Exploration

One of the many things that I enjoy about running is the opportunity to explore.  I feel like running and biking are two of the best ways to really explore your surroundings.  Biking allows you to cover more ground, have fewer aches and pains at the end of the day, and overall feel slightly more civilized.  However, the beauty of exploring on the run is that you don't need any special gear and you can do it anywhere.  You can run on-road or off-road and you can go places you may not make it with a bike.  If you are reasonably fit, you would be amazed at how much ground you can cover without even realizing it.  There is an incredible freedom in stepping out of the door without a direction or a goal (especially in a new place) and literally just going wherever the road takes you.  I have been fortunate in my life and career to have opportunities to travel all over the world.  Before I was a runner, I would often head out on walks from wherever I was staying and explore wherever city I was in and would often spend many hours exploring.  Once I started becoming a little more serious about running, I realized that the boundaries for my adventures could expand if I was on the run (and I could still be logging my long runs while I was traveling).  Sometimes I would find myself headed down some dusty dirt road to nowhere, while other times I was thrust into the middle of the city, dodging cars and people.  The cool thing is that either way I was there seeing things that I haven't seen before and experiencing a place in a way that I wouldn't be able to from the inside of a taxi cab or tour bus.  Sometimes, the people I was traveling with or my friends and family at home would express concern that I was off running around in unfamiliar places.  They would worry that it might be unsafe or people might hurt me, but what I have found though, is pretty much the opposite.  For the most part, people everywhere are pretty nice.  At worst they might be rude, but most are curious/friendly and the rest are indifferent.  Runners are pretty much non-threatening and as long as you act friendly/naïve 99% of the time you will be fine (in the other 1%, just run like hell).  And pretty much the same can be said for running the streets and trails around my house.  The great thing about this exploration is that it doesn't have to be in far off places.  Too many times you hear about people that always run the same route in the same direction every day.  It can be amazing what you discover in your own back yard it you just veer a little off of your normal path and open yourself up to an adventure.  Don't worry about how far it will be or where the next water fountain will be.  Rely in the fact that you are fit enough to cover whatever distance you want and that it is okay to bonk or get dehydrated - it is all part of the adventure!