Run Day 1
February 2018
“Are you going to continue your practice over there as well?”, was a question I got A LOT when I told people about my upcoming five-week trip to Laos and Vietnam to, you know, eat food, walk on flip-flops, ride a bike, drink beer, wear summer dresses, eat more food, drink more beer, and get congratulated with my pregnancy by Asian people at least once.
Oh, and to smoke.
I took the half pack of Kent’s that had been laying around the house since the last time I quit, stuck it in my bag and allowed myself a couple of cigarettes during the holidays. A couple of smokes became a couple of packages until suddenly, one week before the end of our trip, I had had enough and quit again.
Was I going to practice while in Laos? Hell, no.
One: I would be happy if I could just walkthe streets of Laos. I was expecting chaotic traffic, crumbling concrete and random potholes with those rusted rebar lines exposed for you to imagine all the ways to lose a leg. Two: I pack as little as possible and shoes taking up the space of at least two books (I’m talking space here, not weight) was not going to happen. Three: Why would anyone want to go running in 35 degrees Celsius (95 Fahrenheit)? Four: Why? Five: Why?
The condition of the Lao city streets turned out to be not bad at all, and the traffic was not nearly as dramatic as expected. The weather was actually perfect for running – it wasn’t very hot and we had quite a bit of rain. Packing issues aside, I could’ve easily gone for a run during my holidays!
Except I didn’t, and I did not mind one single bit.
In the end, running relaxes me – as do a couple of Beer Lao’s on the riverfront.
So, for six whole weeks in total, I did not run. When we got back, I was actually looking forward to it, though dreading the results of the not-training and smoking a bit. I took off at the earliest possible moment for “an easy round”. I returned eight kilometres later. Eight, moddafokka’s. Without even so much as googling “Oxygen mask + home use + shipping” afterwards.
I guess I can finally say I am the proud owner of a very fine basic condition. Together with that hypothetical unborn baby of mine, the three of us are doing great.