Staying Fit

I was warned well in advance I probably would not be able to run in Windhoek. It’s unusual, and people might think I’m crazy, which is fine by me, the problem is that it’s actually not safe. I’ve been warned numerous times not to go out when the “streets are quiet” – both before and after work, unfortunately, especially since it’s winter here and the daylight hours are very limited. It doesn’t quite make sense to me – if I’m running, I’m obviously not carrying valuables with me (I wouldn’t take my ipod or anything, just my keys)… I figured I could at least go on the weekend, but everyone I’ve talked to has strongly advised me against it and as much as it stinks, I don’t want to put myself in a dangerous situation. White, female, and solo makes me a target for trouble, I’ve been told.

It’s really too bad. With the mountains and hills in the distance, this would be a gorgeous place to run. I’ve been running almost every day since I graduated from high school and I don’t know how I’m going to go almost twelve weeks without it. We ran in the cold and through the snow at Colgate, I woke up at 5:45 to run six days a week in Perpignan, I ran through the humidity in DC, and even ran on my hotel treadmills in Shanghai (I hate treadmills) – I’ve never gone more than a few days at a time without running.

There are two gyms in Windhoek. Nucleus Fitness is actually really close to Puccini House, maybe a ten minute walk? It’s pretty small, and filled with mostly weights and men, but they do have some treadmills, stationary bikes, step machines, and aerobics classes at 5:30pm each weekday. The problem, again, is safety. I could probably walk there from work, but it’d be dark coming home, and I’ve heard some bad stories about the public cabs, and I’m extra nervous by myself at night. Taking a private cab every day is too expensive – the gym itself is more expensive than I thought, N$450 for the month, about $60. That’s what I’d pay in DC, but adding the cost of transport and the risk factor, I’m not sure.

I did bring a bunch of fitness DVDs from home, Jillian Michael’s Banish Fat and Boost Metabolism, The Firm Cardio Challenge, Denise Austin Hit the Spot Pilates, MTV Pilates Mix, Crunch Power Yoga, and 10-minute solution: Abs. So far, I’ve been doing one a day in my room. It’s not running, and I think the staff here thinks I’m crazy, but it’s something to stay active, till I figure out what makes sense to stay in shape.