I run - part 1

You may have read a little about Angkor Wat and Cambodia and the big trip I've undertaken lately. It's because I run, or rather running is the reason I'm here.  The 2014 Angkor Wat Half Marathon. 7500 of my closest strangers set off at 06:10 on Dec 7th to run around and through the Angkor temple complexes.  I'm told you don't ever get a PB here - a personal best - and that's because we keep stopping to take pictures.

That's understandable, but it's the heat that has me a little worried.  It's being held at dawn because then it's "only" 25 degrees C / 78 Farenheit.  But by the time the race is done it gets well and truly hot. Factor in time zone difference and funky sleeps and I'm not sure what to expect.

I've been practicing and losing some weight which is surprising effective at helping to run better.  And I've been saying to myself since I got here in a quiet training mantra, "Just run my own run". After-all, I could bundle up and run the distance at home any old day. Here it's the sights, sounds and experience. It's not about running faster, it's about being in the moment.

Running in a race though is different. While pretty much all the others here would need to "DNF" for me to actually win, there is still a tension, a palpable feeling of competition in a properly organized run/race even when you aren't going for the win.  So my race today is about the struggle to just keep calm, keep breathing and just run my own run. 

Part 2 to follow.....