2nd Day: Evening Edition


1. The ADIDAS Climalite Response Compression Shorts gave me some chafing on my left groin area and I have to change my shorts for my afternoon run. I advise the runners not to buy this kind of compression shorts because the stitches on the groin area keep on rubbing the skin as the runner moves his legs. I have to change to my NIKE regular running shorts.

2. I started my afternoon run at 4:36 PM after some ice cold coffee, pasta with chicken and a slice of cheese strawberry cake! I started infront of the entrance to the Clark Freeport (where I stopped after the morning run) and finished at Km Post #102. I was able to run a distance of 15K with a time of 2:10 hours. I was able to consume 1,067 calories. My average pace was 8:39 minutes per kilometer with an average heart rate of 122 beats per minute.

3. For the second day of my “adventure run”, I was able to cover a distance of 46 kilometers, same as of yesterday’s total distance. The total mileage for two days run is 92 kilometers in 14+ hours as running/walking time. So far, except for the slight chafing, I don’t have any blisters, cramps, pain or problems with my body.

4. For the 1st day, I was able to run across the province of Bulacan and for the second day, I was able to run along the towns of Pampanga. As of now, I am in the territory of Tarlac Province. Hopefully, before the end of the third day, I will be running in the province of Pangasinan.

5. As usual, I have my dinner with a big serving of hot La Paz Batchoy which I find to be complete with everything. It is salty, it has noodles, meat, fried pork and brooth! I also ate fried chicken & rice. I have taken my Vitamin C, Pharmaton tablet, and Alaxan FR before going to bed. Of course, I have also a glass of fresh milk to complete my food intake for the day. One liter of water is a must also before going to bed.

6. The following pictures will do the talking for the meantime. Good night!

Reason Why I Can't Run @ NLEX
KAMIKAZE Shrine in Mabalacat, Pampanga
About To Cross the Bamban Bridge (Pampanga-Tarlac Boundary)
Last Kilometer Post For The Day

2nd Day: Noon Edition


1. I finally stopped infront of the Clark Air Base entrance along the McArthur Highway in Dau, Mabalacat, Pampanga after finishing almost 31K from Apalit, Pampanga. I am now resting in one of the popular coffee shops in Dau with a free Wi-Fi connection and making an update about my run this morning.

Sidewalk Trail

2. With all the “walk breaks” and “pee stops”, I was able to finish the said distance in 4:47 hours with an average pace of 9:20 minutes per kilometer. It is a very slow pace but I think I am becoming stronger and more resilient to the heat of the sun. My average heart rate is 118 beats per minute and was able to burn 1,961 calories. I feel relaxed with my pace but I am gaining distance.

Another Version of the Sidewalk Trail

3. Last night’s dinner consisted of spaghetti, fried chicken, rice, 2 kinds of soup (la paz batchoy & macaroni soup) and fresh bananas. I guess, I was able to satisfy the ratio of 50%-25%-25% (carbo-protein-fats, respectively) for my intake of food. Before I went to bed, I was able to drink 1 Liter of water.

4. In today’s brunch, I ordered Pancit Palabok, Sisig with Rice, one Coke in Can taken with half teaspoon of salt. I felt bloated after my brunch that I could hardly maintain my pace plus the fact that the heat of the sun was already intense to the body.

5. From Apalit to San Fernando, I ran along the left sidewalk as I was facing the traffic. Instead of running along the paved road, I was running on a dirt road filled with stones and lahar. All the way, the rugged road gave comfort to my feet as I had soft landing with the ground. However, on the other side, the sidewalk is paved. But from San Fernando to Mabalacat, both sidewalks are not yet paved. I am glad the acacia trees along the highway were not cut as planned by the DENR and Department of Public Highways. I could see that there is an ample space for expansion of the road but cutting those acacia trees will not justify the intended infrastructural development.

Totally Covered Under The Heat of the Sun & Pollution

6. It is funny that I could see the campaign activities of the national candidates are on full swing! I think I was able to count a half dozen of brand-new pick-ups and vans painted with the campaign color & slogan of Senator Lito Lapid with blaring “jingle” and message for the people to vote and re-elect the Senator. I am sure more of these brand-new vehicles are already on their way to the Visayas and Mindanao as part of the campaign caravan for the Senator. I wonder why Senator Loren Legarda has to use the acacia trees as her campaign display instrument by using nails/staples to keep her posters from being removed. If only those acacia trees are humans, I can just imagine the pain they feel with those nails/staples used to display her campaign posters. I thought the good Lady Senator’s advocacy is to preserve the environment? Do you still remember those road signs with the poem “Trees” by Joyce Kilmer sponsored by the Lady Senator?

"But only God could make a Tree"

7. Before I finally went to bed, I briefly watched the local TV station where local government officials were discussing the things and accomplishments they have provided to their constituents. They talked about social services like free education, free health care, free medical attention & medicines and other services to the people. They even talked of their plans of making their town as the future Taguig City or Makati City where more jobs are generated and thereby, more income to the local government. I said to myself, it’s a waste of time watching the TV!

8. There is a lot of commercial and housing developments in San Fernando City. I’ve seen properties of the Vista Group and the Ayala Land along the route I’ve taken. How I wish these land developers would build parks where people would be in touch with nature; where they could exercise and play their sports they love and build “rest areas” along the national highway. It is sickening to see our concept of “rest areas” in the country—a gasoline station with fastfood chain of stores attached to it! In more advanced/industrialized countries, the “rest area” along the highway is totally different from the convenience-commercial stations along the crossroads with the highway—this is where the gasoline stations, hotels, motels, restaurants, and factory outlet stores are located. The “rest area” is where the motorists could have a brief stop to park their cars, take a nap, and relieve themselves from the call of nature. The “rest area” has two separate parking areas for the big trucks and cars & vans.

Crossing the Angeles City Boundary

9. While I was running, I saw a lot of vehicles parked infront of a fenced property and inside the said property were  groups of people doing their morning jog. When I read the name of the establishment, I found it to be a Memorial Park!

10. There is no political connection on this “adventure run”. It is coincidental that I started this run on the first day of Campaign Period for the National & Local Elections. These are the reasons why I am doing this run:

a) I love to run!

b) I have nothing to do except to run and document my running experience through this blog.

c) I want to inspire others to excel and be positive in their respective field.

d) I am retired, want to do what I liked most and be responsible to myself. I want to be the “boss” to myself.

e) I want to document or “journalize” my running experience so that others could gain lessons from them.

f) I want to be active and healthy.

g) There is no more “running training ground” in Metro Manila which is worth trying or repeating. My training grounds are becoming boring! Going to the mountains to look for trails will be the next project.

11. The following were consumed and paid for during this morning’s run:

2 Liters of Water—-P 54.00

2 Bottles of Propel—-P 36.00

2 Bottles of Gatorade—-P 36.00

Brunch at Razon’s—-P 300.00

3 Hours of Internet (SmartBro since yesterday)—-P 60.00

1 Pack of SkyFlakes—-P 5.00

1 Cofffee—-P 5.00

12. The color for the day is Red.

At The Starting Area For the 2nd Day
Sam, The Running Ninja Should Look Like This When He Runs On Road Races..Hehehe!

First Day: Evening Edition


1. After singing some songs at the Resto where I had my lunch and posting my story about my running experience this morning, I prepared for my afternoon run. By simply wiping my whole body with my bandanas dipped in cold water, I was able to remove some of the dirt to my body exposed to the elements and at the same time cool down the temperature of my body.

2. After 3 1/2 hours of rest, I changed to a new set of running apparel—NIKE White Compression Long-Sleeved Shirt; New Balance Compression Shorts; 3 Bandanas (one for my head sweat stopper & 2 were tied on my neck); PUMA Black Socks;  white cap; Ray-Ban Sports Sunglass; ASICS Gel-Kayano 14 and my Nathan Hydration Belt.

Another Set of Running Attire. Shell Station Personnel @ Tabang Were Kind & Accommodating
Rice Fields Are Slowly Shrinking Due to Commercial & Housing Establishments

3. I started at exactly 4:00 PM. I entered the center of Malolos City and I was surprised to see the wide roads infront of the Provincial Capitol and the presence of so many commercial establishments on its sides. The place is completely different when I was a Brigade Commander with Bulacan as one of the provinces under my area of operation/supervision. My pace this afternoon was faster than the one I had on the start of this run. I was able to continously run for the first 10K with a time of 1:05 hours with an average pace of 6:30 minutes per kilometer. I was able to sustain the pace up to 13K mark as I started to take picture of the scenery along the way.

One of the Commercial Establishments in Malolos, Bulacan
Ooopps...Wrong Wall To Display Campaign Posters! Hahaha!

4. For the afternoon run, I was able to run a distance of 19 kilometers in 2:27 hours to include the “walking breaks”. My average pace was 7:45 minutes per kilometer and average heart rate at 130 beats per minute. For the whole day, I was able to run & walk a distance of 46 kilometers. I left the road before 7:00 PM to look for a place to take a shower, eat and stay for the night.

Crossing The Bulacan-Pampanga Boundary
Last Kilometer Post For The Day

5. I was able to consume or pay for the following items during/after the run:

2 Bottles of Propel—-P 36.00

2 Liters of Bottled Water—P 54.00

1 Kilo of Lacatan Bananas—P 47.00 ( ate 3 pieces of banana)

1 Kilo of Ripe Mangoes—-P 50.00

Dinner/Food—-P 160.00

Hotel Accommodation (One Night)—P 630.00

6. So far, there are no “issues” or injury during my first day of my adventure run. Sleep is badly needed now!

First Day


1. Today is the first day of my “adventure run” from Manila to Baguio City. I started at Km Post #10, which almost one kilometer away from the Bonifacio Monument in Calocan City, at 6:20 AM. I started late in the morning purposely to have a clear view of the road and the environment while I started my run.

"Adventure Run" Dedicated To The Team Bald Runner

2. After a few kilometers, I was approaching the City of Valenzuela. At first, I was running against the traffic but because of the sunlight and the heat of the sun, I transfered to the other side of the road, taking advantage of the shade provided by the buildings along the road. The city streets are dirty and dusty. The traffic along the McArthur Highway was too slow because of the jeeps and cargo trucks. Almost all the restaurants and bars along the road are named after the late General Douglas McArthur!

3. The City of Meycauyan, Bulacan came next and the streets are far cleaner than the streets of Valenzuela City. All the drainage covers along the sidewalk were properly marked with “Project of Mayor Win”. Nice project and projection on the accomplishment of the City Mayor!

Drainage Cover @ Meycauayan, Bulacan

4. What reminds me of Marilao, Bulacan is the SM Mall which I had the chance to drop by at the said establishment when I was still a Brigade Commander in Central Luzon, six years ago. At this point, the road became wider and the traffic was no longer busy.

@ Marilao, Bulacan Infront of SM

5. I had my late breakfast at McDonalds in Bocaue. I ordered burger with pancake and hot chocolate. I rested here for one hour and read the daily newspaper. No worthy news to read. Everything was about politics and the national election/presidentiables blah, blah, & blah!

6. Almost all the electric posts along the way are full with posters of candidates for the president and local government officials. I’ve noticed that you see the faces of the candidates with their “best smiles” in their campaign billboards and posters but in reality when you meet them in person, you seldom see them in their “campaign smile”.

A Welcome Banner in Guiguinto, Bulacan

7. In Bocaue, Bulacan, I’ve noticed that the game of Jueteng is prevalent. In one of the street corners, I saw a collector of bets accepting money from one of the bystanders.

8. So far, these are my expenses and consumption:

Gasoline—-P 1,500.00 (Full tank which will last up to Baguio City)

Gatorade—2 Bottles—P 32.00

Water For Drinking—2 Liters—P 30.00

Breakfast @ McDonalds—P 150.00

One Pack of SkyFlakes—P 5.00

Cloud Nine (2 Bite Sizes)—P 3.00

Lunch @ Malolos, Bulacan with Softdrinks—P 100.00

9. For this morning run, I was wearing an Under Armour Runner’s Cap, one ala-Buff by Armando Caruso (P 69.00) as my head sweatband, NIKE White Long-sleeved shirt, NIKE Compression Shorts, ASICS Gel-Kinsei 2 with Hane’s Athletic Socks. On my left wristband is my GF 305 while my right wristband is my GF 405. The GF 305 tells me the elapsed time and distance while my GF 405 tells me the actual time of the day. My hydration is my old and trusted Nathan (SOB) Hydration Belt.

10. I ran through the following places along McArthur Highway: Valenzuela, Meycauayan, Marilao, Bocaue, Balagtas, and Guiguinto, all of the province of Bulacan.

11. I just had my lunch and I am now resting while singing the Karaoke in one of the retaurants here in Malolos, Bulacan. I will resume my run later this afternoon.

Go Slow


Yes, I am going to run the Condura Marathon at a slow pace! Hopefully, I could finish the distance in less than 5 hours or better yet, in less than 4:30 hours. There is nothing to prove this time as my mind is fixed to enjoy the experience and be a part in the history of the first Condura Marathon.

My last Marathon Race was the Pasig River Marathon last November 8 and I got injured before the halfway. Despite the injury, I finished the race in sub-6 hours barely walking more than one-half of the course. Practically, I only have 6 weeks preparation for this race where my training was geared on my recovery and trying to regain the strength of my legs.

I have no pressure at all for this race. I know the “drill”. I know the limits of my body endurance and I can easily “listen to my body”. My last long run was in last Sunday’s Midnight to Sunrise Run with the 2nd BDM102 participants at the UP Loop where I was able to run almost 43 kilometers with brief “pit stops” and water breaks. And for the past days, I’ve been tapering and controlling my urge to run farther.

The Condura Marathon will be my preparatory run for my incoming “adventure run” from Manila to Baguio City. I hope I could recover fast so that I can start my run immediately.

The PMA Alumni Homecoming Week is fast approaching. Most of the alumni will be going to Fort Gregorio del Pilar in Baguio City where all the classes of the Academy will be honored by the cadets. While the rest of my classmates and my Co-Cavaliers will be riding in the comfort of their Vans, SUVs, and cars, I will be running & walking all the way to Baguio City!

The adventure run is not a “popularity gimmick” or a charity “gimmick”. I just want to prove that I can record or “journalize” such event in this blog on near “real-time” with the advent of the wireless Internet connection using my old notebook, digital camera and my GF 305 watch.  I will post my location, my experience/story, and pictures on the course. It means that publishing my post in this blog will be my “rest/break” during the run.

I published my proposed schedule in my previous post but it will just serve as my “guide”. I might run further than the scheduled number of kilometers for the day. Do not think or have the impression that I will be running the whole day. The plan is to run early in the morning, rest at the middle of the day and then run again late in the afternoon. I might also incorporate an evening run in one of the days of my run.

I don’t mind if my friends and readers will join me in one of the “legs” of my run as long as they bring their support system with them. Or maybe, it would be better if they run with me and leave their support for the run.

Let me take this opportunity to thank those who sent me words of support and for those who made their “pledges” to support this “adventure run”. For those who are interested to send their “pledges” of support for this run, please send your e-mail at jovie75@hotmail.com.

See you at the Condura Run!

(Note: Don’t forget your Immodium)

Adventure Run


Adventure run is a multi-day/stage run from Point A to Point B. For this particular run, there will be no deadline as to the number of days and hours I will cover the distance. This will be my first adventure run as a runner. It will serve as my training/preparation for another adventure run in the future. It is also a way to test and show to other runners on how to document an adventure run in the Internet through this blog and other social network platforms like Facebook and Twitter.

There had been reported adventure runs in the past but I am not satisfied with the way they document their daily activities. In this age of fast information through the Internet, Mobile phones and GPS access, any runner would immediately send feedback or share his/her experience on a daily basis, if not, on “real-time”. So, I am doing this adventure run to prove that any runner who plans to involve himself in this kind of event could easily show to his readers what transpired during the day or night that he/she was running on the road.

The adventure run will be a travel by foot from Manila (Monumento in Caloocan City) to Baguio City, an estimated distance of of 250 kilometers or 156 miles, and this will be a multi-day stage run with the plan to run at least one full marathon distance a day or more. And the following are the proposed legs/stages for the said run:

1st Day—Monumento, Caloocan City to Calumpit, Bulacan—45K

2nd Day—Calumpit, Bulacan to Mabalacat, Pampanga—42K

3rd Day—Mabalacat, Pampanga to Tarlac City—30K

4th Day—Tarlac City to Urdaneta, Pangasinan—53K

5th Day—Urdaneta, Pangasinan to Baguio City (via Kennon Road)—74K

I will be using five (5) pairs of running shoes and ten (10) sets of running apparel. I hope to use my CW-X compression tights on my last leg to Baguio City. I will be supported with only one vehicle.

I will be hydrating myself with water and Gatorade every 2.5 to 3 kilometers and ingesting some solid foods every 12-15 kilometers. I admit, I will have “walking breaks” along the way.

My running time schedule will vary during the day or night. I might run early in the morning and then run again in the late afternoon. However, during my brief rests and “pit stops”, I should be able to make a post on this blog and upload my pictures through my wireless Internet connection by Smart & Globe. Aside from regular posts in this blog, I will also make entries to my Twitter account. I expect that my last leg will be a whole day running event!

I will be sleeping in pension houses/apartelle/hotel in key cities/municipalities along the way.

Why am I doing this? Because if you want to accomplish a running adventure, you must be honest and transparent!!!