Pacing 10K at Run United Philippine Marathon

Posted on 6. October 2015 by Franc

Mission Accomplished: 10K at 1:05 – Photo by KB for Photo-ops

  • Distance: 10K
  • Date: October 4, 2015
  • Venue: SM Mall of Asia

After chasing the longer distances, I was back at 10K distance pacing a faster time of 1:05.  While the race was quick, the preparation wasn’t easy as I had to relearn running at a faster pace.  10K is such an intense distance because you can really go all-out on this one and get a really good finish time. Aside from pacing, it was also fun cheering the runners as it was time to #ExceedYourself once again at #RunUnitedPhilippineMarathon

Read About

Run United Philippine Marathon

Run With Me!!!

I paced the 2:37 group at Run United 1. I was on sick bay at Run United 2.  For Run United Philippine Marathon, I opted to for a 10K distance. 21K has been a default category for me and probably for most people. 10K was a throwback to those times that 10K was the key distance to conquer and every race was a fervent chase for the next Personal Record.   That also meant that I should really train hard for this one.  For more than a month, it was a 3 runs a week routine for me with recovery indoor cycling in between.  I was able to train more since the distance and recovery time were shorter.  While I was training my legs to be stronger on the road, the indoor cycling was able to strengthen my quads and also improve my cadence speed.  I shifted to the faster Newton Distance and made sure that my legs was in tip top shapes by having regular myotherapy at New York Theraspine. I also went to join Camp Alpha in Bohol for a Tri camp where I got to revisit running drills, core workouts and all the basics of running.  I wanted no excuses for this one. I enjoyed the journey back to 10K and the process of slowly but surely shedding time in my regular 10K routine.

Race Route

Race Route powered by Suunto Ambit 3 Sports and Movescount

Race starts at Seaside Boulevard and heads to Macapagal Boulevard and CCP area before entering Roxas Boulevard via Vicente Sotto.  At Roxas Boulevard, you run until Rajah Sulayman at the 4th kilometer mark for the u-turn.  The race then heads back to Seaside Boulevard until kilometer 8 which gives you a peek at the finish line.  You then get a two kilometer out and back route in Diokno Boulevard en route to the finish line.

The Race

Pacing with this speedsters Ryan Moral and Takbo.PH founder Jinoe Gavan – Photo by Jinoe Gavan

Racing in the morning has not been my routine as of late as I’m used to training at night already.  I went to sleep early before the race (8 pm) and was up before 3 am on race day. Despite being up early, I reached the venue about 30 minutes before gun start.  I ran from my parking slot to the pacers area just to make sure I make it on time.  That’s my instant warm up.  With me at the 1:05 pace group was Ryan Moral and Takbo.PH founder Jinoe Gavan.  I was so nervous for this one that I was afraid that the 1:10 group would even finish faster than me but since I trained for this I promise to go all out on this one.

Let’s do this!!!

When we were at the starting area, we took our time to ask runners their target time and some did have a target time of 1:05.  There were also some recreational runners who used to have 1:20-1:30 time but would want to go with the faster group.  As soon as we started the race, Jinoe reminded me to start overtaking since we need to keep our pace so we ended up starting at 6 minute per kilometer pace, which is just a few meters away from the 1:00 hour group.  The good thing was I had a good round of warm up and stretching that I didn’t have to worry about warm up pains.  We went even fasted on the second kilometer before settling down a bit to a 6:15 minute per kilometer pace on the third kilometer.  Ryan being the strongest runner in our group was doing more of the cheering and we’d also cheer in unison if we see someone winded already by the effort.

Also prepared for the nutrition part of the race.

Approaching the fourth kilometer u-turn, I got separated from the group since I took too much time in the water station.  So, I had the option to go faster to chase them down or just go with a consistent 6:30 minute per kilometer pace.  Since there were runners in my pack, I just went on with a consistent 6:30 minute per kilometer pace. We’d be catering to more runners this way and besides they were still within viewing range.  It was exhausting running at this pace so it was good that I had Carb Gel with me.  I had the banana flavor and it felt like taking a banana in the race.  It has a light sweet taste and it packs in the power.  I got my second wind after taking my carb gel at the 5 km mark.  I went on to run the remaining route at Roxas Boulevard. Every time I am slowing down, I try to use faster arm sways to speed up my cadence.  That’s one thing I got to relearn at camp, your leg speed follows your arms sways.

I love the adrenaline-rush of running fast.

I was counting down the kilometers and preparing myself for the mental challenge at kilometer 8 at Diokno Boulevard.  It was mostly running with a few seconds walking break to recover a bit along Roxas, CCP and Macapagal.  It was not strong as how I started but I’m still being able to go on at a decent pace.   On hindsight, I still need to invest in endurance to have a stronger finishing kick in the race.  It was one push after another until I reached Diokno Boulevard.

Let’s go for the finish. – Photo by Red Knight

The 2 kilometer out and back at Diokno Boulevard was a really mental challenge as you can see the finish line but you still have two kilometers to go. I shifted to faster runs with a few seconds rest intervals and I had a runner following my pace at the 10K at this stretch.  She asked me how many distance we still need to cover and I said 400 meters so we did the intervals until we reached the finish line.  After finishing the race, I went back into the race course to join Jinoe and Bave to cheer on the runners.  Powered by the Carb Gel still on my system, I was all out in cheering the runners as they made their way to the finish line.  I also saw the 1:10 group finish after me so yehey, I did finish before them.

Cheering the runners with Jinoe and Bave. – Photo by Jinoe

We would remind them that they should get ready for their finish line photos or tell them to give it one last push and many more.  It was nice paying it forward in a race. As much as I enjoy running, I love to see people develop the love for fitness too.  There was one 21K runner who asked me to pace her to the last 200 meters to the finish line and I obliged. She finished with a time of 2:20 for 21K, which was a really fast time.

Pacing a 21K Runner finish her distance at 2:20. – Photo by KB of Photo-ops

I treasure this experience not only for the countless runners who wants to exceed themselves.  It was also a challenge for me to run at this pace once again.  I’ve been able to go for marathons or hardcore trail runs but I was never fast at doing it.  This was a needed step back for me too. I needed to step back to focus on speed so when I go back to the longer distance, I would be able to run faster than I used too.  I’m glad to be a part of this initiative as I can safely say that I was one with Unilab Active Health in Exceeding Yourself.

It was nice seeing fellow Louisian Frdz finish his second marathon

Outfit Of The Race

The fun part of doing a fast 10K is reaching the finish line as the sun rises.

  • Singlet – Run United Pacers Singlet
  • Shorts – Under Armout
  • Shoes – Newton Distance 4
  • Watch – Suunto Ambit 3 Sports
  • Socks – Features
  • Visor – New Balance
Categories: My Runs | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , | 57 Comments

Camp Alpha Goes On an Epic Bohol Adventure

Posted on 2. October 2015 by Franc

A scenic road to trail to beach run at the first day of Camp

When you’ve been so used to the fit lifestyle, you get to find new ways to have fun.  Fun is when you do a battery of core workouts and do running drills in between. Fun is also when you go for a very long 150 km ride appreciating the historical churches and natural attractions.  Fun is also when you go extreme on a tough 1.5 kilometers swim.  That’s truly an epic weekend for Camp Alpha and that’s just a day in the office for Camp Alpha. #iamspecialized #iamsuunto #GoPro #CampAlpha #EpicBohol #UnilabActiveHealth #Gatorade #NewtonRunning #Bellevue

 

Epic Bohol

Hello Bellevue!!!

Hello Bellevue!!! That’s our official place of resident as we joined the GoPro Camp Alpha Epic Bohol from September 25-27, 2015.  Bellevue and Bohol is just the perfect location for the camp as we got to enjoy the beauty of the facilities in Bellevue as well as enjoyed the roads of Bohol.  I joined mostly the run clinics but it was awesome seeing your fellow athletes conquer 150 kilometers of bike and about 1.5 kilometer of extreme open water swim. It was a test of will and endurance as they got to do all of these in one epic weekend.

Day 1 – September 25, 2015

Core and Drill Workouts at the Beach – Photo from Bellevue

The first day started with a lecture on the importance of core and some of the key workouts to can do to strengthen our core muscles.  Having a strong core is really important when you swim, you bike, you run or you do several fitness activities.  It gives you balance and helps you maintain proper form when you race.  It goes a long way especially in the longer workouts as fatigue sets in, it’s your core and your form that will carry you through the finish line.  It would also prevent several injuries as you get to balance the load among your muscle groups.

Doing a short 3K Road to Trail to Beach Run – Photo from Andy Leuterio

After the brief lecture and demonstration, it was time to work on our core strength.  We had to do several sets of push ups, burpees, cannonballs, sprawl, donkey kicks and v-ups and had drills like jog, backward run. strides, high kness, duck kicks, lunges in between sets.  It was a total body workout that really challenged our core and energy reserves.  It really helps doing the drills and the core workout as it improves our upper body strength as well as increase our stride length and improve our running form.  We also did the workout barefoot to have a better feel of the surface.  The uneven terrain of the beach added to the challenge but the softer surface gave less strain on the legs.

The view also made the tough workouts refreshing.

After the drills and core workout, we went on a refreshing run.  It was a short run but the run had us transitioning from the road in front of Bellevue to the soft trails and to the beach front heading back to Bellevue.  It was a really scenic run as we had the ocean as our backdrop.  The white sands of the beach were run-friendly as it was soft on the knees and stable enough to come up with decent strides. We did the run at a very fast pace but we did stop midway into the run to appreciate the views.   It was a visual treat that gave us a better appreciation of the beauty of the area.

Coach Andy gives a lecture on Training & Racing with Pace, Power, and Heart Rate

The night was reserved for a lecture on training and racing with Pace, Power and Heart Rate.  This is one thing we can really focus on especially with more powerful GPS watches like Suunto that can give us the key metrics we can monitor to improve performance.  It’s also good to invest in a power meter so you can see on how much you can improve on the bike.  There’s always a room for improvement as even at your best, there will always be someone better than you.  It’s important to keep improving on your weak points and understanding your strengths.  You’ll also need to have the proper nutrition as learning how to fuel yourself within a race to get your optimal performance.

Day 2 – September 26, 2015

The Alphas at a Coffee Stop towards the end of their Epic Ride.

Day 2 was reserved for an Epic 150 kilometers bike ride for most of the participants.  That’s a ride around Bohol starting from Bellevue with stops at Baclayon and Loboc Church on the way to the halfway point at chocolate hills View Deck at 75 kilometers.  From chocolate hills, they headed to the Loboc River area, Dauis church and had a final stop at a coffee shop before heading back to Bellevue for 150 kilometers worth of riding.  That’s a ride through the heritage sites of Bohol in the historical churches.  It’s an appreciation of nature with the man made forest and the chocolate hills.  That translate to about 1000 meters of elevation gain spread out over the 150 kilometers ride.  The impressive part about this is that 100% of the participants went on to finish the distance strong.

It was really amazing to see them conquer the distance considering that they had also did the drills and core workout the day before and will be doing an open water swim the day after.  You gotta make the most of the weekend as most of the participants are also preparing for Ironman distance races.  I’m sure they would be ready come race day on November.

150 Km Bike Route

It’s a Run Workout for Me

Running 10K in Panglao Area

Whilethe awesome ones were away, I went on a run.  It was so refreshing running in Panglao as I had a 10K out and back loop that had me reaching the other side of Panglao.  The roads were smooth. The scenes were fresh.  The sun was up too.  It started as a cool run in the rain but ended up to be a hot one towards the end.  The initial plan was to do 10K out and back refill water at Bellevue and do another 6K on the road. Since it was hot already, I opted to just do the remaining 6K in the gym.  That’s good enough for 2 hours worth of running for me.

Day 3 – September 27, 2015

Before the Open Water Race early Sunday Morning.

Sunday was reserved for an extreme 2-4 km Swim Our Island open water swim.  This is my first time to witness an open water race and this is different from the usual out and back races.  The participants had to be transported in the middle of the sea then had to swim back to the shore.  Since it was an extreme open water swim, there were a lot of things that didn’t go as expected.  The 3-4 kilometer area was really too wild that the organizers opted to go for a shorter 1.5 to 2 distance for safety reasons.  Despite the shorter distance, it remained a challenging swim as the waves were really high and it took a lot of effort to swim.  It was also great that there were kayaks watching over the swimmers in extreme conditions like this as everybody came to shore safe and sound.

Alphas Gryf and August finishing their Swim Distance

Hat’s off to the swimmers who joined as this was really a difficult one.   Some even went home on top of their age group and that’s coming from two days of exhausting workouts. Great Job Guys!!!  Open Water Swim is starting to gain more mileage as a separate endurance event.  It’s a very young sport and at times unpredictable with the wave conditions but seeing the sport grow through events like this is a good way to appreciate the oceans and be fit.

Congrats to all participants and finishers.

The GoPro Camp Alpha: Bohol triathlon training session was presented by Specialized and the Bellevue Resorts Bohol. It was supported by RUNNR, Newton, Unilab Active Health and SUUNTo. Gatorade is the official drink of Camp Alpha while Toyota Tagbilaran provided the official Support and Gear Vehicles for Epic Bohol.

That concludes the GoPro Camp Alpha Epic Bohol Adventure. Well, the fun is just getting started as there will be more camps in the future. Stay tuned and be a part of it. I promise you every muscle ache would be worth it.

Congrats Coach Andy for an Epic Camp!!!

Categories: My Thoughts | Tags: , , , , , , , , | 44 Comments

Cobra Ironman 70.3 Gone in 28 Minutes

Posted on 2. October 2015 by Franc

Sunrise Events, Inc. does it again for the Cobra Energy Drink Ironman 70.3 Asia-Pacific Championship 2016 edition!

The Ironman 70.3 Asia Pacific Championship is happening on Philippine shores come August 7, 2016.  The Cobra Ironman 70.3 in Cebu just got even grander because of this.  Triathletes took the early registration rush as slots got sold out in a record time of 28 minutes last October 1.  The journey of experienced and fresh set of triathlete begins as they prepare to conquer 1.9 kilometers of Swim, 90 kilometers of Bike and 21.1 kilometers of Run in the scenic Cebu route. #cobra703apac; #ironman703philippines; #IM703ceburegistered; #ironmanmorefun; #IM703APAC2016

#IM703APAC2016

Regular slots for the Cobra energy Drink Ironman 70.3 Asia Pacific Championship 2016 got sold out in 28 minutes beating its own record of 40 minutes for the 2015 edition. Definitely a heart rising moment for all triathletes who registered at the Cebu Provincial Capitol this morning when they all converged over breakfast sponsored by Alaska Milk Corporation. Watch out for updates as triathletes start their journey to the Cobra energy Drink Ironman 70.3 Asia Pacific Championship 2016 race.

For more information about the IRONMAN 70.3 Asia-Pacific Championship, please visit www.ironman.com/philippines70.3 Follow us on https://www.facebook.com/CobraIronman70.3Philippines, @cobraironman703 on Instagram, @CobraIronman703 on Twitter for updates. Tag us at #cobra703apac; #ironman703philippines; #IM703ceburegistered; #ironmanmorefun; #IM703APAC2016

Categories: My Thoughts | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Make the Most Out of Your Apple Watch with yurbuds Wireless

Posted on 1. October 2015 by Franc

yurbuds wireless works well with Apple Watch

I’ve always been on the look out for a device I can pair with the yurbuds wireless that could match its battery life and is also lightweight.  I found a match in the Apple Watch.  While a lot of the Apple Watch’s features is dependent on the iPhone, you can actually load up to 2 gig worth of music and play them using the yurbuds wireless.  It sure beats having to carry your phone while working out.

Read About

Yurbuds Wireless Leap

Running with yurbuds Wireless Leap

When it comes to running or working out, music helps a lot.  It gives you a mental edge.  It keep your mind occupied to get past the distance, the pain and the routine of running.  yurbuds, which is now powered by JBL, has several Bluetooth-enabled wireless device that takes away all the uncomfortable wires.  You just have to pair it with your phone and you can access the phone’s music as well as voice commands via Siri.  The yurbuds wireless can last you 6 long hours, which is enough to power you with music for a full marathon.

You get a mental edge when you are running with Music

The thing about running, especially when you go longer, is that you want to run as light as you can.  It’s also possible that you are preserving your battery life on your phone to make important calls especially when there are emergencies.  There’s an alternative device to source music to be paired with yurbuds wireless and that’s the Apple Watch.  It’s still new in the market and its features are largely dependent on the functionality of the iphone.  It has some standalone features like the health apps and music.  Yes, you can play music straight from your watch since you can use up to 2 gig of the watch memory for music. You get a handy music source plus it has longer battery life that can take you working out for hours.

Loading Music

  • Go to the setting panel of the watch in the iPhone. Select Music to go to music settings window.

  • In the Music Panel, you can set the synced playlist and the playlist limit. Max limit is 2 Gig.  Make sure the watch is connected to the charging device on your computer.

  • Select the music you would like to Sync to the watch. If the watch is connected to the charger, the music would automatically be synced to the watch.

  • After doing the steps above, the music should already be on the Apple Watch

Playing Music from the Watch

  • Go to the app view on the Apple Watch and click on the Music app (It’s the one with the musical note)

  • Once you are in the music app, press the screen until it shows you the menu below. Select Source.

  • Once you select source, you’ll be redirected to a screen where you get to choose whether to use the iPhone or the Apple Watch. Select Apple Watch.

  • When you select the Apple Watch, you’ll be directed to the portion where you can sync your bluetooth device.

  • After it has detected and paired with the Blue-tooth, you’re good to go.
Categories: My Thoughts | Tags: , , , , , , , | 50 Comments

CFA Philippines Hosts 2nd Jr Finance Summit

Posted on 16. September 2015 by Franc

I got a glimpse of the future of Philippine Finance as I got to cover the 2nd Philippine Junior Finance and Investment Summit last September 12, 2015.  What stood out was the range of topics that gave the young minds present a perspective of a career in finance, investments, the job market and and being able to save at an early age.  Financial Fitness like physical fitness can be enhanced by proper discipline and mindset. #jrfinancesummit2

Read About:

2nd Philippine Junior Finance and Investment Summit

What’s impressive about CFA Philippines is the way they send out their message.  They’ve hosted 2 Financial Fitness Runs in 2014 and 2015 to convey the message of investments in 2014 and 2015 to runners and fitness advocate.  They hold regular retail investment conferences for entrepreneurs and financial professional. Now, they are also directing their efforts to a younger audience at the 2nd Philippine Junior Finance and Investment Summit, which was held at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay City last September 12, 2015.  Over 3,000 students and young professionals in the finance industry gathered for this one day conference, which aimed to help further the career in  the field and progress in their financial statuses.

The summit is the perfect venture to promote the finance industry as well as obtain key knowledge in investments.   It delved on a lot of topic from the blossoming Philippine Economy, the advantages of CFA and Claritas certifications, pursuing a career in finance, emerging career trends and opportunities, exploring the job market, investment products, financial fitness and the significance of ethics and professional standards.   The lessons from the summit can go a long way not only for those pursuing a career in finance but  to  most of the youth as well.  Some lessons on financial discipline can help the younger generation be able to start early in securing their future. One of my favorite lesson is setting aside 20% of what you earn for savings and investments.  That can really help save a lot and with the power of compounding it can grow your investment over time.

“It’s refreshing and reassuring to see more and more students and young professionals join investment summits such as this. Their energy fuels the discussion of issues surrounding the financial industry and its value to the wider society. The quality of their contribution is a testament to the academic institutions that are nurturing this new generation, and in part setting the standards of entry to the industry. All of this means we are very excited about the future and to see these young people join the industry and then contribute their life-long learning process with future employers,” says April Lynn Tan, president of CFA Philippines.

The event had key business leaders and financial experts doing the talks and serving as event panel.  It also gave the students a chance to ask questions to different key note speakers to learn more about the topics.  It also featured several financial institution which had booths for the participants.  Part of the success of the event was participation of different school clubs and organization who partnered with the event.

On a personal level, I’m happy see a lot of the younger generation interested in a career in Finance.   The future is bright in finance and starting them young through the Philippine Junior Finance and Investment Summit is a good start.  The finance world is one of the most dynamic fields as it evolves by the day. New financial and Investment products are created regularly to suit the needs of the time.  New financial roles and responsibility arises in response to the changes in the market.  It’s an exciting career and I’m looking forward to these 3,000 plus participants start to create their name in the world of finance in the coming years. Great Job CFA Philippines for hosting the 2nd Philippine Junior Finance and Investment Summit.

Categories: My Thoughts | Tags: , , , , , , , | 60 Comments

Salomon City Trail Manila 2015

Posted on 8. September 2015 by Franc

Hot and Humid Fast Paced Tour Around Intramuros

  • Date: September 6, 2015
  • Distance: 12K
  • Venue: Intramuros, Manila

#Salomon #CityTrailManila2015 is among the coolest races you could join.  It combines the rigors of trails with the pace of road and the rich heritage of Intramuros.  Trails can also be in the city in the city as Salomon City Trail gave as 4 different looks of Intramuros. City Trail had us navigating asphalted and cemented roads, cobblestone paths, uneven surfaces, grass lands, stairs and concrete ramps.  The warm temperature and the humid environment also made the course tougher but the scenic historical backdrop of Intramuros made each stride worth it. #SalomonPilipinas #MakeEveryRunAnAdventure #TrailLove

Read About:

 

Salomon City Trail 2015

With The Jazzruner Rene Villarta, Running Diva Roselle Dadal and Takbo.PH founder Jinoe Gavan

It’s my second year running Salomon City Trail and I like how they have reinvented trail running.  Yes, I do love going out of town or out of the country hitting trails and getting lost but I also like the convenience of enjoying the challenges of the trail in the city.  City trail simulates the rigors of trail running by using more common obstacles like stairs, uneven surfaces, steep ascents or a hill and a lot more in an urban setting.  This is Salomon’s way of bringing the trails in the city.  No wonder Salomon is the world’s number 1 when it comes to trail raining with both the Xtrail and the City Trail, which are both global events.  Intramuros was the perfect setting as the run not only felt like a trail challenge but it’s also a tour of history. Salomon City Trail Manila 2015 was held last September 6, which also had a theme of a sunset run with the race assembly starting at 4 pm.

With Ms Tezza, Sir Rene and Sir James

Unlike your average road runs, this race provides unconventional challenges like running up the stairs, bridges and ramps to simulate different foot strikes that one encounters in trail running.  With Intramuros’ landscape and rich heritage, Salomon City Trail Manila takes urban dwellers through the country’s history by running and touring at the same time.  The race was also a green run, which meant there were no disposables throughout the race.  There were hydration stations powered by Gatorade, situated strategically throughout the race route, where runners can refill their self provided hydration bottles and belts.  It was a great experience for everybody whether you did 6K or 12K as everybody enjoyed the scenery of Intramuros, got challenged by its trails and some even got to take home some special prizes from Salomon, SUUNTO and R.O.X.

Everybody’s raring to start the race.

Salomon is the key sponsor of the event in partnership with R.O.X., SUUNTO, HISTORY CHANNEL, GATORADE, AVIDA-Arca South, Rexona, Spy, Stance, Otterbox, ExoXgear, GoalZero, Megafiber.  The Philippine Star, Philippine Daily Inquirer, Business Mirror, Multisport, Travellife, Endurance, Raceday, Pinoy Fitness, When In Manila and Takbo.ph were the media partner of the event.

Race Route

Race Route is powered by Suunto Ambit 3 Sports Movescount

The race started in Fort Santiago area in Intramuros and started with the first loop at the outer corridors of Intramuros going over Bonifacio Drive and P Burgos Avenue before returning to Intramuros going through a combination of road and wall portion in Muralla.  The second loop was passing through the roads of Sta Lucia and looping back to Muralla Area.  The third loop was in General Luna area and looping back to Muralla.  The last loop was on the full length of the Intramuros wall, passing by Maestranza before heading back to Fort Bonifacio for the Finish.

The Race

All set for the race

One thing I love about afternoon runs is that you don’t have to wake up early rush your race preparations in the morning.  I headed over to Intramuros around 3 pm for the 4 pm assembly, Gunstart was at around 4:45 pm.  It was nice meeting friends once again who were either runners, bloggers or part of the organizing team.   That’s me on races, I don’t usually get to note who’s running and who’s not but I just know that I’ll be meeting a lot of familiar faces during the race.  We had a lot of time to catch up especially that City Trail would be more of a feel good run for most of us. It was a hot afternoon and from thereon, I added the heat and humidity as an additional challenge already.  After the pre-race activities, it was gun start.

Taking Selfies with Neville while running – Photo by Neville Abuso

One of the key changes in the route this year was doing the outer corridors of Intramuros first and that changed the complexion of the race.  Since most of the areas in the outer corridors along Bonifacio Drive and P Burgos Avenue is relatively flat, this meant it was a fast start for all of us. The first two kilometers of the race was in a fast and furious environment.  We were able to take some selfies though as I met Neville along the route in P Burgos. It was basically run, catch your breath and run again.  The first 2 kilometers was really fast and add the heat and humidity in the equation, I was fast draining my energy reserves.

It was a fast and furious start.

As we entered Muralla area in the first loop, it was a short run before the ascent to the walled area.  I took the walled area as my chance to rest a bit as the uneven surfaces meant a slower cadence.  I would take a chance at the bricked area to run, rest on the ascents and go fast again on the flatter area of the wall though I remained cautious with my strides as the uneven surface can cause me to trip.  I would then walk the remaining area to the water station and the steps that led back to Muralla Street where I would run again to finish of the first loop.

It was a faster tour of history

The second loop started at General Luna and headed to Sta Lucia where we were running below the wall.  What I noticed here is that I am starting to struggle getting longer run intervals as my heart rate is already high and my energy reserve is low.  The heat and humidity can be a real energy drainer.  I had to shift strategy. I didn’t want to just walk it off.  So I had to alternate a shorter run and walk interval.  So I tried different combinations of run – walk and just wanted to ensure that I would keep on moving forward and won’t be lazy the rest of the race. I would also splash water on my head to cool down a bit from the warm environment.  I had the same strategy on the wall, rest on the uneven surfaces and climbs and push on the flatter areas.

Balancing the effort on the walls.

The third loop was passing through the whole stretch of Gen Luna and crossing over to Muralla Area.  The rest of the stretch of General Luna had some cobblestone paths, scenic churches and also some old structures.  I had to slow down a bit to appreciate the views.  It was the same effort of doing short runs with short walking rest intervals.  I just had to sustain the effort.

The 4th Loop was the scenic loop.

The fourth loop was like the second loop except that we had to run on the walls instead of the streets.  We had more variety of surfaces here as there were grassy area. There were stone surfaces that were mossy and slippery.  There were a lot of uneven surfaces that went along with several ramps to scale.  The best part of the area was the scenery. You can see the golf course. You can see the historical structures.  I just had to stop every now and then just to take photos.  This was my sight seeing loop but of course, I still had to insert some effort in between.

Run Franckee Run Photo by Jose Ramizares of Running Photographers

This is one of the reasons I love running this race as you get for different views of Intramuros and the last loop was my favorite. After navigating the wall, we then headed off to Maestranza area where we had to run in the dungeon and it was already dark inside.  We had a Zombie Outbreak on this dark corridors before so you should know what’s going in my mind at this point.  It was spooky but even if I would worry about ghost or zombies, I was more concerned of not tripping while running in the dark.  After the corridor, it was then the last run to the finish.

Time to finish the race. – Photo by Hansen Buasen

It’s the last few meters of the race so it was time to give it an all.  I let go if checking the heart rate and I just went on the road back to Fort Santiago for a strong finish, which was faster by more than 10 minutes from last year’s finish time.  That was a really fast, fun and challenging race.

Credits to Race Director Erick Guieb and the rest of Team Salomon for a great race.

Outfit Of The Race

Back in the Race

  • Race Singlet: Adidas with Francramon.com My Runs designed by Breakout Design
  • Shorts, Socks, Trucker Cap: Under Armour
  • Shoes: Newton Distance IV (Debut Race)
  • GPS Watch: Suunto Ambit 3 Sports
  • Eyewear: Salomon
  • Camera: Go Pro Hero 3+

 

 

Categories: My Runs | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , | 38 Comments

#UARoadShowManila Stephen Curry Visits Manila

Posted on 7. September 2015 by Franc

I was an ultimately fanboy last Saturday, September 5 as I was able to cover both the prescon and the fan event for UA Roadshow Manila featuring Stephen Curry.  Stephen Curry has risen to super stardom this year with an NBA MVP and Championship to boot. He personifies passion, hard work and excellence on the court and he’s an even bigger role model of the court with his faith and his family.  Under Armour has been a brand I’ve grown to love due to its style, performance feature and technology.  #UARoadshowManila was a huge success as Manila got to see the humility and greatness of Stephen Curry and the latter also got to experience the love and the warmth of the Filipinos.

Read About:

Under Armour

Got my media access for UA Roadshow Manila

There’s so much similarities between Under Armour and Stephen Curry.  They are both underdogs that made it big and is even getting bigger.  Under Armour was founded in 1996 by former University of Maryland football player Kevin Plank with a mission to make athletes better. From a thousand dollar business, it’s now a billion dollar entity and credit that to the state-of-the-art technology in their products that’s designed for performance and of course, it’s founder and CEO Kevin Plank.  We got to hear the snippet of the Under Armour Story as Kevin Plank addressed the whole SM Mall of Asia Arena during the UA Roadshow Manila.  That’s among the inspiring part of the days activities.  Through Plank’s vision and leadership, Under Armour has become the hottest global athletic performance brand over the last few years. Similarly, Curry’s excellent court vision, playmaking, and shooting led the way for the Golden State Warriors to win the NBA Championship for the first time since 1975.

Under Armour Founder and CEO Kevin Plank addresses the SM Mall of Asia Arena.

Stephen Curry has also risen from the ranks to become NBA’s newest superstar.  He is the current NBA MVP and led the Golden State Warriors to its first NBA championship since 1975.  His passion, hard work and perseverance to improve his game has led him to his current status.  What stands out with Stephen Curry was his humility as a player and as a person.  We got to see that up close in the press con.  He was asked to ranked the NBA guards including himself and instead of ranking them gave the strong points of several guards in the NBA and he acknowledge the competitiveness of the guards in the league.  He has also acknowledged the legends of the game when asked by Cesca Litton on which legend would he pass the ball to when the game is on the line, Reggie Miller or Ray Allen.  Reggie Miller is his idol while Ray Allen is the leading 3 point shooter of all time so either way, he can’t go wrong.

Stephen Curry in the press con at Fairmont.

He is also aware of areas of the game he should work on, which is his turnover.  He has in fact a turnover bet with his mom and with an average of 3.1 turnovers per game, he’s losing on that bet.   He also acknowledged that all teams will be gunning for them and they need to be better to be able to remain on top.  On the lighter note during the press con, W got to know that Stephen Curry left teen king, Daniel Padilla with his presence but he also voiced his admiration to the Teen King.  Of course, there’s also the clamor with the media and the fans for her family and most especially her daughter Riley, who’s also grown into a celebrity at the same time.  With the warm response he got in Manila, he promised to bring his family along the next time. After winning an Olympic Gold, an MBA MVP, what’s next for Stephen Curry?  Of course, he’d love to do it all over again and his ultimate goal is to be in the hall of fame.

First time to see Stephen Curry at the Press Event.

The press event went at a dizzying pace as Stephen Curry had several one on one interviews then had to meet several groups too.  What stood out was how warm and how comfortable Steph was with the process.  He was game with the questions and he really had natural chemistry with the crowd.  After the press con, we were all headed to the fan event in SM Mall of Asia Arena.

Stephen Curry at the SM Mall of Asia Arena

If he was a delight in the press con, Stephen Curry was even better when he was on the court with the fans filling up SM Mall of Asia Arena.  He is really a natural crowd pleaser as he even did the Nae Nae as part of his entrance.  Guess what?  He learned it from her 3-year old daughter, Riley.   He just connects with the crowd of all ages and including kids.  In fact, among his first acts was playing basketball with a 7 year old kid, Dominic Tuason. Dominic Tuason also had game as he was able to do some dribbling exhibition using two balls.  Stephen Curry played with Dominic and that’s Stephen Curry for you. He can be competitive when the game is on the line but he can also be cool when playing with kids to inspire them.

Stephen Curry playing with Dominic Tuason.

Up next, he gave some skills workout to a select group of 30 high school athletes. He gave them some dribbling and shooting drills. They even got the chance to wear the Curry Two, which is Stephen Curry’s second signature shoes. He was also so spontaneous with the crowd that you’d be surprised that he’d suddenly go on one section of the crowd taking selfies.  I for one wanted to have a selfie but with the busy press event, I wasn’t able to have one so I did the next best thing.  It was a good thing that I was in the Patron area so I was so near the court that I had a photo with Steph in the background.  Well, that’s close enough.

Close Enough!

While there was a program for the event, Steph kept finding ways to please the fans as after the drills, he went on to do and win a 3 point shooting contest among the top shooters of the group.  He played a 15 minute scrimmage with the kid’s and it was exciting to watch since his team fell behind by 10 points at the start. At first, I thought he was already tired from the flight, the press event and the activities for the day but he still had some tricks up his sleeves. He showcased some vintage Steph Curry moments from his array of passes, dribbling skills and 3 point shots that came from all corners. In the end, his team won 34-28.

Stephen Curry’s Team Won.

When Stephen noticed some dunkers in the group, he asked them to do some dunks for the crowd.  Of course, he also showed his own dunk where he bounced the ball, caught it in the air and went with a reverse jam.  That’s finishing and event on a high note.  He then distributed the signed game balls to the crowd to some lucky fans wanting to grab a memorabilia from their idol.

The dunk from my viewpoint.

He thanked the warm response of the crowd and promised to come back to Manila and the next time, he’ll come with Riley and his family.  I guess when it comes to basketball, Philippines has the warmest crowds as the love for basketball is in our blood and can be seen in each street corner with our own brand of street basketball.   See you next time Steph!

Thanks for the experience Under Armour and Steph Curry

Categories: My Thoughts | Tags: , , , , , , , , , | 50 Comments

Bayanihan sa Daan: Share The Road Movement

Posted on 4. September 2015 by Franc

Bayanihan Sa Daan Meeting (L-R: Byron Villegas of United Folding Bikers, James Orlanda of Speed Magazine, Rhoel Fernandez of spin.ph/Summit Publishing, Allan Enriquez of RunningFreeManila.com, Patrick Joson of Fondo Manila/Multisport Magazine, Atty. Tony Oposa, Founder of Bayanihan sa Daan, Charie Villa of Tao Po Organization, Vangge Giorgetti of Tao Po Foundation, Sachiko Numano of Bayanihan sa Daan, Elen Basug, Merva Arapo and Ian Cruz of Environmental Management Bureau, DENR)

We’ve been dealing with congested roads leading to a lot of wasted time and energy.  There are no quick fix solutions at hand but a change of mindset and cooperation can be a start to a better Philippines.  Aside from unbearable traffic conditions, we also have to deal with pollution.  Bayanihan sa Daan is multi-sectoral group that promotes the Road Sharing principle among various means of transportation to have a more comfortable transport system, clean air and a healthier lifestyle.

 

It’s Time for a Change

Bayanihan sa Daan Movement

 

Let’s start with a story from Atty. Antonio Oposa Jr, who heads the Bayanihan sa Daan movement.

There was a kid who was walking to school when he was almost side swept by a car. He promised himself that one day, he will own his own car. He grew up to become a rich and successful businessman. One day, he suddenly collapsed and he was diagnosed of ‘lifestyle’ diseases and the doctor recommended him to walk every day but when he tried, he could not even find a single sidewalk and the streets are full with vehicles and he cannot even go out because of pollution.

It’s a simple story but it covers so many things we need to resolve from the roads that is overflowing with vehicles to the lack of pedestrian lanes to the lifestyle problems we get from a sedentary lifestyle and pollution.  Bayanihan sa Daan hopes to be part of the solution to all those problems and it starts with community involvement.

Let us try to make a new perspective. Let us start a movement. On September 27, in Pasig City (Exact location TBA) will be the beginning of a nationwide movement for the Bayanihan sa Daan. We can even start our part in our neighborhood, or simply tag along friends run or bike and post it online to show your support. Let’s promote alternative means of transportation whether it’s cycling, running or walking.  A lifestyle shift will not only decongest the road but it will also keep us healthier.  Please read about Bayanihan sa Daan movement below:

Bayanihan sa Daan

‘Bayanihan’ comes from two beautiful Filipino words:

  • Bayan – community and cooperation;
  • bayani – hero.

Bayanihan meaning ‘cooperative heroism.’

It is a movement of the Filipino People, headed by Atty. Antonio Oposa Jr, one of the most well renowned Environmental Lawyer in the Philippines, with the support of the MMDA, Office of the President, DOTC, DPWH, DENR, DILG, DSWD, DOH, etc. and Civil Society groups, Clean Air Asia, Philippine Medical Association, Integrated Bar of the Philippines, Partnership for Clean Air, Cycling Organizations and others,

 

Bayanihan sa Daan’s Mission

  1. Clean Air

  • To improve the air quality of urban centers and to reduce the discharge of climate-disrupting gases , which causes Non-communicable disease (NCD)

  1. Public Transportation

  • To make public transportation safe, reliable, efficient, and convenient

  1. Walk and Bike

  • To give proper spaces for non-motorized transport for people who want to walk or bike and adopt a healthier lifestyle.

 

What is the Road Sharing principle?

The principle of Bayanihan sa Daan (Road Sharing) is that roads are meant to move people, not motor vehicles. The motor vehicles are equipment that can move people over long distances and must be used in a manner that is safe, efficient, convenient and reliable.

Simply put, it is the just sharing of roads, properly organizing busses, private vehicles and the allocation of bike lanes and wider, more useable pedestrian lanes.

“ Those who have less in wheels should have more in roads”

 

What is the goal of the Movement?

The Main goal of the movement is for a cleaner more breathable air and to reduce cases of Non – Communicable disease, by educating people to shift to a healthier lifestyle by biking or walking more. Also to fix, current traffic situation, by making public transportation more efficient, easy and reliable for commuters. Doing so should lessen the people’s reliability on private transportation. Concurrently, the movement aims to enable people to have the option to walk or bike, by providing wider sidewalks and bike lanes.

Categories: My Thoughts | Tags: , , , , , , , , | 12 Comments

#TaleofTheTrail Lion Rock (New Territories, Hong Kong)

Posted on 2. September 2015 by Franc

The City from the Lion Rock Viewing Deck

Lion Rock is not the highest peak but it gives you a panoramic view of the Kowloon and Shatin Area.  It just speak volumes on how Hong Kong has maintained a large forested area even as they progressed into a modern city.  It gets its name as the rock at its peak is shaped like a lion overlooking the city. It’s gonna take your breath away with the climbs and with the view from the peak.

Read About:

Lion Rock

The Lion Rock – Photo from Wikipedia

After hiking the Lantau Peak, I was searching for other trails to trek and one of the consideration was Lion Rock.  The view from the top is just the irony that Hong Kong represents, it’s a country that has been up-to-date with technology, in touch with its heritage and has preserved its forest reserve.  There are really so many friendly hiking trails in Hong Kong and you get every detail on how to visit each trail from their tourism site, blogs and even the Enjoy Hiking app.  The problem I initially had with Lion Rock was that based on what I read was there were no direct access to the starting area but via Taxi from the MRT station.  I’m such a super sleuth when it comes to finding what I want on the web so I was able to see a mini bus that passes nearby the start area of the trek.  The thing about the Lion Rock trail is there are so many ways to reach it.  You can take it coming from section 4 of the Mclehose Trail. You can take Shatin Pass or via the Lion Rock Park coming from Chuk Yuen Road.  You can read alternative direction via the strippedpixel blog.  Now, I know the various ways of getting there, it was a go for me to visit Lion Rock.

The Map and Elevation

Map Powered by Suunto Ambit 3 Sports and Movescount

Elevation Profile is Powered by Suunto Ambit 3 Sports and Movescount

I decided to take the Shatin Pass Route, which is accessible by Bus Number 72 or 73 from Kowloon Tong MRT Station.

From the Tsz Wen Shan Road, go to Shatin Pass and head to the road going up.  You’ll pass about about 1.3 km worth of concrete road with about 100 meter of elevation and once you see the temple arch, your just a few meters from the start of the Lion Rock Trail. There’s a steep climb in the next 600 meters with about 120 meters worth of elevation.  The route goes on a flat to rolling terrain for the next kilometer before another 500 meter climb to the Lion Rock with about 130 meters of elevation.  The trail heads to a steep descent from there on exiting to Lion Rock Park.

Descend the Lion Rock Park to Chuk Yuen Road and you can get bus 72 or 73 at the other side of road to Kowloon Tong MRT Station.

Trekking Lion Rock

The Climb on the concrete roads leads to the Temple

Lion Rock is located on Section 5 of the McLehose trail and is located in between Kowloon and Shatin area of the New Territories.   There are several ways to trek the Lion Rock and I opted to use the Shatin pass route for this one. I had plotted each step already from taking the MRT in Tung Chung and reaching Kowloon Tong MRT after two train line transfers.  The bus area is in front of Festival Walk, which is accessible from Kowloon Tong MRT Station.  I took Green Mini Bus 73 and I asked the driver to drop me at Tsz Wen Shan Road, Outside Wo Tin House, Shatin Pass Estate and he didn’t understand English. Plan B, I set my google maps to Wo Tin House. I noticed that the driver was not stopping at all the stop so when he stopped at the foot of Shatin Pass Road, I alighted the bus. I just went on to do the extra kilometer, which also happens to be the start of the climb.  It would be a nice warm up.  Honestly, I was more afraid of not finding the trail start area than climbing the trail.

Once you see this arch you’re about a few meters away from the Lion Rock Trail

After the intersection between Tsz Wen Shan Road and Shatin Pass Road, there’s a Fat Jong Temple which had steps to climb. That also leads you to the middle of the Lion Rock Trail. I followed the Shatin Pass Road instead and it was an uphill climb on concrete roads for about 1.3 kilometers.  There’s a temple you would see on this route.  Once you see the arch, you’re about a few kilometer to the Lion Rock trail. I asked a local if I am on the right path and he didn’t speak English. He was creative though as he imitated a Standing Lion Pose and said Rawwr. I said yes and he pointed me to the trail marker.  That’s how to beat the language barrier.

The Lion Rock Trail

I then met some hikers who just came to the section 4 of the McLehose trail and went at their pace.  One of them was a bit winded coming from the previous trail so I had to go ahead.  The trails had stone steps for the next 600 meters and it was the usual feeling of the lungs going on overdrive again.

Stone Steps

The climb felt tough because of the drastic ascent but I was just putting in the effort and taking a few breaks in between. Good thing it was not as hot as the other day as I started trekking around 2 pm.  The trail had a lot of scenic view decks along the way so that’s a perfect way to rest the lungs and at the same time please the eyes.

The best place to rest with a view of the city.

It was one effort after another. It was a bit more technical at this part as the steps were varying in size and were uneven.  You had to exert more effort on the climb coupled with the steep ascent. After forever worth of climbs (about 2 kilometers starting from the paved part), I’ve finally reached the flat surface.  The trail become more manageable with the uphill climb shifting to mud tracks coupled with few stone steps in some areas.

Flats!!!

When you’ve been climbing so long, it such a delight seeing flat grounds. After about 2 kilometers climb, the road shifts to mud tracks and it’s mostly flat.  It was a walk in the park at this point.  There were a few ascent and several descent but it was minimal.  I met some hikers on the way from the other side of the Shatin Pass doing their mileage too.

It was also time to move faster.

I started moving faster to cover more grounds with a flatter terrain.  The route was properly marked and there were alternative routes but I just went on to follow the Shatin Pass markers. The easy part lasted about one kilometer before the last 500 meter mark heading to Lion Back.

Last 500 meters, Yehey!!!

Last 500 meters to Lion Rock Peak. Whenever you see peak used in a group of words, don’t expect it to be easy and it was not.  I did expect this part to be hard as I read in most of the blogs that it was the difficult part and it didn’t disappoint.  It felt like stairs unlimited.

Stairs Unlimited

I shifted my effort to a 30 seconds climb accompanied by a 30 seconds rest though I would sometimes extend the climb to a minute.  It was another lung buster but I focused on counting down the meters heading to the peak. I knew I would eventually reached the summit so trek, rest, trek, rest and after another round of forever, I was at the Lion Rock Viewing Deck.

Lion Rock Viewing Deck

There was a group ahead of me at the top and with that, I had someone to take my photos.  If there was one reason I wanted to be here is to see the vantage point of nature overlooking the city.  It was not the highest of peaks but it had a really nice view of the Kowloon and New Territories area. Since pictures speak a thousand words, here you go.

It was a bit foggy but the view was still worth it.

That’s how I come to love Hong Kong.  It’s among the world’s most modern cities but it has taken good care of their forested areas that they can give you great views like this.  It has kept its heritage and nature in place even as it progressed.  Even with the foggy backdrop, the view was worth the effort of searching the route to be at this point.

Trails and the City

The other group at the view deck went down. I saw a marker that says Lion rock 250 meter which meant that the view deck was not yet the Lion Rock. Initially, I went down too.  I went back up just to make sure I won’t miss the Lion Rock.  I did go on the route even if it was more technical.  I saw a group of trekkers awaiting sunset near the lion rock. I would have done that too except that I didn’t bring any headlamp.  The area had an equally nice overlooking view of the city and you’d get to see the Lion Rock from here.

And that’s the Lion Rock

I honestly didn’t know if I was still in the right track since the other group went in the other direction. One group was at the peak area but might take time if I wait for them. I then went on the trail, which was more technical than the other parts of the trail as it has big uneven stone steps heading downward.  I sure wish I’ve brought my trekking pole.

Stone Steps heading down.

It’s anything goes on the road going down.  It also rained a bit too.  I’m confident though as the Newton Boco Sol had great traction on most surfaces. After a while, I was able to reach the unification pavilion.  I discovered that the route from Shatin Pass also goes to meet here.  You’ll have a lot of option from here on.  You can continue on the McLehose trail by taking Beacon Hill trail.  You can go back to Shatin Pass Road by taking Shatin Pass trail.  I opted to go to the road going down.  After a while, the road becomes easier to navigate as it shifts to paved road. The paved roads leads to the entrance of Lion Rock Park.  Take the road heading down from Lion Rock Park and you’ll reach Chuk Yuen Road.  Cross the street and take Green Mini Bus 72 or 73 to Kowloon Tong MRT.  It was then time to head home.  It was really an adventure visiting the Lion Rock.

Outfit Of The Trail

Blue and Green

  • Top: Berghaus with #TaleOfTheTrail Design by Breakout Design
  • Bottom, Socks, Visor and Sling Bag: Under Armour
  • Shoes: Newton BOCO Sol
  • GPS Watch: Suunto Ambit 3 Sports
  • Eyeweay: Salice
  • Camera: GoPro Hero 3+
Categories: My Travels | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , | 52 Comments

#TaleOfTheTrail Lantau Peak (Lantau Island, Hong Kong)

Posted on 28. August 2015 by Franc

Lantau Peak

Lantau Peak is the second highest peak in Hong Kong at 934 meters.  It’s Section 3 of the Lantau Trail, which has a total distance of 70 kilometers.  This section leads you to the Lantau Peak and then eventually to Ngong Ping, where the largest outdoor sitting Buddha is located in Lantau Island.  It’s a lung-buster with a total ascent of about 600 meters just in the first 2.5 kilometers but the trek is worth the view of Lantau Island, the neighboring Sunset Peak and the Ngong Ping.

Read About:

 

Lantau Peak

Heading Towards Lantau Peak

I’m probably in  Hong Kong about once or twice a year and that also means that I’ve been to about every attraction they have to offer.  I reverted to their trails, which are friendly to trekkers since it’s properly marked and you can easily search for the directions going to the start area.  Anybody can easily trek their trails as long as they have enough lung power to endure the climbs.  Last year, I did the Dragon Back trail, which is the last leg of the Hong Kong trail and I enjoyed that experience.  This year, I did Lantau Trail and the Lion Rock trail (will tell you about it on the next post).  Since I’m mostly staying in Tung Chung when I’m in Hong Kong, I’ve always wanted to trek that mountain in front of me.  I have to try even a piece of the Lantau Trail so I selected the highest part of the trail which is the Lantau Peak.  This would also be a good way to reach Ngong Ping Village and the World’s Largest Outdoor Sitting Buddha, which I have already visited previously via Ferry Boat and Bus and also using the Cable Car.

The Map and Elevation

Map is powered by Suunto Ambit 3 Sports and Movescount

Elevation Profile is Powered by Suunto Ambit 3 Sports and Movescount

The start of Lantau Trail is at Mui Wo Ferry Pier but if you want to go straight to section 3, which is Pak Kung Au to Ngong Ping, take bus 3M at Tung Chung Bus Terminal.  It’s a few blocks away from Citigate and it’s near the Cable Car Station.  Advise the driver that you’re going down at Pak Kung Au since most of the passengers would be heading to Mui Wo, which is a common beach attraction.  The start of the trail is on the other side of the road at Pak Kung Au.  It’s an uphill climb starting at Pak Kung Au with about 600 meters ascent for the next 2.5 kilometer to reach Lantau Peak.  The trail descends  for the next 2 kilometers with about 500 meters worth of elevation heading to Ngong Ping Village.

Trekking Lantau Peak

Starting Point of the Trail

The Lantau Trail is about 70 km from Mui Wo Pier and goes around the mountain to get back at Mui Wo Pier.  It’s divided into 12 stages, which has an entry and exit point so you can choose to cover one or two segments at a time. Stage 2 covers the Sunset Peak (869 meters) and Stage 3 has the Lantau Peak (934 meters).  I opted to go to Lantau Peak since it’s the higher peak and it leads to a Ngong Ping Village, which is a popular tourist attraction.  Section 3 starts at Pak Kung Au and you get to see the trail marker above.  The trails are properly marked and you follow a single track all throughout.

Stone Steps to start the trek.

You start to climb via stone steps and that’s a lot of stone steps as you get to go over steps like this for about 800 meters. This is the portion that’s a bit shaded so you won’t feel the heat of the sun much.  Since it’s a continuous accent, expect the lungs to go on overtime here.  It was a struggle really as the uneven steps is a bit of a challenge since you have to take bigger steps, which requires more effort and the vertical climb, literally, takes your breathe away.  I would take a breather after about 100-200 meters of trekking.

There are trail markers after every 500 meters.

There are trail markers for every 500 meters. Stage 3 of Lantau trail is from L018-L027 so that’s about 4.5 kilometers.  That’s one way of getting the distance. For me, I was more focused in monitoring the elevation so after 800 meters, I was about 500 meters above sea level.  It also means I would be climbing more than 400 more meter of steep ascent.  The climb is steep especially with the stone steps.

See those clouds, that’s where I’m headed.

From a covered trail, the trail opens up after about 800 meters. You get to see the mountain range. At your back, you can see sunset peak and on the far end, you can see Lantau Peak.  Yes, it’s still a long way.  You start getting to feel the heat at this point since it’s about noon already.  I think I was among the few crazy ones in the trail at the hottest time of the day.

There were few flats and moderate inclines on some traverse along the route.

There are a few flats and moderate inclines on the traverse from one mountain area to another.  You’ll barely notice them since they are short and at the same time leads to a higher incline.  I took it as a chance to rest but the thing is it was hard to stay on a spot for a long time as you’ll really feel the heat of the day and you’re gonna lose your momentum too.  There are no shades too so a few seconds drinking break, rest and go on again.  There are some section where you get a mountain breeze and that’s the best spot to rest.

Sunset Peak

At your back is Sunset Peak and it’s also covered with fog. Sunset Peak is about 869 meters and you’ll see it often in the route especially when you rest looking back so you’ll forget for a short while that it’s still a long trek.  The heat, humidity and the forever climb makes this a mentally challenging route.  Good thing, phone reception is good at this area, I can check my online accounts here and upload some photos too.

Near the top, not really. This is around 500 meters before the peak.

There are several traverse so at times, you’ll feel that you’re seeing the peak and once you get to that area, you see another set of climbs.  This is about 500 meters to the peak and it feels like forever.  I’m now a believer of forever (Yes, May forever).  The view is awesome as get to see the mountains from all angle at this point.

You just have to take time and appreciate the views around you.

The last 500 meters is probably the hardest as the stone steps gets bigger and the climb gets steeper.  It’s much cooler at this part though as you get to enjoy the mountain breeze and foggy surroundings.  I was doing 30 seconds of climbs and 30 seconds of rest to appreciate the views.

100 meters before the Peak.

While the peak is the highlight of the climb, you can’t help but appreciate each steps that led you there. There are views from each angle.  Each breathless moment is worth it’s while.  It was both an appreciation of the view and effort going through the last 100 meters of the climb.  It’s the journey and destination that makes the climb worth it.

934 meters above sea level.

Finally, the second highest peak in Hong Kong. I read that the highest peak is occupied by a weather station so the Lantau Peak is the highest area accessible to trekkers.  It’s not as high as other mountains I’ve climb but it was a great character building climb as it’s an almost direct assault and I was doing this alone.  It was foggy at that time so the most  you can enjoy is the view.  It’s about 2 kilometers away from Ngong Ping,

Time to head down.

The road down should be easier right? Well, not really as it was more technical going down as we have to navigate big uneven stone steps. It’s less taxing on the lungs as it requires less effort but it still takes its toll on the knees when you  go too fast.

Single Track Stone Steps on the way down.

It’s a single track stone steps heading downward and there are some area covered by trees which is an excellent place to rest.  It’s a bit safer than dirt tracks but navigating it is much slower as it takes longer to cover each step.  It felt like descending forever and that’s about 1.5 kilometers worth of continuous descent. How I wished I had my trekking pole with me.

As you get closer, you get to see the Giant Buddha from a distance.

After 1.5 kilometer of descent, it shifts to a flatter surface and less technical route.  You also get to see the Giant Buddha from a distance.  It’s time to speed up on this part and finish the trail.

You also get to see the Wisdom Path towards the end of the trail.

When you see the wisdom path, you are now approaching the end of the trail.  I’ve been to the wisdom path before coming from Ngong Ping so this already familiar territory. You get an option to exit at Ngong Ping or proceed to the Stage 4 of Lantau Trail at the food of the Wisdom Path. I opted to go to Ngong Ping as planned and head back to Tung Chung.

One of the site you see before exciting to the Ngong Ping area.

From the trails, you get to regular roads as you go to the more popular side of Ngong Ping.  I saw the site where a tree grew into a house.  Not necessary an ancient attraction like Ta Phrom in Angkor Wat but it’s such an irony seeing nature growing into a cemented area.

Giant Buddha

Finally at the site of the Giant Buddha and I can say I’ve finally reached this area by foot.  I took some refreshments and ice cream to replenish lost water in my system and went home in style via the Cable Car.  I had a choice to take the bus but I wanted to have a different look at the trail from the cable car ride.

Up in the Air.

I got to appreciate another part of the trail as I discovered just below the cable car was another trail called, the rescue trail. It’s basically a part wooden / part cemented path in the middle of nature that can take you back to Tung Chung in about 2-3 hours by foot. Well, some other time.

A view of the falls as seen on the cable car.

I also saw a falls beside the trail below the cable car. You get to pass by the falls when you take the rescue trail.  I also saw a lot of people enjoying the trail as it’s an excellent training ground with its rolling terrain.  There area is also heavily forested, which is among the things Hong Kong was able to preserve.

Cable Car Wars

After the Cable Car ride, I was back in Tung Chung to take my lunch.  That was a great Tale of The Trail.  I really appreciate the effort they did on the trails that makes it easy for trekkers to navigate.  It’s a good way to encourage people to enjoy the outdoors.

Outfit of The Trail

Teal

  • Top: Berghaus with #TaleOfTheTrail Design by Breakout Design
  • Bottom, Socks and Sling Bag: Under Armour
  • Shoes: Newton BOCO Sol
  • GPS Watch: Suunto Ambit 3 Sports
  • Visor: 2XU
  • Camera: GoPro Hero 3+
Categories: My Travels | Tags: , , , , | 54 Comments