I know that I’ve been traveling a lot when I start wondering how quickly I could run a marathon on a moving walkway at an airport? (My absolute favorite moving walkway is the Light Tunnel at DTW Airport!). Sometimes, I crack myself up with these thoughts! Or, how about this one: how slow (or how much slower) would I run a marathon on a moving walkway if I were to run in the opposite direction of the walkway? Certainly, I must be delirious. Is there any cure for such thoughts?
Apparently, I’m not the only one.
Did you know that there’s a running track, called East Boston Memorial Stadium, right on Logan Airport’s service road? I’ve known runners, on layovers in Boston, to skip the chowdah in favor of a quick run on the track.
Tom at Sit in First wrote a most excellent post entitled A Most Virtuous Connection at LAX about his going for a run to the beach from LAX! It sounds amazing! And, what’s even more amazing is the fact that he passed an In n Out on the way and didn’t go in!
This week, I came across a great article on the blog Stuck at the Airport, by Harriet Baskas, entitled Airports Want You to Take a Hike. In the article, Ms. Baskas takes us on a journey to a number of airports, and reviews the health-related steps many airports, such as Boston, Baltimore, Fort Lauderdale and San Diego Airports, are taking to encourage passengers to use their time at the airport to walk or even run, often on specially designated paths at the airports.
Usually, I’m too tired from packing into the wee hours and/or having begun the voyage with a bloody mary. Often, I’m on my way to or from a marathon, so running at the airport is not on my to-do list at those times. Frankly, if it weren’t for all that, I’m also rather fearful of leaving my suitcase behind, even in a “secure” locker. Plus, I try to avoid long airport layovers. But, maybe next time I’ll go for a run, especially if I plan it ahead of time and know there is a secure way to check my belongings (and shower facilities for after the run too).
Here’s a great idea for app developers – how about creating an iPhone/Android app that details exercise options at each airport?
A New York frequent flyer who elegantly combines her passions for worldwide travel, running a gazillion marathons all over the globe and staying fit ... without sacrificing her fancy for good wine and food.
Nice post! I’m not much of a one for running on layovers, but since my work sends us out intercontinental to include a saturday night stay for cheapness/time difference acclimitization i always try to have a dig around to see if I can catch a race on my ‘free’ days – http://www.runningintheusa.com/ is great when I’m in the states, and both my 10k and 5k PBs have been set when travelling on the company dime.