LetsRun.com Goes To Jamaica – Jamaica Day 1: Arrival Day: Running Shirtless, Commando In Pants In Jamaica, On A Treadmill At 10pm
by Steve Soprano
March 23, 2014
LRC note: Empolyee 1.1 Contractor 1.1, Steve Soprano, had never left the USA until this January. After travelling to World Indoors in Sopot, Poland two weeks ago, he had a one week stint at 2014 NCAA Indoors in Albuquerque, NM, and now he’s off to Jamaica for the IAAF’s Caribbean Day in the Life Project where he will spend the next 7-days in Jamaica meeting some of the world’s top sprinters like Yohan Blake and Shelly-Anne Fraser-Pryce and giving you an inside glimpse at their daily routine and training regimen. Steve will try and write a day-by-day journal plus provide more in depth coverage once he returns.
The IAAF had a similar program a few years ago in Kenya where we spent 20 days in Kenya with the likes of Geoffrey Mutai, Moses Mosop, Wilson Kipsang, David Rudisha, Mary Keitany: LetsRun.com Goes To Kenya – IAAF Day in the Life Kenya.
Kingston, Jamaica – I’m officially an international traveler now as my bags have been lost.
The program officially starts tomorrow so today was about getting settled. Everything started smoothly. I left Saturday at 9PM from Flagstaff. After a quick flight to Phoenix, I traveled overnight from Phoenix to Miami and finally to Kingston arriving at about 11AM local time. However, they’ve lost the only bag I brought (which has all my clothes, toiletries and even my contact lenses) and can’t tell me where it is. I am down to essentials – my computer, cell phone, and the clothes on my back (running pants, running shoes, and a shirt).
After getting to the hotel, taking a nap, and surveying the area, it was time for dinner. Dominos Pizza it was. I’ve got a full week for Jamaican cuisine.
After dinner, my bag was still no where to be seen and I still had to get my run in as it was 10 pm. I opted to just hit up the hotel’s treadmill rather than go get lost at night on the streets of Kingston at 10pm shirtless and in long running pants. I went to the hotel gym and proceeded to complete one of the most oddly dressed runs of my life. No shirt (I need to keep the only shirt I own right now non-sweaty), no socks, no underwear (TMI?), running shoes, and running pants. The room had good AC so the pants weren’t that uncomfortable, although they were absolutely drenched by the time I finished my easy 60-minutes and my heels/toes were blistering from the lack of socks. Hopefully my bag arrives tomorrow because unless this hotel has laundry facilities, those running pants are shot for the week. Thankfully FloTrack’s Gordon Mack loaned me a pair of shorts to wear tomorrow, but I don’t think he wants me running commando in his cargo shorts.
Tomorrow is a fairly light day as we’ll be checking out the IAAF High Performance Training Center and interviewing JAAA President Dr. Warren Blake. More updates to come, some pictures below.
Editor’s note: We had no idea why Steve didn’t run with socks or underwear and feared he didn’t travel with them. Upon our asking him, he said he was wearing underwear on the flight but didn’t want to dirty the one pair he had. As for socks, he went with the sandals route on the plane.
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- They drive on the wrong side of the road here.
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- We had to take a detour as they were cleaning the dust off the roads
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- The Spanish Court
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- My hotel room.
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- My work station for the week.
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- Cutting Down Energy Costs: You need your key card to turn on the power … this means the AC goes off when you leave the room and it’s a million degrees when you get back. Also the computer you left plugged in and charging is now completely dead. Great idea.
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- Not the best view out my window.
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- My Clothes… I Better Not Meet the Head of the JAA in These
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- Yes, I decided to be boring and ordered Dominos for dinner. I figured I’ll have all week to try the local stuff.
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- Old School Domino’s Box
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- Dinner of Champions
Editor’s note: LetsRun.com paid for Steve to get to Jamaica. The IAAF pays for Steve’s accommodations and in country travel while in Jamaica. They have no say on what he publishes.