Sunday, July 31, 2011

Training in Michigan

When I moved to Minnesota, I didn't really have running on my mind.  But I lucked out when it came to where I lived in comparison to the top running locations.  Here's a list of things that were within running distance of my apartment in Minnesota:

  • Summit Avenue
  • The Mississippi River
  • Fort Snelling State Park
  • The Lakes (Isles, Calhoun, Cedar, Harriet, and Nokomis)
  • Minnehaha Parkway
  • Minnehaha Park
  • Stone Arch Bridge
  • Fantastic neighborhoods
  • A bunch of different universities and colleges
Running was ideal in Minnesota.  Not so much in Michigan.  Here are my options where I'm living now.
  • East on Metro Parkway, a high speed street with a "bike path" and few trees.
  • West on Metro Parkway, a high speed street with a "bike path" and few trees.
  • Into a subdivision the shape of a trapezoid with a height of 1 mile and a base of 1 mile.
So I haven't run much.  I got sick of running on Metro Parkway after about a week, then ventured into the neighborhood, and got tired of running there because there's only one street that goes all the way through.  

I tried to change things up a bit by going to Stoney Creek Metropark on Saturday, and that was fun.  I had only been there once before for a cross country meet, and had forgotten how massive Stoney Creek actually is.  I'm pretty sure there were more bicycles in the park than cars, and even on a hot and humid Saturday morning, the path was filled with runners and walkers.  It was a bit too crowded for me, but I decided to save finding the hiking trails for another day.

And really, this is the toughest part.  I want to run.  But I hate having to drive somewhere to go running. So I don't run.  I'm moving to a new apartment in September that's in the heart of Rochester, and since it's very close to the Paint Creek and Clinton River trails, things should improve a bit.  But it really bothers me that after having such a good year in 2010 that I'm back to square one in the year that I had hoped would bring me to the next level.

Sorry for two rant-like posts in a row.  My next post will be a bit more upbeat—a race report!

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