I love running.
I hate running.
Maybe I like running. I haven't quite decided yet.
Even as a former high school track runner, it's not easy for me to say I enjoy running. I despise the first five to seven minutes of a run, when my legs hurt and my lungs don't want to work. But beyond that point and with the help of a little music, it can be okay sometimes.
One of my favorite Sylvania running spots is Olander Park. The benefits of the park include running near Olander Lake, paved running trails and a safe atmosphere. The only thing I don't like about the park is the overabundance of geese, because I'm always afraid they're going to bite me and I won't be able to outrun them.
Wildwood Preserve Metropark, on Central Ave., is also a scenic place to run. The Metroparks are great, but be forewarned that when they say the parks close “at dusk,” --- they mean it. Earlier in the summer, a friend and I went running at Oak Openings Preserve and found this out the hard way. We were running at 8 p.m. and by the time we navigated back to the main trail (as well as avoided several deer), we found that we were locked in the park.
A ranger closes the gates “after dusk,” which doesn't allow for night running, but I suppose this is probably much safer. But luckily, a ranger was making his rounds again and he unlocked the gate so we could get out of the park.
Fall and winter running in Northwest Ohio is different for me, though. It's cold. It forces me to wear layers and to acknowledge that my mile pace might be a little slower than I'm happy with.
Above: Me, running in Sylvania. Looking happy, which is probably because I knew I was getting my picture taken, not because I was 100 percent enjoying running when it was 36 degrees on Thursday morning.
It seems like many people run in Sylvania, though, which I think further signals that it is a healthier community. Even on the chilly days, I still see runners out and about.
Fall is a good time to pick up running, anyway – it gets you out of the house and moving, when you might normally be indoors more.
