Seen on the run (San Diego edition)

Have you ever witnessed a string of events that leave you scratching your head thinking:

"Hmm... Did I miss a memo, or has the whole world lost it's mind?"

On a handful of runs through downtown San Diego, I witnessed the following:

While heading out of my hotel for an early morning run, I passed a stumbling-drunk bunch of young'uns.* One of the women, barefoot but still in a brilliant red evening gown, was laughing hysterically. Clearly her friends were not amused. When they asked why she was laughing so hard, she admitted "I puked outside the room."

Delightful.

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Not the woman from my hotel, but a reasonable fascimile

On a lighter note, the following morning I went for a 3-miler through Balboa Park. After stopping to smell the roses in the rose garden, I passed a man walking his French bulldog. The dog was sporting a black and white striped shirt (think prison stripes... or mimes) and black rhinestone sunglasses.

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What still puzzles me is... With no nose to hold 'em up, how do the glasses stay on??

Right after the pinstripe pup, I ran up behind a woman who was muttering aloud about how the CIA "made a big mistake. Really made a big mistake."

Normally I'd pass this off as the ramblings of one of the unfortunate (but not uncommon) mentally-ill homeless residents of the park. (Let's just say this isn't the first time I've overheard someone in the park muttering about CIA conspiracies.) But... given the news about Petraeus... I had to do a double take. Maybe she really was having a politically-relevant conversation with someone via bluetooth? Unfortunately she was wearing a hooded sweatshirt, so I'll never know if she was a political junkie or a conspiracy theorist.

(Let this be a lesson: If you talk aloud in public, people will question your mental health... Cell phone or no cell phone.)

What's the weirdest thing you've witnessed on a run?

*Yes, "young'uns." If you look 22 and act 12, you deserve to be called a young'un.

Postcards from Tallahassee

Last week I spent 36 hours in Tallahassee. I was invited to guest lecture and was in town long enough to enjoy a run, a lovely dinner, and a stroll around downtown. On the way home Hubby and I stopped at Torreya State Park for a hike and trail run, but that's another story for another time...

For now, here's your postcard from Tallahassee:
(It's just coincidence that my state capitol postcard arrives on Election Day, but it's a happy coincidence nonetheless.)

First things first... I've been in Tallahassee before, and my last trip centered around the Florida State University campus and capitol buildings. With little time to research alternate running options before my trip, I caved and asked the hotel front desk clerk to suggest a 3-ish mile route that didn't go through campus. (For the record: Hotel staff know the area and are used to questions from out-of-town runners, so they're usually a wonderful runners' resource.)

Unfortunately it's obvious that the clerk in question had never run a step in his life. He recommended that I run up Monroe St from Park to Lake Ella. To his credit, the route was almost exactly three miles. To his discredit, the entire route followed a bustling main street with numerous busy intersections. I spent most of my time sucking in fumes from passing cars and trying not to get hit while crossing the road...

The view along Monroe St. in Tallahassee

I wouldn't run a road like Monroe in my own hometown. I certainly would not recommend it to out-of-towners, especially when better scenery was only a few blocks away.

Fortunately things improved once I arrive at Lake Ella, a picturesque little park, surrounded by a paved trail.

Sign at the entrance to Lake Ella

  Unfortunately views across the lake accounted for less than half a mile of my 3+ mile route.

Egret looking over Lake Ella

But let's get back to the "better scenery" part of my commentary...

Nestled in the heart of Tallahassee is a thoroughfare known as Park Ave. This divided road is bisected by a "chain of parks." For runners who have the patience to wait for traffic signals, the scenery is pretty and the route is well shaded by overhanging live oaks.

One park in the Chain of Parks

The park at Park Ave and Monroe is home to a Saturday morning market with art, crafts, pastries, and some produce. (From what I understand, the true farmers market can be found at Market Square, also on Saturday mornings...)

Park Ave market

This neighborhood is also home to the state capitol, both the historic capitol and all of the functional administrative buildings.

Florida historic capitol building

The scenery and running options here are much better than the route I took the day before!

Dolphins in front of the Florida State Capitol

The streets, at least on a Saturday morning, are virtually silent, and a runner can enjoy an uninterrupted loop past historic architecture, community parks, and public art.

Oak poem and mural at one city park

Public art at Burnette Park

In fact, my only quibble is that the neighborhood might have been too quiet... I'm an unabashed fan of urban running. Part of the allure is passing shops and restaurants, dodging the hustle-and-bustle of crowded sidewalks, and giving the occasional nod to another runner.

The Tallahassee capitol area, however, is a virtual ghost town on Saturday mornings. (Unless you're waiting in line to vote at the Leon County Courthouse... Now there was a crowd!)

There are two ways to look at these long-voting-lines photos, I suppose. One perspective says:
"Oh my god. Look at those lines. How unfair."
The other says:
"Oh my god. Look at those lines. How awesome that so many people care enough to vote."
I suppose I believe both.

Either way...

Happy Election Day, y'all!

Postcards from Atlanta

Greetings from Atlanta... Home of CNN, Coca Cola, Habitat for Humanity.

Downtown Atlanta

Atlanta... City of contrasts, with gleaming glass towers visible over the rooftops of beautifully-preserved historic buildings and sprawling brick homes.

View from an intersection on Piedmont Ave

And where tourist-oriented remembrances of Gone With the Wind are tucked under giant parking garages...

Miss Pittypat's porch restaurant

Atlanta... Southern city, but with an urban edge that reminded me more of New York than the South.

Runners do not nod, wave, smile, or say "hi" to one another in this city. I have to be honest, it was a little disconcerting getting the cold shoulder from fellow runners. I expect that in the northeast. I was not prepared for it in Atlanta!

Speaking of running... While I was in Atlanta for a couple of days, I ran a 6.25 mile run from downtown to Piedmont Park (route map).

Southwest entrance of Piedmont Park

View of the city from Piedmont Park

Park Tavern, at the southeast corner of Piedmont Park

Community garden in the park

View of the Park Drive bridge from the community garden

While most runners did not pause to pass the time of day, I did make an instant friend on this run.

Just past the community garden there are a series of trails that lead off into a tiny pocket of urban wilderness known as the Six Springs. I wanted to run the trails, but as a stranger to this town, I had concerns about how safe it was to run off-road.

I paused to scope out the scene, then decided it was too risky to run alone. Just as I abandoned the trail, another female runner did a similar slow-roll by the trailhead. She also seemed to have second thoughts, and turned away. I caught up to her, introduced myself, asked if she wanted to run the trails together so we could run safely.

Together we enjoyed a nice little spin through the Six Springs!

Trails through the Six Springs area

We split up when we got back to paved roads. I headed through the botanical garden, and my momentary friend turned south.

Civil war history

I admit to being a little jealous of Piedmont Park's "Active Oval" - a gravel track with athletic fields in the middle, and exercise equipment around the edges. I'd do my speedwork at the track more often if I had one close by that was so pretty!

Active Oval in Piedmont Park

Pull-up, push-up, step-up, and sit-up equipment at the Active Oval

Lake Clara Meer as seen from an overlook near the Active Oval

Heading back out toward the southwest gate

Another thing I noticed about the city is a plethora of "no cruising" signs. You know you're on an urban run when...

No Cruising zone...

Another Atlanta discovery: public art!
Atlanta had more sculptures, block for block, than any city I've visited in recent memory. I was a dorky tourist and took photos of dozens of sculptures, but I'll spare you the eye strain and share just one.

Sculpture at Speakers Corner in Woodruff Park, downtown Atlanta

Playing life-sized chess in Woodruff Park, downtown Atlanta

... my only final thought on Atlanta is:
I can't wait to go back!

Seen on the run: San Diego street art

Photos of rave runs in San Diego usually focus on the cliffs at Torrey Pines or the gardens in Balboa Park. While I dearly love both running locations, I'm an urban runner at heart.

So here's a glimpse of how I see San Diego when I run...

Sidewalk seating in Little Italy

Mexican Fiesta - the best Saturday morning post-run burrito
can be found in a shack in the shadow of a shiny office building.

Street art in an alley in Little Italy

Street art in an alley in Little Italy

Where do you prefer to run: city, suburb, track, treadmill, or trails?

Postcards from Philadelphia (guest post)

While I've covered quite a lot of ground, I haven't been everywhere. (Yet...) So, I've enlisted some help from local experts in the running travel guides series.

Today, we're going to Philly!
Our running tour guide is local ultra-runner and trail-lover, Kristin, at Every Day is Run Day. Kristin's blog is funny and honest, and she is serious about her running. Drop by her blog and say hi! In the meantime, here's where she would take us on a running tour of her hometown:

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Forget the cheesesteaks, Philadelphia is a runner's town! Any season, morning, noon, or night you will find tons of runners out of the streets of Brotherly Love. If you ever find yourself in Philly, consider checking out some of my favorite routes:

The River Loop
This 8.4-mile loop can be run in either direction starting at the Art Museum and Lloyd Hall heading north to Falls Bridge on either West River Drive or Kelly Drive and coming down the other side. The entire course can be run on a paved bike path. In addition, West River Drive is closed to traffic between April and October so that runners (and bikers) can spread out on the road.

Schuylkill River Path
If you don't feel like being boxed into an 8.4 mile loop, the Schuylkill River Path, which makes up the Kelly Drive side of the River Loop, starts in Center City and extends 23 miles north to Valley Forge.

I'd say about 90+% of the path is paved with a few sections of rocky towpath which you won't find until you are slightly north of Philadelphia. As the main thoroughfare for runners, bikers, walkers, skateboarders, etc. in the area just make sure to stay to your right!

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Forbidden Drive
If you're looking for that non-city feel without leaving the city then Forbidden Drive is for you! Part of Wissahickon Valley, Forbidden Drive is the 5.3 mile main drag through the park. You can drive and park at several different locations.

For more information about the park visit the Friends of the Wissahickon website.

If you want to stop for a quick bite, or a beer after the run,
be sure to visit the historic Valley Green Inn nestled right
along Forbidden Drive.

The Rocky Run
There are many versions of Rocky Balboa's running route. The obvious inclusion would be his infamous run up the Art Museum steps (complete with celebratory jumping up a down of course).

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Below is my own personal 6-mile version, which also includes passing other major sites such as the Ben Franklin Parkway, City Hall, Market Street, Independence Park, South Street, Broad Street and Rittenhouse Square. Tack on parts of the Schuylkill River Path for an even greater sightseeing extravaganza.

Benjamin Franklin Bridge
If there is one thing Philly is lacking it's hills. There are a few here and there in West Philly and to the north in Manayunk, but Center City is pretty flat. If you're in town and looking for a bit of a kick, head to Ben Franklin Bridge, which connects Center City to New Jersey over the Delaware River. The bridge is about a mile across and offers great views and a healthy incline.

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Local Run Clubs
Philly has several run clubs, some of which are very active including Philly Runners and the Wissahickon Wanderers. The local City Sports and Lululemon also host a number of runs each week.

Where would you take tourists on a tour of your town?
If you're interested in guest-posting about your favorite running routes, send me a note and let me know!

Cursa dels Nassos - New Year's Eve 10k in Barcelona

From the Barcelona Casual Road Runners meetup Hubby and I learned about the New Year's Eve 10k: Cursa dels Nassos, or the "nose run" or "race of the noses."

Follow your nose!

Running noses?
Yes.
It's a bit of a Catalan joke...
According to local tradition, on Cap d’Any (New Year’s Eve)

"look out for L’Home dels Nassos, the man who has as many noses as days of the year – it being the last day, the sly old fox has only one – who parades the streets and throws sweets to all the children he sees... At midnight everyone stops swilling cava and starts stuffing 12 grapes into their mouths, one for every chime of the bell." (Source: Catalanculture.com)

On the last day of each year, locals joke that they've seen a man with "as many noses as days of the year." Because, of course, with only one day left in the year we likely have all seen someone with one nose! So to celebrate this inside joke, 10,000+ runners take to the streets to run an evening 10k.

As you can imagine, with several thousand runners, this race is not for the claustrophobic. The course is crowded from start to finish. But the scenery and general good humor make up for the crowds.

If you run it, keep an eye out for people running with fake noses stuck to their outfits, or dressed as chickens (and spectators cheering "corre pollo! corre!" -- "run, chicken! run!"), and dozens of other humorous costumes, including this clever play on Rudolph pulling Santa's sleigh:

I must admit, the Santa reference was a bit of a surprise to me. Barcelona has no chimneys, and Epiphany is a bigger holiday than Christmas, so the Santa concept has never gotten much traction here.

Either way, if you're in Barcelona for the holidays, this 10k is not to be missed!

Running with the locals in Barcelona

When traveling, I like to meet up with a local running group if I can.
Aside from the obvious the benefit of getting a nifty tour of a city, running with locals usually offers insight into the area that goes far beyond what I can read in a guidebook.

The Barcelona Casual Road Runners did not disappoint!

At Parc de la Ciutadella after a run
with the Barcelona Casual Roadrunners

Hubby and I joined the Barcelona Casual Road Runners for a fast-paced, ten-kilometer run the 29th.*
I should note that the word "casual" in the title reflects their attitude, not their pace!

On the run, we explored sections of the city that Hubby and I might not have seen any other way (and certainly would not have thought to venture into at night). While the run began and ended at the Parc (a fairly common tourist destination), the 10k route took us a bit off the beaten path. We ran through the Parc, along the beach, around a hotel and shopping center, past the Plaça de Colón (which is particularly beautiful at night), and through streets and paths back to our starting point.

Statue of Christopher Columbus
in the Plaça de Colón, Barcelona (by day)

In the days before we met up with the Casual Road Runners, we passed dozens of fountains (like the one below). Every street, it seems, has numerous statues with spigots. But until running with the group I didn't realize that people use these as drinking fountains. (This knowledge was key later in our trip after a very long, blustery, and dry hike up and around Montjuic with no other source of water in sight.)

Public drinking fountain in Barcelona

In addition to teaching us about the drinking fountains, the other runners filled Hubby and me in on Catalonian New Year's traditions, including L'Home dels Nassos (more on that later) and "lucky grapes."

At the stroke of midnight on New Year's clocks around Catalonia chime 12 times. Locals eat one grape for each toll of the bells. The intent is to eat the grapes one at a time, but also to finish by the time the 12th bell strikes. This sounds simple, but consider the volume of 12 grapes and trying to finish them all in 12 seconds...

If you manage to finish all the grapes by the time the bells stop, you will have good luck in the new year. So, of course, we made sure we had a bag of grapes handy at midnight on New Year's!

And speaking of food... Barcelona takes its pasta seriously.

An homage to pasta:
Giant galet statue on a street in Barcelona.

The traditional Christmas meal in Barcelona is not complete without escudella. The dish is a stew of several types of meat, vegetables, beans, and a special pasta known as a "galet." The pasta is so famous that it is used for decoration in store windows and there are statues of giant galets on the city streets.


If only I had a fork!

Running with the Barcelona Casual Road Runners = most informative way to run a 10k in the city.

*Note: The Barcelona Casual Road Runners meet at 8pm every Tuesday and Thursday evening, at the entrance of the Parc de la Ciutadella. If you're ever in Barcelona, I highly recommend dropping in to join them!

City mouse. Country mouse.

This morning I gushed about my love of urban running. But I was in a hurry to get to work and did not have time to post photos from my morning adventure. (It would be poor form to travel for work and then be late to the office!)

So here are a collection of my gritty, grainy photos from downtown San Diego. Yes, there are pretty places (like Balboa Park, just a few blocks away) to run in this city, but those places don't come with street art...

Has Banksy been here?

(If you're going to see a mouse rat in the city, a graffiti rat is the kind you want to see, no?)

And while I love the pretty running routes, they don't make me feel like part of the city the way hurtling down 6th Avenue does.
Dodging delivery trucks does.
Sprinting through intersections before the light change does.

America's Finest...

Urban running comes with its fair share of grit and grim reality... Angry, shouting, shoving matches between people with a grudge to settle... Homeless people trying to stay dry in a rainstorm... Car accidents at intersections that ruin a person's day (or life)...

But for all the grit, there is a humming vitality and a hopefulness, too... People hustling to work because the economy is starting to recover... An entrepreneur selling palm-frond flowers to make a buck... Dogs leading their owners on a tour of the neighborhood... A new restaurant getting its first delivery of linens... A city maintenance worker whistling while she goes about her work...

That energy is unlike anything else.

Source: flickr.com via V_Smith on Pinterest

I'll run trails if you ask me to..

But if I get to choose, I'll take the concrete jungle, please.

Are you a city mouse or a country mouse?