FLOWERBOY GOES TO FLOWERCITY

LSD BANDUNG

Hello and welcome back to yet another blog post. This week we will recap this past weekend in Bandung AKA Flowercity. How fitting. When the idea sparked I had a feeling it would be well received but the way everyone showed up for this event was a milestone in the life of our little running escapades for sure. We celebrated 1 year of hosting the LSD (long slow distance) for Paris based brand SATISFY. They trusted us in our idea of sharing the love and hosting in another location. 

Why Bandung?

We had been to the city previously and it has a nice energy about it. I thought Jakarta was obvious and there was already some connections to Bandung within our own community and through merch sales. It has its own cultural charms, mature tree lined streets, a buzz about from the universities there and the weather is about as good as it can get. The locals also have an attention to detail and a way of taking outside influences in architecture and interior styling but keeping it their own. Coffee is on point everywhere and the locals have great style with attitudes to match.

BUZZ

The energy in the days leading up to the event let us know it was going to be memorable. We only had 200 spaces for registered guests which sold out before we even knew the sign up was ready. 
Lots of people messaging and by the end of Saturday night we had 600 people on the waiting list. The crew from Satisfy was blown away by the response in the same way we were. Pretty cool to generate that kind of buzz when they host runs in cities like London, Paris and New York to name a few.

The Run 

The morning of was car free day and there was also a local race happening. The collective energy of the streets already being taken over was apparent and as the parking lot continued to fill we knew the morning was going to be special. The biggest take away for me was that the event itself was “crazy” in terms of the amount of people that showed up but everyone was so chill. Nobody was acting out or looking for attention. The community side of Indonesians is unmatched. Everyone was there for the same reason. Was so amazing to think about the impact our little cafe can have. The best part for us is the backing from the local community. To be able to give back to a country that gives us so much is a blessing. 

We took off in two pace groups and the streets were alive. So many smiles, a stampede of positive energy moving together. We were lead by the crew from BR-20 who were kind enough to help us establish the easiest route. The mayor passed by at one point and was giving us thumbs up from the passenger seat of a police car as we took up an entire lane of the road. My favorite part was when everyone had to wait for the train to pass. It gave enough time for the others to catch up and when the barricade was lifted it felt like the start of a race. The crowd roared and we had a huge crew pushing forward for the second half of the loop. 

We ended up in the Sunday market which felt like a movie scene ; dodging vendors, bikes, kids. It was pretty fun. The last km or so brought us back to the car free road and everyone stepped on the gas. I love that last push energy when you are with so many grateful people.

Feed

We were hosted by our friends at Two Hands Full with catering from Seroja Baked. We served up Satisfy branded cold brews and ginger tonics and featured food was  Dadar Gulung ( Pistachio was INSANE ) and the local breakfast favorite Surabi. The vibe after was so positive and uplifting. While the focus is on the run Satisfy does such a good job of putting emphasis on the hospitality. I think we all nailed this one.

Thanks

To our crew from Bali that showed up in full force. It felt incredible to have such a special group there to witness and be part of something super memorable. To water relationships and create memories together through travelling, running and coffee will never cease to amaze me. Super grateful. Thanks to Irsad , Iman and Yogi for their hard work. The crew at THF, Seroja and of course all of those that showed up to run together. We look forward to more special events like this. For the next LSD we will be going to the mountains to get some dirt in our shoes. Keep your eye out for that.

Hope to run and drink a coffee together soon..

FB