I was on my regular route for my trail run and while spring
was officially a week away, there were already signs that Mother Nature was
sending spring our way in Northern New Jersey.
Hints of green was starting to appear and daffodils were almost ready to
burst into bloom. The birds surrounding me were louder and more numerous (I
reminded myself that I needed to take a birding class because I hear all these
different bird calls, but have no idea which birds they are). I also spotted a
fox near my house, and had seen the handiwork of a black bear that had
destroyed my bird feeder.
I love living in an area that truly experiences all four
seasons. It is this transitional time I
enjoy the most because as I run along the trail every week, there are slight
changes in the sights and sounds and even in the smells of the forest. It means that my normal trail run will change
every week.
While I was still in cold weather gear, I know that in a
short time, like many mammals I will be shedding my winter coat for a spring
coat, which for a runner is basically a t-shirt and shorts.
Yet in all this wonder, I had a thought I never had before
on any trail, let alone “my trail.” The
question popped in my head “Should I be running now?” With the COVID-19 outbreak, the obvious
solution—and really only preventative measure (beyond hand washing)—to
coronavirus was “social distancing”! It
is the act of staying away from large crowds and limiting personal
contact.
I won’t lie “social distancing” is an abhorrent notion to
me. I have spent my life trying to bring people together. In fact, it is my job,
and I am very good at it. Yet now on
this trail when I came upon another person, I took measures to keep my distance.
The contradictory reality of my life is that while I love
social interaction and believe it is an essential part of a successful life, my
beloved runs are the definition of “social distancing” in that they are
completely solo acts. I train and run
alone, rarely interacting with other humans except for my races and even in
those events, the human interaction is limited.
Yet in my most “social distancing” act I felt that I may be
violating the “social distancing” tenets.
That is I left the confines of my home and went to a public space. As I continued on my run those seeds of doubt
dissipated and I was truly enjoying my run. At the end of a good run or work
out there is almost a high that you feel.
I had that high until I got to my front door I realized that my brief
reprieve from the coronavirus was over and back to reality.
The following weekend, I once again go out for my trail run
and the COVID-19 restrictions on venturing outside have tightened. I question
whether I should do this run, but also wonder how many people will be walking
and biking the trails. It is a glorious
sunny day –a bit cool, but perfect for running. There are no other cars in the
small lot that I usually park, in which I took as an ominous sign.
Despite the pandemic world, seemingly falling apart around
me, when I enter the forest, the air is fresher and it seems with each breath
the air feels healthier. However, there
is a clear sign that things are different – the playground that is in one small
part of the park is taped up and closed.
I do notice a few cars in this parking lot, so I am not alone here .
As I continue on, I feel more joy and to my surprise, I find
more people –many more than I normally encounter on the trail. It seems that with most things closed, the
one thing safe to do in life is walk in the woods. I have noticed the same in my neighborhood –more
people going out for a stroll.
I watch the families out for a hike in the woods and I can
tell that some are not accustomed to walking in nature by how they walk, with
steps that seem unsure of where to place their feet. They are used to walking on man made surfaces
or manicured lawns, not rocky, slightly muddy and uneven trails.
They have come to the forest and nature because it may seem
like the only healthy option they have left.
I hope they stay even after all this is over.
I think back to why I started going to the parks and forests
for hikes before I ran in them. It was
from a negative place. I was young, lonely and poor, and not sure where my life
was going. Basically the only thing I
could afford to do was go for walks in the woods. While it was originally a financial decision,
it also became a mindful decision. I
found the stress of life reduced by the beauty of Mother Nature.
As I continue my joyful run on the heavily wooded trails I
think that more than practicing “social distancing,” what I and others in the
park have been practicing is “nature nearing”.
You may argue that it is just semantics, but there is a big
difference. One is a much more positive
connotation while the other one connotes dangerous times. The other major difference is that “nature
nearing” is a much healthier long-term practice. “Social distancing” while
needed for this health crisis, would be a sad way to live our lives over any
extended period of time.
As I end my run, I feel great. I take a long inhale of the forest air and
know that I have to go back to the pandemic world but I am very positive
because “nature nearing” always does that for me.
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