I’m not sure if this is a normal runner thing, a crazy-obsessed runner thing, or a high mileage runner thing but I can’t help but want to run almost everywhere I go. For example, I drive from New York to Ohio to visit the family quite often. If I see a little stone road or dirt trail running along the highway, I really want to run on it and see where it leads. If I come across an unusual driveway (long winding, short steep hill, long drawn out hill) I really get the urge to stop the car and run it. I imagine what it might be like if I lived there and had to start and end each run on that kind of driveway. If I see something beautiful, a park with gorgeous flowers, a mountain range in the distance, famous historical sights, I always want to run them. This is definitely a plus when we go on vacation because we see so much more of a city than we would if we weren’t runners. It’s a negative when I have 6 more hours of driving ahead of me and all I want to do is go for a run…

Just a few cool places we have run…

June 2006 in Barcelona at Olympic stadium. Didn't have camera phones so didn't shoot a pic while running but came back and got one!

January 2007 after running up Diamond Head on Oahu.

July 2010 in Prague. We ran on trails overlooking the city!

October 2011 we ran in Holyrood Park in Edinburgh. 823ft elevation gain and beautiful at the top! I obviously wasn't running in this pic.

Do you ever get a similar urge to run when you see something beautiful or interesting? Have you ever stopped the car to run because a path looked too good to pass by? Where is your favorite vacation spot for running?