Surrounded by the bustling city of Bangkok, Nancy dreams of mountain biking in the Outback. Ah, the good ol' days...

Journal by Nancy Olson, Photos by Todd Borgie, montage by Nancy Olson...

Lately, I have been feeling the emotional effects of being physically out of shape. I have lost all of the fitness I gained during my month-long cycle down the east coast of Australia, which is a shame, because I was pretty fit then. I had actually managed to hang on to that fitness by running each day in Brisbane, on the road, and in Cairns. Then, in the Outback, I managed a few runs and a few bike rides.

All the way across Australia, I was in fairly decent shape, though definitely on the decline, and then I mangled my ankle. Well, I’m normally one to run off an injury such as that, but this one was worse than any ankle twist I’ve had before, and I was out of commission until just after we arrived in Singapore. My left ankle, still marked by a large bump, was fat, swollen, and painful for weeks.

Now, I’m certain I can run on it, and I did ride my bike on it in Malysia with fair results, but I’m afraid to go running in the city of Bangkok. I go all over this city by myself, so that’s not really the problem. The problem is, 1) The traffic is ridiculous, and there’s nowhere that’s physically safe to run where I wouldn’t be mowed over by a tuk-tuk or taxi or food cart, and 2) I always feel like a complete whacko running through crowds of people who aren’t used to having people run through them. Maybe if I weren’t the Great White Red-Head who sticks out in a city of Asians like a sore thumb, I wouldn’t be self-conscious. I just don’t want to draw THAT MUCH attention to myself.

So, I’m lamenting my poor fitness level. I have had to alter my dietary intake, because, at 31, I’m prone to “inflation” if I don’t exercise regularly. What can I say? I like to eat! I realized that the seemingly healthy soups and stir-fry dishes here are heavily infused with sugar, because Thai people, like me, have an intense sweet tooth! So, those delicious things must be consumed in moderation. I hate moderation!

I was asked the other day what I most miss about home. Easy question, if you want the short answer: I miss my family and friends and their conservative political ways… But the other part of the answer is that I miss, very terribly, the sport of adventure racing. It is the world’s greatest sport, and I ache to compete, or even just to train for an adventure race. The sport combines all sorts of weekend-warrior activities, such as mountain biking, trekking, running, paddling, climbing, rappelling (abseiling to Brits), orienteering, and other outdoor activities. Because these are all events that adventure racers love to do in their free time, anyway, training for an adventure race is just incredibly fun. And the race itself, while excruciating, is the ultimate physical challenge and the ultimate thrill for participants, who normally compete in teams of four.

So, here I am in Bangkok, a city of some 16 million, pining for the day when we will move to a beach, or somewhere less congested, so I can hop on my bike or go for a morning run. Sometimes, I even allow myself to dream of the day when we will be home and I can ride my bike throughout the mountains around San Jose, Los Gatos, and the Bay Area.

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