Trail Run and Five Reasons Outdoor Runs Beat a Treadmill

This morning was another beautiful fall day here in Maine.  Perfect temperatures, sun, vibrant fall colors.  Really, what more can you ask for?  We have been so spoiled with the perfect fall weather this year.  I guess we are getting the good weather now that we didn't get in July.

I took the opportunity this morning to head out on one of the many trails that we have here in Boothbay and Boothbay Harbor.  The Boothbay Region Land Trust oversees all the these trails and there is no fee to use them.  Anyone can come and enjoy the beauty of these trails that bring you close to the ocean and coastline.

I tried to find one of the longer trails to run so that I could get a decent workout.  I chose to go to Oven's Mouth Preserve.  It has two sides--East and West--so I'm able to run two separate trails.  One side has 3.7 miles of trails and the other has 1.6 miles.  I ran all the trails available on this preserve.  I didn't see a single person out there so it was so quiet.  The fall colors were so pretty, I really could have done this all day long.  I was gone about 70 minutes and I guess it was around 5 ish miles?  I didn't wear a Garmin, I just ran.  Over roots, rocks, dirt, a bridge and through grass.

 Exiting Oven's Mouth

  Looking back at the bridge that connects Oven's Mouth East and West

on that bridge seen above

Which brings me to my next topic:

Five Reasons Why Trail Running in Maine is Better Than the Treadmill

1.

2.  This is your view

instead of this

photo stolen randomly from the internet, I didn't run this

3.  When you need to spit or blow your nose, where do you do that on a treadmill?  When running outside on a trail, the world is your tissue.  Blow your snot rocket as you wish.  No one cares.  You can spit at trees, or on a bush or on your shoes.  Wherever.  It's all good.  

4.  You get to run across this

this I actually did run across.  twice.

instead of this

5.  Lastly, did I mention this?

Oh yeah, I think I did already.