Running to Explore

  So, normally, going on vacation usually means a free pass to do whatever you want or nothing at all.  In my case it's usually eat whatever I want AND do nothing at all.  Particularly when we start our vacation by driving 8 hours up to NY state in one pass.  Oh, and did I mention the long drive occurred on my birthday of all days?  Jon tried to soften the blow by taking me to an authentic Baltimore Pit Beef place, knowing what kind of a foodie I am.  The succulent beef with the tiger sauce (a combination of mayo and horseradish) made up for the fact I was spending 8 hours in a car with two young children...

Oh, Al's Pit Beef, I daresay you're right about that...

Birthday lunch!  Yum!

  And then, once we got to Oneonta to meet up with the rest of the family, my in-laws brought us to the BBQ place they would go to growing up for a "night out".  So BBQ ribs & chicken followed by a birthday serenade accompanied by a free piece of cake from the wait staff completed by birthday food itinerary.

  So, eating whatever I wanted on vacation was definitely on the agenda.  The whole not doing anything bit, however, just wasn't going to fly.  I've gotten to the point where I crave a run or any type of workout.  Even if the East Coast was gripped by a sweltering heat wave with lows in the mid 70s and highs in the upper 90s, I was planning on getting a run in come hell or high water.  (With those temps, looked like I'd be running more in hell than a flood...)

  Now, for someone like myself who is NOT a morning person, running early in the day just usually isn't my cup of tea unless I'm going for a long run.  But for whatever reason (sleeping in a hotel, earlier sunrise in NY, etc.), I was up at 5:30 AM.  I threw on my running clothes, laced up my sneakers, and was out the door.  Downtown Oneonta is a quaint little town with a charming Main Street and close-knit neighborhoods surrounded by a local college and mature trees.  With the exception of a dozen or so people out for a walk or on their way to work, I had enough room where it felt like there was hardly any people around me.  Oneonta and I woke up together and she graced me with some of her natural beauty reserved for only for early morning.  She showed me how lovely and mystical she appeared as the fog rolled by at the base of the mountains and the sun rose from her shadows.

Sunrise over Oneonta

  A couple of days later, the family reunion moved to Windham, NY, in the Catskill Mountains.  A popular skiing destination, Windham displayed just as much natural beauty in the summertime when the Thompson clan arrived.  While the family slept in on a Saturday morning, I headed out for a 6 mile run away from Windham.  Mountains and meadows dotted my route as did little streams quietly bubbling alongside the road, their water baptizing the same stones over and over again.  Coming back toward Windham, I picked up my niece and we went for another 3 miles together into "town" (which was really a drugstore, a bank, a restaurant, and a ski shop).  

  Since our NY trip, we've recently traveled back home to Jon's hometown of Floyd, VA, where his parents own a Christmas tree farm nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains, and where I always love going for a run.  The various inclines and the elevation challenge me greatly but I can never resist enjoying my husband's childhood home while on foot.  My run took me past cows grazing on the mountainside, rabbits crossing my path, and white-tailed deer traipsing through the meadow.  Not to mention the sheer, stunning beauty of the Blue Ridge Mountains.  

Sunday morning run in Floyd, VA

View of the Blue Ridge Mountains from Jon's childhood home

  

  As my love for being active deepens, I'm finding that going for a run, regardless of the distance or pace, really should be part of one's vacation agenda.   My friend Katie recently returned from New York City where she was absolutely thrilled to be able to run 12 miles in Central Park.  In every Runner's World issue I receive, I peruse the different races around the US and around the world that are being advertised.  I've come across links and articles to races in all areas of the country and on every continent.  Literally.  There's the Anarctic Ice Marathon, the Arctic Circle Race in addition to the popular ones as listed by Runner's World Top 10 Marathons, such as London, Paris, and Stockholm.  I would love to run from vineyard to vineyard in France's Marathon du Medoc just as much as I would love to experience Africa by running Victoria Falls.  And I would have no qualms going back to Italy to run the Rome Marathon.  (Just think of all the guilt-free eating you could do there!)

  Instead of just visiting a city, I want to be in the heart of it, feel the pulse of a new locale, and discover it's true heart.  Running offers a more intimate glimpse of a location.  Plus, I tend to eat my way through vacation (as noted above with the Pit Beef and barbecue).  So why not explore a new city through running?  Right now, running around the world will just have to wait until my children grow up.  I'm happy to set my sights on races within the US border.  I'd especially love to get a blinged-out princess medal from Disney's Princess Half Marathon!  

  Now if I could just convince Jon to take a Disney vacation next year...