I’ve trained for two marathons, which adds up to a lot of miles…most of which were run on my neighborhood streets. I’ve run down nearly every side street in both Lyndhurst and South Euclid. Hell, I’ve done a tour of Cleveland, Cleveland Heights, South Euclid, Lyndhurst, and Mayfield Heights in a single run before. Running the same routes can get old fast. Today’s 12 miler rejuvenated me. The warm rain did wonders to keep me cool and my jaunt through the Cleveland Clinic’s Lyndhurst campus made me remember why I run in the first place. I can’t believe that I’ve never run there before today. It’s gated off, but Sarah insisted that we could run through it, so we ignored the gate and the orange cones and became running rebels. The rolling hills made us work…hard, but the escape from the city streets into the hidden, green landscape was just what I needed. The tree’s canopy kept most of the rain at bay and the quiet stillness and respite from oncoming cars let us focus on the run.  I secretly wished we could get lost for a little while and avoid the noisy, sloshing traffic, the annoying stop-lights, the city waking up for the day. Don’t get me wrong…I love running in the city. I love the fact that there are sidewalks in every direction that allow me to safely run mile after mile after mile. I love running down my dark, neighborhood streets when all the houses are still sleeping and the road is all mine. I love discovering new businesses, new houses for sale, new playgrounds for the kids to enjoy. Even so, finding a patch of nature in the chaos of a city can soothe a runner’s soul and can remind you that sometimes the only thing you want to hear on a run is the pounding of your feet.