The beauty of college towns; pretty young things. Running is so much easier when the possibility of an attractive woman (or man - for the ladies) is always just around the corner. Combine that with progressive ideas, good food (usually), and lots of fun bars, and college towns have all of the makings of paradise.
A couple of weeks ago I visited a friend in Davis, CA, home of the esteemed University of California at Davis. Davis is a great college town; super bike friendly, lots of good looking people and usually tons of fun. It also has some great opportunities for getting out and about. Make sure to check out the University Arboretum: a "living museum" of plants and trees from the area. Shaped like a warped oval, the arboretum has a dirt path that runs most its entire length, occasionally popping you out onto the street before starting again. Although narrow in areas, the path provides a great run through some amazing greenery, and is adjacent to the UCD campus in case you want to add some co-ed sightings into your run.
An interactive map is here
Distance: the loop around the arboretum is 1.8 miles in length
Directions: the Arboretum is on the South side of the UC Davis Campus, between 113 (on the West end) and B Street (on the East end).
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Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Shamrock Run - Portland, OR
Portland is a great city if you love to run, and lots of people in Portland love to run. Hence, the city hosts lots of great running events throughout the year. If you are in the area around mid-March, the Shamrock Run is a race that you should definitely check out. It is one of my favorite running races, combining running, festivities and lots and lots and lots of beer.
The races comes in three flavors: a 5K, 8K or 15K. All three run through a good part of downtown and the waterfront area, so matter which one you choose you get a great urban racing experience. The crowds are typically more fun in the downtown area as well, helping to keep you motivated (or drunk). The only one I've managed to do so far is the 15K, which begins on Naito Parkway before winding through the Burnside area and then into downtown. From downtown the run heads through Portland State's urban campus and then begins a long climb up Terwilliger Blvd (one of my favorite areas to run in Portland). Terwilliger is a really amazing part of Portland; lots of forest area, great biking and running areas, the Med School Stairs and wonderful views of the Cascades and downtown.
After the Terwilliger portion, the run takes a U-turn and heads back toward the city via Barbur Blvd. This part of the run is the most monotonous - long, flat and straight sections that never seem to end. However, after working your way through this, you will wind back into downtown and to the finish, which is always packed with spectators.
The event is a great celebration of Portland's unique mix of hardcore athletes, and gonzo-urban populace. There were as many people running in costumes as there were in athletic gear. There are usually a lot of bands and street parties, and don't forget the most important part of a St. Patrick's Day themed race - the beer tents.
Distance: 5K, 8K or 15K options
Race Map: http://www.shamrockrunportland.com/map.htm
The races comes in three flavors: a 5K, 8K or 15K. All three run through a good part of downtown and the waterfront area, so matter which one you choose you get a great urban racing experience. The crowds are typically more fun in the downtown area as well, helping to keep you motivated (or drunk). The only one I've managed to do so far is the 15K, which begins on Naito Parkway before winding through the Burnside area and then into downtown. From downtown the run heads through Portland State's urban campus and then begins a long climb up Terwilliger Blvd (one of my favorite areas to run in Portland). Terwilliger is a really amazing part of Portland; lots of forest area, great biking and running areas, the Med School Stairs and wonderful views of the Cascades and downtown.
After the Terwilliger portion, the run takes a U-turn and heads back toward the city via Barbur Blvd. This part of the run is the most monotonous - long, flat and straight sections that never seem to end. However, after working your way through this, you will wind back into downtown and to the finish, which is always packed with spectators.
The event is a great celebration of Portland's unique mix of hardcore athletes, and gonzo-urban populace. There were as many people running in costumes as there were in athletic gear. There are usually a lot of bands and street parties, and don't forget the most important part of a St. Patrick's Day themed race - the beer tents.
Distance: 5K, 8K or 15K options
Race Map: http://www.shamrockrunportland.com/map.htm
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Laurelhurst Park - Portland, OR
Laurelhurst, located in Southeast Portland is an incredible green oasis in the middle of Portland's eastside. Within its borders are a pond, horseshoe pits, picnic tables, an off-leash dog area, and a couple of mostly paved trails that are ideal for running.The park is great as a quick and easy escape when running through neighborhoods gets boring. There is a larger paved trail that runs around the entire perimeter of the park. A full loop is about .85 miles.
The loop is ideal for interval running or for just pounding out a few miles after work. Because of its location, its easy to link Laurelhurst with Mt. Tabor, allowing for a longer, more scenic run.
Crowd wise, the park is never completely empty, so be prepared to run around couples, dogs, kids and other runners. As with many city parks, Laurelhurst can get a bit sketchy at night and there are a couple of dark spots that make running alone more of a dicey adventure. However, the park is lit with street lamps, and I've run there at night, and seen other runners doing the same, without any problems. There are numerous entrances around the park, with plenty of parking if you choose to drive up there.
Distance: the paved loop around the park is .85 miles long.
Directions: From downtown Portland, you can take either Burnside St. or Madison/Hawthorne Blvd. For the Burnside route, starting from SW Taylor St and SW Naito Parkway, take Taylor St. west to SW 4th St and take a right. Continue on this until you hit Burnside St and take a right (east). Cross the Burnside Bridge (check out the views!) and continue east. As you come to the intersection of Sandy Blvd and Burnside make sure that you are in the far right lane, otherwise you will be forced onto Sandy (Sandy is the bane of navigating in Portland). Turn right on SE 32nd Ave and then your first left on SE Ankeny St., which will run directly into the park.
For the Madison/Hawthorne route, starting from SW Taylor St. and SW Naito Parkway, head west on Taylor and take a left on SW 3rd St. and then a left onto SW Madison St. This road will take you across the Hawthorne Bridge and will turn into SE Hawthorne Blvd. Take Hawthorne for about 2.5 miles and then take a left on SE 39th St. Take this for about a mile and then take a left at SE Stark St., and then a right onto SE Oak St. The park will be in front of you, and you can park on this road.
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Thursday, February 14, 2008
Discovery Park - Seattle, WA
I've been frequenting the Emerald City a lot lately and when not downing liters of coffee to deal with the rain, have been exploring numerous running venues. One of my favorites is Discovery Park, located in the northwest corner of the Queen Ann Peninsula. The park is built around an old military installation, which means lots of old derelict buildings. Some are eyesores, but some are fairly interesting to look at - old estates for the upper officer ranks. The park is also surrounded by older homes, and some of the trails put you out into the neighborhoods around the park, providing another site seeing venue as most of the homes are pretty cool to look at
Most of the park sits on top of a bluff overlooking the Puget Sound making for some fantastic views. The best feature about the park is the variety of trails. You can run through old growth forests, through coastal grasslands and even along the beach. The views of Puget Sound are absolutely stunning. The only thing to watch out for is that the park is often crowded during the weekends and full of kids, dogs and families. It seems that most of the family oriented use of the park is focused on the beach and on the paved trails, leaving a lot of the running trails to the runners.
The Loop Trail is the main trail through the park; a mix of dirt and concrete that runs along the bluff and into the forested parts of the park. This trail is about 3 miles in length, with various other trails branching off of it. It's worth doing a couple of times to take in all of the views. Trail maps of the park are not very informative. There is a decent one available here (in PDF format).
Directions: the park is located in the northwest corner of the Queen Anne Peninsula, almost directly to the south of the Ballard area (on the other side of the canal), so directions will change depending on where you are coming from. Below is a Google Map of the location. The physical address of the park is: 3801 W Government Way, Seattle, WA 98119.
Distance: anywhere from 1 to 11 miles.
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Wednesday, February 6, 2008
Tryon Creek State Park
Tryon Creek is an Oregon State Park, located within the city limits of Portland in the Southwest Hills, about 9 miles from downtown Portland. Very similar in topography to Forest Park, Tryon has a variety of trails that loop through a large valley with multiple streams. It is worth checking out and becoming familiar with, as it presents a great alternative to Forest Park when the weekend traffic there gets to be too much.
By far the best feature of the park is the variety of routes that can be taken through it. Two hour runs are possible, as well as quick 30 minute out and backs. As a whole the park is incredibly hilly, so be prepared for runs that are a bit harder. Another thing to watch out for is the mud. The park lacks decent drainage in a lot of spots, so be prepared to splash through some sections. If you do get a little dirty and don't want to hop right back into the car, the Lewis and Clark Law School borders the northern end of the park, and has shower rooms that are usually open during the day. They are located in the Gantenbein student center (campus map here).
My only complaint with the park, and this is rather easily rectified, is that it is confusing to learn how to navigate through it. Initially, trails with seem to end and begin at random, and will pop you out into some random neighborhoods. However, once you run through it a couple of times, or accompany someone who knows the park, you'll find that it begins to make sense.
Directions: From downtown Portland, take I-5 South and take exit 297 for Terwilliger Blvd. Bear right off of the exit onto Barbur Blvd and take the first right onto Terwilliger Blvd. heading South. Continue on Terwilliger Blvd until you hit the traffic circle. Take the second exit off of the circle (the Law School is the first exit) and continue down Terwilliger for about another mile. The parking lot for the park is on the right.
Website with trail maps: http://www.tryonfriends.org/
Below are trail maps of the Upper, Middle and Lower sections of the park.
View Larger Map
By far the best feature of the park is the variety of routes that can be taken through it. Two hour runs are possible, as well as quick 30 minute out and backs. As a whole the park is incredibly hilly, so be prepared for runs that are a bit harder. Another thing to watch out for is the mud. The park lacks decent drainage in a lot of spots, so be prepared to splash through some sections. If you do get a little dirty and don't want to hop right back into the car, the Lewis and Clark Law School borders the northern end of the park, and has shower rooms that are usually open during the day. They are located in the Gantenbein student center (campus map here).
My only complaint with the park, and this is rather easily rectified, is that it is confusing to learn how to navigate through it. Initially, trails with seem to end and begin at random, and will pop you out into some random neighborhoods. However, once you run through it a couple of times, or accompany someone who knows the park, you'll find that it begins to make sense.
Directions: From downtown Portland, take I-5 South and take exit 297 for Terwilliger Blvd. Bear right off of the exit onto Barbur Blvd and take the first right onto Terwilliger Blvd. heading South. Continue on Terwilliger Blvd until you hit the traffic circle. Take the second exit off of the circle (the Law School is the first exit) and continue down Terwilliger for about another mile. The parking lot for the park is on the right.
Website with trail maps: http://www.tryonfriends.org/
Below are trail maps of the Upper, Middle and Lower sections of the park.
View Larger Map
Friday, November 16, 2007
Core Support
The NY Times has a good article in their Play Magazine section about the prevalance of back injuries among high torque/high impact athlete groups. The article touches on various causes behind back problems among athletes, gives a glimpse into young, elite level tennis players and what their backs look like (do not let your children get involved in elite level tennis. Ouch). The article also provides three core strenghtening exercises to help build a solid back support system:
SUPPORT THAT LAZY SPINE: Entire books have been devoted to workout routines for the back. But you can save yourself some trouble by focusing on these three exercises, which work most of the large muscles in the body’s core. Do them four times a week, breathing slowly and steadily throughout.
CURL UP
Lie on your back with your knees bent. Slide your hands under your lower back to provide support; you don’t want your spine flat against the floor. Straighten one leg. Then, while keeping your neck and lower spine straight and unmoving, lift your shoulders and chest off the floor. Hold the position for about eight seconds. Repeat 10 times, then switch legs and do another 10.
SIDE BRIDGE
Lie on your side, with your legs bent at the knee and your upper hand across your chest. Bend your lower arm so that your elbow is pointing away from your chest. Slowly raise your shoulders, keeping your spine straight, and hold for 8 to 10 seconds. Repeat on the other side. After a few weeks, do the exercise with your legs straight.
BIRD DOG
Start on all fours, then slowly lift your right arm and left leg until each is parallel to the ground. Hold for eight seconds. Repeat with the opposite arm and leg. Do 10 reps on each side. Keep your spine straight, hips level and abdominal muscles slightly contracted. And don’t forget to breathe.
SUPPORT THAT LAZY SPINE: Entire books have been devoted to workout routines for the back. But you can save yourself some trouble by focusing on these three exercises, which work most of the large muscles in the body’s core. Do them four times a week, breathing slowly and steadily throughout.
CURL UP
Lie on your back with your knees bent. Slide your hands under your lower back to provide support; you don’t want your spine flat against the floor. Straighten one leg. Then, while keeping your neck and lower spine straight and unmoving, lift your shoulders and chest off the floor. Hold the position for about eight seconds. Repeat 10 times, then switch legs and do another 10.
SIDE BRIDGE
Lie on your side, with your legs bent at the knee and your upper hand across your chest. Bend your lower arm so that your elbow is pointing away from your chest. Slowly raise your shoulders, keeping your spine straight, and hold for 8 to 10 seconds. Repeat on the other side. After a few weeks, do the exercise with your legs straight.
BIRD DOG
Start on all fours, then slowly lift your right arm and left leg until each is parallel to the ground. Hold for eight seconds. Repeat with the opposite arm and leg. Do 10 reps on each side. Keep your spine straight, hips level and abdominal muscles slightly contracted. And don’t forget to breathe.
Med School Stairs
Portland is a great city for running; a lot of urban parks, a lot of trails and a lot of ways to work in both pavement and trail running in the same outing. The city also has a variety of great urban features that can add immensley to a good workout.
For a more intense leg builder I rank Terwilliger Boulevard and the Medical School Stairs (as I call them) at the top of my list. Terwilliger winds from downtown all the way to Tryon State Park, and along the way passes some great scenery. A paved path parallels most of the road, which is itself rather hilly. About 2 miles from downtown (starting at SW Washington and Broadway to 6th Ave to Terwilliger), or about 4 miles (starting from Tryon Creek and Boones Ferry Rd) lay the Med School Stairs. They start on Terwilliger and descend up to what I thinki is the Veteran's Hospital. I am not sure how many stairs there are, but its enough to get legs burning. It is the closest I've come to a stadium run in Portland.
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