Willkommen und Auf Wiedersehen

I couldn’t leave the country without at least one run. From 1996 to 1999, I made several trips a year here for work, but I wasn’t a runner back then. Opportunity lost. So this morning, since I had already been up since 4:00 am, I suited up and stepped outside at 6:00 am for a run. Last night’s dinner at Zum Bären in Höchst still felt like more than sufficient fuel to power me up. Pork fillets with mushrooms in cream sauce and fried potatoes served in a skillet, washed down with a tall glass of Hefeweizen. I can’t believe I used to eat like that on a regular basis, but this occasion was an exception.

It was a bit chilly in the 40’sF and the sky had just barely begun to lighten. The front desk clerk had shown me a hand drawn map of some kind of running trail behind the hotel. I turned left out of the hotel and started down the sidewalk. This was an industrial park but very modern and clean. I found the trail about a half mile down, and turned in.

It was quiet except for the sound of birds and my footsteps. I stuck to the main trail as best as I could, since there were a lot of side trails and smaller ones that would disappear into the trees. About a mile in, I came upon a small water pumping station and stopped for a few minutes. I still hadn’t seen anyone. I pressed on, trying to keep to a generally counter clockwise heading because I couldn’t see above the trees to spot any landmarks. After a few false moves, I eventually/suddenly/amazingly/happily came upon the road that leads back to my hotel. The round trip took 40+ minutes.

I decided to grab my camera and go for another round. This time it was quicker, since I knew my way. In the end, I only took the one picture above, and came back the second time in 32 minutes.

Right now I’m in the air from Frankfurt to Dallas, to arrive Wednesday afternoon. I can’t wait to see S., S., S., and S. again. The world’s been a bit scary this week. Hope you all stay safe.