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But you know what the funniest thing about Europe is? It’s
the little differences. . .You know what they call a quarter pounder with cheese
in Paris?” -Vincent Vega, Pulp Fiction
Well, I meant to start this blog with an introductory post
about why I am the anti-runner and hopefully why you should follow this blog.
Shocking, shocking revelations such as the fact that I don’t stretch or warm
up, or that I only own two pairs of running shoes. I have that post in the
works, but it will have to wait.
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| the trail along the River Inn |
No, the start of this blog finds me visiting my daughter in
Innsbruck Austria, and running is going to be a big part of this trip for me. I
just quit my job, in part because it was taking too much of my running time, or
at least quitting will help me run more. Don’t worry, I have work to come back
to.
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| Cappuccino with my daughter |
I hail from Northern Michigan, a whole world away Europe. I’m
here because my daughter moved here several years ago. She lives in Innsbruck
and is pursuing a career in music. I’m visiting for two weeks, and so I wanted
to make running a big part of the trip. If nothing else, running helps me reset
my system from jet lag and the rigors of 24 hours of continuous travel.
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| selfie on run #2 |
It’s refreshing to be here as a guest and not a tourist. If
I were on some tour staying at a hotel I’d be visiting all the tourist spots,
paying too much for food and buying tourist crap to take home to put on my
shelves as a reminder of where I’ve been.
Instead I’m staying in a residential neighborhood of gritty
high-rise apartment buildings. The view from their tenth floor balcony is
stunning. The view from their window is of a salmon colored derrick crane that
is facilitating construction on the building.
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| part of my route. notice how narrow the sidewalk is |
Innsbruck has a very working class feel to it, without a lot
of the tourist kitsch you find in some of the mountain towns, especially in
Germany. What I’m enjoying and what should interest you as runners is that this
building I’m staying in is half a block from the River Inn (Innsbruck means
bridge on the river Inn) and there is an asphalt trail that follows the river
all the way through town. It is mostly tree lined and quiet, with a few street
crossings. The elevation is not extreme (1800 feet give or take) and the town
is very runner friendly. Europeans in general tend to be fitter than their
American counterparts, and Innsbruck, at least at first glance, is a fitness
town much like Boulder Colorado. It is home to a lot of professional athletes,
and everywhere you look people are running or biking. The mountain roads are
clogged by cyclists cranking their way up the mountains.
So far I’ve gotten two runs in, 3 miles and six miles
respectively, and both have been very pleasant. I’ve been invited to run later
with a local athlete named Diganta higher in the mountains, and I plan to do a
couple of long runs- 10-12 miles. We’re also planning to go on a couple of side
trips to Verona Italy (two hours away), Munich Germany and perhaps Salzburg. It’s
tempting to pack my running gear for these trips just so I can say I ran there,
but we’ll see. A two hour bus ride back home smelling of runner sweat may not
be a good thing.
I’m glad I brought my running gear. It has enhanced my
enjoyment of the trip thus far. It has given me time and space to think, to
breathe deeply, take stock of this place, to collect my thoughts. Running here
is like running anywhere, but it is the distance from my normal life and
routine that is giving me perspective and inspiration.
I can’t wait to get back out there.
Jason Tucker
The Anti Runner |
| dinner in the Alps |
