Apparently
National Running Day is a thing that happens every year on the first Wednesday
of June. So now I have to ask…who
thought it was a good idea to put a running day on a Wednesday, in the middle
of the work week? Seems to me, if you
want broader participation in various group runs or whatever you are trying to
accomplish, that you’d plan on National Running Day being the first SATURDAY of
June. That way people aren’t able to use
work as an excuse…and more people are free to go run around and be awesome!
So, in honor
of this gloriously random day about a glorious activity, I started thinking
back to my beginnings as a runner…and my future as a runner. Here’s what I came up with!
This is
maybe why I’ve decided that I’m going to sign up and run the full marathon for
next year’s Big Sur International Marathon.
Doesn’t this seem like the next logical step? 26.2 miles of the most gorgeous coastline in
the world. I may not be a religious man,
but this sounds as damn close to a religious experience as I care to participate
in. I mean, it sounds like it could be a
world-view altering thing…which seems like a good idea to me!
Having run
on Highway 1 along the Big Sur Coast, it got me thinking…if I could go running
anywhere in the world, where would I like to run? So I came up with a top 5 list:
5. Athens, Greece: Obviously, the first marathon was run by
Phidippides, from Marathon to Athens. He
then dropped dead from exhaustion. I’d
hope to be in slightly better shape than that!
But I think this would be an amazing run…both because I’d be in Greece,
and because of the history behind the route.
Sign me up!
4. Vancouver, BC, Canada: From what I can tell, Vancouver is a gorgeous
city. I’ve always wanted to go
there. And they have a marathon every
year that runs right along the coastline there, which just sounds
incredible.
3. Grand Canyon Rim to Rim Trail: You know, I might really hate life while
doing this…but running the 24 mile trail from the North Rim, down to the floor,
and up to the South Rim sounds like a hell of an experience. The Grand Canyon is one of the most gorgeous
places I’ve ever been to…and trail running here would certainly be a treat.
2. South Africa:
OK, the Big Five Marathon totally intrigues me. A run across a savannah
in Africa, named for the Big Five Game of Africa (lion, leopard, elephant, rhino,
and buffalo), sounds like quite the adventure to me. Would be a heck of a trek to get out there…but
the run might just be worth it!
1. The Na Pali Coast, Kauai: The most gorgeous place in the world, for my
money, is Kauai…and especially the Na Pali Coast. The Kalalau Trail runs from Ke’e Beach 11
miles into Kalalau Valley. And it’s a strenuous
hike in its own right…running it might be ambitious. But I’d be up for a challenge to run maybe a
part of it! I mean, talk about natural
beauty to take your mind off things. I
think this would be absolutely epic.
That’s my
list! I think is rather ambitious…and I
do not expect to accomplish it. But its
fun to think about! For now, I’ll focus
on the Big Sur Marathon, which would be #1 on my list if I hadn’t already run
on the coast. It is simply an incredible
place to run.
I think
National Running Day is an amazing idea.
Of course, every day can potentially be running day! Just head out and run. I know I enjoy it!
My next race
is probably Wharf to Wharf in late July out in Santa Cruz/Capitola. Although I suspect I’ll end up running the
Freedom 5k in Morgan Hill on the 4th. 5k’s hardly count, though.
2 comments:
I've done a couple half marathons, but never a full. I've always said the ONLY marathon I would ever run would be the original one in Athens, and I definitely hope to do that one day.
PS- Yes, I still read your blog from time to time! :)
Haha, awesome! Glad you're reading still!
The original marathon in Athens would be amazing...although I'm partial to the Big Sur one. Probably because I've run pieces of it and it is gorgeous!
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