Trail goodness

My running renaissance got a huge boost from a squiggly brown line on the ground.

While on a short over night stay on the boat...

Huh? Oh, I didn't tell you I have a boat now? Sorry... yeah, kinda crazy. I'm learning to sail.

What?! No, I don't even play the lottery. Trust me, it's not a big, fancy boat.* But it is a sail boat, and, well, it's fun and I'm learning something new.

So anyway... after a lovely night on the boat, I geared up for a quick run on some trails that I'd heard were close by. They were close by, and they were glorious!

Sure, I missed them the first try. And sure I ended up running an extra 2 miles or so, but tuh-otally worth it.

Seriously, a decent trail does wonders for one's mood. There's just something about running among trees, lots and lots of trees, to reconnect you to yourself, and your planet, and why you run at all.

And the zenned out experience of following a narrow band of dirt, letting it take you through its carless, sidewalkless, completely traffic light free world, not really sure where it's leading you, not really able to see vary far ahead of you at all, takes you to a place, a very different place than running on roads or paved urban paths.

Maybe it's all of the chlorophyl in the air. Maybe instincts that our species honed for a tens of thousands of years, dulled by the straight lines of cities and the firm sole of shoes, are awakened. Maybe it's just different.

Regardless, trail runs make me happy.

Good running,
Doug

*Here she is:

I've got a feeling...

... a feeling deep inside, oh yeah!

I'm not running very fast. I'm not running particularly far.

But, when I had to miss a couple runs this week, I got that feeling... aching... for a run.

For those who don't know what I'm talking about, it's a nervous, anxious, firm request from your body, "Please, please get a run in. Soon."

It's a sure sign that your running has turned from drudgery, to habit. And I mean "habit" in the sense of an addiction. A good addiction. It's your body and mind craving what they know is good for for them.

I haven't had that deep craving for a run in a very long time. The recipe, apparently, is about 7 weeks of a rock solid schedule. For me, it was 21 runs... Tu, Th, Su... some ok, some horrible, none brilliant.

But performance isn't the thing.

The thing is returning to running... for real.

Good running,
Doug