Virtual Run No. 5 – A Horror Story

Can one DNF in a Virtual Training Run? If so then that was exactly what I did this morning.

I was in Alabang, my running ground, at exactly 4:30 am as agreed upon with my other Virtual Running buddies who were running at their own spots all around the world. I was so ready to run after missing two consecutive VR’s due to family duties and the bad weather.

Entering the village gates, I didn’t realize that the guards would be the last human beings I would see around the area until I parked my car at San Juanico Street. It would be a gross understatement to call the scene eerie, it was chilling, spine-tingling and downright frightening for an overly imaginative person like me. The entire village was asleep but I already had visions of vampires having just devoured all its inhabitants and leaving this village like a ghost town. The orange lights that illuminated the streets did nothing to appease my petrified soul. It just added to the whole spooky Halloween ambiance I found myself in. Oh, I smelled fear in the air and it was emanating from the nerves of only one petrified runner — ME!

Having driven all the way here and not wanting to disappoint my fellow running buddies, I conjured up the little courage I had left and parked my car across the dimly lit tennis courts. I remembered the carpenter that was found dead there last year, the crime left unsolved, and perhaps his soul still yearning for justice. What if he decided to pop up and ask me for help? Ack, I scrubbed that thought from my brain, yanked out my ipod, and jumped out of the car. I decided to brisk walk towards Madrigal Avenue, the main road where the guards were, while I fumbled with my entangled earphones. I desperately needed to hear music — or anything at all — just not the deafening silence on these streets! How could I possibly get my ipod to work when my hands were shaking in fright?! I stared at the empty road before me and knew instantly that I would not survive this run.

I ran back towards my car as fast as I could and headed back home. I spent more than half an hour driving to and from Alabang. Reaching my house at 5:05 am, I wasted no time in squeezing in a good run on my treadmill before I reported for work as Mommy. I ran 6 km for 35 min while watching Conan O’ Brien and HBO. It could’ve been better but I’m glad I still ran. Hitme said “a run is still a run even on a treadmill” and, after my treadmill run, I can still echo what Mary texted this a.m. “Ang sarap tumakbo!” (It feels great to run!)

Next week, can someone please remind me to bring a running buddy or meet up with Coach?

Reports from other Virtual Running buddies:

Posted on 08.23.07 to 5 Training. Tags: Alabang, Virtual Training Run. Subscribe to follow comments on this post. 16 comments. Add your thoughts or trackback from your own site.

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In Memory of Gabriel »

16 Responses to “Virtual Run No. 5 – A Horror Story”

“well, a run is still a run…” true, true, just not as “sarap.” but frankly i’m surprised that you actually went out there by yourself. not sure how safe that area is that early in the morning for a lone soul. coach b should be over his jet lag by next week so we’ll have to make sure he joins you. still i’m happy to see you made it out. and as far as i’m concerned, this was no dnf.

e-rod said on Aug 23 07 at 11:50 AM Reply
a run is still a run!

Ben said on Aug 23 07 at 11:57 AM Reply
hahahahahaha, sorry but couldn’t help to laugh, again. next time you run BR, pack a paltik. seriously, think that’s what discourages more people from running when they do not have access to decent running areas. definitely a running companion can help here.

roadrat said on Aug 23 07 at 11:59 AM Reply
yikes! hey, better safe than spooked. teka, ano yung DNF??

Meeya said on Aug 23 07 at 12:34 PM Reply
Yeah I would definitely bring a running partner for next time. Running dark streets doesn’t seem so safe. I’ve been to Alabang once, last year, I can picture the place in my head. In fact we were there at night. But can it be a DNF if you still ran? I mean we were still out by 5:05 your time.

Rick Gaston said on Aug 23 07 at 2:03 PM Reply
What is DNF? I actually planned to join this VR but did not get to sleep well and you know I can’t get up mush more function when sleep deprived. I was also thinking, can you make it 5:30 instead? It’s really dark at 4:30 am.

Mayi said on Aug 23 07 at 3:53 PM Reply
i’m volunteering as your running buddy for next week but I think we’ll need one brave soul to come with us coz’ my brain does overtime also when I get scared…ran around our village this morning and got spooked just like you when i opened our front door and the dark starry sky and the abandoned streets of our village came into sight…my worst imagination was that I’d get shot in the head by a paranoid neighbor mistaking me for a thief on the getaway hahaha (some hangover from watching jason bourne) …didn’t want to chicken out on my first virtual run though so had to conjure all the happy thoughts i could think of like matt damon as my running buddy hehe… then i turned on my IPOD to near deafening volume and i was off and runnin’!!!

Mary715 said on Aug 23 07 at 5:16 PM Reply
E-rod, I didn’t recall it being as scary when I was with coach B during the last virtual run. Well, that was a major lesson learned. Never again!

Ben, yeah! Although I’m sure you would’ve cringed if you had to run on a treadmill like me! haha

Roadrat, now that I’m home I can laugh with ya! A paltik (I had to google what this was hehe) along with my water bottle and car keys…hmm..I’ll think about it

Meeya, DNF means Did Not Finish.

Rick, I believe Alabang is safe but it’s just way too spooky anytime the sun is out.

Mayi, I wish we could make it 5:30 but I think Hitme regularly runs 4:30. I can’t make it home in time to take anton to school either if we run later than 4:30 :O

bullrunner said on Aug 23 07 at 5:19 PM Reply
Mary, yey! Coach will most likely agree to join us too. I’m sure the kapres, manananggals, and crazy neighbors will be afraid of us running as a group

bullrunner said on Aug 23 07 at 7:23 PM Reply
That’s great! Coach will be our Jason Bourne then…hehehe See ya!

mary715 said on Aug 23 07 at 8:57 PM Reply
that sucks! but better safe than sorry. in my corner of the world, i have to watch out for early buses and cargo trucks that are on the road in the wee hours of the morning. at least i can hear them coming, unlike ghosts.
see you on the next VR

caloyb said on Aug 23 07 at 9:09 PM Reply
honga, jaymie. anovah? why go out on your own? i mean, you’re a porselana puti and the moo moo (another specie) salivates on you. hahah!
but again and again, you proved yourself to be the bull runner!

banggigay said on Aug 24 07 at 1:03 AM Reply
You’re a great fantasizer!! But you know what – always trust your guts – you have the thoughts for a reason. Glad you turned around and went onto the treadmill!

steph said on Aug 24 07 at 2:21 AM Reply
I am just like you, my imagination can go wild! But, also there’s imagination and there’s safety. I was getting a bit worried and was so glad to read you went home and ran on the treadmill, even though I abhor treadmills!

norabarnacle said on Aug 24 07 at 3:55 PM Reply
Nice horror story I’m sure it defintely increased your pace hehhe.

TRF said on Aug 25 07 at 10:16 AM Reply
Hi, been visiting your website a few times – 1) name is catchy to me–bull runner reminds me of my former profession in the financials market; 2) I also have a young family trying to squeeze in my runs into my daily routine; 3) I am amazed how much you’re running performance has progressed over a short period. Will try to join your virtual run one of these days after I nurse my back of the knee injury. I think the Runner’s World program is taking a toll on me. I need to find my own pace again with virtual running buddies.

Tina said on Aug 28 07 at 8:29 AM Reply