I went for another trail run last weekend and was thinking about why I like to run on uneven, primitive trails versus the safety of a treadmill or city streets.  The main reason is that when you are running outdoors with nature as your guide you don’t think about running, you don’t need music or audio books to help pass the time or take you mind off the boredom of going nowhere.  You have beauty all around you!  I used to run the trails with my head down and never took the time to see whats around me but I’ve changed that recently and make frequent stops to just look around.  I run in the high desert in Glendale, Arizona and the variety of plant life and animals is amazing and inspiring.  There are views of Phoenix from some of the peaks I climb that are stunning, you can see downtown, clearly from over 20 miles away.  I can see many of the major landmarks in Phoenix, Camelback Mountain, South Mountain, the new Phoenix Cardinal stadium and it is cool to stop and look.  In addition to what you can see at a distance there is an amazing landscape right under my nose, Saguaro cacti, coyotes, rabbits, desert wild flowers all along the trail and there are hundreds of other people out enjoying the same thing.  I guess what I am trying to say is “Stop and smell the roses”, sounds cliche but it’s true.  If you don’t take the time to get out and enjoy what nature has to offer you’re missing a great joy in life.  You don’t have to run like I do but you can hike, have a picnic, bike ride or whatever but do something.  Take your kids or grandchildren out and let them learn to appreciate nature and it will be a gift they can enjoy forever.