Luckily for me, Germans are all about exercise and the great outdoors. In fact, one of the first things I saw in the pedestrian zone in Kaiserslautern was a running store!
Hiking trails abound and our hotel is situated with easy access to two trail systems. Don't ask me what they are, but here's a sign:
I decided to take my first run last Friday, the day after we arrived. I figured that it would be a good idea to get some miles in before we spent the weekend playing tourist.
The weather has been a nice change from the horrible heat and humidity of central Virginia. It was actually a bit brisk on Friday morning; I believe it was about 50 degrees when I left the hotel. In other words, perfect running weather.
I had wanted to run 10 miles, but my body was still on EST and thought that it was 2 am, so I did an easy 6.5 instead. The trails were relatively flat, wide, shaded, and for the most part, deserted. I saw 3 other runners and 2 bikers.
The past 3 days have been run-free, but there was plenty of walking as we visited Rothenberg ob der Tauber, went on a Rhine cruise, and explored Heidelberg and its schloss (castle).
It took a lot of self prodding to drag myself out of bed this morning and coax my tourist legs to hit the trail again. Once again, the weather was to die for - crisp, sunny, and low humidity. This time I split off on one of the side trails, which turned into a steep climb with no end in sight.
I only lasted half a mile before I wussed out and headed back to the flatter trails, where I finished up a 10k, which seemed appropriate in this land of kilometers.
Now I am dreading going back to steamy Richmond to attempt an 18 miler this coming weekend. I'd rather stay here, where fall mornings have already arrived!
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