A 'run' down the memory lane

Amidst all the accomplished posts, a few words about the joys of sport for a beginner. I never learned how to swim as a child, and yesterday I swam 25yards for the first time ever. And that got me thinking back to a few years ago when I could never have imagined that I would ever run long distances or how much I would grow to love and yearn to run. Growing up in the urban jungle that was my hometown, running was something one did on a treadmill, for only 15minutes at a time. My gym had many members and not enough treadmills and if we didn’t set some time limits, other people would never get a chance :)

Coming to Cincinnati, after my initial adjustment to the relatively cleaner air, the significant decrease in vehicular traffic, and the ridiculous system of temperature units, I saw the wonderful wide sidewalks and in them, an opportunity. I was also fortunate to have some excellent friends, all new to Cincinnati, all very social, and wanting to get outside in the open air – Maria, Rosalia, Mathieu to name a few.

Starting as someone who could run perhaps 2miles at a decent clip, the hills of Clifton trained me to appreciate the view from the top and that it is worth the back-breaking climb. Through several pairs of shoes, numerous knee injuries, a few thousand miles, and I have seen cities and countries like never before.

The first time I ran 13miles, preparing for my first half marathon, my father shouted incredulously down the telephone – ‘20k?? Why would you run 20k? Why would anyone run 20k?’ It only took him two phone calls, and he was back to being the person who trained me through years of competitive skating, when I called him after the race – ‘So how fast did you run? What was your time? What was the winner’s time?’

My favorite part of running has been the cities I run through. I pack my shoes, if there is even a slight chance that I will sneak out for a few quick miles. It has been such a great way to see a new place, feel the pulse of the people, how they greet and make way or grunt and frown (yes, I confess I judge and grudge and yes, I have some favorites :P), feel the ebb and flow of traffic, the different neighborhoods, the university campuses and the young out and about, all under the gorgeous sun. Well, sunny for the most, haha! So far, my favorite runs have been through Forest Park in St Louis, beautiful in its icy splendor in winters and resplendent in the bright hues of summer. And also, a recent crush - a run along Lake Pontchartrain in New Orleans. More stories from my runs for fun in different cities in coming posts!

Forest Park, Jan 2014

Forest Park, Sept 2014