Running around with the locals

Encouraged by my first run in Phnom Penh I then set off to Siem Reap to the north of Cambodia full of excitement and expectation. One because I would be running in yet another new city but also because I would finally get to visit one of the most majestic sites still surviving of an older more mystical world, the ruins of Angkor. As a wannabe Indiana Jones (without any knowledge of archaeology, or the cool factor of course!) it had always been an ambition to visit this famed site as I’ve always loved to imagine what it would have been like during the times of the Khmer Empire when the city was at it’s greatest moment of glory.

A beautiful pic of the ruins of Angkor Wat

Angkor, which is believed to have been a hydraulic city, due to its complicated water management network is a really amazing feat of human genius, sprawling over a distance of approximately 1000 square kilometers. It was believed to have been the home of a civilization of 1 million people but it finally met its untimely collapse and has now, overtime, been reclaimed by nature and it is a mesmerizing site entirely surrounded by farmland and a jungle which has slowly but surely re-grown over the stones of these majestic temples.

The jungle winning over civilization

The base from where one sets off to Angkor is Siem Reap city, capital of the Siem Reap province. A far cry from the cacophonic busyness of Phnom Penh, this is a much more smaller town offering a much enchanting feel and also a much calmer traffic system to the one in Phnom Penh. After my first day of exploring the temples, and after a very long day trip spent walking around through the jungly ruins of Angkor, I then finally sat down, but rather than to put my feet up to rest my very swollen feet (due to the heat and probably the hours spent walking) I instead started to plan my first run in this city. Still raving from my previous run with Jill, I then started to scan the many pages of Facebook in search of a new running partner. Unfortunately after many hours of searching online, I wasn’t very successful in my search and promptly abandoned it opting instead to have a nice cold shower and a refreshing beer!

The next day, I set off to explore the city on foot, in search of a possible running route and also in search of a new possible running partner. Not being one to give up when faced with a challenge, I then started to look for runners that I saw braving the midday heat, hoping that one would respond to my “friendly” smile and stop to have a quick chat. After hours of “stalking” the locals, a few reciprocated smiles, but without much success of starting a conversation, I then decided to take a more direct approach and proceeded to stop one of the runners half way through his run to try and spark up a conversation. Something which has been testament to my visit so far here in Cambodia, is the friendliness of the people. Always happy to share a smile and have a quick chat over dinner or even a drink, the people are very welcoming and happy to share a fleeting moment with a foreigner visiting their city. When most normal people would have probably run off in a panic, Maye, a very friendly resident from Siem Reap was more than happy to indulge me in conversation. A very striking figure, running with clothes which seemed more fitting for an office and also a very floppy set of flip flops(!), Maye was incredibly happy to share a moment with me and after a very broken conversation we even agreed to meet the next day at 5pm to have a run together. We parted ways and I was happy with my successful stalking technique.

The day of the run finally came; after another day of exploring the ruins I headed back to my hostel and started to get ready for my run. Something which I love about running, and which adds to the addiction of it I guess, is the ritual that each runner seems to have before setting off for a run. Although a very mundane act, I find getting ready incredibly relaxing and almost meditative. Adjusting your laces to ensure they’re at the right tightness, arranging your running gear and ensuring your money is safely put away in a water-proof pack to ensure it doesn’t get ruined with all the sweat. Doing a few quick stretches to ready your legs for the run ahead. Psyched for my run, I set off to meet Maye at one of the beautiful bridges decorating the Siem Reap river. As I waited, it was very easy to get lost in the busyness of the city, watching the crazy traffic go by, the locals walking by looking at me with amazement and a giggle. Kids, practicing their boating technique and cruising the calming water below.

The scenic Siem Reap river

Unfortunately, the wait extended from five to ten to then 15 minutes and Maye didn’t turn up. I’m not entirely sure if he just changed his mind about agreeing to meet with a stranger he’d only just met the day before or whether we had both misunderstood our agreement to meet at 5pm and to share a run. I gave it another five minutes hoping he would turn up late but alas, it wasn’t meant to be. I set off for a short run on my own and decided instead to head out on a longer run the next day.

Not disheartened by my unsuccessful attempt at getting a local to run with me, I set off for a nice long run in the coolness of the afternoon all along the Siem Reap river, heading towards the famous floating villages outside the city. Although not running with anyone, this run was pretty magnificent. I find running an amazing conduit to immerse yourself in your surroundings and truly experience the things happening around you. It may well be because your awareness of the things around you is enhanced as you’re concentrating so hard on your breathing, always in the lookout for traffic, ensuring that you avoid every single pothole and danger that you may encounter along the way. Siem Reap, like many other cities catering for tourist, is a city of two tales. The “centre” surrounded by markets, the famed pub street, catering for those in search of a drink and the many masseuses offering to take your pains away. As you start to step away from the main central area, you start to see the more rural side of the city and are exposed to the reality of what many Cambodians live like. Although still struggling with the heat, this run was great. Running along the road leading to the floating villages, it was great to be exposed to the monotony that only daily routine can offer in a person’s life. Watching some of the locals sitting by the riverside hiding from the searing sun, others, getting ready to try and make their catch of the day. Kids walking back home from school and all in all just the locals getting on with their daily lives, away from the ‘glitz and glamour’ of the city.

A local fisherman in action

Along my run, it was very entertaining to see the locals looking at this crazy foreigner with amusement, sharing a joke and a laugh and probably wondering what the heck I was doing running in such heat. The kids leaving school and running by my side as they also seemed to share a joke and finding it completely hilarious to chase after me for about 200 metres, and then being welcomed by an incredibly friendly and bemused street vendor who would provide me with the sweet juice of a cold and refreshing coconut when I finally made my return pit-stop an hour into my run.

Although, I didn’t run alongside a local, I felt almost like a local, immersing myself in the sameness of everyday live in Siem Reap when doing my run. It was a beautiful experience and I also thought it was quite cool to have been the cause of one too many giggles. I was also encouraged that traffic is not as bad in the smaller cities but was also introduced to a new foe which I’ll have to account for in my future runs, specially in the more rural villages. Stray dogs. I’m not sure if they’re enticed or lured by a runner or if they just plain don’t like me. However I did have a few hairy moments where I had to quicken my pace to escape the dogs and one which was very close and tempted to have a go at me until a very friendly local chased it off shouting and waving his newspaper.

Run number two, no accidents, no collapsing, no dog bites. Another success.

Check out below a few more pics with highlights from Siem Reap!

So, I was chatting to my brother and telling him about my first run with the locals in Asia. Obviously, I’m pretty ecstatic with the fact that I managed to make contact with a local and fit a run in whilst in Phnom Penh. I also confessed to my brother that initially I thought that getting locals to run with me would be the hard part of this project; that is until I remembered that I’m actually not a writer and then I came to the realisation that the writing would probably be the hardest part.

Phnom Penh was an amazing introduction to the Asian continent, especially since I had never visited before. Needless to say, jumping onto the first tuk tuk from the airport already felt like an adventure and it was my first introduction to the traffic of the city. As I would quickly find out, traffic is very chaotic and it’s not really helped by the fact that there are no traffic lights or any rules of traffic for that matter. The roads are overrun by tuk tuk drivers as well as a river of scooters that only use their beeps to warn other drivers and pedestrians that they’re coming. Having said that, traffic seems to move at no more than 10 miles an hour, something which gives an almost charming feel to such chaotic traffic. Later on in my visit I would spend quite a few hours of my day just watching the drivers zig zag each other in a game of cat and mouse and waiting to see if there would be a collision. (I saw none during my whole stay!)

Sunrise at the Independence Monument

Needless to say, having this experience of traffic also started to make me doubt about the whole premise of running around with the locals. To my surprise, and with the steely persistent that only runners seem to have, I did see quite a few braving the traffic as well as the searing heat which left me feeling somewhat more comfortable and encouraged. Only just.

Phnom Penh is a very charming city, adorned by the confluence of the Tonle Sap and Mekong Rivers. Littered with street vendors and tuk tuks. A city in development trying to rebuild for the future and yet still somewhat tormented by a dark and hurtful past which to this day still affects the lives of many. Walking the streets at night was an incredible experience; I was left amazed by the beautifully lit Royal Palace which at night seems to be the meeting place for many Cambodians, enjoying the street food and gathering in the green gardens just outside the palace to share a story or maybe just to enjoy the gentle sound of the Mekong flowing right in front of them. I was intoxicated by the smells of the many street food vendors and entertained by the local singers in the Phnom Penh night market. Dodging the many tuk tuk drivers who are trying to make a living and will chase you to try and get one or two dollars out of you.

Although I enjoyed the beauty of the city on my own, I really came to love it on my final day when I met with Jill; a runner I met through Facebook on the Phnom Penh Runners site and with whom I agreed to meet at 6am on the east side of the Independence Monument where we would set off on a route which seems to be a favourite in her running club. To my surprise, she then agreed to do a run with another runner before meeting me. I chose not to ask to join that one as I felt I would have struggled to wake up. Having got up early and having started to walk towards the Independence square I immediately started to regret the decision of having actually woken up for a run as, even though I was walking slowly, the morning heat was already making me feel incredibly insecure about my running prowess. It also suddenly dawned on me that I didn’t agree on a distance with Jill, nor at which pace we would run. I only hoped that the run she was doing before meeting me would leave her exhausted and would give me a better chance of keeping up. On my way to meeting her I also twisted my ankle, although I chose not mention this fact to her as I didn’t want her to think that I was looking for excuses even before starting.

When I arrived at the square, she was already waiting for me and ready to go. To my despair, I immediately noticed that Jill is a very fit runner, and didn’t look a bit tired from her previous run. Instead, after a brief chat in which she informed me that we would be running around 14k, we set off at a rather brisk pace and a little bit too fast for my liking. Obviously being the fool that I am, I chose not to say anything but just blindly set off on the run with her. We headed up Preah Novodona Blvrd. and along the way, we crossed a few runners who upon seeing us shared a smile, a nod and some even a wave. Although the running culture in Cambodia seems to be very small, the few runners that I did see, seemed incredibly friendly and happy to share a smile with a fellow runner. A far cry from some of the headphoned runners in London who will not even make eye contact.

The view from Chroy Changvar Bridge

 We headed up towards Wat Phnom or Mountain Pagoda which is a Buddhist temple built in the only hill found in the whole city and from there, we took a turn off towards Chroy Changvar bridge which is also known as the Cambodian-Japanese friendship bridge which was highly damaged during the Khmer Rouge years and then left without repair or maintenance for almost 20 years until 1995 when the government got a donation from the Japanese government to reconstruct this bridge (I thought this was a nice little bit of info!). We didn’t completely cross the bridge but instead went down some steps located halfway through and which took us on a more rural route and away from the noisiness of the city.

At this point, as much as I was enjoying the run and Jill’s company, my lungs were already exploding (partly because of the heat and probably also due to the fumes from all the traffic) and I can’t even begin to imagine how much liquid we’d lost by then. Jill on the other hand pushed on, unflustered by the morning heat and the 2hrs+ that she’d already been running for. Jill, an incredibly fit athlete from Northern Ireland has been living in Phnom Penh for about four years. As a runner, she was incredibly unlucky in her first run in Phnom Penh four years previously as she was involved in a hit-and-run accident which left her with head injuries, broken bones and a full year of rehabilitation. A year on, and against doctor’s recommendations, she then continued running and is still braving the streets of the city.

After about 30mins into the run, I finally swallowed my pride and asked Jill for a quick pit stop so we could quickly buy some water and walk for a while so I could catch my breath. By this point, we were already running through a more rural dusty road, away from the noise and hubbub of the city and instead surrounded by pristine greens, shinny lakes and unfortunately a lot of building projects. Although it’s good that the city is expanding and developing, it is the people who live in these rural settings and these beautiful surroundings that pay the prize as they are pushed to the countryside and the landscape replaced from pristine natural beauty to a more urbanised landscape.

Jill works for Care for Cambodia a children’s home for orphaned and rescued children which provides humanitarian care and incentivises educational initiatives for 61 of these rural villages throughout the country.

Jill still looking fresh after 2hrs+ of running!

 We finally reached our turning point where we would be running back to the Independence Monument and where Jill would be meeting a friend at 8am for breakfast. Ashamedly, I had to admit to her that I just didn’t have the legs for it and at 7.50am realising that she would never make it in time to meet her friend if she kept running with me, we parted ways on the friendship bridge where she would take a moto in the hope of making it back in time. After saying our goodbyes, I then had to face the run back to the hostel on my own, with incredibly tired legs and probably severely dehydrated.

Initially I felt slightly dejected by my poor show on my first run in Asia, however, given that it was my first run in this kind of heat, I was actually satisfied that I hadn’t collapsed halfway through! Also, it was great, doing this run with Jill as I not only felt more secure running with her rather than braving my first run in the city on my own, but also because I felt like I got to experience it from a very different perspective. All in all, my first take on Running Around with the Locals was thoroughly enjoyable.

Check out a few more pictures below!

Very excited about this new post as it is the first one where I’ll actually be able to tell you about one of my recent runs and also because I had it featured as the first kick-starter project that Running Around with the Locals will hopefully become.

The day started really promising and very early. At 7am when I left my house the sun was already peaking out in the horizon and creating a pretty amazing and almost artistic spectacle.

I left my house, destination Turnpike Lane station where I would be meeting my partner in crime and fellow runner for the day, who also happens to be my brother. It seemed very fitting that the first person I would run with to then share with you in my first post should be my brother. Why? Because he’s been my partner in crime in many different runs already and it was actually thanks to him that I was now on my way to Ealing at 7am in the morning to run 21k. My brother is a pretty amazing individual who’s been through some pretty tough goings and who’s got some pretty badass scars to prove it. Nevertheless, he always presses on and I find it inspirational that he’s achieved some pretty amazing things and still finds the energy to work his way through the miles and also to have earned more marathon medals than me (something which I’m not particularly happy about and which I’m still yet to remedy!).

Back on the Picadilly Line, we realised we weren’t the only runners on our way to Lammas Park in Ealing. We encountered quite a few bare legged runners along the way; some still half asleep, others re-adjusting their watches (or, wrist mini-computers) and clearly keen to go and run what would possibly become their personal best.

Lammas Park, Ealing

Needless to say, once we got there, the atmosphere in the park was electric. My brother, bearded fellow in the picture above, clearly one of the runners who was still half asleep!

Having had quite an overcast week prior to the run, the day of the half was pretty amazing and sunny. Having arrived at Northfields station, we were guided towards the park by a trail of yellow ribbons, which meant that it was fairly easy to find our way to the park, but which also added a note of sobriety to the day. Once in the park, we were welcomed by some very friendly and incredibly helpful marshals who made the prelude to the run fairly enjoyable, and who even allowed me to enter the restricted bagging area to search for my bag, when I realised, about 20 minutes before the run was due to begin that I’d left my knee strap inside my bag! Thankfully, the volunteers were very helpful and we managed to find it among a sea of rucksacks, just in time!

Trapped in the melee of runners!

The course itself was really nice and tidy and I would highly recommend it. A very rewarding route, with a couple of punishing uphill slopes, but also quite a few rewarding downhill runs. Although I found the route a little bit “loopy” (in the sense that it had quite a few turns, not that it was somehow crazy) it was very entertaining. I was also surprised by the pockets of supporters that we had throughout the race and which made the miles go somewhat easier. Although the sunny weather was perfect for the bystanders, it wasn’t particularly great for the runners; some who were clearly affected by the heat, but which were seen to and attended by a really well run team of volunteers and medics who were on standby at all times to lend a helping hand when needed.

All in all, the Ealing Half Marathon was a really well run event and I think it would really suit those who would be looking to achieve a fast time and maybe achieve a personal best!

Running the Ealing Half has been the perfect way to start this blog. I don’t think I could have called it Running Around with the Locals if I hadn’t started with my local runners here in London! It was also great to do the “first” run with my brother and also a bit sad as this is possibly the last run we’ll do together for the next four months, as I’ll be setting off to South East Asia to meet some fellow runners over there. He’ll be continuing his adventures here in the UK and I will hopefully be bringing you some exciting stories from some far away lands.

Check out the whole race-day gallery below!