I'm training for the Philadelphia 1/2 Marathon in November. It is allegedly flat and fast. I signed up for it in May hoping I would train all summer and then run a PR ("personal record" for you non-runners). For turtle-like me, that would be anything better than the 2:07:43 (9:25/mile) that I ran at the Iron Horse Half Marathon in Simsbury in June of 2011. As it usually does, life got in the way and I didn't start seriously training until September. I'm on track to finish the race, but I seriously doubt I'll be breaking any records.
My travel schedule has been packed lately. I've been trying to get my long runs in on the road so that I don't have to take weekend time away from the kids. Jack and Vivi are good for 5k in the stroller with a stop at the playground at the half way mark. I tried running 8 miles with them on the trail one morning and it was way more trouble than it was worth.
Since I've been training while I am away, that means that so far, for this race, I've trained in Connecticut, New York, Florida, Texas and Minnesota. There are some interesting climate and elevation changes among those states, especially as we head into fall. Desperate to get some exercise in on a travel day, I even walked a 5k inside the Atlanta airport last week.
Running in different cities is often a scary proposition for a female traveling alone. Trying to figure out where to get the miles in and where will be safe are often the most challenging parts. I'm usually running before dawn, which can be daunting anywhere. The hotel dreadmill is obviously the safest option, but it is way more fun to explore a new city and log mileage at the same time.
I've taken to asking the locals for recommendations. The people that don't run are usually hesitant to give information with a caveat about them not knowing whether it is safe. They usually know at least one runner from whom which I can get the real scoop. I am directionally challenged so even once I have a path plotted, it doesn't always work out. I make sure to bring cab fare, just in case (although I have yet to use it).
Monday and Tuesday I was in St. Paul and got two recommendations for running routes showing different facets of the city. The first route was along Summit Avenue, which hosts the last several miles of the Twin Cities Marathon. Before I got to Summit Avenue, I took a special detour.
My parents used to listen to NPR in the car when I was little and I hated it. I wanted to listen to music, not talk radio or people trying to raise funds. For a few years it seemed like we were always in the car when Prairie Home Companion came on. That was the worst - or at least that was what I told my parents. Once in awhile, and maybe even more often than that, I thought Garrison Keillor was actually funny. As an adult I rediscovered NPR following 9/11. I found their reporting to be the most honest and compelling option available. Nick as a child would get in the car, hear "All Things Considered", and roll his baby blue eyes at me. I literally laughed out loud the other day when my 17 year old picked me up at the bus stop with his sun roof open and NPR on the radio. He told me he was listening to try and understand the government shutdown. A valiant but futile effort.
Apparently the "News from Lake Wobegon" is actually recorded from the Fitzgerald Theater in Saint Paul. It was the first stop on my ten mile route.
From there I continued on to Summit Avenue which seemed to get prettier around every bend. Here are some of the highlights.
This picture doesn't do the view of the valley justice. The street was lined with big, beautiful, old houses.
Tuesday morning, I ran along the Mississippi River. Something I've also done in New Orleans.
I stayed at the St. Paul hotel which was beautiful in and of itself:
While the adventure of running in a new city makes the miles go by a little faster, it was comforting to be running around my neighborhood this morning. It required no planning and the hills seem to be getting easier.
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