Bugolobi

Bugolobi is not as bad to run in as I had feared. On the other hand, it is not very exciting compared to Ntinda and Naguru and Kololo.

I have two different laps that I can combine to make up the distance I need to run. One lap is to the left when I come out of the gate. It is 1.6 kilometers long and can be 2 kilometers long if I run down a side road. The other lap, to the right, is 4,5 kilometers long. Both laps are tarmacked road. The longer one is hilly, but nowhere near as hard as the hills in any of the other places I have been running. The shorter one has insignificant inclines.

Because of the lack of proper hills, the views are quite disappointing. But I have found one spot, where, if timed properly, I get to see the sun set over the silhouettes of Kampala. It is stunning. And I guess I can't really ask for much more.

The terrain and the lack of views are not the only problems. Neither are they the biggest problem. The biggest problem is the people in this neighborhood. Being a lot more expensive than Ntinda, the interaction with the people in the street is almost non-existent. No one's calling out "well done" or "muzungu"; only few greet me. More or less like it would be to go for a run in Copenhagen. However, I am determined to change that! I greet all fellow runners. Those struggling I cheer on. I also greet most of the guards who are idling in front of their respective gates. And I greet the people who look like they might live within a range of of a couple of houses from our house. That makes it a lot of greeting and I hope that it will eventually make running here a little more enjoyable.

This evening I ran 17 kilometers in 1 hour and 27 minutes. Not fast enough. But it was very hot and humid and that does slow me down on the longer distances. If only I could run with no T-shirt on. But I can't. More about the next time!

Marathon Madsen