This year brought our family across the ocean to Italy. The first days were spent in Rome and then two days in Assisi, followed by a night in Florance and ending back in Rome. Vacation running is always a great way to mix things up, and vacation running in a whole new country adds a layer of complexity and excitement to the movement.
Rome is a confusing set of old streets with stones that look eager to twist the ankle of even the most judicious runner. The roads meet at peculiar angles. Traffic patterns are difficult to understand. Even with a Google map, I stopped frequently to check and double-check all the slight lefts and rights I theoretically should take to make it to my intended destination. But the phrase "it's the journey, not the destination" has never been more true. Each block unfolds with some small new surprise for the senses. The light might hit a stone wall in a particularly beautiful way, or a flock of birds might take off at approaching footsteps.
I lay off all expectations for speed, distance, and time during vacation runs. I need to be back before the family wakes up. This is never a problem, because they don't appreciate a good dawn like I do.
During the day, the streets in Rome are packed with pedestrians, including both tourists and locals. It is an impossible place to run through, but in the mornings, before everyone really gets going with the day, there are the delivery trucks and far fewer scooters. I am still taking my time crossing the streets, but it is far less frantic. On the first day in Rome I wanted to make sure I ran to the Colosseum. For one reason or another, this seemed to be where most of the local runners got their miles in. The other space I found the following day was along the Tiber river. There is a path there that is close to the river without any vehicular traffic. There is also a nice path along the top of the wall that is lined with old trees.
I took a day off the first morning in Assisi. In addition to the Rome runs, there were the miles our family put on walking, so even my legs felt like they needed a rest. There isn't a flat space in Assisi. I was either running uphill or downhill. Once again, before the pilgrims came for the day, the streets were mostly empty, with only an occasional car trying to squeeze through the ancient stone streets. Like Rome, the place is a tangled nest of little passageways and connecting streets all made of stone. I found it difficult to stay oriented, but I also wasn't there to stay oriented as much as explore. I found some incredible vistas on my Assisi run. Perhaps one of the most memorable runs. I filled my senses with all the sights, sounds, and smells.
After Assisi, we spend one night in Florance. Once again, the focus was just on seeing the sights early in the morning before the crowds descended into the streets. The stimulation in Florence felt similar to Rome with an overwhelming amount of sights and sounds.
Between the running and just walking associated with the daily activities, my step count was 285,290 which equates to about 140 miles, or 14 miles a day. It is an incredible amount of exertion over the course of the trip but worth every step.
I am sure if I lived in Rome or Assisi or Florence, I'd develop regular routes and perhaps get a little more used to the views, but maybe not. It felt pretty special to be using running as a means of discovering my surroundings. I would have liked to stay longer and discover more but also feel satisfied with the miles I logged. I get to store these runs in my memory for when things get really boring on the home front.