The weirdest thing about exercise is how you can
feel really terrible and really awesome at the same time.
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.
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