June 18, 2012

Taking in Life on the Run

My running life had a high point I love to embrace:  where ever I go, I run.  ON a vacation, people would say, why run?  Aren't you on vacation?  But honestly, I have taken in more beauty in my life while running than I ever have.  From shorelines to rolling hills, to cityscapes, and little moments of splendor, its incredible what I have witnessed and have been able to appreciate while running.  Moments with nature are common as I run often along a water channel, I have seen beavers, all types of birds, deer, hawks, eagles, turtles, snakes, and many other wildlife encounters.  If not out there, I would miss all that.  Makes getting out there more of a draw for sure!I feel I need to be able to bring a smallish camera with me that I can take pictures with, but in a way I like that I can capture them in my heart, for me to appreciate privately as a part of my inner life, my self care, as so much of life is "putting it out there" for everyone to see.
This leads me to look at possible vacation spots and trips through the eyes of an athlete.  What will I see when I run?  are there trails?  Expanding your world, your length of runs also helps this as you may find yourself like me, wondering how far I need to go to get to that sweet spot.  Being fit then takes on a new purpose!