In Singapore, I used to run from troubles – literally. Working and studying for master degree is a hectic job, hence I run to release the stress. Starting from a simple 1 km run, I gradually improved until managed to run 7 km once or twice weekly. At that time, I either run in parks or roadsides in the evening.
Running in Bandung is not as simple as in Singapore. The parks are often overcrowded with people as it also serves as a market; while the roadsides are polluted with gas emission from vehicles. Plus, my tight schedule in Unpar and KIRI prevent me for finding a perfect time for running, other than weekends.
Early January, the semester hadn’t started yet, so I tried something new: running from home to my office at Unpar. I put my office outfit and bathing tools at the office days before, and during the run day I only brought a small bag with minimum stuffs inside.
I started from home around 7 AM, one hour later than planned before. The track started with small roads, where people looked at me with curiosity. While running is getting popular in Jakarta & Bali, but not yet in Bandung.
Crossing Asia-Afrika Street, I had to use the pedestrian bridge. To my surprise, the bridge is three levels high, and I had to climb up to the third level to cross the street. Not bad for a warm up, eh?
The small roads ended, and I started running at main roads like Wastukencana and Pajajaran. The main roads had their own challenges: pollution. Smokes from vehicles worried me for negative healthy effects, and the noisy engine sound disturbed my concentration. However, they were still in reasonable level.
The track was getting tougher when approaching Cihampelas: this road goes upward. Additionally, the roadside of Cihampelas are either broken or filled with illegal shops so I had to be very careful not to fall down. The traffic were getting heavier too, so I tried to use a mask that I prepared earlier. However, rather than helping, it only made breathing more difficult.
Cihampelas almost ended, and I was approaching Ciumbuleuit: the last stride before reaching Unpar. However, I was quite exhausted, and this last road was even more inclined than Cihampelas. I finally decided to stop there and had breakfast at Pizza Hut to recharge.
In the end, I still need a machine to transport me to office. I took a small bus (angkot) to climb Ciumbuleuit.
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