So I took my training on the road this month all the way out to Rochester, NY. Through my job at Medline I work with the University of Rochester Hospital and this month I was sent up for a six day trip. My visit went great and in my free time I got to run throughout the city of Rochester and the surrounding area hitting trailways along the Erie Canal, Lake Ontario and even made my way up Canada to run along the Niagara Falls ridge!
It was a great trip, I saw some amazing sites, hit some killer workouts and only got lost maybe once!... OK maybe a few more times than that but the great people of Rochester were kind enough to point me in the right direction.
I'll catch up more on my training details on a follow up post but for now enjoy some shots of my NY trip... happy running! - Cory
My Highlights from my Rochester Visit
1.) Niagara Falls, Canada - It seemed so different than when I saw it in Superman but none the less the falls were incredible and made for some great run shots! Won't say too much more as I have lots of pictures below to describe better than words can.
2.) Genesee Riverway Trail / Erie Canal Trail - Both are paved trail systems and interconnected... they stretch throughout the city and beyond staying relatively flat making it an easy choice for speedwork for this out-of-towner. On the Genesee Riverway Trail you are able to follow all the way to Lake Ontario Pier.
3.) Turning Point Park - Although I did read some reviews on this being a higher crime area, I found it to be an awesome trail that follows the Riverway Trail to the Lake Ontario Pier. The highlight of this part of the trail was a nearly 1 mile boardwalk that stretches over the Genesee River and giving an incredible running experience.
4.) The D&L Bodega - serves great African and Caribbean food! - Being from small town Iowa I didn't grow up with a lot of diverse food choices. In my travels some of my favorite experiences are eating at new places and talking to the locals. I found myself doing both at this awesome Bodega I came across in "downtownish" Rochester. I had two spicy Jamaican beef patties on warm cocoa bread with a bottle of Red Stripe Jamaican beer... it was an AMAZING meal after a great run!! The man working there was awesome too and we got to chat for quite a while about my running (surprise surprise) and Jamaican and Caribbean food.
5.) Webster Park, Webster, NY. - This park along Lake Ontario about 20 minutes north of Rochester has a great pier and amazing views. I wasn't able to run this part as my running gear was packed up but I was sure glad I took the trip up as the views of the lake were outstanding. The wind however was blowing so hard I could barely stand and was getting sprayed from 30 feet off the shore!... man it was so cool and after taking a few videos and pictures I ran into an older gentleman collecting some driftwood. We got to talking and found out he was also a runner years ago and witnessed the Olympic Trials back in the 80's when they ran from Buffalo, NY into Niagara Falls, Canada! Wow, what a race that must have been crossing the rainbow bridge around 20 miles in!
Run along Niagara Falls
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Standing above the main falls, sure is loud!
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The temps were sitting around 10F but it sure was worth it to see the amazing ice highlighting the river
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Looking across to the USA side with the multiple falls it's easy to see why the Canadian view is so much better.
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Running along the ridge was a little scary in parts due to ice on the path, I was very glad the railings were fairly high!
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So much white in this photo, nature sure is amazing!
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That's the old power-plant down to the left, the rainbow bridge in the middle.
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Closer look at the Rainbow bridge back to the States
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Underneath the bridge, such an awesome design!
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Click here to see all my Niagara Falls shots
Run along Genesee Trail to Ontario Pier
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Enjoying the sunshine on another 20 degree and windy afternoon!
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This wooden boardwalk stretches for nearly a mile across the middle of the river, it's pretty amazing as it twists and turns making a fun addition to the already great trail system.
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Port of Rochester Bridge
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Just having fun
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The trailway eventually ends about a quarter mile out onto the pier!
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Made it to the end, looking back is the port and beach.
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Crazy ice forming along the rails!
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Standing on thousands of shells reminds me of my failed barefoot run down on Fort Myers Beach, FL a few months ago haha
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This would be a great spot to relax after a run, too bad I was only halfway through!
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Thankfully I was not attacked this time around but I screamed at them none the less.
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