Running in Macedonia

So today was supposed to be a momentous day for me- the day I ran my first marathon.  A large group of volunteers raced the 5K and half marathon, and two volunteers raced the full marathon in Skopje.  It was a gorgeous day for a race, and the contestants could not ask for better weather.  However, while I had registered for the marathon at the beginning of the year, I was forced to opt out due to injuries that I incurred at the beginning of April.

Participants in the Skopje Marathon 2014.  Picture compliments of MAK18 Kelly R.

Now it is probably not a surprise that the running culture can be pretty vibrant in the Peace Corps world.  I read through a blog about a volunteer and former classmate from college that ran with a group of volunteers during training in his host country of Guinea (in Africa).  Since many host countries lack gymnasiums or facilities that accommodate leisurely exercising, running is the cheap, old fashion way for many PCVs to stay healthy and fit.  It is also a beautiful way to explore one’s country and enjoy the natural environment surrounding one’s site.

Now there are probably some dangers that other PCVs probably face in other countries that we do not face in Macedonia.  These may include mosquitos that carry malaria or other diseases, wild animals, and maybe even bandits.  Luckily, since Macedonia is a bit more of a developed country, I never have to worry about these possible dangers during my runs, although my host parents during training had warned me about where I ran in the case that I ran into wolves (though I never encountered any).

However, Macedonia has some dangers of its own of which every runner must be aware.  It is important to note that the only city that has allocated special running or biking paths is Skopje, the capital.  Ohrid and Struga come close due to the lakeside path.  Bitola is the only other contender since it has a larger park that somebody can run around to wrack up some distance.  Otherwise, urban running in Macedonia is unheard of, as most streets lack pedestrian walkways, excepting the main throughways.  Therefore, serious, long-distance running is only possible by forging a path through the countryside of one’s village or town.  Since most volunteers must take their running to the countryside, they must be cautious of two major threats to their personal safety.

1. Cars.  Most volunteers (that I know of) avoid running on highways, with traffic speeding by at 70 km/h.  Instead, there are plenty of formal roads that run outside of each town and lead to nearby villages.  Since the only cars traveling on these roads are locals aiming to travel to the smaller villages or to the fields, traffic along these roads is sparse.  However, the occasional cars that pass during a run still drive at 30-50 km/hr, depending on the road.  Therefore, it is important for the runners to run on the periphery of the road and to take extreme caution when passing through the bends.  Also, most of these smaller roads lack street lamps, so it is impossible to run at night. 

When I was living at my training site in Lozovo, I would keep track of when the sun set and rose so that I knew when it was safe to run.  The trail linked Lozovo, a small town, to its smaller, neighboring town of Milino.  The only cars that would pass me would be villagers traveling to their tobacco fields, or kombi transportation that would pick up or drop off villagers (mostly children) early in the morning or right after the end of the working day.

2. Dogs.  So while most PCVs in Macedonia are safe from the danger of wild animals while running, all must be aware of dogs.  Even before arriving in country, I asked our Facebook group if there was anything to be prepared for while running, and the most pressing threat voiced by the volunteers were dogs.  Now the first thought that may come to the minds of Americans reading this post may be, “Oh jeez, how many stray dogs are there in Macedonia?”  Actually, quite a lot.  But surprisingly, stray dogs are actually pretty benign.  Most roam the city streets scavenging for food among the dumpsters, and most avoid human contact.  Rather, the dogs to be afraid of are the tame, shepherd dogs that roam the countryside.  Since their job is to keep the sheep, goats, or other herds safe, they will regard encircling a running human and barking, and maybe even biting, that human as success.  The danger of being cornered by these dogs is probably the threat that agitates paranoia and fear into every PCV runner.

This second danger inadvertently led to the injury that prevented me from running the Skopje marathon that took place today.  As I mentioned in a previous blog post (the one about my hike up to Marko’s Tower), I was able to find the perfect running trails that were both close to home and that seemed safe.  They would split after the nearby village, Varosh, run parallel Northwest from Prilep, and then converge again into a road that led up the mountain to the famous Macedonian monastery called Treskavec.  At first I scouted the lower road, which was due East of the higher road.  This led me past a few farms along a bumpy, dirt trail that would destroy any sedan traveling more than 10 km/hr.  The road was both beautiful and peaceful, and I did not have to worry at all about any car speeding past or toward me.  However, as I was about to hit my turning point, I noticed that two monster dogs were running toward me from a farm along the trail.  As they approached the trail just 10 meters ahead of me, I knew that I could not run any further without being ambushed by these dogs.  Thus, a limit was set for me on this trail.

Since I wanted to challenge myself with a longer distance for the marathon, I knew that I needed to scout the other trail to the West.  So one day I decided to run it to the point of convergence.  The first leg of the trail was peaceful, as I ran past farms within the same valley.  However, the trail eventually led past a cemetery, and then it turned into a concrete road more suitable for fast driving.  This road was the recently constructed highway that led to Treskavec.  At first I was cautious about running on a highway with turns and dips that could lead to my disaster.  However, while running on this path for the first time, I was somewhat surprised to find that only one car had passed me during the duration of my run on that road.  I was only able to deduce logically from then that this road, though facilitating faster driving, was infrequently used, so I had less to fear from speedy cars.

I ran on that trail a few times during the end of March, enjoying the peaceful scenery and uninterrupted challenge.  The road eventually ascended about 20 kilometers, so at first I needed to stop due to the challenge of the steep ascents.  I named the most challenging ascent that was located near the end of the road “the wall” since the gradient was probably near 40 to 45 degrees.  Yet after a few runs I became confident as I could finish the run without stopping. 

However, one day my lower right leg started hurting, and without heeding the pain, one of my runs ended horribly with me limping back home.  Deep descents on concrete road with minimalist shoes was the perfect formula for a foe that I had not encountered since high school- shin splints.  I fought shin splints twice in high school, on both shins at the front of my legs, so I knew that it is possible to run through them.  Those who have had shin splints on the tibia know that one can run with shin splints without pain, and the agony comes when walking or standing.  However, this was the first time that I ever had shin splints on the Fibula (outer part of the shin, just above my right ankle), so the agony was present whenever I walked or ran.  Thus, I have not run since, and it was not until returning from Bulgaria that I no longer limp and can finally walk pain free.

So, in the end, I hope my experience provides caution to those hoping to run in the Peace Corps.  Although my injury started by the threat of dogs along my running path, I was finally taken down by concrete slopes.  Hopefully I can start running again soon, and maybe I can share the sheer beauty of these running trails through pictures.  Until then, I look forward to the day when I can, as my old track coach used to say, “pick them up and set them down.”