Moving Forward, Step by Step

Daily miles: 30.14 | Total miles: 11,418.95

I got up just after 6am. Cold coffee, getting ready, the usual routine. I didn’t want to leave as early as the day before, so I waited until it started to get light. Before heading out, I took a few pictures and walked quietly through the small town toward the main road, keeping an eye on the dogs. Some of them barked very loudly, and I’m sure most of the town was awake by the time I passed through.

Once on the main road, I started running. Not far in, I saw two dogs ahead on my side of the road. I crossed to the other side and slowed to a walk. Both dogs started barking, and one of them ran straight toward me. Whistling and holding my hand up didn’t make much difference. It kept coming closer and tried to jump up. I protected my hands and kept moving forward, asking it calmly to leave me alone. It stayed beside me, then right behind me. It may have been friendly, but running with a dog right behind me isn’t something I handle well. After about a mile, it lost interest and I was able to run again.

Shortly after, I passed a house with a fence and an open gate. A big dog was lying there, and suddenly another dog came from the road, barking loudly, with three puppies following. The barking dog ran through the open gate, but the puppies stayed with me. One of them followed closely, dancing around my legs. I was worried the mother might come after me, so I moved on carefully until the puppy finally stayed behind.

There were a few more dog encounters along the way—some barking, some just watching. I never quite know what to expect, so I stayed alert. When I reached a hill, I walked, passed a few dogs calmly, and took in the view. It helped to slow things down.

At the top of the hill, the van appeared. A short break, good vibes, and then I was off again. The next ten miles had fewer dogs, though still a few. The last ten miles were more demanding: light drizzle, narrow roads, and quite a bit of traffic. I focused on staying to the side of the road and reminded myself that being out here, running my world run, is still a privilege.

When I arrived, I was handed a protein shake, and then we drove back toward Thessaloniki. I had decided not to run into the city itself. A few days earlier, I had connected with the Health Runners Club of Thessaloniki, and Dimitris, the club’s president, asked what I might need. I mentioned a shower, laundry, and maybe dinner together.

When we arrived at Dimitris’s place, he showed us where he works, let us shower, recharge my devices, and offered sweet traditional pastries. We then went to a restaurant to meet others from the club. We met Iraklis, Kostas, Eni, and two children. Amazing vegetarian food was ordered, and we spent the evening talking, laughing, and sharing stories. On the side, we even managed to do some laundry.

It was a wonderful evening and a very generous welcome. Afterward, we drove back to the place where I’ll start running again tomorrow.

Time for sleep now.

Thanks for checking in.

Thank you, Health Runners of Thessaloniki.

See you tomorrow, Andrea