More Running Around
This weekend was fairly low-key but pretty decent.
On Saturday I explored a bit more of Geneva, running some errands, doing a bit of window shopping, and locating the area’s disc golf (or frisbee golf, to the brand-inclined) course. I only got to play a few holes there because 1) it took me a bit of wandering around to actually find it, 2) I needed to get back into the city in time to grocery shop before everything closed, and 3) it began to rain. Even so, it seemed to be a nice course with actual baskets and tees and a full 18 holes. I hope I can make it back there before the weather takes a turn for the cold.
On Sunday I awoke very early to prepare to head to the city of Fribourg for a race. One nice perk of being up at an ungodly hour was having the opportunity to talk to eight of my amazing friends via Skype during Andrew’s “welcome home from New Zealand” party. It was very good to hear all their voices and kind of feel like I was able to be there in some way.
After that, I got everything together and headed to the train station where I rode 15 minutes to meet one of the guys from the Hash and his girlfriend who were driving to the event. The ride was fine and fortunately the race didn’t start until around 10, so I could register there without worrying about being late. Unfortunately, the weather was miserable: rain of the variety that just keeps coming down for an entire day without ceasing. And the race was 17.1k long (about 10 miles). And it was almost entirely uphill (see elevation chart, though it doesn't really do the thing justice—the seemingly flat areas were definitely not flat). Despite all this, I managed to have a good time.
First off, the race (the Morat-Fribourg) is an odd length because it has some sort of historical significance like the Marathon where some guy, probably military-related, ran from this quaint village called Morat all the way uphill 17.1 kilometers to the city of Fribourg. (This is all speculation based on what I heard from other people because I cannot read French or German which are the only languages on the website.) So the race was neat in that regard, and because of that, it’s a very popular run in Switzerland.
Secondly, it was a good way to experience more of the country, especially the rural area between the village and city. I’m used to having people cheering and ringing noisemakers and cowbells along race courses. I’m not used to having the sound of cowbells emit from actual cows along the side of the road. That was the case here. There were also a great number of spectators despite the rain (probably because it’s about the biggest event that happens to them each year) and they were very nice, many offering orange slices and just about all cheering some combination of “Ollie Ollie Ollie” and “Op Op Op” (which means something like “up up up” or “go go go”). Plus, the village we started out in was beautiful, though the rain made it a bit difficult to appreciate. Here's a picture of the starting line from the website:
I was also happy with my time. I finished in 78 minutes and 24 seconds which isn’t too bad for not knowing the course, all the inclines, and the added weight of the rain.
Finally, there was a large group of hashers who ran and we all got together afterwards for some food and drink at a pizzeria there. It was a nice time to socialize, warm up, and relax after a cold exhausting race.
I made it back to Geneva in time to shower and eat something before heading off to Shema, the twenty-somethingish nondenominational church gathering here. It seems like a good group of people and I enjoyed the service. I returned home to re-watch the final episode of Lost’s 2nd season to get psyched for the premiere this Wednesday (well, Thursday, in my case).
All in all, a full and fulfilling couple of days.
On Saturday I explored a bit more of Geneva, running some errands, doing a bit of window shopping, and locating the area’s disc golf (or frisbee golf, to the brand-inclined) course. I only got to play a few holes there because 1) it took me a bit of wandering around to actually find it, 2) I needed to get back into the city in time to grocery shop before everything closed, and 3) it began to rain. Even so, it seemed to be a nice course with actual baskets and tees and a full 18 holes. I hope I can make it back there before the weather takes a turn for the cold.
On Sunday I awoke very early to prepare to head to the city of Fribourg for a race. One nice perk of being up at an ungodly hour was having the opportunity to talk to eight of my amazing friends via Skype during Andrew’s “welcome home from New Zealand” party. It was very good to hear all their voices and kind of feel like I was able to be there in some way.
After that, I got everything together and headed to the train station where I rode 15 minutes to meet one of the guys from the Hash and his girlfriend who were driving to the event. The ride was fine and fortunately the race didn’t start until around 10, so I could register there without worrying about being late. Unfortunately, the weather was miserable: rain of the variety that just keeps coming down for an entire day without ceasing. And the race was 17.1k long (about 10 miles). And it was almost entirely uphill (see elevation chart, though it doesn't really do the thing justice—the seemingly flat areas were definitely not flat). Despite all this, I managed to have a good time.
First off, the race (the Morat-Fribourg) is an odd length because it has some sort of historical significance like the Marathon where some guy, probably military-related, ran from this quaint village called Morat all the way uphill 17.1 kilometers to the city of Fribourg. (This is all speculation based on what I heard from other people because I cannot read French or German which are the only languages on the website.) So the race was neat in that regard, and because of that, it’s a very popular run in Switzerland.
Secondly, it was a good way to experience more of the country, especially the rural area between the village and city. I’m used to having people cheering and ringing noisemakers and cowbells along race courses. I’m not used to having the sound of cowbells emit from actual cows along the side of the road. That was the case here. There were also a great number of spectators despite the rain (probably because it’s about the biggest event that happens to them each year) and they were very nice, many offering orange slices and just about all cheering some combination of “Ollie Ollie Ollie” and “Op Op Op” (which means something like “up up up” or “go go go”). Plus, the village we started out in was beautiful, though the rain made it a bit difficult to appreciate. Here's a picture of the starting line from the website:
I was also happy with my time. I finished in 78 minutes and 24 seconds which isn’t too bad for not knowing the course, all the inclines, and the added weight of the rain.
Finally, there was a large group of hashers who ran and we all got together afterwards for some food and drink at a pizzeria there. It was a nice time to socialize, warm up, and relax after a cold exhausting race.
I made it back to Geneva in time to shower and eat something before heading off to Shema, the twenty-somethingish nondenominational church gathering here. It seems like a good group of people and I enjoyed the service. I returned home to re-watch the final episode of Lost’s 2nd season to get psyched for the premiere this Wednesday (well, Thursday, in my case).
All in all, a full and fulfilling couple of days.
posted by Aaron at 4:52 PM
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