Sightseeing on the Run

photo from breezymama.com

It’s one thing to research a place, another thing to go there and altogether something else to run past it during a marathon!  Before I was a runner, I was a first class tourist.  First, I’d do my research; printing out maps and brochures and reading all the books I could find.  When I arrived at my destination I’d head to the chamber of commerce or visitors center to get more guides, brochures and advice (my husband still claims that I missed the Old North Church in Boston while examining my beloved map).  Once I finally decided on a site, I’d arrive early, ready to check out every nook & cranny and spend the day immersed in my visit.  This routine has served me well and I’ve checked out everything from breweries in Milwaukee to Hemingway’s House in Key West to Queen Victoria’s summer palace in Cowes.
But this weekend my trip was different.  I still did some research and collected maps but I also thought about bib numbers, staring corrals, course elevations and port-a-potties (in Atlanta they are called ‘happy cans’).  When I arrived in town, the day before running, I was careful not to spend to much time walking  (I did have a lovely stroll around Centennial Olympic Park and at the expo, inside of The Georgia Dome) and was vigilant about how much I was eating and drinking.  And I was in bed by 9:00 (luckily I could sight-see from my bed because my hotel room looked across an atrium into the CNN newsroom!)
The next morning I literally ran by or though many of  Atlanta’s historic/cultural destinations:  The King Center, Ebenezer Baptist Church, The Carter Center, Agnes Scott College, the MLK branch of the Atlanta Public Library, Emory University and Georgia Tech.  I even ran right under the Georgia State Library (part of the library is suspended across the road)!  I ooohhhed and aahhhed to myself as I ran (you can get away with lots of crazy noises when you’re running 26 miles) and made mental notes of things to look up when I got home.  Knowing about all the hot spots on my route gave me something to look for along my increasingly slow run and something to think about as I shuffled through the miles (I finished in 4 hrs. 23 min.).  It occurred to me that during this trip I was more aware of the history in everything, not just the touristy spots but the churches, schools, villages, houses, banks, parks and (of course) libraries.  I looked at the structures and wondered who built them and why and what had happened in all the years they had been standing.  I realized that each building had its own important story that could be uncovered and understood if I took the time.  And I realized how little I knew about the rich history of my own little corner of the world (or even my 130 yr. old house).  Artistotle said, “If you would understand anything, observe its beginning and its development.”  History is the key to true understanding, not just seeing things as we race by during our day but knowing them.  Once we know the history of a place we begin to value it for all it represents and with each story we learn more about our communities, our country, our world and ourselves.