Intriguing Personalities at Merutz Yekavim

On Friday I ran in the 3rd annual 18km Merutz yekavim - the winepress race. The Merutz Yekavim is an 18km race (they also have shorter races such as 3km and 5km) that starts at Kibbutz Nachshon in the Ayalon Valley and run through the trails in the fields and vineyards of the area.

Many of the Bet Shemesh runners at Merutz Yekavim

With the rainy weather, the race was looking to be a challenge. Even if it would not rain during the run, the trails would be muddy and difficult to run.

I got to meet two intriguing personalities during the event, making the race all the more memorable. I met Benny Halevi and Professor Shaul Ladany.

A friend told me Benny Halevi was there, and when he saw I didn't even know who Halevi was he explained that Benny Halevi is the barefoot running "guru" in Israel. He runs barefoot running groups and events and is the main guy promoting it in the country. Sure enough, as I was walking around, I spotted him - he was the guy barefoot. Actually, he was wearing his haurache sandals that he runs in when he can't run barefoot because of the terrain. I introduced myself and we chatted for a bit.

Professor Shaul Ladany

The second personality, Professor Shaul Ladany, I also had not heard of before, but was immediately awed by his courage and his perseverance. I heard a few words about his accomplishments there, and have since done some Internet searching for more information. Professor Ladany is pushing 76 years old, and is a world-champion race-walker. He is an Olympian, he has race-walked 300 mile races, and holds a world championship in a 100km race-walk. At 70 years old he became the first person to walk 100 miles in less than 24 hours.

Ladany  is a Holocaust survivor, having spent time in Bergen Belsen, but his troubles didn't end there. he has fought off repeated bouts of skin cancer and lymphoma, he has survived much legal trouble, and an emergency landing of a plane that lost one of its engines in flight. Ladany is an Israeli Olympic athlete who survived the Munich Massacre. His accomplishments include patents, scientific papers and books, along with his accomplishments in sports.

It was humbling to meet Ladany and see all that he has accomplished in his life, all that he has overcome in his life, and see him still going strong at the age of 76.

Back to the race, the run proved to be as challenging as expected. the trails were wonderful for barefoot running, being soft on the feet, but the muddiness of the trails made it difficult and slowed everyone down. Running for fun, that didn't really matter, and I just enjoyed the beautiful terrain, the vineyards we ran through along with the fields and orchards. The terrain was rolling hills, with a couple steep climbs. At the top of the most serious hill we had a view of the entire valley and it was breathtaking.

I finished the run at 1:49:10. I am still running slower than last year, being out of shape and not yet at optimum training fitness, and the mud made me even a bit slower. It was a fun run, and unfortunately I could not taste the wine they were giving samples of as the bottles had neither a hechsher nor any indication that the wine was mevushal.

What The Rehovot Run Showed Me

I have not written here in a while, and the truth is that the holidays really messed up my running schedule and discipline. I ran on occasion, but I couldn't get myself onto a regular running schedule. I am trying to now, largely because of my run this past Friday.

Friday was a scheduled 34km run. To Rehovot. My absolute favorite run of the training season, and the most difficult. the most difficult because of the distance, the terrain and the water breaks. My favorite because of the terrain, the difficulty, the camaraderie and the sense of accomplishment.

The Rehovot run was scheduled to be 34km. I was not physically ready to run 34 km, as my long runs have mostly been in the 19-21km range, with only a couple reaching the 24-25km range until now. I debated with myself whether to join the group on the run or not, and decided to do it just because I didn't want to miss the first Rehovot run of the season. I knew it would be tough, but I figured I could make it. And I figured if I could eke out a 34km in my condition, I could start from my house and eke it out to 38km, and if not I could stop anywhere in Rehovot and walk or take a taxi the rest of the way, after having passed 34km..

Setting out at 5 AM, earlier than the group because of my slower running speed, I embraced the challenge. My run started in the dark, but fairly quickly the light increased. The challenging hills, the beautiful terrain, the cool air, all made the run worthwhile. Until Mazkeret Batya.

Mazkeret Batya is the last water stop before Rehovot, and that is where the running really gets tough. From there it is about 4km to Rehovot's entrance, and then about another 4km in Rehovot to the finish line near Weizzman Institute. That 4km after Mazkeret Batya is difficult - after stopping for a few minutes at that point the legs are starting to tighten up, the stretch of run there is exposed and sunny. The temperature is already getting to be fairly warm. And the next 4km in rehovot is spent dodging cars and people, some congestion, and bustle.

The 4km from Mazkeret Batya was very difficult for me, but I was very determined to at least make it to Rehovot. I trudged along at decreased pace, my legs were like heavy slabs of meat by that point, and I was cursing my decision to run, now knowing how unprepared I really was. Somehow I made it to Rehovot and even ran in a bit. Then I just came to a stop. After a few moments I said I cannot continue, but I had already run nearly 35km, more than the scheduled distance, and I had made it into Rehovot. I had nothing left to prove. I started walking, but everything was already starting to tighten and cramp up, and even walking was becoming difficult. I flagged a taxi and went to the meeting point, for an ice shoko and the sharing of war stories with the other runners.

That run showed me how unprepared I am, and let me know that if I really plan to run the marathon, I really have to start training better.

Remaining sore and tight through Monday morning, I did not run again until last night. I have not run the Monday night workout runs with the group in a long time, but I did last night. We went to Nofei Aviv and ran fartleks. I gave up after 2.5 cycles, and finished my distance at 10km. Still sore from Rehovot, this was a combined workout and recovery run, and I was happy to reign it in at 10km.

Run Through The Roglit Vineyards

I have not written here in a while, but I have been running. Today was a great early morning run. I ran 21+km through the Roglit Vineyards.

The group was running 30km, and I would have liked to run about 24-26km. Due to my schedule I was overly tired and that was just too much, so I cut it short at 21. I planned to meet my running partner at the entrance to Aviezer - he was driving and I was running there, as he wasn't looking to run more than 18km.

So, I get up at 4 AM to get ready and headed out at about 4:30. We met at Aviezer at just after 5. We ran up to Roglit and then found the gate to the path through the vineyards locked. We climbed over the fence and ran. The air was cool and the early morning was beautiful.

The path through the fields and vineyards starts with a long climb up to the back of Aderet. It is a tough climb, but the view behind us was stunning, which we saw when we got to the top. This picture is not even close to giving due credit to the amazing view.

As we crossed over the peak and ran down through the vineyards, the air turned much cooler. The vineyards were a strong green and the terrain was beautiful We turned around at about 8km through, and ran back. The run back was tougher, as it was a longer, albeit not as steep, uphill run. At some point we crossed through a flock of goats. This was very timely and made us consider the "sa'ir la'azazel" we are going to read about in the coming days on Yom Kippur. We would have taken a couple, but the shepherds would not have liked that idea, so on we ran.

On the way back out, the gate was still locked. Those moshavniks must have been sleeping late, as it was already 6:45 am. We climbed back over and ran down to the car.

Great run through the Roglit Vineyards.

And Thus Concludes Week 2 Of Marathon Training...

Week 2 of Marathon Training was not great, but it finished well. The week started off poorly, with me under the weather. Saturday night and Sunday I could not run because I was under the weather, while Monday morning I got a light run in. The rest of the week I did not run because of a busy schedule, late nights, and an under the weather running partner.

Friday, long run day, was looking particularly daunting. After a low-intensity week, we had 24km scheduled for Friday. The route, a nice, albeit difficult, route, would be along Highway 383. Going out is a nice run, with a largely downhill trend. the way back would prove more difficult - with a largely uphill run, and a fairly strong headwind, the final 12km would prove to be difficult.

I started out the run thinking I might cut it a bit short. I did not feel I needed to run 24km so soon into the season, and it would depend on how the run was going. I would have been happy with a 21-22km run as well, with an absolute minimum of 18-19km.

We started out as a group of 4, until the main running group would pass us. At about 7.5km 2 guys peeled off, as they were looking to run only 15km. We continued on, and shortly after the main group passed us by. The run out was great, as I felt strong and confident. The run was smooth, and I ran it at a fairly fast pace.

That fast pace was probably a mistake, as I was a bit winded and unprepared for the 2nd half of the run. Turning around meant long uphill climbs, though not steep climbs. I have always been poor with hill running, and I dropped back from my running partner, and slowly but surely lost a lot of ground. Eventually I thought maybe I should stop running and let him come pick me up with the car when he finishes, but I kept trudging on telling myself just a little bit more. i felt ok, just tired from the hills.

Eventually I made it back to the end, concluding a 24km run after being totally unprepared for it.

And thus concludes Week 2 of Marathon Training

The Benefit Of Running With A Partner

After a late night and big meal last night, I was not sure I would get up in time for an early run this morning. Running this morning would also be a test of my calf and the muscle pain I experienced on Friday. The pain was almost completely gone, but there is still a lingering touch of pain, at a very dull level. I also expected my running partner to sleep in, or I was at least hoping he would, but when I sent him a text message in the morning he quickly replied, so running was remaining on the morning agenda.

That is actually a very good example of the primary benefit of running with a running partner over running alone. Had I planned to run alone, I would definitely have stayed in bed. Knowing I had someone else out there expecting me to show up, even though he would have understood, knowing that I would have looked a bit lazy to him, that encouraged me to dress up and go running. On a day like today, at 5:45 am after a long and tiring night, that is the only thing that got me out on the road.

We ran 6km down to the Junction of Roads 10 and 375 and then back. The air was slightly warmer and more humid than it has been normally at that time in the morning. I felt the pain slightly, but it did not really hurt and was not at all disabling. Even after the run and after having rested and cooled down, at the point when the pain normally gets worse, it remained only a slight dull discomfort. Hopefully that means I am really past it.

It was a good run. I would still have liked to run tonight with the group, but that is not going to happen due to a conflict. I am still under-mileage for the marathon training, though it is still very early in the season. Our coach gets into high gear very quickly, but as long as I stick with it even in lower gear I should be able to pick up the pace a bit later.

First Long Run Of The Marathon Season Ends Not Well

This past Friday was the first long run of the marathon season. The run was scheduled to be 22km, but since I have not run more than 15km all off-season, and even that only a few times, I decided to alter the route slightly. My altered route would total 19km, and depending on how I was feeling at the end I would possibly extend it a bit. I call it a long run, because it is my longest since my last marathon. However, my coach does not call it a long run - he says long runs are only called long runs if they are of a distance of more than a half-marathon (21.1km). Anything less is only a medium-long run at best.

I met with a couple other guys who were going to run part of it and then turn around, as they were not going to be running more than 14km. We were running the Lamed Hey route from RBS, being starting in RBS across Road 10 to the 375. Up 375 to Elah Junction. Across 38 to Bet Shemesh, and up to RBS. The run includes two major hills, one being the hill of Zechariya and the second being the Tzeelim hill up to RBS.

After my running partners broke off a bit after Tzomet Aderet, I continued the rest of the way on my own. We were getting a good run. I have not run with a watch in a long time, but now that marathon season is back I decided it was time to start monitoring my speed and distance more accurately again. A few quick glances at my watch let me know that were were running at a pretty fast pace. It is not unusual as that stretch of road is at a slight downhill angle and it is easy to not pay attention and run much faster than normal without realizing.

After they broke off and I continued on towards Elah Junction, I suddenly felt a sharp pain in my left calf. It felt almost like a small bruise, but I am pretty sure it was a slight muscle pull. Nothing specific caused it - I didn't misstep suddenly or trip or anything that i noticed. The pain just suddenly appeared. I stopped and stretched it out a bit, and then kept going. it still hurt, but I had to get home, so my only option was to keep going.

The only thing I could think of that caused it was perhaps running too fast, It is a classic mistake at the beginning of the season. Thankfully, it was not bad. I was able to continue on, slowing down a bit. i made it up the entire Zechariya hill respectably.

Only when climbing the Tzeelim hill did I have to stop and walk a bit as the pain increased with the hill. I got to the top and finished the run at 19km and did not extend it. Obviously the pain increased over the day, but then over Shabbos it began decreasing. i still feel it slightly, but it mostly gone. I expect by tomorrow I should be running again.

Besides for the pain, the timing worked out after I turned at the Elah Junction that I saw a beautiful view of the mountains just after sunrise with the sun over the Elah valley and the mountainous backdrop. It was stunning and the air was beautiful and cool. The run was beautiful, albeit slightly marred by the slight muscle pain. If everything goes well, it looks like it should be a great season.

The Double-Morning Run That Didn't Happen

Today's run was going to be unusual. Due to a convergence of events, I was planning to run two separate runs this morning. I was going to run at 5 am with one running partner, and then at 6:15 am with a second. When the possibility of this happening came up I decided to go for it. i figured marathon training season just began - the whole idea of running, and training for, a marathon is going beyond your abilities. Running the marathon itself is crazy, so when you train you sometimes have to do crazy runs as well.

Anyways, it did not work out because my first running partner overslept, so waking up at 4:30 am turned out to be a waste of time.. I still ran a great run at 6:15 am, logging 7km in the nice cool morning air.

I am going to soon start ramping up my mileage...

Marathon Training Season Cometh

This morning I ran my third run of the week, with another 6.5km run. The early morning runs are great in the still-cool air and mostly empty roads.

With marathon training season about to begin, the runs are going to have to start earlier in the morning and go longer distances. Runs of 6.5 to 8 km are not going to cut it starting next week. The training is great, but the change in schedule is going to be tough, getting up so much earlier, and then running distances that will take me until my day actually has to start with kids going to school and work.

Looking at it now, I could easily see how I could talk myself out of doing it, saying I don't have the time or whatnot. good thing I just registered in early registration for the 2012 Israel Marathon in Tiberias to be run in January 2012. Now that I paid the money I am committed and have to train.

Pre-Marathon Warmup Run

I went out today for a 10km pre-marathon warmup run.

I have not run since Friday, for a variety of reasons. Mostly due to laziness, but add to that being tired, the bad weather, work and study schedules, preparing for Pesach, and again, mostly laziness. To avoid a bit of stiffness, we went out today to stretch our legs.

Running at mostly a recovery pace, we went out to Tzomet Aviezer and back. It was a nice run, and despite the attempt at a recovery pace we settled into a seemingly natural pace of about 5:10 for much of it. It felt good to stretch out the legs before the marathon...

It's going to be a hot summer!

This morning I went out with a few guys for a nice easy 10km run. It was super hot, and we all got wasted pretty quickly, but ran through.

A couple of us ran out to the satellites and back, while a couple other guys split off just before the satellites and ran out on a path by Tzomet Aviezer through the fields.

It seems like it is going to be a hot summer!

A killer 33km

Today's run started off great and turned into a killer. Me and my running buddies wanted to get another long run in before the Jerusalem Marathon. After some scheduling issues, we decided today would be the day. We were shooting for a run in the range of 32km.

We look super fast, don't we? Photo courtesy of Jonny

Heading out at about 8:20 AM, we right away felt the unseasonable heat, and knew it would only get hotter. We ran out of RBS, across Road 10 and up 375. We made our first water stop, at 10km at the gas station at Tzomet Ha'Elah. 

From there we continued on, planning to turn up at Zeqa Junction, and run up another 2-2.5km, and back down to the 38, adding 4-5km to the total. The reason is that the perimeter run we were doing, the perimeter of the whole Bet Shemesh, is only about 28 or so km, so we wanted to add to it.

We took a bottle of water with us from Tzomet Ha'Elah and dropped it at Tzomet Azeqa, for when we would return from our detour.

After that we ran up Zechariya and back down continuing on to the entrance to Bet Shemesh. At 25km, when we arrived at the Paz gas station at the entrance to the city we took another water break.

5 minutes for Gilad Shalit. Photo courtesy of Jonny

Continuing on, we hooked around the BIG mall, hooking up with the end of Road 10, and ran up Road 10. At the main entrance to the city, out side of the BIG mall, there was the 5 minute protest for Gilad Shalit holding up traffic.

Road 10 was difficult. It was a killer. It is all uphill, it was hot and dry, and there was strong headwind against us. At this point I was struggling.

At Zanoach we decided to take a detour instead of continuing on Road 10. We cut through Zanoach and ran along a beautiful soft trail that took us to the edge of RBS B, right before the junction where it meets up with RBS A. The only problem with this detour is that it was a serious uphill. It was a struggle, and I had to walk the rockier parts, but we conquered it.

From there we split up, and I ran home along Nahal Kishon, finishing at the shopping center at 33km. There I bought myself a Freezee and walked another block home, nursing my drink.

I think my Vibram FiveFinger Bikilas have seen their last days and last runs. I have been getting holes around the toe area. So far thye have been small and I have been able to ignore them. Today they got much bigger. Pebbles were getting in and disturbing me, but even worse, for about the last 4km I could feel a pinching on one of my toes every time I stepped down, and it hurt increasingly more as it went on. Turns out that the hole by that toe had gotten pretty large, and my toe was scraped up and bleeding from the striking against the pavement.

Good thing my sis is bringing my new pair next week!

Cold and Wet

Last night I went out for a short and easy-paced run. The past couple of weeks have been horrible for my running schedule. Bad weather, very tight schedule and guests from abroad kept me from running regularly.

Last night I got out. I ran 9km around RBS and out to the end of Road 10 and back. It was pretty cold when I began my run, but the running warmed me up after a few minutes. That was in RBS. When I got down to Road 10 it was much colder. It is only 1.5km in each direction, so I figured it couldn't be so bad on such a short section. Little did I know that my hands would freeze very quickly. It was that cold. I felt they would just crack off like icicles.

The fact that I run in Vibram FiveFingers did not help. We were post-rain, so the ground was cold and wet. The FiveFingers were completely soaked, so my feet and body were that much colder.

Anyway, I made it through a pretty good run of 9km..

Me and the Car Windshield

I have recently been totally off schedule with my running. Too many things getting in the way of the schedule, along with general laziness.. After a bunch of days of not running, I went out this afternoon for a run. I planned for an 11-12km run, but when I started running I decided I would just do the whole loop and make it 18km.

As soon as I started the run I said to myself - amazing, I was born to run. All of the sudden I just felt great. The lethargy was gone, the aches and pains suddenly disappeared, and I just felt great. Not to worry - that feeling went away pretty quickly.

After a couple kilometers I suddenly felt like there was something wrong with my gait. My left leg was feeling overused and heavy. I kept trying to adjust but after short buts, I would be right back there. I thought about changing back to my original plans and turning around at kilometer 5 or 6 and cut it back down to about 12km, but decided to keep going.

The weather was unusual. It is hot and dry, but the air is thick. I can normally run 18km without a water break, no problem, but today my throat was very dry and uncomfortable.

Overall the run was great, albeit it tough. I made it up all the hills, both Zechariya and Tzeelim, without stopping, and I finished the run completely drenched in sweat - both from the heat and from the difficulty of my run.

So what does the title refer to - me and the car windshield? Well, I now know what it must feel like to be a car windshield. I dont remember a run in my past where I had so many bugs flying into my face during the run. I had bugs in my mouth, bugs slapping into my nose, arms, cheeks and glasses. It was disgusting. i dont know why they were out in full force tonight and why I kept running into them, but I felt like a car windshiel

A Good Hard Recovery Run

Still sore from Friday's exerting run, I went out today with a couple other guys for an easy paced 10km recovery run.

I must say, these guys dont know the definition of "recovery run" or "easy pace". I am a professional at running easy pace and recovery pace, and these guys dont know the first thing about it. We did not run hard, but about 2/3 of the run was at a normal pace (which for me is right now fairly fast and hard work), and only the hill sections were at a reasonably recovery pace.

It was tough, and my calves felt strained, but I managed 11km. The weather was nice, albeit a little bit warm, and the mountains and fields are green and in bloom. We ran a couple kilometers on the way back on a nice soft grassy trail.

Overall a good, hard recovery run.

New Route For 34km, Finishing At 31.5km

Friday's long run was absolutely amazing. Originally scheduled to be a 34km run to Rehovot, it was changed to a semi-local 34km run. I had not run all week, so I was really itching to get out. I had never run this route before, so I was looking forward to it.

The route was from Bet Shemesh to Tzomet Nachshon, to Latrun, then somehow to Al Derech Burma to end the run. It was unclear whether we would be running from Latrun via Highway 1 or if we would be finding our way via the trails.

I started the run from RBS with my running partner, and we ran hard. he is faster than me, and I suspected I would not be able to keep up, though he was planning on running a little bit slower than usual. The run included a few major hills, including at least leaving Bet Shemesh, the President's Forest climb, the Har'el climb, and perhaps more depending on the route.

The first 20km I ran very hard, a lot faster than normal. I paid for it in the second part of the run. The first half was great. I felt great, the pace was fast, and the weather and run were beautiful.

After a short water break at the Tzomet Nachshon gas station, we headed out toward Latrun. The Highway 3 was at an uphill gradient, and I started to struggle after a bit. I could feel wiped out from the first half running too fast. My running partner preferred to run through the trails rather than Highway 1, so we did. he had planned a route through Neve Shalom and the Burma Trail.

We took the turn-off from the highway at Neve Shalom and before we knew it, we saw a major climb ahead of us. The mountain toward Neve Shalom was a long and steep climb. It was tough, but we did it. After that was probably even a tougher section - trail.

The Burma trail is not bad terrain, but running it barefoot is still not easy. I had to run it at a very slow pace, constantly searching for good footing. Parts of it were smoother, and parts rougher, but the last 5km were slow going. It was also a bit painful, but not bad. The terrain and views were beautiful, and it ws nice to be on a new route that I had not run before.

I finished the run at 31.5km, and did not feel like extending it, due to sore feet, to complete the 34km.

Stretching Out a Twinge

This morning I went for a nice 11km run. We ran from Tzomet Ha'Elah through Park Brittania. We climbed Park Brittania until we hit the peak of the mountain. Then we ran out the northern entrance of the park and ran back around to Tzomet Ha'Elah.

The run was tough because of the steep and long hill climbs, as well the weather was not optimal. We beat the expected rains, but it was very windy.

This was my first run since Friday's 30km run. Due to some scheduling issues I have not been able to get out for a run. As well, near the end of Friday's run somethign started to hurt inside my ankle. I thought I would let it rest and heal, and my schedule allowed me to use that as an excuse. I went out today despite it still hurting and it was perfectly fine. As a matter of fact, now that I am post-run, I no longer feel the twinge I felt before. Maybe the run stretched it out.

Runnign 30km in wet weather

We planned to run 30km today, but it was going to be dependent on the weather. We have finally been having a rainy stretch, and the forecasts had more rain predicted for early morning today. So I met my running buddies at 5:35 AM to head out to run, and sure enough a nice and steady rain was coming down - not hard, not a downpour, but nice and steady. We decided running 30km in that would just get us sick, so we canceled.

The rain stopped shortly after, and the sky was clearing, so it looked promising. After the morning prayers we decided to try again. We ran out from RBS to Roglit-Neve Michael. The gate to the fields was locked so we had to climb over the fence. We ran through the vineyards, including the crazy 2km uphill, and all the way out through Givat Yeshayahu.

Overall we ran a nice pace, but we did not push ourselves too hard. Between the uphills, and the weather, we didn't overdo it. And we took generous water stops.

From there we dumped out on the 38 and it was starting to rain very lightly. We decided to head back rather than extend the run in the middle, and ran out to Elah Junction, where we stopped for a bathroom break at the gas station and to buy some drinks.

The next part is the hard part of the run, with the next 5km being a long uphill angle of highway.

By the time we were halfway across Road 10 towards RBS, the rain started coming down seriously. Running in the rain was not so bad, but the rain wasn't such a heavy rain either.

I got down to the bottom and hit 29km. I decided to extend it to hit 30. I ran past the shopping center, and then back to my house, pulling in right as my watch registered 30km.

All in all a great run, mostly "dryish".

Beautiful 10km Run, Seeing An Old Partner

With the forecast predicting two days of rain starting tomorrow, I considered taking advantage of a beautiful, albeit windy, day and running today, even though I ran last night. When one of my running partners sent me a message saying he'd like to go out for a run, I jumped at the bit and joined him.

A 7 - 9 km run turned into a 10.5km run. We decided we have run the standard "to the satellites and back" run too many times and needed a change. So, we ran around RBS and then down and up Tzeelim. It was a great run, with a tough uphill by the end (Tzeelim).

During the run we saw my first running partner ever also out on a run. At the time I was just starting out and was just about at the 10km distance. I went on a couple of group runs and those first group runs I ran with this partner, just because of our similar paces. This runner taught me a lot about starting running and how to gauge my abilities, and mostly gave me my early lesson in respecting every runner and their abilities and challenges, and not thinking you should run better than anyone specifically.

A Great Saturday Night Run Despite The Warning Of Arabs

Due to a combination of weather, work and laziness it has been a few days since I last ran. I was really itching to get out and run a bit. So i went out tonight and decided I would run longer than I normally run a=on a Saturday night, and run a bit harder (Saturday night is generally a recovery pace run).

I ran out on Kishon to the end, back and up Yarkon, out to Road 10 and out to the end of 10 by the junction with 375, back and finished the circuit of RBS, concluding at 12.3km.

It was such a pleasant evening that I saw lots of people taking advantage of it and getting some exercise outdoors. There were runners, walkers, people walking dogs, older people, middle aged, teenagers, husbands and wives, friends all out burning some Shabbos calories (if such a thing exists - dont we say that it doesnt count on Shabbos...).

An interesting incident, as I was running down towards Road 10, I was stopped by 2 young men running in the other direction. They wanted to warn me that they had just seen a group of about 20 Arabs down the road heading out into the field towards the area below RBS's Nehar HaYarden. They wanted to ensure I had a cellphone on me so I could call someone if I ran into trouble, and if not (I did not and told them so), to at least warn me to either turn around or be careful.

I chose to continue running - if we canceled our plans in fear every time we see an Arab, we would not get anything done. We are in a country that has Arabs, and we must figure out how to live our lives productively and not in fear. Yes, one should always be careful and wary of dangerous surroundings, but there was not anything specific in their warning that made me think I must turn around as danger is imminent.

And anyway, I figured that even if they jumped out at me and chased me to stab me, I could probably outrun them.

To Bet Shemesh And Back

I had a meeting last night in bet Shemesh, and decided I would turn it into, weather permitting, my Saturday night run. I would run to the meeting, meet, then run back to RBS.

No problem. The distance expected was 5.5km or so in each direction. The way there would be a breeze, with the run being mostly downhill, as RBS sits higher than BS. The way back would be difficult, as the uphill climb would be pretty serious.

I started out at 9 PM and ran to Bet Shemesh. As expected the way there was a breeze. Unfortunately, it was shorter than expected, and only came to just under 4.5km. I got to the meeting point, had a drink and shortly after everyone else came and we met.

When done, it took longer than expected, I headed back. The way back was difficult, but not as bad as I had expected. Maybe my recent increase in hill work is paying off.

The run was going to conclude at about 8.6km. I considered adding to the run a bit, to bump it up to 10km, but it was already late and I wanted to get home, so I left it at that...