Favorite run

Today I took advantage of a dentist appointment to run one of my very favorite routes, along River Road in Arlington, Vermont. River Road runs along - you guessed it - the Batten Kill River, and is a gorgeous dirt road filled with rolling hills. I saw only one car during the 40 minute run, and passed only one other runner.

Lots of people walk and/or run on River Road, but usually early in the morning. I started at 11am, just as a misting rain began to fall. I listened to the birds chirping, watched the river flowing swiftly along its course, and let my mind wander.

When I lived in Arlington I would often run this route, but since I moved 12 miles away to Manchester three years ago, I rarely run this way. During the summer and fall I biked along the highway on the other side of the Batten Kill at least once each week, but I haven't made the effort to run on the dirt road for quite some time.

It's amazing the difference it makes running on a quiet country road versus a paved town road. I ran right down the center of the road without worrying about traffic. Running is my outlet from a busy day, but running on a quiet dirt road along one of the most beautiful rivers in Vermont is something to savor.