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Vancouver Olympics: The Olympic Flame has arrived


Live from Vancouver, Karla Bruning is bringing you on the ground action from the 2010 Olympic Games —first up the Torch Relay.

Vancouver, British Columbia — Greetings from Vancouver!

The Olympic torch running past my hotel window.

The Olympic torch running past my hotel window.

It’s 8:57 am and I just woke up to an unexpected treat: the Olympic torch running past my hotel window!

On the corner of Dunsmuir and Seymour, a crowd began forming as I looked out below. Why is there a crowd? I thought. And then it hit me—this could only mean one thing!

A few minutes later—after a coca-cola truck warmed up the crowd, and a cavalcade of police officers on motorcycle and horseback cleared the street—the Olympic torch was floating past my window.

The runner, dressed in white, held the flame high in one hand and waved to the crowd with the other.

He slowly disappeared down the street in a sea of spectators hurrying to run with him.

What a way to wake up to the Olympics!

After an arduous journey from a snow-covered New York City through a thunderstormy Houston, I finally made it to my hotel in Vancouver at 2:45 am last night.

The trip started off with a bang when my rainbow-colored Moonboots got stuck in the TSA security-screening belt. It was a to-do to get them untangled. Then my Houston flight was delayed, but I finally rolled into Vancouver at 2 am local time.

Waiting to wisk me away to my hotel was my very own official Olympic SUV, complete with Olympic decals. The car still had that new smell and I felt like a very important person indeed to have my own car and driver from the airport—a luxury all credentialed Olympic visitors are treated to.

My driver was a friendly fellow named Antony, who gladly answered all the questions I threw at him.

The most interesting person he’s shuttled around? The crown prince of Holland.

Most fun? A Hungarian delegate who asked for a personal tour of downtown Vancouver.

Favorite place to eat? Fish and chips just about anywhere.

Fish and chips—must add to list of things to do.

Well, time to venture out of my hotel and get out there and experience the excitement.

Stay tuned!

Follow Karla at the Olympics right here and Twitter@KBruning.

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Karla Bruning

Karla Bruning is an award-winning journalist whose work has appeared in Newsweek, The Philadelphia Inquirer, San Francisco Chronicle, RunnersWorld.com, Active.com, The Times-Picayune in New Orleans, The Gazette in Montreal and two dozen other publications. Her work has also received mentions from The New York Times, Runner's World, Fox Sports, The Baltimore Sun, PBS, New York Road Runners and Brooks Running among others. She has appeared on "America's Morning Radio," "Good Morning San Diego," and "The Marathon Show." She also covered the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver for The Washington Times.

 

As a former Newsweek reporter, Karla contributed to cover stories for the International Edition and sat in as head of research and Periscope editor. She won a Fulbright scholarship for American journalists and reporting grants from the Scripps Howard, Carnegie and Knight Foundations. Karla holds degrees from Amherst College and Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism.

 

When not pounding the pavement as a reporter, Karla is often pounding the pavement as a runner. She is the editor for RunningTrax and has completed four marathons, trains with the New York Harriers and is a member of New York Road Runners. Find Karla on RunKarlaRun.com, Twitter@KBruning and Facebook.

Contact Karla Bruning

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