Running around Europe

I've been really enjoying my runs whilst we've been away, it's a great way of seeing places and you definitely get a different perspective on foot. It keeps me fit and gets some oxygen to the brain.

At the beginning of the trip we were by the coast so I mainly ran along beaches. At times I got quite a surprise as there are quite a few nudist beaches in Southern Spain. I got very good at hills as often the campsites are at the top of a very steep hill with fabulous views over the ocean.

Italy was probably the hardest place to run. Often there was no pavement, if there was a pavement the Italians have communal rubbish bins, (they do not have house to house refuse collection) and these bins are on the pavement. They're not emptied regularly enough so you have to run in the road around large piles of stinking rubbish and you've heard about Italian drivers!

Lofer in Austria was the best place to run. We were camped in the bottom of a U shaped valley so it was nice and flat (some of the hills have been just too steep to run up) and there were well marked running routes around the valley of a variety of lengths from 6 to 10km with distance posts every 500m.

Currently at Camping des Glaciers in Switzerland I'm doing altitude training as the campsite is at 1600m, you certainly feel the difference going up hills.

I've seen a lot of wildlife whilst out running including many birds of prey, deer, lizards, lots of beautiful butterflies as well as a stag.

Running around the valley in Lofer