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| From one of Greg’s runs in Brussels |
My husband went on a business trip to Brussels recently, and I was insanely jealous. He packed his running shoes and planned a gorgeous run through Amsterdam on his way there, and then another run through the streets and city parks of Brussels itself.
What an amazing thing to be able to go for a seven mile, scenic run in a crazy new destination. Picture running somewhere completely new and different, with beautiful buildings and a totally different culture and landscape than you’re used to. Between the canals in Amsterdam and the old world architecture of Brussels, it must have been breathtaking. (Or maybe the running is the breathtaking part…)
Being jealous of him doesn’t make me happy, and I like being happy, so instead of resenting his amazing running opportunity I created one of my own. I went for my own gorgeous run around Back Bay in Portland, ME while the boys and I spent a week visiting with the grandparents while Greg’s gone. My kids loved having the attention of their grandparents, and I loved having the time to myself. It was a win for everyone!
I remember walking the 3.5 mile loop around Back Bay a lot the summer after my senior year of high school, and I really enjoyed going back to a place where I had wonderful non-running memories and running it. I ran it twice, and it was so beautiful that I grabbed my phone for the second loop so I could take pictures.
One of the best parts was how much the scenery changes just in that three and a half mile loop. Water views, views of the Portland skyline, ducks, a highway bridge with a pedestrian section to run over, shaded places where the view is predominantly trees, a pretty residential area, and several water fountains and fun people watching opportunities on top of the gorgeous views. I loved running around a corner and hitting a sea breeze right when it was getting too hot.
Finding new and beautiful places to run, or visiting old places with special meaning, is one of the best things about being a runner because you can cover so much more distance than if you were walking.
Maybe Greg and I can plan a destination run together sometime 🙂
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| The steeple you can see in the center of Portland’s skyline is the Cathedral where Greg and I got married 🙂 |
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| I love running over this bridge because it makes me feel cool. I’m not sure why running over a bridge is cooler than running anywhere else. |
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| Beautiful glimpse of the skyline through the trees |
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| Beautiful road ahead |
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| Will runs on the trail at Back Bay while we watch for Greg during the Old Port Shipyard Half Marathon last summer |