Ohh Pondy

Let's talk crazy 3 day weekend. So we just got back from Pondicherry/Auroville 2 nights ago and it was intense. I was the one in charge of planning everything and so now I'm glad it is over and it went pretty well...although my inbox isn't full of the taxi and race registration guy's emails anymore since I kept asking more questions.
So the weekend started at 6:15 when we left our flat on Saturday morning. The night before I had only gotten 4 hours of sleep because I figured I could sleep on the train. I had forgotten that it usually takes me about 2 days to have that sleep catch up with me and so the 20 hour train ride seemed longer that it should of had to. It was neat looking at all of the scenery though and it was good bonding time :)I went with the 4 other girls in my program. We arrived in Villupuram at about 3 a.m. where our taxi man met us. He drove us to Auroville about an hour away and then drove us around looking for the race for about another hour. There was some miscommunication there. I don't know where he thought we wanted to go-we never did figure that out-but finally he asked somewhere where to go and luckily he asked when we were next to him-he didnt get out of the car-because then we could correct his question. We reached the race at 4:45 so we got to see the start of the marathon.
Then an hour later-at 6 am-my race started. It was weird in the beginning trying to find my pace since I'd never run more than 10 miles and that might have been once this past cross season maybe and I hadn't run more than 6 or 7 miles in the past 1.5 months...that one time on the track. hahaha soo yeah, I was well prepared. It was a really awesome race though! There was maybe 300 runners total there-marathon, half, 10K, 5K and 2K included. It wasn't a very spectator-friendly course but it was nicer that way I think. I ran through forests and got to see a large chunk of Auroville and since I ran the half I got to see just as much as the full marathoners and more than the other races because the full just ran the half course twice. I ended up running a 1:56 which I don't know what kind of min/miles that is but I think for not training much, sleeping 6.5 hours the two previous nights, eating only peanut butter sandwiches and being on a train the whole previous day-it was a splendid race :) Hahahaha oy vey. An experience for sure
After that we went to the beach for a little bit, did some shopping and ate some delicious sour dough bread with fresh cheese. Auroville is full of hippies-seriously-it was most I've ever seen in one place-and so of course they had organic places and hippie-style clothes. It was great. Then we hopped back on the train at midnight and got back to Manglore around 10:30-11 p.m. A weekend well spent :)
This week internals, or midterms, started and they are different than expected. Also the Olympics are going on now but no one talks about it...then I remembered they don't really have winter here and therefore the winter olympics lose their spark I guess. India has 3 representatives but they still show it on T.V. sooo when we do have electricity, I can watch it! Hope the snow is still cold and good for everyone! Love you much