First running tourism of the year

[JaySeeSkinny]

At very short notice I had to come to Düsseldorf this week. And I love running in unknown places. So I looked up my hotel on the map and got all excited about running around the media Harbour. Well, when I got here it was pretty grotty, the different inlets of the River Rhine were not the sparkling bright new quays that I had envisioned but many were muddy and very dodgy building sites. There was one promising route along the Rhine though and that was where I went for my morning run today. I do love new routes and new places. My senses are always honed as I have to try and remember how to get back in an unfamiliar area. There were quite a few runners out, the route was relatively simple - straight along the river for 2 1/2 k and straight back. But, of course that would have been boring! So I nipped over bridges, ran down promising looking inlets which ended in dead ends, took the odd side street away from the river and generally had a thoroughly good jog around the area.

It was such fun I think I’ll do it again tomorrow. Slow, steady and enjoyable. Running tourism is just the best!

[Bazza1234 Graduate10]

Do you use the Strava Global heat map to see where the locals run?? labs.strava.com/heatmap/#10...

[JaySeeSkinny Graduate10 in reply to Bazza1234]

No, just Google maps. And I ask in the hotels if the area I’ve chosen is safe!

[Anniemurph Graduate10]

Ooh, running tourism! I usually get lost - it always looks so easy on the map, and the hotel receptionists and concierges are so encouraging and blase, but as you say, it never looks like that when you get out there! Have a great run today too!

[Bazza1234 Graduate10 in reply to Anniemurph]

IF you have phone connection and data available , then you can use the Strava Global heat map and you phone GPD shows you where you are on the map at all times- So you can follow a popular running route without getting lost I only learned about the GPS aspect of it recently.

[Anniemurph Graduate10 in reply to Bazza1234]

Thank you! Great idea, and I will do that in future where I can. In Europe not too bad, where I (still) get free data (for a while), but elsewhere I'll still have to get lost