Winter Running Tips

As we transition from January to February, we find ourselves in that pesky phase of winter that just feels long and cold. There’s not much to look forward to—the holidays have passed, and the sunny days of spring are still several weeks away. Motivation lacks, and the temptation to stay in our cozy beds every morning is at an all-time high.

Every athlete knows success is built in the off-season. How can we keep up with our goals and fitness levels in the summer, if we stop putting in those crucial winter miles? Winter running is challenging—it’s cold, icy, and it’s maddeningly hard to figure out what to wear. Luckily, we’ve compiled a list of our best winter running tips to help you stay on top of your game in the coming weeks.

Warmup at home

Winter running is extra hard on the body because the cold temperatures don’t allow our muscles to warm up and lubricate as easily. Therefore, it’s extremely common to face injuries and extra soreness while running in the winter months. An easy way to combat this is to do a thorough warmup inside. Take extra care to foam roll, stretch, and complete dynamic exercises before you go outside. The chilly temperatures won’t negatively affect a warmed-up body nearly as much as a cold one.

Protect your head and core

When it comes to keeping the body temperature regulated, it’s especially important to protect the head and the core. According to Harvard Health, when the body temperature drops below average, blood vessels constrict in order to preserve heat. But, because the brain needs an ample supply of blood to dictate functions to all other parts of the body, blood vessels in the head do not constrict nearly as much as in the rest of the body. So, the head loses heat very quickly. Wearing a hat is an easy way to prevent heat loss in the head.

The core is another very important element of the body. It is what holds us up, keeps us balanced, and it is home to many of our vital organs. According to Summit Post, a mountaineering website, “When your core gets cold, your body’s natural defense is to stop sending blood to the extremities, and, instead, keep it for the vital organs and the brain. Therefore, the best solution for cold hands and feet is often to heat up your core.”

Look at the “Feels Like” feature on the weather app

Depending on the humidity levels and wind chill, the temperature it feels like outside may be very different than what it actually is. In order to best prepare for your run, you’ll want to check the “feels like” feature on your weather app. This will give you a better indication of what you should wear.

Hydrate

This one sounds obvious, but have you ever noticed that you don’t get as thirsty after a run in the winter as in the summer? We tend to sweat less in cold temperatures than in hot ones, but, just because we’re not ending our runs looking as though we just jumped into a swimming pool, we’re still losing moisture, and need to re-hydrate properly. Don’t wait until you feel thirsty—this means you’re already dehydrated. Instead, drink water before and after your run, and consistently throughout the day. You can add low-calorie, low-sugar electrolyte supplements, like NUUN, into your water for an extra hydration boost. The average adult should aim to drink their body weight in ounces of water every day (ex. An adult who weighs 150 lbs should drink 150 ounces of water).

Know when to say NO

Winter running can be fun and beneficial, but it can also be unsafe. Extreme conditions like blizzards, high winds, and negative temperatures are dangerous. Know when to skip the run. There are many great ways to cross train indoors, like jump roping or strength training. Even better, hop on a treadmill! Risking your safety is never worth getting a run in, no matter how serious you are about your training.

Find a running buddy

We know running with others may be more difficult in COVID times but running can be done safely and socially distanced. Find a friend you feel comfortable with, wear a mask, and go for a winter run together. Having a companion can help boost motivation and make those extra cold miles go by faster.

Have fun

At City Running Tours, we know that running isn’t always easy. It can be challenging, and, especially in the winter, the motivation to run might not come easily. But, above all, running should be fun. It should be a way to connect with ourselves and others, and to become stronger mentally and physically. Winter running poses its own set of obstacles, but, when done in a smart and safe manner, it is immensely rewarding.

Running as Moving Meditation

In today’s hectic world, there is a lot of discussion about the myriad benefits of meditation. A daily meditation practice allows the brain to unwind, destress, and take a short break from the endless stream of social media feeds and to-do lists. Meditation can help us learn to process our emotions in a healthy and non-reactionary way, and it promotes higher levels of happiness and productivity in day-to-day life.

But, while meditation is crucial to a more peaceful existence, it’s not always accessible. Many of us don’t have ten to 20 minutes in our days to sit quietly with our thoughts. And, even if we did, we might find ourselves focusing more on the things we need to get done once our meditation is over, than the actual practice. So, how do we create a space to destress within our busy lives? The answer may lie in moving meditation.

What is Moving Meditation?

Many people believe meditation has to be done sitting down with our eyes closed, and our focus placed solely on the breath. In reality, meditation can be done almost anywhere in the form of moving meditation.

Moving meditation is an intentional exercise where the practitioner moves his or her body mindfully, with awareness placed on specific internal and external occurrences.

Running as Moving Meditation

Running is an ideal form of moving meditation because it promotes a number of sensations that the runner can focus on. For example, runners may practice listening to their breathing, and paying attention to the rhythm and sound. Are the breaths short and shallow, or are they long and nourishing? Similarly, runners can focus on their footsteps. What does the cadence sound like? Are the footsteps light and energetic, or are they slow and heavy? By placing the attention on the current state of the body, runners can understand more about themselves in the moment, and how they are feeling. Just like in meditation, when the runner becomes distracted by something other than whatever they’re specifically paying attention to, he or she must actively bring the mind back into focus.

 “Through meditation we learn to relax and yet be keenly aware of our moment-to-moment sensations, thoughts, and the world around us,” said Jon Pratt, the co-director of “Running with the Mind of Meditation and Yoga,” a moving meditation program at the Shambala Mountain Center, a Buddhist retreat in Red Feather Lakes, Colorado. “We set an intention to let go of daydreaming, fantasizing, and problem solving. By letting go of thoughts and coming back to our immediate physical experience, we find that our body softens, and our mind feels lighter, more joyful.”

Meditation and running share many similarities, which is why running is a perfect alternative, or addition, to a meditation practice.

“Just as your body becomes stronger and more accustomed to running through training, your mind becomes stronger and more able to focus and stay calm and present through meditation,” said Pratt.

“Relax enough (into the run), and your body becomes so familiar with the cradle-rocking rhythm that you almost forget you’re moving,” said Christopher McDougall in his book Born to Run. “You have to listen closely to the sound of your own breathing…and ask yourself, honestly and often, exactly how you feel. What could be more sensual than paying exquisite attention to your own body?”

Why Running Makes Us Feel Like Ourselves

At City Running Tours, we meet people of all fitness levels and body types. We’ve had clients request a tour of the entire NYC Marathon route; we’ve helped runners stay up to date on their speed workouts, and we’ve jog/walked alongside kids and dogs. But what does every one of our clients have in common? They all enjoy running.

Our CRT guides know that there’s something very special about running. It’s an almost intangible force that keeps us re-tying our shoes every day. We know that running is not easy—even the most accomplished professionals have days that leave them feeling unmotivated and uninspired. And yet, they continue to get their miles in.

So, what is it about running that steals the hearts of amateurs and professionals alike? Why has running created a global community of goal-seekers and PR-chasers? We’ve all heard the term “runner’s high,” but, did you know that running has been scientifically proven to create a chemical reaction in our brains that leaves us wanting more? According to Kelly McGonigal PhD in her TEDx presentation, “Scientists have speculated that endorphins are behind the runner’s high, and studies show that high-intensity exercise causes an endorphin rush.” Some scientists even compare the boosted mood and lowered stress levels that result after a great run with the emotions associated with cannabis use. Running can literally make you feel high!

But on top of the immediate happy feelings that running gives us, the more we run, the more we feel like ourselves. Running is sometimes labeled as a movement mediation—it is a space where we can leave behind our to-do lists and check in with ourselves. When we run, we are forced to pay attention to what’s happening in our bodies and minds. In daily life, it’s too easy to numb ourselves to our true states because we have outside interruptions to distract us. But when we run, we have no choice but to feel our feet landing on the ground and listen to our breathing as it speeds up. When we run, we have to actually look up and notice the world around us.

Sometimes, the run wants to beat us down. We have miles to go, and our legs feel as if they have bricks attached to them. Our breathing is inconsistent and shallow. We want to give up, and we have no choice but to feel those painful sensations. That’s when we get stronger. We find motivation in the toughest moments because we get through them. We become physically and mentally more equipped to handle both the run and life when things get challenging. We learn to listen to our bodies and attune ourselves to the chatter in our minds. This is the magic of running; this is why we continue to stay motivated.

So, at City Running Tours, we can empathize and identify with every single one of our clients, no matter how different they may be from us. Every runner who takes one of our tours shares our passion for the beauty, hurt, strength, and power that is running. Whether we’re running marathons or one mile, we know that we leave the path or trail better, happier people—people who are more able to take on adversity with confidence.

Nutrition for Runners

By CRT NYC guide, Jill Krebsbach

Are you looking for more energy on your runs? Or a way to feel fuller longer? Maybe you are feeling a bit sluggish after the holidays and are already looking towards a diet reset.

Look no further!! Check out some key foods to try out in the new year.

Chia seeds

These tiny black seeds,prized by the Mayans, pack a lot of nutritional punch!They are loaded with fiber, protein and omega-3 fatty acids and various micronutrients and are easy to prepare.

Due to their bland taste you can add them to pretty much anything, you can soak them in juice or water, sprinkle them on top of dishes and casseroles or even add them to baked goods!

Some studies have shown, if eaten consistently in your breakfast, they promoted feeling fuller longer and reduced over eating later in the day.

Serving size: 2 tablespoons, you can consume up to 2 times a day.

Nutrition info here:

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/11-proven-health-benefits-of-chia-seeds#TOC_TITLE_HDR_3

Hemp seeds

These seeds are of the hemp plant, cannabis sativa, but a different variety and only contain trace amounts of THC, the psychoactive compound in maraiuana (<0.3%>)

They are rich in healthy fats, high quality protein (especially if your diet is more plant based) and contain several minerals such as iron and potassium.

Technically they are a nut, they have a mild nutty flavor and are also referred to as hemp hearts. These crunchy seeds can be consumed raw, cooked or roasted. Sometimes you will find them in protein powder form, as well as hemp milk and hemp oil.

They have been shown to fight inflammation, protect your heart and immune system.

Serving size: 2 tablespoons

Tip: the best way to prevent spoilage is to store them in a sealed container in the fridge. If stored in a pantry, plan to use it in 3-4 months.

Nutrition info here:

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/6-health-benefits-of-hemp-seeds#TOC_TITLE_HDR_3

Flax seeds

Since the time of early civilizations of Rome, flax seeds have been one prized crops grown.

These seeds from the flax plant are high in protein and fiber. They have been shown to have digestive, heart health benefits and lower your risk of stroke.

If you are vegetarian or don't eat fish, they can be one of your best sources of omega 3 fats. They have a slightly mild, nutty flavor and can be added to both sweet and savory foods.

Serving size: 1 tablespoon, up to 5 tablespoons per day. * These seeds best consumed ground so they are easier to digest. If you buy whole, you can grind it in your coffee grinder.

Nutrition info here:

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/benefits-of-flaxseeds

Tips:

When increasing fiber in your diet be sure to increase your water intake as well, at least 64 oz per day, to keep things moving and be increase your fiber amount gradually to reduce bloating/cramping.

Some recipes to try:

Superfood Oatmeal

This oatmeal will keep you feeling full into lunchtime and is one of my winter staples. When it starts to get warm out again, I will adjust to make a cold overnight oat option.

serving size 2

recipe time: 5 mins

1 cup rolled oats

2 cups unsweetened milk of your choice

1 tablespoon ground flax seeds

1 tablespoon chia seeds

1 tablespoon hemp hearts

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

pinch of salt

Topping suggestions: a few tablespoons of pomegranate arils (seeds) or fresh berries, dried unsweetened coconut flakes, drizzle of nut butter

1) Combine all ingredients into a small sauce pan and turn on heat to medium-high.

2) Bring to a boil, turn heat down to low and stir for 2-3 mins as oatmeal cooks and starts to thicken.

3) Once oatmeal is at desired consistency, remove from heat. Add any additional toppings and serve.

Go Getter Smoothie

serving size:1

recipe time: 5 mins

1 ripe frozen banana

1 cup of unsweetened milk of your choice

2 cups of fresh spinach

1 tablespoon almond butter or other nut butter

1 cup frozen cherries

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

1-2 tablespoons of flax, hemp, or chia seeds

Ice as needed

Additional add ins:

1 scoop of your favorite protein powder (I like Aloha)

1 tablespoon of cocoa powder

Add all ingredients to a high powered blender and blend until smooth and creamy. Add more milk if necessary. Feel free to double the recipe to serve 2!

Yoga for Runners

By CRT NYC guide, Angie Knudson

Greetings, Runners! 

We’ve all heard that yoga is a great compliment to running, but what poses are best for all the miles we put on our feet? 

With so many styles of yoga, it’s difficult to choose “the best”, as that could be different for every body. As a marathoner and yoga instructor, there’s so many sequences I love to do after a run that it’s hard to pick only a few. The order in which you do the poses may be more important, depending on whether you tend to hold tightness in the front of the hips or in the hamstrings. Here’s a post-run sequence covering all bases.

1. Warrior 1

2. Pyramid pose

3. Lizard (knee down)

4. Cat pulling its tail

5. Seated Pigeon

Warrior 1 (upper body, back hip flexors/quads, front leg glutes, back calf) 

Runner Tip: We’re tight! Keep your stance shorter in this pose and bend the back knee slightly. 

Pose Tips: 

• Hips stay square with shoulders. Try to keep the hip of the back leg pulled forward, and smear the hip of the front leg back to stay aligned. 

• The back foot’s heel is down and those toes back there are at a 45 degree angle (or close) in Warrior 1, unlike in High Lunge with the heel up and back toes facing forward (different poses, easily mistaken for each other). Stay in Warrior 1 and enjoy the support of pressing the pinky toe edge of the back foot into the ground, as well as that sweet calf stretch. 

Pyramid pose: (piriformis, low back, back calf)

Runner Tip: Same stance as Warrior 1, only the front leg straightens. Once again, because we’re tight, it’s good to keep the front knee soft in order to protect extremely tight hamstrings. Don’t lock the front knee or straighten it all the way.

Pose Tips:

• Keeping the hips square here is critical for that deep piriformis stretch. 

• Props are great here--placing your hand on a park bench, ottoman, or blocks help to keep you supported in the pose. 

Lizard: (opens up chest,  rear leg’s hip flexors/quads, hip rotation)

Runner Tip: There’s so much you can do in lizard. Peeling the big toe edge of the front foot off the floor and exploring the stretch deep in the inner hips is so delicious after a hard run. Twisting, reaching for that back foot, and even rocking the hips side-to-side, forward and back, all help relieve tightness. 

Pose Tips:

• Set your back knee down. If you need to grab a pillow for underneath your knee, do that. It’s worth having the knee down for a few minutes exploring the above (if you want to strengthen the legs, pick that knee up and be my guest!).

• Bring the floor to you. Again--slide that ottoman over and rest your upper body on top. Or use blocks. 

Cat Pulling Its Tail: (torso/ribcage, quads and hip flexors)

Runner’s Tip: This yin pose is my favorite for tight quads, but the real magic happens when you remember to twist back to face the ceiling after grabbing the bottom leg. The entire front line of the body gets lots of love here. A few reclined twists with the knees pulled into the chest can help you move into this pose after.

Pose Tips: 

• Lie on your side and grab bottom foot (top knee is bent and anchors over)

• Now that your top knee is anchored, turn your heart to face the ceiling, or towards your back foot as you pull it away from the top leg.

Seated Pigeon (hips galore)!

Runner’s Tip: My favorite pigeon of all the varieties, aka “seated figure 4”. Palms are on the floor behind your back, and since we’re all runner’s fighting “turtle posture”, we’re pressing into our palms and trying to sit up nice and tall in this pose. 

Pose Tips: 

• Start with heels further away from the hips in your figure 4, and gently walk them in closer to deepen the stretch. 

• Remember to lengthen the spine, with your palms supporting you! The weight of your upper body lengthened and close to your hips (as opposed to supine figure-4 lying down on your back) will put gentle pressure on your hips to help open them up.

Angie Knudson is one of our running tour guides in Queens! Her favorite place to run is Van Cortland Park in the Bronx—because the carrot cake there can’t be beat!

Happy New Year from City Running Tours!

There’s no beating around the bush; 2020 was not the year we had hoped for. This time last year, we were looking forward to an exciting new decade of making memories with clients and sharing our passions for running and history with as many people as possible. But, as we all know, 2020 had other plans for us.

At City Running Tours, we’ve felt the world’s struggles in the midst of a global pandemic. We shared the anger of millions in the wake of racial injustice. We miss showing our clients our favorite sights on our tours. Just like everyone else, we’ve had to learn to cope with the difficulties this year has thrown at us.

But now, we find ourselves approaching a new year, and we haven’t let the previous one beat us down. Our City Running Tours team has continued to get its miles in, albeit socially distanced. We are continuing to bring the CRT experience to our clients through social media connections, our new blog, and our weekly Instagram Live tours. We may not be together physically, but the memories of past tours, and the hopes for those to come, keep us company, even when we’re by ourselves.

As passionate athletes, we think there are a lot of parallels between life and running. Just like life, running gets tough. It hurts; it sometimes feels monotonous, and we all occasionally find ourselves lacking motivation and wanting to give up. But giving up isn’t an option, and it’s certainly not the solution. In running, quitting only serves to make our struggles worse, but persevering makes us stronger. It’s the toughest miles that teach us the most about ourselves.

Professional runner Ryan Hall wrote a book titled Run the Mile You’re In, which means that, when the run gets tough, don’t think about how much further you have to go, or how far you’ve come. Focusing on putting one foot in front of the other and maintaining the effort is the only way to succeed. We think this strategy applies to life, too. When the going gets hard, we just have to keep at it. 2020 may have been a rough year, but we ended every day having learned a little bit more and gotten a little bit stronger.

As we transition into 2021, we at City Running Tours are choosing not to focus on what we lost. Instead, we’re looking to the future and finding inspiration in the anticipation of all of the amazing runners we will meet, and all of the incredible sights we will see. We have a lot of exciting plans for 2021, and we’re looking forward to creating more connections, and sharing our community with the world.

From all of us at City Running Tours, we wish you a happy New Year!

Happy Holidays from CRT

This time of the year always brings about a sense of reflection and community. During the holidays many of us create traditions of surrounding ourselves with friends and family, and together we celebrate the excitement of the season, and the dawn of a new year.

This year looks quite different, though. Many of us have endured months of solitude, and we’ve added the fear that coincides with a global pandemic to the myriad of stresses that we face in everyday life. The holiday season is supposed to be filled with laughter, joy, and peace, but the communities with which we share those emotions are now on the other side of a computer screen, instead of in our homes with us.

In normal circumstances, our City Running Tours team would be leading tours to festive landmarks, like the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree, or the winter village at Bryant Park. Last year, just before Thanksgiving, we led a two-day corporate tour for Danske Bank, during which we watched the sun come up over a chilly, fall leaf-covered Central Park. When the tour was finished, a couple of our NYC guides ran home along 5th Ave, where they stopped to admire the holiday themed window displays, and the enormous tree at Rockefeller Center waiting to be lit to the tune of Christmas music.

This year, we can still admire the festive decorations; we can still watch our favorite holiday movies, and we can still sip eggnog next to a roaring fire as the snow falls gently out our windows. But we have to do those things alone.

Are we really alone, though? Perhaps physically we are, but, especially in the age of social media, when we have access to people all over the world simply through the click of a button, our communities are always with us in spirit.

At City Running Tours, we think a lot about the importance of community, and the value of making connections with others. We are lucky to have the ability to share our passions for running and history with people from all over the world, who come from incredibly diverse backgrounds. Even throughout the span of a one-hour tour, we form meaningful connections with our clients, and we believe nothing contributes more to creating a strong bond than running. Through the shared experience of moving our bodies, getting our heart rates up, and challenging our muscles, we can connect with and relate to anyone we meet.

We may be missing our running buddies this holiday season, but we’re never on our own. We can take strength and motivation from those who crossed our favorite running path, or trail, before us. This year, our CRT guides miss leading clients to our cities’ festive landmarks, but we take comfort in those memories. We know that our community is out there running and making the best of a tough situation, and that brings us the joy and comfort that should characterize the season. Whether it’s through a laptop screen, over the phone, or simply through shared memories, we are keeping our CRT community alive and thriving, and we look forward to when we can once again celebrate the holidays by running with you by our sides.

From our CRT family to yours, we wish you all very happy holidays, and a wonderful New Year.

What We Love about our Cities

At City Running Tours, we are passionate about creating new and memorable experiences for ourselves and others in the cities we explore. When we run, we don’t focus on getting a workout in, or maintaining a specific speed—those things aren’t important to us. We run to be a part of something greater, and to feel more connected to the people and places around us.

One of our main goals at CRT is to democratize running—anyone can do it, no matter their race, gender, body type or sexual orientation. Our guides come from diverse backgrounds and have unique and interesting lives outside of running. In a lot of ways, our team reflects the cities in which we operate.

We are headquartered in NYC, where our guides represent all walks of life as actors, students, nutritionists, teachers, marketers, and so much more. We are single, married, mothers, fathers, and everything else. Our team is a perfect representation of New York City and the people who live there—we are all very different, but we work together to make a cohesive and supportive environment.

New York City is the ideal place for City Running Tours to be headquartered. It’s steeped in such a vast and rich history, which, along with running, is our ultimate passion. Indigenous peoples have inhabited the land that would eventually become NYC for hundreds of years. European settlement began with the Dutch in 1608. Since then, the city has been a witness to generations of transplants, who have endured through wars, unrest, disease, and every other obstacle one can imagine.

When we run through the streets of NYC, we like to reflect on that history. We show our clients the iconic landmarks, like the Empire State Building and the Brooklyn Bridge. These are monuments to the industrious spirit and ambition that plagues New Yorkers, and we acknowledge that. But we also like to showcase lesser known sights—places that we think are just as, if not more, important than the really famous landmarks.

Every Friday on our CRT social media channels we feature a sight that can be seen on our tours that may not be incredibly well-known. Last week we highlighted the new statue of Mother Cabrini in Battery Park. Mother Cabrini is considered the patron saint of immigrants. She settled in NYC after leaving Italy in 1889, where she founded over 60 schools, hospitals, and orphanages. We love to share stories like that with our clients because they perfectly embody the meaningful and important, if sometimes hidden, histories that bring character to the cities in which we operate.

On our most recent live run, our guide took viewers to the Harriet Tubman statue in Harlem. Tubman was a fearless leader of the Underground Railroad, and she led 13 expeditions to bring slaves across the northern border to freedom during the Civil War. The statue is the first public sculpture in NYC to depict an African American woman. Showcasing monuments like the Harriet Tubman statue is important to CRT because they remind us of the bravery, power, and compassion that characterized the people who shaped our city and our world into what it is today—those that fought for universal freedoms.

Ultimately, we love our cities because they have so many stories to tell, which we seek to promote. Through running, we can explore a vast array of different places and communities. We can see new things, discover hidden treasures, and learn something interesting about ourselves and others with every step.

But the greatest thing exploring different places while running provides us is the ability to share meaningful experiences with others. We may have very diverse backgrounds, but we can come together with our shared passions for running and learning. No matter who we are, or where we come from, running brings us a true sense of community—a community we at City Running Tours seek to promote every day.

How to be a Tourist in your own City

 For many of us, travel is currently off limits. In these novel COVID times, we’re stuck at home, and any plans to see the world have been pushed to the side for the time being. But that doesn’t necessarily mean we can’t still go exploring. How many opportunities do we have to be tourists in our own city?

A lot of us are too comfortable sticking to the same neighborhoods, eating at the same restaurants, running on the same paths, and the list goes on. Why not try branching out and using the current pandemic climate as a chance to learn more about the cities in which we live? At City Running Tours, we love learning about and discovering new and interesting sights, and we think that passion should extend beyond our tours and into everyday life. Here are our suggestions for how to explore your home city.

Buy a guidebook

Not many of us own a guidebook for the city in which we live. We already know how to get to the places we need to go; we know which restaurants and museums we like, and we know what the major tourist attractions are (even if we never go there). But there’s something to be said for flipping through a guidebook and discovering places we’ve not been to yet. Odds are that, if you live in a relatively large city, there are countless places to visit that you’ve probably never even heard of! Why not open a guidebook to a random page, and whatever sight your finger lands on, that’s where you’ll go! Who knows, you may end up finding something really interesting.

Do some research

We all have that cool old building we pass by on our commute, or that museum we like to go to on the weekends, but do we actually know anything about these places? At City Running Tours we have a passion for history, and we think learning the stories behind the sights around us can provide us a deeper understanding of where we live, and how our cities have changed and progressed over time. Why not make a list of places you’re curious about and do some research on them? Then, the next time you pass by that cool old building, you’ll know exactly how old it is, and what it’s used for. Having that added context can help us better appreciate the world around us.

Try a new restaurant

It’s more important than ever to support the restaurant industry. Food is a major element of the character of a city; it portrays the diversity, creativity, and passion of the people that live there. So, make a list of new restaurants to try. If you feel comfortable, and in-person dining is allowed where you are, treat yourself to a fun meal somewhere you’ve never been before. If takeout is a better option for you, try to pick a restaurant in a neighborhood you’re less familiar with. You can explore a new area of the city while you pick up your food!

Ask friends and family for suggestions

Everyone has different experiences with their city, so it’s a good idea to talk to friends and family about places they enjoy visiting and sights they like to see. It’s highly possible that others’ suggestions will be unique to your own. Once you start visiting these places, be sure to bring your camera, so you can show your loved ones that you listened to their ideas.

 Get outside

At City Running Tours, we believe that there is no better way to see a city than on a run. But many of us find ourselves frequenting the same parks and trails. Try breaking that routine by getting some fresh air at a new location. Maybe there’s a park you’ve never been to, or a path that you haven’t explored. Not only can changing up the scenery help us broaden our knowledge of where we live, the excitement of a new place can also motivate us to get outside and move our bodies.

Happy adventuring!

Many of us are struggling with boredom right now. We’re stuck in the same place, and we have become too accustomed to our neighborhoods. But we forget that the cities in which we live have so many hidden gems that we’ve never experienced before. Now is a perfect time to become a tourist in our own cities. Simply by getting curious and having an urge to explore, we can discover and learn about so many incredible things right in our backyards.