What's it like running on the street?

In the comments, Kelly Cole asks "What's it like running on the street?"

Well, I'm not entirely sure because I've never done this... for a few reasons.  First, the streets are pretty crowded, and it would be hard to run around all the pedestrians, street vendors, and holes in the sidewalk. The sidewalks here are uneven in places, and I trip often even just walking.  There are certainly directions to go where there are fewer people, and better sidewalks.  More on that below.

Second, running on the street might involve running across the street.  The relationship between cars and pedestrians here is very different than in the U.S. or Europe.  Here, pedestrians are expected to get out of the way (quickly) from (quickly) approaching cars.  This is something I still haven't gotten used to, and I constantly feel like I'm about to be run over.

The best place to go running would be down by the beach.  Running around the track is about as exciting as doing laps in the pool.  Down by the beach, there is lots of space, despite lots of people, and the view is spectacular.  Also, the broad sidewalks along the beach go on for miles.  However, there are a few busy roads between us and the beach, and it is about a kilometer from us.  In the cold weather, the track is just much more convenient.  We are about 400 m from the track (one lap!), but over a kilometer from the beach.  Funny how even with exercise, laziness wins out.