08.17.08
All Thai-ed Up
A few months and time zones later, I’ve returned to the blog. After struggling through the last part of my track season, I took a few months off from running and somehow ended up in Bangkok, a city only rivaled perhaps by Cairo in terms of unfriendliness to running. I arrived in early June and will be here until December studying abroad and hopefully not causing an international crisis. History is on my side in that respect.
Like anyplace, Thailand has its pros and cons.
Pro: Unlimited potential for growing out facial hair. . . even for those that have not been genetically endowed with a gorgeous mane along the jaw line. In case you were wondering, that includes me. Here’s a sample.
Con: Olympic coverage is minimal, at least in terms of semi-mainstream events. Boxing, shooting, and weightlifting dominate the airwaves, while swimming and track broadcasts are few and far between. Phelps’s eight golds? Nope. Flanagan’s bronze? No dice. Given the tape delays you all are subjected to back home you must think I’m crazy, but still, I’m envious. How envious? I almost cried when I got to watch the second round of the women’s 100m. That’s right, the 100m.
Pro: Delicious meals for less than $1.
Con: Not getting used to the delicious meals until after a month in.
So enjoy the broadcasts back home and also the streets and trails of Chapel Hill as you’re inspired on your run by the latest track event. I will start to run again soon, but my running will only truly begin in earnest once I’m back in Chapel Hill. It’s great to hear of everyone’s training and I wish you all the best the coming fall.
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Layna said,
August 17, 2008 at 12:47 pm
Brock —
We spent a few days in Thailand in early July, while leading the Carolina SE Asia summer program (and after 6 weeks in Singapore). Maybe we were just lucky in terms of our hotel’s location, but I was pleasantly surprised to run in Lumphini Park on several mornings. Then again, when I asked the hotel staff the way to get to Lumphini, they told me that it would be impossible to run there, b/c it was “too far.” It turned out to be about a mile and a quarter; but in Bangkok, where nobody runs on the urban roads, and where traffic is always backed up, they estimated that it was at least 10k from the hotel.
Have fun!
Layna
Joan said,
August 21, 2008 at 10:30 am
Hey Brock,
Right before we started our CAC workout, your UNC club team was finishing up theirs at Mason Farm. It was a weird Brock intersection … without Brock
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