Blog: Pack an attitude along with running shoes when visiting Paris
Lesa Lorenzen-Huber, a fitness enthusiast and gerontology expert in the Department of Applied Health Science, in the Montmartre District of Paris.
Usually visiting a city involves so much walking that I have no desire to run. My daughter and I love shopping and strolling, and we were having a wonderful week in Paris last summer. But one day, after enjoying perhaps a few too many espressos and French pastries, a short run sounded like a fun way to explore the neighborhood in Le Marais.
I was afraid I would get lost wandering down the small winding streets, so I headed down the busy Rue de Temple at an easy pace. I dodged through shoppers and café-goers, who avoided making eye contact with me the way one might avoid looking at someone with four monstrously misshapen heads. At last a park loomed ahead, and I exhaled as I escaped into the peaceful green and away from the obvious disapproval of urbane Parisians.
The park benches were full of old faces that had seen World Wars, chic young mothers with intelligent-looking toddlers and an array of picnickers and readers with the thoughtful look of people undoubtedly contemplating Sartre. Each one looked up at me as I passed on my first lap, startled to see someone doing something as pointless as jogging. The park was small; each lap was perhaps one-eighth of a mile. On the second lap, consternation replaced surprise on the French faces. "Please stop now," the looks implied, much the way people might look at a child pretending to play the piano. Most of the bench dwellers politely ignored me after that, but I could not miss the occasional, unmistakable look that clearly said, "You are so gauche you MUST be an American." I attempted calm nonchalance. "After all, people must jog in Paris," I thought. But as I thought back, I honestly could not remember ever seeing a jogger in Paris.
On the sixth lap it started to rain, and I gratefully ended my humiliation. When I got back to Bloomington I saw a travel article titled, "Great places to run in Paris." Although one of my favorite things about running is that you can do it anywhere, if you're headed to Paris with your running shoes, I recommend tucking the article in with your socks. Bring all black running clothes, practice looking slightly bored and blasé as you run, and bon chance!
