Thursday 7/30
Time: 71:34
Distance: 10 miles
Legs still tired. Needed to get another run in before I fly out tomorrow to Cape Town, since I figure I won't be able to run tomorrow. Some shin stiffness on the right side, but hopefully the day off will take care of it. Other than the legs felt fine.
Today was my last day of official work for the summer. I haven't mentioned much about work, mainly because it's been pretty frustrating for a number of reasons. In any case, it's nice to be done with everything and to have a solid few days to site see (if not relax) before heading home.
Off to see the penguins...
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Letaba
Wednesday 7/29
Time: 67:49
Distance: 9+ miles
Tuesday 7/28
Time: 60:07
Distance: 8 miles
Monday 7/27
Time: 70:50
Distance: 10 miles
Legs definitely tired, but otherwise well-rested. Enjoying the last week of running in Durban.
Some random firsts:
-Today for the first time ever I saw a legit speedwalker training. He was cruising across an intersection in front of me at a pretty good clip.
-Also today I saw the first evidence of Scientology in South Africa. Small poster on light pole reads: "Hubbard's Dianetics! Call xxxx"
Earlier this week I shadowed a physician at KwaMashu Hospital in a township in Durban. Her name is Letaba and she works in the HIV ward at the hospital, starting people diagnosed with HIV on anti-retroviral drugs. Until several months ago she worked at another hospital nearby, Don McKenzie, providing care to patients with TB. She was transferred to KwaMashu after contracting TB at Don McKenzie, an infection she attributes to her overworked schedule at the understaffed hospital. She is currently on treatment for TB, but continues to see about thirty patients per day in the packed ARV clinic.
Time: 67:49
Distance: 9+ miles
Tuesday 7/28
Time: 60:07
Distance: 8 miles
Monday 7/27
Time: 70:50
Distance: 10 miles
Legs definitely tired, but otherwise well-rested. Enjoying the last week of running in Durban.
Some random firsts:
-Today for the first time ever I saw a legit speedwalker training. He was cruising across an intersection in front of me at a pretty good clip.
-Also today I saw the first evidence of Scientology in South Africa. Small poster on light pole reads: "Hubbard's Dianetics! Call xxxx"
Earlier this week I shadowed a physician at KwaMashu Hospital in a township in Durban. Her name is Letaba and she works in the HIV ward at the hospital, starting people diagnosed with HIV on anti-retroviral drugs. Until several months ago she worked at another hospital nearby, Don McKenzie, providing care to patients with TB. She was transferred to KwaMashu after contracting TB at Don McKenzie, an infection she attributes to her overworked schedule at the understaffed hospital. She is currently on treatment for TB, but continues to see about thirty patients per day in the packed ARV clinic.
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Weekly Totals
Total Mileage 7/20-7/26: 61 miles
This will be my last full week in Durban. At the end of this coming week I'll be heading out to Cape Town for some site seeing before flying home.
This will be my last full week in Durban. At the end of this coming week I'll be heading out to Cape Town for some site seeing before flying home.
Golden Mile
Sunday 7/26
Time: 100:19
Distance: 14+ miles
Saturday 7/25
Time: 59:07
Distance: 8 miles
2 solid days. Not feeling great again on Saturday, but better rested on Sunday. Crossed over the highway for the first time today on the longer run and explored some of the neighborhoods to the north.
Yesterday Ivy and I met up with our advisor from Brown (Abby) and her family, who just arrived in Durban and are staying for the week. We headed down to North Beach's Golden Mile, a broad walkway right along the sand decorated with restaurants, bars, a small carnival-like theme park, and a public pool. After some high quality sandwiches at the Beach Cafe, where tables and chairs are set right out on the sand, we checked out some of the sand sculptures built by informal artists along the walk. In addition to some horses, dolphins, and cars, there were some sculptures of Durban's new World Cup stadium and the 2010 World Cup symbol.
I'm looking forward to meet up with Abby and co. again tonight for a trip to Taco Zulu, Durban's "premier" (and only?) Mexican restaurant.
Time: 100:19
Distance: 14+ miles
Saturday 7/25
Time: 59:07
Distance: 8 miles
2 solid days. Not feeling great again on Saturday, but better rested on Sunday. Crossed over the highway for the first time today on the longer run and explored some of the neighborhoods to the north.
Yesterday Ivy and I met up with our advisor from Brown (Abby) and her family, who just arrived in Durban and are staying for the week. We headed down to North Beach's Golden Mile, a broad walkway right along the sand decorated with restaurants, bars, a small carnival-like theme park, and a public pool. After some high quality sandwiches at the Beach Cafe, where tables and chairs are set right out on the sand, we checked out some of the sand sculptures built by informal artists along the walk. In addition to some horses, dolphins, and cars, there were some sculptures of Durban's new World Cup stadium and the 2010 World Cup symbol.
I'm looking forward to meet up with Abby and co. again tonight for a trip to Taco Zulu, Durban's "premier" (and only?) Mexican restaurant.
Friday, July 24, 2009
Wind
Friday 7/24
Time: 71:18
Distance: 10- miles
Thursday 7/23
Time: 25:40
Distance: 3 1/2 miles
Wednesday 7/22
Time: 59:59
Distance: 8+ miles
Thursday was one of the poorer runs I've had in a long time. I was feeling pretty dead most of the day and kept awake at work on caffeine. Within the first 5 minutes of setting out in the afternoon on my run I knew I was finished. It didn't help that there was a serious headwind that made even running downhill a challenge. In place of running the full 8 miles I had intended I instead downed an enormous Cadbury chocolate bar and watched Tonya Harding try to come clean 15 years later on Oprah. Equivalent? Doubtful. Regrettable? Only slightly.
Felt much better today on a pretty chill run after getting out of work before lunch. Still windy, but warmer. There was a legit high school track meet of some sort going on at the UKZN track, complete with vuvuzelas.
Time: 71:18
Distance: 10- miles
Thursday 7/23
Time: 25:40
Distance: 3 1/2 miles
Wednesday 7/22
Time: 59:59
Distance: 8+ miles
Thursday was one of the poorer runs I've had in a long time. I was feeling pretty dead most of the day and kept awake at work on caffeine. Within the first 5 minutes of setting out in the afternoon on my run I knew I was finished. It didn't help that there was a serious headwind that made even running downhill a challenge. In place of running the full 8 miles I had intended I instead downed an enormous Cadbury chocolate bar and watched Tonya Harding try to come clean 15 years later on Oprah. Equivalent? Doubtful. Regrettable? Only slightly.
Felt much better today on a pretty chill run after getting out of work before lunch. Still windy, but warmer. There was a legit high school track meet of some sort going on at the UKZN track, complete with vuvuzelas.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Bunny chow
Tuesday 7/21
Time: 60:10
Distance: 8+ miles
Monday 7/20
Time: 59:42
Distance: 8+ miles
Haven't been feeling so good the last two days. Pretty sure it's some combo of the recent smog cover that has fallen over the city, my recent inability to sleep consistently, the hard effort on Saturday, and frustrations at work. Either way, I've been tired on my runs since Sunday. Today's run ended on a high note, and I felt significantly better running on the UKZN fields in the afternoon, watching a soccer scrimmage and some sort of informal track meet as the sun set over the hills to the northwest.
Last night Ivy, Robyn, Robyn's dad and I went out for bunny chow. Bunny chow is one of Durban's unique food offerings. Bunny chow consists of a loaf of bread (or a half loaf, or quarter) hollowed out and filled with curry (bean, vegetarian, chicken, or mutton). Simple, delicious, and cheap. It's a lot like New England clam chowder in a bread bowl. Except way way way more spicy. And less white.
Time: 60:10
Distance: 8+ miles
Monday 7/20
Time: 59:42
Distance: 8+ miles
Haven't been feeling so good the last two days. Pretty sure it's some combo of the recent smog cover that has fallen over the city, my recent inability to sleep consistently, the hard effort on Saturday, and frustrations at work. Either way, I've been tired on my runs since Sunday. Today's run ended on a high note, and I felt significantly better running on the UKZN fields in the afternoon, watching a soccer scrimmage and some sort of informal track meet as the sun set over the hills to the northwest.
Last night Ivy, Robyn, Robyn's dad and I went out for bunny chow. Bunny chow is one of Durban's unique food offerings. Bunny chow consists of a loaf of bread (or a half loaf, or quarter) hollowed out and filled with curry (bean, vegetarian, chicken, or mutton). Simple, delicious, and cheap. It's a lot like New England clam chowder in a bread bowl. Except way way way more spicy. And less white.
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Weekly Totals
Total mileage 7/13-7/19: 56 1/2 miles
Definitely feeling the effects of the longer, harder effort on Saturday, but other than that feeling solid. Run, eat, (work), sleep, repeat.
P.S. Alberto Contador is an absolute animal. Well played, Astana. This week is gonna be SICK.
Definitely feeling the effects of the longer, harder effort on Saturday, but other than that feeling solid. Run, eat, (work), sleep, repeat.
P.S. Alberto Contador is an absolute animal. Well played, Astana. This week is gonna be SICK.
Soccer fields
Sunday 7/19
Time: 60:18
Distance: 8 miles
Saturday 7/18
Time: 94:29
Distance: 14 miles
Friday 7/17
Distance: 0 miles
Took Friday off in the hope of improving both of my Achilles/calves. Planned to test out my calves and run shorter on Saturday, but got into a really good groove on the fields at UKZN and once I warmed up I was pretty pain free. The weather was perfect. Morning fog slowly burning off on the fields and keeping the air crisp but not too cold. I literally felt like I was about 13 years old and warming up for a soccer game. In any case, a welcome change from the smoky, exhaust-laden air on most days. By the end of the run on Saturday, I was cranking pretty good. It was great to have one of those days I felt like I was floating. Haven't had one in way too long.
Definitely paid for yesterday this morning, however. Calves were basically fine and nothing in particular was sore, but I just felt like all I could do was move at a crawl pace. Put in an hour, but was pretty beat by the end despite the slow pace.
Weekend highlights:
-Eating ostrich steak for the first time (delicious, if a bit chewy, and not quite as good as the gemsbok Stef ordered)
-Walking into a store at a flea market in downtown Durban and seeing 1) a chair made with the pelt (?) of a zebra face and 2) a stool made from a real elephant foot. Legal? Probably not. Disturbing and sort of bizarrely awesome? Definitely.
-Sitting through an hour of a ridiculous musical variety show production called Salsa Sizzlers, in which a depressed-looking band and 3 enthusiastic female vocalists performed renditions of songs by Christina Aguilera, Carlos Santana, and Shakira. Best quote of the night: "Drug lords are not the only thing to come out of Colombia...next, we'll hear a song by Colombian superstar Shakira!"
Time: 60:18
Distance: 8 miles
Saturday 7/18
Time: 94:29
Distance: 14 miles
Friday 7/17
Distance: 0 miles
Took Friday off in the hope of improving both of my Achilles/calves. Planned to test out my calves and run shorter on Saturday, but got into a really good groove on the fields at UKZN and once I warmed up I was pretty pain free. The weather was perfect. Morning fog slowly burning off on the fields and keeping the air crisp but not too cold. I literally felt like I was about 13 years old and warming up for a soccer game. In any case, a welcome change from the smoky, exhaust-laden air on most days. By the end of the run on Saturday, I was cranking pretty good. It was great to have one of those days I felt like I was floating. Haven't had one in way too long.
Definitely paid for yesterday this morning, however. Calves were basically fine and nothing in particular was sore, but I just felt like all I could do was move at a crawl pace. Put in an hour, but was pretty beat by the end despite the slow pace.
Weekend highlights:
-Eating ostrich steak for the first time (delicious, if a bit chewy, and not quite as good as the gemsbok Stef ordered)
-Walking into a store at a flea market in downtown Durban and seeing 1) a chair made with the pelt (?) of a zebra face and 2) a stool made from a real elephant foot. Legal? Probably not. Disturbing and sort of bizarrely awesome? Definitely.
-Sitting through an hour of a ridiculous musical variety show production called Salsa Sizzlers, in which a depressed-looking band and 3 enthusiastic female vocalists performed renditions of songs by Christina Aguilera, Carlos Santana, and Shakira. Best quote of the night: "Drug lords are not the only thing to come out of Colombia...next, we'll hear a song by Colombian superstar Shakira!"
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Afternoon Sun
Thursday 7/16
Time: 56:19
Distance: 8- miles
Wednesday 7/15
Time: 74:10
Distance: 10+ miles
Got in a good midweek effort longer run on Wednesday, but might have aggravated my right Achilles a little. Slept in this morning and went running after work. In the first 2 miles or so both of my Achilles(es?) were acting up, which was slightly less than ideal. By the end though most of the soreness was gone, although there's still a little twinge on my right side lower calf. Debating taking tomorrow off.
I don't often run in the afternoon, but today I was reminded how nice it is around 4-5 pm around here. The sun's slowly sinking but it's still relatively warm, and there are tons of people walking home from work/exercising in the quieter streets. For about 100 meters a dude walking to a bus stop from work kept me company on my run, but he didn't seem too interested in the enormous hill I was about to run down. It also didn't hurt my good mood that I got back just in time to watch the end of today's Tour de France stage (New career goal: getting on the hiring committee for the Tour's podium girls).
Time: 56:19
Distance: 8- miles
Wednesday 7/15
Time: 74:10
Distance: 10+ miles
Got in a good midweek effort longer run on Wednesday, but might have aggravated my right Achilles a little. Slept in this morning and went running after work. In the first 2 miles or so both of my Achilles(es?) were acting up, which was slightly less than ideal. By the end though most of the soreness was gone, although there's still a little twinge on my right side lower calf. Debating taking tomorrow off.
I don't often run in the afternoon, but today I was reminded how nice it is around 4-5 pm around here. The sun's slowly sinking but it's still relatively warm, and there are tons of people walking home from work/exercising in the quieter streets. For about 100 meters a dude walking to a bus stop from work kept me company on my run, but he didn't seem too interested in the enormous hill I was about to run down. It also didn't hurt my good mood that I got back just in time to watch the end of today's Tour de France stage (New career goal: getting on the hiring committee for the Tour's podium girls).
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Spring is coming
Tuesday 7/14
Time: 60:41
Distance: 8 1/2 miles
Monday 7/13
Time: 60:02
Distance: 8+ miles
Back into the groove in Durban again. Felt significantly better on Monday morning after loads and loads of sleep Sunday night.
I'm definitely starting to notice the sun is rising earlier. By the time I turned around on my run this morning the sky was starting to light up, which is a significant improvement from the past few weeks when most of my runs have been dominated by darkness. More people seem to be out running and walking now too, maybe a result of the longer days.
Side note: just figured out today that Hendrik Ramaala (winner of the 2004 NYC Marathon) is South African. For all the Ethiopians and Kenyans dominated long distance running, Ramaala is a testament to South African running. Apparently he trains on a college campus in Jo'burg and coaches himself. A recent interview with him in the NY Times: http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/07/09/an-elite-athlete-training-without-a-coach/?scp=2&sq=hendrik%20ramaala&st=cse
Time: 60:41
Distance: 8 1/2 miles
Monday 7/13
Time: 60:02
Distance: 8+ miles
Back into the groove in Durban again. Felt significantly better on Monday morning after loads and loads of sleep Sunday night.
I'm definitely starting to notice the sun is rising earlier. By the time I turned around on my run this morning the sky was starting to light up, which is a significant improvement from the past few weeks when most of my runs have been dominated by darkness. More people seem to be out running and walking now too, maybe a result of the longer days.
Side note: just figured out today that Hendrik Ramaala (winner of the 2004 NYC Marathon) is South African. For all the Ethiopians and Kenyans dominated long distance running, Ramaala is a testament to South African running. Apparently he trains on a college campus in Jo'burg and coaches himself. A recent interview with him in the NY Times: http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/07/09/an-elite-athlete-training-without-a-coach/?scp=2&sq=hendrik%20ramaala&st=cse
Weekly Totals
Total mileage 7/6-7/12: 34 miles
Took 3 days off at the end of the week and no long run, so the total dropped quite a bit. Good news is I'm feeling good and the Achilles seems pretty recovered. Ready to get back into the rhythm.
Took 3 days off at the end of the week and no long run, so the total dropped quite a bit. Good news is I'm feeling good and the Achilles seems pretty recovered. Ready to get back into the rhythm.
Sunday, July 12, 2009
A slight detour
Sunday 7/12
Distance: 0 miles
Saturday 7/11
Distance: 0 miles
Friday 7/10
Distance: 0 miles
Thursday 7/9
Time: 58:01
Distance: 8 miles
Yes, I've been slacking on the running thing recently. Fortunately nothing to do with injury and all to do with adventure. And exhaustion. But mostly the former.
On Wednesday night a little wine with dinner turned into killing a whole bottle, which put me in a pretty good mood. Somehow I managed to wake up at 5:45 the next morning and put in a solid hour's running. Definitely not sober for the first 3 miles or so, but I actually felt great by the end. That feeling unfortunately did not last and sometime around 9am I temporarily lost the ability to communicate coherently with people in the office.
On Friday I left work early with the other student interns and got a lift to the airport to rent a car. We were heading up to St. Lucia, a town about 3 hours up the road from Durban on the coast. St. Lucia is a tourist haven famous for the hippos, crocodiles, and birds that live in the enormous estuary right next to the town.
To get there involved my first experience driving on the left hand side of the road, which, it's important to note, is much less difficult than avoiding hitting people, livestock, and other cars in South Africa. Rhode Island may have the worst drivers in the U.S., but it pales in comparison to South Africa.
After a relatively smooth ride, we arrived in St. Lucia and prepped for a night drive of the St. Lucia game reserve. For 3 hours, the 4 of us from Durban and 4 friends spending the summer in nearby Mtubatuba had a sweet guided tour of the area. While we failed to see any leopards, we did see (and hold) some sweet chameleons, bush buck, zebras, and hippos. The highlight by far was chilling next to an enormous bull water buffalo grazing about 15 feet away.
Early Saturday morning, the Durban crew drove about an hour to another enormous game reserve called Imfolozi Hluhluwe. We drove by ourselves through the park until the early afternoon, fueled by candy and bacon, banana, and cheese sandwiches (edible, but not as good as the bacon and banana pizzas they love out here). Some highlights: coming up on 2 skittish rhinos a little too close to the car for comfort and hoping that they didn't decide to spear our car; watching a spotted hyena trot down the road toward our car, stop and pose, then hurry off into the bushes; pulling up within feet of several giraffes feeding with a little one in tow; and watching a white rhino jog across the road in front of us less than 30 feet away.
In the afternoon we headed back to St. Lucia and walked around the estuary, where we saw a group of hippos hanging out on the shore and a few crocs sunning on a sandbar. Exhausted, hungry, and sober, we met up with the Mtubatuba crew and some Brown-linked Capetown visitors for drinks and dinner in town before an early night.
Early this morning a few hardcore souls got up and drove to the beach to watch the sun rise over the Indian Ocean. Despite the wind, the cold, and the early wakeup, it was worth it several times over. Here's to summer in RSA.
Distance: 0 miles
Saturday 7/11
Distance: 0 miles
Friday 7/10
Distance: 0 miles
Thursday 7/9
Time: 58:01
Distance: 8 miles
Yes, I've been slacking on the running thing recently. Fortunately nothing to do with injury and all to do with adventure. And exhaustion. But mostly the former.
On Wednesday night a little wine with dinner turned into killing a whole bottle, which put me in a pretty good mood. Somehow I managed to wake up at 5:45 the next morning and put in a solid hour's running. Definitely not sober for the first 3 miles or so, but I actually felt great by the end. That feeling unfortunately did not last and sometime around 9am I temporarily lost the ability to communicate coherently with people in the office.
On Friday I left work early with the other student interns and got a lift to the airport to rent a car. We were heading up to St. Lucia, a town about 3 hours up the road from Durban on the coast. St. Lucia is a tourist haven famous for the hippos, crocodiles, and birds that live in the enormous estuary right next to the town.
To get there involved my first experience driving on the left hand side of the road, which, it's important to note, is much less difficult than avoiding hitting people, livestock, and other cars in South Africa. Rhode Island may have the worst drivers in the U.S., but it pales in comparison to South Africa.
After a relatively smooth ride, we arrived in St. Lucia and prepped for a night drive of the St. Lucia game reserve. For 3 hours, the 4 of us from Durban and 4 friends spending the summer in nearby Mtubatuba had a sweet guided tour of the area. While we failed to see any leopards, we did see (and hold) some sweet chameleons, bush buck, zebras, and hippos. The highlight by far was chilling next to an enormous bull water buffalo grazing about 15 feet away.
Early Saturday morning, the Durban crew drove about an hour to another enormous game reserve called Imfolozi Hluhluwe. We drove by ourselves through the park until the early afternoon, fueled by candy and bacon, banana, and cheese sandwiches (edible, but not as good as the bacon and banana pizzas they love out here). Some highlights: coming up on 2 skittish rhinos a little too close to the car for comfort and hoping that they didn't decide to spear our car; watching a spotted hyena trot down the road toward our car, stop and pose, then hurry off into the bushes; pulling up within feet of several giraffes feeding with a little one in tow; and watching a white rhino jog across the road in front of us less than 30 feet away.
In the afternoon we headed back to St. Lucia and walked around the estuary, where we saw a group of hippos hanging out on the shore and a few crocs sunning on a sandbar. Exhausted, hungry, and sober, we met up with the Mtubatuba crew and some Brown-linked Capetown visitors for drinks and dinner in town before an early night.
Early this morning a few hardcore souls got up and drove to the beach to watch the sun rise over the Indian Ocean. Despite the wind, the cold, and the early wakeup, it was worth it several times over. Here's to summer in RSA.
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Comrades
Wednesday 7/8
Distance: 9 miles
Time: 64:02
Tuesday 7/7
Distance: 9 miles
Time: 64:09
Monday 7/6
Distance: 8 miles
Time: 58:50
Solid start to the week. Right Achilles noticeably sore on Monday and Tuesday, but quite a bit better on Wednesday.
On Monday and Tuesday nights, I dog sat for a coworker. She has two enormous dogs, one mixed German Shepherd/something else very large, the other a Rhodesian Ridgeback. Ridgebacks were bred in southern Africa and apparently back in the day they used them to hunt lions. I wanted to take the ridgeback on a run with me one of the mornings, but she was not particularly pleased at being woken up before sunrise and wasn't having it. I guess I'm on my own for lion hunting for the time being.
I had a humbling running-related experience this weekend when I was over at my coworker Melanie's home for a pre-Fourth of July BBQ. We were talking about how I've been trying to run around here and where I go. Mel's husband started talking about how their neighbor has run something like 25 Comrades Marathons. The Comrades Marathon is a 55+ mile race held every year in South Africa that runs between Durban and Pietermaritzburg, one way. Every year, the direction it is run switches. The race is notoriously hilly and difficult, and people from all over the world come here to run it. I'd love to complete this race just once. To have run 25 of these races is legit. Way beyond legit. I was told that this same neighbor gets up at 4:30 every morning and will come back around 8:30 or 9am. 4-4 1/2 hours of running. Every day. No shit. Here's to the die hard. The truly die hard.
Distance: 9 miles
Time: 64:02
Tuesday 7/7
Distance: 9 miles
Time: 64:09
Monday 7/6
Distance: 8 miles
Time: 58:50
Solid start to the week. Right Achilles noticeably sore on Monday and Tuesday, but quite a bit better on Wednesday.
On Monday and Tuesday nights, I dog sat for a coworker. She has two enormous dogs, one mixed German Shepherd/something else very large, the other a Rhodesian Ridgeback. Ridgebacks were bred in southern Africa and apparently back in the day they used them to hunt lions. I wanted to take the ridgeback on a run with me one of the mornings, but she was not particularly pleased at being woken up before sunrise and wasn't having it. I guess I'm on my own for lion hunting for the time being.
I had a humbling running-related experience this weekend when I was over at my coworker Melanie's home for a pre-Fourth of July BBQ. We were talking about how I've been trying to run around here and where I go. Mel's husband started talking about how their neighbor has run something like 25 Comrades Marathons. The Comrades Marathon is a 55+ mile race held every year in South Africa that runs between Durban and Pietermaritzburg, one way. Every year, the direction it is run switches. The race is notoriously hilly and difficult, and people from all over the world come here to run it. I'd love to complete this race just once. To have run 25 of these races is legit. Way beyond legit. I was told that this same neighbor gets up at 4:30 every morning and will come back around 8:30 or 9am. 4-4 1/2 hours of running. Every day. No shit. Here's to the die hard. The truly die hard.
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Weekly Totals
Total Mileage 6/29-7/5: 52.5 miles
Pretty dead at the end of the week, especially after Saturday. Feeling good physically other than a little soreness in left Achilles. Good week: 1st week over 50 miles in over a year, and 1st run over 12 miles in at least 6 months. Feeling like somewhat of a real runner again.
Pretty dead at the end of the week, especially after Saturday. Feeling good physically other than a little soreness in left Achilles. Good week: 1st week over 50 miles in over a year, and 1st run over 12 miles in at least 6 months. Feeling like somewhat of a real runner again.
Saturday, July 4, 2009
uShaka
Sunday 7/5
Distance: 6.5 miles
Time: 46:56
Saturday Fourth of July
Distance: 13- miles
Time: 91:53
Friday 7/3
Distance: 9 miles
Time: 63:03
Pretty solid run on Friday morning, not much to report.
Friday evening Ivy, Jasmine and I were planning on hitting up this bizarre ex-pat 4th of July celebration (appropriately, on the 3rd of July) at the University of Kwazulu-Natal right around here. Upon arrival at the (apparently) absurdly late hour of 5pm, all that was left of the celebration was about 15 people sitting around in lawn chairs with coolers, an empty stage being dismantled, and a guy using a blower to clean up the red, white, and blue confetti scattered in front of the stage. When asked about the fireworks that had been promised, one of the cleanup guys informed us that they couldn't get a permit so they had canceled them. Here's to the Durban ex-pat crowd.
Fortunately, we ended up having a solid all-American BBQ complete with burgers and hot dogs at our American co-worker's house.
Saturday morning I decided to change things up a bit and actually complete the run to the coast I've been told not to do by several over-protective Durban-ites (Durban-ans? Durbanians?). Headed down toward the water without any mishaps, hoping to find a continuous strand of road along the beach I could run on. After a few wrong turns and some good luck I miraculously stumbled upon uShaka Marine World. uShaka is basically SeaWorld, complete with the Southern Hemisphere's largest aquarium and plenty of shops and restaurants. There's a beautiful grassy strip along the beach front (complete with helicopter pad) just beyond uShaka that I was able to enjoy for just a half mile or so before turning around. I felt pretty wrecked on the way back as the temperature picked up and I left the flat seaside area for the hills just inland.
After a few too many South African and Namibian beers last night, in addition to the long run yesterday, I wasn't feeling too fresh this morning. Nonetheless, I got out the door and put in an easy effort. I'm pretty sure this is my first week over 50 miles since April or May of 08.
This afternoon Ivy, Jasmine and I headed down to the beach and I got some quality time in the Indian Ocean. For the middle of winter, it's pretty warm. Probably about as warm as the Pacific ever gets. Unfortunately the clouds rolled in and the wind picked up pretty soon after we got there, so we didn't spend too much time hanging out on the beach.
Either way, by the time we got home I was wrecked. Spent some quality time watching Wimbledon/Tour de France and just chilled.
Distance: 6.5 miles
Time: 46:56
Saturday Fourth of July
Distance: 13- miles
Time: 91:53
Friday 7/3
Distance: 9 miles
Time: 63:03
Pretty solid run on Friday morning, not much to report.
Friday evening Ivy, Jasmine and I were planning on hitting up this bizarre ex-pat 4th of July celebration (appropriately, on the 3rd of July) at the University of Kwazulu-Natal right around here. Upon arrival at the (apparently) absurdly late hour of 5pm, all that was left of the celebration was about 15 people sitting around in lawn chairs with coolers, an empty stage being dismantled, and a guy using a blower to clean up the red, white, and blue confetti scattered in front of the stage. When asked about the fireworks that had been promised, one of the cleanup guys informed us that they couldn't get a permit so they had canceled them. Here's to the Durban ex-pat crowd.
Fortunately, we ended up having a solid all-American BBQ complete with burgers and hot dogs at our American co-worker's house.
Saturday morning I decided to change things up a bit and actually complete the run to the coast I've been told not to do by several over-protective Durban-ites (Durban-ans? Durbanians?). Headed down toward the water without any mishaps, hoping to find a continuous strand of road along the beach I could run on. After a few wrong turns and some good luck I miraculously stumbled upon uShaka Marine World. uShaka is basically SeaWorld, complete with the Southern Hemisphere's largest aquarium and plenty of shops and restaurants. There's a beautiful grassy strip along the beach front (complete with helicopter pad) just beyond uShaka that I was able to enjoy for just a half mile or so before turning around. I felt pretty wrecked on the way back as the temperature picked up and I left the flat seaside area for the hills just inland.
After a few too many South African and Namibian beers last night, in addition to the long run yesterday, I wasn't feeling too fresh this morning. Nonetheless, I got out the door and put in an easy effort. I'm pretty sure this is my first week over 50 miles since April or May of 08.
This afternoon Ivy, Jasmine and I headed down to the beach and I got some quality time in the Indian Ocean. For the middle of winter, it's pretty warm. Probably about as warm as the Pacific ever gets. Unfortunately the clouds rolled in and the wind picked up pretty soon after we got there, so we didn't spend too much time hanging out on the beach.
Either way, by the time we got home I was wrecked. Spent some quality time watching Wimbledon/Tour de France and just chilled.
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Cold
Thursday 7/2
Distance: 8 miles
Time: 55:58
Feeling a lot better, and not really coughing anymore. Felt really solid on my first morning yog for the week. Really wish there was some sort of heat in my apartment here. The temperature doesn't really drop below 50, but with tile floors, drafty windows, and no heat, getting up while it's still dark is more than a little difficult. On the plus side, there's an awesome bakery I ran by today that smells like heaven at 6am with the ovens going full blast.
Distance: 8 miles
Time: 55:58
Feeling a lot better, and not really coughing anymore. Felt really solid on my first morning yog for the week. Really wish there was some sort of heat in my apartment here. The temperature doesn't really drop below 50, but with tile floors, drafty windows, and no heat, getting up while it's still dark is more than a little difficult. On the plus side, there's an awesome bakery I ran by today that smells like heaven at 6am with the ovens going full blast.
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Your pace is good
Wednesday 7/1
Distance: 8+ miles
Time: 59:23
Tuesday 6/30
Distance: 0 miles
Monday 6/29
Distance: 8 miles
Time: 56:59
Feeling a little under the weather at the beginning of the week. Ran in the afternoon on Monday fairly easy. On the way back, I ran into a dude running up the hill I was coming down. He had a huge grin on his face, Haile G style. He stopped me briefly before continuing on. "Were you running down Francois Road on Sunday?" "Yeah, I think so." "Your pace is good, man. Your pace is good." We had somewhat of an awkward interaction, given that his English was pretty limited and my Zulu is nonexistent. Either way, it was definitely a solid lift to a long day.
Took Tuesday off, since I wasn't feeling great and was still coughing...briefly considered trying to do a simulated repeat of senior week since that seemed to somehow temporarily kill off any germs in my body. Unfortunately staying up late and drinking to exhaustion is probably not conducive to going to work at 8 every morning. Or to running, period.
Feeling somewhat better today after plenty of sleep. Ran after work in the afternoon on the UKZN fields...definitely digging that location-plenty of flat grass, some sweet giant goose-like birds that waddle around everywhere, and some peace away from the rush hour traffic on the roads.
Work has finally started to pick up. Sat in on health care provider interviews yesterday and today...update on that stuff coming soon.
Distance: 8+ miles
Time: 59:23
Tuesday 6/30
Distance: 0 miles
Monday 6/29
Distance: 8 miles
Time: 56:59
Feeling a little under the weather at the beginning of the week. Ran in the afternoon on Monday fairly easy. On the way back, I ran into a dude running up the hill I was coming down. He had a huge grin on his face, Haile G style. He stopped me briefly before continuing on. "Were you running down Francois Road on Sunday?" "Yeah, I think so." "Your pace is good, man. Your pace is good." We had somewhat of an awkward interaction, given that his English was pretty limited and my Zulu is nonexistent. Either way, it was definitely a solid lift to a long day.
Took Tuesday off, since I wasn't feeling great and was still coughing...briefly considered trying to do a simulated repeat of senior week since that seemed to somehow temporarily kill off any germs in my body. Unfortunately staying up late and drinking to exhaustion is probably not conducive to going to work at 8 every morning. Or to running, period.
Feeling somewhat better today after plenty of sleep. Ran after work in the afternoon on the UKZN fields...definitely digging that location-plenty of flat grass, some sweet giant goose-like birds that waddle around everywhere, and some peace away from the rush hour traffic on the roads.
Work has finally started to pick up. Sat in on health care provider interviews yesterday and today...update on that stuff coming soon.
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