COD - Change of Direction

I like my running routes. They might be flat and run through residential and city streets, but they are my routes. No matter where I have lived, I have always come up with several routes that have become my daily staples. Whether I run them fast or slow, I can count on them to be the same distance day after day and I don’t have to really think about where I am going. Right on 9 mile, right on Woodward, the routes become so ingrained in my legs, it is like flipping a switch and cruising on auto pilot.

That’s why today’s amble was a COD, change of direction. When I headed out the door,  I ambled along on one of my normal routes  in reverse. Mind you, I don’t do this. I like the comfort of my routine. In fact, when I started out, I resisted the little voice telling me to just keep moving forward on my normal route.  Once I turned right instead of going straight, I began to see things differently.

When you keep going the same way all the time, nothing really changes. You might notice subtle changes to the landscape, houses, or business but only if you take the time to look around. Going in the opposite direction every once in awhile can change your perspective. For example, the route I chose today in normal rotation I have done hundreds of times in the nearly 6 years at my current residence. Not once, did I notice that there was an Actor’s Studio or a Photography Center like I noticed today. Now, I am not interested in becoming an actor, but my wife who got her new camera for Christmas early might be interested in learning how to take better photos.

Now, I am not sure what prompted this. Maybe it’s this notion of scratching below the surface and some cracks are starting to form on the top layer as a result. Often times, it has been through my daily forward motion that I have to work things out in my head and try them out there on the road before I am ready to put them into practice. The COD was good today and maybe I need to start making it more or a routine.