1.02.2007

25 Best Running Cities in America

Well, I am attempting to get back to reality this evening. I got back into town this afternoon, unpacked, went to the bank, did a little workout, grocery shopped, and now I am just relaxing. Making a nice long post before the week begins and I get engulfed in paperwork! The next few weeks at work are going to be crazy, but I am so ready to get back into the swing of things! I can't beleive I only have 129 days left until I graduate! Wahoo!

I have been doing a lot of thinking about where I am going to be applying for jobs this spring. A big part of me wants to move out of state and do my own thing. A little part of me is having a hard time figuring out where I want to go and if I really want to be that far away from my comfort zone (home).

I was talking with my family a little bit about this and told them that at Christmas I was just going to have everyone one put a city down on a piece of paper and I would draw 10-15 from a bag and choose from one of those. But.... everytime I asked someone where they think I should move, it just brought me closer to home! .... . . . . So much for that idea.

Then my Dad was telling me of an article they had in Runner's World about the 25 Best Running Cities in America! So I checked it out and this is what they listed:

1. San Francisco
2. San Diego
3. New York City
4. Chicago
5. Washington, D.C.
6. Minneapolis/St. Paul
7. Boulder, CO.
8. Boston
9. Denver
10. Portland, OR
11. Austin, TX
12. Seattle
13. Philadelphia
14. Colorado Springs
15. Dalas
16. Anchorage
17. Raleigh, NC
18. Salt Lake City
19. Honolulu
20. Atlanta
21. Houston
22. Pheonix
23. Madison, WI
24. Monterey, CA
25. Fort Colins, CO

They all sound like great places to live, although there are a few on the list that I wouldn't consider moving to right now... . . Hmm. Any thoughts?


Today's Workout: Ran 1 mile (warmup), did my biking (2 nasty hills = 6.5 miles) tonight, since Spin doesn't start until next week. Overall 437 calories.
(Left leg still a little bothersome....feels like a pinched nerve behind my left knee.)

18 comments:

Anonymous said...

I don't know what you are looking for but I have always wanted to live in Madison WI. My sister lives in the Twin Cities and loves it - great schools supposedly and one of the best cities to live in according to Money magazine.
Tom just applied for jobs in D.C. and San Fransisco.
I wouldn't pick Chicago unless you really want a big city. I like it here but its not really for me - I miss St. Louis - its smaller, more affordable, and easier to get around and make friends.

Good luck.

Wes said...

There are just a bunch of quiet peaceful beautiful little cities in the United States that would just luv to have a teacher. Follow your heart... There will always be a place to run.

Afternoon Tea With Oranges said...

I LOVE Atlanta! It's about 4 hours from where I live, and I visit there every now and then for some reason or another. Lots of great shopping and southern hospitality!

Unknown said...

I love Portland Oregon, but I have not heard great things about the schools. Of course Seattle is great, but it rains all year round here, really it does.

carmen said...

As for extreme temperature changes, I think North Dakota to Phoenix would be a bad idea. Although it is beautiful running on the outskirts of town in the desert.

My favorite place to be is in San Diego though.

I'm sure everything will work out for you. Best of luck!

Anonymous said...

Gotta give a shout out to Atlanta - lots of good hills!

Michele said...

Weather would be my number one factor. I HATE cold. It would have to be a southern state for me.
Everyone is looking for teachers so where ever you go there should be a job.
Good luck.

Joe said...

Marry a Canadian, move to Vancouver and run there!

Iron Jayhawk said...

Okay...here are my thoughts on a few of the cities that I've had personal experiences with...

1. San Francisco - Lovely place. Gorgeous...nice cool weather but uber hilly. The city has a lot of history to it

4. Chicago - I'm a huge advocate as I love it here (although I hated living here my first few months away from home). It's very runner friendly and the running community is very strong...and trains even in bitter cold weather.

5. Washington, D.C. - I lived just outside DC in Vienna, VA...it's a great area, but I contantly felt like we were a target for some crap. I still remember the anthrax scare downtown...fun times.

7. Boulder, CO. - Breathtakingly beautiful. Lots of hippies around. The foothills are absolutely amazing. Skiddish weather. It has a lot of energy, much of it generating from the Univ. of Colorado campus...so you'll have a bit of a college town feel at times.

10. Portland, OR - I've always wanted to live here or in Jackson Hole, WY.

13. Philadelphia - I lived just outside Philly on the Jersey side when I was younger...I'm not the biggest fan, but it's definitely a fun town to be in.

18. Salt Lake City - Arguably one of the prettiest cities I've been to. I'm a huge fan of mountains, so I loved visiting SLC. Plus they still proudly have all of the olympic stuff around and about...AND if you're a skiier, you're not that far away from Park City.

19. Honolulu - Do I really need to extrapolate on this one? It's Hawaii...come on. Although It's super expensive.

20. Atlanta - Hotlanta! Great city...but impossible heat a few months out of the year.

22. Phoenix - Very hot. I hate not having all four seasons. Unless, of course...I lived in Hawaii...then I could deal with a constant summer. I wasn't all too impressed with Phoenix when I was there for the marathon last year. Definitely bummed me out.

Simlin said...

I hate moving. Now that I am settled in my own place I don't think I will move for a while.

J~Mom said...

I have been in Phoenix so long I don't know much about other places. I love it here but you do have to be prepared to have no weather changes at all. Hot, hot and a little cooler in the winter. I was a teacher here in my past life so I can tell you about the districts if you ever want those kinds of details. :>) Good luck deciding!

Jess said...

I don't see any FL cities on there! J/K, FL sucks for running, which is really strange since we have great weather. I have lived in CO, MN, and DC and all have great aspects that I could tout, but in the end, you have to look at many factors in order to decide where you want to live.

Deb said...

Being a So Cal native, San Diego is very nice and has an average year round temp of 72 degrees. I'll be moving to Portland Or. in about 18 months and love it there as well (but IT DOES rain ALOT). I say narrow it down to 3 cities, and make the effort to visit them all, even if for a (long) weekend. Good luck!

MNFirefly said...

The Twin Cities have AWESOME running trails - a little hilly but very good. I was VERY surprised to see my old hometown of Colorado Springs on the list.

Anonymous said...

I've only run in Portland and Monterey. Loved Monterey! That weather is great! I live in the Portland area, so I have to put a vote in for that. And, to follow up on Rob's comment about the schools. It really depends on where you're at. There are a lot of good schools in the area. Good luck with your decision!

Blaine and Steph said...

#6!!!! You know you want to live close to your favorite sister....and the 5 cities before MPLS I could not see you moving to (except maybe Chicago). You know the NDer can avoid the gravitational pull to the cities...: )

Anne said...

Of course I recommend San Diego, but the cost of living's outrageous. We all run because we have no money to do anything else! Let us know when you narrow the search. I'm particularly fond the the mid-Atlantic and loved living in Virginia and North Carolina. Lots of great, great running in both states.

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