Peace with the Wind, Peace with the Dogs

Daily miles: 31.05 | Total miles: 11,356.42

I got up at 6 a.m. and quietly had a cold coffee, got dressed, packed, and prepared for the day. Just after 7 a.m., I stepped out of the van. It was still a little dark, so I put on my headlamp and felt grateful to be running along the coast, welcoming a beautiful sunrise.

Right away, I noticed how different it felt compared to the day before — it was clearly not as cold. As I started running, it felt like I was moving through a warm microclimate. After just a few miles, I took off my jacket. To my right, steep cliffs; to my left, the ocean. A stunning way to begin the day.

At mile 11, my sister came cruising by. A short pit stop, a few words exchanged, and I was off again. The next stretch turned colder as the route moved more inland. The wind picked up and felt icy, making running into it a real effort. Still, by now this kind of weather feels familiar. It makes things harder, yes, but it doesn’t really bother me. It simply is what it is. I didn’t want to stop to change layers, so I kept running steadily with my gloves on.

One thing that always annoys me when it’s cold and windy is my nose — it starts running constantly, even though nothing really comes out. I feel like I have to blow my nose all the time. But I know this by now and deal with it more calmly than I used to.

I crossed a bridge and wanted to take a photo, but with ice-cold hands — even with gloves — using a phone is surprisingly difficult. I had to really focus, but I managed. Just after the bridge, I spotted a lion statue. To me, it looked a bit like a dog, and I took it as an opportunity to make peace with all the dogs of Greece — past and future. Later I looked it up and learned it’s the Lion of Amphipolis.

Not long after that moment of symbolic peace, reality returned. About 500 meters down the road, one dog started barking, then two more joined. I crossed to the other side of the road, but two of them came very close and started sniffing my hands. I didn’t like that at all. Thankfully, the owner appeared just in time and called them back. I was relieved.

When my sister came by again, I got into the van. Adam, who lives right there, warmly invited us into his mother’s house for tea. I needed to continue running, but my sister stayed behind and shared a tea with him and his mother. When she left, they gifted her homemade pastries and olive oil — such a kind and generous gesture.

Shortly after I left the van for the second time, I encountered another dog on the road. It was jumping up at passing cars, almost as if that was its game. I remember thinking that the dog might have some kind of mental health issue, but at least it seemed occupied with the cars. As soon as it noticed me, though, it ran straight towards me. I quickly realized that it wanted to jump up at me as well.

The dog jumped repeatedly, once with its face very close to mine. I turned my head away and quietly asked it to please go away, repeating myself calmly. It didn’t feel aggressive, more playful perhaps, but I didn’t feel comfortable. I kept walking forward, staying as calm as I could. Eventually, the dog lost interest, returned to the road, and continued jumping at the cars.

The final 11 miles felt warmer again than the middle section, though it’s clearly still winter. Later, when my sister stopped again, she needed to fill up the gas tank, and I met Apostolis. Eventually, we drove to a parking lot where we plan to stay for the night. Let’s see if it works — flexibility remains essential.

Dinner tonight was a simple but nourishing spread: lettuce salad with eggs and pumpkin seed oil, potatoes, zucchini, cheese, olives, and tea.

Thanks for checking in, Andrea