Afternoon commute plus

RUN: 4.2 miles in about 40 mins

"commute plus" is the name of the route that goes south to TGP to get that extra mile. Today somehow I got an extra 0.2 miles.

Although the mornings have been chilly, the afternoons this week are lovely. Hat and gloves not needed, and light tights over thermals. Heck, maybe even capris would work. Not so sure about shorts.

This run, the plus version or the regular one, goes through neighborhoods that I wouldn't call "bad", but I certainly wouldn't want to be running through them at dark. Today I passed through right at dusk. Lots of kids getting off school buses (although that seems kinda late), lots of traffic, and lots of dog walkers.

Most every time I pass by someone, I say something to them. Hi! Good Morning, or in this case Good Afternoon. Recently Happy New Year, although I think the time for that greeting is passing. My hopes in doing so are to just connect with people, to catch a smile or reply, and just alert them to my presence. I run quiet, so I tend to sneak up behind people and startle them.

But I'm also trying to connect with them as a runner. Specifically, I'm hoping they'll think what I'm doing looks fun and maybe someday they will try it themselves. I'm hoping that when they are driving, they'll remember I'm not just a tree or squirrel or piece-of-nothing that doesn't deserve a little space. (And a small part of me is hoping that were I to trip and fall, they'd help me out.)

Sometimes this all seems to work. Kids will look up from their electric toys to look at me. I especially smile at them, they are future drivers and maybe runners! Dog walkers are the best, they'll often talk to me a moment. Probably because I'm smiling at them and their dog.

Additionally, I've found that running with a smile also boosts my run. I stand up a bit higher and bring my shoulders up. It gets my eyes off the ground and picks my head up. It relaxes my face. And to my surprise sometimes, it is all it takes to pick up my pace.

So if you see me be-bopping down the path someday with a big ole grin on my face, that's why. I love what I do, and it loves me back. Putting smiles in my miles is a new favorite trick.

Oh, and be sure to smile back at me!