On Monday, I decided to drive down to Covington and take a run through Devou Park.
It’s a tough run. Going up Western Avenue and then up North Park Road to the overlook is a sustained uphill grind of 1.6 miles. With the rebuilding of the roads on the switchback at the entrance to the park, the ground is covered with mud and clay and dirt and rocks and pebbles and construction vehicles.
The best advice I’ve heard about running hills is to look up once, then look straight ahead and enjoy. Don’t imagine yourself at the top. Imagine each step as part of the journey, a time to reflect and think. Or, better yet, a time not to reflect and a time not to think. It’s a time to just run — putting one foot in front of the other, the ground slowly falling behind you, your mind empty and your breath strong.
That’s why I run. For that feeling of Zen. That’s why thousands of people around Greater Cincinnati run, making it one of the most popular participatory sports in the area.
“I love the quiet time, just me and my breath,” said Shannon Conroy of Cincinnati, who runs with the Pain By Numbers running group in Northern Kentucky. “It helps me keep things in perspective. Also, running keeps my body fit and healthy, and a healthy body makes for a happier me.”
People run for many reasons: for exercise, for friendship, for competition. We enjoy the adventures of running, being able to go places one normally would not, discovering places you did not know were down the block from you. The day before Christmas Eve, a group of us ran around Edgewood after the sun went down, finding most of the winners of the city’s Christmas light competition. It was a lot better than seeing those displays from the inside of a car.
Indeed, running may be the best way to explore your community.
“History surrounds you at every turn,” said Jim White of Union, who also runs with Pain By Numbers.
“The architecture practically dares you to wonder what has come before you. Dates adorn buildings. German, Latin, and other languages (that are) embellished above arches pique your curiosity. Each building is a story. Every view a lesson. Even a hole in the ground is a layer cake of time.”
Sometimes, we run for the sheer joy of it. We run because we can — and most people we meet seem to enjoy watching us. The other week, as some 100 people from the training groups at Tri-State Running Co. in Edgewood ran down the sidewalks, their frosty breaths trailing behind them as the temperatures dipped close to zero, people honked their horns, rolled down their car windows, and waved, a few shaking their heads at the seeming insanity of it.
One time, while I was running through Bellevue, a little girl stopped playing in her yard and stared at me as I approached. “Gee,” she told me, “you’re fast.” The fact that she was so very wrong was irrelevant. It put a smile on my face.
Laura Dixon-Caldwell had a similar experience that lifted her spirits as she ran around her Villa Hills neighborhood Monday afternoon, heading to the streets after his yoga session was cancelled.
“As I passed my neighbor and her little grandson, he waved at me and clapped,” Laura said. “It was the cutest thing.”
Our neighborhood streets aren’t the only places you’ll see us running. Trails throughout Northern Kentucky, often built by or for bicyclists, are popular places for runners who prefer a more rugged yet softer ground, or the glorious isolation of the woods.
Devou Park has great trails that were built and are maintained by a group of volunteers. They are challenging, but a five-minute drive from Cincinnati can put you deep into the woods, surrounded by trees, deer, and the sounds of nature. Big Bone Lick State Park has running trails that let you see the historic park close up — although you might have to traverse a creek or two without the help of a bridge.
You’ll often see Karen Wheeler of Burlington on the trails in Boone County’s England-Idlewild Park. She started running to help her cope with her father’s illness. Running relaxed her, eased her stress, and made her feel better.
“One brave day I ventured onto the trails in the woods and discovered how much fun running can be,” she said. “It is relaxing to be running and exploring nature and seeing wildlife. “I feel at peace when I’m trail running.”
Paul Long writes weekly for the Tribune about running and runners. For his daily running stories, follow him at dailymile.com or on Twitter @Pogue57
Journalist, runner, personal life transformation expert and the best New Yak accent in town! You’re quite the marathon man, Mr. Long. It’s great to see you in print again!