Should you be using a running map to find the best tracks near you? What kind of a question is that anyway? What does it have to do with finding the best places to run?
And what does this have to do with this blog? Stay tuned and find out .
Yes it is me your host Heiko, coming to you from my blog mobile in case you are a first time readers feel free to check out the blogging studio on google you can just enter my name, Heiko Stribl or just enter advanced_endurance and there is one video where I briefly show of the 30 year old Golf, which serves perfectly fine as a blog studio, thank you very much.
For those of you that are regular readersers, a big thank you for choosing this blog. So many different blogs to choose from but somehow you decided to come back for more, I appreciate it. We have a blog, with readersers in over 30 countries seeing that there are a lot of readersers in the us
Today I wanted to let you know of my running experience in the US. Which I must admit has been some of my best running. Traveling there and exploring the few cities I have been to really gave me a big insight into the attitude and the mindset towards running.
These days. Living outside the US means that I have to rely on information from family and media, as to what is happening, how is the situation during these COVID 19 days. A lot of events are canceled, and travel isn’t as easy as it was before.
No don’t worry we are not talking politics nor COVID, we are getting to the running part. I was fortunate to have been to the US often during the past 10 years, heck even longer. And I got to visit some really interesting states and cities, plus explore them whilst running. You can imagine it, if you are on a work trip, conducting or attending a seminar, there is not a lot of free time. Sometimes you have to rush from one airport to the other, or once you arrive it’s a hectic program to get as much done as possible.
Whether its preparing for a seminar or holding a workshop, always some unforeseen organizational issue comes up, and actually, the hours of travel, waiting in line for immigrants, waiting for the car rental (why is it I always choose the rental company with the longest que), hey, just mentioning this is making me tired. I can understand if after all that traveling plus different time zones you just want to get some sleep. But that is why. That’s why you need to make your run a priority. And one of the things I always do is, upon arrival I go for a run.
Sounds simple doesn’t it? “Just do it”. Check into your hotel. Go upstairs, get your running gear on and head out for a run. They’re done. Simple.
Well apparently, it is not that simple. Why not.?. if you look at the number of articles blogs regarding the best running track near you: Or the best place to run. Seems like it is quite a mission, and it is built up or a hype is made out of it that you definitely do need some kind of advanced planning tool to be able to go for a run. And believe it or not, when talking to runners’ the single biggest excuse I have come across is that their training schedule gets messed up during travels. No, this is not some official statistic conducted by Harvard University, it is simply something I hear a lot when I ask “so why didn’t you train?”
“Well Heiko, I was traveling, you know what it’s like”
Yes, I know arriving in a new city can be a bit intimidating to some of us. If you are someone who doesn’t like travel, plus staying in a hotel and then you want to keep your run schedule up to date. This can be challenging. Depending on where your hotel is located, you don’t know what is the best route to take, you might be in a different climate, time zone, weather uuf so many reasons not to run. Ha, but remember #noexcuses
Be aware, it is here where a huge trap is waiting for you. Why: well I was traveling. I didn’t have the time, or I was too tired, or the neighborhood didn’t look great. Where will that lead to? Exactly to excuses-ville.
Yes, that is excuses-making class 101. Many reasons not to go for a run, and perhaps even an excuse to test that extra comfortable looking King size bed (they gave you a free upgrade, didn’t they?).
Plus do you really want to be that one colleague who goes out for a run whilst the others are already having breakfast, neatly dressed, discussing the latest facts figures, or gossip? And here you come with your running gear, and they might pose you all those funny questions. Ha Ha. Now even I don’t want to go for my run LOL. Seriously, a lot of runners that travel come with these types of excuses. Remember here we want to make you a stronger, smarter runner.
One of the ways we do this is to be honest with ourselves. Find the blind spots, the area where you perhaps neglect or exaggerate a scenario in order to have a solid reason not to run.
But you know what.. you are missing out.
My approach has been a different one. Whether I have been at a Triathlon show where I know I was going to be on my feet at least 12 hours, means being at the booth before opening time, setting up the booth . This was the days where I was promoting Total Immersion swimming in Germany, great times, meeting and talking to athletes with various backgrounds but also meant staying on my feet the whole day in the exhibition booth, and getting tired just from, well being on your feet, you know that kind of getting tired I mean?
Yes, but anyway, so even during those shows, I would get up earlier and still do a 10K run along the river Main in Frankfurt Germany, or running along or running from 31st street beach in Chicago up to the navy pier in Winter, minus degrees, cool breeze no wait did I say cool, make that ice cold breeze from Lake Michigan. with that damp feeling creeping up my running gear. Brrrrrh.
But what was my reward? Yes I got to see or was watching stunning sunrises and getting my head right for another day indoors.
Back to traveling to the US. Here my attitude was.. I will run as often as I can. Obviously. I am in a city I don’t know, what an opportunity to explore new sights and sounds.
Usually the flights from Europe land in the US during late afternoon, so if you are lucky you reach the hotel just before sunset. That is my moment, legs feeling tired from too little legroom on the plane, internal clock confused as to what time of day it really is.
Means that running, that first one in a new city, after a long journey is not going to be my best run ever, and nor do I want to make it an extreme long run either.
So what do you do if you ask the receptionist? Nope he doesn’t look like a runner. The concierge? No, he said it’s too hot outside.
Ok, how do you then find the best place to run?
Or do you go for a run in the hotel gym and end up with some halfhearted runtime and run effort?
Perhaps you took one of those touristy maps from the lobby, full of ads for where you are going to add and replenish those spent calories.
Of course you could use google maps, or maps, and simply design your route just based on what is easy to remember. Run up 5 streets, then a left, and then the third left again, another 5, then left again you understand what I mean, so you run a full square ending up where you started.
Maybe you use your iPhone and just head out in what seems to be the most attractive directions, run then stop, depending on the coverage, check your whereabouts and you continue. It becomes this sort of stop and go style of running.
Either way you risk getting lost, don’t you? Aaaah, we have another excuse.
You risk winding up in an area you don’t want to be running. Industrial estate, trucks, pollution, heavy traffic, or congested motorways and a too narrow sidewalk to run and feel safe on.
If you are lucky you find a park, but it might just be too small to cover the distance you want to run on that day.
And in the end you decided no, I am not going to run here again. Or even worse, you never made it out of the hotel.
What you need to do is to stop looking for the best or the nearest you need to “do it”. To actually make it out of the door. Because once you raise the level of what it will take to have a great run, you are limiting your options.
And that is the benefit of running, it has a very low level of entry. You need shoes, running gear, and most of all the willingness, the courage to step outside and get going. And that those two words come not from google, or maps, or a blog with @the best running routes”, that comes from your brain, your mental attitude and willingness to overcome whatever resistance or barrier you have put up.
Gives you a purpose.
Chicago, Charlotte NASCAR hall of fame ran past some stunning houses in Naples, by the way dressed completely wrong, I was NOT expecting such cold weather in Miami during December. What’s up with that? Experienced some fantastic runs in Santa Monica, hot runs at 4:00 am in Las Vegas.. Does it ever cool down there? And yes, Wisconsin Eau Claire running along the Chippewa River .. and perhaps one of the most memorable ones, running around Castle Island and watching the planes come into land at Logan International Airport.
And just recalling those runs as I am mentioning them to you, and there are plenty more, these are just a few you know what it is it is being motivated TOWARDS something. That’s what inspires me. To risk running in a dodgy area, or resisting that magnetic pull of the king size bed running is the process that pulls me towards a new state. A powerful feeling, even if I am tired thereafter. And perhaps now with COVID for me, I can look back and I am so thankful for every run I have taken on my travels, every marathon or race event I signed up for and completed. Because I can look back and have experience which gives me more confidence because it shows no matter what perseverance and determination is what gets you there, to that feeling of constant progress. Just doing it.
Now that’s what I want to invite you to experience, because that’s what will make a better, smarter and stronger runner. A no excuses runner.
And if your goal is to find the best running distance near you, or the best marathon near you. And you are contemplating which one to run, and are deep down the rabbit hole of facebook, blogs and “other runners’ rate this” then I have an ultimate suggestion for you.
It’s a proposal, sort of like in your favorite Chinese restaurant buffet you take as much of what you want from what you like, but no need to criticize what you don’t enjoy. And don’t get all negative if you haven’t tried it.
My best run. For which I didn’t need a map. I didn’t need to consult no one. Didn’t need to waste any mental head space to debate it. It was a marathon. Where I came out a winner.
My best marathon, obviously it is the one I won. Yes, if you are a new reader, obviously you are now happy that you have a host that has won a marathon. Check out the blog Winning a Marathon, and learn how I did it. Ha ! and that is my best run. Around a track. 105 Laps around the athletics track, and
For those of you that expected a detailed list… Here you go:
Wildwood Trail, Portland, Oregon. Ann and Roy Butler Hike-and-Bike Trail at Lady Bird Lake, Austin. Chicago Lakefront Trail. Prospect Park Loop, Brooklyn. Broken Hill Trail, San Diego. Kalalau Trail, Kauai. Hidden Valley Trail, Moab, Utah. Charles River Bike Path, Boston. My Personal Favourite: Shiprock Marathon, NM.
So keep in mind, the map is not the territory. You can and should run anywhere even though you are traveling, and have a lot of reasons not to.
Don’t forget this smile. If you haven’t read it, go on give it a go, it is a blog with more valuable content.
My name is Heiko, God bless you, and remember, take it easy
A improved run result due to a improved attitude? And if your first thought is “I couldn’t do that” then definitely you should get the book. The link to the video you know what.. just go to youtube, enter “heiko stribl” (and whilst scrolling stay focussed or you will get sidetracked and end up somewhere you don’t want to be).
Life is too short for that.
If you want to learn more brain training related tools especially designed for runners, have a look at www.heikostribl.com, you can go back to your cell phone addiction and scroll scroll scroll ha.. Just kidding. No, not about the www.heikostribl.com part.
