02.04.08
Mt. Entoto
On Sunday morning, I ventured out for my first really long run here in Addis (2 hours and 4 minutes, though nothing close to the 20-21 miles I cover in Chapel Hill in that amount of time). It’s relatively difficult to get out of town, unless one heads for the hills. The closest one to my apartment near the University is Mt. Entoto (elevation 3,200 meters). By contrast, Addis sits on the Ethiopian plateau at 2,400-2,450 meters. Here’s a view of the city from Mt. Entoto.
I think that the hardest part about this run was the fact that reaching the peak involved climbing uphill for about 45 minutes straight, with no downhill breaks or even any real flats. But the views from the top were amazing. Here’s a picture I found that corresponds well to what I saw from up there. There were a series of such breathtaking views, and the roads up top through Entoto Hills National Park were soft dirt and sandy fine soil. At times I was actually running in the clouds, feeling the cool air brush against my face.
Up top, I came across a few other runners (all elite women) , who likely run for the National Team. Apparently, they love to train up there in the fresh air, and I can definitely understand the allure. Too bad it takes so much effort to get up to the top, otherwise I think I’d be up there daily.
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