This past weekend I was in Budapest for a chance to relax a little after a long and hot summer in Doha. It was the first time that I had been back since going there with the Flinn Foundation in 2002. Things had changed a lot in those 5 years but it was still the wonderful city that I remembered. Budapest is the kind of city that you can just wander around in for a few days, nurse a drink at an outdoor café, lie on the grass in a park, and have a great time.
I did all those things, but as most of those who know me can attest, I am not that good at sitting around. The week I was leaving for Budapest I was looking at an online events calendar and saw that there was a half-marathon scheduled for the weekend that I was there. The furthest I had ever run was 8.3 miles and I only usually run ~3 miles once or twice a week but I decided to give it a try. I did better than I thought I would given the complete lack of preparation, finishing in 1 hour 52 minutes. I was steadily ticking away 8 minute miles for the first 8 or 9 and then 9-13.1 saw reality catch up with me. I managed to keep running for the whole time, but it was tough. The race finished in front of the Szechenyi Baths so after a quick shower, I got to take a nice soak in the hot springs. The whole thing made for a great random memory.
http://www.budapestmarathon.com/eng/half

Nice picture of the Budapest Parliament building lit up at night.

The famous Chain Bridge and the Castle Hill.