This morning, I got to experience the Car Free Day in Jakarta. It was perfect to go for a long run with the crowd and then head back to enjoy a big, sumptuous hotel brunch.
After Lombok, we arrived in Jakarta yesterday and checked in at the Pullman. The hotel is on one of the city’s most developed streets, Jalan M. H. Thamrin. On a typical day, traffic is busy, and you can see why Jakarta is famous for traffic jams and pollution.
But not this morning. Every Sunday from 6 to 11 am, this road is closed to cars and bikes (except for public buses, which have their lanes), and a sea of people walk, cycle, and march on the street. It was quite an amazing scene.
I left the hotel around 6:20 a.m. I wish I had left sooner, but we came home later from another amazing day with friends. Given my race next weekend, I did not want to compromise on sleep, especially during travels, when my little girl constantly wakes me up in the middle of the night.
As soon as I got on the street, I enjoyed running in the middle of a one-way street with other runners, overtaking walkers, and making way for cyclists. I spotted many photographers on the road. I would run towards someone with a camera every several minutes, taking shots at passers-by. Most of them sat next to a sign spelled out their Instagram handle. I snapped photos of them to check their Instagram accounts later to see if I could find my photo. I also noticed that many of them use the FotoYu app, which lets you find photos of you uploaded by these guys. I’m intrigued, but I’m already back home, out of Indonesia, as I write this.
I kept my run light. My shoes were not in great condition. I wondered if I’d been too easy on myself. I was torn about whether I should push myself harder. Interestingly, I don’t care about the pace much when I go for a long run on the weekend.
My wife texted asking when I would be back. I said 10 minutes and finished my run at a modest 13km. I should have started the run earlier and enjoyed at least a half marathon. Once again, during the run, I felt similar to when I did the run in Lombok two days ago. The two runs are completely different, one in solitude and one in a carnival atmosphere. However, I could have missed either experience if I ended up sleeping in. I realized that I rarely regret leaving the house too early. I usually wish I had woken up earlier or gotten ready for the run or bike faster. It’s a game of mental toughness and preparation.
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