Tilburg

Amusing to be following Spencer's post about running in the Netherlands with a post about running in the Netherlands. (And, speaking of "why the 'the'?" . . .). I was bushed by the time I found my hotel, a very pleasant inn set into the corner of a forest park that seems to be about a kilometer square. I napped for three hours, worked long enough to down three excellent if expensive cafes (how do you order coffee, anyway?), and tripped out the door into the forest at 7 pm. The first kilometer was by myself, and then I found the crowds. The entire town, which is only slightly hyperbolic, was out running in training groups. And not plodding along like I do when I'm just trying to get the workout in, but running -- training -- including timed laps, games of chase through some single-track, striders, and quick paces across the board. At first it was neat to see, then it got a little weird. But now I'm back to neat.