Running from Cape Town to Singapore

Morning run on deck - that's not me however, it's some real runner

This is not quite as epic as it may seem. It’s not that I’m actually running the entire way. I am on a cruise ship that is en route between those two locations. And a great deal of said running is not even on shore. Some consists of circles around the deck of the ship, and other miles are done on the treadmill. Here are a few story snippets anyway.

We’re docked in Cape Town, S.A., and I do manage to get off the ship and go for a run. It’s very early, and almost no one is about. I go by some tall buildings and make it over to the V & A Market area, where we walked the previous day. Cape Town is cool. Too bad I don’t have more time here. As I return, I go up to the top deck to ogle a lunar eclipse. It’s occurring just as it gets light, and with the moon setting.

Now I’m running in East London, S.A. I hadn’t expected to have any time to run here, but that changed, so out here I am. There is litter everywhere, and the neighborhood isn’t so good. But I shortly make my way over to Orient Beach. This is indeed a nice recreational area. They’re setting up for a major event: an Ironman Triathlon.

Another place that I hadn’t expected to run, but where I do manage to do so is Richard’s Bay, S.A. This time it’s a matter of getting out and back whilst it’s still early. I do, but before that I encounter something I never in a million years expected here: other runners. Several of them. I believe they’re not from the ship, but are staying at a nearby resort hotel.

On one of my ship-bound runs, I’m having a rough time. I start running clockwise because no one else is around at this early hour. It’s 12 to 16 laps per mile (depending on inside or outside the track, and what kind of mood my garmin is in), and that’s a lot of turning. I normally have to go with the flow (counter-clockwise), but lately, I mix it up when I can. And speaking of mixing things up, I usually can’t stand too many of these on-deck miles, so I find myself completing many of my runs on the treadmill. Not that that’s a picnic either. But This day, even with the unusual direction, I’m feeling extremely sore, and more so with each mile. I complete this ten mile run on the treadmill, but it’s not pretty. Not sure what went wrong here. Is it too much mileage? Too much turning, regardless of direction? Or could it be something else? I had just begun taking Malerone for prevention of malaria; maybe this fatigue and soreness is a side-effect? On top of that, I have blood in my urine, and some related difficulty with urination. Could that be the Malerone? A kidney stone? Dehydration?

It must have just been dehydration. I’m better now, really. Until this happens: I’m doing my third consecutive daily ten-miler, and my hip begins to hurt. As nearly always, I’ve combined treadmill and deck running, and dislike both. The pain runs from my back to my left hip and down my left leg. I nearly stop, but somehow complete the ten. Now it’s time for a day off.

I know you’re tired of hearing about these maladies, so I’ll endeavor to talk about other things. Something else that happens today: I spot the Southern Cross. I also see Venus and Jupiter in a bright array with the crescent moon. This is why I run. Even when it hurts.

After two days off, I slowly begin to run again.

It’s 4:20 AM, but it feels earlier because of the time change; we’re heading east, and we have crossed into a new time zone. Passengers and crew are often few and far between at this hour, but that’s not the case today. A Super Bowl party is going on in Horizons Lounge, where I go to get my pre-run coffee.  The TV is on, the sound is turned up, and there are a couple dozen people watching. After the outdoor portion of my run, I complete the run on the treadmill, where I watch the fourth quarter.

“Squaaaaaak!” Well, that sure made me jump. I am running my loops on deck, and it’s just getting light. I stop and look around to see what made that godawful noise. It’s a seabird that’s in the eaves of the forward part of this deck. He squawks at the other runners as well, and we’re now all trying to figure out what to do with him. He tries to fly, and we try to shoo him to a place where he can do so, but nothing’s working. So he continues to squawk at us as we go by. Time passes. It gets lighter. Our friend eventually can see the sky and the horizon, manages to waddle to a place where he can take off, and does so, not even looking back. I hope he enjoyed the ship’s buffet.

I said I wouldn’t discuss my maladies any further. I lied. This back/hip thing can attack at any time, and when it does, it’s debilitating. I have now completely sworn off running on the track. Yesterday I manage a two-mile run in Sri Lanka, and today it’s five on the mill: the ship is rocking and rolling, big-time. It makes mill running kind of fun and it adds some measure of challenge to just stay vertical.

Okay, it’s my final rodeo on one of these treadmills. Since I no longer do laps (that hip is still hurting), and since I no longer do ten-milers (I don’t have the time because the Fitness Center doesn’t open till 6:00 AM), I’m relegated to these slow three to six-mile mill runs. I hate them, but I suppose they’re better than not running at all.

I sure hope this hip heals by the time I get home and start running for real again.