Rummelsburger Ufer

I couldn't have been less motivated. It was 6:30am and drizzling heavily. Half of my mouth was in sheer agony and I knew that the majority of today's route took me 3km past power stations, cement factories and water plants. But this is the sort of image that makes up the classic 'training-really-hard-for-something-and-overcoming-the-odds' montage clip that sets films apart. But I hadn't been running since my wisdom tooth came out and I was feeling guilty.

 

The long stretch of Köperniker Chaussee which connects Friedrichshain with the old town of Köpernik is a bit of a no-man's land. Cars going from A to B and some pretty enormous factories along the way. But in an effort to redevelop the area next to the river, some pretty fancy flats had been built at the end of the 1990s. And because the Rummelsburger Ufer apartments now hide the riverfront from the main road, its a pretty tranquil run alongside the Spree until you get to the small harbour at the end and are forced back onto the motorway. You can get a good impression from this aerial shot here, or from the photos that were taken on a slightly sunnier occasion.

By the time I ran back through housing complex, with its yoga studios and riverside benches, I was in a good mood. Singing along to my Rocky theme tune equivalents of Independent Women and Borderline had made me totally forget about my toothache. You always feel better after a run.