El Correr

I made a commitment to get back in shape after interviews, and I'm sticking to it.  I brought my new FiveFingers with me, and I was happy to learn that Steph also wanted to keep running while in Guatemala.  Yesterday, we set out on our first trial run.

Xela is indeed beautiful, but unfortunately that does not mean it's easy to run in.  The streets are narrow, the sidewalks are narrower, and the hills are simply insurmountable.  Of course, that does make for some pretty cool views.

Instead of running through a city packed with pedestrian, motorcycle, and automobile traffic, Steph and I ran outside of the city in the direction of the Santa María Volcano.  The way out of town was especially hard, since we started at 2,330 meters (7,655 feet) above sea level and ran basically straight uphill.  The way back into town was much nicer, but I'm glad Steph and I are taking it slow until our lungs get acclimated to the high altitude.  I truly fear that my blood is going to be like sludge by the time I come back to the States.