Solstice run

The shortest day of the year clearly demanded a good, solid long run. I headed out the door at 16:30 under a bright tropical sun with three tennis balls. I ran out into Nett across the Dausokele bridge to Palipowe junction. Turned around and ran towards the setting solstice sun on the inbound trek to Kolonia. The sun was settling into the taller mango trees at 17:15 as I headed past the state hospital and the road side purveyors of bottled sakau.

A day of snorkeling at Nett Point the day before had worked muscles unaccustomed to being worked. Nett Point is also a good work out for the kids. The boat channel is deep, and jumping in means having to tread water and swim back to the dock.

I stopped by Ace Commercial to pick up a CapriSun sport drink. A few minutes on a cement parking bumper and then I was back on the road headed for the causeway. Small children called out to me, "Doh me eho!" Some who knew me better moved their hands up and down in alternation and I obliged them by juggling.

Running is mostly a time for enjoying the outdoors and a time for thought.

Out on the causeway the sun was settling in behind a deck of high altitude altostratus clouds just above Sokeh's ridgeline at 17:51. Dark was falling fast on this shortest day, sunset at 18:17. Sunrise had been at 6:34. Only eleven hours and 43 minutes of daylight, plus a few brief minutes of tropical twilight.

Light does not fade at dusk, the world simply goes suddenly dark like a light switching off. I ran a mental calculation and realized that pushing on to the airport would bring me back in after dark, so I turned around at Lidakida beach. Lidakida is a misnomer - there is no beach. Just a coral side road over the reef flat to a boat launch area. The water is certainly not clean and no one swims there.


Across the water from Nett Point is Lidakida and the airport, Sokehs rock beyond

I rolled into home as the setting sun lit up the clouds bright orange overhead. Ninety-two minutes to cover 13 kilometers - a very lethargic 7' 06" kilometer pace.

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