GPS Kids | Peg’s Posts: Run away from home.

Ever get an urge to run away from home? I mean literally pack up your prized possessions, head off into the sunset, sleep in a bed not your own and then arise the next morning ready to run? I do it all the time. In fact, I think such longings are quite healthy and can keep your running routine from getting stale. My “run away from home” this past weekend was at Creve Coeur Lake outside of St. Louis. We were on a short family trip with a main goal of seeing a few attractions while getting away from work/home distractions. Within minutes of checking into our hotel on Friday, I browsed the map on nuvifone for a nearby park and found Creve Coeur Lake — about 3 miles from where we were staying. Then I pulled up our Garmin Connect site, hit the explore tab and searched for activities by keyword “Creve Coeur”. Found several listings and within seconds of exploring the posted data, I knew that there was a 4-mile loop around the lake that was fairly flat … and that it was frequented by many Forerunner fans.

After an afternoon and evening of standing in long lines and doing a little sightseeing in St. Louie, I was eager for my run Saturday morning. nuvifone got me there just as the lake was starting to come alive. Rowers were shaking off the morning chill, slicing through the lifting fog. Fishermen and women and children settled in for a solitary morning. Cyclists of all ages and on all sorts of bikes whirred along the mixed-use trail. Only saw a few runners and walkers at the outset of my run, but as I worked my way ‘round the 4-mile loop, I met lots of runners with Team in Training gear. I can’t help but check the wrists of all the runners, and I’m always amazed and impressed with how many Forerunners I see. I’d say 4 out of every 5 runners I saw had Forerunners. Here’s a link to my run in Garmin Connect, recorded by my Forerunner 405.

Hope you have plans to run away from home sometime soon. Wherever you’re traveling, remember you can search from millions of public activities uploaded by other Garmin users at Garmin Connect. The next run away from home on my wish list: Mammoth Lakes, California with a stay at the running retreat/condo owned by Deena Kastor. Not only is this spot ideal for the scenery and trail access, but it’s less than a mile from Deena’s own home. A story in the Aug. issue of Runner’s World (pg. 24) mentions that Deena provides guests with maps of three running routes from the condo, which she personally measured with a Garmin Forerunner. Best perk of the package — if Deena’s in town, she’ll stop by for a visit.

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