(Background info: I talked with some PSU buddies about hoping to meet up while they're on this side of the pond. They suggested that we meet in Athens for the marathon (participating in the 5 and 10k options :). Feeling inspired, I printed out a training schedule from runnersworld.com and (sort of) trained. It was pretty exciting stuff to see progress in how far I could run...and that I even began to enjoy both running and the structure of following a schedule.)
Anyhoo, I stubbed, dislocated, +/or broke my pinky toe about a month ago. Drat. That kind of shut me down for a couple of weeks (i have a pic of it - lots of pretty colors)...but i still hoped that I'd be able to run with my buddies. Last week, it felt okay enough to run more consistently again, so I started back up - surprised that i could still run the same distance. Yay.
Anyhoo, actually coming down here was quite the experience. Info from a website: Skopje to Athens by train would be about 8 hours. Taking the 4.00 train would get me to Athens around midnight - and my hostel was a block away. Perfect. Right. I waited with 2 patient and faboo collegues at the Skopje train station for 2 + hours. The train left after 6p, we didn't arrive to the changing station until 12m, the next train wasn't until 1.50a, and I didn't arrive in Athens until 7am...with maybe 2 hours of uncomfortable sleep.
Although I wouldn't choose to do it all over again, it wasn't a bad experience. The train station waits were altogether pleasant, and the company on the train was pretty cool. Quick introductions: I sat across from the only other woman in the traincar - an English-speaking Greek woman with grown children. She was very protective and matronly...and had some neat stories and advice about Greece and life in general. We also talked about faith stuff for a good hour or so. Neat. Then I met (with Mother of Greece's approval) a Spanish wandering dude who was also on his way to Athens. Wow - he's lived all over the place for years at a time and speaks 6 very distinct languages. He was also safe and knew a lot about Roma populations and, well, everything.
Anyhoo, I arrived to the hostel a little after 7am. My buddies left a note for me at the front desk: "We have your stuff...and we're leaving at 7.30." Whew...just made it. I changed and jetted out the door with them. It was pretty surreal - wandering through Athens with PSU peeps after not sleeping (and having a head cold) and all. And the whole running thing was pretty surreal, too - not nearly as intense and competitive as I thought the atmosphere would be. The only bummer of it was that I got a pretty bad side cramp around the halfway point that lasted a couple of kms (did i start too fast? did i not drink enough? why did i get that stupid cramp?), but i was still able to jog. And I finished, which was my goal (in 56 min. and 26 sec). The atmosphere, though, was pretty fun: runners applauding one another, chit-chatting along the course, and from all different ability levels and nationalities. Yep - it was totally worth it :)
The rest of the day was a hoot - especially through the lenses of being half delirious with tiredness and huge excitement over my company. We took a ferry to an island, rented 4-wheelers and drove around the coast and near old churches, took a dip in the sea, ate Greek food, nearly missed the ferry going back to the mainland (no joke - we ran as fast as we could to make it), changed clothes, wandered around old town near the Acropolis (very pretty area), and ate a late snack at a restaurant with live music and dancing older Greek gents. It was fan-honkin'-tastic...as was sleep at the end.
Anyhoo, I stubbed, dislocated, +/or broke my pinky toe about a month ago. Drat. That kind of shut me down for a couple of weeks (i have a pic of it - lots of pretty colors)...but i still hoped that I'd be able to run with my buddies. Last week, it felt okay enough to run more consistently again, so I started back up - surprised that i could still run the same distance. Yay.Anyhoo, actually coming down here was quite the experience. Info from a website: Skopje to Athens by train would be about 8 hours. Taking the 4.00 train would get me to Athens around midnight - and my hostel was a block away. Perfect. Right. I waited with 2 patient and faboo collegues at the Skopje train station for 2 + hours. The train left after 6p, we didn't arrive to the changing station until 12m, the next train wasn't until 1.50a, and I didn't arrive in Athens until 7am...with maybe 2 hours of uncomfortable sleep.
Although I wouldn't choose to do it all over again, it wasn't a bad experience. The train station waits were altogether pleasant, and the company on the train was pretty cool. Quick introductions: I sat across from the only other woman in the traincar - an English-speaking Greek woman with grown children. She was very protective and matronly...and had some neat stories and advice about Greece and life in general. We also talked about faith stuff for a good hour or so. Neat. Then I met (with Mother of Greece's approval) a Spanish wandering dude who was also on his way to Athens. Wow - he's lived all over the place for years at a time and speaks 6 very distinct languages. He was also safe and knew a lot about Roma populations and, well, everything.
Anyhoo, I arrived to the hostel a little after 7am. My buddies left a note for me at the front desk: "We have your stuff...and we're leaving at 7.30." Whew...just made it. I changed and jetted out the door with them. It was pretty surreal - wandering through Athens with PSU peeps after not sleeping (and having a head cold) and all. And the whole running thing was pretty surreal, too - not nearly as intense and competitive as I thought the atmosphere would be. The only bummer of it was that I got a pretty bad side cramp around the halfway point that lasted a couple of kms (did i start too fast? did i not drink enough? why did i get that stupid cramp?), but i was still able to jog. And I finished, which was my goal (in 56 min. and 26 sec). The atmosphere, though, was pretty fun: runners applauding one another, chit-chatting along the course, and from all different ability levels and nationalities. Yep - it was totally worth it :)
The rest of the day was a hoot - especially through the lenses of being half delirious with tiredness and huge excitement over my company. We took a ferry to an island, rented 4-wheelers and drove around the coast and near old churches, took a dip in the sea, ate Greek food, nearly missed the ferry going back to the mainland (no joke - we ran as fast as we could to make it), changed clothes, wandered around old town near the Acropolis (very pretty area), and ate a late snack at a restaurant with live music and dancing older Greek gents. It was fan-honkin'-tastic...as was sleep at the end.
1 comment:
That is way toooo cool! I hope you're having just as much fun in Germany. Look forward to hearing stories while we bunk down in Struga! Di
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