burgeoning running community in Cebu, a good development.

For last Friday, we just followed the traditional route which starts at the Sun Star office, turn left at R. Landon, turn right at Jones, on to Fuente Osmena, the Capitol, veer right to Escario St. then left at Gorordo Ave., JY Square, Salinas Drive and ended at Asiatown IT Park. This was also the route we took during my first ungo run.

The photo gallery of this night run has been uploaded.

11th Ungo night run gallery now up!

Gallery here

Check out the latest ungo Friday night run images taken last 21 May with the runner/blogger Dr. Reel Bontol and Kenneth Casquejo giving the talk to the participants. Route was from Sun-Star office to Asiatown IT Park via Jones – Escario – Gorordo – Salinas Drive.

Photos now uploaded at Fit and Run Facebook page.

Okay, I ran, solo, around Legaspi Village, Dela Rosa St. and Greenbelt 1 this Friday night using a running route in Makati City that I used prior to this one.

A Friday night run.

• If I was in Cebu, there might have been more runners with me, mga ungo, as what we have been called, starting from the Sun Star office to either Banilad Town Center or at the Asiatown IT Park.
• If I was in Cebu, there might have been a speaker sharing his/her experiences and giving out tips.
• If I was in Cebu, I would have surprised myself again with a new PR.

But I was not.

I didn’t plan to do a solo night run. Blame sleeping late (actally, I couldn’t sleep) until about past 4AM that I just have to say goodbye to an early morning’s exercise, my second day of my 6th week in the couch-to-5k running plan. I was out the whole afternoon and early evening but when I arrived home at around 9PM, I just felt something is missing.

It’s really kind of strange. Once the running bug bites, if you can’t hit the pavement, there’s this uncomfortable feeling, a kind of itch that just wants to be scratched. It’s like a ghost, slowly rearing it’s head, staring you in the eyes and trying to taunt you.  I couldn’t just do anything but give in, scratched it and faced the ghost head on.

I laced my shoes, stretched, closed the door shut and headed out into the night. Tiring but I felt complete.

Our route for the 7th ungo run from Sun Star to BTC, 6.92 KM

25 minutes of nonstop running from the Sun Star office to Ayala Center Cebu during the 7th ungo run, a Holy Wednesday (31 March) was quite a big surprise for me! But better still, when I calculated my pace/km for the entire length end to end until Banilad Town Center (BTC), a total distance of 6.92 KM, I had the shock of my life: 5:43!

These ungo runs are good for me!

Ever since that 26 March ungo event (the 6th) the previous week, I was breaking personal records that I have while following the running plan which I started 2 March. Not only was this my fastest so far, it was also my longest distance. There were some struggles but generally, it was a wonderful night run that was quite manageable. It also helped that Charles, and later, Teddy, paced me from Jollibee Gorordo all the way to BTC.

Looking back, I credit it to my competitiveness as well as the running plan I was following. It’s fun with other runners and trying to challenge oneself of “beating” some can do wonders. I also strictly followed a constant speed in all my runs, conserved energy unlike what I did when I first joined my fellow ungo, and, I think, the couch-to-5k plan was gradually making my body adopt to this routine. All these while a small knapsack with my DSLR camera with an ultrawide lens, a shirt, wallet, cellphones and a small water bottle strapped at my back.

I really didn’t expect these developments and all the more motivated me to do running as a sport. If I will do this right, I might prove myself capable of doing greater things in the future. With fingers crossed and keeping up with my training.

We tried another route from SunStar to IT Park via Mango Ave. at 6.32 KM

Vehicles were moving past me, honks blaring and the bright lights keep coming as I ran against the traffic along Gorordo Ave. I was alone. Some of the runners were ahead, others were behind but I just kept on moving forward my left, then my right foot, keeping my pace steady. I said to myself:

Keep it up Estan. Keep it up. A few more minutes you’ll be there.

Sometimes, my legs hurt a little and I have to walk for a few minutes before running again.

And indeed, I later saw the bend at Salinas Drive going to Asiatown IT Park. There’s no time to stop! A few more meters, a few more minutes and I’ll be there with the rest of the ungo runners. Just continue. Run.

At last, I saw a few of my companions standing at the grassy surface infront of The Walk. A wide grin etched on my face as I was approaching them. I glanced at my watch and I was happy, no, ecstatic that I was beating a personal record and that there were still a few of us who finished! It was my first sweet taste of a runner’s high!

That was three weeks ago in Cebu, my second time to join the ungo runners, the 6th to be held, who have taken up among ourselves to meet every Friday night at the Sun Star office in P. del Rosario St. and run to a predetermined destination covering between 6 – 7 kilometers just for the heck and fun of it.

What made this run very memorable was that I’m a newbie runner. I just started running 2nd of March following a running plan and during this week, I was doing 90s/90s run-walk combos capped with a long walk that usually takes me an hour to negotiate and about 4-5 kilometers long. But during this night, I was running most of the time with brief walks interspersed in between. My pace per kilometer was a surprising 8:40 and a longer distance at 6.32 KM!

Thus finishing at such time was very much of a big thing for me! It was great. I can’t help but bask in my own small victory, nevermind if there were other runners who were faster than me. The important thing was that I was beating my own record and proving to myself that I can do this sport! While I was cooling down by doing a slow walk within the area, I was smiling and just very, very happy.

A runner’s high is indeed true and I had it this first time! SWEET.