Getting a thumbs up from a truly Hell’s Angels-looking biker as he passed.
(This thread is so much better than the counter one!!)
There is a little dip in the trail along the river near my house - maybe down and up about 2 feet. When I hit that, there is a noticeable change in air temperature. I love the little chill I get from it, even when it is cold out.
In the winter, on a still, cloudless night, I enjoy the squeak-squeak-squeak of the snow under my feet, the myriad stars in the sky, and the occasional visit from the Northern Lights. It can be so quiet and peaceful with only my own sounds and thoughts for company. I’ve even heard an owl a time or two.
I enjoy the mental peace running brings me when I find my happy place/happy pace on a day that I’ve hit it just right for my nutrition, hydration, etc. I feel like I’m only a head, flying along 6’ above the ground with no body beneath me.
Often, I’ll have the solution to some minor problem come to me while I’m running. It’s as though eliminating all the distractions from my mind allows my subconsious to figure things out for me. When that happens, it’s like I get an answer from nowhere, unbidden, like a bolt of lightning.
In general, like everyone else here, I just like running.
- The smell of the air at 6am.
I live in SF and I see a fair number of people running with a prosthetic fancy leg thing. I always give a nod of respect, shed half a tear, and run like hell the next mile. Always makes me think of that Pre quote: “to give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift”.
Swimming is serene. Biking is fun. But I truly appreciate the gift of running.
Running on the treadmill and I out pace/run the person next to me, who is a male and twenty years younger. I wanted to tell the young guy that it was my second workout for the day.
.
At the gym, someone proudly tells me they’ve joined a running club and I say, “let’s run together,” and they say, “but you’re too fast for me.” (I’m not really).
Both situations happened at the gym today when I ran on the treadmill during my lunch break. Made me happy! 
I heard a quote once, “I’ll do what you wont today so I can be what you aren’t tomorrow”. Whenever I think of this during a tough run it always makes me feel good about what I’m doing and helps me to keep pushing on.
Oh, and chasing down a pair of yoga pants so I can ‘recover’ behind them for the next couple minutes!
Mud! Being ankle deep in the stuff on your winter cross country runs. Safe in the knowledge that the energy sapping suffering will pay dividends like no other come race season.
Sights
Full Moon-set - you don’t get one of these every day, and sometimes you can go a couple months without catching a good one
Sunrise over the Ocean - I know that the West Coasters get to see the sun SET over the Ocean everyday, but being up before Dawn to enjoy a few miles on the Beach or the Boardwalk takes a little more commitment, if I may say so, and a greater payoff
Wildlife / barnyard friends - Deer, rabbits, chipmunks, turtles that require saving to get across the road, the occasional snake, wild turkeys & pheasants, hawks, buzzards, eagles, herons, seagulls, terns and other shorebirds ; horses, cows, hogs, bulls, goats, sheep, llamas, ducks, chickens, geese, and even this one bastard of a peacock who chased me down the road once … fucker!
Fog - there is something about running in fog that just slows everything around you, and by turning down the contrast outside, brings inner thing to clearer focus
Ponytails on Race Day, or any day for that matter - no elaboration needed
Sounds
Silence - see “Fog” above
Spring Peepers - they only chirp when the temperature is above 45º, which means it OK to wear shorts
Owls/Woodpeckers - I’ve heard them out there in the Woods dozens of times, but I’ve only caught glimpse of a woodpecker once or twice, and never seen an owl on a run
Trains: there’s a NJ Transit track that crosses my route; as luck & scheduling would have it, the Westbound & Eastbound use that crossing about 4-4½ minutes apart = when the *first one blows its horn, I set my pace to get ½ a mile down the road before the next *one sounds
Pine trees: didja ever notice that when the winds blows just right, they sound like the Ocean?
Smells
Pretty much everything mentioned above = fresh-cut-grass, breakfast, flowers blooming; I have to admit though, I also liked running past SEPTA buses on blazing hot Summer evenings, getting nose-fulls of hot asphalt steam & nasty NASTY diesel exhaust, thinking “THIS is how badass I am!!!”
Tastes
OK, now we’re talking POST-Run, right?
Beer - duh!
That’s pretty much all I’ve got really, sorry
Feelings
In all but the the coldest weather, I’ll wear short socks , so I can feel the wind whipping around my ankles
I’m not a big fan of the Brain Freeze, but its such a rush when your noggin defrosts
The sizzly tingle of a well-earned sunburn from a mid-summer’s day trot, flash-cooled by running straight from the Boardwalk into the Ocean
The waddle you do the day after a race, which just begs for people to ask “How’d ya do?”
That hug your kid gives you after seeing your medal and she asks “Did you win?”
Love this thread! Some of my favorite things:
Hitting that groove, and knowing you are running fast without even looking at your pace
Stopping to collect fruit from the trees along my run
Mountain sunsets
Running in the rain
Counting the number of cars I pass that are stuck in traffic
I think I’ll go running now!
That point when you aee over halfway done with a run workout. I’d much rather be in the pool or on my bike.
Being alone, no thoughts in a state of zen. Also a bonus:
No knee pain
Knowing you could run from a cop if you had to
Knowing you could run from a mugger if you had to
Not bumping into anyone on a trail run after crapping yourself midrun
Canadian Geese sitting on their eggs.
Ducks on their nests. Can’t wait for them to hatch!
The quiet road and my feet clopping along on the pavement.
Funny, I used to think I had to have my iphone/ipod. Now, some days I just run.
1.When my students/track kids see me, lay on the horn, and yell something motivating.
2. Getting to run with the distance boys or cross country team.
3. That feeling of complete exhaustion and you still have a mile to go. So you know it’s time to HTFU.
I typically run on the path at Crystal Cove in which I look out to the ocean with views of Catalina Island, the fact this is in my backyard makes me happy every time I run… but what makes it magical, are the pods of dolphins!!!
I heard a quote once, “I’ll do what you wont today so I can be what you aren’t tomorrow”. Whenever I think of this during a tough run it always makes me feel good about what I’m doing and helps me to keep pushing on.
Oh, and chasing down a pair of yoga pants so I can ‘recover’ behind them for the next couple minutes!
The Sufferfest Slogan - IWBMATTKYT
“I will beat my ass today to kick yours tomorrow”
For me - The thing that makes me happy when running is when it starts to rain halfway through a run, for some reason it puts a smile on my face and a spring in my shoes.
(Note - I don’t like starting to run while it is raining…)
- being uninjured and able to run.
everything else is secondary:
2. Early morning runs- with a million stars in the sky.
3. Seeing meteors (one run in December last year- I saw 13)
4. Stopping at ponds so my dog can take a cool-off swim
5. Hills. running up them. enjoying the view
6. Finding out how fast I am- on race day.
7. Seeing wildlife.
8. That feeling after months of consistent marathon training, where you’re18 miles into your long run- and feel like you can run forever. (usually, that feeling goes away a few miles later)
9. strapping on my running belt, with food and water- and feeling invicible- like I could run forever.
10. Left something in the car in the airport parking lot 2/3 mile away. Telling my wife I can just jog over an get it without waiting for the airport shuttle, and I’m back 10 min later while she’s still in the security line. Just getting warmed up.
11. being part of the running community.
12. Understanding what it feels like to run the last 10K of a marathon at threshold, in excruciating pain, and BQing.
13. New running shoes.
14. doing things now, that I couldn’t (or didn’t) do 20 years ago.
15. Making my dog overjoyed with happiness by just walking towards my running shoes.
I could go on…
I could go on…
What’s stopping you?
Ever have a ay where you set out for, say 5 … then “Well, another half a mile down there and turn around, wouldn’t be so bad” … then “another mile wouldn’t kill me. I have time”
And so on
Be like that
Running 11 miles in the dark then seeing this.
Running 11 miles in the dark then seeing this.
THAT’s what I’m talking about!!!