Marathon training while backpacking around for two months was probably
one of the dumbest things I did while I was gone. Australia wasn't so
bad, minus getting used to people driving on the other side of the road,
nearly running into things because I'm staring at awesome landmarks or
surfers, and the occasional poisonous snake scare...
New Zealand was even better - aside from getting lost on farm roads! I got to run up volcanoes, next to giant rivers, across mountain ranges... breathtaking.
But when I got to Indonesia, I had my work cut out for me. 100 degrees fahrenheit plus 99% humidity? It was brutal. I was chased by so many dogs that I lost count, including one incident where a pack of about ten of them went after me at once (fortunately, some locals somehow got them to stop!) I eventually just started walking every time I saw a stray dog. Which was pretty much all the time.
Then there was the issue of the drivers in Bali, which were probably scarier than the rabid dogs. Motorcycles everywhere, zipping in and out of the car traffic. People on bicycles, with surfboards and/or three+ family members. Potholes. Pedestrians. Fruit vendors. Bamboo piles. Cows. Drainage canals. Balinese Hindu incense/offerings like little fragile sacred landmines everywhere. All fighting for space on a tiny patch of asphalt! People honking and shouting at you, while staring at you like you are crazy.
Obviously not the most relaxing experience, but many memorable ones! My favorite run moments where when 1) I got high fived by a group of men over the age of 80 and 2) When a baker tried to sell me an entire cake while I was running! (It did look good, but I didn't have my wallet)
When I got to some islands that were car-free, I figured that my luck was looking up. And then I ran into the goats and horses pulling carts. Despite all of this, I miraculously managed to get my Boston marathon mileage in... a bit unconventional but a great way to explore new cultures and take crappy photos on my iphone :)
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