Run Like a Local Legend

An old Portuguese farmer sits on his tractor smoking a well-deserved cigarette. Years ago, his shirt was white, but even an untrained eye would call its current color a dusty taupe. He worked all morning on a steep, exposed slope, the dry and sinuous pinot grape vines his only respite from the 112-degree heat. As he takes a drag, he squints under his sweaty brow into the wavy afternoon air. Like a mirage, a figure fades into existence.

First a blur, then an outline. He does a double-take. If he had water he’d spit it out—albeit a frivolous waste given the temperature. But wouldja look at this. It’s a man. At least he seems to be human. He appears to be running. Running. In the middle of the afternoon. In the middle of the rolling hills of Douro Valley wine country. In the middle of nowhere. The man passes the farmer, gives him a friendly nod, and just like that, he’s gone. Maybe he never was.

The farmer ashes his cig on the scalding concrete, and chuckles to himself: “Este homem é completamente chanfrado.” This guy’s out of his fucking mind.

This Old Routine

Most people use vacations as sojourns from their everyday routine. Not me! I have a tough time going into full, cocktail-in-a-coconut vacation mode. (Full disclosure, I’ve never had a cocktail in a coconut, if that’s any inclination of my personality.) When I’m on vacation, I like to keep a semblance of routine, and part of that routine is exercise. It’s true that if I don’t run, my wife might find me in a Jack Torrence-esque stupor clacking away on a typewriter and going fully insane. But running on vacation is also a way to get a little more exploration bang for your buck—and wander like a local.

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Finding the Time

Whether it’s during an afternoon siesta, post-dinner or early in the morning, I try to slot a run in when it won’t affect the flow of the trip. Yes, it takes a little extra motivation to go from walking around a city all day to running around it. But typically, there’s going to be time at some point to run. I, personally, generally opt for the early-morning jaunt. This way, not only is it less crowded, but it’s also when locals are heading to work, setting up their corner markets or grabbing coffee. You get to almost hide in plain sight, assimilating into the flow of wherever you are, seeing things your average Joe Tourist might not. Because who in their right mind is on vacation running? Nobody, that’s who! So that dude must live here, right?

I’ve run through empty Osaka markets at the crack of dawn; past early-morning cricket meetups in Victoria; stadium staff prepping for a match in London; parents dropping off kids at camp in Kona; dog walkers in Mexico City; camels sunning themselves in the middle of the Sahara. In each of these places, it didn’t matter that I was an interloping observer of unseen local nuance. I was just another face in the morning shuffle. And those moments are some of my fondest travel memories.

Run Like a Local Legend

I find it’s easier to get “back to reality” upon returning home if I’ve continued to run while away. I also try to bring some of that wanderjahr spirit back with me and run around my own neighborhood like a tourist, observing things I might not always pay attention to or have never noticed. So, next time you’re on vacation, go for a run. You might like feeling like a local. And sometimes you might even cross the rubicon, like I did with my Portuguese farmer friend. You’re not just a local: you’re out there running like a local legend.

Want to Become a Local Legend?

You can pick up a new Folklord Tall Trails Hat made in collaboration between Folklord and Run Tri Bike! Check it out, and see you out there.

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