The stray dogs around our village don’t always tail me on my runs. The ones on leashes are more likely to want to run alongside you. They like to play. Still, some are territorial. Run over their spot and they bark at you like they own the road.
One time, there was dead puppy by the side of the road. It was white with large black spots. A few meters ahead was a dead cat. The second time I ran past it, I heard meows from the sidewalk. It was another cat calling out to its friend, hoping for a response. That wasn’t a particularly good day for a run.
On most days, save for some dog poop and flattened-out frogs, the roads are clear for running, even with your eyes closed. I’m reminded of Emerald Avenue in Ortigas. I would run on Emerald at night or in the weekends back when I lived in Pasig with my brother. There, the obstacles were dog pee and wobbly sidewalk tiles.
Two blocks away from our house is one of my best friends Karll’s house. I used to hitch a ride with him on the way home from school. When he’s not busy with med school, he’d join in for a run. The rest of the crew would drive in for a run as well. I can’t keep up with Jj’s pace. He’s a beast. Miles and Aoife, also beasts. Happy to be a third wheel for those two.
But it’s usually just me. Neighbors walk around. Some run. Some walk their dogs. Usually around 5 PM, the guards do their rounds on their motorcycles. They stop every two blocks or so to write on their printed-out lists. Probably a lockdown protocol.
Nong Joel from the house across the street is the only smile I get on these runs. He’d be cleaning his car, while I recall the time he closed our gate behind me that one night. My friends and I were parked on the road outside our house drinking. By the end of it, we were too wasted to remember to lock the gate. “Musta, To…” he’d say as a run past him. “Nooong…” I’d reply, slightly embarrassed.
Music choice is entirely mood based. Performance, not really my priority, mostly because I am as slow as it gets. Sleepy days call for slow songs, which would mean that my Spotify playlist Electric Fan No 1 is the way to go. Electric Fan No 3 is for bouncier days. Still on some days, music wouldn’t even be an option. Thoughts set the pace for the run until eventually, the run paces the thoughts.
When timing allows, I end the run right as the sun rises or sets. There is something deeply satisfying about finishing something just as the day or night begins. You look ahead at an orange sky, and the Sun pulls you up and forward with its weight. And it’s light.