How I Discovered my Latest Running Route

Finding new places to run has sometimes been a challenge. I tend to get stuck in a rut and run the same places over and over. Why? Because the idea of driving somewhere to put in 3 or 4 miles seems rather silly and if I ran farther than I would be putting in too many miles for an easy run, etc.. I came across a new route the other day. I look back on it and find it rather amusing.

I was at the dentist office with my kids the other day. I had one child in one area and another on the opposite side. There are some cabinets and x-ray machine that separate the two areas, but I can keep an eye on both. I know the dentist is a runner so I brought up whether or not he is planning on St. George or not. That got us talking about races and the conversation went something like:

Me: "so, doctor xx, are you planning on St. George this year?"

Dr: "Yeah, I'm going to sign up with a team again....now you'll feel a little pinch (saying to my son)...and see how that goes."
Moving now to my daughter.
Dr: "What are your race plans? St. George this year?"

Me: "Things have gotten muddied up a bit lately with some family stuff so my early marathons are out, but definitely fall..maybe I'll enter the lottery for St. George."

Dr: turning to my daughter "Is your mouth starting to numb up?"

Daughter: "I cakkjknn't telklllkll " 

Dr: "Where are you running these days?"

Me: I relay to him my various routes and say something like "it's hard to find new places to run...I feel like I am in a rut."

Dr: "I get that way too..have you run up around the point of the mountain?"

Me: "We've run on the West Side of the Freeway up to the Army Base, is that where you mean?"

Dr:  "No, i've never been on that side. This place is on the east side and starts at the point by the gravel pit and then continues down into the Salt Lake Valley...there are a lot of other trails that connect to it."

Me: "Really? I'll check it out." The dentist turns back and finishes working on my daughter. In the meantime I am pulling out my iphone and shooting off an e-mail to a running friend and then next thing I know we are scheduling a short run for today to check out the trail and then do a long run on Saturday with the group. The run today was fun and different than my usual routine. Today was a good run and it only cost me $50.