Vineyard Joggings
(aka the jog blog – thanks @thewinebird). Having taken up (very slow) jogging again in the summer of 2012, I thought it might be fun to share some microclimatic observations.
Russia, November 2012.
A fascinating trip to Russia gave no opportunity to jog in the vineyards, but Anapa on the Black Sea, (nothing like, I’m imagining, Aiya Napa on Ibiza) promised a flat jog along the shore.
Anapa is built on a grid pattern. We stayed in a hotel right close to the port and the beach. Okay, I can’t read the Cyrillic alphabet, but how difficult could it be to jog and not get lost?
Ah well … obviously I left my ‘phone in the hotel on charge. Clearly I didn’t know the name of the hotel we were staying at, even to speak it, or indeed what road it was in, or even to recognise the letters of the alphabet. I did notice it had curtains of white lights down its façade. I had a city map with what looked like the hotel marked on it, so off I trotted, easy jaunt down to the beach in the dark I thought.
Immediately my location didn’t match what appeared on the map, so I jogged on regardless, following what I presumed was a predictable grid pattern. All well and good. I hadn’t quite gone far enough by the time I got back to the hotel so off I trotted in the other direction. Turning right, I quickly found the port and the seafront.
Coming back, I’d failed to note at what point I’d turned right. Having tried a few different turns, this is the point I realised I had no ‘phone/hotel name/address etc. etc. This is also the point I realised it’s quite tricky to jog with a rising panic in one’s heartbeat, it rather interferes with the rhythm.
Anyway, all turned out okay. Good hiking disciplines kicked in. I retraced my steps to my last known position, then examined each road on the grid methodically. I’d had the sense (good walking disciplines again) to note a distinctive landmark (tall building) close to the hotel, so was ‘lost’ for no more than about 7-8 minutes. Felt longer though.
My jogging three days later in Volgodonsk, was much more carefully planned. The lovely Olga “it’s my city and I don’t understand the map” (I feel so vindicated) at the Art City Hotel’s reception walked me out of the hotel and round the corner, pointed to the entrance to Pobeda park, and said I could easily do laps for an hour if I wanted (clearly much longer than I ever had any intention of doing). Additionally, I had my ‘phone with me, and just as importantly I discovered later at breakfast, the equally lovely Del (@dereksmedleymw) had his ‘phone ready and turned on too, just in case!
Lesson learnt I reckon … charge the ‘phone overnight and the laptop in the morning.
My visit to Russia was sponsored by the Union of the Oenologists and Winemakers of Russia.
