Places to run

One of the great things about running, is that you can do it anywhere. So I always throw a pair of running shoes in my travel bag. Whether travels are for vacation or for work. It's a nice way to get to know the city you are in, and, in case of travel for work, it's an excellent way of getting some fresh air in between boring meetings.

For those of you wondering why it's been so quiet on the blog, I have been travelling. And thus, running. Last week I was in Nova Scotia, Canada. The day after I arrived, I went out on a run. I had just recovered from a nasty cold and after 4 days of full rest, it was great to be out and running again. Especially if you consider Nova Scotia's beautiful environment. Snif fresh air and feel strong again. Whilst running, I realised I have run in quite a few places and wondered what my top 5 would be...

So here it is. What's yours?

1. Nepal (Himalaya region)

OK, major cheating here, because strictly speaking I didn't run here, but walked. We were at an altitude of at least 3500m and my body didn't cope with more than a brisk walk. But anyway, it felt as if I was running. Or perhaps it was because of the breathtaking views. Wanna go and run? Nepal has an ultra trail run http://annapurna100.com/

2. Nova Scotia, Canada

As said, what a beautiful place. The same Ice Age appearance as Sweden with loads of rocks, water and pine trees. Every second you expect to see the acorn obsessed squirrel from the Ice Age movie. I saw a few squirrels but they weren't carrying acorns. Very quiet and lots of unpaved roads to run on.

3. Keystone, Colorado, USA

My first real run at altitude - and in snow. How bad can it be, I thought? Well, pretty bad. I suffered throughout the whole 90 mins 'easy run' but the views and runner's high were worth every second of it. I think I slept during the afternoon's conference session, though.

4. Archipelago, Sweden

No place like home. And what better than to spend midsummer with some running buddies? So in between drinking alcohol, playing kubb (forever) and singing songs, we got out in the forest and just ran. We lost the path but who cares, if your on an island it's hard to get lost. Perhaps hangovers from the night before helped in more reckless behaviour?

5. Melbourne, Australia

This was fun because I have never been greeted by so many runners before.  I was still jetlagged (didn't think I would ever get over it, either) so I was running slow for about an hour or so. It struck me how happy people looked. Which was not surprising, given that it was 30C at 10AM (or was it 9PM?), the sun was shining and the ocean was beautiful.

So next time you travel, don't forget to pack your shoes!