Bikram Running

In between travel, meetings, document preparations, presentations, performance reviews and emails, I was finally able to get some runs and workouts in that were satisfactory.

Here in Delhi, I found a new definiton to Bikram (which is usually used in conjunction with <hot> Yoga) and running.

In the hotel gym, which was cooled to a nice 85 degrees and kept at 100% humidity, I started out with the intention of doing 5k or 3 miles on the treadmill.  After just a few minutes, I was completely drenched in sweat and just pouring off my face.  I decided to go on and try for 10k or 6.2 miles.  As I reached that goal, it felt so good (or bad), that the body decided to go for something more.

I finished somehow 17k or 11 miles while managing to be distracted by iPod music and mindless TV with subtitles.  Given the heat and humidity, I could literally feel the poisons, stress and worry leave my body, which was great.

It was no better in Indonesia, where after our sales conference and meetings, I managed to get in an evening run outdoors (and a gym workout with running and weights).  The outdoor journey took me past Balinese statues every 100 meters or so and was also a drenching experience.  Not too many people run outdoors in Indonesia – for obvious reason including heat, humidity and air quality.

The run took me past wild dogs, cows by the side of the road, chickens and the local street merchants.  I had to dodge crumbling sewer covers, people laying on the sidewalk and the occasional animal.

At one point, a kid on a bike started to follow me and keep pace on the side of the road while I was on the kind-of-sidewalk.  He kept pace for a while and I would turn and smile at him.  Eventually I started to speed up to try to lose him, but he started to go faster also.  Finally, we both tired of the game and he left and took off to maybe chase down another crazy visitor on the streets!

Now I know why I live in Northern California where the temperatures are mild, air is clean and trail runs abundant!