Ok… maybe “back” on it is a little misleading. I was never really much of a jogger. I used to ride my bike up and down the Olentangy Bike Path 100 miles per week though… but that was 8 summers ago. And with my wheel-less bike likely to never be fixed, I figure I’ve got to start doing something else to counterbalance all of the sitting around work in front of the computer that I do everyday.
So, jogging it is. The cheapest exercise out there. Put on shoes. Go run around. Drink some water.
I gave it a shot on Wednesday last week, and it wasn’t as bad as I remember it being. I was able to do 2.3 miles in 30 minutes, which I was pretty proud of considering that I haven’t really done anything like this in so long. Of course, I went to bed a little sore, and woke up the next day even more sore, but I know it always takes a few weeks to get over that “beating yourself up” hump.
Anyway, the reason I’m posting this is partly to encourage myself to keep doing it, partly to encourage others, and partly to say what a great place Downtown Columbus is for jogging. I’ve been going out at night anywhere between 7:30 and 9pm and mostly running around the east side of Downtown near CCAD and CSCC. I know many people think that Downtown is an unsafe place for this type of activity, but there’s really not too many people out milling around anywhere. The few people I’ve passed on the sidewalk either give me an acknowledging nod or ignore me. Of course, I’m not trying to tell anyone to be naive, and I don’t know if I’d want my wife out running alone at night… but I’m still not really not too concerned with anything happening to me while I’m out at night Downtown.
A little bit of awareness of your surroundings goes a long way, and the main thing I can tell you is that Downtown is well-lit and flat as a pancake. Perfect for an evening jog.
I just started jogging yesterday, too. I pounded out about two miles, and my legs definitely feel a little like Jell-O this morning. Unfortunately, northwest Columbus isn’t quite as conducive to jogging as Downtown; despite all of the suburban sprawl, it’s really hard to find a circuit with sidewalks all the way around. I get many an unpleasant glare from motorists as I’m trotting down 161 back to my apartment.
Are you using anything to track your progress? When I was routinely jogging a while ago, I found a couple of sites to help determine mileage using the Google Maps API, but I could never seem to find something that struck my fancy. I might try to just code something myself. I’d be interested in any tips you have, though.
Hey Derek! Good to hear!
I haven’t been tracking my progress really… I’ve looked around at a few sites as well and came to pretty much the same conclusion. I’ve had the same issue with diet/nutrition tracking websites as well. They seem to be pretty cumbersome. But maybe I’m just not looking in the right places.
So yeah… the bathroom scale is pretty much my only tracking device right now.
Maybe the lack of people milling around is what makes it feel unsafe to some? Personally, I don’t really ever feel unsafe while running or biking. I’m much more willing to run through “bad” neighborhoods than walk through them.
I assume you’ve you been to mapmyrun.com?
You assume incorrectly, John!
Very interesting site. Rather comprehensive. I’ll definitely check this out. Thanks for the tip!
I live in Vic Village and find jogging to be the best way to get to see the city. The time flies by if you think of it more as exploring nearby neighborhoods than running. I jog downtown virtually year-round and have never once felt unsafe. Hell, usually there’s no one even around in the evenings
I love running downtown. One of my favorite treks is the stretch from North Bank to Broad along the river. If you time it just so, right as the sun is setting, it is actually a stunning view. Then, you can cross the river and hit the steps in front of Vets over and over until your legs hate you.
FYI – I’ve been talking with the folks at O’Shaughnessy’s about getting together a running club similar to: http://irishsnugrunners.com/mainpages/events.htm
http://www.jackquinnsrunners.com/
http://www.mcguiresrunners.com/
They’re all for it…I just do not have the time right now to organize…if you come across anyone looking for a pet project…
I live in Vic Village and find jogging to be the best way to get to see the city. The time flies by if you think of it more as exploring nearby neighborhoods than running. I jog downtown virtually year-round and have never once felt unsafe. Hell, usually there’s no one even around in the evenings