It started at 4:30 am. 2 alarms pushed down and determined to go along with the techno beat that would happily accompany me an hour and a half later, I wrestled with my sheets and climbed out of bed and zombie walked around my room trying to find the running clothes I had set out the previous evening.
I stuffed an over ripe banana down and threw some fun size snickers bars and my ipod (essentials) into my pack. It was time for my 5th half marathon...
Andres came to pick me up and stated we would drive instead of take the bus, which would leave us lurking around the race site for an extra 40 minutes. As we passed the club goers and aroma of rum accompanied by reggaeton beats, I had to admit I was slightly envious of those going home to most likely have drunken playful morning sex, meanwhile, I would be cruising through the barrio running a half marathon. Then, I thought practically and at the end of it, jealous still, I realized inevitably, I would feel better after it all.
Bananas and snickers bars down, I had a nervous bathroom stop and realized that my stomach was virtually empty then. I should make it through on two days of carb loading, I thought and hoped. Fingers crossed.
As the race started, I strategically placed myself about halfway back behind the other runners and bounced anxiously around, put in my ear plugs and waited for it to begin.
As we set off, something quite spectacular happened, we plummeted into a underpass tunnel and the running crowd erupted and then another, and cheers were rampant echoing across the cave like walls at 6 am.. What an energizing way to start the race. As we continued up a small hill, I saw the back drop of the 80s architecture that once upon a time back in the day trumped the entire world in modernity. It looked rather gray and dreary perched against a peachy, flesh toned sky with cracks of yellow light trying to poke through the heavy cloud wall.
The temperature couldn't have been more than 70 degrees and we were off. As we cruised past the closing clubs and people rising to the morning light, half naked bodies hung out their windows cheering and night shift workers looked at us wearing ragged expressions of confusion and tiredness.
We passed corners, malls, through parts of barrios that I had never done on foot and all in all, as we ran through these parts of town, where many of these upper class runners would not dare set foot in normal circumstances, we were invincible and furthermore, we were respected for our courage, dedication and perseverance to get out there and do something for our bodies and ourselves.
And having a set of folks at 16 that smiled and encouraged "Vamos, Heather. Que bueno" and a stranger who let me steal his banana while in the midst of nearly passing out. Followed by Mariel's mother whose smile and "Go heather" brought me in at 20 km, it was a lovely race. And clocking in at 1:50 with the near fainting episode was good enough for me.
So when all else fails for enlightenment, take a run through one of the world's most dangerous neighborhoods, enjoy the cool breeze and gulp down the energy drinks as they come in and run away the deaths, crime, rapes and poverty that soak the city and imagine a world of hope, dreams and possibility.
I stuffed an over ripe banana down and threw some fun size snickers bars and my ipod (essentials) into my pack. It was time for my 5th half marathon...
Andres came to pick me up and stated we would drive instead of take the bus, which would leave us lurking around the race site for an extra 40 minutes. As we passed the club goers and aroma of rum accompanied by reggaeton beats, I had to admit I was slightly envious of those going home to most likely have drunken playful morning sex, meanwhile, I would be cruising through the barrio running a half marathon. Then, I thought practically and at the end of it, jealous still, I realized inevitably, I would feel better after it all.
Bananas and snickers bars down, I had a nervous bathroom stop and realized that my stomach was virtually empty then. I should make it through on two days of carb loading, I thought and hoped. Fingers crossed.
As the race started, I strategically placed myself about halfway back behind the other runners and bounced anxiously around, put in my ear plugs and waited for it to begin.
As we set off, something quite spectacular happened, we plummeted into a underpass tunnel and the running crowd erupted and then another, and cheers were rampant echoing across the cave like walls at 6 am.. What an energizing way to start the race. As we continued up a small hill, I saw the back drop of the 80s architecture that once upon a time back in the day trumped the entire world in modernity. It looked rather gray and dreary perched against a peachy, flesh toned sky with cracks of yellow light trying to poke through the heavy cloud wall.
The temperature couldn't have been more than 70 degrees and we were off. As we cruised past the closing clubs and people rising to the morning light, half naked bodies hung out their windows cheering and night shift workers looked at us wearing ragged expressions of confusion and tiredness.
We passed corners, malls, through parts of barrios that I had never done on foot and all in all, as we ran through these parts of town, where many of these upper class runners would not dare set foot in normal circumstances, we were invincible and furthermore, we were respected for our courage, dedication and perseverance to get out there and do something for our bodies and ourselves.
And having a set of folks at 16 that smiled and encouraged "Vamos, Heather. Que bueno" and a stranger who let me steal his banana while in the midst of nearly passing out. Followed by Mariel's mother whose smile and "Go heather" brought me in at 20 km, it was a lovely race. And clocking in at 1:50 with the near fainting episode was good enough for me.
So when all else fails for enlightenment, take a run through one of the world's most dangerous neighborhoods, enjoy the cool breeze and gulp down the energy drinks as they come in and run away the deaths, crime, rapes and poverty that soak the city and imagine a world of hope, dreams and possibility.
