Tuesday, January 28, 2014

Off the Rails in Montreal

Posted by CheapRunnerMike
Good morning from cold and snowy Montreal! I'm in town for some meetings for work and while I don't really like being away from the family, Montreal is a great city and I love coming here...just maybe not in January!
I got up early yesterday morning and got a ride to the train station, where I hopped on Via1 (first class all the way...when the company's paying) for a 9-hour train ride (including an hour layover in Toronto). I wasn't crazy about how long the trip was, but when we woke up to a whole bunch more snow, it made rail seem like a really good call.
They treat you well in Via1 with lots of coffee, decent food (way better than airplane food), free drinks and complimentary wifi...all in all a nice way to travel. I was lucky and had an empty seat beside me the whole way, so I just made myself comfortable and settled in to finish my book.
Great book by the way...if anyone out there is a fan of triathlon and Ironman, you'll enjoy this read. I wasn't a Macca fan going into this book at all, but I have a great appreciation of him now and would certainly cheer him on in the future...I have a whole new look on the guy now.
One of the nice things about rail travel is the scenery...you get to see a different side of the country than you may be used to. Except for Ontario in winter, where all you see are snow, trees, snow, highways, snow, farms and snow.
After being cooped up on the train for 9 hours I was looking forward to hitting the hotel treadmill. There's a nice fitness centre here and I also brought my swimming gear so that I can try to get in some early morning laps. Sneak up to the pool and you might catch me in my speedo haha
Here's an interesting fact about where I'm staying...it's the same hotel that John Lennon and Yoko Ono had their "bed in" and recorded Give Peace a Chance. They have pictures and plaques commemorating it, and of course this famous photo...
I didn't even bother bringing outdoor running gear, so it will be a few days of treadmill running for me and I'll mix in some swimming too. This past weekend I racked up a few miles on the bike trainer as well...maybe this will be the year I decide to tackle some longer distance triathlon...I just might have my eye on a couple of 70.3 Half Ironman's :)
And finally, congratulations to Autumn, the winner of our StrideBox giveaway! Email us your details at 3cheaprunners (at) 3cheaprunners (dot) com as soon as you can as February orders need to be placed by Friday!
Any of you enjoy travelling for work?

In honour of John Candy...your choice; Planes, Trains or Automobiles?


11 comments:

  1. Shut up!!! I hope there weren't two Autumns and I'm the for real winner. My Tuesday has been made, and that's hard to do because it's cold cold cold here in Pittsburgh! Thank you!!!

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  2. Have fun in Montreal!!
    I like to fly but think it would be fun to travel by train, too!!

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  3. Canada gave us both John Candy and Justin Bieber......I'm not sure how feel about that?!? I think that PT&A was one of Johns best. I also like Uncle Buck & The Great Outdoors. Good luck pounding the conveyor belt!

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  4. Traveling for work is ok, I don't do it a ton so it's nice when I do. My mom travels all the time and it takes a toll on her so I don't think I would want to do it frequently!


    I hear you have your eye on a certain half iron...just know my vote is obviously YES.


    I'm going to have to check out that book now on my kindle, I have been looking for a few new tri book to read

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  5. Amy @ fitnessmeetsfrostingJanuary 28, 2014 at 9:23 PM

    Aww jealous! I love Montreal!! I honestly hate traveling- by that I mean the act of getting from one location to another (not the visiting different cities/countries part). Long car rides drive me crazy and I get carsick unless I'm in the front, I get motion sickness on trains, and I get anxiety on planes haha. Lovely.

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  6. Glad you had a safe trip! Would love to visit Montreal one day! :0)

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  7. I'm glad someone out there appreciated John Candy's genius! When it comes to Canada you have to take the bad with the good...for every Mike Myers there's a Keanu Reeves. I grew up on SCTV (did you guys ever see that in the US?) and who could ever forget Candy's epic bit characters like Gus Polinki, the Polka King of the Midwest?!?

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  8. Well, I know which race I happen to be leaning towards right now :)
    The Macca book was excellent, I highly recommend it. I also have Chrissie Wellington's book on my shelf to read, I'll let you know how I like it.

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  9. I hear ya...the experience of travelling is rarely enjoyable. There are a few trips that I actually do enjoy and I would even consider a key part of the vacation, like the drive from Miami to Key West in a convertible on the Overseas Highway, or a cruise down the PCL. Those are the rare exceptions...

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  10. Thanks Karen! Montreal really is a beautiful city with tonnes of culture...just make sure you visit during warmer weather!

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  11. I could totally see you rocking the Ironman!!

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