SENSORY RUN

Running in the neighborhood is getting predictable, meaning great. It allows me to get into that Zen state I mentioned. But I am not a creature of total habit, meaning I like to go see other things and check out different routes, not only when running but driving as well.

Today I decided to mix it up some and run from the gym (which is also in the building I work in). A smarter move would have been to do my 1 hour swim this morning and run later. Of course that would assume we were going to have dry, sunny weather. I wanted to wear my new running shoes today and didn't want to run in the rain yet again today so out the door I went early to get in the run before work.

I ran west, toward the zoo, a run I've done hundreds and maybe a thousand times over the years. On this route, there is no lack of amusing, odd, interesting, weird, and sometimes disgusting things to see, hear, and smell.

So here is a list of things I saw, heard, or smelled:

# of bums on bikes: 5

# of flooded riverwalks: 4 (actually, there are no riverwalks right now they're so far below water!)

# of spring flowers in bloom: hundreds (I love tulips and daffodils.)

# of flowering trees: several (the bright fuschia ones are my favorite.)

# of closed down businesses: at least a half dozen. (sad.)

# of blue Meijer shopping bags being carried by bums collecting cans: 2

# of polite drivers who let me cross the street first: 1

# of rude drivers who did not let me cross the street first: 3 (yeah, that would be 5 seconds lost from your day)

# of cars going through stop signs: 4

# of road construction projects/detours: 3 (its that season)

# of shopping carts on corners: 2 (with no grocery store anywhere close by)

# of front porches packed to the rafters with junk: 2 (you have to wonder about the inside of the house)

# of beer bottles on the sidewalk: 2 (you just couldn't have walked that inside)

# of mattresses on the curb: 1 (no bums sleeping on it though)

# of other runners: 0 (all by my lonesome out there)

# of train whistles: 2 (Amtrak was running on time today!)

# of times I smelled hyacinths in bloom: 2 (mmm, my favorite!)

# of times I smelled pot (yeah, I do know what that smells like, no mistaking it!): 1 (apparently it goes well with that morning cup of coffee)

# of miles ran: 4.2

So that about sums it up for my morning run. Interesting, weird, amusing. Never a dull moment. Oh the places I go, the things I see!