My new running route

I live about a quarter mile from the Lakefront Trail which is 18.5 miles long. Where I get on is a little less than 3.5 miles from the beginning point, right around campus. Last Sunday's run was a long run of 12 miles so I got to experience a whole lot of it on my first outing. There were folks biking, walking, and running. A race was being held on the path, though a small one so it didn't impede anyone else's use of it. I passed tailgaters on the grass near the Bear's stadium enjoying hotdogs and beer and trying to play their music loud enough to drown out the music of the guy next to them. Only around the fifth mile did it start to get a little too crowded as I got closer to downtown. But at mile six I turned around and headed back. The whole way out I could see the buildings of downtown looming closer and closer. On the way back I mostly enjoyed views of the water. It's called the Lakefront Trail for its proximity to Lake Michigan which I could see nearly the entire time. There's a mini wilderness that serves as a bird habitat that the trail winds through for about a mile. All along the way there are monuments or artistic sculptures every few miles.
I loved running during the road trip and will continue to love it as I use it as a means to get to know the city (I don't know yet if I'll be able to do much running within the city, so I am grateful for the trail and look forward to finding parks). Running has allowed me to get around places farther and faster than walking, and see the place more intimately than driving.

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