So I’m taking a step back from all Runner’s World Hat Trick talk to tell you a cute story that happened today.

In my town, we do not have pick-up for recycling.   You are required to take  recycling to our town recycling center.

Yes, I know you are scratching your head thinking,

“What?   You can’t just put it on the curb?”

No we can’t, but that’s a whole different post!    Now even though I have to sort and drive over my recycling, I still do.   I am THAT Recycler who even recycles the box her butter comes in, but considering the amount of butter I use in my house I feel like I’m doing the world a favor.   I firmly believe in taking care of the earth and that there is no Plan B.

Anyway, that is not the point of this post.

Now, I’ve been dropping off my recycling now for about 15 years.   Over time you get to know the people.   To be honest most of them are a little on the grouchy side, but there is this one gentleman who is a sweetheart.    We chat every time I go and he has such a positive outlook on life and makes the trip a little nicer.   In talking to him today, he was telling me how everyone is thinking that he’s sick because he’s lost 25 pounds.   He further goes on to tell me that he decided that he needed to start taking better care of himself and setting a better example for his grandkids since he’s older now ( I don’t know exactly how old he is, but I swear he said that he was in his 70’s).    He started telling me how he just goes out and runs.   He said, ” I run here. I run there.   I just go out and do it.   I don’t need to be doing marathons or any of that.   I just want to be healthy.  I used to be able to do it, so I just decided to do it again.”

I will interject to add that he has no idea that I like to run or that I run races (one day, I will get to say marathons).   He was just so cute telling me how good he feels just because he started running.  He said that he couldn’t stop telling people how great running is and how much better you feel doing it.   He brought a real smile to my face simply with the joy he obviously gets simply from his runs.

I can further guarantee that this is not a gentleman who has any type of GPS training watch, fancy shoes, ear-buds, or any such thing many of us, myself included, think that are needed to run.    He runs for the joy of it and there really is joy in running if you have the right attitude.

So next time I go out for a run, I am going to go out Naked and Afraid (not that way!!!!).   I’m going to leave my GPS off (ok, I will never do that, but I WON’T look at it) and I will leave my music off just to run for the run.  I will feel the wind on my face, the air in my lungs, and just experience the joy and beauty that is around me.