Jill and I decided the first thing we’d on on our first morning in New Orleans is run. It’s a good way to get our bearings and we’d get it out of the way for the touristy things we had planned for the day with our mom. I mapped out an 8k square route that seemed okay and we headed out.

First thing we noticed: the air here is so different! Despite it not being hot, it was humid and the air was thick. This wasn’t fun for my cold and it made the run a lot tougher.

Second thing we noticed: New Orleans is super friendly. We had so many doormen and construction workers say “Good morning!” or “Keep it up girls!” or “If you want some hills, head to the Dome!!” or ask us how far we were running (although when I said 8k, the man who asked looked super confused.)

When we got about halfway-ish, I realized we were leaving the tourist zone and were headed into an industrial one. Not wanting to get adventurous, we backtracked and agreed to run to the waterfront and figure out our way home. When we hit the bottom of Canal Street, we saw another runner (we saw quite a few runners along the route, actually, which is always a good sign!) who looked like he knew what he was doing so we decided to follow him. He lead us through the Riverwalk Park along the Mississippi and out on Decatur Street, pretty close to our apartment. Hurrah! We made it home safe and sound.

Two more NOLA runs planned: a hilly route (we may have to head to the Dome after all!) and a 25k long run. We also plan to hit up a yoga class. Should be good times.

Now to walk several kilometres (errr, miles!) looking confused and annoying the locals.

The run: 7.1k in 42:30
The route: