Skip to main content

Running in Riga: The Mežapark


Especially running.

As far as sports go too, it’s not like there’s a whole lot to running long distances. It’s more of just a mindless action, devoid of any athletic bells or whistles. If you really want to, you can literally put on some generally athletic, basic tennis shoes and you’ve got all the gear you need. There aren’t even any special maneuvers or skills or talents involved, or some specific motion you have to learn.

You just run.

Maybe it’s the mindless nature of the sport, or maybe it’s the weirdly good feeling that comes in tandem with the cardiovascular pain I feel right from the beginning, but running always helps me appreciate more where I live. Driving around is too impersonal. You don’t see the people, smell the smells, hear the sounds, or feel the change in neighborhoods being locked in a motorized vault(: Walking works to get the feel for sure, but I’m rather partial to running because it gets you out further and brings all these things to you faster. It’s almost like a catalyst of cultural experience, because in comparison to walking, you experience this new city and new culture at a faster and more expansive rate. Speaking from personal experience, I’ve always come to know a foreign country this way. No music or fancy gear, just a shirt, shorts and some running shoes.

And surprisingly (notice the sarcasm), this “discovery” type of running is WAY better than hitting the running grind wheel every day. Who would have thought…(:

So for any runners (or walkers too!) out there, or to anybody who is looking to maybe start running (I’d recommend it), know that there are tons of beautiful places to discover here. If Eastern Europe has mastered one thing, it’s building beautiful parks, and Riga is no exception. This past weekend I ran a 10 mile stretch, with the famous “Mežapark” in the northern district of the city as the “halfway point” Considering the park is a forest garden, and a local hub of activity for the area, I was not surprised when this “park of trees” was AMAZING. Long winding walkways, not too many people around, various areas of activity or quiet, playground equipment, and paths along the river “Kīšezers” all contributed to making this park (so far) one of my favorite in the city. Features of the park also include the Riga Zoopark, and a memorial to the victims of the Kaiserwald concentration camp formerly located here during WWII. 

For my run, it was a welcome change of scenery. Breathing fresh forest air vs. breathing city polluted fumes aside, I got to travel down more paths and experience the forest in so many more ways than just seeing it. If I wanted to do that I could have just looked it up on Google Maps(: Too, the beauty of the forest almost relieved some physical strain, and made the experience that much more enjoyable! Some might contest that running can never be “fun”, persay, but I’d argue this was at the very least more pleasant(:


And this is only one documented experience! Look out for more destination advice of other locales to be run in future blog posts(: But for other runners out there coming to study Russian, or walkers who like the outdoors, or for any of you outdoor adventurers, know that in Riga, there are paths to be walked and trails to be blazed! Places like this are where you come to experience the real Riga.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Like Dominos....

It all began with glare.  Simple, obnoxious, I-can't-stand-it-anymore glare. Our 60" rear projection TV in the family room was basically unviewable except after 10 o'clock at night.  The glare from the windows was making it impossible to see anything during my 10 minute lunch break each day, and something had to change. Too, the TV didn't fit in the entertainment center from Germany.  John, wanting bigger and better, hadn't considered that the space is only 40" wide.  For the past five years, I have been nagged by 6" of overhang on both sides of the TV stand. I went to Lowe's to price blinds.  $1,043 for five blinds, and that was at 20% off. I figured a new TV would be cheaper than that.  I was right, even with the state-of-the-art receiver and new HDMI cables that sly salesman told us we needed to have. But where to put the old TV?  It just needed a quiet, dark place to retire. Glo's bedroom.  Her TV was a relic from the paleoneoneand...

The Quest for Birkenstocks

One of the main reasons I go to Germany every couple of years is to restock my supply of Birkenstocks.  I started buying them when I lived there, and I basically can't live without them now.  It just about kills me when a pair runs its course and needs to be thrown away.  I think in my lifetime, I've thrown away only three pairs.  One that never was quite right (the straps were plastic and would cut into my skin after a long day), one pair that I wore gardening one too many times (the brown dirt stains wouldn't come out of the white leather), and the pair that I was wearing when I broke my ankle (they were an unfortunate casualty of broken ankle PTSD because those purple and blue paisleys go down as one of my favorite pairs of all time).  I only threw out the garden ones a couple of days before I left for Germany, because I knew I would be getting a new pair. The only store where I have ever bought my Birkenstocks is Hoffmann's in Speicher.  (Well okay, t...

Thinking Beyond Ourselves

In our church, most adults hold a “calling”.  What this really means is they have a job, or a specific way to serve within the local congregation.  We believe that this calling is inspired from God—it’s a specific way that he wants us to serve, so that we can either learn and grow ourselves, or so that we can help someone else. I have had more callings in the church than I can count, and with few exceptions, I have loved every one of them.  I have come to love people (adults, teens and kids) who I might never have met.  I have learned much--from how to organize a Christmas music program, to how to make a Sunday School lesson meaningful to apathetic teenagers.  I have served as president of the children’s organization, and I have been the leader of 30 young, single adults. With every calling comes a lot of work.  Of course, the amount of work one puts into a calling is up to an individual.  I choose to put everything into a calling.  I give up ho...