Since I’ve been in Sevilla for over a month now, I have settled into a flexible schedule (somewhat of an oxymoron, but to live in Spain means to live without a set schedule). During the week I don’t have class until 11, so I usually get up around 8 to go for a run. There are lots of parks in Sevilla to run through, however they are usually pretty small and require a lot of laps around the park in order to get in a sufficient distance so I usually play connect the dots and hit up a couple parks on each run. Also, all of the paths through the parks are paved and there are no dirt or gravel trails, and even though Sevilla is completely flat I’m surprised I haven’t had any shin splint problems from only running on concrete. There is also a great bike path along the river that leads to a larger park (Parque Alamillo) but since it is about a 30 minute run just to get to the park I usually don’t get to run in the park except for when I have more time on the weekends.
Coming from a snowy and cold Wisconsin/Minnesota to Sevilla was like a major heat wave and I was shocked that to see runners here in full body spandex, running jackets, hats, and gloves when it was 50-60 degrees. Now that it is March, shorts and t-shirts are more acceptable but I definitely felt like I stood out my first few weeks here. Shorts and t-shirts, however, bring about another issue about running in Spain…for girls at least. Spanish boys (of all ages - including 80 year old men) and their catcalls and whistling are heard walking down the street in normal clothes, so wearing running shorts seems to only provoke them more. By running in the morning I can usually avoid this since not many people are out then, but I can’t think of a run I’ve had since being in Sevilla without this sort of attention.
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