Fall and spring are beautiful times of the year to run,
especially trail running.
There is nothing like the warmth of a spring run after
shivering through long gray days on the road throughout the winter. And of
course, the spring flowers and budding lime-green leaves are a welcome relief
to long dreary cold winter runs.
However, what can be better than the sights, sounds and
smells of
autumn leaves.
The symphony of the smells and sounds of the rustle of leaves. The kaleidoscope
of colors are a welcome distraction to the constant timpani of footsteps.
On
a drive through the Carroll County countryside the other day, WTTR was
playing “The Mamas and the Papas” 1966 hit song “All the leaves are brown and
the sky is gray” on the truck radio; but outside along the road, Mother Nature
did not get the memo and was still dabbling with yellows, oranges and brilliant
reds in the trees.
This year, the autumnal equinox, the first day of fall,
began on September 22, at 4:44 p.m. That’s when the sun is aligned with the
equator making days and nights equal in length.
The arrival of fall is a storied event in American history,
folklore and tradition; however, one of the more interesting musings comes from
Tom Robbins, the author of “Still Life with Woodpecker.”
Robbins wrote, “It was autumn, the springtime of death…”
I have always preferred
running
on trails and linear parks as opposed to running along the roads. I have always
felt nervous running anywhere near vehicles weighing several tons whizzing and
growling by me at fifty miles an hour. In recent years, it only takes a moment
of distraction provided by a cell phone or texting behind the wheel and you are
flirting with disaster.
I was a friend of the late "Terry" Burk, 48, owner
of the family candy business Treat Shop, which was located across the street
from the Carroll movie theatre for many years. Burk was killed while running in
1995 with several
Westminster Road Runner Club friends on Route 97 at
Kalten Road when a car struck him and fellow jogger David W. Herlocker. According
to media reports, “Police said the 19-year-old man who was driving the car
apparently fell asleep while coming home from work.”
For a paved linear-park trail, I really like the Wakefield
Valley Trail. Planning for the trail had begun in 1994, a year before Burk was
killed. The trail was dedicated and developed, in part, as a legacy to Burk.
Meanwhile, according to the
Westminster Recreation
and Parks website for the trail,
“This
trail features a 2.1 Mile paved walking trail from Long Valley Road to
Uniontown Road. This scenic trail snakes through the pristine Carroll County
Countryside offering the chance to view abundant wildlife and scenic overlooks
right inside Westminster City! There is parking at Tahoma Farm Boulder Park.
The parking lot has 22 spots and 2 handicap spots.
+++++++++++++++++++++
Walking Running or riding a bicycle
“19990512 runners KED2” Kevin Dayhoff, May 12, 1999
Mark Utz