The Big Sweaty Weekly: The day Gavin didnt die

This weekend we went to Siem Reap for the 17th annual Angkor Wat Half Marathon and 10K. Gavin registered for the 1/2, and I signed up for the 10K. We have been trying to train, against Phnom Penh's best efforts to keep us inside and on the couch. The main obstacles have been the total lack of green space and "sidewalks", the heat, solid concrete roads, and the exhaust from congested streets. Despite all that junk, we've done some good early Sunday morning runs and made a couple of trips to Olympic Stadium. To be honest though, and this comes from the President of the tidy ranks of the Gavin Ford Fan Club, I really didnt feel good about his chances of staying alive through 13 miles of running. More about that later.

Beyond Gavin ultimately not falling apart at the knees and dying (spoiler alert), I was surprised by how much we loved Siem Reap. They have done a very nice job of keeping the city green and inviting for tourists. Under the guise of being Olympic athletes, we spent all non-race time being super lazy and "saving our legs" for the big game. We got two days of massages for $10 or under (I really dont know how we'll ever move back to the States), had delicious cheap food, took lazy walks, and sat by the pool. Our hotel was, true to Cambodia style, not perfect. Every hotel here has to have some imperfection, usually in the form of a drain issue or toilet that just smells like pee all the time. Ours had both, but also had a sweet staff and bangin pool setup. Trade offs.

Race day was fantastico! A tuk tuk picked us up at 5:15am to head to Angkor Wat, about 20 minutes away. The ride there was almost worth the whole day. A caravan of hundreds of tuk tuks in the pitch black morning zooming up to the temple grounds, which is one of the few places in Cambodia actually protected from deforestation and general destruction. Super-fun-giddy time! As we pulled up and walked to the main race area, the sun had begun to rise over the main temple of Angkor Wat. Pretty awesome way to start the day. Gavins race took off at 6:30, and mine followed at 6:40.

Here's what I'll say about the racing. Running is the worst. It's really terrible stuff. I did the 10K, didnt walk at all, and thoroughly enjoyed the incredible feeling of running with close to 2,000 other people around one of the worlds most magical places, but my body wasn't thrilled about it. Regardless, I finished in a respectable time and had a great day. Gavin also made it! For a guy that hasn't run more than 5 miles in at least three years, to just knock out 13 in under 2 hours was pretty impressive. I will keep him as my bread winner.

Lots of other stuff is happening as well, but I cant remember any of it. I think I'll have a job one day! Maybe the title of that blog will be "The day Leah was voted President of an island off of coastal Cambodia". The possibilities are endless.

Pictures! Disclaimer- most were taken from phones, sometimes while running so they aren't the greatest...