March has been dreary and rainy with no sign of Spring. These past weeks have been filled with Nor'easters and I honestly couldn't take it anymore. I longed for the season of flowers, warm weather, and a cool breeze, but all I've gotten is rain. However, to my surprise, there was a small glimmer of hope on Monday in State College. It was about 50℃, the sun was shining, and it felt like Spring was finally here. I decided to take advantage of this small gift from mother nature and go running outside for the first time in months.
After my classes, I jetted home. It was that weird temperature so I opted for leggings and a short-sleeved shirt. I got my headphones and started off on my run across campus.
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| A Picture Childhood's Gate |
I had no plan of attack. I didn't know how long I wanted to run or where I wanted to go. So I took a few chances. For the first time, I listened to the
Hamilton soundtrack while running. If you've never done this, I highly recommend it. Not only did I get some upbeat rap, but I also got a really long soundtrack that never got boring. I found myself following the musical's plot, rather than focusing on the struggles and pain of running. The combination of
Hamilton and the amazing weather propelled me forward on my running adventure.
The first place I ran to was the IST Bridge. When running underneath it, the shade covered me from the bright sun and the strong breeze kept my body cool. I was really able to push my body because the wind was pushing me to go faster. It was like nature wanted me to keep going.
I've never been to the Arboretum at Penn State at this time of the year before. I did some exploring. As I ran through, I followed the barren path to the Childhood's gate. The aesthetically pleasing design caught my attention.
Once inside there were little wonders I ran to, including the small cavern that houses bats at night (scary!), a giant caterpillar, a snake statue, and an open field of grass perfect for stretching. So I took a much-needed break and soaked up the sun.
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| Me and the Nittany Lion |
Next, I ran in pursuit of the Nittany Lion. I have taken a million pictures with this statue, but I've never been to the lion on a day where there weren't a thousand people waiting in line. So, I walked over and took a really sweaty, gross looking selfie with the main man of this University. Unfortunately, you guys are going to have to see me unfiltered. Sorry, not sorry.
Finally, I ran down campus towards Atherton Hall. At this point, I had been running for so long that it didn't feel like running anymore. All I could feel was the warm sun on my face, the cool breeze in my hair. I don't know who I thought I was, considering I haven't run in a really long time. Running four miles probably wasn't the smartest option. Being able to explore my campus from a new perspective and having a workout where I had little complaints is a win in my eyes.
Natalie, I know when I first arrived to campus in the fall, I would go on runs just to explore campus. I made my way out the the outskirts of west campus and into the parking lots famous for tailgating. I've listened to the music blaring from the baseball stadium, and one time I'm pretty sure I ran around Beaver Stadium while the football team was in there. I think long runs are a great opportunity to explore and definitely a great chance to clear your mind.
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