Hump Day Giveaway: I’ve Been Everywhere
These tunes are already so under my skin, I might need to wear a one of these instead of my trusty sweat-wicker on Saturday.
So iTunes made about a $30 profit in 60 minutes last night, as I perused the 100+ country music suggestions you guys sent on Facebook. I’ll admit, I couldn’t sample them all, but I feel like this is a solid, fun list, heavy on inspiration and slide guitar.
A couple disclaimers: I realize Sting isn’t country, but in his excellent song “Fill Her Up” he mentions a V-8 engine, which is good enough for me; you need to put this on “shuffle” so you don’t get too many Dixie Chicks in a row (if there is such a thing); our 1995 Toyota 4-Runner is named Old Black, in tribute to Mr. Lovett’s “The Truck Song”; after hearing “Mean,” I’ll never say another mean word about Taylor Swift (although why is she on so many magazine covers?); this list is exactly 2 hours long, which is my goal time for Saturday; and the song “A Good Day to Run” will forever be on my playlist.
Finally, you can find this playlist on iTunes; go to Ping and look up the name “Dimity Davis”, and there you’ll find my first playlist labeled Country Music Marathon. A good place to sample the tunes.
Ready To Run: Dixie Chicks
Long Time Gone: Dixie Chicks
There’s Your Trouble: Dixie Chicks
I’ve Been Everywhere: Johnny Cash
Days Go By: Keith Urban
The Truck Song: Lyle Lovett
L.A. County: Lyle Lovett
Travelin’ Light: Robert Earl Keen
Stuck Like Glue: Sugarland
You Belong With Me: Taylor Swift
Mean: Taylor Swift
Beer for My Horses: Toby Keith & Willie Nelson
I’m In a Hurry (And Don’t Know Why): Alabama
Standing Outside the Fire: The Country Dance Kings (A Garth Brooks song)
Fill Her Up: Sting
This Is Us: Mark Knopfler And Emmylou Harris
Lover, Lover: Jerrod Niemann
The Race Is On: Sawyer Brown
The Road Goes On Forever: Robert Earl Keen
Wild At Heart: Gloriana
If You’re Going Through Hell (Before the Devil Even Knows): Rodney Atkins
I’m from the Country: Tracy Byrd
Wait So Long: Trampled by Turtles
These Are My People : Rodney Atkins
Down In Mississippi (Up to No Good): Sugarland
Speed of Life: Sugarland
Wave On Wave: Pat Green
Happy Girl: Martina McBride
Pretender: The JaneDear Girls
A Good Day to Run: Darryl Worley
Party for Two: Shania Twain & Billy Currington
Creepin’ In: Norah Jones (and Dolly P.)
That Don’t Impress Me: Shania Twain
Get Rhythm: Johnny Cash
Airr insoles: a treat for your feet.
Sof Sole has generously sponsored our appearance in Nashville; they have found a slot for us on the stage in Nashville (since neither of us play guitar, this is the only way we’d get on a stage in Nashville) at 11 a.m. on Friday morning. Then we’ll be in the Sof Sole booth, signing books and selling our wares for most of the afternoon before we both take on 13.1 on race day.
Cute + functional: our favorite combo. The stripes help keep the socks in place and blisters at bay.
Sof Sole is also sponsoring today’s Hump Day giveaway, giving away a pair of hi-tech insoles and a 3-pack of performance socks to two readers. The Airr insoles, provide climate control with some serious cush and support underfoot, while the socks, which are available in a range of styles from fine-knit bamboo to blister-busting anti-friction material, give any run some extra spring.
One of my favorite songs in the above list is Mr. Cash singing “I’ve Been Everywhere.” I’m sure your running feet have some great tales to tell. So in order to enter today’s contest, you just have to answer this question: What’s the most exotic/coolest/grossest/most memorable place your feet have taken you on a run?
Let us know and your feet may have some nice new accessories so they can continue on plenty of adventures.
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p.s. The random winner of the Icebreaker outfit is Sally Hess, who writes this about her running fabric preferences:
Lycra, hands down. It holds all the mom parts up where they’re supposed to be. My NewBalance running skirt is my current fave. I totally love the look of the wool skort though! The asymmetry is awesome!
You get to try that asymmetrical skirt, Sally! E-mail us and we’ll get you set up from head to toe in wool: runmother at gmail dot com. Congrats!
another mother runner 
For me, it has to be the NYC Marathon for the most memorable place my feet has run. And it’s the coolest too. Loved everything about every mile.
At this (fairly) early point in my running life, Disney World is the coolest place I have run because the Disney Princess Half was my first Half and the boost to my confidence was ENORMOUS! However, I live in South Georgia but am going on vacation this summer to Colorado and cannot WAIT to run there!
I wish I could say I’ve run in some really cool places, but id have to say running in san fran was pretty freakin’ awesome: down the great highway by the beach, with the golden gate in view, or just around union square. The second coolest was around disneyworld boardwalk before the world was awake when I stayed nearby the boardwalk for a work meeting.
Coolest place – Hawaii – in the Kaavai (SP?) Valley. This is were Jurassic Park was filmed and it is absolutely beautiful.! Although it was very very muddy the day we were there!
Coolest place I ever ran (so far!): up and down a mountain that I usually drive past every day taking my boys to school. Now, when we see it, I get a feeling of accomplishment and confidence!
OK, I live in Kansas and there is nowhere interesting to run in my neck of the woods!
You mean the treadmill in the garage isn’t exotic? I have 3 most memorable runs…my second 10K in the rain because I felt strong and capable, my hal marathon in Dallas for the same reasons, and then a run I snuck in one evening on the spur of the moment because the weather was beautiful and I could.
Just put some fake palm trees in the garage…then you can call it ‘tropical’ in your hot summer! 🙂
Now that’s a good idea!!! It will certainly feel “tropical” out there!
What’s the most exotic/coolest/grossest/most memorable place your feet have taken you on a run?
I just started running after the birth of my daughter (who is 2) so I have yet to travel anywhere exotic…YET>
But I do live on the beach and run in the sand often-which I just love.
One gross experience? Last summer, there was a giant storm and it covered the beach in 2 feet deep of seaweed and other gross things. While I was not running on the beach that day, I was doing an open water swim and it was pretty gross getting thru it…
The neatest place I have ever run…hmmm. I guess that would be in Kennebunk, the only town in the world so named. This place is very very special to my family. It is where my mother decided to build a house for us and 36 years later we still all go with our families every summer and are kids again. Running along a New England beach at sunset is gorgeous.
With a mere 11 races under my belt, I have to say the coolest place I’ve run has to be the streets of the Windy City, Chicago. This year’s BOA Shamrock Shuffle 8K was the coolest, most awesome race, and there is nothing like running the streets of Chicago with nearly 33,000 other runners, and tens of thousands of people cheering from all directions. The fact that it was my first 8K, it was an unusually warm day for April in Chicago, plus the beer tents, plus my 5K PR, made it that much sweeter.
San Fran for the Nike Women’s Half last October. I soooo want to go back.
P.S. I can’t figure out the “ping” thing. I can’t look up anything on that site. Any suggestions?
Hey Linda–So you have to have iTunes on your computer..it’s not on the website. Go to http://www.apple.com/itunes/ and click download iTunes. Once you do that, Ping should be pretty visible and easy to figure out. Hope that helps.
I’m going to have to go with grossest.
Lancaster county is home for me – and as anyone who has ever driven through Lancaster knows…it’s knows for it’s farm life and l o v e l y “fresh” scent. I have grown up running on back roads, over hills and through valleys. Once, as I tried squeezing a run in before a church event, I tried taking what I thought was a short-cut, allowing me to get home in time, however, the muddy ravine I was prancing through turned out to be an outhouse for cows. SO NOT FUN!! I smelled like farm animal for days.
Try getting manure out of your sneakers.
LOL, Nicole…I ran by fertilizer yesterday and gagged. I can’t imagine having it on my shoes…
Most exotic…Mexico while on vacation. It was in a resort area and it was beautiful. Although we did see some armed soldiers while out. Not sure what that was all about…
On the beach of Lake Michigan.. Bay City, MI it was a totally random travel day, stopped to let the kids walk/play a bit… Had that ‘I gotta run here’ feeling… So I did… Ditched the shoes, husband and kids and took off… Just a couple miles was all I ended up going, yet it was the best feeling in the world… It was followed by a random swim and a semi indecent change of clothes behind the car..
A couple of years ago I went on a trail that (theoretically… i.e., “on the map”) cut clearly across from one well-known-to-me road to another well-known-to-me road. Well, the trail was very clear, but unfortunately it went in MANY different directions. I was alone and lost and nervous. I followed power lines. The best (worst?) moment came when I stepped in a bit of mud that turned out to be a HUGE mud pit. Literally mud up my left leg to the crotch. I eventually found my way out… pretty far away from where I hoped to be but at least on a road that was known to me! I was a sweaty, muddy mess…. but it was AWESOME!
The most memorable run was running from Shell Beach to Pismo Beach CA – it’s north of Santa Barbara and beautiful. The sun was shining, it wasn’t too hot, flowers were in bloom and the vista was amazing.
KateL, that is a lovely stretch of road…great choice! We lived just south of there for a time, and I miss the perfect running conditions — never too hot, never too cold, chance of ocean view…
My most memorable is definitley my first half marathon last fall. Or possibly the 10K I ran last year in a blazing 51 minutes (FAST for me). These were memorable not because of the places but because of the accomplishment. I hope to have some more exotic runs in the future!
Nothing really exotic, but because I live in CT and my parents have a house on Cape Cod I feel like I get to run in some of the most beautiful, serene places in the country. Cranberry bogs & beaches can’t be beat for this New Englander.
This may sound silly. The best place my feet have taken me was my hometown I grew up in. I remember riding my bike everywhere but I never really ran the streets of it. I was going up and down the streets remembering all the things I did when I was little. About halfway into the run I realized how HILLY my hometown was. It was a great run.
Grossest and most beautiful…my first 12 miler while training for the Nike was scheduled for one of my Saturdays while on vacation in Pawleys Island, South Carolina. Need I say that twelve miles in July on an island in the low country of SC was–freaking.hot! 400% humidity, 400 degrees in the shade. I did it though and it really proved to me that I could whatever I needed to do to reach my marathon goal.
This past February I went on a cruise with a girlfriend. After going to bed at 2am, I got up at 5:45 so I could run 3 miles on the top deck of the ship- at sunrise, as we left port in The Bahamas. It was the most beautiful run I’ve ever been on. With each lap around the track the sun was higher in the sky and the land was further in the distance.
The coolest would have to be my first marathon at Disney World. Running backstage. Running through all the parks. The music they played for us – “It’s been a hard day’s night” before the sun came up in EPCOT. But I’m still kicking myself – it’s the only time I’ve ever seen Belle in her yellow dress and I didn’t stop and get a picture!
Most memorable would be my second half marathon last fall. Perfect New England fall day- the last mile or so was along the NH coastline- watchign the waves crash on the beach and feeling the ocean air was inspiring and an awesome way to get through that last bit of the race.
I haven’t been running long, so I don’t have a lot of places to pick from. However, I did the Disney Princess half this year and I think it will be hard to top that!
The coolest place I have run would be Alpharetta, GA, the location of my first half marathon. Not a glamorous or famous place, but it will forever be a special place in my heart!! I do not live far from the route. Everytime I drive down a section of it, it reminds me how far I have come in my running career!!
So far, the “coolest” place I’ve been able to run has been around our resort at Disney World (Port Orleans) when I was training for my 1/2 last summer. Yes, I said “summer” and Disney World in the same sentence, hense, “coolest” is a bit of an oxymoron since it was 90 degrees before the sun even came up. I will NEVER complain about Michigan humidity again, but watching the sun rise over the beautiful river around the resort made the heat and humidity worth it.
Most memorable? My first 10K run in Carrboro, NC. Lots of neighbors lined the street of the race banging on their pots and pans first thing in the morning making the “cow bell” sound heavenly. Not bad that I also was able to get that great “runner high that you’d like to bottle” at miles 4 and 5!
Central Park on vacation in NYC! Amazing to do 12miles through such a beautiful area! But while I was in labor I was running on the beach in Key West-mental imagery got me through a drug free birth!!!!
Last year, hubby and I were in Rome with family. The trip happened to coincide with the Rome marathon. Honestly, just a coincidence. Neither of us were in marathon condition so we ran the fun run.
We ended up at the race an hour and a half early (because we couldn’t figure out the start time) and experienced the European crowd lubing up and stretching. Wow…those images are still ingrained in my head. Somehow, I felt violated.
The run covered some of the same course as the marathon…over the cobblestone streets.
The coolest place my feet have taken me is the finish line! Ha! Seriously, I never in my life would have thought I’d ever be a runner. Crossing the finish line for my first half marathon was THE COOLEST place I’ve ever been.
The most memorable place my feet have taken me is my son’s first triathlon as I ran the mile with him around our local park when he was 8. I will never forget how proud I was of him when he finished what he had even though he is not the most athletic kid on the block….he just refused to give up. We can learn a lot from the little people in our lives!
He’s not the most athletic and I need to proofread before submitting my reply…..ugh!
Last saturday’s run – it was my first run with my husband in years! We were back in the area we grew up so we planned a 7 mile route. When we started it was pouring, then 1/2 mile in, it rained even harder. We both kept positive attitudes and kept on running. Thankfully about 1/2 way through the rain stopped and the best part is I did not feel like I was holding my husband back (too much) as he is about 1 1/2 minutes faster per mile than I am. Neither of us wore our iPods so it was nice to have a run together and chat.
My husband and I ran a 5k in an underground mine in February with around 450 people. After dealing with the claustrophobia, it quickly turned into running in a cave lit by lightbulbs. It was rocky, loose gravel terrain. Also, it was used to store campers and cars so at one point in time I watched a man hurdle the tongue of a trailer becuase he couldn’t run around it. It was a good idea to try to run inside but turned out to be a little scary! It was by far our most interesting run!
I ran a few times on the beach at South Padre Island last June. Scenery was beautiful as the sun came up, but I have never sweat so much in my life… I was born and raised in South Texas, but the humidity on the island was brutal.
I have 2 most memorable. The first is my first half marathon race – 11 months after my son was born and 9 months after I started running. It is when I first considered myself a “runner”. The second is a duathlon in the mountains in Montana. I had never even done a trail run, but signed the hubby and I up as a team – he biked and I ran. (He really, really, really didn’t wan’t to do it and was not in shape for it.) It was so beautiful and serene and the smell and sounds of the mountains are hard to beat.
50 Miles from the top of the Door County Peninsula to the bottom (in WI). Beautiful, memorible, strong. Thank you feet 🙂
The coolest place I’ve run is in Kauai. There is nothing quite like running along the ocean with exotic flowers all around.
The finish line of my first marathon, the Flying Pig……I wasn’t trained enough and wasn’t really mentally prepared (hills! I trained flat!) and had to walk way more than I wanted, but after I crossed the finish line and saw my friend (who ran the half) waiting for me, I burst into gulp-for-air emotional tears with the overwhelm of it all – I DID IT!
I regret not becoming a runner earlier and having not run in the foreign countries I have been to. Now I can just go back in my memories and insert myself running along the Bund in Shanghai, down the Champs Elysees, along the beach in Uruguay, through the trails in Chile, etc. Hopefully I will have a chance to create “real” running memories in new exotic locals. But for now, living in Montana, I can’t complain about the beautiful scenery around here and being able to run along the Missouri River.
Being a relatively new runner, I’m still exploring the greenbelts in my town.
A couple weeks ago as I trotted through muddy trail and jumped rain puddles the size of lakes. I’ll never forget that half-marathon!
I’m hoping to make this weekend my most memorable run for some time to come. I’ll be running the OKC Memorial (Half) Marathon with my twin sister and my best friend. As an Oklahoma native who remembers too well the trauma, fear, and sadness of the Oklahoma City Bombing, this race means a lot to me.
Nothing exotic for me yet -but for gross I can offer a run which started fine and ended behind a manure spreader shaking it’s (over)load all over the place on the way from one field to another… no other way home!
Made me think of an amendment to the Churchill quote, “When your running through s*!t, just keep running!”
Most memorable? Last summer’s run during a tropical storm here in So. Florida– I was soaked from head to toe and praying the lightning wouldn’t strike me (don’t try this at home!)
Grossest? A long run last January here in Florida the morning after a frost– I had to hop, skip, and jump over all the dead Cuban Anoles (large lizards) that had frozen to death in the night.
“Coolest” (Coldest)? December’s 6 miler through the snowy streets of my hometown in Indiana. I got to retrace the route I used to walk every day home from school.
OK, my place isn’t nearly as cool as everyone else’s so far, but it’s cool compared to my usual running route: It’s the stretch of road near the Gulf Coast in Fort Walton Beach, FL…..smell of sea area, seagulls (aka “dump chickens”) overhead, beach houses on one side, hotels on the other…..just cool. 🙂
For my 40th birthday, I had the wonderful experience of getting to run the 40+ mile trail route that circles around Mt. Hood (Oregon). It was the most amazing experience to see the enormity and force of nature. Standing at the foot of a massive glacier, I realized just how small we all are.
When my high school team ran track at Mt. Sac college, I knew Olympic athletes had run where I was running, and it felt very cool at the time! Lately for me, it has been a very ordinary place – the indoor track at the rec center – as I’ve been running my long runs there, and anywhere I can complete a long run is a very good place!
The streets of historic downtown San Antonio. I ran the San Antonio Rock & Roll Half Marathon last Fall and growing up not far from San Antonio, I’d been to the Alamo, the Tower of the Americas, El Mercado, The Alamodome and all the other historic places you run through a million times before, but there’s something awesome about tuning out the crowd for a second to remember what happened on those streets hundreds of years ago and be reminded of what makes me a Texan!
Across the finish line of my first marathon – the Mayor’s Midnight Run in Alaska almost 14 years ago. I dislocated my knee by stepping in a hole at mile 11, but my feet kept going until I finished. Granted my finish clocked in at six hours, but crossing that finish line was the sweetest feeling.
Although I’ve been fortunate to run at many lovely vacation spots nothing takes the place of an actual race. Coolest one was RNR in New Orleans, ran for Am. Cancer Society, had such a great experience with so many different people from my life some ran, some cheered, ALL donated!! The clan included friends I grew up with, family – including my kids, husband and my Dad, my husband’s cousins, college friends, and current neighbors.
I’m a new runner, not quite a year old yet. My most memorable place my feet have carried me running would be my first 5K last October, the Twin Cities Medtronic 5K. Huge race weekend, with a 5 and 10K Saturday and a 10 miler and marathon Sunday. The energy was awesome and as a 30+ year old woman who was never athletic or particularly coordinated, accomplishing this was amazing and inspiring. As I rounded the corner and crested the top of the hill, I could see the finish line below and see my family screaming at the finish line. I finished my first 5K ever in 29:36 and promptly cried. That moment will stick with me forever.
Hmmm lots of cool places but probably in Austria where the Sound of Music was filmed.
I love going on a run to see the sights when I’m out of town or on vacation. I have run through downtown Chicago and New York and neighborhoods in the suburbs of San Francisco metro area among other places. One surprise is that I thought I would love running in Maui, but it was too hot and humid for me! The San Francisco Half was my favorite out of town race and we got to run right over the Golden Gate bridge and back. What a thrill!
The coolest place was a post run. I’M Training for the Susan B. Komen Race for the cure May,14th. I just finished my 3 miles I have to say since starting to run in January of this year my 5k times seem to compare with your 10k race times. oh well I’m very much a beginner. Any way, I needed to fix a portion of my dock in our lake It was blissful relief cold therapy to wade out to hip deep water to repair my dock. I’ve read your book, and now I know why you were in a tub filled with cold water and ice cubes for post run therapy. It was very cool maybe 40 degrees. So much for Upstate New York spring weather.
I used to travel a lot for my job and finding places to run was always an adventure. I am used to MN with running trails and parks everywhere. In florida and texas the hotel concierge would look at me as if i were an alien, “we do not run here” and as i found out, running there meant “trying not to get run over”. The eastern states were beautiful and mostly i would run a cross country route, Calf was all concrete and litter. I have to say, Hawaii was the best place to run, even temps, beautiful scenery.
agghhh..the grossest is where I live NYC and heaven forbid it be raining. The runoff is like an open sewer. Give me the countryside any day.
The coolest place I’ve run was my first hill climb run. I thought hill climb meant rollers… No, when I got to the run in the morning I discovered hill climb meant climbing to the top of Jackson Ski Hill. Then we rode the tram down. I was a newbie runner, completely unprepared, and had a lot of fun.
My favorite run was years ago in high school when I chose to run the last cross country race of my senior year barefoot. I was never near the top in cross country, only did it to stay in shape but it was liberating. It was a normal trail course that just flew by and I ended up getting my fastest time ever.
My most memorable run was one with my long time running partner/neighbor and friend when we were both expecting (we were due 1 week apart). We decided to take a ‘short cut’ and ended up in a huge mud pit where it was a super big effort to just stay upright, let alone make much progress forward. We ended up holding each other up (literally) as we sludged through it all. To this day we still have a good laugh whenever we pass that section of road, that was once upon a time our ‘short cut.’
Well, since I’m a history nerd, specifically anything related to the Civil War, my ‘coolest’ race was a 5K through the Gettysburg Battlefield. Now, I know, I know, this would do nothing for most of you, but for me it was just right 🙂
I’d have to say Dances with Dirt Gnaw Bone in Indiana. When they describe the course with: “The footing (What footing?) is rocky, muddy (a few river crossings) and loose in places.The trail is not maintained (non-existent) in some areas.” how can you go wrong?
Running the Marine Corps Marathon, selfishly I ran it b/c it was on my 39th birthday – my own way of saying ‘bring it on 40’ and found myself humbled and in awe of those that have and are and those that have died serving our country – many of whom were running in fatigues and some even carrying gear. The only time I truly appreciated be called ‘Ma’m’!
not very exotic, but the dallas rock and roll half was pretty cool. it was great to see such amazing houses in the historic part of town, run the path where we lost a president, and end up next to a ferris wheel while the ut pep band plays “the eyes of texas are upon you”
It was cool, wasn’t it?
Just spent last week vacationing in the Florida Keys with my family-yay! Put a couple of 4 milers in on the Overseas Highway trail that runs parallel to the Highway 1 down there. Saw lots of birds, lizards and was even accosted by a friendly dog camping with his family near the trail. Now we’re back home in rainy Detroit- boo!
For our 40th, my college roommates & I met up in Napa & San Fran (most of us coming from the east coast). My friend Amy & I ran every morning in Sausalito along the water, each day going farther & farther, the last AM we made it up the hill to the Golden Gate bridge. Running across that was amazing, but running back down the hill to Starbucks was pretty great too! That was my longest run to date, 8 miles!
Um…does Omaha, Nebraska count as exotic? That’s the most exotic place I’ve ran haha. Sorry, I have only stuck to the Midwest so far. Obscure is kind of exotic right?
The coolest place my feet have taken me is several hundred miles away from the sedentary person I used to be!
I signed my husband (then boyfriend) up to run the Norman K. Tamanaha 15k on our last day in Honolulu. We were supposed to be training for a half marathon and this was my way of making sure we got in a long run. Some of it felt like fate – the race started across the street from our hotel in the park. But some of it (race start time 6am) was just a bit crazy. Once the sun came up and we left the heat bouncing off diamond head and the ocean we understood the early start. It wasn’t an easy race but it was a lot of fun to say we ran a race in Hawaii. The flight home that afternoon, now that was another story – sore legs!
For me it is the Wasatch Back Ragnar Relay. Beautiful areas, fun with friends…awesome. This will be my 3rd year running it!
Yes, I know I posted earlier, but what was I thinking…………the most memorable by far was the Krispy Kreme Challenge I did in early February this year. Ok, this was a donut eating / running event that thousands of people come out for but this year it was in the down pouring, cold rain. Still a very entertaining and memorable run.
So many places I have loved running. Two stick out — Manly Beach in Australia. There is a path that goes up and down the beach — I got up early (jet lag had its’ advatages)and ran each morning before a conference I went to there. The other is a section of the Blue Ridge Parkway that went past a place my husband and I stayed in Asheville, NC. Out the door, onto the trail…my husband hated all the rocks and roots, but I loved it! I felt like I was flying through the trees (maybe because he was running so cautiously behind).
Sauvie Island – Flat Foot 5K last July 4th – while 6 months pregnant.
First off – I LOVE LOVE LOVE that you have Robert Earl Keen on your list. He is an under-appreciated country artist! And to answer your question – I’m a new runner so I don’t have a lot of runs under my belt. We live on the prairie in northern Montana (nearest neighbor is over a mile away). I remember a particular sunrise run where the sky a beautiful peach color. Other than the faint breeze blowing through the prairie grasses, everything else was silent. No cars. No trains. No sign of civilization. I can’t think of a more peaceful or memorable run.
I hope I can come visit you soon and enjoy that kind of run with you! Wouldn’t that be awesome?!
Coolest place? I’m a newbie runner. And sooooo NOT cool, but I’ll have to go with running outside – which is cool to me since I did 85% of my training on a treadmill. {SIGH}
Over spring break I ran a 2.7-mile loop in Zion National Park to see the falls at Lower Emerald Pools. I was so distracted by the terrain of the trails and the beauty of the scenery, it hardly felt like running (which for me is a good thing)!
The coolest run I’ve ever done is probably the Austin half-marathon when I ran the first 10-miles with my friend who was running her first marathon. Great crowd, great weather, great music, and great friend!
I had a beautiful 10 mile run on Whidbey Island WA. I saw beaches, farm fields, birds, eagles, cows, it was so wonderful.
Down the Champs Elysees during the first steps of the Paris Marathon. It was a marathon dream realized after many years, and I loved every minute of it.
On vacation in PV Mexico, I had been running every morning but a new friend, a master runner from Montreal, invited me to run the local 10k. It was so fun, we were able to run where only cars were allowed and see things we are normally seeing in a car. It was amazing to see all the “locals” running, most of them in non-technical gear, lots of cotton and loafers, getting their run on!
I love exploring new cities on a run. It is a great way to see lots of sites up close rather than through a window. When you run you can cover a lot more ground than on a walking tour. Vancouver was the most recent city that I had the chance to run around and it included Stanley Park. It was great.
Grossest – the worms all over the track after a rain storm and I need to work on speed…
The coolest place I have run so far is across the Narrows Bridge in Tacoma. I have been across it 3 times, all last year when training with Team in Training for my first half. It is very windy & cold but the view is awesome! So much more so that in a car. There is a Tacoma Narrows Half that crosses the bridge, but I have had schedule conflicts that have kept me from doing it yet…hopefully next year! http://tacomanarrowshalf.com/
Well, I just started running so my runs haven’t been too exotic lately but I did walk the Portland to Coast and that took me into some pretty crazy back roads in the middle of the night.
Alas, I’ve only just started running, so my feet have only taken me around my neighborhood. I did, though, on Easter morning, see (rather very close up) an actual little Easter bunny while on my run. 😉
We went to Fiji just this last April. Does the treadmill in the hotel gym in Fiji count as an exotic place? It was hot and humid in there, with an awesome view of the lap pool outside.
The coolest place my feet have taken me is on a run thru Costa Rica, although that would also be the hottest place since by 8am the sun was blazing and the humidity oppressive. The other coolest place was 26.2 miles thru San Diego last year. I’m counting on my feet to do it again later this year in San Francisco for the Nike Marathon – so excited!
My best, and first, 10K was in Vancouver BC. My sister, nephew, and I drove from Portland, OR to BC to participate in the SUN RUN with 25 thousand other runners. Not very exotic, but a great and memorable trip with my sis!
I ran the Cardiff Bay Barrage in Wales (where my grandparents met during WWII) at sunrise. Unforgettable.
Let’s see… i would say doing the Las Vegas 1/2 marathon last December; running up and down the Strip was pretty darned cool; no traffic, just thousands of runners (and the straggler gamblers that had been up all night and were just wandering at 7 a.m.). Not too exotic but it was pretty cool.
I LOVE chocolate, so running past the Hershey chocolate factory in PA was pretty cool. The air smelled of chocolate…YUM!
I think my first 5K which was just last January. It was the first time I’d run next to the water (San Diego) & just such a RUSH to run it! 🙂
I would say my most recent memorable run was when I went to Florida to help my sister move into her new house. I went for a run in her neighborhood (which had all numbered streets) and on my way back I couldn’t remember which street I needed to turn on. I couldn’t even call her because I didn’t have my cell and couldn’t remember her new phone number! Needless to say after a few loops around the neighborhood I found my way back to her house.
About a month ago, I ran in the buffalo pasture in Thermopolis, Wyoming. It was a cold morning and the bison had big clouds of breath around their faces and frost on their haunches. I gave the big things a WIDE berth but they were looking at me like “what the…??”
One of the coolest places my feet have carried me was one the trails during the Skyline Challenge Trail 50k. After literally clawing our way up the side of a muddy rocky mountain we were rewarded with an amazing view over a rocky ledge. I stopped rock climbed out to the largest overhanging cliff and wondered how many people had taken the time to stand there. Amazing.
You should check out the Wailen Jennys too! If you like the Dixie Chicks you will like these gals 🙂
My most memorable runs are those during a Summer rain. It always reminds me of a time when I was a little girl dancing in the rain with my sister.
The most exotic/beautiful run I’ve ever taken was two summers ago in Norway. My grandmother-in-law who immigrated here after WWII as a nurse was returned to her homeland to be buried beside her husband.Their homeplace is located on an island off the southern coast of Norway. That morning I took a quiet solo run to reflect on my memories of her and take in the amazing view dotted with sailboats. It was a view straight from a 1000 piece jigsaw puzzle. Best. Run. Ever.
I’ve only been running for a year so I havent run in any cool or exotic places. But last winter I ran right after a snow storm on a country dirt road and there was a foot of snow on the ground and everything was so peaceful and beautiful.
Orcas Island 50km race feb 2010. My first 50km and I loved every 7 hrs 30 mins of it!!
On a beautiful August summer morning, a run through Paris under the Eiffel tower with my Dad by my side
My feet have taken me to the Whiskey Row Marathon (I did the 10K) in Prescott Az. This is the heart of Cowboy country. And if you need anymore suggestions for music: Waylon Jennings~ Ain’t Living Long Like This; Dwight Yoakam~ Little Sister or Fast as You.
Most memorable run is the Hood to Coast in Oregon…..although the memory must fade because I always come back the next year.
Coolest (so far) since I just started running 1 year ago…would be along the Hudson River with an amazing view of NYC. This run was just on Easter Sunday.
Has to be running along the beach in Colonia, Uruguay. Running barefoot, of course. We were able to run the beach for miles, something I am definitely not used to here in Hawaii.
On the island of Bermuda there is a place called Coopers Island. The sand is tinged with pink and the water inside the reef is so clear that you can see black volcanic rock in its depths. I enjoyed a short run there last January.
San Diego Rock n Roll because it was my first race ever.
Ireland! Its a love/hate relationship for me 🙂 I love the running along the stone walled streets (the views are breathtaking and the weather is ideal for running) but hate the narrowness of those streets. There is barely enough room to fit two cars on the roads…I don’t know how people manage to run in the rural parts of Ireland!
I haven’t been seriously running long but I live in Alaska so anytime there are mountains on one side and water on the other, it’s AMAZING! I love the coastal trail!
The coolest place I run is on the beach on Long Beach Island in NJ at sunrise. New Jersey is much prettier than The Sopranos and The Jersey Shore give us credit for!
The grossest…..Grand Rapids Mud Run 2011!! The mud was so deep and thick that it pulled one of my shoes off. Awesome! It was also one of the best times I have had during a “race”
My first half, The Seattle Half Marathon, was my most memorable because I made it! Talk about walking on air…though I got the worst blister due to old shoes. The most exotic place would be Buenos Aires Argentina where I loved for 5 months.
On two separate trips to Cozumel (preggers both times), I ran along the shore of the ocean. Up until 3 years ago, I never was caught exercising on vacation.
The 5k I did in January at the Monahans Sandhills – woohoo – less than an hour from my house!! I’m being kind of sarcastic, but since I live in the flat lands of West Texas, it was actually kind of fun as there were a few hills. I’ll definitely do it again next year!!
Most memorable/fun was at Disney World for my very first half marathon last year!! It was a blast seeing the parks and Disney property in a completely new way. I felt like a rock star!
Hopefully I’m see you at the Country Music expo – I’m running the half!
One early morning run that I decided to cross the river, and noticed someone drowning in it: right time, right place!
I absolutely love that song!! One of my favorite’s of his 🙂 My feet have been alot of cool places but not really very many from running. That needs to change! This last weekend we were hiking in Moab and my 3 yr old decided she wanted to run, it was a nice mellow, sandy trail along a gorgeous creek with greenery all over surrounded by towering red rock cliffs. It was an amazing trail run (albeit a short trail run, lol) with my daughter. Can’t wait to do that again, she’s a natural trail runner!
Too many beautiful runs in too many states and countries to remember them all but have loved every one for different reasons: sunsets, great trails, rain, mud, flowers, funky architect, cactus, wild animals, etc…
My favorite runs are when I get out and run and company always makes it even more special.
I would say my most memorable run was in Virginia Beach. It was my first half marathon and the first time I felt strong, capable and able to complete my training leading me to my full marathon. VA beach was a beautiful spot to meet that goal.
I’m still new to running, but I would have to say Coronado Beach..beautiful..fun to see the Navy Seals training too
Coolest: the top of the Kremmling Cliffs during a trail half-marathon in Kremmling, CO. Cresting the top of some mountain peaks in the area was pretty awesome too.
For me the coolest run was the day before hubby’s Ironman in Coeur d’Alene. There were some real pros out there, and I was doing a 5 miler with all the spouses. I’d hear someone coming up behind, then fly by in a crazy colored shirt advertising their recent marathon. Kind of humbling, but mostly cool because I was out there too doing it. So what if I ‘m slower, we all get the same medal!!!
I ran a 10K in Lund Sweden – it was a spring carnival celebration. I remember crowds cheering the runners and not understanding much. It was a beautiful day – one of the few truly sunny days the year I lived there.
Greenwich Park in London. Crossing the streets to get there was a challenge, but it was worth it!
Army 10-Miler in DC; my favorite city, and still my favorite race after lots of years.
My feet have taken me over a SNAKE! Yikkkkess and GROSSSS – all at the same time! I was finishing an awesome 5 miler and about two houses away from home I stepped on a leaf covered snake. I’m not sure who jumped higher, me or the snake – but I am am POSITIVE that I screamed louder! I finished that run while doing the “eww, eek, ahh” dance the whole rest of the day. I will never forget where my feet took me that day! lol
Last year I had an amazing run on the beach in Punta Cana. I snuck out early while my husband and son were still asleep and was able to watch the beautiful sunrise while relaxing on a run.
Running through the streets of Steamboat Springs Colorado during last January’s ski vacation. It was a cold (14 degree) morning, and they’d received 6 inches of snow overnight. Ran 7 miles with one of my friends and did a tour of the best parts of town. The new snow made everything absolutely beautiful!
I ran a 5k in Pittsburgh, PA this morning with Dean Karnazes during his Run Across America. He is such an inspiration to so many people. It was very cool to meet Dean and run along beside him. I hope that thinking about his dedication can help motivate me during my first half marathon in two weeks… which will then be my “most memorable” run!
Hmmm, should I say the Appalachian mountains? Brooklyn NY? Chicago in the Chacago Marathon? I’ve been lots of great places on my own two feet!
Through the cornfields on a 5K along with a friend who was over 75. He pushed me to my PR that held for years. Who knew ducking to avoid corn would speed me up? Or maybe I was afraid of what was runing out of the corn after me?
I wish I could say it was winding through the crazy streets of Thailand, but if memory serves correctly (and it does) I stayed in the hotel room while my boyfriend ventured out into the 95 degree, 100% humidity That streets…
I have taken some beautiful runs in the States through; out the front door of my home in Eugene to the backwoods of a trail in San Diego to the river paths in Seattle…
Here in Nashville, when I first began running, I hit the trails of the Murfreesboro Greenway system. These are beautiful paths, but I got totally lost. As I rounded a curve, I realized I was about to run straight through a Civil War reenactment. I couldn’t back track, so me with my Ipod blaring dressed in my compression shorts and my run tank just kept running right on through the “soldiers” dressed in their finest Civil War garb. They were so sweet, and even offered me water from a canteen!
Through the cobble stone streets in Italy. I loved running along those roads. Great way to see the town and get lost in the sights and sounds. Great proprioceptive challenge as well!
Most memorable is still probably my first half marathon in 06. I ran the OC half on an older course–and it was pretty boring! But I couldn’t believe I was actually running (with walk breaks!) a half marathon. I think it took me close to 3 hrs to finish, but it hooked me on racing and training.
Finishing my first 5K w/ my husband coaching me through it! Blah, blah –yadda yadda!
I think running on the outdoor track aboard a Royal Caribbean cruise ship. Seeing the sun rise on the Atlantic Ocean was amazing. My husband and I were so concerned about all the food that was served that we weren’t going to miss one day of exercise. We had a blast and didn’t miss a day or pace when we came home.
I just ran my first 10K on a breathtaking course in Cohasset, MA. Challenging hills but the rocky coastline and ocean breazes kept me smiling through the pain.
Santa Cruz mountains, under the redwoods–a misty, moisty morning. Running perfection!
I haven’t run in that many awesome places yet. But so far, the most beautiful run I’ve done was my first 10k along Lake Michigan. It was very hilly, but you can’t beat the view.
Since I just started running recently I haven’t been ‘around’ much yet. My run this morning with my sister was kinda interesting. As we ran down a road near her house this is what you heard: “there’s the tv that’s been there since last summer…local kids like to beat on it. There’s the dead deer that’s covered in flies. Oh and there’s the green moss covered rock that my daughter MUST stand on before we pass it.” Memorable. In a wierd kinda way 🙂
I live and run out in the country. My run takes me down a back country road where you have to dodge cars, fallen branches from last nights storm, Amish buggies and roadkill. Yes, roadkill. Just this week I’ve had the pleasure of dodging an oppossum, two rabbits and a deer. My advice- hold your breath and run a little quicker.
St. Martin, with the steepest, narrowest roads nd a view of the caribbean to make it all worth it.
I am from Arizona but worked in Minneapolis last summer. I searched for a run and found a four mile run on the 4th of July. I got to run along the Mississippi River a big change for a serious desert rat!
Thunder Bay, Florida, Hamilton, Burlington, Port Dover, Toronto, and more to come!
Little River Trail Race, Durham, NC…Jan 2011…not an exotic location but beautiful trails with snow on the ground and my bestest running buddy with me for 10 glorious miles.
I ran that, too, and it’s funny because I just happen to be wearing my race shirt right now.
Let’s see…the “coolest” (and I kind of literally mean that) place my feet have been is in a knee deep river crossing during my 25K trail run last weekend! It was ICE cold and I loved every single minute of it!
A few years ago, I started “collecting” runs as souvenirs. I have seen some interesting things this way. I have run on the beach in the Carolinas, I have run down St. Charles in New Orleans, I have run all over Chicago. My favorite place of all, though., is down the battery and through all of the quaint little neighborhoods in Charleston, South Carolina.
I’ve run Clarks Quay in Singapore at 5 am in 90 degree humidity, Hong Kong’s Happy Valley Race Track – where the horses run, most of the major parks of London, in the shadow of buildings designed by Gaudi in Barcelona, the grounds of the Imperial Palace in Japan, and run following the outline of the Berlin Wall. But my favorite by far? Running the trails at home in Oregon with my kids pacing on their bikes. 😉
Running on the beaches of Mazatlan! For our 10th anniversary my hubby and I got away without kids for a week, and our only real to-do was to run every day! We didn’t quite make every day, but we covered a lot of ground!
Mke and phx. Boring. Fingers still crossed for San Fran:)
I’ve only really run in MN, but running on the beach in FL on vacation would have to be the most exotic run for me. I know. I need to get out more and plan to. Someday.
Don’t really have a grossest place…hardest though would be Pikes Peak Mountain during the Ascent. My feet took a beating on that one!
I have not ran in very many places. Still new to running and tend to do more workout videos. I loved running in Vegas, loved everything about it. Looking at snow on the mountains, dry air. If I ever do a marathon it will be in Vegas!!!
Silver Falls near Silverton in Oregon- it was a trail run half marathon a girlfriend persauded me to run with her. You get to run behind 2 waterfalls and past numerous others. Great experience, although the Stairs of Doom I could have done with out!!!
I like running across bridges that are usually only for car bridges. I’ve been across the Coronado Bay Bridge in San Diego, the bridges from Pensacola to Pensacola Beach, and most recently across the Fremont Bridge in Portland (which is I-405).
The Detroit Half Marathon!! I got to run both in the US and Canada. We passed the Ambassador Bridge as the sun was rising which was amazing. To return to the US from Canada we went through a one mile tunnel which went under the Detroit River (at mile 8). It sure seemed like a good idea at first and everyone was cheering as we passed under ground. After a few minutes of 80 degree, stagnant air with thousands of smelly runners we realized this was not so great. Once we came out of the tunnel to 60 breezy degrees of heaven it was like being born again!
Coolest place my feet have landed would have to be South Padre Island. I run on the beach overlooking the Gulf of Mexico every time we go. Pretty awesome.
I flew from Atlanta to St Louis to run a 5K with a friend of mine. She’s coming here to run the Peachtree Road Race on July 4th with 58,000 of our closest friends.
I did a 10k at Lake Junaluska, North Carolina over Easter weekend. It was around a beautiful mountain lake and about 5 minutes from my in-laws’ house. I love running around the lake whenever we visit, and it was nice to finally do a race there, although the hills were pace-killers!
So far my running really hasn’t taken me anywhere that amazing. I do love running through our farmland or trail running at Land Between the Lakes in Kentucky, and as for gross, well, I see a lot of road kill on those back country roads!
I’ve run all over. I used to be a flight attendant, and I would run on most of my layovers. The craziest experience was running the Vegas strip early one morning. The streets were empty except the bus stop I was approaching. A guy turns and watches me coming, smiles. I smile. Then he yells, “Jesus is coming, lady…” I start running faster. And he yells at my back, “You’d better get ready!!” I sprinted away! That was good for a morning pick-me-up.
I just started running recently so no exotic locations yet but I went through a brief running phase before I moved to LA so I’m going with literally the coolest spot – Central Park in NYC at 17 degrees. Now I live in LA, CA so I’m never that “cool.”
I have traveled to Capulin, New Mexico, to run up an extinct volcano.
My most memorable is definitely a sunrise run in the ancient French city of Carcassonne in 1992. This is the oldest intact walled medieval city in Europe, and as I ran around the city on the grassy ‘keep’ (area between outer and inner walls) as the sun rose and looked out over the faintly visible vineyards and farms, I felt truly and magically transported into a time centuries earlier.
Whooops… you missed one of my running favs from awhile back… Shania Twain – Man! I Feel Like A Woman!!! 🙂
Anyhoo, in college we had a CC meet in Wisconsin. The afternoon we got in, we went on the most glorious fall trail run ever!!! I have been running almost 25 years now and the sound of the leaves crunching that afternoon, the cool fall air, the excitement of a new state, still makes me tear up and count my lucky stars that I am a runner going wherever my feet wanna take me!!!!
My most memorable has got to be the Boston marathon. So much fun, and excitement, I will never forget it. 2nd most memorable was on a hike where we ended up crossing paths with a moose. This hike turned into a run…;)
Charlevoix, Michigan! This is where I ran my first half marathon. The city is beautiful and the course was great.
I haven’t run beyond home much yet, but had a lovely weekend with two runs in Portland this summer. It was lovely.
my most memorable run was my second leg of Hood to Coast. It was leg 24 in the relay. I ran 5 miles in the middle of the night on the top of the Oregon Coast Range. It was a beautiful star filled night. IT was incredible to be running at 3am
Have mostly enjoyed running here on the Wasatch Front in Salt Lake City. I have so many great runs to choose from outside my back door. I am running the Wasatch Back Ragnar Relay also in June, from Logan to Park City – I think that might become my coolest run. Or maybe Bolder Boulder, which I’m running in May. Oh wait – my coolest run? I ran a lap on the Madison Square Garden track with I was a teenager, working the meet with my dad (official). And ran laps at UCLA’s track in my 20’s when working on my javelin throwing. So I guess those are quasi cool…
Ooh, this could be a good one for me. I used to travel a ton for work and was lucky enough to see some amazing places. Let’s see, my absolute faves: Costa Rica (got lost in a village, had to ask for directions in spanish, which I don’t speak); Exuma, Bahamas; Canouan Island, West Indies (the beach where pirates of the c…arribbean was filmed); Stanley Park in Vancouver BC; Central Park in NYC; and my ultimate favorite run, the 5 mile country block at my mother in law’s in Lester Prairie, MN. Yes, one square block is 5 miles.
I’m spoiled because I live in Folsom, California. I don’t ever have to deal with freezing weather like many others – no snow for me. And, while it heats up in the summer, I can usually avoid it early morning or at night. There are a ton of trails to run on, and most of my training for my marathon was spent on the American River Bike Trail. It is really cool to be running, look to your left and see deer running along side you (much faster than me, of course!) The biggest hazard are the snakes that sun themselves on the trail! I’ve been lucky not to encounter a rattlesnake thus far!
One of my favorite places to run is Vancouver Canada along the sea wall. I have run in a lot of different cities and places where I’ve been for work trips and vacation. Vegas, Boston , San Fran.
FL, Ft Desoto Park Half this year. Beautiful and welcoming for a Michigander trying to get away from the snow. I am still a newbie adventurer looking fore beautiful organized runs–the memories have just begun.
St. John, USVI. Beautiful- hot and humid. Wish I could go back.
The most memorable/miserable/hottest/nastiest place I have ever run has to be Djibouti while I was on deployment there. They have a 5K trail, aptly named the Death Trail, filled with venemous snakes and camel spiders that jump at you if you get too close (they do however make for an exciting adrenaline rush if you’re just not feeling the run). I ran that trail before sunrise every morning, if you tried to run after the sun came up, they would kick you off the trail because it was just too dang hot. I went out there with a perfectly awesome pair of Solomon trail runners, and I beat them into the ground. The best part of that run, besides the water coolers every quarter mile, was the ocean view I would get at the half way point. Totally worth the buckets of sweat and spider dodging every morning.
My husband and I went on a run along the coast of Kauai when we were there last October. We decided to wake up early and drive there so we could watch the sunrise and then run along the beach. It was hot and humid (especially for this Minnesota girl!) but it was unforgettable!
Coolest place I have ever run…My company sent me to its headquarters in Zurich Switzerland last March. I stayed near Lake Zurich and brought my Garmin. So on the last day, before I had to go to the airport, I took a four miler along the lake…and it is still sitting in my Garmin Connect account so that I can look at it whenever I want. It was the first time I was ever in Europe and I felt pretty brave roaming the streets alone…granted Zurich probably has lower crime than my current city of KCMO!
awesome! I want to go back to switzerland so bad and running in that area is a dream!
I just started running last summer. My first run out of Oregon will be in Disneyland labor day weekend!
No wait, I forgot last month I ran in Vegas! 4 and 5 miles on the strip in the morning.
No real exotic places – but my favorite was running with my husband on the beach in La Jolla. Everything else has been pretty close by!
My feet have taken me to the small village of Barugo which is on the island of Leyte in the Philippines. That’s my dad’s hometown. I wanted to go for a run before it got too humid, so well before 7am. I got up a 5am to run nut it was so dark and the streets were unlit. The town square had the most light as people were headin to an early morning church service. I ran around the town square until the humidity got the best of me, which was after about 20 minutes! I love running whenever I’m in a new place. It is the best way to see a new place.
Cool and gross….Blue Mountains in Australia for an all day hike/run/walk. Cool…but gross b/c while the last train pulled up to take me back to Sydney I spotted a leach that obviously had been on my foot for some time! (It died a miserable death!)
Favorite though…The Yukon half marathon (you crazy marathoners have a 26.2 that can be done too). Whitehorse has trails, trails and more beautiful trails. In the words of Robert Service, …”I want to go back and I will.” (*heavy sigh*)
My favorite and one of the most beautiful places on Earth to run is Mt. Rainier National Park! I am looking forward to running on a beautiful Oregon beach this summer, though…it will be my first beach run!
Around Place Massena in Nice, France last summer while on vaca to cheer 2 of my brothers for the IronMan… I only did 2 miles not even close to what they ran on race day
most exotic: the beaches of Maui, Hawaii which is an awesome break from the snowy/ icy runs of my winters in Alaska
Most memorable- I have two- 1) through the countryside of England with my husband, to be able to run without kids and run along a golf course, by sheep farms, and a little village
2) Portland marathon- my only marathon run twice, I can remember almost every mile of that course and can’t wait to tackle it again!
Craziest- is running the trails of Anchorage, AK where I live, you never know when you’ll see a bear, moose or lynx! Bear spray is a must on your hip when running!
um… not so many “exotic” places and part of that is fear of getting lost somewhere new BUT the trail run on the BLM land where i was virtually by myself was pretty cool this weekend. I’ve never looked in the mirror and seen the ultra race atmosphere being appealing. I don’t see myself as the creek jumping, technical trail manuvering, stopping during a race to take pictures of the amazing scenery kinda gal but I LOVED IT! I even got swarmed by a bunch of butterflies at the mile 12 mark. So I see more trail runs in my future since that’s as “exotic” as i get. Of course I’m running the Big Sur 21 miler this weekend so I may change my mind again by Sunday. 🙂
The most memorable place was my first race ever, last fall, the Girlfriends half marathon. I will never forget the feeling I had throughout out the entire race. I could not believe the amount of people that were out to cheer us on. Our names were on our bib numbers and so total strangers would shout your name and encourage you on. That race was in Vancouver Washington but I felt as though I was on top of the world!!!
Denver, Phoenix. Soon I will add CA, Montana and NV.
Sarasota, FL is the most beautiful place to run. I love running around the marina and over the Ringling causeway and then on down by the aquarium and along the beach. It is so peaceful running around such natural beauty. I tried an outdoor run in Las Vegas but ended up on the treadmill in the hotel. I love running around Downtown Disney before everything opens when I’m in Orlando. My next stop is Disney’s Animal Kingdom next weekend with my daughter.
No greener pasture than the Jake’s Place Turkey Trot in gorgeous Woodstock Vermont. Run thorough an old New England town, along the Ottauquechee River and by a lovely cover bridge. AHHHH my happy place! If you can get in the Covered Bridges Half Marathon runs the same scenic area in June.
After considering all the cool places I’ve run because work took me there (on Cape Canaveral, watching for alligators; up Mount Royal in Montreal; along the canal in Ottawa; along the coast of central CA…) I have to chose the 26 mile marker in my very first marathon. I had been so worried all through training that something would sideline me (sickness, injury…one of my training partners got hurt just 1 mile into the race and had to drop out)…at the 26 mile point, I realized that no matter WHAT happened, I was close enough that I WOULD finish. I could crawl the last .2 if I had to, I WOULD get that mylar blanket wrapped around my shoulders, just like I had visualized for 18 weeks.
15 years ago I travelled to Boston to run the 100th running of the Boston marathon. It was scary, amazing, crowded, painful, beautiful and exciting! While my husband toured the city with his parents, I toured in a lovely 26.2 mile run around town! Since then I have run in Amsterdam, Budapest, Rome, London, Paris, Lisbon, Barcelona, Madrid, Munich, Sweden, Copenhagen, Oslo, Antwerp,Istanbul, and on a few islands in Greece.
Last summer I vacationed in the 1000 Islands and had to continue my training for my first half marathon. Running along the St. Lawrence River, seeing the islands, boats, water and sunshine made me feel like I could run forever! I was setting PR for distance at that time and felt invincible! I was inspired by that feeling and vision to continue running and have my second half marathon this weekend!
running on the beach in a remote area of the virgin islands. I ran barefoot near the surf and it was just amazing. I try and think of that run whenever I am sick of pounding the sidewalks in my hood.
I’ve run in the UK while visiting my in-laws and in Bermuda while on vacation…both times I was training for a half marathon. Fun to just run and see the sights but I felt like people were looking at me strangely.
Most exotic – along the beach in Maui! Oddest may be in Las Vegas early morning when only a few gamblers are stumbling back to their hotels.
So far I haven’t had a chance to run anywhere too exotic. Running on the beach of Lake Michigan while visiting family was great. Squishiest run has to be the 5k trail run I did last week at Glen Helen Nature Preserve in Yellow Springs, OH. It’s been super rainy so there were some major mud puddles to navigate.
I’m still a newbie runner (under a year) and haven’t taken my shoes many places outside my neighborhood…but I packed them for our trip to Kona, Hawaii, this month and ran along Alii Drive in Kona with TONS of other runners. Seriously, there are traffic signs along the road that say “Bikers and Joggers.” I felt like part of the local tribe. 🙂
My favorite runs occur when I’m exploring… back when I was in college, I had the opportunity to do an internship in England. I traveled by train every weekend to some place in England and then to Scotland, Ireland and afterwards to France, Germany, Italy and Switzerland. I stayed in hostels since I was a poor college student but my running shoes came with me to each location. I was always the first one up at the hostels (because the other college students were hungover), put on my running shoes and just took off. I found some of the most beautiful sites by just turning where I felt, when I felt. My favorite was when I ended up on top of a hill overlooking Florence… gorgeous and serene! That’s the way to travel! (Although looking back on that now, 10 years later, I think it’s dangerous to run in an unknown city without knowing at least a little on where you are going)
Nothing too exciting as I usually race and run locally! But a recent business trip to Ft. Lauderdale allowed me a run on the beach!
I had a fabulous opportunity during the summer of 2001 to live in NYC interning. I lived in a college dorm in Brooklyn Heights. In the mornings, before the sun was up and most of the bagels were even made at the deli, I would run the Brooklyn Promanade. I can still remember those runs, feet hitting brick, dodging early morning cockroaches (eww) and the occasional brave rat(even more ewww), looking over the river at lower Manhattan and the World Trade Center. I flew out of New York on August 11, 2001. When I cried on September 11, a large part of it was the view from my morning run.
I’ve never been able to run any place exotic, but the most memorable place my feet took me was on my first (and so far, only) half marathon in Vancouver, WA. Being from Phoenix, AZ, running in the cool Washington fall weather was invigorating! I trained all through the heat of a Phoenix summer for this half! But the scenery along the the Columbia River and the way the leaves were changing…breathtaking!
Coolest place my running shoes have taken me is Arenal Volcano in Costa Rica. Running around the town of La Fortuna is unforgettable and I truly came to love the town because I got to know its roads so well.