Running Is A Process

As I compose this blog, it is Sunday morning. Although is not yet 8 a.m., I have already been up for nearly four hours. I was in the middle of a seven mile run as I watched the sunrise over Vineyard Haven harbor. This Sunday ritual has become ingrained into a part of my life that I take solace in. I am not alone, for the usual cadre of runners and cyclists are also out there, enjoying all the natural beauty that Martha’s Vineyard has to offer.

My usual loop takes me through West Chop, downtown Vineyard Haven, and sometimes past the Tisbury Water Works. The pace and route may vary, through the seasons and as time might allow, but running holds a multi-faceted purpose for me, as it does with many runners I know.

Beyond the aspect of fitness, running holds the opportunity to clear the mind and sift through the stresses of daily life. While I run with a GPS computer, mostly to track my progress, I have never run with music. No walkmans, iPods, or the like, as I find them to be more a distraction or buffer between one’s self and the surroundings.

Having run in urban and rural settings, I never want to be too disconnected from the environment where I am. In cities, it is important to hear approaching cars and emergency vehicles, but running on the Vineyard holds something else. Running here, whether it is around West Chop or through a Land Bank Trail, I want to hear the rustle of the wildlife around me. Sure, I want to avoid the skunks that warrant caution, but I also enjoy catching the flash of white as a deer bounds away.

This morning held woodpeckers banging away along upper Main Street, a rooster of note sounding his call, and more than a few squirrels chattering their disapproval of my presence. Other mornings the Nobska fog horn can be heard sounding off, the steamships might be chugging around the chop, or the wind may howl at me in what seems to be a headwind no matter which way I turn.

Still, there are times that beyond all other sounds, I hear the thoughts in my head. Running provides me time to think with a clear head. I find my cadence and the thought process begins. Perhaps I need to respond to correspondence from an individual, or there a project requires a certain something that I have not yet figured out. Then again, I could compose a blog post, as I did this morning.

Often the distance I run is dictated by physical or time constraints. Other times, I will go just a little farther, just to filter through something that I have been contemplating for some while but just have not yet figured out. That’s where my running has kept me fit, both physically and mentally. Running is my process.

Whether you run or walk, get out there and enjoy all that surrounds you. Leave your cell phone, iPods, and the like at home. Spend some quality time with the island, its offerings, and even with your own thoughts. You might be pleasantly surprised on what you discover.