Traveling in Europe does not mean one has to give up running. Planning ahead with running tips can ensure that one’s travel becomes not only an opportunity for staying fit but an opportunity for some serious hill training.
In Paris, Choose Lodgings Close to a Park
Running in Paris streets is comparable to a game of dart and dodge. The main thoroughfares are almost always filled with pedestrians during the day. Unless one is willing to slow down or stop intermittently, running through the streets of Paris can be quite frustrating.
However, the safest and most enjoyable running routes can be found in several of the main parks located across the city. These parks provide a large measure of green space not only for runners but for children and outdoor enthusiasts.
A good running tip would be to choose one’s hotel or lodging close to one of these parks: the Jardin du Luxembourg, the Jardin du Palais-Royal, the Bois de Vincennes and the Bois de Boulogne. Close proximity to parks allows one the opportunity to run unencumbered on French soil.
If one wishes to be close to city center amenities, staying near the Jardin du Luxembourg is the most practical choice. The area is within walking distance (30-40 minutes) to the Notre Dame Cathedral, the Latin Quarter, Place de la Concorde and the Louvre Museum.
The advantage of staying close to the Bois de Vincennes and Bois de Boulogne is that both offer unencumbered long distance jaunts through wooded trails; the only disadvantage is their distance from the city center. However, even this problem can easily be eclipsed by the Paris subway transit system which is quite commendable for its speed and efficiency.
Use Vienna as a Venue for Hill Work
Considerably less congested than Paris, Vienna provides a perfect place for running on quaint, cobble- stoned streets in the main city center.Situated in the foothills of the Alps at an elevation of almost 200m, the city center radiates downwards towards the Donaukanal, a tributary of the River Danube. One can do an uninhibited jaunt around the Donaukanal coupled with a few training intervals uphill towards the city center.Running from the Franz Josefs Kai before the canal towards the Innere Stadt (Inner City Center) is an uphill course that lends itself to fartlek intervals.
For a more intense uphill training workout, one can drive outside the city towards Kahlenberg, situated in the hills north of the city. A historic site where imperial troops and allies liberated Vienna from the Turkish siege of 1683, this hill provides a panoramic view of the city of Vienna. Most of all, it provides a spurt of uphill running that is similar to running up a pyramid in Mexico.
Clearly, the most popular running routes are in the Vienna Woods, an area east of the city covering over 100 square miles of rambling hills, wild gorges and gentle vineyards. A favorite outdoor destination of the population in Vienna, Vienna Woods offers miles and miles of trail running.
Traveling abroad does not have to mean giving up one’s running routines. With a bit of planning ahead using these running tips, applicable to other European cities as well, one can maintain one’s fitness regimen and resistance training even while on holiday.
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