Correr y Dientes

I've been running up Cerro San Cristobal three or four times per week for the past 10 weeks and have gotten into pretty good shape.  This weekend is a 10k that I signed up for - Corrida Facultad de Odontologia Universidad de Chile - the University of Chile Dental School Run.  Yes, it caught my eye being the Dental School Run.  Erin and I walked there about 6 weeks ago when I first heard about it as it is one of very few runs you can sign up for in person without a RUT card (Chilean ID).

One of the interesting things about this is that it is to a large degree a run through more of a slum area of Santiago.

It may be depressed, but they still have satellite tv!  In one stretch you get a very nice view of the Andes.

About a week ago I was 2.5 miles into an interval workout and pulled my hamstring.  I took 5 days off and then went out for an easy 3 miler.  A few aches and pains, but things went okay.  I went out the next day for the same 3 miler and half way through both hamstrings went.  I ended up walking home from a run for the second time in my life.  The next day I could only walk 2 blocks and so Erin went to the Clinical Santa Maria for me and got an ACE bandage.  The following day I was in better shape and picked up a couple more.  The compression helps considerably and mentally I want to give the 5k a shot.  I ran a 7k a month or so ago and got second in my age group and this time really feel primed.  Coming across the street last night we had to pick up the pace to make the light and it was a no go.  With the race only 36 hours off I know it too is a no go.  The 5 days I took off last week was for much less off an issue than this time, and perhaps what concerns me more is that I may not be able to run Cerro San Cristobal again before I leave as this likely will be much more than a 5 day break.

This is the street I was trying to run across.  It is worth clicking the video to play it as it is one of Chile's famous crosswalk jugglers - this guy juggles fire.

Just to throw in a few random things...one Chilean meal that we have is called Cazuela de Vacuno.  It pretty much is everything you can think of - a chunk of beef, corn on the cob, rice, potato, slice of pumpkin, cilantro, thinly sliced carrots, french cut green beans, and tomato.

You may notice the little containers of salsa and slices of lime - common to put on your bread.  The stout in the mug is cheaper than water...my excuse anyway.  I scored one of the mugs for $5 mil ($10).

When you walk the seemingly innocent streets around Bella Vista, more often than not this is what is on the steering wheel.

Sorry for the glare, but it is a club to keep the car from being stolen.  About two-thirds of the cars I looked in had some form of this.

To wrap things up - the other day was the first time I'd seen someone playing basketball.  Every other time I've seen someone here they are playing soccer.

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