Cowtown Half-Marathon

This Sunday I ran the Cowtown half-marathon for the third year in a row. The first two times I ran it I spent months training, but this year I found myself busier than normal. I had signed up a long time ago but had not run more than a handful of times in the weeks leading up to the event. As a result, I ran it slower than normal and wanted to share how my outdoor experience was altered. 

The course has remained the same each year. I find my favorite part of the race to be when I am in the neighborhoods surrounded by grass and trees rather than when I am running through downtown surrounded by tall, concrete buildings. Although some argue that the stockyards and downtown are their favorite parts since there is so much more to experience visually, the quiet and relaxed neighborhoods are when I feel most comfortable on the run. Over the course of my blog this is a trend that I have started to notice: I enjoy myself more when I am in a peaceful natural environment. I could really focus on how the air felt in my lungs and the humidity on my skin. 

Of course, as I got towards the end of the race, what was at the forefront of my mind was wanting it to be over. My friends think that I am crazy for wanting to run it every year, but there is a reason I always come back. I get to be outside for an extended period of time exploring wonderful Fort Worth with an amazing community of runners supporting me all around. Although the running itself is not my favorite aspect, I find that the memories I get from it are priceless. After it was all over, I sat in awe on the Trinity river watching the full marathon runners run by.

Leopold Reflection

This week I have been learning about Aldo Leopold, specifically, his book A Sand County Almanac. Learning about Leopold's background and how it influenced his perspectives is interesting. He spent his weekends and vacations living in a “shack” in the Wisconsin wilderness, fully immersed in nature. His time spent there most likely had a great influence on his “Land Ethic” that he discussed in his book. 

What particularly stood out to me in the reading was the chapter “How to Think Like a Mountain.” As a biology major, I have taken ecology classes and learned about the effects of how overhunting wolves changed the ecosystems at Yellowstone. Leopold’s backstory involving actually shooting a mother wolf and seeing the light leave its eyes must have had a profound impact on him. I like the idea of thinking like a mountain because it really challenges humans to think beyond the scope of themselves and into our future generations. I think a lot of people would treat nature differently if they were looking at long term impacts instead of just the current day — especially with issues such as global warming. 

The idea of Leopold’s “Land Ethic” has challenged me to look beyond how I have previously thought about ethics. When I took an ethics class in high school we focused mainly on how individuals act with other members of a community. This discussion did not particularly focus on how individuals should act towards the environment. This goes beyond just how one should treat other animals too. He has challenged me to look at land beyond property and act in harmony with land (just how people strive to act in harmony with community).