CRASH COURSE: New tracks for your summer

Feeling lethargic as you wake, or just can’t find the right way to start your summer morning? Was your usual school day rush habit kicking in, only you had the rest of the day to do anything? Is your energizing playlist full of Avicii or Zedd and yet you find that coffee is not enough to jumpstart your lousy limbs? Why not take out those new sneakers from last Christmas, strap that player on your armband and let the wind and sun flow through you.

This summer, The LaSallian will give you the top places to spend the morning, with friends or none, just feeling the wind and expelling good ol’ sweat. Just maybe you’ll find that new track for your summer morn.

SM Mall of Asia

Travel tips: From EDSA, go straight to the end, crossing Taft Avenue and Roxas Boulevard, until you reach the huge globe of SM Mall of Asia at the end.

Along with the morning ocean breeze, the long and nicely cemented open road can be suitable for your jogging. Run freely and inhale plenty of that fresh air on every lap. Another thing that could be a plus is the huge mall beside this particular track, which surely has your needs or wants. After your run, why not pick up your groceries or do your morning shopping here, and hit two birds with one stone? There are also different fitness classes that can be found along the route of your jog. Feel free to join these along with new acquaintances. Different activities such as biking, and other recreational sports can also be availed of in the mall complex.

Bonifacio Global City

Travel tips: From C5, turn right into the service road going to Fort Bonifacio. From EDSA southbound, turn left to McKinley Road, and go straight till you reach the Fort.

BGC welcomes runners of different levels, may you be new or experienced to running.  For starters, you could take Bonifacio High Street for a lap or two, but if you’re really in for a challenge then add McKinley Hill to your route and exert that hidden energy as you go uphill (Just be careful as you go downhill and make sure you bend your knees). With very light traffic and wide, long roads and towering structures, the experience is like having a tour in Utopia. Running events are also frequently hosted here. Try them out: you may just be the next holder of the victor’s cup.

Ayala Triangle

Travel tips: This is the meeting point of Ayala Avenue, Makati Avenue, and Paseo De Roxas. Any route – be it through EDSA or some other route – that ends in an intersection of the two out of three roads mentioned would be a good starting point.

At the heart of the Metro, you can find serenity and solace in the Ayala Triangle. If you live in the Metro, you can take any means of transportation to get there, may it be bus or jeep. Amidst the great pollution and clutter in the rest of the city, you’ll be surprised with the verdant grove that can be found in the place. The huge trees in the area not only provide a refreshing dash of green for everyone, but also serve as shade for weary runners to rest in. If the day is too full for a jog, a night tread wouldn’t be bad as well, because of the countless lamps among the path. Plus you might even get a chance to see the lights and sound show in the afternoon.

La Mesa Eco Park

Travel Tips: From Commonwealth Avenue, turn right at East Fairview Subdivision’s Winston Street. Turn left at Dunhill Street and go straight until you reach the entrance to the park.

Up north of Manila, with just 50 pesos, you can enjoy the beauty of a lush green environment and get to avoid the rigid concrete lines and angles of the city, for once. Here in La Mesa Eco Park you have different running options, such as running around to enjoy the sights, or the biker’s path for a more off-trail run. But if you’re really in for more thrill, why not climb down the hundred steps to the watershed? There are also different attractions around the park, such as the butterfly garden and the lake view in the morning. Feel the oneness of you and nature in this really Earthy place in the Metro.

Roxas Boulevard

Travel Tips: From Monumento or Baclaran, look for any ride and don’t get down until you can see the sea.

If there is such a running center in Manila, this would be the place. With a road that stretches kilometers in length, it is indeed a runner’s place to be. Enjoy the sight of Manila bay on one side, and the towering skyscrapers and structures on the other.  You can also have a spot at kilometer zero, or the starting point of the kilometer system in our country, on one end, and maybe you can start marking your own personal best record for yours truly to beat.

In truth, running has always been part of our lifestyle, may it be because of rush or recreation. This summer, let us spend time doing something that could not only benefit our body, but could also give us that extra edge of exercise in our daily activities. Hopefully these routes can add a dash of color to our summer routines.