My Running Route

I have always been a runner.  I can attest to the fact that running offers all kinds of benefits to well-being.

As a youth, I was one of the faster guys in track and baseball and tennis.  I became more serious and disciplined about running itself in college.  I ran some marathons in my twenties and have continued to run some distance regularly to this day.  My knees are not as forgiving as they were when I was younger so I limit myself to about 3-5 miles these days.  This past winter I experimented with a series of short, fast sprints since the amount of daylight I had available after work was scarce.  Sprinting offers some benefits over running.

But this time of year I can run every day if I choose.  Often my schedule does not allow it but I try to run 4-5 times each week.  Since I live in the countryside I simply run along the roads near my property.  There is very little traffic to worry about.  Sometimes when I run on Sunday mornings there is no traffic at all, which is a tranquil way to enjoy all this space.

So, I thought I'd share my running route with you.

The starting line, so to speak.  The road at the end of my driveway, facing north.  There is a very slight rise in the distance.

From the top of the rise I continue on to the intersection of another road.

I make a left turn at the intersection and run through the shade of some beautiful old oak trees that line the road.  There is a small hill in the distance.  We are facing west.

From the top of that hill it is a straight shot through some open pasture.

The road curves near a second intersection.  I turn around at that point, which is roughly 1.5 miles from my house.

At the turnaround point.  Facing east now.

And I run back through the wonderful open pasture space toward the hill again.

At the top of the hill facing east back through the line of old oak trees.

Then I make a right turn back onto the road by my house.

From the top of the small rise looking back toward where my driveway connects with the road.  This little 3/10's of a mile stretch is where I often do my sprinting.