Fall, to me, is the perfect time to be outdoors. I know there are folks out there who cannot get enough of summer. Sun, heat, heaven. Right? No thanks. As I walk the city in cut-offs and a tan seemingly at peace with summer, it’s not my friend. The humidity makes me cranky and I feel the need to tuck my bad attitude into a brimmed hat. Fall has always been my perfect season.
When I was younger I loved the back-to-school time of year, the promise of something new. I got married in the fall. You get it.

I am calling this fall my Return to Running. I’m no stranger to it, but I would say I’m more of a leisure runner. I don’t go far. I might run, then walk for a bit. I text. I take pictures. This year though I feel committed to going the distance. Not just for a healthy body but, particularly for me, a healthy mind. When I run, any problem I have feels like less of a problem. And all the good feelings I have about the good stuff in my life surge forward. It’s a pretty fantastic high.

As I was looking for an organized run to do this fall with a friend, I found this one: RUN 10 FEED 10. Among the myriad of options it really strikes a chord. It’s offered in three cities–Chicago, New York City, and San Francisco–where running 10K gives ten meals to those in need in the community. Talk about do-gooding. Something that feeds me and someone else. And since this is becoming the year of living a little more courageously, it feels like a nice way to kick it all off.

{Photo credit: RUN 10 FEED 10.}