One way to see a new city without breaking the bank is by running in it. Seeing a city this way can provide a fresh perspective on things. Pound pavement instead of being stuck on a tour bus. Pass by little alleyways and marketplace stalls as opposed to just being confined to main roads. Feel the true pulse of your new city instead of just imagining things.
Thinking of this brings me back to a trip I made to Taipei earlier this year. I made sure to sneak in a run in the Zhongshen district before taking the express train to Taoyuan airport on the day I flew back to Manila. 6am. Monday. Stall owners cooking breakfast fare. The streets beginning to fill up with cars. The urban landscape beginning to percolate. Dogs, students, people filing into fast food joints and convenience stores to grab on-the-go breakfast meals. There is something strangely beautiful about seeing all this while moving X kilometres per hour courtesy of the legs God gave you.
Running somewhere also tends to improve your reflexes. You become ultra alert and learn to dodge obstacles like you're the rotund plumber in Super Mario Run. Okay, may Sonic the Hedgehog would be a more apt reference, but, you get my drift. There is nothing quite like experiencing the irony of running fast to see the world in slow motion, and in utmost detail.
I want to run the world. I have an insatiable need to experience. That is really what makes my life difficult. I am constantly restless, unable to reconcile being hire, with potentially being there. It's tiring, that type of life. I will figure everything out eventually. I need to.
Take those trainers out for a spin. There's a decision you can make without hesitation. It's free. It's here. No downsides. Only upsides, and downhills.
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