
Soleus Run for the Aspins with my favorite hydration partner Lightwater. – Photo by RJ Knight Runner for Running Photographers
Soleus Run for the Aspins was a feel good run that came with the challenging inclines of Camp Aguinaldo. It’s just the perfect run for the holiday season. It comes with the familiar comfort of friends in the community in a very secured camp environment. Of course, the stars of the show is none other than man’s best friends, the Aspins. Great job Team Soleus and Rundezvous for giving us a feel good race and a good cause to run for.
Soleus Run for the Aspins V2.0

Great to see friends for life during the race.
The event was scheduled a few month’s ago but unfortunately had to be scheduled because of a typhoon. It was a lot of should I go or not back then but I guess, December was much a better time for this run as it comes with a lighter mood and a more festive environment. Since I already did 10K the day before, I opted to shift to 10K from my old 15K bib. There are just times that I just want to have fun and enjoy the distance and this was one of them. It also helps that there would be a lot of mutual friends part of the organizing team (Soleus and Rundezvous), sponsors (Lightwater) bloggers, photographers, runners and everyday friends. The goal was to enjoy the course and still have a good work out. I was also excited to try out the Camp Aguinaldo loop the first time.
Race Route
Race starts at Parade Grounds and heads to Capinpin Avenue for the first u-turn. The race then heads to De Jesus Avenue for the first 2 kilometers and goes through the outer loop of Camp Aguinaldo for the remaining distance of the 5K loop, which also had a lot of climbs. The race goes through another loop before the finish at the parade grounds.
The Race

Race day – Photo by Rj Knight Runner of Running Photographers
It’s day 2 of my back to back races after the 10K Pacer duties at Run United Recovery Run the day before. I didn’t mind the back to back since I had practically zero mileage during the weekday due to Christmas events. I guess that’s the only form of balance I get to have during the holidays. Party on the weekdays and race on the weekends just so that I don’t have to gain all those holiday pounds. I was in the venue early to swap my bib for the 10K distance. It was nice to see familiar faces in the community.

My Ateneo Friend Mascy joined me at the 10K distance.
The 10K started at 5:35 am and at this time of year, it’s still a bit dark. I didn’t really want to speed up to start the race but I wanted to have a good running start before I shift to a more comfortable run – walk interval. I wanted to make sure the legs would be warmed up by then. The first kilometer was from the parade grounds to Capinpin Avenue and the terrain is rolling so I was able to run the 500 meters descent and then shifted to the run walk on the ascent. The race shifted to De Jesus Avenue at the second kilometer. I noticed some pain on my shin and it was right this time (most of the time, it was on the left). I shifted to a run walk set with 20 seconds of walk every time I’d feel some strain. I also shifted to the middle of the road as the pain on the right shin could also mean I am putting more weight on the right because of the uneven surface on the side of the road.

Slow and Easy – Photo by Running Photographers
I was running at a slower pace because of the walking breaks. When the race shifted at P Santos which was a downhill, I made use of the descent to speed up a bit. At the end of Gozar, 15K runners went on to the outer side of Camp Aguinaldo while 10K runners were asked to make a u-turn. The road back was then a steady climb so had to shift back to a run walk split. We made it back to Segundo Avenue on the other side of the Parade Grounds before heading back to Capinpin for the second half of the race.
Hills unlimited at Camp Aguinaldo – Photo by RJ Knight Runner of Running PhotographersThe second loop was much brighter so we had a better appreciation of the surroundings. It was nice running at Camp Aguinaldo. The terrain was rolling, which continually challenged the legs. We didn’t have to worry about traffic as we are in a secured area and there was a lot of leg room to run. I was on a run – walk set on the second loop with 20 seconds walking break every time I feel tired or something feels off. Instead of making a u-turn at Gozar, we went to the outer side of Camp Aguinaldo.

And then there was hills – Photo by Running Photographers.
The outer side of Camp Aguinaldo was a bit of a challenge as there were a lot of climbs spread out over the next 2 kilometers of the route. I went on to run on the flats and descents. I run until half the incline and walk the rest of it just for the training effect. Hills are tough but I love having them for breakfast. It rids the monotony of a flat course and works more muscle group. It was a crawlfest but it was fun. After the hilly part, I was back at Segundo Avenue for the last kilometer of the race.

Time to finish the race – Photo by Running Photographers
I went on to cruise on the remaining part. I really enjoyed this one. It was not a walk in the park but it was a great work out. I went on to finish around 1:11. After the race, I went on to watch the dog race, which was so fun to watch as you can see dogs of all sizes doing the distance. Great job Rundezvous and Soleus for a great race.

Approaching the finish line – Photo by Rikki Suarez for Fab Running PH
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