STREET VIEW?Running is a great way to explore new surroundings.
Running the world
Personal trainer
Paul O'Brien
They are always the first things packed in my bag before heading off. They have been my constant companions for many years. Though they have gone through many incarnations, they have always served the same purpose. They are my running shoes.
I love to run and I love to travel. These remain two of the great passions of my life. I have written about running many times in this column. We all know of the myriad health benefits donning a pair of trainers can have. It remains true that many people only run for health reasons. That’s great and can be a powerful motivator. Running, though, can be so much more. Here’s a scenario….
Recently I spent a weekend in Nuremberg in Germany. I had been there before (during the 1988 European Championships, when Ray Houghton wrote himself into Irish Soccer Legendom with his winning goal against England – ah, the memories!). That was a long time ago, so the city was like new to me.
We checked into our hotel, grabbing a city map on the way to our room. As my partner settled in, I scanned the map. Nuremberg is one of those cities that are easy to navigate. It consists of an old city built around a castle, with four towers marking the boundaries of the old city and the new city spreading out from the walls of the old. Easy!
I don my shoes and set off; sticking to the old wall as I knew it would bring me right back to my hotel. The receptionist guessed the distance at about 6km. She wasn’t too far off. Running a city is a great way to get to know it. It’s my way of saying ‘hello’ to a new place. My pace is steady, relaxed enough to allow me to take in my surrounds. I pass the magnificent towers of the old castle and wonder what went on in each one in days past. My senses are assailed by the smells of famous Nuremberg bratwurst (sausage) drifting from the street stalls, the multitude of conversations from the vibrant café culture. Some of the locals stare as I pass, clearly unused to the sight of a runner apparently ‘enjoying’ himself.
I cross a bridge over the Pegnitz river and notice people ambling along the banks. I decide to take a detour and run along the bank for a few kilometres. Within minutes it seems as though I am immersed in nature and it’s hard to believe I’m in a city of half a million people. The river is traversed by an all-sorts collection of bridges – fabulous stone, wood and road bridges. The smells and sounds are different now – blossoms by the bank, the gentle flow of the Pegnitz. I pass Alpine-style houses that always remind me of Hansel & Gretel…
Returning down the opposite bank, I come across skaters, bikers and a group of men playing a game of outdoor bowls and drinking beer. I stop to take it in. One of the bowlers approaches and clearly comments on my running attire. I don’t speak German, except for the phrase ‘I don’t speak German’ and he proceeds to mime a running man and laughs. I laugh too, more at the fact he finds it so funny and set off again. I pass through some of the old city and my appetite for further exploration is truly whetted. The old city is beautiful and I can’t wait to get back to it.
For now though, I’ve said my hello. The city has welcomed me in its way. My run has allowed me to feel more at home, as it has done wherever I travel. I return, sweaty but happy, to the hotel. It’s time to eat, to meet and to explore. And of course, there’ll be another run or two.
