Jackie runs too much on vacation

So I'm back after spending two blissful weeks in Costa Rica. Lying on the beach, taking surf lessons, working on my Spanish, doing great yoga classes, eating the local fare, drinking Cuba Libres ... and running.

I know lots of people see traveling as an opportunity to get away from a training regimen. I do too. But I do still like to run while I'm off exploring new places. It's an opportunity to get a unique perspective and notice some things I would otherwise have missed.

While I was living in St Andrews, Scotland, running was probably what best acquainted me with the country's quirky culture and rugged beauty. The first time I ran with the university's cross-country team, we got stuck in a wicked hailstorm. The weather improved from there (marginally), and I established my standard route that took me along the North Sea beach, back down the historic Old Course, and up along a coastal hiking trail that was guarded by an intimidatingly large bull (I avoided red running attire). My team took part in Fife's "Nightmare" race series, which involved navigating various trails at night wearing headlamps. On one particularly memorable night, I turned my head to the side and found myself looking out into an abyss: we were running alongside a steep cliff and I hadn't noticed. But to avoid outing myself as a cowardly non-Scot, I just had to bite my lip and keep my eyes forward from then on.

Running has led me to discover neighbourhoods off the tourist track in cities like Rome, Paris, Brussels and Athens. I've gotten lost running the Black Forest, nearly gotten run over running alongside all the cyclists in the Hague. My friend Nancy and I have run along a beach in the Turkish Mediterranean on Christmas morning. I've run in Quito, but not for long as the altitude quickly kicked my butt. I've run Arizona desert, Milwaukee suburbs, Central Park, the Chicago lakefront, the San Diego and Seattle beach fronts, and San Francisco hills (and I'm coming back for more soon...)

Running has made stark to me all the unique aspects of my own country: I probably wouldn't have appreciated the unique appeal of Saskatoon, Calgary or Moncton without it. I've discovered unexpected trails and greenery by getting lost running in Toronto and Montreal. Running along Kitsilano Beach and down trails on Vancouver Island made me furiously jealous of the West Coast.

And now I've run Montezuma, Costa Rica. As it was hot and humid - even at 6:30am most days - this proved a bit difficult. I also had a few obstacles along the way that interrupted the running regimen ... smacking my head with the metal fin of my surfboard, feeling a bit ill due to dehydration and sunburn, feeling a bit ill due to Reggae Night festivities. But I did run. And along the way I was distracted from the heat by howling monkeys, iguanas flitting across my path, cows staring back at me curiously. Waves crashed in the background, green jungle spread out around me, and foreign pebbles crushed under my feet. Sure, it would have been nice to go back and lie on the beach some more. But I would have missed the cows.