Fave Run

Down I-40 I go, weaving in and out of traffic, dodging car after car, risking life and limb for fitness. Okay, that's my hook. I don't really run down a busy freeway. I mean, I like adventure but I ain't crazy!

Runner's World magazine has a feature called "Rave Runs." That inspired me to give you my "Fave Runs."

We have this neighborhood here in Amarillo called Wolflin. This area is perhaps the oldest part of our city. Its streets are brick cobblestone that weave beneath huge, old elms that provide cover for runners, walkers, and cylists alike. No matter what the season, Wolflin is beautiful. And its homes, they are grand, with lovely, manicured lawns, and columns that welcome visitors. Some of these homes have been around for decades and have witnessed the changes of times and technology.

I like to run a 1.5 mile loop through the old streets and sometimes I'll do a three-miler around the perimeter of the neighborhood. While running, I pass one of the oldest elementary schools in our city. Its architecture makes you long for the simplicity of a bygone era. Down the hill from the school you traverse a lovely old park and the middle school it surrounds. A church on the corner chimes its bells at precisely the same time every day.

I guess the real reason I run Wolflin is it is where I began my running career over 10 years ago. I lived in an apartment complex less than a mile from it. We had always driven through Wolflin at Christmas time. Seeing those beautiful lights in blue, green, and red against the monster homes is always a tradition in my family. One day, I decided to do Wolflin on foot, running a little over three miles from my apartment to our local Hastings bookstore where I'd have coffee and browse the books. I remember the first time I hit those brick streets, hearing my footsteps and the sound of my breathing. They were in perfect harmony with the sound of the breeze rustling the trees.

Since then, I have moved to the western edge of our city, some 5 miles from my favorite running spot. We live close to most of the shopping centers in our city and the traffic makes running difficult. When the opportunity presents itself, I lace up my shoes, head to Wolflin, park on my corner, and start my loop. Even in the heat of summer, Wolflin provides a cool shelter against the elements.

But my absolute favorite time to run Wolfin is in late fall. There is nothing like the crunch of the fallen leaves under your feet as you move through an area that transports you to another place and time. It's almost like you start in Texas and finish in New England. The colors are so vibrant, the air crisp, and the running unsurpassed.

That's my fave run. What's yours? Tell me where you like to run and what it's like. I love those kinds of stories. If you run in Chicago, like my fellow runner Steve, or in some other part of the country, please write and tell me about it. I want to share my life with you and vice versa.

May God bless you with great running.

Ever Forward!!!



--TFR