DAY THIRTY ONE - I'M STILL HERE!!!

"run away, run away, run away if you want to survive it"

Jog on... Beat the feet... Runnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnning... here, there, everywhere! how many backpackers have looked at me with retarded expressions as I climb into my skin tight lycra pants and lace up my running shoes. "wooo your commited, exercising on vacation".. rararra same old ramble on but little do they know running is genius!

I am all about The Run: faster way to familirise yourself with your new territory, work off your hang over and have some time to yourself to process life. I have had many the wolf whistle, car horn beep, "un, dos, tres" yelled at me, but the funniest was in Colombia when a dapper old man in a bowler hat actually grabbed me as I ran past in the street! Eeeek but not all things that chase you will be as harmless as he, as I found out the hard way this evening... 

Often I have dogs run along side me, keep me company in more secluded places but tonight I had a wee rabid bastard try eat me up like a human running dogroll! Worst part was, I happened to be down one of those streets where no one was lurking around, I was stuck there frozen as a candle stick with this crazy freaking dog baring his vicious grin of razor sharp teeth, lunging at me like a blood thirsty Count Dracular! And crap 5 months in South America and I never did learn in Spanish how to yell "HELP". not my best work!

Luckily a guy showed up and managed to scare the dog off in the oppisite direction to my intended running route. So I shook off the fear and kept running, sticking to busier streets when the cheeky bugger ran all the way around the back streets and confronted me head on in the street barking like mad - luckily a man scared him off and I rang up for a lift home.

Note to self: learn "help" in Spanish, don't run when it is crazy stormy weather down secluded streets!

"I once read a piece of writting on jogging that was brillant. It stated that the act of jogging was indeed a political act. It said to anyone who saw them, here I am jogging! I have the spare time, and therefore the wealth to buy an hour of my day back. I look after myself because I am worth it and others too expect this worth of me. So watch me run! watch me run! Because while you sit in your car going to and from work,I am, however briefly, better then you." Beth O'brien