A Better Bike Ride and a Rabbit Trail

Sunday was a glorious day for a bike ride along the river, my first since my accident.  The breeze was just enough to keep one from getting to  warm when dressed down to a light sweater.  I didn’t take any chances, but didn’t ride like an invalid either.  Here I am after we are done, just to prove that I made it in one piece:

Don’t worry, I only took my helmet off when we were back at the apartment…

It wasn’t nearly enough exercise for Greg, though, as you may well guess.  A couple of hours later, he rode for about an hour straight up hill to meet a running group that he has been trying out recently.  Once there, he ran ‘chasing the rabbit’ for about an hour and a half.  The deal is that they rotate members of the group going ahead  with a couple bags of flour for marking the course.  An unpredictable and sometimes broken and mystery course.  These breaks are on purpose, to add to the fun and give the runners behind a chance to catch up.  What happens is that every so often the chalk mark ends with a big circled X.  Then the runners have to search within a given perimeter to pick up the scent again.  Those who find it usually leave directions for those behind them.
Greg’s first run with this group was a beach trip in the middle of December.  They left Taipei on a bus around 2 PM.  Greg hadn’t learned about ‘the rabbit’ yet, so he thought he’d be home much sooner.  He also didn’t know they hang out for a meal together afterwards.  And no one knew there would be an accident on the freeway resulting in an extra 2 hour detour for the bus ride home.  He finally returned home around 11:30 PM.  Here is a picture from near the end of the beach run.  The starting point was off in the horizon at the beach.  He said there were very challenging slick, steep muddy slopes and rocky river beds.

His second attempt to run with the group, last Wednesday, was a little scary to hear about.  It was an evening run from Taipei, but up into the muddy, largely isolated, stray dog inhabited, thickly green paths on a large hill near here.  He didn’t find the group, but he found the rabbit trail, so he ran by himself in the dark.  He accidentally passed them at their meal on the way home and learned how he had missed them and how to make connections next time.

To finish up, here are some photos the run this Sunday.  They let the women have a 10-15 minute head start.

And the men are off!  Greg stays to the back some, but he’s going to be about third out of about 40 to finish the course when he gets done being ‘social.’

Into the thick of it –

Runners  cooperatively looking for the rabbit trail:

Looking down at the starting point.

Yes, this is part of the route –

Go look in that dark hollow in the center of the picture for the trail….

Through the calla lily farms,

Here is a classic picture, unless you are picky about power lines:

Yes, go this way –

Don’t miss the view from the bridge!

Let me take your picture before I pass you.

Getting closer

The finish line.  The restaurant was expecting them.  Greg didn’t stay for dinner because he was getting cold and he wanted to get home before it got dark.

He’s on his bike, but not in the picture.

Time for a ride home in the damp, cold wind.