Running in Santiago - a question

[NualaOC]

A little question for forum members who do a bit of running and/or know about potential running routes around Santiago ………. so if you’re someone for whom running is an evil word, look away now!

My husband is heading off next week to walk part of the Camino Portugués. I’ll join him for the last four days of his walk and for a couple of nights in Santiago. I’m really looking forward to walking again, but as I’m training for an October marathon, I also need/want to clock up some running miles.

My tentative plan is to run one of the etapas – probably Caldas de Reis to Padrón. That should be straightforward enough, especially as I can finish with a shower and a swim at the municipal pool!

I’ll also need to do a long run while in Santiago – about 35kms or thereabouts, preferably without too many steep ups and downs. I’ve been toying with different ideas, but I quite fancy taking an early bus out of the city and running back to Santiago on the Camino Francés. It would be a run down memory lane and I’d enjoy chatting with people along the way (I take a pretty leisurely approach to my long runs). There’s also very little chance of getting lost, which is an added bonus.

The 7am bus to from S de C to Lugo stops in a few suitable places, so it feels like a perfect plan. I suppose my question is – does this sound half-way sensible, or is it completely bonkers? Is there another option that might work better? Have any of you done something like this?

Thanks in anticipation! Nuala

 

[nycwalking]

Taking the CF at a run sounds quite logical.
Enjoy your husband, camino, and marathon prep.

 

[VNwalking]

Never, of course, but I have an opinion, anyway.
It sounds like a good plan, though there may be 'peregrino traffic jams'
I'd be more tempted to run the Ingles, from Meson do Vento. It's well marked, not too hilly, and not crowded. And about 35 km. I looked at Rome2Rio and there several buses a day.
Buen camino and happy running!

 

[NualaOC]

Never, of course, but I have an opinion, anyway.
It sounds like a good plan, though there may be 'peregrino traffic jams'
I'd be more tempted to run the Ingles, from Meson do Vento. It's well marked, not too hilly, and not crowded. And about 35 km. I looked at Rome2Rio and there several buses a day.
Buen camino and happy running!

Thanks so much, @VNwalking, I wondered about the potential traffic jams. The Inglés could be a very good way of avoiding those problems. It also feels quite serendipitous as I'd be running that stage almost three years to the day since walking it in September 2015.

The earliest bus seems to leave Santiago at 9am, which is a bit later than I'd like, but not disastrously so. Definitely an option for the list!

 

[Deleted member 3000]

The Tourist Office has some maps with walking tours of Santiago. One is a rather large circle around the city. You might find it suitable for training.

 

[andycohn]

You could also take a bus out to, or back from, Negreira, 21k down the Camino Finisterre, which is lovely. Lots of buses. If you want to extend the run, you could just run beyond Negreira and then loop back to it. (This is exactly the kind of thing my wife, also perpetually in training, would do — after walking a full day. Persoanlly, I’m at the bar).

 

[NualaOC]

The Tourist Office has some maps with walking tours of Santiago. One is a rather large circle around the city. You might find it suitable for training.

Thanks @falcon269, I'll definitely call in and pick up that map.

 

[NualaOC]

You could also take a bus out to, or back from, Negreira, 21k down the Camino Finisterre, which is lovely. Lots of buses. If you want to extend the run, you could just run beyond Negreira and then loop back to it. (This is exactly the kind of thing my wife, also perpetually in training, would do — after walking a full day. Persoanlly, I’m at the bar).

Thanks @andycohn, I remember really enjoying the walk to Negreira a few years ago. From what I recall, running back to Santiago would probably be easier than running to Negreira - I vaguely remember a hill at one point. I could potentially combine that with one of the suggested routes from the tourist office that @falcon269 mentioned above.

I'm very impressed that your wife can run after a full day of walking. I've never felt the urge to do that!

 

[KinkyOne]

I don't know the Portugues approach to SdC but Sanabres and especially Ingles seem the nicest to me elevation-wise.

Maybe @timr as a marathon runner could chime in on this?

 

[vitalija]

Not a runner, but I would suggest to run to Caldas de Reis and take the inside mineral swiming pool in Balneario Acuna with massage streams in the water. It costs around 17 euros and it was one of the biggest highlights of my trip releasing the tension from hurting shoulders, legs and tense muscles

 

[NualaOC]

I don't know the Portugues approach to SdC but Sanabres and especially Ingles seem the nicest to me elevation-wise.

Maybe @timr as a marathon runner could chime in on this?

Thanks @KinkyOne. Running back to Santiago on the Sanabres is appealing, but the approach to and exit from Ponte Ulla is probably well outside my running comfort zone! The elevation map on Gronze looks a bit scary.

All the suggestions are really helping me to figure things out in my head. I seem to have a strong preference for taking transport from Santiago and running back on a route I've walked before. That's probably taking the lazy/safe option, but it allows me to just decide on the day, rather planning it out. If it ends up being too short, I can run around the city and the parks.

And yes, hopefully @timr will chime in!

 

[VNwalking]

The earliest bus seems to leave Santiago at 9am, which is a bit later than I'd like, but not disastrously so. Definitely an option for the list!

I thought Rome2Rio listed a 06:30 bus. Or maybe I was hallucinating? Whatever you do it will be a different kind of long run.

 

[KinkyOne]

Thanks @KinkyOne. Running back to Santiago on the Sanabres is appealing, but the approach to and exit from Ponte Ulla is probably well outside my running comfort zone! The elevation map on Gronze looks a bit scary.

All the suggestions are really helping me to figure things out in my head. I seem to have a strong preference for taking transport from Santiago and running back on a route I've walked before. That's probably taking the lazy/safe option, but it allows me to just decide on the day, rather planning it out. If it ends up being too short, I can run around the city and the parks.

And yes, hopefully @timr will chime in!

You don't have to run the steep climb down or up Puente Ulla before the village if you are approaching in direction of SdC. You can run from SdC to A Susana or even to Puente Ulla and back. Also you don't have to go up to albergue in Outeiro but stay on the road till A Susana from PUente Ulla. But overall Ingles is maybe nicer

 

[NualaOC]

I thought Rome2Rio listed a 06:30 bus. Or maybe I was hallucinating? Whatever you do it will be a different kind of long run.

Thanks @VNwalking. As always, your attention to detail is so much better than mine! I just checked the Monbus site again and you're right, there's a 6.30am bus on weekdays. I could get back to S de C in time for brunch with Damian

You don't have to run the steep climb down or up Puente Ulla before the village if you are approaching in direction of SdC. You can run from SdC to A Susana or even to Puente Ulla and back. Also you don't have to go up to albergue in Outeiro but stay on the road till A Susana from PUente Ulla. But overall Ingles is maybe nicer

Thanks again @KinkyOne, that's really helpful.

 

[NualaOC]

Not a runner, but I would suggest to run to Caldas de Reis and take the inside mineral swiming pool in Balneario Acuna with massage streams in the water. It costs around 17 euros and it was one of the biggest highlights of my trip releasing the tension from hurting shoulders, legs and tense muscles

Ooh, that looks really nice - thanks so much for the heads-up! I might switch things around and run to Caldas de Reis, rather than Padrón. Did you stay in that hotel, or just just use the spa?

 

[andycohn]

Thanks @andycohn, I remember really enjoying the walk to Negreira a few years ago. From what I recall, running back to Santiago would probably be easier than running to Negreira - I vaguely remember a hill at one point. I could potentially combine that with one of the suggested routes from the tourist office that @falcon269 mentioned above.

I'm very impressed that your wife can run after a full day of walking. I've never felt the urge to do that!

I’m exaggerating a bit. She’s done it a few times, but only after a short day’s walking and never for a long run. Still . . . Beats me by a long shot.

 

[JillGat]

Which marathon are you doing in October?

 

[VNwalking]

there's a 6.30am bus on weekdays. I could get back to S de C in time for brunch with Damian

Running with you in spirit, Nuala. That would be a dynamite long run.
Then brunch in Santiago (I'd be heading to Tertulia)....? Does it get better than that??

 

[NualaOC]

Which marathon are you doing in October?

Hi @JillGat, I'm training for the Dublin marathon.

 

[vitalija]

Ooh, that looks really nice - thanks so much for the heads-up! I might switch things around and run to Caldas de Reis, rather than Padrón. Did you stay in that hotel, or just just use the spa?

In Caldas de Reis I stayed in Albergue Agarimo (could recommend this one for staying as well) and went to Balneario Acuna just for this swimming pool, they offer some other spa stuff but I was a budget piligrimo. This Balneario Acuna also has a hotel as far as I know but it seemed a bit too fancy for me

 

[peregrina2000]

Don’t know how I missed your thread, Nuala. I am the furthest thing from a runner, but it is fun to read all these suggestions. You know, Johnnie Walker once put together a route through Santiago. It went on bits and pieces of all the caminos coming into town. I can’t find it, but will do some more searching if that might be of interest. It was called something like the Route of the Routes, but as search terms that is not very helpful. Looking forward to hearing about it, and about the marathon of course!

 

[NualaOC]

In Caldas de Reis I stayed in Albergue Agarimo (could recommend this one for staying as well) and went to Balneario Acuna just for this swimming pool, they offer some other spa stuff but I was a budget piligrimo. This Balneario Acuna also has a hotel as far as I know but it seemed a bit too fancy for me

Thanks @vitalija, it looked a bit fancy for me too! Great to know that I can just use the pool - it sounds perfect.

 

[NualaOC]

Don’t know how I missed your thread, Nuala. I am the furthest thing from a runner, but it is fun to read all these suggestions. You know, Johnnie Walker once put together a route through Santiago. It went on bits and pieces of all the caminos coming into town. I can’t find it, but will do some more searching if that might be of interest. It was called something like the Route of the Routes, but as search terms that is not very helpful. Looking forward to hearing about it, and about the marathon of course!

Hi Laurie, thanks for reminding me about that document. I downloaded it ages ago and then forgot all about it! I'm not sure if I'll run that route, but it would definitely be a great walk.

My current shortlist now has the final 35ish kms of the Francés or Inglés as top contenders, with Sigüeiro (Inglés) to Negreira (Fisterra) as the wildcard option. Should be fun!

Here's that route of routes document:

 

[KinkyOne]

Hi @JillGat, I'm training for the Dublin marathon.

Which is on exactly the same day as Ljubljana (my hometown) marathon
See you next year over here?