As winter approaches, runners must choose between running outdoors in bad weather or running indoors.
One cold winter day over thirty years ago I tried running around the indoor track at a local YMCA. I thought it might be preferable to running outside in the cold. After about 5 miles at 10 laps to the mile, I decided that I hated indoor tracks. I would rather run outdoors in even the worst weather than run endless laps around an indoor track. I vowed to never run indoors again. I haven't.
No matter what the weather is, I always run outdoors. I have run in southwestern deserts with the hot sun beating down on me and vultures circling overhead thinking that dinner would soon be ready. At the other extreme, I have run in Nebraska blizzards with bone chilling winds penetrating what should have been enough clothing layers. Being too dark to see where I am putting my feet, deep snow, slippery ice, extremely humid heat, rain, and hail are all preferable to endless indoor laps. But outdoor running also offers many rewards.
Nature has treated me to rainbows and gentle waves caressing my feet during early morning runs on a beach. A beautiful mountain vista awaits after climbing a steep trail. Trails in the Grand Canyon, Bryce Canyon, and other national parks offer unparalleled scenery. Running in a cool gentle summer rain is its own reward as is making the first tracks in a fresh snowfall.
Daily outdoor runs allow me to experience all that nature has to offer.
