Of running and Ramadan

Anyone who knows me will not be surprised that my number one anxiety prior to leaving for Morocco was exercise, specifically running. Depriving myself of oxygen for an hour every day is what keeps me sane, but I had no idea how Moroccans would feel about a red-faced foreigner puffing up and down their streets. Several friends who had spent time in the country observed that reactions would vary from city to city, that cosmopolitan Rabat would be a more accepting environment than conservative Fes, where I would be safe but certainly a spectacle. So it was with some trepidation that I packed my running shoes into my carry-on suitcase -- right next to a set of yoga videos, my back-up plan should running prove intolerable.