WEEK 05: Maps & Routes

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My 10-Mile Run

I completed a 10m run by starting at the end of my driveway and landing precisely in the same spot before thinking, "Oh, he just did an out-and-back." Let me tell you, the run was one big loop through multiple neighborhoods. This reminded me that there's lots of ways to go from point A to B—or, in my case, from A back to A again.

Starting Out

When I first started running, I wouldn't have a lot of options about where to run to because I was only going for short distances. I might make it around the block once or twice, and then I'd be done.

As the distances that I was able to run increased, I was able to make more elaborate routes and explore different parts of my city. One of the joys of running became making the maps that took me into different neighborhoods.

The Art of Mapping

It took a degree of pre-planning, but through a series of steps and mapping software, I managed to create routes with turn-by-turn directions right to my earbud. While there might not be a real wide variation in many of the neighborhoods near me, the subtleties exist from block to block. Sometimes it's in the architecture of the homes; other times, it's the trees. I also made special notes on the surfaces of the roads.

The advantage of having a set route is that I would precisely land right back at my front door and not waste any of my time on my feet.

Running Freestyle

Somewhere between training cycles, I started to run with less structured route plans. Rather than mapping with precision, I ran with more of a general plan about the place that I wanted to reach. I'd decide to go north or south or east or west and then improvise from there about when to turn right or turn left.

The new way of deciding my routes does not come without some caution. There are occasions where I might be a bit too far from home on my way back. So, when I land with the precision of 1/10th to 2/10ths of a mile, I call that a little whim.

Observing the Details

I understand living in a place with a lot of different streets gives me more options than some. When you run through a new neighborhood, try and be conscientious of what makes it different, even if the differences are subtle.

The Takeaway

Remember: forward is progress.

It's still pretty cold out—cold running day two. Consistency is the key, at least that's what I hear.


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