Social distancing, State Parks, and solidarity.

Quarantine log: day 12

I felt convicted last night about my exercise during this pandemic.

Up until this moment, I haven't really felt that I've been doing anything wrong with my actions.

But last night, I thought about the massive crowds that have been at local parks. (More crowds than the Fourth of July. Which, I guess, is significant.)

I mean, even on that rainy day, I passed quite a few people on the Swamp Rabbit Trail. (Normally, I'd see maybe one or two people on a rainy day.)

By being another body on a high-traffic trail, am I being part of the problem?

For a while, my thought has been that I am not part of the problem. They. All the others. All those people who never go outside who are suddenly on MY trails. They are the problem.

But the outdoors belongs to everyone. I don't have a greater ownership in it because I am a frequent user.

I am, indeed, part of the problem. By being another body, when the problem is ALL THE BODIES on these trails. That is a problem.

If you have sit in your car, waiting in line for someone else to leave the local state park, you most certainly will not be able to safely social distance. I can't go back to Paris Mountain this weekend! It's going to be packed!

I've said all along that I'll be fine until they close the parks, and then I'm going to lose my sanity. But I have to voluntarily choose to step away from the state parks for right now.

There are plenty of lesser known trails. Heck, I live right across the street from one. It's not much, but it's also not crowded. I can avoid the Swamp Rabbit Trail by running on my road. It's not my favorite, but there is hardly anyone else out there. Also, it's good for hill training.

Honestly, it feels a bit like the war effort. In a very small way. There are people out there dying. And I can do my small part to keep this virus from spreading.

These photos are from my run today. I ran on my road. 4.82 miles. This tulip growing in a ditch was such a nice little bit of spring.