‣ 10.3 mile run
‣ Up to the North Western Viennese foothills
Today's run started with the mindset that I would run away from the city center and towards the outer districts of Vienna. My last run was a learning lesson, teaching me that the closer I get to the center of the city the more crosswalks I will have to wait for and people I will have to dodge. The sights were of course beautiful but it was not comfortable for sustained long distance running.
I ran through a mixture of industrial and early 20th century residential streets. At one point I passed the Ottakringer brewery that was emitting some very peaty, earthy smells.
As I ran, I listened to "Only if for a Night" by Florence and the Machine as I let my legs guide me randomly in the direction of the hills. The beat of the song synced up perfectly with my cadence, which was satisfying. I listened to the lyrics and they made me think of Vienna at the very end of WWII. They go, "It was oh so strange, and so surreal, that ghost should be so practical, only if for a night". I've always mistaken the lyric "ghost" for "girl" and so my interpretation is much more haunting I think. The Russian soldiers conquering Vienna found a horrifying practicality in those girls.
I also thought a lot about my journey through weight loss in my life. Being obese like I was in the past would have made running up the many hills today impossible. The thought that having so fewer carbons, hydrogens, and oxygens associated with me makes such a difference in my life quality is astounding. In this case I've become more by being less.
Contrasts fascinate me. I made my way north west away from Vienna and stumbled upon a large cemetery.
There was a very steep hill that I decided to run up through the cemetery, and as I was doing so I thought about my hard breathing and my fast heartbeat. I felt so alive and all my vital signs were at max in stark contrast to all those dead lying around me. Just a thought.
By the time I got up the hill I realized I had gained enough elevation to start really seeing the city. This motivated me to run as far up as I could to get the best possible view. On google maps I noticed something higher up in my vicinity called Pötzleinsdorfer Schlosspark, which was certainly worth checking out. And that's how I found one of my favorite spots in Vienna. I have the coordinates to the spot in the park I found with the view of the city, and some day I will return.
The park offered some interesting sights, namely the statues that were once displayed prominently on the Viennese theater in the 19th century.
The last notable thing from my run was the affluent neighborhood I went through to get back to Kandlegasse. The houses were opulent and large, and the streets were lined with trees giving dappled shade. The whole area was quite idyllic.
When I finally got back to the apartments I had an hour to get ready and then we were off to Klosterneuburg.
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