On Saturday I did the innaugural Phoenix Half Marathon in Mesa. Its all downhill. Well almost all. I felt a little like my legs were going to fall off but it was good fun and super fast. Almost everyone in my running group placed in their age group or overall.

In general, I have always thought running was a good way to get to know a new place. Anyone who knows me is likely sick of hearing about running. But yeah, some of my favorite places are favorites because i saw them on foot. Sedona and Paris are the current favorites. DC is the home away from home but running to the red mountain on a cold morning comes close to all of these.

It is such a very cool way to see a city or town and to meet the people in that community. You very literally see where the roads are good or bad, where trees are needed, where snow is never shovelled, and what is where. You get to know the character of each neighborhood and as I like to run in the mornings, you see the real residents doing what they really do. What are the popular bus routes or metro stops? Where do people stop to get their coffee or dry cleaning? Do people here have kids and dogs? do they carpool? are they not doing much of anything in the am?? Are they blue collar or white? Sounds pretty yuppy but then i suppose DC really was and running is in general. You get the idea tho.

In this picture the Mayor if Mesa is giving us our plaques. I sort of wanted to nerd out and tell him about the urban management stuff i was studying. Once again, running is somehow city-centric. Who knew?