Oh, yeah, running

Since this blog is at least 2/3 about running, it's high time I write about it, ne'st ce-pas?!

Without further ado: I ran Friday afternoon (that's Friday early-morning for y'all stateside) for the first time since arriving in the Philippines. Outside, it was well over 100 degrees and extremely humid, and the exhaust-spewing bumper-car like traffic would've made running a contact sport.

So I ran inside, in the hotel's fab new gym. There were - count' em - 15 treadmills, each with a television and a set of headphones. The machines calculated kilometers, not miles, and I ran for 50 minutes at a comfortable 5:52/avg kilometer pace (or 9:28/mile) while watching the European Cup track and field meet. Then I did 30-40 minutes of upper-body weights and crunches. That was kind of tough after a not-insignificant run. My muscles were shaking by the end.

On Saturday, I was going to run for an hour, but was short on time, so I compromised at 52 minutes at an easy 9:39 pace. That's because I ate a HUGE amount at breakfast the hour before. I had a massive stitch in my side two minutes into the run, but I breathed through it and eventually it went away. I'm surprised I could run at all.

It was as if I'd died: And gone to heaven when I saw the buffet. Even though it was only 9 a.m., there was a full spread of sushi, trays of spicy Indian food, stir-fried Filipino noodles and rice dishes, Chinese dim sum (that's a breakfast food, actually), and two tables of freshly cut mangoes, cantaloupes, papayas, and other tropical fruit. In addition, at least SIX white-toqued cooks stood at the ready to make customized omelets, pancakes, and waffles, and one person made ready-to-order smoothies and fruit juices.

My Appetite ... knows no bounds. "Good God in Heaven," I thought, glassy-eyed and salivating. Then I made a beeline for the dim sum. In fact, glutton that I am, I ate a little bit of everything. The people sitting near me watched me as I made three trips to the buffet, eyeing my plates piled high with food. Even the waiters took notice.

Hey, I'm a hungry girl.