I had a change of scenery today on my run–downtown Madison, WI. I ran along Lake Monona, past the Terrace, down towards the Betty Lou Cruises, up towards the Wisconsin Capitol, halfway around the square, and then all the way down Mifflin Street. It’s amazing how a change of scenery really energizes and motivates you. I saw the beautiful glistening water with skiers already doing tricks; fishermen lined up along Monona Terrace catching big fish and they flapped to the ground; business people dressed in their best with their Starbucks lattes in hand–so wanted to stop and get one, but kept going; and bicyclists moving past you at the speed of light. I felt alive at 8am watching the world pass by me like in a movie.
There were people that I didn’t know running beside me, past me, behind me… It was like an unspoken challenge to keep up with the guy ahead of you and not let the person behind you catch up. I pressed on in my run finding myself running faster, moving quicker, and really enjoying the fact that I was running. Today–I felt the enjoyment of running!
Note to self: Lesson #6 – The enjoyment of running is not so much in the time and the distance–it is watching and taking in the beauty of the world around you. Learn to stop and smell the roses, well, maybe in this case, run and smell the fragrance of the roses in the air. Ha!
Bethany Conway 
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