Meandering

Have I ever told you what my favourite part is about running?

Here's a big hint.

Sure, it's a great way to strengthen your cardiovascular system and bone structure, and of course it does a decent job of keeping me from getting fat(ter). For some people it's a social activity - getting out with a friend (or group) for a run can be lots of fun. You can raise money for great causes, or simply get some "me" time to decompress from a stressful day.

My favourite part, though, is exploring.

Particularly on some of the lesser-traveled trails.

One of the things I missed the most this spring - whilst trying to recover from my devastating (and sort of ongoing) ankle injury - was the ability to just take off into the woods to chase some sketchy line I'd spotted on a map, or see what lies beyond some tiny trailhead I'd noticed while driving past. I'm incredibly grateful to have rebuilt my fitness to the point that I am largely able to set off for points unknown, confident that I'll be able to explore as much as I desire. 

Ooh - where does this go?

I know that I could do so simply by hiking, but even at my fairly glacial training paces I'm able to see so much more than I would simply by walking.

More views like this? Yes, please.

I actually put this all into action on Sunday, when I decided to go run a bit of trail on the outskirts of Riverside Park that I hadn't seen in a few years.

On a beautiful sun-drenched evening.

It clearly isn't a very popular route to get out the east end of the park on the north side of the Speed River.

Just a titch overgrown in places.

The groomed ease of the Mill Run Trail on the south side of the river certainly gets much more traffic, but most of my alternate route was flowing and non-technical.

I could run stuff like this forever.

It gave a whole new set of views of the river, too, as it wound along its bank above the northern arm of this divided section of the Speed.

Sun and shade and a river to the right.

Of course, it didn't all go perfectly - it turns out that a hundred metres or so near the eastern terminus are more bog than trail.

Grateful I wore wool socks and shoes with excellent drainage.

I have to wonder whether this section would be better or worse in the frozen depths of winter.

I may have to come back and see!

All too soon, I reached the end of this little diversion at the park entrance off Speedsville Road.

Umm, they might want to think about extending that boardwalk...by a LOT.

While this was just a tiny bit of trail - I ran most of the Mill Run Trail out from the other side of Speedsville and back to the park to net a mere 8km - but the distance wasn't the point. It's the glorious freedom to set off wherever my feet end up taking me, to find new routes and experiences along the way.

Happiness.

If you're stuck in a rut, tramping the same old routes week in and week out, I strongly encourage you to do a bit of investigating and find yourself a new place to discover. While it's important to do the training necessary to prepare for upcoming races, almost every schedule should allow you an easy day once in awhile to go explore a new place and see what kind of beauty you can unearth either far from home or right under your nose.