The RUN Down

What’s your favorite way to experience the great outdoors? Have you ever considered that different types of activities will allow for a refreshingly new way to experience a park or outdoor space? It's exciting when you get to thinking about it! Engaging with new activities can breathe new life and appreciation to your favorite outdoor oasis. Take a picnic for example. You spend a wonderful time experiencing a beautiful spot, your chosen spot. You get to know the layout, the trees, the path of the sun, what animals pass through or call it home. A hiker in the same spot gets to learn the same landscape but from a distance, establishes an idea of scale, experiences the surrounding wildlife, understands the space’s connection to its neighboring ecosystems. One who’s having a wildly different and exciting experience altogether though, is the runner.

Running is unique when applied to getting outside. Rarely does a single activity provide so many simple pleasures and benefits in such an easy and accessible outing. Just through the act of “going for a run”, you can experience your favorite space on a whole other level, while simultaneously getting the exercise that will provide countless health benefits.

First, distance = more to enjoy. In just a short run through your favorite park, you can observe and engage with so much more of the outdoors than you would during other activities, and faster! You can find yourself filled to the brim with amazing observations; the next breathtaking view, a new grove of gorgeous trees, rare wildlife, untouched waters, trails no one gets to! These fun experiences alone can be all the fuel you need to go another mile through the park, as you never know what you’ll find around the next corner. Most will find themselves overjoyed with how quickly they are encountering all their park’s little treasures, and this makes for a lasting and impactful experience for the soul. Instead of visiting a park and seeing one trail’s worth of it, or only one area of interest, you could quite easily see them all!

Now while you’re running and engaging with so much of your park, your body is also receiving one of the best workouts you can deliver to it. Running is the simplest form of performance, and so key to who we are as people. Each run you pursue brings huge development to your muscles, lungs, and mind. Tone your body, train your breath, and calm your mind like nothing else. The “runner’s high” is a very real thing, and for good reason! The good your body experiences during a run will only ever improve your wellbeing, and it's this combination of benefits that will create a heavenly state of euphoria. You’ll know it when you feel it, and that alone will make you excited for your next running adventure or workout.

Sure, running is fantastic for those who actively pursue it, but what about those of us who never have? Running of course can be a daunting task when looking to go for your first time. Fortunately, there is a huge running community right here in the Reno/Sparks area, and they’re all willing to help their fellow runners. Whether you’re excited to get training or start walking to build up to running, there’s inclusive groups and events that will motivate and inspire anyone looking to get started on their journey. Look for running groups online or visit your local running store for advice on how to start up. Reno Running Company is our local go-to for all things active lifestyle. Also look for fun running events to participate in. For example, coming up on August 27th is the 52nd Journal Jog 8k!

This is a historic race for Reno that is both a competitive event and a family friendly walk/run. You can even participate in the stroller walk/run division and push your child to the finish. It’s Reno’s oldest foot race and holds a special place in our community’s heart. Walking or running, you get the opportunity to race through old town Reno with one thousand other walkers/runners, be a part of history, and enjoy the camaraderie at the finish line festival while sporting your fancy new finish line medal. Events like the 2023 Journal Jog are a good reminder of how amazing and inclusive the running community is, so don’t hesitate to register and enjoy yourself on race day. One way or another, I encourage you to consider taking up a run today and unlocking what this amazing activity can do for you and your life!

Helpful links to get you started running:

Reno Running Company (gear, guidance, community): https://www.renorunningcompany.com

2023 Journal Jog Registration (Reno’s most famous race!): https://race178.com/

---

About the Author

Leland Peterman is a local Reno resident and outdoor enthusiast. He's spent most of his life pursuing, appreciating, and enjoying an active outdoor lifestyle. Most of the time he can be found climbing, running, or hiking in the Sierra's or just working on his home up in the foothills of Peavine with his fiancé and two dogs.