I Love Running In The Park

How come it took me so long to figure it out? For years, my favorite trail has been the quiet little dirt road alongside the railroad track. Straight, flat, mostly wooded, and entirely solitary except for the rare thundering train. I can’t really even invite a friend to run with me, because much of the way there isn’t room for two people to run side by side.

The park is different: Trails are wide, mostly grass, with some sand, a little gravel, and a little dirt/mud. In the morning, the grass is wet with dew. It is definitely not flat, nor is it solitary - I always encounter other runners or dog-walkers - even horse riders. I would have thought I would get tired of the trails after they became familiar, but not so - I look forward to the next bend, the next woods, the next vantage point, the next downhill.

Today I ran with a guy briefly. He crunched past me as I walked up a hill, but I gradually caught up as his energy flagged, and we chatted a while before I went on ahead again.

Eight miles in 1:23:00, pace 10:23. Not great, not bad, but it was a lovely, enjoyable run.


This time the oatmeal is on the top. It includes a few raisins and dried cranberries. Not shown is the organic kefir that goes on top of the whole mess.