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Mother Nature treated me to a cool morning for my birthday! I didn’t get out until after 9 and the sun was still behind the clouds. Perfect running weather!

I love being outside and wanted to share a couple pictures of the beauty all around.

I didn’t have to go far to see this Jacaranda tree, it’s in my front yard. Just a reminder to notice the beautiful things right in front of you.

That is why I love running outside and would not be happy if I lived somewhere that forced me inside on a treadmill. I would probably find a different workout then. Even as the words came out, I knew I was being dramatic… I would still run (who am I kidding). If you dress appropriately, you can run in all weather. Ask Uncle Stan, he lives in Kansas and runs in freezing temperatures and probably in the rain!

A couple years ago the city put in new trees and plants in the parkway and median along my most common running route. I call them “my trees” because I spend so much time on those streets. I love my trees! Here’s a snapshot of one of my favorite trees.

It is a Crepe Myrtle and they come in various shades of pink. I love this shade. They are currently blooming along both of my most common running routes. Once again, I love my trees!

Then I saw these Morning Glories on my route. I try to notice all the pretty things. It’s helps make my run more pleasant. (pleasant?)

I feel like sometimes we are so focused on getting from point A to point B, and we forget to take in our surroundings.

During my first marathon in San Francisco,  our coach told us ahead of time to look for certain sights at specific miles, if he hadn’t, we probably would have missed so much. I remember after the run, over hearing runners saying “Did you see the Golden Gate Bridge?” (grant it, it was very foggy and easy to miss), “Did you see the waterfall?” and people hadn’t seen them. They were focused on the ground ahead of them and never looked around. Very unfortunate for them.

Running isn’t only about burning calories and getting strong (although they are great motivators). Running is about being outside, experiencing new places, finding comfort in the same places, saying hello to the man or woman you always see along your route but don’t even know their name. It’s about connecting with other runners and with nature.

As I have said before, running is hard, but taking in the whole experience can make it easier, and, dare I say, enjoyable!

Here’s a picture from a Huntington Beach/Bolsa Chica run. I had to tell several people that there were dolphins out that day. Many thanked me and stopped to take pictures. This is a picture of 2 of the many dolphins I saw swimming along for a couple miles of my morning run. Life is good!

I hope this blog inspires you to go outside and run (or walk, hike, cycle). Take the time to look around while you are out there.

Thanks for reading 🙂

Keep running my friends!