Run for Pandesal

This is one happy run. One I am so excited about.

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I've always wanted to run the Silang-Tagaytay Aguinado Hi-way route (see map here). On planning for my Sunday long runs, I said why not run it? I am in top condition now (not necessarily in top shape, hehe, not yet).

I can do that, wake up 430am, carry a backpack with a bottle of water, a replacement T-shirt and a hundred pesos. Travel from my house to Silang proper and then run the Silang-Tagaytay Aguinado Hi-way which is about 15Km.

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Change of mind.

The cost of travel would be

P33 for the house-Silang tricycle (special solo fare),

then P14 from Tagaytay back to Silang (on a jeep after the long run),

and lastly P33 for the Silang-house return tricycle trip.

That's P80.

Can I cut the travel and do something that would be more beneficial? More meaningful?

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Then there's my Run for Pandesal idea.

We are a family of six. In our barangay, there is no bakery to buy hot pandesal in the morning. The nearest would be from Barangay Iba which is around 3 kilometers away.

My mama (mother), will always buy us hot pandesal after her Sunday grocery chores in Silang Market. I thought, why not spend the P80 travel fare to buy hot pandesal?

And instead of the Aguinaldo Hi-way route, I'll be running from our house to Silang and then back. That's around 7 kilometers (back and forth).

I would be running from our house to Sitio Ilayang Pulo (500m)

and then to Barangay Iba (2.2Km),

and then an uphill climb to Barangay Pasipit (400m)

and then to Silang proper (400m).

I will buy the Hot Pandesal for the family breakfast on foot!

And then again back to our house on foot.

(Sounds like Panahon ng Hapon, hehehe.)

I don't have to wake up at 430am. Instead I'll be up by 530am and should be back by 7am after a long, relaxed, happy and meaningful run. And when everybody wakes up, they''ll have hot pandesal for breakfast.

Why not buy the pandesal from Barangay Iba?

I would have missed the uphill training and then lost some 1.6Km of mileage. Hehehe.

Sunday mornings would be a little more fun from now on!

And my mama would be able to eat her breakfast before she goes to the market. :)

Cheers!

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[First Run for Pandesal]

I woke up at 5:25am. Filled my backpack with my water bottle and 3 P20 bills to buy P60 worth of pandesal. I crossed the "Welcome to Balite 1st" sign before the 3 minute mark (on my Casio digital + analog watch). I reached the starting point for the Pasipit downhill and uphill climb before the 15th minute mark.

The elevation of that hill was around 60-70 degrees. A perfect hill climb to stress the legs (yeah, stress!). I had to slow down after the hill climb partly due to fatigue and mainly due to the angry dogs barking and following me.

The bakery at Kiamzon Street, Silang was finally reached before the 20th minute. I finished my First Run for Pandesal at exactly 00:43:01.68 at my Casio.

The return run was a bit harder because of the elavation of our barangay. It's just like running from Silang-Tagaytay, it's an upward slope.

I discovered one thing and I cheerfully told my mama about this as well. I said, looking at my race pictures, I always wondered how celebrity runners can smile a lot as they run.

Yes, I enjoy the race and yes I'm also having a lot of fun. But to smile while running hard has been puzzling me.

I told my mama that my first Run for Pandesal was that type of run. I had to smile a lot while running because most of the people I see on the route were my friends, extended family and neighbors. I had to greet them with my early morning smile. :)

A lesson learned -- Run your neighborhood street and learn how to smile while you run.