Sometimes things turn out differently then you have thought before. They say life is what happens when you’re making plans for it, kind of this is happening to me here in Alice Springs. I got here after a long day of training and travel, left my bike in Melbourne to change the bike training camp for the run and swim training camp in the heart of Australia.
I came here to visit famous Ayers Rock and to meet someone I kind of know for a while. We never met, but we met in the cyber space on a game called Farmville. I remember when we chatted for the first time; it was because of her profile picture she had changes in a picture of a kangaroo. I asked her about it and that’s how we started chatting and mailing; that was about 1,5 years ago… and now I’m here.
On Friday morning I got up a bit late for running, up here it’s humid and hot again. I had sorted out a nice track to do a lap out of the house here, was planned about 8k one lap and I thought I could finish just running across the neighborhood. This was the plan. When I came to the start of my super track there was no track. Actually: the red centre is not red at all, its green. Really green! So my planned track was no track, it was a creek. First smile of this run and changing plans.
So I searched a bit around where to run and found a nice lap just in the neighborhood, no one around but a lady walking with her dog and kid, a small talk to know where the street goes and I went my way. It is easy to find good running tracks around here. But its not so easy to get there. Alice Springs is really different to the other places I’ve visited. It is not as safe as the other places. And that’s where the running problem pops in. You could run everywhere, but as a girl in a short top you think twice if you want to hit insecure places. And if you don’t even know where the secure and insecure places are, it’s even more difficult.
Anyway, I kept running on my safe track when I spot a familiar sign on the ground, right in front of me:
That was the second smile of this run, well I was laughing and thinking: what the heck does that mean????? Is it a sign?
Later in the day I went to the pool for a smooth swim session and to meet people from the local triathlon club I contacted before by email. The squad was set at 6pm, I got there at 5.55pm. No squad and the less frequented pool of my whole trip. I did my training, in the lane next to me a woman with a triathlon suit doing water jogging. I started to talk to her, asking her about the squad and triathlon in town… there is a promotion race on Sunday she tells me, come over, participate,… okay, nice people, could be fun, 100m swim, 5k bike, 1k run. Next smile of the day.
Saturday, long swim. I’m heading over to the pool, and: the pool is closed, due to mechanical problems (reminds me of Marbella actually ;). Again: changed plans. I’m feeling really tired that day, on one hand I’m thinking: okay, that’s a mandatory rest day. On the other hand the devil in my head starts to scream: if you’re not training you lose everything, you can’t NOT train!!
But I made it to ignore him.
In the afternoon I go for a walk, to investigate other tracks behind the house for the Sunday run. Don’t stay for more than 3 seconds on the same place; you convert into a playground for ants! I’m not sure if I’m tough enough to try to get to the telegraph station on the tracks… Due to the closed pool I decide not to go to the promo triathlon, would have been funny, but I definitely don’t need a super sprint duathlon on a lent bike.
Next morning, Sunday, I prepare myself with google maps and a piece of paper for my 90min run, armed with a water bottle in one hand and my plastic bag wrapped Iphone (with a compass app on it!) I go on my way to the telegraph station. When I hit the street to cross the river I cannot help but laugh that I have to take another way, because there’s too much water to cross.
Once I get to the telegraph station I take the trails towards the north, beautiful landscapes, all green, with some lonely red rocks in between. And while I’m running I see something moving very quick on my left, at the first sight it seems to be a deer, but it’s a jumping one, finally: a kangaroo!!! It’s too fast to take a photo of him, but it made my day and converted my slightly heat stressed face into a smiling one again. I find more of them, not as big as the first one, but I’m happy. The roos made my run. I wished I had these legs to be as fast as they are. And push me forward, I’m feeling like my but is sticking on the ground...
This afternoon I have another first date in the reptile centre. When we come in there is an older couple, she has a snake on her shoulders. The girl who’s working there welcomes us and takes the snake off the lady, looking at me and asking: do you want to hold it?
I’m skeptical at the first moment. My comfort I would have said no. But I don’t want to get back in this timid corner I left a few months ago. So I take a deep breath, face my fears and go ahead. At the first moment it feels weird.; uncomfortable.
But once this reptile found its position I relax and have a look and feel at the soft, smooth skin and love it!
Monday I hope there’ll be no changed plans; I’ll visit the famous rock and mystic place of Australia. But if there is a change, it’ll guide me to something new, different, surprising and hopefully to a smile on my face.
Just have a look at these creatures, I think they are cute, also seen @ the reptile centre:
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