Leaky Faucets

Finding a good place to run in Cebu has been a constant challenge since I got here.  Mostly, I’ve been running at the gym—either on the treadmill or on the covered but outdoor track.  This is okay for short runs, but after a while it is quite redundant.    Aya and I did a 5K race last Sunday sponsored by Holiday Gym.  We talked to a few local avid runners that we know, and they reminded us of a popular running spot which we had heard about, but had not yet tried.

I had been to this place before, but the circumstances were different.  It was the burial of Aya’s grandmother.  The place is the Cebu Memorial Park, colloquially known as CemPark.  Believe it or not, this is where the top runners and tri-athletes in the city train.  There is no Central Park here or even a Flushing Meadows.  So this seems to be the best Cebu has to offer in terms of a place to run where there are few cars and a measured course.  Two kilometers per loop around the mausoleums and tombstones.  Sure, it’s a little spooky, but there are a lot of others there.  Living people, I mean.  The dead don’t bother you too much.  And there are lights when it starts to get dark.  It’s best to start a little earlier and finish before it is too dark, but as long as there are other people there I think it is fine.  We ran there yesterday and plan to go back soon.

Today I tried a different place on the recommendation of my brother-in-law: the golf cart path around the course at Cebu Country Club.  It was quite challenging and I felt really winded at the end.  After 6:00pm it was really dark, and I would have had trouble finishing the front 9 if it were not for Bayani driving a golf cart in front of me.  There was one other runner there today other than Aya and I—he’s training for the Singapore Marathon.  In the dark, this place can be almost as scary as the cemetery because you are all alone.  At least in CemPark, there are always other runners.

So, at least there are a few options other than the boring old gym.  More importantly, it will help if I can run with other people, especially those training for marathons or half-marathons.  Otherwise, it might be difficult for me to reach those distances again.