Running Through the Monuments: A Way to Navigate Mexico City, sort of

Let’s be clear, I was not wanting to run on this particular day.  It was raining for one thing, I had a cold for another, and Mexico City has an altitude that is 7,349 feet above sea level.  (To put that in perspective Denver, Colorado is 5,280 feet.) My bougie lungs were having issues handling such thin, dry air. Also, I was drained, beyond tired both mentally and physically.  My anxious brain was whispering that it couldn’t handle another outing, another experience when I have already done so much. My body was screaming at me to rest.  It’s our last day, it said, and it’s a travel day; one in which you won’t land in your next destination until 3:30 AM the following morning. 

Every Sunday Mexico City shuts down one of its largest, if not most iconic streets, the Paseo de la Reforma from 8 AM to 2 PM for cyclists, runners, walkers, and  rollerbladers.  This program is called the Muévete en Bici program, also known as Ciclovia, which aims to promote physical activity.  Sometimes you can even rent bikes and rollerblades, although they are at a first come, first serve basis. Our hotel was on the very road that would be shut down, a perfectly serendipitous opportunity for me to participate in such an event.

Do you really want to brave another experience where people will be speaking Spanish and you again won’t understand. What if you are instructed to do one thing, and you, not understanding, do the opposite like stumble into oncoming traffic? This happened to you once in New York, remember? You almost got hit by a motorcycle. You don’t want to get even sicker, my body grumbled next, you know what can happen when you over do it. 

And I do know.  My physical body and I have had a love-hate relationship for 43 years now.  Me pushing it past the uncomfortable and it, never one to be outdone, simply breaking down. Cue the myriad of injuries.

I will only do two miles, I quietly promised both mind and body, mainly so both entities would just shut up and stop complaining. I even told G the same thing though.  Two miles and I will be done.

I started the run around 9 AM. You can really start at any point for 55 kilometers (34 miles) of the road is closed to all motorized traffic.

There were tents set up along the way for bikers who might need to air or change a tire or two, as well as getting some much needed water, however today as it was raining, and getting colder by the minute, water wasn’t as big of a deal.

Also, police officers, acting as crossing guards for the moment, heavily monitored areas to allow traffic through when necessary.  This little guy, not a police officer, at least I don’t think so, provided my entertainment at one stop.

Another point of entertainment and a great place to take a breather was this group of runners who suddenly stopped to perform a music-less choreographed dance to cheers, photographs, and applause.

And if you aren’t a runner or cyclist you could practice in tai chi like this group of people were doing.

Along the route I ran into many of the most iconic monuments in Mexico City. G told me once that the monuments act as a navigational system to never completely losing your way in the city.  Like Colorado with the mountains or the coasts with the ocean, the city has the monuments to direct you home. I didn’t really get what he meant until I participated in this run. And he was right, they do provide an anchor to navigating your way through out the city, unless your me and get lost anywhere and everywhere I go. At this point I should just do the opposite of every urge when it comes to finding my way.

I came across three monuments on my route.

Monument to Cuauhtémoc, this is the fifth of the ten Paseo de la Reforma glorietas.  On the statue base are the names of Cuauhtemoc allies who fought alongside him against the Spanish invaders.  Cuitláhuac’s name is the most prominent, probably because he is credited with having celebrated the most significant victory against the Spanish.

Glorieta de las Mujeres que Luchan (translation: Round about of the Women Who Fight), is actually known as an anti monument.  It is dedicated to recognizing feminist’s activists and their contributions.

And perhaps the most iconic and recognizable monument, El Ángel or The Angel of Independence.  The architect, Antonio Rivas Mercado, designed the monument to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the beginning of Mexico’s War of Independence.  

It was here that I decided to turn around and head back to my hotel.  I was actually really enjoying the run and looking down at my watch I realized that I would finish at about three miles, instead of the initial two that I had planned.  Not bad, I thought.  

I ran, and then ran some more.  It took me awhile, 1.5 miles to be exact, to realize that I had completely passed my hotel and now, of course, the light drizzle had turned into more of a solid rain.

Mexico City’s road are not straight by any means.  They curve to the right and then to the left and then somewhere in between those two things and if you lose your focus for one minute you can be quite off the path in which you were aiming and it’s not like I could take an uber back to the hotel, the roads being blocked and all.  So, I did what any runner would do, I hiked my big girl panties up and ran the damn thing.

I finished at 4.5 miles, not bad for a girl trying to get back into running.

I was glad I participated in the event, like I knew I would be after, when it was over, and I was enjoying a cappuccino, my chilled hands grasped tightly around the warm cup. I have never participated in a run where I wasn’t racing and I liked that I could go at a comfortable pace without feeling like I needed to beat the person in front of me or feeling bad if I was outrun by a stealthier, more athletic girl. Usually it was the latter that I felt, never being very athletic, but still liking the sport nonetheless.

To participate in something with like minded individuals really does make you feel less alone in the world, it’s probably why I like to go to music festivals, concerts, the theatre, races, and other such events.  

They say (I don’t really know who they is but I assume it’s someone much smarter than I) that humans are not designed to be their own island and sometimes, I will admit,  I don’t agree, being an introvert at heart. I think an island most days sounds absolutely heavenly, however, on this day in particular I got it.  A shared passion encourages us to bind together, forget about the negatives that are happening around us, be it racial tension, political viewpoints, etc. For a brief moment in time you realize that we are all human and do share more with each other than may have been previously thought.  

I didn’t talk to anyone throughout the whole experience, but ran with a smile and several happy nods directed at the volunteers. However, I still felt a bond form between my fellow runners and I. On this day we all got up, looked at the weather via phone or out the window, decided damn the rain we are running, put on our variously preferred running pieces of gear, and embarked on a mutually liked adventure. No one can take that experience away from us, no matter how the world shapes itself into being and maybe that’s what it’s about. Enjoying the moment even if your mind anxiously whispers it’s just too much, your body screams profanities that it’s tired and needs a break. The journey is what makes it all worth it.