Smokin'' Romy

Dr. Romy Letigio of the Cebu Executive Runners Club came out smokin'' the other day at the Cebu City Sports Center track oval.

No, Romy wasn''t in the boxing ring nor smoking cigarettes, in fact it was because of smoking that Romy was kind of mad. If you don''t know, Romy and I are the unofficial guardians of the track oval for quite sometime now. We''ve gotten into a lot of arguments, sometimes trouble because we are trying to implement the oval rules.

The latest happening was during the fitness test of the Philippine National Police last week. Romy noticed several individuals puffing cigarettes behind the "NO SMOKING" sign and this is supposed to be a fitness test. No wonder a lot of them in the past, collapsed after running only one lap. Romy who just arrived from Hong Kong was all praise for the Hong Kong Police.

"Walay tiyan" and very fit. Senator Ping Lacson implemented the 34-inch waist line program when he was the police top gun a few years bck but I don''t know if it is still on going.

Back to the oval, which I believe is the most "abused" in the counry, Romy accosted the smokers and risked being answered with a .45 cal. bullet, but we''ve been doing this for a long time.

On one occasion, I got into an argument with a foreigner who was running at the tract while pushing a stroller with his child on it. I have stop him and point to the signs.

Security guards are hesistant to remind oval users especially if some of them who looked influential, violate the oval rules like jogging or walking on the designated lanes. Complex manager Ricky Ballesteros doesn''t pay us a cent but we will continue monitoring the violators especially the smokers.

We would like to call the attention of Cebu police Chief Patrocino Comendador to implement discipline among the participants of the fitness test. You are the law makers, not the law breakers.

Let''s give some respect to the police force. The oval has also become dangerous for runners especially if one wears spiked shoes. Although it is 13 years old we cannot replace it tomorrow. The Iloilo track oval which is two years older than Cebu is still in better shape but it doesn''t generate traffic. Panaad track oval in Bacolod is even better, because of its inaccessibility.

Moutain Trail Run

The fourth edition of the Cebu Mountain Trail run fires off on May 27 in Barangay Kalunasan. The date also coincides with the Barangay fiesta thus adding more spice to the activities. Registration starts Wednesday at the PSC office in the Cebu City Sports Center and at Casa Ilongga Robinsons Place. No truth to the rumors that inmates at nearby Kalunasan jail are participating "tingali maglisod ta ug gukod".