Running through Europe: Part 1

Ahh Europe.  Where to start.  Ever since college I have been kind of on a system where instead of taking little trips here and there, 3 day (or 4 or 5 day) weekends, I save up my vacation (and money) and then take off a solid 3 weeks for an international trip.  This year my friends and I set our sights on Oktoberfest 2013, so I broadened my horizon to include a few more destinations.  I know - this is supposed to be a running blog right? Well, running is life to me, the two coexist, so in a sense its sort of a life blog as well.  Just, life as it relates to running.  That being said, these recaps cover mostly portions of my trip traveling on foot at roughly 9 minutes per mile or faster.  I already have a section for this, Travel Running, where I also explain (or rather, justify) my need to run while on vacation.  People who hate exercise don't do it on vacation (because they hate it).  I love to run, so it only adds to my experience.  Its also nice to see 5,10, even 15 miles of a new area at a time on foot!

As I have done in the past I made sure to bring along a pair of multipurpose trail shoes so I can explore the roads and trails, while keeping my packing to a minimum.  Speaking of, I'm a huge believer in the backpacker code, that is, to bring one (carry-on) backpack on a trip.  I pack the same for 3 weeks as I would for 4 days essentially, I just do laundry along the way.  This allows you to be versatile, adaptable, and light on your feet.  You also look a lot cooler than dorky tourists carrying 2 huge roller bags down a cobblestone street (I've seen plenty attempting this feet).

Copenhagen

The first stop on my trip was Copenhagen, Denmark a picturesque town connected by canals and cobblestone streets on the tip of northern mainland Europe.  After a long walking tour during the daytime I was able to sneak out for a run.  This is an old city and a lot of the streets had cobblestones, so the added durability of trail shoes was a plus.  I was staying in the Norrebro area of the city, about a mile or two southwest of the city center.  I headed out into the Assistens Cemetery; normally I wouldn't run through a cemetery but this was more of an urban park with a few memorials scattered around, then to Fælledparken and around the nearby grounds of a University.

Its amazing how a city that is so bike friendly and so walkable might not be the best place to run.  Pedestrians are not allowed in bike lanes, and city blocks have frequent stops at lights and cross streets.  I had seen plenty of people running in other areas of the city, in larger urban parks and on paths along the canals but I was short on time and needed something close.  Somehow being short on time and running tend to run hand in hand.

Probably the most recognizable area of Copenhagen along its oldest canal.

The city was exceptionally flat, old, and vibrant.  Danish is extremely hard to understand but everyone speaks perfect English.  Each neighborhood had its own feel, including "Christiania", an old military base taken over by hippies in the '70s.  The government allowed them free reign and it remains a charmingly scummy part of town, friendly to passers by and cannabis lovers alike.  There was a relaxing vibe that things could always wait here.

City Hall in the center of Copenhagen.

I loved Copenhagen, though being a victim of a cold and wet Scandinavian climate combined with a high cost of living might not make it the best runner town.  Food was my biggest issue due to the high prices.  If you run a lot you typically eat a lot, and once I figured out that a sandwich or snack was costing me around $25 I opted to stay hungry for most of my stay.  As much as I wanted to stay longer I was looking forward to the more American prices of goods in Germany.

Berlin

Being the sight of one of the 5 World Marathon Majors, I had higher hopes for Berlin (and it did not disappoint).  In addition to a walking tour, my friends and I rented bikes to get around quickly and rode through the Tiergarten (a large urban park that starts after Brandenburg Gate).

One of my friends biking through the Tiergarten.

Later in the day I was able to free up a couple hours to get a sizable run in.  This was sightseeing on steroids.  I headed out onto Museum Island (home to some of Germany's mot famous Museums), where the views make you feel like you are in Paris running along the Seine.  I took this over to the Parliament Building (The Reichstag), made my way into the Tiergarten for some soft trail running, and then headed back north to run through Brandenburg gate.  This was an incredible feeling to run not just by, by through such a famous landmark.  I then passed the US embassy on my right!

The most famous city gate in Berlin, Brandenburg gate, and I did in fact get to run under it!

Long, straight, and flat city streets of Berlin.  The
TV Tower can be seen in the background.

Another time I made it out onto the city streets of Berlin, an endless urban jungle of new buildings mixed with East German relics.  The massive TV tower is the most noticeable point of reference here.  I continued through the Mitte district, dotted with parks - none of which large enough to really run through.  I hope to return someday to run the Berlin Marathon.  The city is flat as a pancake which would make it a great PR course.

Though it would have been cool to run past the remnants of the Berlin Wall I only made it over there on a walking tour.  This is a city was that quite obviously divided into 2 (the east and the west) not so long ago.  Its hard to believe the Berlin Wall didn't come down until 1989.  Berlin felt like a mixture of New York City, Seattle, and maybe Baltimore.  Huge, densely populated, and sprawling, but with a gritty feel around every corner, not to mention a thriving coffee cafe culture of hipsters and other aspiring artists.

Munich

Me biking past the BMW headquarters.

I came to Munich mainly for Oktoberfest this trip but we rented bikes one day to take in some of the sights as well.  Munich is extremely bike friendly, with not only painted bike lines but full lanes dedicated to bike travel including stop lights.  This is trending all over Europe (US please take notice), to not just tolerate bikes but to actually make it a more convenient form of travel.  We biked up to the Olympic Park, locked our bikes up and rode up the Olympic Tower to view the city from a height of almost 600 feet!

Looking back down on the Olympic Park.

The Chinese Tower in the Englischer Garten.

As mentioned in Travel Running, I had been to Munich before and even run in the Englischer Garten, but this time I was a better runner and was able to dive even deeper into the grounds.  The park is huge, one of the largest urban parks in the world, at least several miles from end to end.  This time I made it through the massive Chinese Tower beergarden and into the North End, past the Kleinhesseloher See (lake).  I made it out in the morning around 8:00am (don't even ask how I managed to wake up so early) while my buddies slept in.  Its always neat to see what real people are up to in the early morning hours of the day, not that its very different from home; running, walking, commuting to work via bike.  A far cry from the Oktoberfest fueled party going on later in the day.

Oktoberfest

No commentary needed!

Of course, the real reason I came to Munich wasn't to run, but to drink.  Finally, the dream was full filled to visit Oktoberfest and it did not disappoint.  Once we got into town I wasted no time getting my Liederhosen and making our way to the tents.

Certain tents attract certain crowds, and they all come with their own theme.  They have huge outdoor beer gardens too which is nice on a sunny day.  The Hacker-Pschorr has a ceiling that looks like the sky.  Some (like the Augustiner tent) are more for middle aged or older Germans.  These were better to visit in the earlier hours of the day to sample a beer at each - Augustiner is often regarded as the best in Munich.  Other tents like the colorful Hippodrom attract a substantially younger crowd.  Of course, when I hear "young crowd" I think like 20-30, but then I realize in Europe young means like 15-20.  While it was fun being around wasted highschool kids for about an hour it starts to get annoying really quickly.  Still, we had some priceless exchanges with upcoming German youth, namely some drunken 15 year old who kept shouting "WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE FUTBALL CLUB?" to us.  He then needed my assistance to be escorted to the bathroom and that was the last I saw of young Dieter.

There is an actual fair going on inside the Oktoberfest grounds as well with rides and games.  I recommend you go on the rides before consuming mass quantities of 1 liter beers.  However, bumper cars did prove to be fun after.

Looking out over the Oktoberfest grounds (we took a ride in the Ferris Wheel!).  Most of the beer tents are to the
left, out of the frame.  You can see the Munich skyline in the distance.

All standing on the benches naturally!

Our final visit was to the Hoffbrau Festzelt, and I think it was our collective favorite. They played a good mix of German and English songs to keep us involved, and the crowd was in the 20s to early 30s age group. I was really excited when the band played the "West Virginia, Take Me Home" song, and the group next too us couldn't believe we were from Virginia. Did they play this song for us?

Earlier in the day the tents are quieter, but around 4pm the bands start playing and it becomes a huge sing-a-long by 6pm. At some point everyone starts standing on the benches to add to the fun (and danger for some of the more balance-challenged participants). Things start to clear out around 10:30pm, and its best to go to bed shortly after as you will need your rest.

The inside of the Hoffbrau Festzelt tent.  This tent holds about 8,000 people.  Several tents hold up to 10,000 and there
were at least 8 tents in total.  Thats a lot of people drinking out of 1 liter mugs! Yes, it was as much fun as it looks!

Back home now I'm not feeling in the best shape, but its not like I'm back to square one either.  I still managed to get in 25-30 miles per week while on travel, and the low workload gave me time to heal up and kind of hit the restart button mentally.  I won't be running JFK in a great time, but sometimes its worth it to sacrifice a little from your race times in order to actually enjoy life along the way.

Stay tuned for part 2 - Prost!