Taking a mini-break

Here's the blueprint for a fun, relaxing weekend getaway. 1) Take off from work early on Friday to make an early start. 2) Stop for a tasty lunch en route - e.g. sushi. 3) Drive to a location that isn't your city of residence. 4) Check into the nicest luxury hotel that your budget will allow(supplemented by any deals or discounts you can score). 5) Order room service at least once. 6) Bring some chocolate. 7) Tour the local sights (shopping is often a good way to do this). 8) Run a 15K road race.

Yes, you read right. My luxurious weekend getaway is all a lead up to running in an out of town 15K. I have found the local races inadequate and have been forced to travel afield.

Well, forced is probably an exaggeration. It's true that I could not locate a 15K near home for the weekend I wanted to run it. It was a lucky coincidence that there is one this weekend in Portland (the Shamrock Run), and having friends who live in Portland created another justification for coming down here.

I've been intrigued for a while by the idea of traveling to run. After all, I run when I travel (in London, Maine, and Denver during 2006). It's just a bit of variation to plan the trip around a run. It certainly does impress people. It also gives you a bit of an opportunity, and excuse, to eat a little more indulgently than you might allow at home. After all, you need energy to run - a little carbo loading is a good thing. (Hence the fig newtons and chocolate I've just treated myself to as a pre-race energy booster.)

I probably should have waited until after the race to write about this, so I could include my impressions about the race itself. That might include a conclusion that a running vacation isn't all it's cracked up to be! But I'm pretty sure the race will go fine. Slow, perhaps, but fine. My only regret will be (and already is) that after the race I will have to pack up my hotel room and head home, instead of spending another night in luxury. Perhaps that will have to be on the agenda for the next race.

But in the meantime, I'll conclude with my final tip for the running mini-break, one which I plan to follow through with tomorrow afternoon: 9) Schedule a massage!