Connecting with nature

Since becoming a runner, I have inarguably forged a connection with nature that I didn’t have before I took up the sport.  That might sound a little corny, but it’s true.  There are a lot of reasons why that might be, not the least of which being the sheer amount of time I spend outside now, compared to my more sedentary days.

There’s a definite physical connection that comes from being out in the world – from smells that verge on being tastes, to taking a closer look at things you’ve never really paid too much attention to, to the feel of the wind on your skin and the ground beneath your feet.

Not only that, I end up visiting new places that I wouldn’t (or couldn’t!) have ventured in the car.  I have found places that I may have heard of, but had never been.  A classic example for me would be Belwood Lake.  I had driven past the conservation area at least a thousand times, and I could point it out on a map, but until I ventured out from town along the Elora Cataract Trailway,  I had never actually seen it.  Now I have not only seen it, I’ve been there when the morning mists were still hanging over it and there was no one there but me and the fishermen.

While running, I also have the benefit of moving through the world at a much slower pace than when driving.   I have the time to really look at things I had barely noticed before, like a house set back from the road that I drive every day, or the brook that runs under the narrow bridge.  I’ve also learned things I wouldn’t have – for example, cows actually do a lot more than just stand and sit in fields – they also run, jump and roll; they’ll even respond if you talk to them!

I guess what I am trying to say is that I have developed a new appreciation for my environment since getting back out into it.  I used to be disgusted by garbage at the side of the road because it was garbage; now I am infuriated because it pollutes the countryside.  I used to enjoy sunny days because they were lovely to look at; now I love sunny days because they are incredible to be out in.  I used to like listening to the birds because they sounded nice outside the window; now I love listening to the birds because they are a symphony surrounding me at 5:30 am.

Happy Earth Day!