A Summer of Running the World

You do know that while running around all over the place during my busy summer, I also literally ran around? I didn’t run any races, and since we’d been to all of the places before, I didn’t  conquer any new territory in my quest to run the world, but I did find a couple of new running routes, and identified some races I’d like to run in the future.

Paris was only brief a stopover; just long enough to put the car on the autotrain, enjoy Bastille Day and for me to get a run in. Just running through the arrondissements surrounding our hotel, I logged 5 easy kilometers on a scenic route, passing the Eiffel Tower and Arc de Triomphe.

Our next stop was another French city that we’ve become very fond of (evidenced by the fact that we continue to visit): Toulouse in southwestern France. Previously I would usually do a loop that takes me across Pont Neuf and along the banks of the Garonne River. This route

was close to the hotel and had lots of landmarks that I hoped would make
it impossible for me to get lost. This year I was excited to find a new route,
which took me through the city a little more, past the beautiful rose buildings
Toulouse is known for, to the beautiful Le Jardin des Plantes and over the
footbridge to Jardin Royal.

 

I also ran past a poster for the Toulouse Marathon. Hmmm…

Running around Nice is nothing new for me. In fact, it is one of my favorite places to run. Gorgeous weather. Beautiful scenery. France. What’s not to like?!

This summer I ran along the Promenade des Anglais, as I usually do, and fondly recalled passing this way while running the Nice Half Marathon in 2011, and got a jolt of adrenaline as I daydreamed about traveling along this same stretch of road when I run the French Riviera Marathon in
November. 

With 50 km (31 miles) of trails and bike paths on the island, finding someplace to run is not a problem. The problem I faced was the terrain, which is different than what I’m used to. After I twisted my ankle during a run a couple of years ago and suffering a slight sprain, I’m extra cautious, running even slower than normal (yes, that is possible).

Better safe than sorry. Besides, going at a slower pace allows me more time to take in the views.

Sometimes I drive to the beach for a run. Sometimes I go to a nearby track to run. At least I used to.

Last year when I went for a run there, there was a sign warning that coyotes had been seen in the area. I was a little spooked, but because there are always lots of runners and walkers around, I hoped that there would be safety in numbers. This year I went back to the track, hoping that the coyote problem would be solved.

Not only was that problem not resolved, there was now a sign warning
that rattlesnakes had been seen in the vicinity. I don’t do snakes. I don’t
care how many other runners and walkers are there, I won’t be. Buh-bye.

The running situation was similar to that in Toulouse: I’d identified a route in previous years and was happy to stick to it.

This year, instead of finding a new route, as I did in Toulouse, I added in an extra few blocks, spicing things up a bit. The extended course included a park with a fitness cluster, so I was able to add a bit of cross training to the workout.

And located near the park, was a Starbucks, where I’d pop in and get my post-run coffee.

DC is a great place to run. Rock Creek Park, Capital Crescent Trail, and the mall are just a few of the beautiful courses in the city, and I highly recommend them. I, however, usually stick to areas near where I
lived and went to law school.  Running through the neighborhoods that I ran through all those years ago when I first started running is like comfort food, and I keep going back for more.