The Great Indoors

Just Another Runner’s Perspective January 2026 Written by Gale Fischer  

The Great Indoors

“If you wait for perfect conditions you will never get anything done.”

—-Ecclesiastes 11:4

1/22/2026; 11:30 AM: I turned west off of Beade Lake Road and entered Harper Creek High School’s parking lot. A robo call from Harper Creek Schools, announcing that the district had issued a snow day, woke me from a deep sleep six hours earlier. I had planned on squeezing in a run after school but now with the day off from work, my schedule was suddenly much more wide open. I climbed out of bed, completed some paperwork for work, ate breakfast, and spent an hour outside shoveling snow. Before bundling up to clear the snow from my driveway, I hadn’t yet decided if I would run inside or outside later in the morning, but as the weather continued to deteriorate while I worked outside, my motivation radar left no doubt that I would run inside. Wind gusts out of the west sent a wall of snow my way as I drove across the parking lot. Like a superhero bursting through a tunnel of smoke and flames, a runner appeared as the wall of snow dissipated.

From the physical stature and gait of the runner, I had a pretty good inkling of who it was. As I pulled up beside her and rolled down my car window my hunch was confirmed. It was Laurie Oleksa. We exchanged a few words. I told her that I was going inside the high school to run on the indoor track and asked her if she wanted to run inside. She indicated that she only had a few miles to go and she would just finish outside. I told her she was a bad ass. She responded, saying she was a dumb ass. 

Frigid air, road conditions with ice and snow, and winter winds creating below zero windchills challenge the motivation of even the most dedicated runner. It was only mid January and it seemed like this year’s winter had already given us at least a full season dose of bone chilling elements if not more. My legs had grown weary of running on snow, ice, and slush after slogging through too many runs with less than ideal surface conditions starting the weekend after Thanksgiving. There had been days with dry roads to run on since the end of November, but it seemed like I had logged more miles than normal with challenging road and trail conditions so far this winter season. Snow accumulations had been the theme for the past week and with the arrival of below zero wind chills, I had taken my previous two runs indoors on the track circling above the perimeter of Harper Creek’s basketball court. Seven mile runs on a tenth of a mile track was not ideal, but seemed like a better option than a treadmill or traversing through the uncomfortable conditions outside. Although running in a circle for seventy laps may seem like it might require less focus than running on the roads and navigating traffic and unstable surface conditions, a different mental focus is required to count each lap. Laurie had driven to Harper Creek’s campus to run. She still had to deal with bone chilling temperatures, blows to her body from the winds out of the west, and snowy roads surrounding the parking lots to run on, but remaining on campus took away the element of staying out of the way of traffic. 

Our limits are often higher than what we perceive in the world of running.  Sorting through one’s personal limits as a runner can create a mental and emotional puzzle. It can lead to a series of head games. Limits are never constant. They fluctuate from day to day, run to run, and mile to mile. It’s a constant give and take of where one’s current physical, mental, and emotional state lies at any given time. This give and take is what determines a runner’s limits on any given day.

As a runner of more than twenty-five years, I have logged my share of miles in extremes. I have my own personal limits for running in high heat and humidity, pouring rain, below zero wind chills, and challenging road and trail conditions. These limits vary over longer periods of time but also fluctuate within any given week, month, or season.  I have certainly run in colder temperatures than Mother Nature has unleashed in recent days, and more challenging surface conditions than Michigan has seen the last week. These limits are different when running alone compared to running with others. I have found that the limits of what I can withstand as a runner are typically higher when I am able to run with other runners. Running with others will often raise the bar for what I am able to withstand. 

We are still in January and there are another six to eight weeks of winter remaining. I’m sure I will run some miles in conditions similar to or more extreme than what Mother Nature has unleashed the past week. Perhaps my mental limits will extend to a higher level than what they have for the last three runs.  Although the miles logged this past week have not been the most satisfying, the most relaxing, or the most intoxicating, I am thankful to have had an indoor option for running. As we navigate through what Mother Nature is predicted to pummel us with in the next few days, I hope all of you are able to find a way to somehow keep running. 

Until next time, this has been just another runner’s perspective.

Janine Lewandoski Story

Just Another Runner’s Story                                                                                                                  January 2026                                                                                                                        Written by Gale Fischer  

Running’s Social Pipeline                                                             “If you run, you are a runner. It doesn’t matter how fast or how far. It doesn’t matter if today is your first day or if you’ve been running for twenty years. There is no test to pass, no license to earn, no membership card to get. You just run.”          ----John Bingham                      

There are multiple social groups that each of us associates with. These social groups are often categorized with work friends, church friends, and childhood friends being different examples. For those immersed in the running community a tight knit band of individuals is often formed with other runners. For some runners moving to another zip code, running becomes a prominent way to become familiar with the layout of a new city, town, or neighborhood. Running also helps these individuals to form new friendships as these individuals seek out others that they share a common interest with in running. For local runner Janine Lewandoski, the running community in Battle Creek became her first social connection when she moved to the Cereal City almost a decade ago.

Janine grew up spending much of her free time being active, but running wasn’t necessarily a part of this equation until early adulthood. “I started playing soccer when I was five years old,” Janine said. Organized sports was only a snippet of what kept her moving. “My brother and I were always outside playing with the neighborhood kids,” she added. “I grew up in a small town and for most of the children in our neighborhood any free time was spent outside playing games and riding bikes.”

Although spending time outside being active with kids from the neighborhood still dominated much of Janine’s free time as she became older, organized sports eventually took on a bigger role in her life. “More options for sports became available in middle school,” explained Janine. “I played volleyball, basketball, softball, and participated in track, during this time. I really enjoyed sports. It kept me from getting bored.” Janine would have to limit her participation in athletics to one sport for each season, after transitioning from middle school. “When I started high school, I continued participating in a sport each season, focusing on one sport in the spring," Janine said. “I loved each sport that I participated in but was always ready to end one sports season and begin another.” Janine was advised to choose track as her spring sport her freshman year, but this only fueled her desire to continue with soccer. “My math teacher was also the soccer coach, and he told me that I would just be a bench player for the soccer team. He encouraged me to choose another spring sport,” explained Janine. “I played soccer just to prove him wrong, which I did. I seemed to have more endurance than the other kids, so I rarely sat on the bench.” Just as Janine’s running hobby as an adult has provided her primary group of friends, her high school peer group also centered around sports. “I went to a small school, Algonac High School near Port Huron,” Janine noted. “Many of my classmates were involved in athletics and most of my friends played sports.” 

Janine graduated from high school in 2011 and went on to college at the University of Michigan. For the first time in her life physical activity was not a part of her routine. “Coming from a small community I had to adjust to a big school and shifted my priorities,” explained Janine, “and I was inactive my freshman year. During my sophomore through senior years, I played some intramural sports. As I approached college graduation in 2015, I began to try to focus on having a balanced life and adding physical activity back to my routine. I started running some on my own to lose a little weight and to establish some healthy habits. It was very sporadic. I would usually run a three-mile loop a few times a week starting from the house that I lived in and going around the football stadium and basketball arena.”

After earning her college degree, Janine experienced another major life transition common for college graduates with the true beginning of independent adult life. She would lean on physical activity to ease the transition. “I started working at a consulting company in Southfield after graduation,” Janine recalled. “It was a bit intimidating being a professional. I began going to the gym, which was a new experience for me. At the same time, a friend of mine from high school, who had never been active, had an itch to run the Detroit Half-Marathon. I decided to sign up to run it with him.” 

Committing to run a half-marathon moved Janine from casual runner to serious runner. “I had researched some ideas on the internet for how to train,” said Janine, “but I didn’t follow anything specific. I was running on my own about four days a week, usually around five miles for each of these weekday runs, with a longer run on the weekend.” Reaching the double digit mile barrier seemed like the mental push Janine needed to give her the confidence she needed to know she could run for 13.1 miles. “I remember building up to ten miles for a long run,” noted Janine. “My thought was that I should at least complete ten miles for a training run before race day. I was also going to the gym a few times a week to do some strength training. I was really excited when I ran the race that there was Gatorade at the aid stations. I guess I wasn’t expecting this.” 

All and all the race day experience was a positive one for Janine. “My goal was to go under two hours, but I really wasn’t sure how things would go after ten miles,” said Janine. “I had trained alone, and it was exciting running with others and having spectator support. I was tired after the race, but felt like I could do more. I thought that I could run a marathon. What stood out to me was the diversity of runners with young, middle aged and older runners, and runners with different body shapes. It was inspiring. After this, I kept training.” 

At the time Janine ran her first half-marathon, she was still working and living on the east side of the state but began to spend some time in Battle Creek with her work. “Kellogg's was a client of the company I worked for,” explained Janine, “and early in 2016, I started coming to Battle Creek for a few days at a time on different occasions to help as a consultant for Kellogg's. I would stay at the McCamly Hotel, so occasionally I would run around downtown when I was in Battle Creek. I would also do some strength training workouts in my hotel room.”

Although Janine wasn’t living in Battle Creek full-time, she was becoming familiar with the area surrounding Kellogg’s Headquarters through running. An opportunity would eventually bring her to Battle Creek full-time. “Kellogg’s offered me a full-time job during the summer of 2016,” said Janine. “It seemed like it would be a seamless transition to go from working for them as a consultant to working for them full-time.” Reaching out to other runners seemed like the best way to make the transition socially from Southfield to Battle Creek.  “I sought out the running community to get to know people in the area,” she noted. “My mom researched and found The Kalamazoo Area Runners online for me. I decided to show up to a group run on a Tuesday. For this first run, I met Holly McKee, who helped to introduce me to different weekly group runs in Battle Creek. It was a bit awkward at first, running with others, but it was a great way to get to know others outside of work. To this day many of my friends in Battle Creek are from the running community.” Soon Janine began running regularly with the Sunday run group from the Battle Creek YMCA with Matthew Santner. She began to run more during the week with Matthew and other runners who ran a faster pace that she was accustomed to. It gave her something to aspire to as a runner. 

As time went on, Janine began to meet other runners who also were active as cyclists and swimmers. “Many of my running friends in Battle Creek were participating in triathlons,” Janine noted. “This was kind of my introduction to biking and swimming competitively. I did my first triathlon in 2017. I have done a handful of triathlons. Most of these have been sprint triathlons. I had started training with the Cereal City Triathlon training group. Some in my training group decided to train for a Half-Iron Man triathlon. We did the Steelhead Half -ron Man in Benton Harbor in 2018. The water was very rough on Lake Michigan that day. It was like swimming in a washing machine. It was uncomfortable swimming in a crowd.”

Completing a Half-Iron Man piqued Janine’s interest in the next step as a runner. “After completing the Half-Iron Man, I started thinking that I could run a marathon,” said Janine. “The Half -ron Man took me six hours to finish, which in my head was more time than I figured I could run a marathon in. In the winter of 2019, I signed up for the KAR Beyond Marathon training group and traveled to Kalamazoo every Saturday morning for my long runs. My training that winter went well. It was exciting to complete my first twenty-mile run. For the first marathon training cycle, there are so many firsts in terms of milestone distances. I can remember my first twenty-mile run being on a hilly course on a snowy day.  In the spring of 2019, I ran my first marathon, the Kentucky Derby Marathon in Louisville.”

It was a memorable first marathon experience for Janine. “There was a group of fifteen of us who went to Louisville and stayed in an Airbnb, with some running the half and some running the full.,” Janine recalled. “ It was a great first marathon. The course was not too hilly, and the weather was perfect.There were people who were out spectating and were really engaged in the experience. My finishing time was 3:50. I knew that I wanted to run more marathons after this. It was exciting to finish my first marathon and feel good about it.”

Janine has completed another six marathons since her first in Louisville. She has improved her time with her PR coming at the 2021 Carmel Marathon in Indiana, with a finishing time of 3:27 and a Boston qualifier. She completed the Boston Marathon the next year in 2022. She was running well for the marathon distance but an injury would stall her progress a year after her Boston debut. “In 2023, I had been training for the Green Bay Marathon,”  Janine said. “I had just finished a twenty-mile run a few days earlier and was in my taper. I felt some pain in my lower back and leg in the middle of a five-mile run and had to walk home. I took a few days off and tried again a few days later to run, but still felt the same level of pain. I was unable to run the marathon. The doctor I went to diagnosed it as a bulging disc.” 

Janine was forced to take some time away from running. “I spent the following summer not able to run while also going through PT,” explained Janine. “I was able to swim some during this time, and I walked a lot. Looking back, I feel that it was good and that my body needed a break, but it was frustrating. I introduced running intervals with my walking in the fall of 2023. It took a while, but eventually I returned to a more normal running routine.” A year later Janine went through a major transition in her life. She reflected on this.  “I moved to Mexico for work for a year in 2024. I ran a lot on the treadmill in a gym that didn’t have air conditioning. I was really nervous about keeping my running routine while there, but it worked out. It was hot, and it was 6,500 feet above sea-level.”

Since her return from Mexico, Janine has reacquainted herself to running with friends she has made in Battle Creek and Kalamazoo. Working and running in Battle Creek the last five years has allowed Janine to grow professionally, personally and as a runner. She will soon be on the move again but will take her experiences from the last five years to guide her through this next stage of her life. “I have a new job with Denso and will be moving to Southfield,” she noted. “I will hook up with the running community there and have already done some research to find groups to run with.”

With her time in Battle Creek coming to an end, Janine reflected on running and on the connections she has made. “Running has been a good way to blend my social life with being active.The local running community here in Battle Creek is open to anyone at all levels. I credit my improvement in running to the running community, but also to Rob Lillie, who has been my trainer. He has kept me in the game physically, but also lets me and his clients know that, at the end of the day, running is supposed to be fun. When I moved to Mexico for a year and ran on my own, I came to appreciate what running can also do for my life individually. Running can be there for you to provide whatever you need.” 

For those who are fully immersed into a running routine there is no denying the positive impact it can have on your life. It can help to maintain and improve physical health. It can give each participant a confidence boost and an emotional lift that will benefit all aspects of life. It can provide a much needed dose of positivity in the midst of a bad day. Perhaps one of the most appreciated benefits of running is the friendships that it can provide. Running alone can make your life better. Sharing running with others can build on this. 

Everyone has a story.  Stay tuned next month for another runner’s story.

Grady Kape Story

                                                                 Poetry in Motion

“The only thing that stands between you and your dream is the will to try and the belief that it is actually possible.”

—-Joel Brown

Athletic success can at times be tied to talent, but accomplishments in the world of sports run much deeper than natural ability. Hard work, dedication, and following a scripted plan can be the difference between average and good. Still another element exists that separates the elites from the rest. To be the best of the best often requires a mental resolve to overcome discomfort, setbacks, and failures while blocking out the outside noise created by the naysayers. Harper Creek eighth-grade student, Grady Kape, has excelled as a gymnast, with his mental fortitude being his most important attribute. 

Grady was born on July 31, 2011, the first child of Corey and Suzanne Kape. Grady has a younger sister, Ella, who is a sixth-grade student at Harper Creek Middle School. Grady reflected on some of his childhood memories and interests outside of gymnastics. “I enjoy being outside, throwing a football around, or doing flips on the trampoline. I also like hunting and fishing with Mom, Dad, and my grandpa. My grandpa and I like to have a competition when we go fishing to see who can catch the most fish. We usually go fishing for bass and bluegill at Graham Lake or Lee Lake.”

Like Grady and Ella, Corey and  Suzanne were also Harper Creek students. Grady talked about being a Harper Creek student. “Ella and I both went to Sonoma starting in kindergarten. One of my favorite memories from Sonoma was the color run that our teachers at Sonoma organize every year, on the last day of school. I also like having Mom work at the Middle School and at Sonoma. It is convenient  being able to ride in with her to school on the days she is there.” Suzanne has worked as an occupational therapist for Calhoun ISD starting in 2009 and has been providing services for Harper Creek students since 2019.

Both Suzanne and Corey were athletes for Harper Creek, with Corey playing baseball and golf, and Suzanne as a decorated volleyball player. Grady has followed in his parents' footsteps as an athlete. “Grady started gymnastics in preschool when he was three years old,” recalled Suzanne, “taking classes at Branch Gymnastics.” At the time, Suzanne and Corey didn’t anticipate the impact gymnastics would have on Grady. “After a year of taking preschool classes, we decided not to sign Grady up for classes the following year,” said Suzanne. “Although he didn’t return to Branch the next year, we signed him up for rec classes a year later at the age of five.” From there, gymnastics would become a great passion for Grady, taking up much of his time. 

Grady talked about how his journey in gymnastics unfolded from the time he joined the pre-team. “Pre-team is kind of like a try-out for the team. It introduces gymnasts to what a team is like. For pre-team, we had two practices each week for two hours each time. I was on pre-team for half a year before being invited to move up to the team. I have been on Branch Gymnastics’ team since then.” 

Gymnastics has taught Grady a great deal about himself. It has given him tools to navigate through life while also showing him what he was capable of. “Through gymnastics,” Grady noted. “I have learned that I can push myself beyond what I perceive to be my limits.” Gymnastics shares many similarities with other sports, while also differing in other ways. Grady’s coaches help prepare him to perform individually. Although he and his teammates showcase their skills individually, the scores they receive are combined as a total team score. Each event score is calculated by adding a degree of difficulty score to an execution score. A perfect execution score is 10, with a typical total score ranging from 14 to 16 when the degree of difficulty is added to it. The scores for each individual for each event that they perform are then combined for a total team score. “When I first learn a skill, it’s hard to understand and perform it,” explained Grady. “Each skill becomes easier the more I practice it. As I learn a skill, I continue to practice and perform it, and eventually, other skills are introduced. Everything is a part of a progression, with tiny skills leading up to bigger and more difficult skills. The more I progress, the more I have to be tough mentally.” 

Gymnastics has evolved through the years into an athletic competition. At its core, it is a demonstration of physical strength, flexibility, and body awareness in space. In essence, gymnastics is a form of art. It is poetry in motion. Hours and hours of practice are required to perfect each skill. “We do strength training every day,” said Grady. “We use some weights, but a lot of it is body and resistance training. We do a ton of stretching. During the off-season, we work on new skills, cardio, and weight training. We do some running for conditioning.” Grady’s schedule can be grueling. “He usually does some training during the season and off-season at home,” Suzanne shared. “This includes practicing skills on the trampoline and also strength exercises such as chin-ups and push-ups.” Hard work and commitment have allowed Grady to experience success as an athlete, but this could not have happened without the support of his family. “He goes to practice four days a week for four and a half hours a day, a total of eighteen hours a week,” explained Suzanne. “It makes it difficult for him to eat at an evening meal at a normal time, and oftentimes, I have something prepared for him to eat on the drive home from practice.”

Grady’s team competes in a handful of competitions each year. “The events that I participate in include floor routine, pommel horse, rings, vault, parallel bars, and horizontal bar,” Grady noted. “The pommel horse is probably my favorite and strongest event.”  The floor routine is a dynamic and expressive event that includes tumbling passes, dance elements, and artistic flair and is performed on a specially designed spring floor. The pommel horse routine is a series of continuous circular movements performed while supporting the upper body on the hands with the legs moving in a scissor-like or swinging motion. The rings event is a test of strength, control, and skill, and is performed on two rings suspended with straps from a metal frame. The vault event consists of the gymnast sprinting down a runway, jumping onto a springboard, and then propelling themselves onto a vaulting table, and executing various ariel maneuvers before landing on a mat. The horizontal bar is an event that challenges the gymnast to perform various skills on a bar that is held above and parallel to the floor, including giant turns, release and regrasp skills, culminating with a dismount. Parallel bars consist of two wooden bars mounted on adjustable frames, set at a consistent height and width apart, with gymnasts performing swings, flight elements, movements requiring strength and balance, and a dismount. 

The competition season for Grady occurs over a six-month period of time. “There are typically five to seven competitions a year, including nationals and regionals,” Suzanne added. “Most are within a two-hour drive, except for nationals. Last year’s nationals were in Fort Lauderdale. The level that Grady competes at requires a big commitment from him and from Corey, and me. The competition season runs from December to May, but with practices and training, it is a year-round season. Grady entered the 14/15 year age group last year, which is the youngest group that can go to nationals. He was able to qualify for nationals at the regional meet, earning national championship status for his age group on the horizontal bar.”

The chemistry that Grady and his teammates have developed has left a lasting impression on Corey. “When Grady first started this journey, I wasn’t sure if gymnastics would have the same team bond and drive that you see in traditional school sports,” explained Corey. “After watching Grady’s first few gymnastics meets, and seeing how close this team has become, has opened my eyes. I’m amazed by how much of a team sport it really is. I appreciate the life lessons that Grady has gained along the way with this sport. The Branch Gymnastics boys are a special group with many individuals qualifying for nationals and several, including Grady, competing at an elite level.”

Grady’s coaches don’t restrict their athletes to a specific diet, but he still tries to give his body what it needs to train and compete. “I try to eat a lot of protein,” Grady explained. “We have to eat some during practices because they are so long. I usually bring a protein bar with me to practice. I also try to drink a lot of water during practice.” 

Gymnastics requires much of Grady’s time with daily practices and road trips for competitions, but he is still a student. Flexibility is the key for him when it comes to school. “I try to do some of my homework on the bus if I don’t need a computer,” Grady said.  “When I get home from practice, I take a quick shower and then finish my homework.” Grady understands that he may have to up his game when he starts high school with more academic and homework demands. 

As is common in sports, Grady’s body has been pushed to its limits. “I have had a few injuries,”  he added. “I have hyperextended both of my elbows on two different occasions when I was eight years old. I had to take a week off from training to recover from each of these injuries. One time, I fell while practicing on the floor and had a concussion. I was on concussion protocol for six weeks.” 

Grady has developed a passion for his sport. He reflected on this.  “I kind of fell in love with gymnastics after winning first place on the floor for my very first competition. I would like to compete in college with the U of M being my dream school to compete for. I also would like to compete in the Olympics someday.” Gymnastics has helped foster resilience and patience in how Grady approaches his sport and life. “When you think you have reached your limit, keep pushing,” Grady noted. “Eventually, you will hit your goal.” 

Watching your child work hard to experience positive outcomes and success can be a great source of pride. “It is rewarding to see your child find a passion and succeed,” Suzanne shared. “Grady’s physical strength is amazing, but his mental resolve is even more impressive. It is not just his performance as an athlete that makes me proud. Grady is very humble and does not flaunt his success to others. Another cool thing that has happened for Grady is that when he was in sixth grade, he was voted for the American Legion Award by his peers.”

Sometimes, appearances really can be deceiving. On the surface, Grady doesn’t look like a typical athlete. With the help of his coaches and an unwavering work ethic, he has built strength and dexterity that are not easily seen when he is not performing as an athlete. The skill set he has built is the vehicle that has helped him to excel, with his mental resolve being the engine that has driven his success in the past and will propel him to new heights in the future. He has the tools to continue to grow and also to be a role model to help others grow. 

Built on Routine

Just Another Runner’s Perspective December 2025 Written By Gale Fischer  

Built on Routine

“Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going.”

—-Jim Ryun

12/8/2025: I walked out of the dentist's office and braced myself as a cold blast of arctic air greeted me. It was 5 PM, with only another 20 to 30 minutes of daylight remaining before darkness settled in. I came prepared, having changed into my running clothes before I left work 90 minutes prior. I was a little out of my element as I strayed from my normal itinerary of running at 4 PM, immediately after school each Monday afternoon. With the change in time, the frigid temperatures, the snow-covered roads, and the sunset coming soon, I had been dreading tonight’s run the entire day. I turned right out of the parking lot with choppy strides, and a few minutes later, the lack of motivation that I had been experiencing instantly dissipated. 

The feelings associated with running always seem to come in a mixed bag. For any given run, one’s mind goes back and forth between eager anticipation to start the run and contrasting sentiments of trying to find the ambition to get going. There may be moments of physical discomfort during the initial phases of any given run, but soon muscle memory will kick in, with both the mind and body embracing the familiar stimulus that runners come to appreciate and become comfortable with through weeks, months, and years of running. Every run seems to offer an array of emotions, including moments of peace, periods of excitement, flashes of frustration, and occurrences of discomfort. Despite this disparity in emotion, the routine that comes with running can provide predictability to ease the not-so-pleasant parts of the sport, making the experience bearable, enjoyable, and extremely satisfying. As much as runners look forward to each run and live for the experience of every mile, there always seems to be a sense of relief when the run is finished. This feeling of relief will soon pass and be replaced with eager anticipation for the next run. 

My running journey began more than a quarter of a century ago. One thing that has helped to feed my passion for running through the years is that each run and every accompanying mile can offer a varied experience. The same stretch that I have run hundreds of times provides a different memory for each run. Some of these experiences are unique, with scenarios specific to each particular run. Examples of these encounters when running a familiar route might include a memorable interaction with a dog for one run, running the same section in an unforgettable downpour, or a monumental sighting of a rainbow in the distance on another day. Many features of a particular route are there to observe every day; however, each run brings with it a different lens and an opportunity for a different perspective to notice something for the first time that had always been present for each run. 

As satisfying as it is to take in varied perspectives and experiences is for each run, the routine and familiar circumstances associated with running are what get me out the door on days when I’d rather just stay inside. As intoxicating as running is, it is never easy physically, and oftentimes challenging to deal with mentally. The daily routine of our sport has the potential to block out the challenging aspects, allowing it to be more manageable. Muscle soreness, labored breathing, and exhaustion are common symptoms experienced while running, but the physical and mental familiarity that comes with the miles accumulated over the years helps to overcome the not-so-pleasant symptoms of running. At times, it seems like a contradiction with the undesirable byproducts of running challenging each runner, while the endurance built over thousands of miles can make it feel like a simplistic task requiring little effort. 

Through my years of running, I have adhered to different schedules, with each remaining consistent for months and even years at a time. My weekly running calendars have been developed to fit into my family and career commitments as well as personal preferences. What makes running convenient compared to many other activities is that it can happen almost anywhere and at any time of day, so if circumstances prevent me from running on a scheduled day or at a scheduled time, I can easily squeeze it in at another time. 

Having to hold off my Monday run until after my dentist appointment had left me teetering a little bit on the edge all day, knowing my plan for the day would be disrupted. This subtle feeling of agitation quickly faded away, however, a few minutes after starting my run. The physical and mental familiar sensation of running quickly put my mind at ease with the disruption of my regular 4 PM run, blessing me with a not-so-familiar perspective of running in the dark through neighborhoods with yards and houses decked out in holiday fashion. The contrast of familiar stimulus and fresh perspective provided a perfect ending to a Monday.

 Many among us may fall into a predictable pattern with our running, but this pattern is never set in stone. Certain conditions might keep the most diehard runner from participating in other activities. Sore muscles, weather extremes, and jam-packed work and family schedules might drain any motivation for other endeavors, but for the passionate runner, few obstacles stand in the way of a running routine. This routine perhaps makes life better when running, but also creates a void with time taken away from running.

Until next time, this has been just another runner’s perspective.