URBAN RUNS
I gutted out a five-miler this morning. Between the humid heat and the fact that I gave it my all during the Broad Street Run two months ago, it’s been hard to put in good mileage this summer, so it’s increasingly unlikely that I’ll be ready for the half-marathon here in town in September.
I ran past a fitness center this morning and thought of how hard urban running can be on your body. While others save their legs from concrete (and their lungs from pollution) on a treadmill or on a nature trail, I subject my body to urban sidewalks and car exhaust.
But I wouldn’t trade it for the world. I love urban running. I don’t care if my legs have to absorb the rigidity of asphalt and my lungs have to gulp in toxic fumes. There’s something about urban scenery that exhilarates me. Sure, I like running in nature, and watching TV while you log the miles on a treadmill is fun for awhile.
But give me urban scenery any day. Darting through a city sidewalk buzzing with shoppers and latte sippers and dog-walkers. Passing historical sites like Franklin’s grave or Independence Hall or Elfreth’s Alley. Circling around City Hall and praying for our politicians. Deciding between two river trails, the nation’s largest urban park, or the Art Museum steps where Rocky did his thing – all within city limits.
Urban running has become one of my favorite things about traveling, too. I’ve survived six miles in downtown Phoenix in the middle of summer. I dashed through a sketchy section of Cincinnati en route to Fountain Square, a busy downtown hub that was practically empty because I got there at 7:00am on a Sunday morning. DC (Rock Creek Park) and Boston (Charles River) are other favorites of mine, a touch of natural civility in the midst of city life.
So I limped to work this morning, probably more sore from the pounding than if I’d run on a treadmill or driven out to a nature trail. (And I’ll probably get cancer from running behind that soot-belching bus for two or three blocks.) But no matter how much it smarts, I just can’t give up my urban scenery.
I gutted out a five-miler this morning. Between the humid heat and the fact that I gave it my all during the Broad Street Run two months ago, it’s been hard to put in good mileage this summer, so it’s increasingly unlikely that I’ll be ready for the half-marathon here in town in September.
I ran past a fitness center this morning and thought of how hard urban running can be on your body. While others save their legs from concrete (and their lungs from pollution) on a treadmill or on a nature trail, I subject my body to urban sidewalks and car exhaust.
But I wouldn’t trade it for the world. I love urban running. I don’t care if my legs have to absorb the rigidity of asphalt and my lungs have to gulp in toxic fumes. There’s something about urban scenery that exhilarates me. Sure, I like running in nature, and watching TV while you log the miles on a treadmill is fun for awhile.
But give me urban scenery any day. Darting through a city sidewalk buzzing with shoppers and latte sippers and dog-walkers. Passing historical sites like Franklin’s grave or Independence Hall or Elfreth’s Alley. Circling around City Hall and praying for our politicians. Deciding between two river trails, the nation’s largest urban park, or the Art Museum steps where Rocky did his thing – all within city limits.
Urban running has become one of my favorite things about traveling, too. I’ve survived six miles in downtown Phoenix in the middle of summer. I dashed through a sketchy section of Cincinnati en route to Fountain Square, a busy downtown hub that was practically empty because I got there at 7:00am on a Sunday morning. DC (Rock Creek Park) and Boston (Charles River) are other favorites of mine, a touch of natural civility in the midst of city life.
So I limped to work this morning, probably more sore from the pounding than if I’d run on a treadmill or driven out to a nature trail. (And I’ll probably get cancer from running behind that soot-belching bus for two or three blocks.) But no matter how much it smarts, I just can’t give up my urban scenery.
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