I have been getting relatively bored with running at Manila Memorial this past week. So I said to myself, “I think I’ll go run over at SM Mall of Asia this weekend.”
And then, I was chatting with Wilbert last Friday and told him my plan and invited him. He was apparently on the lookout for a different, yet easy kind of run that weekend after a gruelling speedwork of the Nike Training Clinic last Tuesday. So it was set. We were to meet at 6:30AM to 7:00AM the next day, Saturday.
I got up a bit too early and it was an easy drive of 10 to 15 minutes from our house. It was still dark as the day breaks for a new day. It was a little bit errie for me as I drove towards the grayness of the massive mall. I was prepared to park near deserted San Miguel Bay Park…
Boy, I was wrong. There were people THERE. And a good number of road bikers too. The combined energy from the sea and from the crowd of walkers, joggers and bikers was a welcome treat for me. Wilbert arrived a few minutes after I did some warm-ups. We also bumped into Tisha, who invited us to run with them. But they were doing a VERY long run. We’re still not quite ready for more than 10K this very cool and balmy Saturday morning.
“I’m sure we’ll run into someone we know” Wilbert tells me.
We started from the far end of the park and ran towards the CCP Complex. We were running for just 10 minutes and we saw Mon, of Happy Feet, along Macapagal Avenue.
“I told you so.” Wilbert says with a grin.
So, the three of us ran towards the Manila Film Center. We did some of our stretches there. As we left the Film Center, we ran into Smith! Small world. It was my first time to meet the funny runner-blogger. He didn’t join us since he was almost done with his run.
We continued on to the Jumbo Floating restaurant and did some sightseeing while on the run, and then we did a couple of loops over at the Cultural Center of the Philippines before heading back to Mall of Asia. That place was abuzz too of weekend exercise warriors.
Nearing Macapagal Avenue, Mon bade us farewell and traversed back to CCP to meet up with his wife. We went back to MOA and ended up where we started. All in all we did 9.93K that morning. Thanks to the very cool weather, we felt refreshed and re-energized as we head off at a good breakfast at McDonald’s 
Some Photo’s courtesy of Wilbert 
[...] Posted on January 13, 2009 by Gigi After my run in Mall of Asia last Saturday with Wilbert ended, I headed straight to Makati to visit an orphanage [...]
G, I would have joined you had I known that you’ll be running in MOA. Pero OK lang. I’m sure I still couldn’t keep pace with you and Wilbert. Do invite me when you’re doing your very slow run.
See you this Sunday at the PSE Bull Run, G. I’m already very excited to run with you. Magkakatotoo din yong promise mo sa akin!
Yup sausage mcmuffin with egg at mcdo is perfect after a long run.
Nice background. It reminds me of Tokyo!
I would have bumped into you had I not run at the Fort.
Nice background. It reminds me of Tokyo!
I would have bumped into you had I not ran at the Fort.