Run the city!

Put on your running shoes and be there for the sunrise!

When on travel, especially in connection with work, I find morning runs essential to keep my form and burn some calories. Even before I became serious about running, for the last 15 years I have always taken my running shoes with me whenever I have traveled. Although at home I usually do my training in the afternoons, when on travel, mornings are often the only possibility. The days are perhaps long and packed with meetings, discussions, or presentations, and there is always some social program in the evenings. Running is a great way of seeing a city. Most times, there is a river, lake or sea nearby, and it is convenient and nice to run there.

(Duluth, Lake Superior, USA)

In winter it is a bit more problematic as it is dark in the mornings when I have to do my run. Sometimes, if I do not know whether the city can offer safe surroundings for running, I try to choose a hotel with a treadmill. Although one can be surprised that what the hotel advertised as a "gym" is just a treadmill and a rowing machine in a tiny room, there is usually nobody else there at 6 am.

(Verona, Italy)

When I could not run during the period of my injury, I felt pretty desperate when I was on travel. Work travel involves a lot of sitting still for long hours, and sometimes food is served so there is not the option of choosing salads or lighter meals. Putting on weight is always a worry for me, and sitting for long hours made my injury ache and feel stiff and painful. I almost dreaded travels in this period. It is therefore great to be able to run again, and this time I am in Paris for a couple of weeks, a city which offers great running opportunities.

   

There is for example the Bois de Boulogne, very close to the city center, with two small lakes, lots of trees and soft grounds to run on. On work days it is a bit too dark and too lonely to be there early in the morning, but it is a perfect option for a little later in the day or on a weekend. It is possible to combine its paths to as long runs as you like. 

I like to run in the park by the Eiffel Tower. It is about 1.7 km in circumference, which is comparable to my Tveitevannet Lake, and although it is very central it is surprisingly quiet and detached from traffic. There are a lot of people running there even at early morning when it is dark, and many cleaners, caretakers, etc, so it feels safe and social. It provides soft ground to run on, and it is perfect for intervals or progressive rounds. If that becomes boring you can combine it with the path along the Seine, which goes all the way to the Louvre museum, and the gardens next to that museum are also very nice for running. It is possible to make a round of about 15 km combining these parks and gardens with the paths along the Seine.

Since the Blåmanen races start in less than a week, I wanted to put some uphill training in my program. I remembered that there were a lot of stairs at Trocadéro, just across the bridge from the Eiffel Tower, but unfortunately, the stairs were fewer than I could recall. Although my interval training there became a bit too monotonous, I was rewarded with the most beautiful sunrise views of Paris.

Early bird gets the worm!