Training on the Go
I wouldn't necessarily call it "training on the go", but you get the idea. What a great addition to any vacation to sneak a few runs in and do some "speed sightseeing" as I like to think of it. I don't really think its a good idea to plan on getting focused miles in during a trip - you shouldn't really be "in training" either, or at least be on a rest/recovery week. Just run for the love of it.
Featured Location: Costa Rica
Featured Location: Telluride, Colorado
There are three words I use to describe Telluride: Remote, Tough, and Genuine. Remote because this place is in the middle of nowhere, about 2 hours drive in any direction to the nearest major town. This is not a populated area of the state, especially in summer. Tough because outside the several square flat square miles of streets all trails lead in one direction: Up. Basically, straight up into the mountains of exposed rock, alpine lakes, and glacially carved valleys. The town is at 8,750 feet above sea level, and heading up the trails you can quickly get above the 10,000 foot mark. And finally, Genuine: a former mining town, Telluride feels like the real deal, far removed from the ski resort that its associated with in the winter. There aren't hoards of tourists gawking at everything, or their tour buses spewing smoke everywhere, no RV parks in sight, and you don't have to deal with anal-retentive park rangers like so many great parks out west. Just people hiking and biking in the daytime (or doing not much of anything at all), and relaxing with a drink in the evening. This place feels nothing like a National Park. This however has some downsides as well: trails are not blazed and trailheads are not marked. You are pretty much on your own.
This is the land of the Hardrock 100, arguably (and mostly agreed upon as) the toughest 100 Miler out there, run through peaks and valleys, during ever changing temperatures and weather, and with over 33,000 ft of elevation change. Most 100 milers have a winning time of around 15 hours and a middle of the pack finishing time of between 24-30 hours. Not Hardrock, the winner is lucky to crack 24 hours, and the cut off time (which eliminates plenty of people) is 2 days. This would make for an incredible life time achievement to finish in under 48 hours.
The views and terrain were incredible. I managed to fit in a few trails runs and a mega-hike. The actual trails were easy in terms of terrain, mostly flat and packed dirt, and some jeep roads closed off to traffic. A far cry from the craggy, rocky, stepping stones found on trails out east. However, the views were the real danger. You need to concentrate on what you are stepping on, not the scenery miles away.
Yes, this is seriously a trail you can run on.
I
didn't do all my activity on foot. One day I rented a mountain bike
from a shop so I could take to the trails on 2 wheels. It was fun to
cruise around town but once I hopped on the gondola to head up the
mountain things started to feel real. Although it did give you a nice
start, the gondola only took you about 1/3 the way up the ski mountain,
the rest of the way had to be peddled. This was one of the hardest
efforts I have ever put forth. Cranking forward in the lowest of gears,
straight up Green and Blue rated ski slopes. It's much harder going up
these slopes then it is skiing down!
The view from the top made it pretty worth it. I also took a good 20 minutes to rest at a ski restaurant. Though it was closed for the season, I was still able to have a snack on the sun deck and relax.
My only regret was not doing more research
ahead of time, but everything I looked at made it sound like it would
be pretty easy to navigate without having full topographical maps and a
compass. Live and learn. When I make it back to train for Hardrock
I'll come prepared!
I took another ride early one morning up Tomboy Road which heads toward an old mining town. It was a rough, gravel road which headed straight up the hillside toward the old mining town of Tomboy.
Ending my trip in Denver, back in civilization, I was able to contrast the experience in Telluride with everyday life. I wondered if I lived there, would I really make it out to the mountains enough to make living in basically a mid-western town worth it? Most locals I talked to in the city rarely make it past city limits, don't ski, and couldn't care less about endurance sports. Living in the D.C. area I have the opportunity to make it out to our mountains (albeit smaller mountains than in CO) in just a couple of hours. However, I find myself almost always sticking with trails around town since I hate driving long distances and the time waste associated with it. I was also able to sneak a few trail runs in close to the mountains near Denver. There are some solid trails in parks like Red Rocks, Golden Gate Canyon, Green Mountain Park, and Bear Creek Park (to name a few).
Featured Location: Austin, Texas
I took a trip to Austin, Texas for a wedding and like any running addict made sure to pack my shoes and running clothes, as well as check out some local groups and trails ahead of time. Shortly after landing and picking up my rental car I was pleasantly surprised at the 70 degree daytime temps and full sunlight, a welcome respite from Winter back home in D.C.
Saturday morning I ended up running with the "Al's Ship of Fools" Saturday Long Run group, a bunch of friendly folks like you might find in any city. I got there early and did a mile to warm-up, met up with the group at the zero mile marker of the Lady Bird Lake Trail, and got started promptly at 7:00am. We did a 10 mile loop around Lady Bird Lake and then I tacked on another 3 miles for a total of 14. I hope to return someday for the Austin Marathon, which just took place a few weeks ago.
Even though it was a nice running atmosphere mixed with friendly people I still missed the seemingly endless tirade of urban trails that I have gotten used to in the D.C./ VA area. My other attempted run on this trip was not around the Lady Bird Lake trail system and ended up involving a lot of street crossings and zig-zagging through neighborhoods. I still managed to get in 10ish miles Monday in ever-changing, windy weather. Speaking of weather, while it was great to experience highs in the 80s during winter I don't think I could deal with any season other than that down here. Apparently highs in the 110s is the norm all summer.
The Cathedral of Junk is an art installation started over 20 years ago in a private backyard. It began as a collection of junk and hubcaps but continued to grow. It is now 3 stories high - the owner obtained a building permit to keep it up. The 2nd floor is accessible by stairs and the 3rd floor by ladder. It was also featured on Roadside America, an online guide to off the beaten path tourist attractions. The Cathedral has to be experienced in person to be fully appreciated.
Featured Location: Costa Rica
 |
| Trail running just outside of Denver, sporting my DC Road Runners gear! |
There are three words I use to describe Telluride: Remote, Tough, and Genuine. Remote because this place is in the middle of nowhere, about 2 hours drive in any direction to the nearest major town. This is not a populated area of the state, especially in summer. Tough because outside the several square flat square miles of streets all trails lead in one direction: Up. Basically, straight up into the mountains of exposed rock, alpine lakes, and glacially carved valleys. The town is at 8,750 feet above sea level, and heading up the trails you can quickly get above the 10,000 foot mark. And finally, Genuine: a former mining town, Telluride feels like the real deal, far removed from the ski resort that its associated with in the winter. There aren't hoards of tourists gawking at everything, or their tour buses spewing smoke everywhere, no RV parks in sight, and you don't have to deal with anal-retentive park rangers like so many great parks out west. Just people hiking and biking in the daytime (or doing not much of anything at all), and relaxing with a drink in the evening. This place feels nothing like a National Park. This however has some downsides as well: trails are not blazed and trailheads are not marked. You are pretty much on your own.
 |
| Looking down Colorado Ave (basically main Street) in the small town of Telluride, squeezed into a huge box canyon. |
This is the land of the Hardrock 100, arguably (and mostly agreed upon as) the toughest 100 Miler out there, run through peaks and valleys, during ever changing temperatures and weather, and with over 33,000 ft of elevation change. Most 100 milers have a winning time of around 15 hours and a middle of the pack finishing time of between 24-30 hours. Not Hardrock, the winner is lucky to crack 24 hours, and the cut off time (which eliminates plenty of people) is 2 days. This would make for an incredible life time achievement to finish in under 48 hours.
The views and terrain were incredible. I managed to fit in a few trails runs and a mega-hike. The actual trails were easy in terms of terrain, mostly flat and packed dirt, and some jeep roads closed off to traffic. A far cry from the craggy, rocky, stepping stones found on trails out east. However, the views were the real danger. You need to concentrate on what you are stepping on, not the scenery miles away.
Yes, this is seriously a trail you can run on.
 |
| An old jeep trail high above the Bridal Veil falls area. This trail (like so many others) is unmarked. The Hardrock 100 course actually goes right through here as it descends from the Lewis Lake alpine region to the town of Telluride. |
And so is this...
 |
| One of the Alta Lakes, part of a series of alpine lakes between Telluride and Ophir. |
oh and I almost forgot to mention this:
 |
| A trail that runs through the remnants of a small ghost mining town near the Alta lakes. Mt. Wilson (a 14-er) is in the background in the Lizard Head wilderness area. |
Mountain Biking
I
didn't do all my activity on foot. One day I rented a mountain bike
from a shop so I could take to the trails on 2 wheels. It was fun to
cruise around town but once I hopped on the gondola to head up the
mountain things started to feel real. Although it did give you a nice
start, the gondola only took you about 1/3 the way up the ski mountain,
the rest of the way had to be peddled. This was one of the hardest
efforts I have ever put forth. Cranking forward in the lowest of gears,
straight up Green and Blue rated ski slopes. It's much harder going up
these slopes then it is skiing down!
I
also gained a new appreciation for mountain biking. First off, its
really hard to ride uphill on gravel, barely getting traction with big
studded tires. Oh, and when you are in thin, 9,500 foot high air it
makes things even tougher. Its hard to regulate your body temperature
too. When I was in full sun, peddling my heart out I was dripping
sweat, but as soon as you hit a flat area and get into the shade you'll
start shivering. The toughest aspect requires almost no cardio - the
going down part. This is scary as hell, your tires bounce around and
slide back and forth. While you need to brake enough to stay at a safe
speed, braking too much or too hard just causes you to wipe out. With
not a soul in sight I tried my best to play it safe and go slow.
The view from the top made it pretty worth it. I also took a good 20 minutes to rest at a ski restaurant. Though it was closed for the season, I was still able to have a snack on the sun deck and relax.
 |
| Posing on the ski resort, post-rest and post-snack. |
One
serious downside however of this region is the lack of trail blazes and
markings. My guess is that since this isn't a National Park and much
of the area is privately owned, the trails are just kind of there and
its up to you to know where to go. It can be really dangerous as times
even. At multiple points as I was riding through the woods on a bike
trail I would reach 2 or 3 way forks in the roads. Where the heck do
you go? I had to err on the side of caution and head back to what I
thought was the mountain village. This can be really dangerous when you
haven't seen another person for miles. Fortunately I have a good sense
of direction and never got into serious trouble.
 |
| Um, where now?! |
 |
| Some very approximate route maps made after the fact. Green was hiking, Red was trail running, Black was Mountain Biking. |
I took another ride early one morning up Tomboy Road which heads toward an old mining town. It was a rough, gravel road which headed straight up the hillside toward the old mining town of Tomboy.
I
only had a couple hours so I basically just had to turn around at a
certain point. I was able to get a reward out of it though, a view just
as the sun came up of the town of Telluride, the San Juan Mountains,
and Bridal Veil Falls.
 |
| Incredible morning view of the San Juan mountains by Telluride. You can barely see Bridal Veil falls on the left. |
Ending my trip in Denver, back in civilization, I was able to contrast the experience in Telluride with everyday life. I wondered if I lived there, would I really make it out to the mountains enough to make living in basically a mid-western town worth it? Most locals I talked to in the city rarely make it past city limits, don't ski, and couldn't care less about endurance sports. Living in the D.C. area I have the opportunity to make it out to our mountains (albeit smaller mountains than in CO) in just a couple of hours. However, I find myself almost always sticking with trails around town since I hate driving long distances and the time waste associated with it. I was also able to sneak a few trail runs in close to the mountains near Denver. There are some solid trails in parks like Red Rocks, Golden Gate Canyon, Green Mountain Park, and Bear Creek Park (to name a few).
Featured Location: Austin, Texas
I took a trip to Austin, Texas for a wedding and like any running addict made sure to pack my shoes and running clothes, as well as check out some local groups and trails ahead of time. Shortly after landing and picking up my rental car I was pleasantly surprised at the 70 degree daytime temps and full sunlight, a welcome respite from Winter back home in D.C.
 |
| The Zero Mile Marker. Meeting point for Al's Ship of Fools, the Austin running group I met up with. |
Saturday morning I ended up running with the "Al's Ship of Fools" Saturday Long Run group, a bunch of friendly folks like you might find in any city. I got there early and did a mile to warm-up, met up with the group at the zero mile marker of the Lady Bird Lake Trail, and got started promptly at 7:00am. We did a 10 mile loop around Lady Bird Lake and then I tacked on another 3 miles for a total of 14. I hope to return someday for the Austin Marathon, which just took place a few weeks ago.
 |
| View of downtown Austin across Lady Bird Lake with the packed dirt trail in the mid-ground. RunTex provides the water filled coolers for runners. |
 |
| The State Capital of Texas in downtown Austin. About a mile from the Lady Bird Lake trails via Congress Ave. |
Non-Running Related Activities
The actual wedding was outside of Austin in Liberty Hill, TX. The ended up renting out this eclectic house restored by a hippie couple from the city. Think of a bed & breakfast, but not pretentious and covered with originality. The first floor of the house was completely open and used as an eating area. The 2nd and 3rd floors were covered with hippie art on all the walls. Each room had its own theme as well. The outdoor areas were just as cool, with several firepits and seating areas. The backyard had a dock with a rock swing to a nearby creek and across the water were some bluffs. All the low hanging branches outside were adorned with tiny mirrors that made for a great effect when the sun shined through (pictured).
 |
| Tiny mirrors in all the tress (in focus), with the rest of the backyard and bluffs out of focus. |
The annual Zilker Kite Festival was on the Sunday we were there and I was happy to get to check it out. It has taken place for something like 85 years and counting and its a big "to-do" in town. Plus, I'm a fan of free activities that include good people watching. The lax atmosphere was a nice break from the constant presence of security officials, bag checks, and controlled access points that I have gotten used to in D.C.
 |
| I was able to check out the Zilker Kite Festival, held the first Sunday of each March in Zilker Park. |
The Cathedral of Junk is an art installation started over 20 years ago in a private backyard. It began as a collection of junk and hubcaps but continued to grow. It is now 3 stories high - the owner obtained a building permit to keep it up. The 2nd floor is accessible by stairs and the 3rd floor by ladder. It was also featured on Roadside America, an online guide to off the beaten path tourist attractions. The Cathedral has to be experienced in person to be fully appreciated.
 |
| The "Cathedral of Junk" -- probably one of the coolest "off the beaten path" attractions I have seen! |
Featured Location: Lima, Peru
During a vacation to Peru I took advantage of a layover in Lima to spend a few days in the city. Lima is the largest city (and capital) of Peru, and while its not particularly a tourism destination it can be worth a few days to see the sights and experience the local culture. I found a "running tourism" company online and was able to run with a tour guide. It was a bit on the pricey side (~$40), but I ended up being the only runner that day so I had a tour guide who could lead me through some neat areas and give thorough explanations on everything. I think we ended up being out for around 90 minutes (with a few talking breaks), covering about 11 miles.
During a vacation to Peru I took advantage of a layover in Lima to spend a few days in the city. Lima is the largest city (and capital) of Peru, and while its not particularly a tourism destination it can be worth a few days to see the sights and experience the local culture. I found a "running tourism" company online and was able to run with a tour guide. It was a bit on the pricey side (~$40), but I ended up being the only runner that day so I had a tour guide who could lead me through some neat areas and give thorough explanations on everything. I think we ended up being out for around 90 minutes (with a few talking breaks), covering about 11 miles.
The tour guide was also named "Erik" (same spelling as my name). He brought along a digital camera on a tiny tripod to get pictures on the go.
 |
| Posing near the Miraflores section of the coastline. |
 |
| Posing with my running tour guide - his name was also Erik! Left their watermark in this time. We are a little south of the city center along the coast here, closer to the Chorrillos district. |
 |
| Running through the central square in the Barranco neighborhood. The structure behind us is a library now, it was once the town hall. |
Overall it was a great experience, plus then the rest of my trip I had a good idea of where to run. Your guide can also advise you of not-so-safe or pedestrian friendly areas to avoid. In the future I will seek out "running tours" in other cities.
Featured Location: Munich, Germany
Munich is a great tourist city for many reasons, and although the biggest one is certainly Beer another big plus is running and walking through its parks and pedestrian friendly zones. While the city streets and sidewalks can be crowded in the daytime and evenings they are pretty empty in the early AM hours; with all the beer people drink here (locals and tourists alike) its no wonder there aren't too many early birds. The parks (namely, the Englischer Garten) are ideal any time of day.
On a couple of early morning I founds it best to navigate straight to the Englischer Garten, the Olympia Park, or the Schlosspark Nymphenburg. The English Garden is adjacent to the city center and features both paved and dirt trails, with intermittent beer gardens if you happen to get thirsty. The other two spots are actually a few miles out from the city center, so you can work them in with a longer run or take Munich's excellent U-bahn underground transit system to reach them, or the S-bahn (above ground portion).
Featured Location: Brussels, Belgium
Race: 20km De Bruxelles
Time: still searching...
A few years ago I was fortunate enough to run the Brussels 20 kilometer race while in Belgium. This is a huge race, now up to almost 30,000 runners, and has been going on every May since 1980. It was really fun to race in a foreign country, run side by side with Europeans (though it didn't feel much different than at home), and do some super speed sightseeing!
A word of caution though if you are doing a destination race (especially Marathon) in Europe: many of the courses feature large sections of cobblestone streets which can really tear up your feet if you aren't expecting it. If there are going to be lots of cobbles I would suggest a more cushioned shoe in favor of racing flats.
Featured Location: Colorado Springs, Colorado
Featured Location: San Francisco, California
Race: San Francisco Marathon (2nd Half Marathon)
Time: 1:28:39
Featured Location: Los Angeles, California
Featured Location: Munich, Germany
Munich is a great tourist city for many reasons, and although the biggest one is certainly Beer another big plus is running and walking through its parks and pedestrian friendly zones. While the city streets and sidewalks can be crowded in the daytime and evenings they are pretty empty in the early AM hours; with all the beer people drink here (locals and tourists alike) its no wonder there aren't too many early birds. The parks (namely, the Englischer Garten) are ideal any time of day.
On a couple of early morning I founds it best to navigate straight to the Englischer Garten, the Olympia Park, or the Schlosspark Nymphenburg. The English Garden is adjacent to the city center and features both paved and dirt trails, with intermittent beer gardens if you happen to get thirsty. The other two spots are actually a few miles out from the city center, so you can work them in with a longer run or take Munich's excellent U-bahn underground transit system to reach them, or the S-bahn (above ground portion).
 |
| The "Englischer Garten" is Munich's huge urban park, featuring plenty of running and walking paths. If you want to take a dip people regularly swim in the stream that runs through the park, sometimes nude. The park is home to several beer gardens as well, the largest featuring the Chinesischer Turm (Chinese Tower - pictured). |
 |
| The Olympia Park, sight of the 1972 Summer Olympics, is a short run or U-bahn ride from the center of town and has great paths for running or biking. A large hill in the center offers a great panoramic view of the city if you are willing to make the steep climb up. |
 |
| A bit more off the beaten path is the Schlosspark Nymphenburg, a large garden and park area behind the famous Nymphenburg Palace (the summer residence of the rulers of Bavaria). There is a network of runable trails in the forest area behind the Palace. If you get thirsty the "Hirschgarten" beer garden (the largest beer garden in the world) is just a few blocks southeast of the park. Take the S-bahn to get there. |
Featured Location: Brussels, Belgium
Race: 20km De Bruxelles
Time: still searching...
A few years ago I was fortunate enough to run the Brussels 20 kilometer race while in Belgium. This is a huge race, now up to almost 30,000 runners, and has been going on every May since 1980. It was really fun to race in a foreign country, run side by side with Europeans (though it didn't feel much different than at home), and do some super speed sightseeing!
A word of caution though if you are doing a destination race (especially Marathon) in Europe: many of the courses feature large sections of cobblestone streets which can really tear up your feet if you aren't expecting it. If there are going to be lots of cobbles I would suggest a more cushioned shoe in favor of racing flats.
 |
| This was actually with only about a mile left. It was fairly warm out (prob high 60s and kinda humid), so really feeling at this point. |
 |
| The start and finish of the race is in the "Parc du Cinquantenaire", highlighted by the triumphal arch. Nevermind the American Flag shorts - "these colors don't bleed", right! |
The location was so cool, not just to be abroad but to be running through the streets, hearing spectators cheer you on in French, and feel a sense or comradeship with people so different to yourself. Also, since this was a 20km race, I felt like it was the perfect distance to run during vacation. Enough distance to be worth it, but not like a marathon that can really wear you out and seriously risk injury (and ruining the rest of your trip). It started in mid-morning (if i remember, around 10am) so the morning of was not very stressful. Europeans don't really like to wake up early!
 |
| No better way to refuel after a race in Belgium than with a Beer and a Quiche, then cake and cafe. |
Featured Location: Colorado Springs, Colorado
 |
| Pikes Peak. Visible from just about anywhere in town, its the easternmost 14'er in North America. |
 |
| You don't have to go very far up into the mountains to find snow cover. With Pikes Peak looming in the background. |
 |
| The Garden of the Gods is a park featuring natural rock formations just outside of town. The roads and trails make for good running paths. They even have some races here. |
Featured Location: San Francisco, California
Race: San Francisco Marathon (2nd Half Marathon)
Time: 1:28:39
 |
| Next to the Vaillancourt fountain, near the Embarcadero. Used to love this area when I was a kid. You can walk behind the water in the fountain! |
 |
| Victorian Style row homes, typical of SF - in the Haight-Ashbury District. |
 |
| In the home stretch of the SF 2nd Half- Marathon. So Hilly! |
Featured Location: Los Angeles, California
 |
| Don't be swayed by the smog in the skyline, L.A. is a great place to run. Although its hot, its also dry if you can get up early. I hear the trails up in the mountains are great too, though I didn't get the chance to try them out. |
 |
| Beachfront near Manhattan Beach, looking back from the end of a pier. Most of the coastline has running paths or boardwalks for pedestrian use. |
Isn't this supposed to be a Vacation?
If you really don't enjoy running then you probably shouldn't do it during your vacation. This is the mindset of the typical, moderately fitness minded person I talk to - working out sucks, and being on vacation should mean only doing fun stuff.
However, if you consider yourself a "runner", then you probably enjoy it, maybe to the point of feeling like you are going through withdrawal when you haven't had a good run in several days. Plus, you get to see so much of a new place by running - just think how long it would take you to cover 5, 10, 15 miles on foot walking! If you are lucky enough to find a running path or trail not only do you get to take in the views, but you get to see the local population of runners, walkers, and bikers. See if you can blend in!
Planning couldn't be easier - just pack your sneakers, shorts, socks and a tech t-shirt (assuming warm weather). One trick I have found is to pack the socks, shorts and shirt inside of your shoes to save even more space. Only downside is they might not smell so fresh if your shoes are well-worn in. I have even brought a pair of shoes on their last legs, and then just thrown them out before I came home to make space for souvenirs. If you are worried about running alone in a new place, most cities have running groups that welcome in newcomers. I usually use a combination of Google Maps and Map My Run for routes. When in doubt I just make it an out and back route.
Every once and a while you will get lucky enough to have a 5k or some small race going on while you are on your trip. This can provide the added benefit of getting to see what the local running culture is like. Another fun thing is to see what it feels like to run in the mountains or somewhere at high altitude, although I feel okay at first I'm usually gasping for air after about 20 minutes!
However, if you consider yourself a "runner", then you probably enjoy it, maybe to the point of feeling like you are going through withdrawal when you haven't had a good run in several days. Plus, you get to see so much of a new place by running - just think how long it would take you to cover 5, 10, 15 miles on foot walking! If you are lucky enough to find a running path or trail not only do you get to take in the views, but you get to see the local population of runners, walkers, and bikers. See if you can blend in!
Planning couldn't be easier - just pack your sneakers, shorts, socks and a tech t-shirt (assuming warm weather). One trick I have found is to pack the socks, shorts and shirt inside of your shoes to save even more space. Only downside is they might not smell so fresh if your shoes are well-worn in. I have even brought a pair of shoes on their last legs, and then just thrown them out before I came home to make space for souvenirs. If you are worried about running alone in a new place, most cities have running groups that welcome in newcomers. I usually use a combination of Google Maps and Map My Run for routes. When in doubt I just make it an out and back route.
Every once and a while you will get lucky enough to have a 5k or some small race going on while you are on your trip. This can provide the added benefit of getting to see what the local running culture is like. Another fun thing is to see what it feels like to run in the mountains or somewhere at high altitude, although I feel okay at first I'm usually gasping for air after about 20 minutes!
Destination Races
Destination races, or racing in a different locale usually as part of a mini-vacation, are growing in popularity, albeit with more of the "recreational" runner crowd than the hard-core milers. Personally, I run best when I sleep in my own bed, can keep to a normal routine, know the course, and can control my diet (and all other factors) in the days leading up to the race. Fortunately for me, there are tons of great races all all distances (even trail races and ultras) within a few hours drive of where I live in Arlington, Virginia. Sometimes you do get the urge to see a new city, check out a new race, or head towards cool weather in summer or warm weather in winter.
It sure sounds like a cool idea, run a Marathon in a whole new city - Dallas! Chicago! L.A.! See historic Route 66, Disney Land, or run the beautiful coastline of Big Sur!! However, I think destination races are kind of overrated. They are usually set up as a way to generate tourism revenue first and foremost. In addition to the typical race entry fee of around $100, you have to factor in airfare, a couple nights at a nice hotel near the race start, local transportation, meals, and more. Things can quickly add up to over $1,500 just to run a race.
What it really comes down to is "is it worth it" to you. Would you travel just for a race, turn around and come home? Or prefer to make a mini-vacation out of it and stick around for a few days? Marathons are tough to build in to a trip, because you can't party much before the race, and afterward you are probably too tired to do much sightseeing. I feel like any shorter distances is a great addition to trips. Marathons (or longer) are probably the only distance I would travel somewhere specifically to run, though doing this can make it feel more like a "business trip" than a vacation!
It sure sounds like a cool idea, run a Marathon in a whole new city - Dallas! Chicago! L.A.! See historic Route 66, Disney Land, or run the beautiful coastline of Big Sur!! However, I think destination races are kind of overrated. They are usually set up as a way to generate tourism revenue first and foremost. In addition to the typical race entry fee of around $100, you have to factor in airfare, a couple nights at a nice hotel near the race start, local transportation, meals, and more. Things can quickly add up to over $1,500 just to run a race.
What it really comes down to is "is it worth it" to you. Would you travel just for a race, turn around and come home? Or prefer to make a mini-vacation out of it and stick around for a few days? Marathons are tough to build in to a trip, because you can't party much before the race, and afterward you are probably too tired to do much sightseeing. I feel like any shorter distances is a great addition to trips. Marathons (or longer) are probably the only distance I would travel somewhere specifically to run, though doing this can make it feel more like a "business trip" than a vacation!
No comments:
Post a Comment