Finally, I didn’t look like an idiot running up and down 5th street! Found a great running and biking path along the hudson, and coupled with the steady rain it almost felt like home (minus the unfriendly responses to my smiles and nods)!
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Big apple, little running
Nyc for the week means little running and lots of dodging + window shopping. Back to the usual programming next week 🙂
No se puede dejar de correr
That’s how you say ‘can’t stop running’ in Spanish … I think (thank you Google Translate!). Alas my last post was during my journey to Europe, and now I write to you from Sao Paulo Brazil (perhaps the title should have been in Portuguese …?) Well I opted for Spanish as I spent a few days in Buenos Aires, Argentina prior to my stint in Sao Paulo. Allow me to promise to myself and to you that I shall write more often and not reserve my literary inspirations for an international rendezvous.
The best part of traveling is seeing the country, duh. But what is the best way to see the country? I asked my colleague on Friday, and he recommended the subway system, taxis, buses, guided tours, etc. It astonishes me that people fail to recognize the simple pleasure of our feet! I still maintain, what better way to see a city than by walking through it? Truly being one with the surroundings is quite honestly the best way to immerse yourself in the sights, sounds, and smells of that area. Granted, sometimes the sights, sounds, and smells may not be so pleasant (hello exhaust and homeless urine), but whizzing through the city on taxi will prevent you from noticing that strange flower, that cute boutique, or that hidden outdoor market.
And what about my running? Well I ran almost every day in Buenos Aires. I stayed at the Hilton in Puerto Madero which allows for ample running opportunity along the canal. The weather was absolutely perfect in Buenos Aires, about 75 degrees and sunshine, creating the ideal environment for a nice easy 4-6 miles before dinner every day.
Sao Paulo has been a slightly different story. Sao Paulo epitomizes the word “city” … there are skyscrapers as far as the eye can see. Those who know me know that I am a woman of the suburbs through and through. So dropping me in the middle of Sao Paulo is less than ideal, I prefer greenery and long country-side lanes for my runs. The added benefit of smog has prevented me from running outside, I’d rather not expose my heavy breathing to those lovely fumes and let’s be honest, I can’t see myself sporting one of those white masks. Hence I’ve reserved my running for the hotel gym, and while this may sound dismal to my usual running locations of canals in Buenos Aires, hillside paths in Tanzania, dessert oases in Phoenix, and wooded paths in Portland … it isn’t quite so. The gym in my hotel is a penthouse enclosed in glass. An evening run in this safe haven means a spectacular view of the sun setting over one of the biggest cities in the world. The orange and pink glint of the glass skyscrapers coupled with the shadowy grey clouds is a sight to see. I was so mesmerized by this view that I decided to extend my run to catch a view of the twinkling night lights, and I was rewarded.
So my friends, it’s not so morose to run in the gym, it just depends on where the gym is located, and more importantly, what it looks out into.
Running abroad
Last night I accidentally ran 13.1 miles. I don’t know how I get myself into these things, but I found a vague promise at an after work run turning into a full fledge half marathon along the cobbled streets of Wroclaw, Poland. There are many advantageous and disadvantageous to running abroad, let me list out a few to advise those weary travelers/runners
Being a positive person and eternal optimist, let me go with the Pros first:
- Free city tour, who wants to pay for a bus or taxi when you can just run around the city and sightsee!
- Exhaustion that promotes sleep despite jet-lag maladies
- An appetite to try new foods, no matter how “interesting” they might smell
- Bragging rights, i.e., “I’ve ran in 15 different countries!” … many people visit different countries, but how many people can say they’ve ran in them? Now I need to get on my Bart Yasso tip and actually run a marathon in a bunch of different countries!
- Show off your sexy spandex clad form to locals, especially if they are grumpy looking old Polish men
- Come back home fitter and faster than ever! And it doesn’t hurt to have that “I just traveled” rugged look which can only come about from rigorous physical activity
- If you’re in a warm/sunny place, get that golden glow!
- Assure the locals that not all Americans are fat
- Well in my case, people don’t look at me and think “American!” so assure people all over the world that contrary to popular conception, some Indians are interested in physical activity, we’re not all mathletes 😉
Now onto the morbid Cons:
- Running on cobble stones is a pain in the ass … and foot … and knee … and hip … you get it. Not to mention a mental strain when you feel like you’re a toad hopping from lily pad to lily pad avoiding the water (cracks between the widely spaced out cobble stones) in between
- Strange looks from locals, especially if you go to an area where people (or maybe women) don’t go running … i.e., some areas of India, namely my birth town, Udupi
- Possibility of death … I mean, it could happen right? You may come across a bear, or a creepy murderer, or get hit by a car … although I don’t know if this necessarily increases because you’re abroad … I guess that depends on your location, maybe if you’re jogging around Iraq you might find yourself coming across some landmines
- Getting lost — did you know that not all countries follow a rectilinear (based on straight lines) structure for their city layouts? You may think that a certain road to should eventually lead you towards a landmark, unfortunately, non-straight roads inhibit that
- Nasty water — you want to quench your thirst after a run with some delicious, cold water, right? Well too bad most water tastes disgusting … I myself have been chugging apple juice in Poland, or simply drinking water that’s so cold it numbers my taste buds
I am ridiculously sore after my half yesterday (I ran a best time, by the way, despite 2/3s of the course being on cobble stones! 1:56 baby, finally broke 2!), and limped out of bed, calves tight. I’m attempting a mid foot strike in my Nike Frees which is probably what I can attribute my speed to, but the side effects include pain and tightness in my feet and calves.
Anyways, do widzenia (I think that’s goodbye in Polish) until next time!
Work to workout
I bought my first Lululemon stuff this weekend! It’s expensive, but hey, if I can run 26.2 miles I can afford to give myself a couple running treats here and there right?
Now we all know I’m a Nike girl through and through, but I don’t see any harm in funding the competition every now and then, I mean, competition spurs innovation and improvement, right?
Recently I’ve been intrigued with the idea of making workout clothes wearable in a regular work setting. So here’s my attempt at that, check it out and let me know what you think 🙂
cantstoprunningdotcom 
