Running Games: Urban Explorer

For the past few months I've been jumping back and forth between Pittsburgh and Phoenix, but I've maintained my running schedule.  This means running in a city I'm not so familiar with.

Running in Tempe was great!  I'd circle Tempe Town Lake, jog through the hip scenes, and see tons of other runners.  Our hotel was right on the lake between Tempe and Scottsdale, so it was easy to find interesting places to run.  Then we moved to the apartment in Chandler, which is much more characteristic of the rest of Phoenix and, as I am told, the southwest in general.  Perfect grid, square mile blocks of gated community, strip mall, and undeveloped lots.  It is as interesting to run around as staring at the wall in the fitness center while on a treadmill.  Add in the heat, and the treadmill definitely wins out.

But this is not a wah! on Phoenix blog--this is about overcoming obstacles that stand between me and being healthy.  And by golly, if boring runs aren't like the Great Wall of China to motivating me off the couch and into the outdoors.

Behold, one of my favorite running games: Urban Explorer.

The Urban Explorer never takes the same route twice, cares not about distance or time--only seeking adventure, jumps fences, follows dead end roads, chases pigeons, etc.

Here are the rules:
1) Do not map your course pre-run
2) Take no Garmin, no watch, and if you can handle it--don't even take an ipod
3) If you see something that looks interesting--be it graffiti, a pond, a hip-happening neighborhood, check it out!  Being in running gear is license to be inconspicuously nebby.  (Nebby for you non-Pittsburghers means curious or nosey)
4) Do bring your imagination and thrill-hunger!

I cheated a little when exploring Chandler--I looked up on Google maps to find the only non-square block nearby and headed toward it.

Sometimes what you find is fantastic, sometimes not so much.  As for my expedition of Chandler, AZ: The Good, the Bad, and the Smelly.

The Good:
I discovered this man-made pond stocked with fish, which attracted families and tons of different birds, making for quite a scenic little jog.  I need to make a nerd confession: I am a aviary-enthusiast.  I love birds!  Especially of the aquatic sort.  Some of my favorites that I encountered during this run were:

Snowy Egret

Blue Heron

Coot-look at it's awesome feet!

And of course-Mallards

The Bad (or hilarious):

Tail-wagging, wing-flapping, tongue-hissing attacking Canadian Goose.

As I approached the pond, a singular goose stood on the edge of the sidewalk near the pond.  Normally, these creatures don't strike fear into the hearts of mankind.  But on this particular day, when I came near, it started bobbing it head, then it started ruffling its feather, puffing out its chest and hissing.  At D-10ft, I slowed to a walk and just moved intentionally past it.  It hissed the whole time but that was about it.  Nevertheless, I got attacked by a Canadian Goose!

The Smelly:

For some tragic reason, a significant portion of the supplied fish had not quite thrived.  Therefore, at random points along the perimeter of the pond were foot deep, three foot wide piles of rotting fish carcasses.  Add a temperature of 85 degrees and it is worth holding your breath as you run on by.

Sorry, Marlin.

Beyond finding a great spot for bird watching, I gained a grasp of the land.  I figured out what stores and coffee places were in the vicinity, stumbled upon some art galleries and a fancy local pizza bistro, actually saw other runners, spotted more sheep grazing, and best of all, shaded sidewalk!  It's quite the commodity when running in Phoenix.

So whether it's Seattle, WA; Grand Forks, ND; Chandler, AZ; or your hometown--get out there and explore.  A little sense of adventure can awaken any boring run.