What's your favorite course? The most scenic race I've ever run would have to be the Newport Rhode Races half marathon in 2014. The course took us between early 20th century mansions and the coast and our warm up run looked like this
But, I wanted to write about those hometown favorite courses. If you've got a visitor coming to town, where are you taking them to run?
My favorite course in San Antonio also has to do with the time of day I typically ran it. In Running the Sun Up I talked about running on the touristy section of the San Antonio Riverwalk early on a Sunday morning. The city wasn't quite awake yet and the church bells were going. Only a couple hours later and that section is hard to walk through, much less runnable.
We've been here in San Angelo now for nearly a year and I have explored much of the city on foot. At least, the parts that seem safe to run through. There aren't many miles of sidewalk here in town. My favorite place to run here has to be the KOA loop. It seems like I am not alone, as San Angelo Standard Times writer Bill Cullins found in a poll of local running groups (Examining the best place to run and bike around town). KOA is popular for two reasons - the views and the hills. The loop is just a tick over 2 miles and includes 3 steep inclines, one broken up by a fairly short plateau. The hills aren't long, the longest being just over 1/10 mile but all are at around a 10% incline. The loop is front loaded, with all 4 inclines included in just over a mile, then about a mile to catch your breath before hitting it again. Mila and I go out there just about weekly and often see familiar faces - the boxing gym getting road work in, the group of military wives with their strollers, whole families getting an evening walk in, and sometimes I even spot Air Force PT gear. It's one of those courses that I know well, down to the location of specific weeds, cracks, cacti, and the house of that weird old dude with 20+ cats. There are often 20 or so other runners but not a whole lot of vehicles.
The other half of why I like the area is the view. You have to run it at dusk. On the back side of the loop, you look out to the west over Lake Nasworthy. You can see the lake and then the hills.
If you do the extension by going to the bridge over Lake Nasworthy, you can get an even better view.
I wish there was a race out there and have even plotted out a 5k route and thought about the date that I would hold the race. Maybe I can convince SARL to do one there. Until then, come join me on the KOA loop!
My favorite course in San Antonio also has to do with the time of day I typically ran it. In Running the Sun Up I talked about running on the touristy section of the San Antonio Riverwalk early on a Sunday morning. The city wasn't quite awake yet and the church bells were going. Only a couple hours later and that section is hard to walk through, much less runnable.
We've been here in San Angelo now for nearly a year and I have explored much of the city on foot. At least, the parts that seem safe to run through. There aren't many miles of sidewalk here in town. My favorite place to run here has to be the KOA loop. It seems like I am not alone, as San Angelo Standard Times writer Bill Cullins found in a poll of local running groups (Examining the best place to run and bike around town). KOA is popular for two reasons - the views and the hills. The loop is just a tick over 2 miles and includes 3 steep inclines, one broken up by a fairly short plateau. The hills aren't long, the longest being just over 1/10 mile but all are at around a 10% incline. The loop is front loaded, with all 4 inclines included in just over a mile, then about a mile to catch your breath before hitting it again. Mila and I go out there just about weekly and often see familiar faces - the boxing gym getting road work in, the group of military wives with their strollers, whole families getting an evening walk in, and sometimes I even spot Air Force PT gear. It's one of those courses that I know well, down to the location of specific weeds, cracks, cacti, and the house of that weird old dude with 20+ cats. There are often 20 or so other runners but not a whole lot of vehicles.
The other half of why I like the area is the view. You have to run it at dusk. On the back side of the loop, you look out to the west over Lake Nasworthy. You can see the lake and then the hills.
Comments
Post a Comment