4. I run because it helps me explore and appreciate the place I call home

I'm not the most spatially aware of human beings. I don't have a good sense of direction and I'm not a great map reader.

But over the past few years, running has helped me to become better acquainted with my surroundings in a way that feels deeply satisfying.

It's helped me discover new parts of my neighbourhood, city and surrounding countryside. And as I've begun to run longer distances, it's also helped me to join up the dots between different places I know and love.

Last Saturday was a great example. I'd arranged to go for a walk in the Peak District with friends, starting at Alport Bridge (pictured), some 13 miles from Sheffield. So of course I decided to run there, and not by the most direct route.

The route I chose involved running out of Sheffield through the neighborhoods of Crookesmoor, Crosspool and Lodge Moor, gradually climbing all the way up to Redmires reservoir and then beyond it Stanage Pole. There I turned right and continued along Stanage Edge, enjoying the stunning sight of much of the Peak District stretched out before me. A couple of miles of easy(ish) downhill running then followed, eventually coming out on the road between Bamford and Ladybower reservoir.

All this was familiar territory to me as I'd run this part of the route plenty of times before. But when I crossed over the Ladybower dam and headed alongside the far side of the reservoir, I was (mostly) on paths I'd never ran before.

It's hard to explain why but I love discovering new paths and trails that join up different places I know. It's as if I'm completing an imaginary 'dot to dot' picture - a giant map of Sheffield and the surrounding area.

As I say, I'm not the most spatially aware of people and my mental map of Sheffield and the Peak District isn't always that clear. But as I run, I begin to join up the dots. And the map that I carry around in my head becomes clearer, more detailed and richer.

I run because it helps me better appreciate the place I call home.

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This September, I'll be running 126 miles in one weekend to raise funds for Church Army's work with vulnerable people. If you like what you read, please sponsor me here.
https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/AndyWier

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