Running with Others

"Jogging is very beneficial. It's good for your legs and feet. It's also very good for the ground. It makes it feel needed." ~ Charles, Schulz, Peanuts (one of my all time favorite running quotes!)

I particularly enjoy running in the woods. The solitary time, the out-in-nature feel, the animals, the quiet, the peacefulness of being in the woods are so appealing to me. Dirt trails feel so good to my body, my knees in particular!

But life dictates that if I'm going to get a run in that often I am going to be running on the road, in town, surrounded by people and buildings. One of my very favorite runs in this scenario is across several bridges spanning the river. I love the bridges in all seasons - hot and sunny, cool and misting rain, covered in snow! I often run really early in the morning and enjoy the sun rising in all its glory right over the river. Each day is totally different. Sometimes the sky is on fire with pinks, red, and oranges and other times it is covered in dark clouds with only a strip of sunlight peeking through here and there. Carrying my camera along to capture these incredible moments adds a great deal to my time spent outside.

I ran yesterday afternoon while my daughter played with a friend. I had run 14 miles on Sunday and normally would have done a short run or no run at all. Many of my runs are all about the time available though so off I went for a nice 7 mile run. I felt surprisingly good and enjoyed a really windy run! I kept seeing the same people walking or running the bridges also. The running community here is nice and friendly for the most part - people nod and wave or smile and speak. As much as I like running alone and get so much out of the solitude, I also enjoy being part of something else. Smiling at someone and knowing they are out there enjoying - hopefully! - a bit of time to themselves, soaking in the beauty of the river and sky, stretching their bodies and moving and feeling their hearts beating just like I am.